Monday
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE ...
To confess is to do two things with our sin: 1) to recognize sin for what it is in God's eyes and 2) to get rid of our secrets and be honest with another Christian. James' language is powerful. He mentions that this confession doesn't just bring forgiveness. It also brings healing.
MY PRAYER ...
Holy Father, I have sinned. I now confess my own personal sin of ____________. I ask for your forgiveness and for your Spirit to strengthen me in overcoming temptation. I want to live for you and not let my sin, any sin, entangle me and draw me away from you. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
Tuesday
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE ...
Where does your heart live? That's what these verses are all about. Is there a constant awareness in your life that God is present? Is he the unseen but always present companion in all your ups and downs? Or is God here when it is convenient and gone when things are busy? Joy comes from knowing we are never alone. Prayer is the ongoing conversation we have, Spirit to Spirit, with God. Thanksgiving is the great reminder that we have been blessed no matter what the circumstances may suggest.
MY PRAYER ...
Precious and Righteous Father, thank you for being there. Give me a deeper appreciation and a always more profound awareness of your presence today. May my life reflect the joy you have given me by saving me by grace. And may my heart always find its home in you. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
Wednesday
Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE ...
There are no random acts of kindness, only intentional acts given the opportunity to happen. This is true not just in deeds, but in words as well. But more than trying to avoid poor speech, we are urged to use our speech to bless and help others to come to know Christ.
MY PRAYER ...
Father, forgive me for the careless words I have uttered this week. I understand that these careless words are twice sins – a sin once when I committed it and a sin a second time because I didn't see the opportunity to be redemptive. Open my eyes Lord so that I may see what you have placed in my path. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
Thursday
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life in Christ has set me free from the law of sin and death.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE ...
"Free at last, free at last, praise Lord God Almighty I am free at last." Becoming a Christian means we have been liberated from law-keeping. We now have God living in us, through the Holy Spirit, to not only help us know his will, but to live it. Through the Spirit's power, we can do what no law could make us do: live up to God's standards of righteousness.
MY PRAYER ...
Gracious father, thank you for all of your gifts to me. Today, I want to especially thank you for liberating me from law and empowering me with your Spirit. Fill me and empower me today with your Spirit as I live my life for you. Through Jesus my Lord I pray. Amen.
Friday
If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE ...
The right thing is so hard to do sometimes. It is so much easier to gossip, to mention another's wrong against us in a prayer with others, to pass around innuendo. But only one thing is the right thing to do! Go to the person who has wronged you and try to keep the damage contained to just the two of you.
MY PRAYER ...
Lord God Almighty, forgive my foolish and selfish ways. Through your Spirit, help me to be as forgiving as you are. Give me courage to lovingly confront those who have sinned against me, but if I cannot bring reconciliation, help me to forgive as you have forgiven me. Through Jesus, the atoning sacrifice for sin I pray. Amen.
Saturday
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Be kind and compassionate, – two qualities that seem to be in short supply. Maybe it’s because we hold up the wrong heroes, but these two qualities are often seen as a sign of weakness rather than strength. To forgive as God forgave us requires great courage and great strength. So let's be strong!
MY PRAYER ...
Holy God, there is no way I can adequately thank you for sacrificing so much to forgive me. So this day, I pledge to be more like you, to share more of kindness and grace with those who have wronged me. Today, I ask you to help me release my bitterness toward _____________ and I ask you to bless this person with your kindness and grace. By the power of Jesus' example I ask this. Amen.
Sunday
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies... She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
New International Version
THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE ...
Give honor to whom honor is due! This biblical principle is most certainly true of women, and especially those who are godly mothers. Let's make sure we praise the key women in our lives today!
MY PRAYER ...
Father, I want to thank you for the women of character and grace, tenderness and fire, love that and tenacity, who have helped shape my life in a way helped me find you. Please bless them this day, I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.