Word of God

Inspiration
In the Old Testament, the Temple housed the Ark of the Covenant and served as God’s dwelling place. Now, all of us who know Jesus are living temples, for God resides within each of us. In eternity, there will be no need for a temple, because we will be fully and completely in the presence of God. What joy we have to look forward to!

Prayer
Lord, You alone are God, and You alone are worthy of worship. I thank You and praise You for inviting me into Your presence, and for making my heart Your dwelling place. Lord, it is with hope and anticipation that I look forward to eternity, to experiencing Your presence fully within and around me. Help me to remain in Your presence for the rest of my days, so that others may know the same hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Inspiration
When you’re stuck in the mud, getting unstuck is no simple task. Sometimes it takes great strength combined with delicate maneuvering to get free. And it is often impossible to get out of the mud without help from someone on solid ground. Thankfully, we serve a God who answers us with both strength and gentleness and gives us firm ground to stand on when He frees us from the messes of life.

Prayer
Lord, sometimes I feel stuck and helpless. Whether my sin leads me into muddy waters, or those who oppose me throw me in, I look to You for my rescue. Keep me from drowning in my circumstances, and reach out Your hand to return me to the safety and sure footing of Your solid rock. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Inspiration
We all have favorite Bible verses and passages. Some words of scripture comfort us, and some might confuse us or even challenge us. But all of scripture is useful because it is all a gift from God to us so that we may more fully know him and grow in Him. Even the uncomfortable parts are necessary when we use them as God intends.

Prayer
God, thank You for Your word. Thank You for the way that You use it to speak to me, guide me, and teach me. Lord, as I open Your word, please fill me with Your Spirit so that I may read Your word with wisdom and in truth. Use the words that You have given me to strengthen my faith and draw me nearer to You, In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Inspiration
We depend greatly on the people that we follow. We trust them to guide us safely and truthfully. When we follow the wrong leaders, we often don’t realize it until that damage is done. So let us seek out leaders and teachers who have shown their trustworthiness and their grounding in scripture. And let us pray for our leaders, so that their eyes may remain opened and focused.

Prayer
Father, thank You for the leaders that You have placed in my life. I ask that You guide them in Your truth and wisdom, so that they may faithfully lead me and others according to Your will. And give me wisdom to discern when my leaders are straying from Your path, so that I may not stumble behind them, but may instead find sure footing and clear direction by Your light. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Inspiration
We all have had favorite teachers and mentors. Our faith journeys have been enriched by the people that came alongside us, discipled us, and helped us to grow in God’s truth. But it is the message of the gospel that contains the true greatness. So let us not fail to see God’s glory in the work of our teachers, for that is the greatness that they truly desire for us to see.

Prayer
Lord, thank You for putting people in my life who have helped me to grow in my faith, and for revealing Your greatness in their work. I pray that where You call me to teach and lead, that You would give me a spirit of humility, so that I may seek no glory for myself, but Your glory may be revealed in me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Inspiration
At the end of the sixth day of creation, God declared His work good. All of it. Sin introduced evil and brokenness into God’s good creation, but God’s intention remains the same. We have hope that God will finish the work of restoration that He began in Jesus and that when we are with Him in eternity, the goodness of God’s design will be fully restored.

Prayer
Thank You, God, for being such a loving and thoughtful Creator. Even through the brokenness of our fallen world, I still see Your beauty, Your brilliance, and Your care reflected throughout Your work. Thank You, Lord, for the hope of eternity, where Your goodness will be fully revealed, unblemished by the stain of sin. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Inspiration
God is infinite and omnipotent. So it is easy for us to think that He is unknowable, unreachable, and elusive. But in Jesus, the unknown is revealed. Through Jesus, the unreachable is in our grasp. We have no need to despair of knowing God, nor do we have any need to search out hidden wisdom or new philosophies. In Jesus, we have all we need to commune with the Father.

Prayer
Jesus, thank You for making a way for me to come into the Father’s presence. You have opened my heart to His love and my mind to His will. Please give me wisdom to not look elsewhere, because everything that I need is already right before me. Please grow me in my faith, that I may hold tight to You and know You better. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Inspiration
As Christians, we sometimes face opposition and danger simply for faithfully following Jesus. As much as we would like God to keep us from all threats, sometimes He allows us to experience danger for the sake of revealing his own righteousness. When Daniel survived the lions’ den, the king knew, without doubt, that Daniel had been rescued by God, and that God was just.

Prayer
Lord, give me the courage to stand firm in You when danger comes my way. Help me to remain faithful, even if others persecute me for Your sake. Give me perseverance so that I may not deny Your name or seek vengeance against those who oppose me. Instead, help me to abide in You while I wait for Your trust and righteousness to be revealed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Inspiration
David lived a victorious life for God, but he still wanted to achieve more. So God assured him that the good work He began with David would continue with his offspring. So too, is our work only set for a time, but God uses us within His larger kingdom plan to continue what has been started by others and to pass on our responsibilities to those who follow us.

Prayer
God, thank You for all that You have done and continue to do through me. It is a joy to be able to serve Your kingdom. As I reflect on my work, I thank You for those who came before me, giving me a foundation to build on. Please grant me the grace to raise up others to continue in service to You beyond my years. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Inspiration
We’ve been justified, made right with God. How? Not by our own good works, there is no amount of right that we could do to erase the sin that separated us from God. There is no price that we could afford to purchase our lives back from the penalty of death. It is grace alone, the unmerited favor of God, that redeems us and makes us righteous.

Prayer
Father, sometimes I forget that it is Your grace that saves me. Sometimes I try to lean on my own righteousness, which will never be enough. Thank You for freely giving me the gift of righteousness, for redeeming my life, and allowing me to stand in Your presence, justified and blameless, because of what Jesus has done. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Inspiration
It’s easy to think of spiritual warfare in human terms, and see people that disagree with us as our enemies. But the real battle starts in our own hearts and minds, in the places where selfish ambition and earthly desires take hold. It is the power of Christ that tears down these strongholds within us, so that we may serve Him in the world.

Prayer
Lord, before I look to the battles going on in the world, I ask You to grant me victory over my own internal battles. Please reveal any thoughts and desires that are not of You, and tear them down by the truth of Your word. Empower me by Your Spirit to set my mind on heavenly things, and use me to share Your victory with others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Inspiration
In medicine, we heal wounds with water, ointments, and bandages. All of these things promote and accelerate healing. It seems crazy to us, then, God would heal us by inflicting wounds. But that’s exactly what He did. Our spiritual wounds were not going to heal themselves, so God transferred the wound of our sin to Himself in the person of Jesus, to complete the healing from sin that we could never complete.

Prayer
Lord, thank You for sending Jesus to take my place on the cross. That You for suffering the punishment and wounds that I deserve so that I could receive healing. Thank You for mending my broken spirit, and repairing my relationship with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.