Daily Devotion for January 17, 2026
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.
Saturday is “Oldies Day,” but that covers a huge range. This hymn harkens back to the Anabaptist persecution and is sung in their style (a capella, with complex vocal harmony) by the Antrim Mennonite choir.
For Grace and Goodness
Almighty God, who has given your only Son to be unto me both a sacrifice for sin, and also a model of godly life; Give me grace that I may always most thankfully receive His inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavour myself to follow the blessed steps of His most holy life; through the blessing of Him, Jesus Christ our Lord.
For Freedom from Sin
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, do not permit vanity, self-love, sensuality, carelessness, nor anger to rule over me and steal me from Thy love, O my Lord and Creator, all my hope! Do not leave me without a portion of the blessed eternity. Grant also that I may follow Thy Holy example, that I may submit to the authorities placed over me. Grant me the clean soul, the simplicity of heart that makes us worthy of Thy love.
For Christians
Teach me, O Lord, to dispose my deeds so that they will serve in glorifying Your holy name. Take pity, O Lord, on all Christians. Hear the desires of all who cry out to You, and deliver them from evil. Save Your servants; send them comfort, consolation in their sorrows, and Your holy mercy.
O Lord, I especially pray for those who have in any way insulted, abused and grieved me. Do not punish them for the sake of me, a sinner; but pour Your mercy upon them. O Lord; I pray to You especially for all those whom I, a sinner, insulted or tempted in word, deed, thought, knowingly or unknowingly. O Lord God, forgive us our sins and mutual offenses. Dispel from every Christian heart all indignation, suspicion, anger, remembrance of evil, quarrels, and all that might hinder and lessen brotherly love. In Christ’s holy name, I ask this,
Benediction
Now, to God the Father, who first loved us, and made us accepted in the Beloved; to God the Son, who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood; to God the Holy Ghost, who sheds the love of God abroad in our hearts, be all love and all glory in time and to all eternity.
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.
Today’s “Remember the Bible” Question
Which book of the Bible contains the story of Abraham?
Psalm 86:6-10 (NKJV)
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And attend to the voice of my supplications.
In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me.
Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Your works.
All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.
For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.
John 16:20-24 (NASB)
Joy to Come
esus said, “Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.
When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. On that day you will ask nothing of me.
Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”
Notes on the Scripture
Christianity is the ultimate expression of ‘delayed gratification.’ Many martyrs have given their lives for their faith in Christ, and anyone who believes in Christ will take some action in this life that is contrary to his self-interest in the world, because of his belief in the joy that will come to his eternal soul.
In today’s passage, Christ speaks words of enormous comfort to the apostles, who are disconsolate at the approach of Jesus’ cruel death. The example he gives, of a woman in labor, is wonderful; it is something that everyone can understand and appreciate, for birth can indeed be terribly painful (and in that time, dangerous) to the mother; yet the result is one of the happiest moments in the woman’s life.
For most of us, Christ’s burden is light and the reward is great. People often decry that life is not fair, and it isn’t; but in this instance, the unfairness runs in our favor. We are given the same eternal salvation as those who were crucified, those who were thrown to lions, and those who spend their entire adult lives as monks and nuns, living in poverty and discomfort.
In fact, sometimes Christ’s “burden” is an earthly blessing, especially for those who feel God’s Holy Spirit in their lives. Every person’s life is full of cares and woes. When we really can grasp the significance of our salvation, they do not hurt so much. Christ did say, “Come to me, those of you who labor and carry heavy burdens, and I will refresh you.”
This is a message all Christians should take to heart. True faith, especially letting the Holy Spirit enter our lives, takes an enormous weight off our shoulders. Whenever we are feeling down, we should take time to meditate and pray for this enormous blessing we can receive during our lives.
