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 Chapter 22
Reflect:
Proverbs 22:13
13 The slacker says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be killed in the public square!”
Reflection: There are at least 14 proverbs on laziness, of which this is probably one of the funniest ones. If you’ve been around kids for any length of time, then I’m sure you’ve heard some outrageous excuses. We tend to have some leniency with kids. But when an adult uses an excuse like this, now that’s a different story. The proverb focuses in on the mind-boggling excuses that slackers use to escape their work. Lions didn’t roam through towns, especially when people were out working. The person who hears this kind of reasoning would have clearly seen it for what it is—an excuse. The proverb’s bottom line is this: Don’t rationalize laziness!
As God’s people we’re not called to be slackers. If anything, we’re to set the pace for others to follow. We’re to work hard, not to win the approval of men, but of God. (Eph. 6:6) “17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col.3:17)
Did you catch that… “Whatever” we do means “everything” we do! We must not only pray in Jesus’ name; we must do everything in His name. Our entire lives must be worthy of His name. As a follower of Christ, you’re now a representative, an ambassador of Christ. (1 Cor. 5:12) So, everything we do has meaning and purpose, including your job or the things you really don’t want to do.
Respond:
Avoid being lazy today. Change your mindset, make Christ the center of all that you do today. Take your responsibilities seriously and get to work.
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 Week’s Scripture Memory:
Proverbs 31:10
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.