Daily Devotion for November 13, 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
Oh Lord, most heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who has safely brought me to the beginning of this day; I give you thanks for my creation, preservation, and all the blessings of my life. Grant that this day I fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all my doings, being governed by your will, may be righteous in your sight. Through Christ our Lord, I pray.
Prayer for Grace and Strength
Lord God, I pray that you will fill my heart with the blessing of your Holy Spirit. Grant me this day the strength to be temperate in all things, diligent in my duties, and patient under my afflictions. Direct me in all my ways. Give me grace to be just and upright in all my dealings; quiet and peaceable; full of compassion; and ready to do good to all people, according to my abilities and opportunities. For the sake of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
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 126 (American Standard Version)
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing: Then said they among the nations, Jehovah hath done great things for them.
Jehovah hath done great things for us, Whereof we are glad.
Turn again our captivity, O Jehovah, As the streams in the South.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
Ecclesiasticus 2:7-11
Faith in Times of Trouble
You who fear the Lord, trust in him, and your reward will not be lost.
You who fear the Lord, hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy.
Consider the generations of old and see: has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed?
Or has anyone persevered in the fear of the Lord and been forsaken? Or has anyone called upon him and been neglected?
For the Lord is compassionate and merciful; he forgives sins and saves in time of distress.
Notes on the Scripture
I know that you are having problems right now. Well, I know that I am having problems and I'm pretty sure you are, too. That seems to be the state of humanity. We have problems. If by some stroke of fortune you are not having any problems, you will.
Your problems may be things you can handle, or at least cope with. Or they may seem insurmountable. People all over the world right now have incurable cancer, or children who are starving, or just got evicted from their home, or have no job and are running out of unemployment. The prisons are overcrowded. The neighbor's dog barks all night and keeps us awake. And nobody really understands why God made a world with so much trouble.
But we can cope, even with the worst life can throw at us. All of us will die. But once we know God, once we accept Christ into our hearts, even death itself cannot make us despair. Has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed? Has anyone persevered in the fear of the Lord and been forsaken?
When our troubles mount to the point where we think we cannot stand it, our faith and hope and love are more important to us than ever. The truth is that it is temporary and that God will save us. He is going to take away our pain and suffering. We know that our Redeemer lives and that he will not only save us, but will forgive our sins so that we might be saved. All we need do is believe. Sometimes our belief is challenged by the suffering of this world, but if there is one thing that nobody but ourselves can take away from us, it is our faith in Christ Jesus and the certainty that he will relieve our suffering.
Our inheritance is one of joy and happiness. The time is coming when the treasure we have laid up in heaven will be returned to us a hundredfold. The faith we show and the prayers we say in time of trouble are worth an enormous amount; Satan is trying to steal our heart with the misery life brings to us, and we must stay strong, because our reward is certain.
Comments