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 26
Reflect:
Proverb 26:1
1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
honor is not fitting for a fool.
Wait, snow in the summer? What’s that about? It doesn’t snow in the summer! That’s right—that’s the point. It’s one of those things that make you go, “hmmm” as your head tilts to the side and you furrow your brow in confusion. You might not understand all that’s going on, but you know this: it’s wrong! Seeing a fool honored can make us respond in this same way. It’s not right. In fact, it’s like rain at harvest time; not only is it unusual, but the rain can be damaging to the crops. When we honor a fool, we’re not doing them any favors. We’re actually encouraging the foolish behavior and we must avoid doing this.
The antidote is to walk with integrity. Integrity in the New Testament means honesty and adherence to a pattern of good works. Jesus is the perfect example of a man of integrity. And as followers of Christ, we’ve been called to be like Jesus! Now, will we do this perfectly? No. But as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, continually sanctifying us, we will find that we’re conforming more and more to Christ’s image.
Respond:
Are there areas in your life that are not aligned with the Gospel, areas where you may be compromising your integrity? Ask God to strengthen your desire for holiness. Ask Him to give you the ability to live your life in line with the things He reveals to you.
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 19:21
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.