Daily Devotion for July 15, 2017
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.
Today’s “Saturday Oldie” is one of my favorites, sung by Doris Akers and the wonderfully-named Sky Pilot Choir.
Traditional
Let My people go!
Oppressed so hard they could not stand,
Let My people go!
Chorus:
Go down, Moses,
Way down in Egypt's land;
Tell old Pharaoh
To let My people go!
No more shall they in bondage toil,
Let My people go!
Let them come out with Egypt's spoil,
Let My people go!
Oh, let us all from bondage flee,
Let My people go!
And let us all in Christ be free,
Let My people go!
You need not always weep and mourn,
Let My people go!
And wear these slav'ry chains forlorn,
Let My people go!
Your foes shall not before you stand,
Let My people go!
And you'll possess fair Canaan's land,
Let My people go!
Prayer of Submission
Dear Lord, I give you my 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. 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 of Abandonment
Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all Your creatures — I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve, and with boundless confidence,
For you are my Father.
Meditation
[Surrender without reserve.]
Dedication
O God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, I pray,
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.
Proverbs 14:16-17 (NKJV)
Than great treasure with trouble.
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is,
Than a fatted calf with hatred.
1 Peter 5:6-11 (ESV)
Anxiety
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Notes on the Scripture
With all of the discussion about suffering and Christianity the past weeks, there is one type of earthly suffering that we do not have to endure: Anxiety. In fact, as our faith increases, our anxiety will decrease.
Anxiety and worry are a terrible emotion. They do not help us in the future while robbing us of the present. We can plan for the future and do whatever is in our power to ensure a better future, but we do not have to suffer the pain of uncertainty.
utsiders may consider much of Christian conduct a burden, but as we grow in our faith, we know better. When Christ said, “Come to me, all of you who suffer and carry heavy burdens, and I will relieve you,” this is exactly what He was talking about. It is easy to see that, once we know Christ, we never have to feel the crushing load of anxiety again.
We give our worries to Christ by prayer. We can call upon the Holy Spirit to assist us, for people often find worry a difficult habit to break. But if you do not do so, you should try it. If you are fretting about something, there is no need to simply sit there. Drive those heebie-jeebies right out of your day! Because we know how it is all going to turn out. There is nothing to worry about. We are assured of eternal peace, for God’s victory has been proven to us by the resurrection of Christ.
Just close your eyes, or if it helps, get on your knees, and begin to pray to God. There is no secret formula. Tell Him that you know you have nothing to worry about and talk to Him about how silly your worries are, in the long run. Ask the Holy Spirit to be with you and take away your burden. If you can’t think of anything else, simply say, “Holy Spirit, be with me.”
If it helps, you can think of anxiety as a sin. We usually think of sin as something that gives us pleasure in the short run, but here is a sin whose only purpose is to make us miserable! But it is sinful, really, because ideas of anxiety always occur in a vacuum of faith and hope. Where faith and hope fill our hearts, there is no room for worry. Everything is going to turn out great — in fact, perfectly — in the long run. So stop worrying and be full of joy!
