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 1
Reflect:
Proverbs 1:10
10 My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them.
Here we see a father warning his son. Today that warning might be stated something like this: Buddy, you’re running with the crowd, and if you keep it up, nothing good is going to come from it.
Many have been ruined by not following this advice. People are quick to jump headfirst into relationships with people that are unhealthy. The advice is given to a son, but it could easily be given to adults as well. Peer pressure can be intense. That desire to fit in, to be accepted, appeals to all of us. We don’t want to look like the odd one out, so we begin to compromise in our beliefs, which often leads to sin, broken relationships, and ruined lives.
The enticement we feel from others causes us to think we know what is best. In essence, we want to determine what is “good and evil” on our own. This is a mistake! It only causes us to take our eyes off of the LORD. We only end up becoming wise in our own eyes. And in doing so, we become a fool. But it doesn’t have to be like this. Remember, He alone is the beginning of wisdom. Rather than letting our appetites become our master, we can instead choose to not settle for the enticements of the world – which bring no lasting pleasure, but many times bring bondage and brokenness –and decide instead to be faithful and experience life as God intended.
Respond:
Think about the relationships you have with others, are they drawing you closer to God, or are they pulling you away? Are they steering you towards activities you know are wrong? Be honest with yourself. Decide today to steer clear of what you know is wrong. Settle it today. To not do anything, is to only set an ambush for yourself.
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 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.