Daily Prayer_November 17, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 17:9 (HCSB)
Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 30:1-3 (HCSB)
¹ I will exalt You, Lord, because You have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me. ² Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. ³ Lord, You brought me up from Sheol; You spared me from among those going down to the Pit.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 6:14-15 (HCSB)
¹⁴ "For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. ¹⁵ But if you don't forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.

My observation:

Before moving from the model prayer, we look today at these additional words that Jesus said about forgiveness. Jesus started this instruction on prayer by stressing the importance of putting the concerns of God first when we pray.

Matthew 6:10 (HCSB)
Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus completes this teaching on prayer by putting the emphasis on forgiving others. Notice, however, that Jesus is not saying that God forgives sinners on the basis of how we forgive others. God forgives sinners on the basis of what Jesus did on the cross.

Ephesians 4:32 (HCSB)
And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

The point Jesus is making to his disciples is that in order to have an effective, personal, and intimate relationship and fellowship with God, we must have a heart that is willing to forgive others. If we are going to be sincere in our prayer life, then we must mean it when we pray, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven". Our Father in heaven forgives sinners, and so should we forgive others.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I am so thankful that I am a forgiven child of God. Father, I thank you for this firm warning from Jesus about the importance of God's children being willing to forgive others as they have been forgiven. Father, help me to never forget how much you have forgiven me in Christ Jesus my Savior, and the Lord of my life. Father, give me a kind and compassionate heart that loves and forgives others because I have been loved and forgiven by God.

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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

1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV)
² Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 





 

Daily Prayer_November 16, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 16:17 (HCSB)
The highway of the upright avoids evil; the one who guards his way protects his life.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 29:10-11 (HCSB)
¹⁰ The Lord sat enthroned at the flood; the Lord sits enthroned, King forever. ¹¹ The Lord gives His people strength; the Lord blesses His people with peace.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV)
⁹ Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread, ¹² and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

My observation:

We have seen this week how Jesus taught his disciples to pray. He admonishes them that prayer should be secret and sincere. Today he adds another principle, and that is that prayer should be systematic. He gives them a model for praying. He said to them when you pray use this as your format. The disciples had seen Jesus pray, and they wanted to learn how to pray like he prayed. I'm glad that disciple asked the question.

Luke 11:1 (ESV)
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so thankful for the privilege of being able to have an audience with you, the sovereign God of the universe. Father, your name is a wonderful name. Lord, I bow low at your feet, and I exalt your name. Oh, how precious is the name of the Lord. Father, there is no place I would rather be than in the presence of my Lord, and my God.

Psalm 145:18 (ESV)
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

 

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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

1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV)
² Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 





 

Daily Prayer_November 15, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 15:8 (HCSB)
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

Proverbs 15:29 (HCSB)
The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 29:3-4 (HCSB)
³ The voice of the Lord is above the waters. The God of glory thunders— the Lord, above vast waters, ⁴ the voice of the Lord in power, the voice of the Lord in splendor.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 6:7-8 (HCSB)
⁷ When you pray, don't babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they'll be heard for their many words. ⁸ Don't be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.

My observation:

In our focal passage for today Jesus continues to teach his disciples how to pray. Yesterday's lesson was on secret prayer. Today Jesus addresses the topic of sincerity and simplicity in prayer. We can be specific in our prayers without using superfluous words. God already knows our needs. However, he wants us to pray because he wants to be near us. He wants intimacy rather than information from us. We need to pray because the influence of the Father in us in our times of prayer will change our lives for our good and God's glory. The more we are near him the more we become like him.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I pray that you will give me a hunger and thirst deep in my heart and soul to be near my God in frequent , sincere, and simple prayer. Father, sometimes I need a little talk, and sometimes I need to have a big talk with you. Lord, I need your smile and I need your strength that I get when I am near the side of my Lord in secret prayer.

My song:

Draw Me Nearer (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/387

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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

1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV)
² Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 





 

Daily Prayer_November 14, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 14:2 (HCSB)
Whoever lives with integrity fears the Lord, but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 29:2 (HCSB)
Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due His name; worship Yahweh in the splendor of His holiness.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 6:5-6 (HCSB)
⁵ "Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They've got their reward! ⁶ But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

My observation:

Jesus taught his disciples that prayer is a matter between a person and God. The motive for prayer is to communicate with God. The Pharisees motive in prayer was to put the focus of people upon their personal righteousness.

The focus of the child of God should be to get alone with God, and worship him in the beauty of his holiness. The unseen God will see you, and he will reward your secret and sincere prayer.

John 1:18 (HCSB)
No one has ever seen God. The One and Only Son— the One who is at the Father's side— He has revealed Him.

1 Timothy 1:17 (HCSB)
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

My prayer:

Father God, Sovereign Lord, Abba, Father, I stand amazed in the quietness of this holy hour to be able have an audience with the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. What an awesome thing it is to know that the Father of Jesus is also my heavenly Father. The one who knew Jesus knows me, and loves me. Father, I am so thankful that you listen to the prayers of those who listen to the words of your Son.

Luke 9:35 (HCSB)
Then a voice came from the cloud, saying: This is My Son, the Chosen One; listen to Him!

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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

1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV)
² Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 





 

Sunday Morning Reflections_November 13, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 13:3 (HCSB)
The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 55:22 (HCSB)
Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Nahum 1:7 (HCSB)
The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in Him.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank you that you are a God who is faithful and unchanging. Father, I ask that you would grant me the grace to have the faith to be able to stand on the precious promises of God, and of Christ my Savior, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

Father God, I am so thankful that I am, "Greatly blessed and highly favored, imperfect, but a forgiven child of God".

My song:

Standing on the Promises of God (Click on link below for the lyrics and to listen to this song):

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/340

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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

1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV)
² Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 





 

Daily Prayer_November 11, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 11:5-6 (HCSB)
⁵ The righteousness of the blameless clears his path, but the wicked person will fall because of his wickedness. ⁶ The righteousness of the upright rescues them, but the treacherous are trapped by their own desires.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 28:9 (HCSB)
Save Your people, bless Your possession, shepherd them, and carry them forever.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 6:5 (HCSB)
"Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They've got their reward!

My observation:

In today's focal passage from the Sermon on the Mount Jesus deals with the issue of public prayer. This is not a prohibition against public prayer. Rather, it is an admonition about the motive in public prayer. Jesus on occasions prayed in public.

Matthew 14:19 (HCSB)
Then He commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples [gave them] to the crowds.

The issue in public prayer is the motive, and Jesus had strong words to say about the motives of the religious people of his day. Think about this as you examine your motive concerning public prayer. Do I pray more in public then I do in private. There is no reward from praying like the hypocrites except the praise of people.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I ask that you would help me to enrich my private prayer life. Father, teach me to pray like you taught your disciples to pray. Above, all I pray that you will hear and answer my prayers in secret and in public.

My song:

Prayer is the Incense of a Holy Heart (Click on link below for the lyrics and to listen to this song):

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/762

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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

1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV)
² Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 





 

Daily Prayer_November 10, 2011

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 11:10 (HCSB)
When the righteous thrive, a city rejoices, and when the wicked die, there is joyful shouting.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 28:7-8 (HCSB)
⁷ The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I praise Him with my song. ⁸ The Lord is the strength of His people; He is a stronghold of salvation for His anointed.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 6:1-4 (HCSB)
¹ "Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of people, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² So whenever you give to the poor, don't sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. I assure you: They've got their reward! ³ But when you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

My observation:

In the previous chapter we saw Jesus' teaching about how to possess righteousness. In this chapter our Lord deals with how to practice righteousness.

1 John 2:29 (HCSB)
If you know that He is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of Him.

In the living out of what God has deposited in us we must be sure to have the right motives when we practice our righteousness. Today our focus is the motive for giving. In our focal passage Jesus compares the motives of the Pharisees in their giving, and the praise that they received.

The Pharisees announced their giving by sounding a trumpet. They gathered a crowd because they wanted the crowd to see them giving to the poor. They sought the praise of people, and that is all the reward they would get.

Jesus described how those who possess the righteousness of God should practice their righteousness before an audience of one. You can only get one reward for your giving. Do you want the reward of people or the reward of God?

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I pray that when I give, and every time I give, I will have pure motives. Father, I acknowledge that everything comes from you. Therefore, all of the praise belongs to you. Father, teach me how to give so that in my giving I might bring glory to God.

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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

1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV)
² Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.