Week 14 Day 2
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:
Ex. 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me
Deut. 24:16 Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.
Prov. 19:3 A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD.
Reflect:
Today we look at the reality that we live in a world of cause and effect. Scripture says that we “reap what we sow.” This is true in regards to the physical world of crops and habits as well as the spiritual world. Moses wrote that God punishes children for the sins of their fathers then in another place he says this is not the case. The fact is children will suffer for the sins of their parents and others. But this is not direct punishment from God this is the fact of cause and effect. God allows the effects of sin to continue through generations but each generation has the opportunity and the responsibility to choose. We can make it harder or easier for our children by our choices, but all people make their own choices.
Respond:
Are there things in your life that you wonder why God doesn’t “do more” to change and yet you are not doing all you can do yourself? This may not be the case for you, if not, then disregard this point. But if you have suffering or trouble in your life that is the result of your own poor choices or a lack of good choices then it is not appropriate to blame God. It is right to ask God to help you change and then pursue that change. Is there trouble in your life that you can affect through changed choices?
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:
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.