Daily Devotion for June 4, 2010
Prayers
Scripture
Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Prayer for the Morning
Dear Lord, I give you may hands to do Your work; I give You my feet to go Your way; I give You my eyes to see as You see; I give You my tongue to speak Your words; I give You my mind that You may think in me; I give You my spirit that You may pray in me. Above all, I give You my heart that You may love in me - love the Father and love all humankind. I give You my whole self, Lord, that You may grow in me, so that it is You who lives, works and prays in me.
Prayer for Unknown Needs
Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Community of Prayer
Heavenly Lord, I know I am not alone saying these prayers or reading your Word this morning, but many people unknown to me, from all stations of life, have joined together in this brief moment of devotion. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be among the community of all who pray in the name of Christ this morning, and remain among us always.
Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.
Psalm 66:1-4
Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious.
Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will bow before You.
All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name."
Romans 5:1-5
Peace and Joy
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And let us rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Not only so, but let us also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Notes on the Scripture
One of the most perplexing issues in Christian thought is why a loving and all-powerful God allows his faithful children to suffer. I am not smart enough to answer it. Personally, I simply accept it: if God allowed Christ, who was perfect, to suffer such a terrible death prior to reaching His heavenly reward, who am I to ask for more lenient treatment?
In this passage, after reminding us that we will be saved through our faith in Christ, Paul asks us to rejoice in our sufferings. Our suffering builds character, just as the pain of physical exercise makes us physically stronger, or the task of studying makes us more learned. We must learn to persevere, because the act of perseverance will lead to hope.
