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 29
Reflect:
Proverbs 29:1
1Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes
will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.
Have you ever dealt with someone who stubbornly refused to listen to you? Well, if you’ve ever said, “I told you so,” then most likely you have. And if you think you haven’t, ask someone who has children. They’ve had first-hand experience with it!
Most translations use the word “stiff-necked” instead of stubborn to describe someone who is hardened and refusing to repent or submit to repeated correction. It’s the idea of someone who defiantly scowls their face as they stick their finger out and says, “Nobody’s gonna tell me what to do; I’m gonna do what I want to do!”
Sadly, I saw this often when I was a first sergeant with the Air Force. Every Friday, I would give the weekend safety brief. I’d always end with telling the troops, “Don’t drink and drive, you can’t afford the consequences.” And inevitably, before the weekend was over, I’d get a call about one of my airmen being pulled over for drinking and driving or being involved in some type of alcohol incident. The time for warnings was over; now came the consequences. They would experience the pain of a reduction in rank and, in many cases, the end of a career.
Being stiff-necked is a common theme throughout the Bible; we all suffer from it. That’s because we foolishly think we know best how to live life. Rather than living life in line with God’s design, we want to determine what is right on our own.
How different things would be if we would stop long enough to hear what God has to say. He says, “I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide. So don’t make it difficult; don’t be stubborn when I take you where you’ve not been before. Don’t make me tug you and pull you along. Just come with me!” (Psalm 32:8 TPT)
Respond:
So, what about you? Are you stiff-necked? Is there something the Lord is saying to you and you are refusing to listen? Choose to listen to Him today. Walk the good path. To remain stiff-necked is a frightening place to be.
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 28:13
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.