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 27
Reflect:
Proverbs 27:18
18 The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and whoever protects their master will be honored.
Sowing and reaping come to mind when I read this proverb. If you take care of the fig tree, you’ll be rewarded with a good crop. The opposite is true too; don’t take care of the fig tree and there’ll be no crop of figs. Tending the fig tree is a metaphor meant to encourage us to be diligent at our jobs. If we work hard at our jobs, we’ll get good results. We don’t have to worry about whether or not the boss knows what we’re doing. We can let our diligence and commitment to our responsibilities speak for us.
Loyalty also comes to mind with this proverb. As someone who’s managed people before, I can attest to the comfort and satisfaction you feel when you know the team has your back. I firmly believe that if you take care of your boss and do the things that will make them successful, they’ll do everything they can to make sure you’re a success. Now, I know not every boss is like that but, generally speaking, this is true.
You have an even greater reason to work diligently at your job, and it’s this: you’re working for the Lord, not man! God is the one who will examine the kind of worker you’ve been. Remember, you work for Him. So, all of your life, including your work and personal life, should be built on His Word.
Respond:
What are your responsibilities today? Whatever they are, the Lord has given them to you to do. Will you tend well to those responsibilities?
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 27:19
As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.