Week 34 Day 5
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
1John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for others.
Heb. 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
Reflect
Here is the definition of love and joy…to sacrifice ourselves for others. This is clearly the case in scriptures but personal experience and human history bear this out as well. Why is it that so many continue to try what has always failed…to find love and joy through selfish thinking and living? We must train our hearts and minds for love and joy just as we train our muscles for physical skills. We train for love and joy by continually thinking about what is actually true. “This is what love is…this is what joy is.” We train for love and joy by making tangible investments in the lives of others without waiting for them to reciprocate. Christ-like love and joy will not “fall” on us from heaven. We must pursue them with our hearts, minds, emotions, and choices. We pursue these things by pursuing the good of others not merely the good of ourselves. Are you weary of “giving” and feel like there is no joy coming your way? Clearly “joy” can be a complex thing. It can be hard to separate from things like feelings of sadness, or physical exhaustion. But “joy” is a reality for humanity, it originates in God. It is not to be pursued as a thing in itself but it is a result of the pursuit of God. You can be physical and emotional tired, this is normal. But we must not become weary to the point of giving up on joy. This means we have given up on the pursuit of God.
Respond
Are you tired physically, emotionally, spiritually, relationally? Tell God, it’s okay to be tired. Have you become weary to the point of “giving up?” That is not okay. You must rouse yourself against this. Cry out to God. Talk to a friend. You will reap a harvest…but you cannot give up.
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:
Philippians 2:3-7
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.