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Proverbs Devotional 10.16.20

By October 16, 2020Daily Devotional

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 16

Reflect:

For October, I’d like you to simply read slowly through the entire proverb each day. Think about the verses that have stood out to you over this year, the things God has spoken to you about, and the wisdom that was revealed to you. Use this time as a summary review of our time together over the last nine months.

As you read the Proverbs, you’ll notice that they are comprised of different translations. My hope is that doing this will help you to read Proverbs afresh. Following the reading is a short prayer that sums up the proverb. God Bless!

Proverbs 16 (The Message)
Mor­tals make elab­o­rate plans,
but God has the last word.

2 Hu­mans are sat­is­fied with what­ever looks good;
God probes for what is good.

3 Put God in charge of your work,
then what you’ve planned will take place.

4 God made every­thing with a place and pur­pose;
even the wicked are in­cluded—but for judg­ment.

5 God can’t stom­ach ar­ro­gance or pre­tense;
be­lieve me, he’ll put those up­starts in their place.

6 Guilt is ban­ished through love and truth;
Fear-of-God de­flects evil.

7 When God ap­proves of your life,
even your en­e­mies will end up shak­ing your hand.

8 Far bet­ter to be right and poor
than to be wrong and rich.

9 We plan the way we want to live,
but only God makes us able to live it. 

It Pays to Take Life Se­ri­ously
10 A good leader mo­ti­vates,
doesn’t mis­lead, doesn’t ex­ploit.

11 God cares about hon­esty in the work­place;
your busi­ness is his busi­ness.

12 Good lead­ers abhor wrong­do­ing of all kinds;
sound lead­er­ship has a moral foun­da­tion.

13 Good lead­ers cul­ti­vate hon­est speech;
they love ad­vi­sors who tell them the truth.

14 An in­tem­per­ate leader wreaks havoc in lives;
you’re smart to stay clear of some­one like that.

15 Good-tem­pered lead­ers in­vig­o­rate lives;
they’re like spring rain and sun­shine.

16 Get wis­dom—it’s worth more than money;
choose in­sight over in­come every time.

17 The road of right liv­ing by­passes evil;
watch your step and save your life.

18 First pride, then the crash—
the big­ger the ego, the harder the fall.

19 It’s bet­ter to live humbly among the poor
than to live it up among the rich and fa­mous.

20 It pays to take life se­ri­ously;
things work out when you trust in God.

21 A wise per­son gets known for in­sight;
gra­cious words add to one’s rep­u­ta­tion.

22 True in­tel­li­gence is a spring of fresh water,
while fools sweat it out the hard way.

23 They make a lot of sense, these wise folks;
when­ever they speak, their rep­u­ta­tion in­creases.

24 Gra­cious speech is like clover honey—
good taste to the soul, quick en­ergy for the body.

25 There’s a way that looks harm­less enough;
look again—it leads straight to hell.

26 Ap­petite is an in­cen­tive to work;
hunger makes you work all the harder.

27 Mean peo­ple spread mean gos­sip;
their words smart and burn.

28 Trou­ble­mak­ers start fights;
gos­sips break up friend­ships.

29 Cal­loused climbers be­tray their very own friends;
they’d stab their own grand­moth­ers in the back.

30 A shifty eye be­trays an evil in­ten­tion;
a clenched jaw sig­nals trou­ble ahead.

31 Gray hair is a mark of dis­tinc­tion,
the award for a God-loyal life.

32 Mod­er­a­tion is bet­ter than mus­cle,
self-con­trol bet­ter than po­lit­i­cal power.

33 Make your mo­tions and cast your votes,
but God has the final say.

Respond:

Father, thank You for the wisdom found in these sayings. I take the life You’ve given me seriously. Help me to lead myself and others well. I want to walk with integrity and honesty in my job. I want to make decisions that are sound and in line with Your character. Cultivate within me honest speech which builds up and doesn’t tear others down. Help me control my temper today, I want to be like that spring rain and sunshine You spoke about in this proverb. I do want to get wisdom, godly wisdom! Empower me today to live for Your glory and honor. It is my privilege to pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 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 27:1

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

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