Proverbs Devotional 3.31.20

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 31

Reflect:

Proverbs 31:11

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value. 

“A wife of noble character who can find?” You know character matters. Culture may want to brush that idea off, but they can’t do it so quickly. Why? Because deep, meaningful, trusting relationships are built on it. Character is the foundation to trust! You see, The Husband trusts his wife because she has proven herself faithful to him. It’s this faithfulness—this trustworthiness—that leads the Husband to place his full confidence in her. Now that is a beautiful thing! Why do I say that? Because character like this is hard to find—it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist—it’s just hard to find. And when you find it, you understand how valuable it is. 

Developing our character is something we must pursue. It’s not something that just increases as we age, it takes deliberate choices over a long time. However, as important as our choices are, we must never forget that true character—godly character—is a result of the Holy Spirit sanctifying us. If we try to develop character on our own—in our own strength, we’ll fall short. The beautiful thing about the Holy Spirit-infused character of the believer is that it’s a consistent manifestation of Jesus in their life. When we embrace this idea, we grow into the kind of people who consistently live out the qualities that are so admired in this chapter. 

Respond:

Ask God to reveal areas in your character where growth is needed. Then choose to fully embrace the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

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 31:30
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.