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 23
Reflect:
Proverbs 23:12
12Apply yourself to discipline
and listen to words of knowledge. (NLT)
This is a straightforward proverb, yet many times we can still miss the mark. Why? Because we can fail to “apply” and “listen.”
“Apply” has a sense of focused attention. It’s not something we just kind of think about; it’s a concerted effort. This kind of attention requires a decision. So, to apply ourselves, we’ve got to decide that we’re doing it. We call this kind of thinking “living decided.”
To “listen” to something is much more than just hearing something. We hear words and sounds all the time. But listening is different; it’s hearing and understanding what you hear. Listening takes focused and intentional effort.
Respond:
“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Proverbs 1:7 NLT). Don’t live like the fool: they neither apply nor listen to God’s word. Live decided. Remember: God is not opposed to effort but He’s opposed to earning.
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 17:22
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.