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 3
Reflect:
Proverbs 3:3-4
3Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
We reflected on these verses back in March, but there is so much there it warrants another look.
The Message states verses 3 and 4 like this: “Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people.” There’s a sense that the writer wants love and loyalty to be planted deeply into our hearts.
So, the question that comes to my mind this morning is this: “How do we do that?”
Two things Paul said come to mind. The first is “With regard to your former way of life, put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV) This is a great passage because it describes what has already been done in the life of a believer! It’s kind of a paradox; yes, it’s already been done, but our daily decisions matter! We have to choose to take off the old. It’s part of the sanctification process. This is the commitment believers are called to make daily.
The second thing Paul said was, “Don’t conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (See Romans 12) In other words, we’re not to copy or act out the behaviors of the culture of the world.
Paul’s goal with both these thoughts is that we would have lives that connect with Christ and delight in His will. Having this as the goal wins favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
Respond:
Decide today to let love and faithfulness never leave you. If you need to change out of those old dirty rags, then do it and embrace what has been given to you in Christ Jesus. Start the renewal process by allowing His Word to be carved deep into your heart.
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 16:2
All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.