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 29
Reflect:
Proverbs 29:7
7 The righteous care about justice for the poor,
but the wicked have no such concern.
When I read this proverb, I can’t help but think about the dignity of all life. The righteous person is to care about justice for the poor—the needy, the poor in spirit, those who are hurting, those who mourn—they are to be “others-minded” and know the case of the poor. This is only done by developing relationships with others. If you don’t have a relationship, how will you ever honestly know what is going on in someone’s life?
On the other hand, the wicked only think about what’s best for themselves; they’re “self-minded.” The wicked either don’t know or don’t care about the difference between right and wrong, particularly when it comes to issues concerning the most vulnerable. Again, they care only about themselves, and I’m afraid that’s not right. In Isaiah, we read, “Woe to those who legalize injustice and write oppressive legislation! You rip away the rights of the poor and prey upon widows and orphans!” (Isaiah 10:1-2 TPT) All through the scriptures, we find God telling us to open our eyes to the needs of people. You’ll find Jesus doing the same thing in the Beatitudes (see Matthew 5 or Luke 6). And if we’re to love God and love people, we need to open our eyes to the needs of those around us. Here’s the wonderful thing that happens when we do this—God will use us as channels to pour out His blessings.
Respond:
Take time today and look around at the need that’s all around you. Pray and ask God to give you wisdom in how best to serve—then get busy serving! Remember, it is better to give than receive, so give your life away for the Gospel.
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.