Week 9 Day 1
I. Prayer to enter the Lord’s presence:
Be still for a moment. “Lord, I give the day that is now past to you. It is yours. I give the day that is to come to you; help me to see where you are working and to join you there. Speak to me during these moments. I commit them and myself to you.”
II. Prayer of Confession:
“Lord, you are faithful to forgive me and cleanse me of my sin when I confess it to you. I confess my sin(s) of ______________. Thank you for forgiveness.” (1 John 1:9)
III. Prayer of Thanksgiving:
Choose to be thankful, speak out loud of what God has done.
“Thank you, Father, for _________________. Fill my heart and my mouth with gratitude throughout this day.”
IV. Scripture Reflection
Read:
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
Reflect:
Do you see the contrasts here? The treasure of the Gospel in jars of clay. Hard pressed but not crushed. Confused but not in full despair. Falsely persecuted but not abandoned by God. Knocked to the ground but not down for the count. Then in verse 10, we are alive because Christ has died. Then in verse 11, we lay down our lives for him so his life will be revealed in us. This entire passage is confusing for those who believe that “good brings good and bad brings bad” into our lives. Do you believe directly or indirectly that if only you were good enough or had enough faith…then God would make sure that nothing you call bad would ever happen? Sure sin brings bad results and good choices bring good results. But God is not a vending machine. His purposes for you are ultimately good, but they do not always align with what we want him to do or think he should do.
Respond:
Ask yourself, honestly, “Do I believe that if I am good enough then bad things will not happen to me?” Think of this question as a scale rather than a binary, either/or choice. Of course good choices matter but how much do you believe you can ensure no problems will come by your own choices? What needs to change in your thinking to become more fully biblical in the “pegs” that you hand life experiences on?
V. Prayer for others:
Pray specifically for the concerns of your life and the lives of others.
VI. Prayer of commitment:
“Lord God, I commit to love you with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength and with all my mind and to love my neighbor as myself. Empower me today to love you and others with everything that I am.” (Luke 10:27)
This Month’s Scripture Memory:
Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.