Praising together

I will praise you among your assembled people. ~ Psalm 22:22b (NLT)

May the patience and encouragement that come from God allow you to live in harmony with each other the way Christ Jesus wants. Then you will all be joined together, and you will give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ Romans 15:5-6 (NCV)

KEY IDEA:

We praise the Lord together.

PRAYER:

Lord,

THANKS: I add my praise and thanksgiving to that of the assembly.

REGRETS: It's not always easy to be a part of the church where we praise God together. I don't like all of the people. Some of them are mean and nasty.

INTERCESSION: Cheer me up with your patience so that I can contribute to the harmony of the church. Then our praise will be genuine.

PURPOSE: I'm going to add to authentic worship by keeping harmony in the church.

Amen.

Very valuable

Obeying your instructions brings as much happiness as being rich. ~ Psalm 119:14 (CEV)

The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a shop owner is looking for fine pearls. After finding a very valuable one, the owner goes and sells everything in order to buy that pearl. ~ Matthew 13:45-46 (CEV)

KEY IDEA:
God's ways are so valuable that we would benefit by giving up everything else to share in them.

PRAYER:

Lord, I feel rich to know you and about you. Sometimes I don't act appropriately for what I know. Please change my heart and mind so that I can leave everything else behind to serve you. I want to be one of those crazy people who just thinks about living for God 24/7. Amen.

Pondering the mysteries of God

I think about you before I go to sleep, and my thoughts turn to you during the night. ~ Psalm 63:6 (CEV)

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! ~ Romans 11:33 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:
God's ways are so deep and mysterious that even if we never slept, and spent our whole lives thinking about him, we would never be able to understand him.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Wise and mysterious God,

THANKS: Even though we can't imagine all that goes on in your mind, we know that you think about us. We don't deserve your attention, yet you give it to us anyway. Thank you.

REGRETS: Sometimes I talk like I understand a whole lot more about you than I do.

INTERCESSION: Keep me humble so that others might see more of you in me -- and thus better understand just a little more about you.

PURPOSE: I'm going to live in such a way that others will see Jesus through me. For it is only through Jesus that we begin to understand you.

Amen.

Here comes the Judge

For only when you come to judge the earth will people learn what is right. ~ Isaiah 26:9b (NLT)

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. ~ Revelation 19:11 (NLT)

KEY IDEA: The Lord will judge with fairness and justice.

Lord, I'm grateful that you will make everything right. All the injustices in the world will be dealt with. That's good -- but I'm not always fair. I'm going to need your mercy.  I'm also grateful that you have already extended grace and mercy. So I am not only going to live carefully but I'm going to live confidently because of what Christ Jesus has done for us. Amen.