Daily Prayer_February 8, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 8:14-15 (MSG)
¹⁴ Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics; I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out. ¹⁵ With my help, leaders rule, and lawmakers legislate fairly;

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 142:2 (HCSB)
I pour out my complaint before Him; I reveal my trouble to Him.

The Word for encouragement:

Luke 18:2-5 (HCSB)
² "There was a judge in a certain town who didn't fear God or respect man. ³ And a widow in that town kept coming to him, saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' ⁴ "For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or respect man, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice, so she doesn't wear me out by her persistent coming.'"

My observation:

Jesus used a parable to teach his disciples the power of persistence. In this parable a poor widow was able to obtain justice from a wicked judge because of her persistence. This judge did not fear God, and he had no respect for this woman. He was out to get what he could for himself. The rich bribe him, and the powerful could get a fair hearing, but this poor widow didn't stand of chance of getting justice.

The injustice in the world can cause you to get discouraged. Jesus taught his disciples that being persistent in prayer will keep you from getting discouraged. Don't focus on injustice; there will always be people like the judge in this parable.

Ecclesiastes 3:16 (HCSB)
I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness.

In this parable the wicked judge got tired of the woman's persistence and he caved in to her demands for justice. Why did the judge grant this woman her request? The judge tells us why.

Luke 18:5 (HCSB)
yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice, so she doesn't wear me out by her persistent coming.'"

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so thankful for this parable that emphasizes the importance of perseverance in obtaining justice. Father, I thank you that I don't have to seek justice from an unjust judge, but that I can bring all of my needs to you in prayer.

Luke 11:9-10 (HCSB)
⁹ "So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

 
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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Start the Day Concentrating On:

1. Our power instead of our problems.

2. Our faith instead of our fears.

3. Our Savior instead of our sins.

4. Our triumphs instead of our troubles.

5. Our home instead of our house.

 





 

Daily Prayer_February 7, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 7:1-2 (MSG)
¹ Dear friend, do what I tell you; treasure my careful instructions. ² Do what I say and you'll live well. My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 142:1 (HCSB)
I cry aloud to the Lord; I plead aloud to the Lord for mercy.

The Word for encouragement:

Luke 18:1 (HCSB)
He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged:

My observation:

We have seen throughout our walk through the gospel of Luke how persistent Jesus was about prayer. Today's focal verse relates what he told them about the necessity of persistent prayer.

People could not keep Jesus from his time of communion and conversation with his Father. Whether it was the pressing crowds or his opponents, he always found a way to escape from the intruders, and get alone with his Father to pray.

The example is clear. Until you make prayer a top priority in your life, you will subject yourself to becoming discouraged. If Jesus had to pray, then certainly you and I need to pray. The only way we can fulfill our mission and ministry from the Lord is to learn to pray always.

This was Paul's testimony, and it should be our testimony.

2 Corinthians 4:1 (MSG)
Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times.

2 Corinthians 4:1 (HCSB)
Therefore, since we have this ministry because we were shown mercy, we do not give up.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I pray that you will help us who have received mercy to learn how to be persistent in prayer. Father, we realize that unless we persevere in prayer, we will lose heart, become discouraged, and give up. Father, by the power of your Spirit living in me, help me to never give up the privilege of prayer.

Ephesians 6:18 (ESV)
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

 
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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Current topic: A Proverb a day for wisdom, and a Psalm a day for inspiration.

 

Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

 





 

Sunday Morning Reflections_February 6, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 6:16-19 (MSG)
¹⁶ Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: ¹⁷ eyes that are arrogant, a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, ¹⁸ a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, ¹⁹ a mouth that lies under oath, a troublemaker in the family.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 86:5 (KJV)
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

The Word for encouragement:

Galatians 6:10 (MSG)
Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I pray that you would quicken the desire in the hearts of your people to hate the things that you hate.

Father God, I ask that you fill our hearts with your love, and empower us by your Spirit, so that we will be able to love as you have commanded us to love.

Matthew 22:36-40 (HCSB)
³⁶ "Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?" ³⁷ He said to him, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the greatest and most important command. ³⁹ The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands."

My song:

Let Others See Jesus in You (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://kendricklanebaptistchurch.com/LET-OTHERS-SEE-JESUS-IN-YOU.html#anchor_1594

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Current topic: A Proverb a day for wisdom, and a Psalm a day for inspiration.

 

Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

 





 

Daily Prayer_February 4, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 4:7 (NLT)
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 143:8 (TLB)
Let me see your kindness to me in the morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for my prayer is sincere.

The Word for encouragement:

Luke 17:11-19 (HCSB)
¹¹ While traveling to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As He entered a village, 10 men with serious skin diseases met Him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" ¹⁴ When He saw them, He told them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And while they were going, they were healed. ¹⁵ But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. ¹⁶ He fell facedown at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ Then Jesus said, "Were not 10 cleansed? Where are the nine? ¹⁸ Didn't any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?" ¹⁹ And He told him, "Get up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well."

My observation:

Today we conclude our focus on these ten men who had enough faith to pray. The story of these ten men should encourage us to take our needs, no matter the size, to our Lord in prayer.

This is our third day in looking at this passage. We conclude our observation on the passage by focusing on the response of the Samaritan. He did something that the other nine did not do. He returned to Jesus to give thanks, and with a loud voice he gave glory to God. The scripture says that, "He fell face down at His feet, thanking Him".

Jesus did something for this Samaritan that he did not do for the nine. What Jesus did for this man was because he came to Jesus to give glory to God, and show his gratitude to Jesus. All of the ten men were healed.

Luke 17:14 (HCSB)
When He saw them, He told them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And while they were going, they were healed.

However, only the Samaritan, who returned to give glory to God, and thanks to Jesus for his healing heard these words from the lips of Jesus, "Your faith has made you well". The Samaritan man received assurance from Jesus that his sins had been forgiven.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank you for giving me the gift of faith that allowed me to do the wisest thing I ever did in my life. One day I met Jesus, and I came to him as I was. He did something for me that no one else could do. I also heard his words speak into my heart, by his Spirit, "Your faith has made you well". This is my story, and I pray that it is also your story. It can be if you come to Jesus.

My song:

Thank You Lord (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv2e-OTb4eQ

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Current topic: A Proverb a day for wisdom, and a Psalm a day for inspiration.

 

Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

 





 

Daily Prayer_February 3, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 3:6-7 (MSG)
⁶ Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. ⁷ Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 143:1 (ESV)
Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!

The Word for encouragement:

Luke 17:15-19 (HCSB)
¹⁵ But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. ¹⁶ He fell facedown at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ Then Jesus said, "Were not 10 cleansed? Where are the nine? ¹⁸ Didn't any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?" ¹⁹ And He told him, "Get up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well."

My observation:

Today I will focus on the response of the ten lepers to their healing. Then tomorrow we will return to this passage to look at another point.

The encounter of Jesus with the lepers included ten men. Up to a point they all did the right thing. All of them saw their need, they were humble, they took their need to Jesus, they were persistent, they had faith, and they were obedient.

Nine of the ten lepers failed to give thanks to Jesus for their healing. Instead they returned to their old way of life. However, one of them, the least of them did return to give thanks to Jesus.

We should run to God and ask him to meet our needs. However, we should also run to God to thank him for meeting our needs. We should each ponder the words of Jesus.

Luke 17:18 (HCSB)
Didn't any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?"

My prayer:

Father God, I pray that I will be like the Samaritan who returned to Jesus to give thanks. Father, I thank you that in your mercy you reached down and included me in that number of those you are pleased to call your children. Father, I was once a foreigner, but now I am in Christ, and for that I am forever grateful to you, and your son, Jesus my savior.

Ephesians 2:12-13 (HCSB)
¹² At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.

My song:

Forever Grateful (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffsQKJwKJnw

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Current topic: A Proverb a day for wisdom, and a Psalm a day for inspiration.

 

Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

 





 

Daily Prayer_February 2, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 2:6-8 (ESV)
⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; ⁷ he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, ⁸ guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 141:3-4 (MSG)
³ Post a guard at my mouth, God, set a watch at the door of my lips. ⁴ Don't let me so much as dream of evil or thoughtlessly fall into bad company. And these people who only do wrong— don't let them lure me with their sweet talk!

The Word for encouragement:

Luke 17:11-14 (HCSB)
¹¹ While traveling to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As He entered a village, 10 men with serious skin diseases met Him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" ¹⁴ When He saw them, He told them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And while they were going, they were healed.

My observation:

There is so much to see in today's focal passage from Luke on the subject of prayer. It is even more revealing when you have the trusted and guiding hand of the Holy Spirit as your teacher. Like the Psalmist, I make this my prayer as I open the scriptures each day.

Psalm 119:18 (HCSB)
Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wonderful things from Your instruction.

In this passage I see demonstrated though these ten lepers in their encounter with Jesus the power of prayer in getting our most pressing needs met. These lepers had a need. Their community resources offered no hope for them. The community's response was to isolate them. That's what they did with leapers, they were outcasts.

Where do you turn for help when the world offers none? This encounter of the lepers gives us some direction. I constantly encourage myself by singing during the day, "Father, I stretch my hands to thee, no other help I know".

Whatever needs you have in your life you can do like the ten lepers. You can take those needs to Jesus, and he will take the time to listen to you. Jesus is still in the business of giving hope, help, and healing to those who ask the Savior to help them.

The ten lepers simply prayed this prayer, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us". Then, they did what Jesus told them to do. Faith in God and obedience to God still works.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I pray that each of us will learn an important lesson on prayer from the encounter of the ten lepers with Jesus.

When others could not help them, they believed that Jesus could help them. If Jesus will take the time to help these ten outcast leapers, I am certain that my heavenly Father and my Savior will help me.

Father, I am not too proud to pray like these sinners prayed, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us". Father, I praise and thank you for being a hope for the hopeless, a helper for the helpless, and a healer in a class all by yourself.

My prayer:

What a Friend (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/789

--

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Current topic: A Proverb a day for wisdom, and a Psalm a day for inspiration.

 

Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

 





 

Daily Prayer_February 1, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 1:7 (MSG)
Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 141:1-2 (HCSB)
¹ Lord, I call on You; hurry to ⌊help⌋ me. Listen to my voice when I call on You. ² May my prayer be set before You as incense, the raising of my hands as the evening offering.

The Word for encouragement:

Luke 12:22 (HCSB)
Then He said to His disciples: "Therefore I tell you, don't worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear.

Luke 12:28-34 (HCSB)
²⁸ If that's how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will He do for you—you of little faith? ²⁹ Don't keep striving for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don't be anxious. ³⁰ For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. ³² Don't be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won't grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

My observation:

Today begins a new month, and we continue to walk through the gospel of Luke in search of what Luke wrote about prayer. Our focus has been on the prayer life of Jesus, and on his teaching of how his disciples could experience a prayer life like he had.

Our focal passage today finds Jesus in a conversation with his disciples. In this discourse he admonishes them to exchange the worry filled life with a life of faith in God. There is something that every believer needs to know, and that is your loving heavenly Father will provide for your needs.

Philippians 4:19 (HCSB)
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

The believer who trusts in God as their source need never be concerned about scarcity. God's storehouse has an abundant supply that will never be empty. Jesus put his finger on the problem of worry and anxiety.

Luke 12:28 (HCSB)
If that's how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will He do for you—you of little faith?

Prayer is the key that unlocks the door to the provision of our needs. If we ask the Father to meet our needs, even our little faith in a BIG GOD is sufficient. If you trust in God, he will do for you what no other person or power can do.

Matthew 17:20 (HCSB)
"Because of your little faith," He told them. "For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I pray that you will give me a confident faith, and the wisdom to trust in you to meet all of my needs. Father, I am so thankful that you are able and willing to exchange my worries and anxieties for the peace of God. Father, increase my faith, and deepen my prayer life.

My song:

Faith is the Victory (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://biblestudycharts.com/SH_Faith_Is_The_Victory.html

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Current topic: A Proverb a day for wisdom, and a Psalm a day for inspiration.

 

Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.