BEGGARS

PSALM 88:8-9 (TCEB)
You’ve turned my friends against me.
You made them hate me.
I’m a shut-in now,
And I can’t go out anymore.
The light is going out in my eyes.
I’ve been calling you every day, LORD.
I’ve lifted my hands reaching out to you.

ACTS 3:2 (GNT)
There at the Beautiful Gate, as it was called, was a man who had been lame all his life. Every day he was carried to the gate to beg for money from the people who were going into the Temple.

THE ESSENCE
In God's economy, beggars get noticed. 

DAILY FODDER
In our modern Western society, people are naturally suspicious of beggars. We assume they are somehow scamming the system or that by paying them attention, we’ll further encourage them to live unproductive lives. How do you get past these prejudices to reach out to the desperate? 

PRAYER
Lord God, I call out to you. Sometimes, I feel helpless and handicapped, hapless and hopeless. Sorrow fills me as if there is no escape. Lord, in your mercy, hear my prayer. Take control. Overcome my circumstances. Show the way. Today, empower me to bring others to the "Beautiful gate" where you help and heal. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

AWESOMENESS

EXODUS 34:10 (GNT)
The LORD said to Moses, "I now make a covenant with the people of Israel. In their presence I will do great things such as have never been done anywhere on earth among any of the nations. All the people will see what great things I, the LORD, can do, because I am going to do an awesome thing for you."

MATTHEW 15:31 (TCEB)
When the crowd saw mute people talking, crippled people walking, injured people healed, and blind people able to see, they were so absolutely amazed that they started celebrating the God of Israel.

THE ESSENCE
In Jesus the awesomeness of God is in full bloom. 

DAILY FODDER
Who are the people around you who need to experience the amazing things that God does? Pray for an outbreak of his awesomeness.  

PRAYER
Living God, you are the author of the great reversal. You make whole what is broken. You heal the sick. Where there is a need, you provide. You lift the lowly. You strengthen the weak. You are amazing! Be all sufficent for my every need and hurt. Today, help me to be a wounded healer, meeting someone's need. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

JOY

ISAIAH 66:10 (GNT)
Rejoice with Jerusalem; be glad for her,
all you that love this city!
Rejoice with her now,
all you that have mourned for her!

LUKE 19:37 (GNT)
When he came near Jerusalem, at the place where the road went down the Mount of Olives, the large crowd of his disciples began to thank God and praise him in loud voices for all the great things that they had seen...

THE ESSENCE
God is the source of joy.

DAILY FODDER
Some people are so intensely serious about their faith that they look down on any faith expressions that are not intense and serious. It is interesting at how often God's activity recorded in the Bible is accompanied by a joyous response. 

PRAYER
Glorious God, I'm so thankful that you're not a sourpuss. The joy that flows from you is contagious — although, I confess, that sometimes I feel like I've been vacinated against an outbreak of joy. Help me to not take my self or my circumstances so seriously that I miss the exit to Joy Road. I want to honor you with the kind of joy that mirrors who you are. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

THE REAL DEAL

PSALM 12:6 (GNT)
The promises of the LORD can be trusted;
they are as genuine as silver
refined seven times in the furnace.

JOHN 18:37 (MSG)
Then Pilate said, “So, are you a king or not?”
Jesus answered, “You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice.”

THE ESSENCE
Jesus is the genuine article, the real deal.

DAILY FODDER
On a scale of 1-10, how passionate about the truth are you? (10 being the most extreme) How can you tell if truth is a genuine passion in your life?

PRAYER
Promise-keeper, you deliver on all your promises. All your words are pure and true. Too often, I listen to every other voice but yours. Have mercy on me. Grab my attention. Unstop my ears. Speak to me what I need to hear loud and clear. Use your living word to move me to act. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.