God's authority

You rule over the surging sea: When its waves rise up, it’s you who makes them still. ~ Psalm 89:9 (CEB)

The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. ~ Luke 8:24 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:

God has authority over even the weather.

PRAYER:

Lord, you are powerful. I know that. But I still worry. I know that I shouldn't, but I keep hearing about crazy weather events, climate change, and rising sea levels. All that uncertainty makes me afraid. Help me to relax in the knowledge that you have the power to calm the storms and raging waves. We're not going to drown because I am trusting you to take charge. Amen.

Obey

Moses said: Do everything that I have commanded you; do not add anything to it or take anything from it. ~ Deuteronomy 12:32 (GNT)

Jesus said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? Only God is good. If you want to have eternal life, you must obey his commandments.” ~ Matthew 19:17 (CEV)

KEY IDEA:

It is important to do everything that God tells us to do.

PRAYER:

Thank you, Lord, for giving us instructions. I do a fair job at obeying you. But it is not close to perfect. I'm too full of myself, and that trips me up, because I sometimes think I know better than you. But, of course, that is not accurate or true. Save me from arrogance so I can freely follow your instructions. I want to start living the eternal life. Amen.

Hoping

The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope. ~ Lamentations 3:24 (GNT)

He has brought us by faith into this experience of God's grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God's glory! ~ Romans 5:2 (GNT)

KEY IDEA:

The hope given to us by Christ is what fills our gas tanks and keeps us going.

PRAYER:

Lord, you are all I have. No one or no thing is reliable enough to carry me through. You are my only hope. I say that on days when I'm thinking clearly. But there are times when I am not thinking and I begin to believe that if we could change politicians or come up with a new invention that would cure the common cold -- then life would be good. But even if those things happen that will not fix everything. Remind me when necessary that you are our only hope. I'm going to live in anticipation -- of the day when the glory of Christ outshines all the darkness. Amen.

Whatever

...do whatever you would like to do, because God is with you. ~ 1 Samuel 10:7b (CEB)

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. ~ Colossians 3:17 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:

We are often given the freedom to make our own decisions about what to do, assuming that we're informed by the mind of Christ and are acting to represent him.

PRAYER:

Thank you, Lord, for giving us the freedom to make choices. You have included us in your plan -- not as robotic soldiers but as your image-bearing people making actual decisions on your behalf. I admit that I don't always make good decisions, but you include me anyway. Please give me wisdom so that I can act like someone whom you are with -- someone who represents Christ Jesus well through word and deed. Amen.