Friday, October 18th

“Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble.”  1 Peter 3:8

Lord God, There is such depth and such unity in your church and among all who wander here in faith.  All who believe in you are wanderers.  All who follow you are strangers.  We’re all on this walk of faith toward even together.  You teach us how important it is for us to live life together.  Help me to come to the side of those who wander with me.  Join my heart and mind to theirs so that in love I might support and strengthen them on our journey together.  Make me one who sits with them to hear their heart’s complaint.  Make my one who suffers with them in deep sympathy to hear and help them in the depth of pain and sorrow.  Break my heart over what breaks theirs and make me a supporter.  Teach me to pray boldly and persistently for my fellow wanderers.  Help me come to their side to support them in their journey as I am surely supported in my journey by fellow wanderers.  Amen.

Thursday, October 17th

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:19-21

Dear Jesus, How tempting it is for me to collect things as if they constitute wealth.  It started when I was a child and I am still plagued with the desire today.  It can any number of things and sometimes it’s collections of memories that I seek.  It all revolves around this desire to abound in treasure, whatever that may mean for me.  I am even tempted to look at the treasures of others and artificially feel poor.  I believe there is an innate desire in all of us to want a full life.  You made us to fully experience life.  Our problem is that we forget how far we have fallen and how fast we will pass through this place.  Every collection on earth is temporary and only you know who will have it or disperse it after we are gone.  It’s worthless to us when we come to the edge of eternity.  Ah, but souls of people, those will last forever!  They are our truest treasure.  Help me crave and collect souls for you in heaven.  Your word and souls are the only thing that will last beyond this world.  Help me to treasure and collect both in my heart.  Amen.

God collects people for heaven, any other collection is rather worthless to him. 

Wednesday, October 16th

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting.  Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”  Matthew 6:16-18

Dear Jesus, I have fasted for you but I know very few people who have.  However, your insight and encouragement still have application for our lives.  You don’t want me to display my spiritual devotional habits for the praise and admiration of people.  You want me to be authentic in my devotion to you and to do things secretly just for you.  It shows real faith to practice a devoted life and not talk about it to others.  Oh Savior, extricate me from all     external-ism that craves the praise of people.  Look at my private devotion and reward me openly when and how you want.  I believe you won’t miss the slightest act of devotion.  I will spend time with you and make sacrifices for you without letting others know.  Amen.

God sees everything we do for him.  We don’t need anyone else to take notice.

Tuesday, October 15th

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”  Matthew 6:14-15

Dear Jesus, You are so serious about forgiveness.  Right after you gave us the Lord’s Prayer you reached back to tell us that if we do not forgive, you will not forgive us.  It’s like the end all, be all, in our relationship with you.  It’s all about grace.  We live by grace with you and that grace changes the way we treat everyone else.  There is no room for our resentment, anger, acidic criticism and chronic complaining.  You want us to forgive everyone of every sin or weakness, big or small.  Oh, Jesus, see how I get what you are saying?  Now practicing it is a whole different story.  It’s impossible for me to forgive like you without you and your Holy Spirit to help me.  So, I am praying that you would give me the power to live in forgiveness toward everyone.  I want to be grace filled and grace driven.  Amen.

Full and free forgiveness is the exclusive right and blessing of Jesus Christ.  No one else creates and sustains it like he does. 

Monday, October 14th

“Husbands, in the same way live with your wives in an understanding way, as a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.”    1 Peter 3:7

A prayer for husbands and men:

Lord God, We’re used to looking at life in terms of authority and positions.  Some people are more important than others because of the place that they hold, because of the authority they carry.  Others are more important because of what they can do for others, because of the value they bring.  Some are less important and less valuable because of their position, because of what they bring to the table.  At times, I can even see women and my wife in this way.  It happens so easily.  I think to myself, “I’m a little stronger, so I’m better.”  I think to myself, “God made me the head in this marriage, so she better just bow to my will.”  Ahh, God.  Forgive me.  That’s not taking care of my wife as my own body.  That’s not living with her in an understanding way.  And that certainly doesn’t recognize her as the coheir of heaven that she is.  God, forgive me.  She is a coheir and a co-sharer of heaven.  Help me to see her as the coheir that she is and to honor her as such.  Amen.

Sunday, October 13th

“Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.”  1 Peter 3:7

A prayer for husbands and men:

Lord God, It’s so natural for me to think of myself first, middle and last.  It’s just what I do.  But when I got married to my dear wife, I entered into a new and precious relationship.  When we became one, she became part of me, part of my body.  And, Lord God, as a part of my body it is my role as head of the body, to take care of her.  Her needs come first.  Her desires come first.  Her good comes first.  That makes sense to me when I think about my own body.  I’m going to take care of all the parts of my body because what affects them affects me.  Lord God, help me see what my wife needs from me.  She comes first.  She needs me to live with her in an understanding way, to take care of her like I do my own body.  Help me do this, Lord God.  Help me to make her first.  Help me to take care of her as if she were a part of my body, which she truly is.  Amen. 

Saturday, October 12th

“You have become one of her children when you do what is good and do not fear any intimidation.”   1 Peter 3:6

A prayer for women and wives:

Lord God, Help me to learn from Sarah and follow her example of fear.  She served her husband, Abraham, and obeyed him.  She wasn’t afraid.  She followed him.  She submitted to him.  Give me a husband like Abraham, who loves me and cares for me, a man of faith who follows the promise and the leading of God.  Make my husband like Abraham, a man of faith who cares for me.  And Lord, help me to follow him and to submit to him without fear.  Make me a woman of faith who trusts you, who trusts your promises, and is not afraid.  It’s so easy to be afraid because of circumstances.  It’s so easy to be afraid because of what is going on in life.  It’s sometimes even easy to be afraid because of mistreatment.  Make me a woman of faith who trusts you and finds my place in life without fear.  Amen.

Friday, October 11th

“This, then, is how you should pray: 

    “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil  one.’“ Matthew 6:9-13

Dear Jesus, How could we ever improve on the prayer you gave us?  It shows us what kind of prayer you and the Father want from us.  Help me learn the meaning of every phrase and learn to pray it from my heart.  Amen.

The prayer Jesus gave us shows us how God wants us to think and talk to him. 

Thursday, October 10th

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.  Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”  Matthew 6:5-8

Dear Jesus, I see two big points about prayer here.  They both convict me since I send out my prayer to you and to thousands of others every day.  You don’t want us to pray for show and you don’t want us to throw words up at you as if we are working our way into your favor through our prayers.  You see my heart.  That is a sobering realization.  You know my motives in every thought, whether it’s a prayer or just a thought I embrace.  Oh, Lord, let your kingdom come in my prayers, in my life, and in my space.  You know my needs, my wants and my plans.  Do what you need, want, and plan and thank you for being the author and preserver of my life.  Amen.

God loves authentic believing prayer that comes from a heart that gets him.

Wednesday, October 9th

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.  if you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  So, when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others.  Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”   Matthew 6:1-4

Dear Jesus, Spare me from the strong desire to receive affirmation from people that I am doing the good things in life.  Help me to be thoughtlessly thoughtful and carelessly generous.  Make me forget my good deeds the moment I finish them and focus the eyes of my heart on the welfare and needs of others.  Make me compassionate for them and happy for their successes.  Just help me get over myself and learn to be as in love with people as you are.  Amen.

Living for others is a great cure for boredom and unhappiness.

Tuesday, October 8th

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness.  By his wounds you have been healed.  For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”  1 Peter 2:24-25

Lord Jesus, You have done so much for me.  When I was lost and going astray, you turned me back by your gentle call and your loving staff.  By your redemption, you have adopted me into the family of God and I belong to you.  By your life, you have given me a perfect standing before God.  And now, you promise, that you are the Shepherd and Overseer of my soul.  No matter what things may happen to me, od you are watching over my soul.  You are shepherding me along every path.  Lord, help me to trust your guiding, your protecting and your planning.  I was lost, but now I’m found.  Keep me close to you all the days of my life that I may be yours now and forever.  Amen.

Monday, October 7th

“For you were called to this, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps.  He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; when he was insulted, he did not insult in return but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.”  1 Peter 2:21-23

Lord Jesus, When people hurt me, it is so easy for me to hurt back in the same way that they hurt me, even worse.  I want to get even with them.  I want to hurt them back.  But that’s not the kind of life that I learn from you.  You did the very opposite of what my nature would do.  Teach me to follow your example.  Help me learn from you.  Help me learn to be like you when people insult me and false say all kinds of evil against me.  Help me learn to keep my mouth closed, but instead find comfort and assurance in what you say about me.  Their words may sting.  Their words may ruin my reputation.  But, Lord God, eternally and before you in heaven their words have no standing.  Your word has the final say-so.  And Lord, when people hurt me, when they abuse me, teach me to trust you to handle things.  It is not my responsibility to get justice.  That belongs to you, Lord.  Help me to trust you to get justice in the right way at the right time.  You claim that right.  And it rightly belongs you.  Yes, Lord, justice does belong to you.  Teach me to follow the example that Christ left me.  Help me learn from him to keep my mouth closed and heart trusting you in the face of the harm that comes to me.  Amen.

Sunday, October 6th

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.  He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?  Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others?  Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Matthew 5:43-48

Dear Jesus, You modeled love for your enemies perfectly.  I’m glad you did because your life covers mine.  It really clears the air to hear you say, “Even pagans love their own people and greet them.”  It’s not special Christian love to love those who love me first.  It’s special Christian love to show love to those who hate and mistreat me.  A few times in my life you have walked with me through this special kind of love.  It was a moving experience for me and the people you made me love.  Give me this over the top unconditional love for the sand paper people in my life.  Make me mature in love like you and your father are.  I cannot do this one on my own.  I will need your Spirit’s supernatural power.  Amen.

We weren’t lovable when God first loved us.  So, don’t expect people to earn your love before you give it.  Change them into someone lovable by how you treat them. 

Saturday, October 5th

“For you were called to this because Christ also suffered for you.”  1 Peter 2:21

Lord Jesus, It is such a marvel to watch you.  And it hits me that all this that you suffered at the hands of wicked men, all this injustice, all the false accusation, you did it for me.  It was for me that you suffered like this.  It was for me that you kept your mouth closed when you had every reason to retaliate.  It was for me that you were condemned so that I might be set free from condemnation.  It was all for me.  That’s what you did for me, dear Jesus.  Let your cross be a constant reminder to me of how deeply and how dearly you love me.  Let your cross tell me what you gave and what you did for me so that I could be yours.  And then, Lord Jesus, by your suffering and death, grant peace to my soul because all that you did, you did it for me.  Amen.

Friday, October 4th

“For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.  But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it?  But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.”  1 Peter 2:19-20

Dear Father, Peter places such an emphasis on the way that I live and especially on the way that I live within the relationships of my life.  He urges me to do the right thing no matter what. It’s easy when a boss is overbearing or when the government is unjust for us to think that it is justifiable to fight back, to rebel, and to push back against it.  Then, we wear the suffering that comes like a badge of honor when it was our sin that earned us that suffering.  I wonder to myself how much of the suffering in my life was earned because I acted in a way that was out of line with my calling, when I acted in a way that was unloving and disrespectful.  I look back at some of the suffering in my life and realize in repentance that I deserved that pain because I was out of line.  Lord God, help me to simply live in my callings and to fit into my place.  If suffering comes unjustly, I know, dear Lord, that you are watching me and you will reward me graciously with heaven and your loving commendation.  If suffering comes to me because of my own sin, lead me, dear Savior, to repent of my sin and to fit back into my place.  Help me, dear Lord, to do the right thing no matter what the consequences may be for my body and life.  Amen.

Thursday, October 3rd

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’  But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all; either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.  And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  All you need to say is simply ‘Yes” or “No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”  Matthew 5:33-37

Dear Jesus, How hard it must be for you to watch us puny little humans make promises and ask others to trust our ability to make things happen for them, when you know all along that your heavenly father holds our every breath in the palm of his hand.  Your father has complete control of my life.  I just want to be faithful to my word and let him take care of everything else.  Help my generation to quit flippantly saying, “I swear to God.’ as if your name is free for our slang.  Make us reverent and dependent on your father just as you were perfectly during your entire life.  Our lives are in his hands.  It gives us peace but it also makes us careful not to boast about ourselves and our ability to accomplish anything without him.  Amen.

If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.

Wednesday, October 2nd

“Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.”  1 Peter 2:18

Lord God, my callings in life constantly guide me and give me my place in this world.  You have placed me in all kinds of relationships and teach me to submit within all of those relationships.  You have put me in a workplace with bosses over me and people under me.  They are my bosses and you call me to submit to them, even if they’re not that great of a boss.  You have put me in a family relationship; there you call me to honor my parents, love my spouse, and submit to my husband.  You tell me to do all this without giving any perspective to whether my boss is good or bad, whether my parents are good or bad.  You tell me to fit into my place simply because you are the big boss.  You, God, in your grace and mercy have put bosses over me at work, husbands over wives, parents over children.  This is the way you have ordered things in my life for my good and for my benefit.  As I go to work today, help me to remember that you are the big boss and that when I work for my boss, I’m working for you.  Help me to do my job with all my might because you’re the big boss.  Amen. 

Tuesday, Oct 1st

Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”  1 Peter 2:17

Lord God, My place in this world has been given to me by you.  I know, by my callings, exactly where I fit.  I sit underneath the government; I am a citizen and I owe all my leaders whether I like them or not honor, respect and obedience.  I sit inside the family of believers; I am a member of that family and I owe each member of that body a love that makes them first.  I owe all people in this world respect, simply because they are created by you.  Most of all God, I owe you fear and respect, awe and wonder, because you are the great God of this universe and the Savior of the World.  You are truly worthy of awe and wonder.  Help me to know my place and to fit in just where you put me.  Keep me from longing to be outside of my place in my callings.  Keep me from fighting against the order that you have established in my life.  Make it clear to me where I fit in and help me to fill my callings.  Amen.

Monday, September 30th

“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’  But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”  Matthew 5:31-32

Dear Jesus, Teach us to love marriage the way you do.  Every generation including my own has found a way to spurn the beautiful institution you have invented.  Help me hold my own marriage sacred as well as the partner you have chosen for me.  Thank you for the many ways my spouse has blessed our children and me.  Help me see their needs and find creative ways to meet them.  And protect our marriage from outside forces that would cheapen or destroy what you have given us.  Most of all, help us model in our marriage the wonderful relationship you have with your church.  Finally, help single Christians do what they can to honor the marriages all around the by the way they encourage their married friends to be a best friend of their mate.  Amen.

Marriage is God’s thing.  He’s absolutely in love with the concept. 

Sunday, September 29th

“Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.”  1 Peter 2:16

Lord God, As I walk out into this new day it’s so easy to forget who I am.  I often identify myself by my vocations.  I identify myself by my callings in my life.  I’m a husband, I’m a wife, I’m a mother, I’m a father, I’m a worker, I’m a friend.  And within those vocations. I often find myself seeking my own goals, desires, and pleasures.  It’s what’s I do.  But God, those are just my callings and not my identity.  And I am certainly not to be seeking my own pleasures.  Forgive me and help me to see myself as you do.  Help me to see that my identity comes from you.  I am your child, holy and dearly loved.  I am redeemed by you and adopted into your family.  My life now is wholly directed to you.  You are the audience for whose applause I play.  You are the one I seek to serve.  As I walk out into this day, dear Lord, help me to remember who I am and live my life for you and you alone.  Amen.