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
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
David is talking to his own soul. He is directing himself to praise the Lord. David has personal experience with the tragic consequences of letting his own passion and perspective set his course. Now he is aggressively speaking to his passions and perspectives. He is telling them what to do, not vice versa.
Talk to yourself (your soul) right now. Please do it out loud. I know you can hear your own thoughts but it helps to hear your words in your own ears as well.
What does your soul need to hear today?
“Praise the Lord soul…he is in control of my circumstances.”
“Praise the Lord soul…this is all about him, not me.”
“Praise the Lord soul…(fill in the blank).”
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:
He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
Proverbs 18:22