Monday
A Living Sacrifice
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:1-2 NLT).
A living sacrifice, wrap your mind around that. I know that I'm not living as I should. Sure, some days I resemble a sacrifice that God would smile at, but most days I'm far from it. I bet I'm not the only one.
Being a follower of Christ is sometimes a tough path to follow. This world tries to pull us away from what God has in store for us. There is one thing for sure, just cross reference what the world says and what God says in His mighty word. By doing that, it's pretty clear which direction we should take.
Dear Lord, help us to stay in your word. Help us to live a life that would be pleasing to you. Lead us and direct us by your Holy Spirit, Lord God. Help us to experience your will for our lives. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Tuesday
Self-Examination
The Apostle Paul writes:
Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other (Romans 12:3-5 NLT).
As Christ's followers, we must always do a self-examination of our hearts and actions. We are so quick to give ourselves a positive "self-check" but we condemn others. And perhaps we might chastise our cohorts because "we" don't think they are doing what they should be doing for God's kingdom. Again, we should evaluate ourselves and others by God's Word. We must hold ourselves to a higher standard than we hold our peers.
Paul writes that we are all in this together. Acknowledge that we all have different abilities and serve God in different ways. Support each other, not tear each other down, as you don't always see the big picture, God's plan.
Dear Lord, help us to work together to increase your kingdom. Help us to be honest when we evaluate our lives and the lives of others. Lead us and direct us by your Holy Spirit. We pray in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior. Amen.
Wednesday
Love, Honor, and Serve with Confidence
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality (Romans 12:9-13 NLT).
These verses are wonderful to wake up to this morning. I needed to read them and hope that you do too.
- Love others
- Hate wrongdoing
- Honor each other
- Work hard serving the Lord
- Rejoice in our hope
- Be patient in times of trouble
- Help those in need
- Show hospitality to others
Lord God, what a great way to live, if we follow your Word. My prayers for today are that I do better in all the categories that are listed above. I pray that my friends and family will also do their best to follow your instructions. Thank you Father God for your love, mercy, and grace. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Thursday
Stepping on Toes
Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord (Deut 32:35).
Instead,
“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
burning coals of shame on their heads” (Prov 25:21-22).
Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good (Romans 12:14-21 NLT).
Well, the Apostle Paul stepped on my toes today with this Scripture. I feel like I'm not the only one who can say that. But we know that this Scripture is true, and we really need to do our best to live our lives as Paul teaches in today's verses.
Lord God, we need help in living our lives as described in today's Scripture. Help us Lord to live more like Jesus today than yesterday. Lead us Lord and hold us close to you. We pray in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Friday
Time Draweth Nigh
This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires (Romans 13:11-14 NLT).
No one knows when Christ will return, but we know that He will when it is least expected. Are we ready? Have we cleaned up our sins? Have we shared the gospel with our family and friends? Have we clothed ourselves with the presence of our Lord, Jesus Christ?
Lord Jesus, our lives are nowhere near perfect, but we are trying to do better each day. We try to be more like you every day but fail miserably. We know you came to us as we are, and you will never leave us as we are. We proclaim you as our Savior. We proclaim you as the living God, who came to earth in human form, and presented yourself as a living sacrifice for each of us. You were crucified, dead, and buried and on the third day, God raised you from death and into His amazing arms. Lord Jesus, we acknowledge you as our only way to heaven. Lord, thank you for saving lost sinners like me and my friends. We repent of our sins and trust in you. Lord, thank you for saving us from eternal damnation. We praise you and humbly fall to our knees in thankfulness. Lord Jesus, we are praying and have total hope in you and your mighty and matchless name, the name above all names, amen.
Saturday
Listening to the Small Voice
I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment (Proverbs 8:12 NLT).
Sometimes we must make decisions that others don't understand. Many times we don't understand them ourselves. But, when you feel something deep inside yourself that directs you in a certain way, it's best to pray about it and go with that gut feeling. In other words, lay it at the feet of Jesus and don't waver at what you feel is what He blesses you to do or not do.
Dear Lord, thank you for your guidance in our lives, even and especially, when we don't understand. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Sunday
His Promises
God’s way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection (Psalms 18:30 NLT).
He promises His hand of protection. The key to His promises is to give Him your heart, abide in His Word and live according to His direction.
Dear Father, help us to draw nearer to you. We pray in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus. Amen.
