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 12
Reflect:
Proverbs 12:7
7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
but the house of the righteous stands firm. (NIV)
“The house of the righteous stands firm.” I don’t know about you, but the second line of this verse fills me with joy and confidence. I know that difficulties and hard things are going to come my way, but with Jesus, I can stand firm amid life’s storms. By trusting in Jesus, I’ve been rescued from sin and death, and one day soon I will live in a resurrected body in the presence of Jesus for all eternity. This reality didn’t come about because I was more righteous than anybody else. Salvation came to me as a free gift when I trusted in Christ as my Savior. When I did this, a beautiful thing happened: Jesus’ righteousness was credited to me! God no longer saw me as wicked, but as holy. If you trust in Christ as your Savior, then the same is true for you too! We stand securely—firm—in the truth of God.
God wants us to understand that there are two ways to live, but only one of them is the right way. Those who follow Jesus’ teachings are the ones that will stand firm. To drive that point home, Jesus told a parable about two houses that were built on different foundations: solid rock and sand. It wasn’t long before a rainstorm came, the rivers rose, and a strong wind blew, pounding against the houses. One of the houses didn’t fall because it was built on a solid foundation of rock. The other group of people in the story failed to listen and follow Jesus’ words. He compared these people to the foolish person that builds a house on sand, and when the rain came and the rivers rose and the wind blew, their house collapsed! Their foundation wasn’t secure; it was built upon sand. (See Matthew 7:24-29)
Respond:
If you’ve trusted Christ as your Savior, you are standing on the solid rock! All other ground is sinking sand. Take time and thank God for the work He’s done in your life through Jesus Christ.
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 20:22
Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.