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 13
Reflect:
Proverbs 13:7
7 One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
For me, the best word that drives this proverb’s principal home is “pretend.” Notice that it’s used in both lines. It’s warning us to be careful and not allow appearances to deceive. We can’t allow ourselves to be deceived by the outward appearances of others, and at the same time, we can’t go around pretending to be something that we are not. Nothing good comes from either of these! The wise person is to be the same on the outside as they are on the inside. To do anything else is simply being dishonest.
One of the heart attitudes we commit to as members of River is to demonstrate an open and honest life. Ephesians 4:25 says, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” (NIV)
Whenever I think of this heart attitude and the verse from Ephesians, I think of those old westerns that used to come on TV when I was a young kid. There were these elaborate main streets that seemed to run on forever. You’d see people coming and going; it appeared to be a bustling city. But in reality, all of it was a façade—a pretend city! The actors would look like they entered a real business, but in fact, they had only stepped on to the back lot of the studio.
We can do the same thing with our lives when we fail to be open and honest with each other. Paul challenges us to put off falsehood—in other words, tear that façade down and instead speak truthfully! We’re to let our yes be yes, and our no be no. If we are to grow and be the people that God has called us to be, then we have got to be honest with God and our fellow believers about where we are. Honesty is the foundation of trust.
Respond:
Who are you trusting in? If you’re trusting in self, then there are probably areas in your life where you’re pretending to be something that you’re not. You can make this right by first being honest with God. You can’t fool Him, He knows everything. Be honest and share your heart with Him. Then reach out to a friend and be honest with them, too. Allow them to speak into your life.
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 29:18
Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.