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 15
Reflect:
Proverbs 15:23
23A person takes joy in giving an answer;
and a timely word—how good that is!
I recently was the benefactor of timely words from a friend, and we both delighted at the outcome of the situation. Without going into all the details, I had a decision I needed to make and I was crunched for time. I’d been praying about the situation and what my choices were, but I had no clear answer. It was one of those deals when the door was neither closed nor fully open.
I turned to my friend, told him the details of the situation, and then listened for his response. His answer gave clarity to me and it became clear what I needed to do. My friend’s answer ended up being a win-win for everyone involved. I remember shouting out, “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” Shortly after making the decision, I told my friend who had helped me think through my answer what happened. He and I both rejoiced in the parking lot of the church! His timely words were a great encouragement to me!
Then there are those times when someone pops into my mind and I think to myself, “I need to give them a call and let them know that I’m praying for them.” I’m always amazed when I get a response back that lets me know that my prayer came at just the right time. To say the right thing at the right time is satisfying and encouraging.
Walking wisdom’s path helps us in a couple of ways. First, it often helps us know what the right answer may be. Second, it helps us know when it’s the right time to give a response or a word of encouragement. Sometimes having the correct answer but giving it at the wrong time can be just as bad as giving the wrong answer.
Response:
Pray that when given the opportunity to speak into someone else’s life, your words would be both a joyful answer and a timely word spoken.
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 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.