Actions > Words

Monday’s Readings: James 2-3

1 Peter 2:15 – For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 

Lord God, people are watching me live my life. People are listening to what I say, who I say it about, and even how I say it. People are observing how I behave. They are watching everything I do, everything. They are watching the way I speak about our leaders and how I submit to them. They are watching how I serve and what I do in my service. Lord God, let my life be a powerful and a loud witness to the God I serve. Let my whole life be set apart for you Lord. Make my life a witness and a testimony to you, Lord. By my life, silence their accusations about “those” Christians. Let my life give people around me no reason for complain or accusation. I know they’re watching, Lord. Help me to show them how good and great you are. Amen.

Now I submit

Numbers 3-5

And/or

Further up and further in: Acts 4, Acts 8, Romans 13

1 Peter 2:13-14 – Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those who punish those who do evil and praise those who do what is good.

Lord Jesus, this is hard one because I don’t always like my rulers.  I don’t always like what they’re doing.  I don’t always like what they stand for.  I don’t like it that they’re silent when I think they should speak up.  It makes it hard for me to submit to these rulers and leaders when I disagree with them, sometimes quite vehemently.  Yet, Lord, you tell me to submit. You tell me to obey them unless they tell me to disobey you. You even tell me to honor and respect them.  Your Word says this.  My heart says no. The way that I speak about these leaders betray my heart and show the disrespect that I have for them.  The way that I act toward my leaders betray my heart and show the disrespect that I have for them.  Oh Lord, these men and women sit in these positions because you put them there.  They rule in your place and are given by your for my good.  You’ve given these leaders to us for our good, because you love me.  Help me to honor them as your servants.  Help me to respect them as such. Help me do it because of you and because of your great love for me.  Amen.

Now because of God

 Leviticus 26 – Numbers 2

And/or

Further up and further in: 1 Peter 2:11 – 3:22

1 Peter 2:13 – Submit to every human authority because of the Lord.

Lord Jesus, it’s all because of you.  The reason I submit and obey anyone is because of you. You are my Lord.  I live under you in your kingdom and I serve you. You are the reason I live. You are the reason I breath. You are the reason I believe.  You are the reason for my whole life.  Let me see you on your throne when I walk out into this world.  Let me see you taking care of this country by the leaders whom you’ve put in charge.  Let me see you taking care of me by the job that you give me.  Let me see you keeping peace in our cities and peace in this world by the armies and the law enforcement you put in charge. Let me see you at work and ruling over all things as I walk out into this world.  Let me see it and then live because I see you at work everywhere. Amen.

Now I’m living Clean

Leviticus 23-25

And/or

Further up and Further in: Matthew 5:13-16, 1 John 1-3

1 Peter 2:12 – Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.

Lord God, people call Christians “hypocrites” and there’s some truth in it. I don’t live the way you call me to live as your holy child.  Christians have and do all kinds of horrific, hateful, mean things in the name of Jesus.  I’ve said and done mean and hateful things in your name.  I’ve used your name to justify things.  I’ve given this world all kinds of reasons to slander both me and you because I claim you as my Lord.  Lord God, forgive me!  Forgive me for dishonoring your name and leading people to curse your name instead of praising it. Forgive me and help me to live such a life in this world that people will see the life I live and praise you.  I want them to know how great and gracious you are.  I want them to know how saving you are.  Let me life show it and my words say it.  Amen.

Now I'm a warrior.

Leviticus 19-22

And/or

Further up and further in: Romans 7

1 Peter 2:11 – Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul.

Lord God, I so badly want to have a life of peace and calm. I so badly want to just go along and get along because it’s more comfortable.  It’s so easy for me to sin and to say, “It’s just the way I am.”  It’s so easy for me to sin and say, “I couldn’t help it.”  It’s so easy for me to fall into any sort of sin and not realize what’s really happen.  But Peter’s telling me!  The desires of my sinful nature are warring against my soul.  The desires and the sins of my sinful nature are not small things that I can let remain.  These things want to kill my faith and my soul.  Help me, o God, to fight back.  Give me strength and power from your Spirit to fight back against the sin in my nature, to hate it as much as you do.  Give me power by my baptism to daily kill my sinful nature in me with all it’s evil and wicked desires.  Help me never sit back and let things go.  Make me a warrior to fight against all that is sin in me.  Amen.

Now I'm a stranger.

Leviticus 15-18

And/or

Further up and further in: 1 Peter 1-5

1 Peter 2:11 – Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires.

Lord God, you called me to be your child.  I am now, by your grace an heir of heaven and of eternity.   This place is not my home.  Heaven is my home.  It is the promised land for which my heart of faith longs. Lord, as your child I often fail to see what the real problem is in this world.  I often fail to see what the real problem with me is.  So often we point to the guns, to the training at home or in school.  We point to the attraction of certain things.  We point to external factors which can be like a lure to a fish.  We point to external factors which might influence behavior in positive or negative ways.  We think it can be stopped or at least curbed if we adopt the right disciplines or the right rules.  But the real problem with me is my sinful desires.  No rule can get rid of those sinful desires.  No discipline can kill those desires in me.  I am a stranger in my own my body.  I want to do what is right.  But my nature in me wants to do what is bad.  Help me, O God, recognize that my real problem is my nature in me.  And save me from it.  Cleanse me of it.  Kill it in me that I might stay away from all that that nature desires.  Amen.

Now I'm in.

Leviticus 11-14

And/or

Further up and further in: Hosea 1-3

1 Peter 2:10 – Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received God’s mercy, but now you have God’s mercy. 

Lord God, it is so good be your child and a member of your family. As your adopted child, I have access to all the good that you have for me.  You have opened the storeroom of your grace and mercy to me.  I am not on the outside looking in any more. I’m your child.  I’m your bride.  I’m yours!  You’ve been merciful to me.  Help me to live in the joy and freedom that comes because I am yours.  Amen.

He calls me out so that I can bring light to the darkness.

Leviticus 8-10

And/or

Further up and further in: Psalm 51, Psalm 89, Matthew 5:13-16

1 Peter 2:9-10 – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Lord God, as I wander through life I wonder what the purpose of my life is.  I look at my skills and abilities and wonder to myself what I can do for you and how I can serve you.  I look at the ways that other people serve you and realize that I can’t serve you like they can.  I look at my own weaknesses and wonder what I can really offer you. But God, when I think like that I’m just despising who you made me to be.  I’m despising the gifts and abilities that you gave me.  Lord God, you gave me a perfect calling when you made me your royal priest.  And by your creative powers you made me just as you wanted me to be and still give me the gifts and strengths that you want me to have.  And all you ask of me is that I live my life for your glory.  All you ask is that I would be a light in this world.  All you ask is that I would be who you made me to be by my baptism, that by my life and by my words I would declare your praises.  Let me life’s song, O God, be for you.  Amen. 

He makes me his people and his priest.

Leviticus 5-7

And/or

Further up and further in: Exodus 19-20, Exodus 32-34

1 Peter 2:9-10 – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Lord God, I was once on the outside looking in.  I was once not your people. I was once not loved your loved on.  I was once not yours.  But in your love for me, you chose me to be yours.  In mercy, you made me to be a royal priest in your house.  In care and concern, you made me your own and called me, along with all who believe in you, “the people of God.”  Lord God, you treasure me and hold me dear.  Help me to treasure this identity and stay close to you in it. You are telling me, through Peter, who I am to you.  Help me to live out this identity in my life today.  I am yours.  Lord, let your name be made holy by my words, actions.  Yes, let your name be hallowed through my whole life today.  Amen. v

He gives me identity and purpose.

Leviticus 1-4

And/or

Further up and further in: Genesis 6-8

1 Peter 2:5 – You yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Lord God, there are a lot of things that amaze me.  It amazes me that you even want me to be a stone in your spiritual house, especially since I keep on sinning even after I know better.  And yet, God, you still cleanse me by your Spirit and build me into your house, as a stone mason would. This amazes me!  But what astounds me just as much, sometimes even more is this: You want me to serve you and you love what I do in faith.  You love the way that I take care of my family.  You love the way that I serve at my church.  You love the way that I neighbor the people who live around me.  Whatever I do in faith, you love it and it smells good to you.  The sacrifice of my life smells good to you.  Help me, O God, to realize this awesome privilege and continue to offer up spiritual sacrifices, a life that pleases you.  Amen.

He is a stumbling stone.

Exodus 37-40

And/or

Further up and further in: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, 1 Corinthians 2, 2 Corinthians 2:14-17, Romans 9-11

1 Peter 2:7-8 – So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving, The stone the builders rejected – this one has become the cornerstone; and a stone to stumble over.  They stumble because they disobey the message; they were destined for this. 

Lord God, keep me from this.  You’re the only one who can.  I look back at the history of people who believed on you and so many of them turned from you and stumbled all over you.  The Jewish leaders in your day – they had the Bible, they had the prophets, but they stumbled all over you.  I see it in the Scriptures again and again.  Keep me from this.  I’m in your Word regularly.  I’m in church regularly.  Keep me from stumbling over you.  Keep me from a Christless Christianity, a Christianity that shows up for church but doesn’t really believe. By your Spirit, help me to build my faith on you so that I am not one of those who stands outside of heaving, wanting to be let in, but turned aside because you don’t know more.  Lord God, build me into your church and build my faith on your Son.  Keep me always believing in your Son so that I do not stumble on him, but instead always believe in him. 

He is a chosen and precious cornerstone.

Exodus 33-36

And/or

Further up and further in: Matthew 7:24-27, Ephesians 2:19-22, Hebrews 6.

1 Peter 2:6 – For it stands in Scripture: See I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.

Lord Jesus, you are the cornerstone of my salvation, my faith and my life.  If I base my life and my confidence on anything else, I am left shaking; I am afraid; I am stressed.  I’m foolish to do it.  I’m so foolish to base my confidence and my hope on anything else.  It will all let me down.  My accomplishments won’t last.  My works aren’t ever enough.  When I base my confidence on anything but you, I am always let down. You, Lord Jesus, are the only one who will never let me down.  Turn my heart and my faith to you alone.  Then, and in you alone, I will never be let down.  I will never be ashamed or embarrassed because you ore my Savior and my cornerstone.  Amen.

He is rejected by people but chosen by and precious to God.

Exodus 29-32

And/or

Further up and further in: Matthew 3, Matthew 17, Isaiah 49

1 Peter 2:4 – As you come to him, a living stone – rejected by people but chosen and honored by God…

Lord Jesus, there is such a range of reactions to you. There is no hot or cold.  You are either loved or hated.  People either hate you and push your salvation off the side because they want to do it themselves.  Or, people love you because you have done all the work of saving them.  And that’s why you’re so precious God.  In fact, that’s why God chose you and set you apart.  God chose you and set you apart to be the world’s Savior.  Keep me, O Jesus, from being indifferent and uncaring about your salvation.  Keep me from becoming lukewarm to you and your cross.  Keep me from a “meh” feeling about you.  You are precious to God and so your salvation is precious to me.  Warm my heart by your love to me that my faith and my life might be built on your work for me.  Amen.

Therefore, grow up!

Exodus 25-28

And/or

Further up and further in: Psalm 119, Isaiah 26:3-4, Ephesians 4:11-16

1 Peter 2:2 – Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up in your salvation. 

Lord God, you never want to leave me in the same place in my walk of faith.  You take me just as I am, but you never leave me that way.  While my salvation is full and complete, my sanctification and walk of faith is incomplete and ongoing.  Give me the same craving, yearning and longing for the good food of your word that a new-born baby has.  When they’re hungry, they’re hungry and only food will quiet their rumbling stomach.  Give me the same craving and yearning that a newborn baby has so that every day, every week, every Sunday, I might long for the food of your word.  And by that Word, dear Lord, grow me in my faith just as you do with little children.  Grow me up and keep growing me up in my faith until my final breath.  Amen.

Therefore, clean yourself up.

Exodus 22-24

And/or

Further up and further in: Galatians 5:13-26, Ephesians 4:17-22, Colossians 3:1-17

1 Peter 2:1 – Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all slander.

Lord God, when you came in to my life, you were ruthless in your clean-up efforts. In fact, you utterly killed and destroyed the old me and by the power of your Word raised up a brand new me, holy and clean. This wasn’t just a house refurb project, this was a total rebuild from the foundation up.  You were utterly ruthless in getting rid of sin in me; you got rid of it all, forgiving me wholly and completely.  Lord God, give me the same zeal and ruthlessness in my life to thoroughly root out of my life all kinds of sin.  It’s too easy for me to become complacent and even blind to sins in my life.  Get rid of this complacency in my heart and life and make me zealous to thoroughly root out out sin and live for you.  Amen.

Enduring Word

Exodus 19-21

And/or

Further up and further in: Romans 1:16, Isaiah 55, Hebrews 4

1 Peter 1:24-25 – For all flesh is like grass and all its glory like a flower of the grass.  The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever.

Lord God, when I was first born into this world, I was born to die.  From the moment I first took a breath, I was on my way to the grave.  From a buggy with wheels to a wheel chair, that’s the trajectory of my life. I’m just like a flower, God, here today and tomorrow thrown into the fire.  But God, when your Word entered my life, everything changed.  Your Word breathed new life into my soul.  Your Word, which endures forever and never fades away gave me new life and now I am eternal.  Now, I will live forever because your Word has given me its eternal character.  Now, I will endure forever in heaven with you because your Word has given me this life.  Thank you, God, for sending your Word into my life that I might be yours forever.  Amen.

Powerful Resurrection

Exodus 14-18

And/or

Further up and further in: Titus 2:11 – 3:15, John 3, Ezekiel 11:14-21, Ezekiel 37:1-14

1 Peter 1:23 – Because you have been born again – not of perishable seed but of imperishable – through the living and eternal word of God.

Lord Jesus, I should be different in this world.  I should stand out in this world of lovelessness.  I should stand out in this world of selfishness.  Without me even saying a word people should know that I’m yours and you’re mine.  But do they?  Can they see that I’m different?  Do I stand out in this world?  Sadly, they often can’t tell that I’m yours. In fact, when I tell them they might even be surprised because of the way that I talk and the way that I act.  Lord Jesus, forgive me.  Remind me that I have been born again of the imperishable seed of God’s Word.  I am different.  My rebirth by your Word makes me different.  Forgive me and help me to stand out as a light in this dark world.  Amen.

Prevailing Love

Exodus 10—13

And/or

Further up and further in: John 13, John 15, 1 Corinthians 13

1 Peter 1:22 – Since you purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth, so that you show sincere brotherly love to each other, from a pure heart, love one another constantly.

Lord God, we live in a world that doesn’t know how to love, not purely, not selflessly.  And I’m not much different.  We love other people because of what we get from them.  We love other people because of the way that this relationship benefits us.  When it doesn’t benefit us in some way, the relationship often quickly dissolves because it doesn’t serve my ends or my goals anymore.  Lord God, if this was the way pure love was, would you love me?  What in the world do you get out of me and out of a relationship with me?  If I’m honest, Lord God, you get nothing from me but sin and rebellion.  Lord God, but you love me anyway and have purified me by your Son Jesus.  Give me a heart of selfless, pure love for the people around me.  Make me selfless in my love.  Make my love for them enduring and never ending.  By your love, inspire me to love them even when and especially when I get no love in return. This is how you loved me. Teach me to love you the same. Amen.

Prevailing Hope

Exodus 5-9

And/or

Further up and further in: Psalm 61, Ephesians 3-4

1 Peter 1:21 – Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Lord God, the power and glory of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead gives me such hope for my future, such hope for my life, such hope for my eternity.  Your resurrection, Lord Jesus, assures me that you have finished the work of salvation and have secured for me the forgiveness of sins.  Your resurrection, Lord Jesus, shows me that you have conquered death and have overcome every enemy of mine.  Your power, O God, which is so evident when I see you raise your Son from the dead raises up hope in me that there is nothing beyond your control.  You are on my side!  No thing can separate me from you.  Let the hope that springs from your resurrection, Lord Jesus, inspire me this week as I work for you.  Amen.

Great Redeemer.

Exodus 1-4

And/or

Further up and further in: Colossians 1-4

1 Peter 1:20 – He was foreknown before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for you.

Lord God, I continue to marvel at my Redeemer, my Savior, and your plan.  You knew that he would be the world’s Savior before the creation of the world.  You hid in him your quiver until just the right time.  By his life and by the preaching of the apostles you made him known to the world.  Through your Word and through preachers and teachers today you have even made him known to me.  He is great and your plan is great.  O God, my heart stands in awe my redemption, at my Redeemer, and your plan that made it all happen.  O God, you are truly great.  Amen.