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 11
Reflect:
Proverbs 11:30
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and a wise person captivates people. (CSB)
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life—think about that. Read it again, let it soak in.
The righteous are those who walk with God. As best as they can, they live their lives in ways that bring glory and honor to God. James tells us that wisdom from above is full of mercy and good fruits. He even describes what fruit looks like, he says it’s first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. And that the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace. (See James 3:13-18)
Today we would describe a righteous person as a person of character. So, a righteous person, a person of high character, becomes a sort of tree of life. Their lives captivate people.
Think of a person you admire, a person you wouldn’t hesitate to honor or celebrate, a person of high character who walks in wisdom. What are the traits that make them worthy of praise? I bet words like affectionate, gentle, good-willed, gracious, friendly, thoughtful, honest, hospitable, charitable, and decent come to mind. They sound a lot like the words James uses to describe the person who walks in wisdom, right? These are the traits that draw us to these kinds of people. It’s these traits, lived out daily in the lives of believers that allows us to have life-giving influence, and win others over to wisdom’s path.
Respond:
Righteousness brings life, and we who walk in righteousness can bear fruit. We can be a tree of life of sorts to those who are lost. Choose today to walk in wisdom and let your life be a nourishing influence on those God brings 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 12:11
Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.