Week 20 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
1 Thess 4:11-12 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
Reflect
The desire to do “meaningful” work is hard-wired into us. We are designed for purpose. However our ambitions have been twisted by sin. Instead of finding joy and meaning and gratitude in what God gives us to do we are prone to have discontent and ingratitude for what God gives us to do. Here Paul exhorts the church not to passivity in their lifestyles but to contentment and faith. “Mind your own business” was an exhortation to not be gossips and busybodies. People who are bored and discontent create interpersonal drama. People who are fully engaged with what God is doing in and around them don’t have the time or the interest in creating drama. What God is doing is too interesting to get sidetracked by such nonsense.
Respond
How can you become more “ambitious” for faithfulness, gratitude, and contentment in your day to day work? Spend a few minutes contemplating those three things now…faithfulness, gratitude, and contentment.
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.