Word for Today, Tue, 17 Jan 2004: Weekly Verses
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
As I mentioned in Monday's message, reading the Bible, thinking about it, and
praying are three important components in establishing and cultivating our
relationship with God, and developing our relationship with God is our primary
life purpose. Our ongoing purpose in life is to overflow our relationship with
God into our activities and actions with others. Therefore, developing a
healthy relationship with God is necessary to have the best relationships with
others.
Phil Ware's collection of verses, though certainly not the only answer, provide
a nice daily template of verses, thoughts, and prayers, so I often share them
with you. Since prayer and relationship building have been foremost in our
recent discussions, this week's collection fits in nicely. Some great verses
and principles can be found in this week's collection.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
Weekly Verses
from Crosswalk.com
link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.23.18381.1.293748
January 26, 2004
These verses are taken from Heartlight Daily Verse, by Phil Ware
link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.23.18381.2.293748
~~~~~~~~~
MONDAY
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be
able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good,
pleasing, and perfect will.
--Romans 12:2
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Don't be molded by the world. Wow, isn't that a tough one
to obey? It's a reminder that what we think is one of the
places of greatest spiritual warfare. Sloppy thinking is more
than sloppy, it's dangerous because we are fed messages
constantly that distort God's truth and holy values. But
rather than being incensed by the world acting like the world,
let's be transformed by renewing our minds and doing what Paul
said he did -- take every thought, every word, captive for
Christ. We often think a tithe is giving ten percent of our
money, but an even more vital tithe is giving ten percent of
our thought time totally to the things of God!
MY PRAYER...
O Lord, please guard my soul from pride, my heart from
callousness, and my mind from too much focus on unimportant
things and not enough on your things. Teach me in my heart
what it means to be about my Father's business, especially in
the world of my thoughts! Through Jesus, my greatest example
of time spent with you. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~
TUESDAY
How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you,
and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own
ears.
--2 Samuel 7:22
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
"I am Yahweh, who saved you out of Egypt. You must never
have any other god but me!" The Lord God Almighty said at the
beginning of the Ten Commandments. What else is there to say?
MY PRAYER...
Holy, Righteous, and Only Living God, I hold you in the
highest place in my heart. Forgive me when I do not hold you
in the highest place in my life. Empower me with your Holy
Spirit to give up all the little things that distract my
allegiance to you and interfere with you being the Supreme and
Sovereign God in my day-to-day life. In Jesus name. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~
WEDNESDAY
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be
pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
--Psalm 19:14
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
God does so much for us. He is the strength and promise
that undergirds our lives. He is the one who has saved us from
sin and death. Our worship comes from our gratitude for what
he has done and recognition of who he is. But worship can
never be compartmentalized and fit into church places or quiet
times. Worship involves every aspect of life. That is why it
is so important for us to tune the words of our mouths and the
motives of our hearts to God's will and work. Then private
worship, whether alone in quiet or in a group of Christians,
becomes the tuning time for our hearts and lives so that our
public worship, our lives lived out in the world, will play the
song of God to a world who has not yet really heard it.
MY PRAYER...
O Holy and Almighty God, I want this day to be a day of
worship and honor to you. May my life praise you: not just in
thought, not just in words, but also in action. Through Jesus
I pray. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~
THURSDAY
The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant
known to them. My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will
release my feet from the snare.
--Psalm 25:14-15
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Where does true deliverance come from? Only from God.
Salvation is found in God through deep reverential respect for
his holiness and might, through living in covenant
relationship with him, and through maintaining our focus on
him. Any other roads to salvation and deliverance are false
and ultimately prove themselves to be a snare.
MY PRAYER...
Precious Father, you have done so much to save me. You who
are so holy and righteous have reached down to take my hand.
Teach me your ways. Correct the wrongs in my life. Guide me
into your truth. I want to not only be saved from my sin, but
from days of uselessness and frustration. Make me a vessel
that can be used to honor you. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~
FRIDAY
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the
Lord.
--Psalm 27:14
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
If there is anything we don't like to do, it's wait. Maybe
that is why God is so interested in us learning to do it!
There is something purifying about remaining strong in tough
times and remaining faithful when ill winds blow. So God gives
us times of waiting to see if our search is really for him or
merely for something new.
MY PRAYER...
Loving Father, I know you have waited for me so many times
-- for me to show my faith, repent of my sins, grow in
holiness, come to you in prayer, act more mature, give to those
who cannot return my care... Help me as I wait for you to show
me the way with my decisions, to meet my needs, and reveal your
presence in my loneliness. I really do seek you with all my
heart. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~
SATURDAY
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires
of your heart.
--Psalm 37:4
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Rather than seeing this as a way to get our wish list
granted, let's see it for what it really is -- an invitation to
seek a love relationship with God above all other things. In
finding him, we will find our priorities properly aligned and
our hearts tuned to know what is really valuable and what is
not. Then we will see that what we have in him is our heart's
greatest desire.
MY PRAYER...
Awesome and Gracious Father, I confess to you that so often
my heart is full of selfish things. But in moments like these,
Father, I recognize that you are what I most need and your will
is my heart's desire. Please kindle your Spirit in me so that
I may see through any selfish, deception that would rob me of
having you first in my life. Forgive me when I'm petty,
selfish and shallow. May I know you as much as is possible for
a mortal to know you, not so that I may be full, but that you
may be honored. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~
SUNDAY
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing
spirit, to sustain me.
--Psalm 51:12
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
In the face of sin and separation from God, grace is a
refreshing stream that restores salvation. But the joy of
salvation is found only when we realize and accept the
forgiveness, grace, and restoration God has given us -- when we
drink from the stream of grace. The joy of salvation is
sustained in a changed lifestyle and an ongoing recognition
that we walk with God.
MY PRAYER...
Holy and Righteous Father, I long for the outbreak of the
joy of salvation like I see in the Book of Acts. I pray for
your Spirit to lead us into another era of outreach,
conversion, and celebration. I pray for wisdom to know and
eyes to see those around me who are most open to the Gospel. I
want to be a partner with you in your ongoing work of
salvation. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
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--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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