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 5
Reflect:
Proverbs 5:1
1My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
turn your ear to my words of insight,
Once Patty and I were on a boat in the Florida Keys cruising around the mangrove trees. It was beautiful and relaxing. Patty was at the back of the boat, and I was up at the bow. She had her camera out and was filming as we floated through the narrow canals that weaved through the trees. At some point, she asked me a question. I looked right at her and shook my head in agreement, I think I even said, “Yeah, that’s right.” It wasn’t until we got home and watched the video that it became apparent that I didn’t hear a word Patty had said! Even though I was looking right at her, nodding in agreement and saying, “Yeah,” I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about! And in case you’re wondering, yes! I got an ear-full that night! There was nothing I could do—it was there on tape for all to see—I hadn’t paid attention to a word Patty had said.
Pay attention! What an interesting phrase. It’s an idiom, a figure of speech, that means to listen carefully and be attentive. In the wisdom writings (in the CSB translation), the phrase is used 23 times. Obviously, it is a skill we all should work to master. And when it comes to our walk with Jesus, it’s a skill that is imperative!
There are so many things fighting for our attention. We live in a fast-paced, attention-grabbing world, and the faster things change, the shorter our attention span gets. Then there’s the daily grind; it’s easy to get caught up in it and forget our true purpose to love God and make His love known to others.
So, what are we to do? How do we become better skilled at paying attention to the things that truly matter? Colossians 3:1-4 gives us some insight. It says, “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (CSB)
Respond:
“Seek” and “set” are key words. They are action words that require a decision. Determine to set your heart on Christ today. Do the work necessary to fully pay attention.
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.