Daily Devotion for November 3, 2011
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.
(Additional prayers may be found at Prayers for All Occasions.)
Peace of Mind
Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands.
~ Elisabeth Elliot
Romans 8:31-34 (ESV)
God's Everlasting Love
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?
It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Notes on the Scripture
Christians have met all kinds of opposition in life, from the time Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Remember that at Jesus' birth, Herod the Great massacred the infant boys of the entire region, seeking to kill him before he could raise up a new kingdom.
Countless Christians have suffered and died in the faith since then. Sometimes it has been at the hands of other religious leaders or adherents; Stephen was the first martyr in Jerusalem, stoned to death by the high priests of Judea. Christians are still murdered for their faith, in Iran, in Nigeria -- who really knows how many? Countries where Christians are most frequently murdered do not report it in their newspapers.
Sometimes it has been by atheist political leaders. Hitler was so well-known for his massacre of the Jews that his suppression of Catholic, Protestant, and Lutheran priests and ministers has been lost in the noise; but Lenin and Stalin and Mao-Tse-Tung are known for their killing, burning, and looting of everything Christian. And many of the worst holocausts against Christians have been carried out by supposedly Christian leaders, seeking to protect their importance and temporal power, by murdering those who professed a Christian belief somehow different from their own.
It would be discouraging except for one thing: If God is with us, who can stand against us? God gave his own son in the battle for righteousness and then demonstrated, for all time, the ultimate victory — victory over death.
There is no power on earth, no king, no president, no tyrant, no smug journalist, no misguided politician, who has the actual power to condemn Christ's followers. The vine of faith, love and hope will bear fruit for eternity, while the words and deeds of the evil wither and die after their day has passed.
