Week 35 Day 4
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
Proverbs 26:12 “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
Reflect
In Proverbs a “fool” is not a person with a low IQ but rather a person who is morally deficit. Likewise wisdom is not merely being smart but it is living by faith. Proverbs says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Fear is best understood as “awesome respect.” It is the fear that shapes choices, behavior. So the hopeless fool here is the person who thinks they can do whatever they want with their lives and there will be no consequence. They have no fear of God. If a person consistently lives as if they are smarter than God (wise in their own eyes) they will suffer the fate of the fool who lives as if there is no God. It is unlikely that you would be reading this if you truly believed you are “wise in your own eyes” or if you lacked a healthy “fear of the Lord.” However if the line of destruction is being “wise in our own eyes” then the life of thriving is to move far from that line and farther into the beautiful land of confidence in God.
Respond
Very often being wise in our own eyes is more subtle than outright rebellion to God. It is refusing to believe the input of others or refusing to acknowledge the tangible outcomes of our own foolish attitudes and actions. Is God speaking to you through others right now? What is he saying? Is God speaking through outcomes of your own attitudes and actions? Are there negative consequences that you are blaming on others when in fact the fault is your own propensity to trust self? This may be hard to admit, but if this true of you will you understand that God is inviting you to his joy. Will you respond?
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:
Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.