Week 19 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
Gen. 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Reflect
Being made in God’s image has manifold implications for our lives. If we know “who” we are then we are positioned to know “why” we exist and how “what” we do has meaning. Humanity as a whole is confused as to who they are. They conclude they are machines, or animals, or in some cases “gods”. Perhaps they don’t actually believe they are divine but they believe and live that they are in a sense the “center of the universe.” To attempt live as a machine, animal, or god is to attempt to live in unreality. It is like trying to breath water or defy gravity. We cannot break reality, we can only be broken by it. The most important aspect of you being made in God’s image is that you can choose to love him. He loves you and because you are not a machine you can love him freely. Love for God is revealed in our obedience to him but he wants love. He doesn’t want machines who mechanically do as they are programmed…he wants a love relationship with you.
Respond
God wants a love relationship with you. Think about this in as practical of terms as you can. Think in terms of analogies of people you love. What does it look like now, today…for you to love God?
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:
Ephesians 6:14-18
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.