Daily Prayer for January 24, 2021
Prayer: Almighty God and Father of all, we bow before your majesty today to worship and adore you. You alone are God, and there is no other. You made all things visible and invisible in the space of six days and all very good. You rested on the seventh day and called that day holy. You separated it from your works of creation and called men to worship you on it. That example you set that before us that we might enjoy you on the Lord's Day. We pray that you would speak to your people today through your Word as you spoke creation into existence by the word of your power. We pray that your people would delight in this day and honor it by devoting themselves to you like a picture of the glory that awaits us all. Help us, our God, to love you today and grant to us what you command us. We pray these things in the name of Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Read More
Daily Prayer for January 19, 2021
Prayer: Almighty God and Father, we bless your name today. You are good and gracious, a God of loving-kindness and compassion. We thank you that you do not treat us as our sins deserve. Because of the work of your Son, you have buried our sins in the deepest ocean. We confess that we sin daily in thought, word, and deed. We are ashamed of our behavior and actions and long to be more like your Son. Please remember your promise to conform us more and more into His image. We pray for our nation and for our leaders. We ask that you would turn their heart of stone to flesh. We plead with you to give your church godly men and women to serve. We pray that you would remove wicked leaders who refuse to submit to you. We pray these things in the name of Christ. Amen.
Read More
Everyday Prayer with John Calvin (Day Five)
Scripture: Psalm 10:12-18
We live in difficult times lately. It is quite natural to feel the pressure of current events and, sometimes, be distressed by it all. God's people are not immune to the struggles and cares of this world. Yet, they have a sure hope and a divine offer to help and hear as we pray and plead our case before the Lord. Too often, we "over-spiritualize" prayer to the point where we are not honest about our feelings, thoughts, and emotions. The Psalmist in Ps. 10 didn't do that. He was honest with the Lord, and God's people should be as well.
McKim writes, "Sometimes God seems aloof -- standing 'far off' (Ps. 10:1). Today's psalmist feels that God is hidden in times of trouble. The wicked seem to prosper, preying on the 'helpless' (see vv. 8-9) and 'think[ing[ in their heart, 'God has forgotten...he will never see it.' In prayer, we can be completely honest with God - can lament, question, and even challenge God. "
Read More
Daily Prayer for January 11, 2021
Prayer: Almighty God and Father in heaven, we bless your name today because you have rescued us from slavery to sin and misery and placed us on the solid rock that is your Son. We thank you that you have not treated us as our sins deserve but have buried them in the deepest ocean and have separated them as far as the east is from the west. We are grateful to you for giving us another Lord's Day that pictures for us the eternal rest that we await. We are thankful for the sacrament of the Lord's Supper that shows forth the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus and the promise of his return. We confess that we do not make diligent use of these outward means, and we know that we do so to our own harm. Please forgive us and work in us a greater zeal for these things. We pray that you would speak to us today through the ministry of your Word. We ask that you would grant your ministers unction from on high and that through their labors, we would behold a powerful demonstration of your Spirit. Please help us, Father. Remember your people for good. Bless us and be merciful to us we pray in the name of the Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Read More
Everyday Prayer with John Calvin (Day Three)
Scripture: 1 Sam. 1:9-18
The context of this text is one that finds Hannah, a godly woman who would receive a "double portion" from the LORD. The main character of the text is a woman whom the LORD loved. The narrative crisis describes this woman as barren, "The LORD had closed her womb." As a result of this weighty matter, Hannah turns to the Lord and prays. We read that she had been "pouring out her soul before the LORD." As she prayed, she is noticed by Eli, the priest. He notices that only her lips were moving, but he did not hear anything coming from her mouth.
Read More
Daily Prayer for January 7, 2021
Prayer: Almighty God, the maker of all things and the one who orders all things, we thank you that you are a God that never changes. What you have said yesterday is still true today. We thank you that you have given your people promises, and through those promises, you bring comfort and hope to us as pilgrims in this world. We take note that your Word never promises the redeemed of the Lord an easy life free from opposition, persecution, and hatred from others. WE know that your Son suffered at the hands of wicked men, and we note that he told us to expect the same. We are concerned that your church faces difficult and trying days soon, and we confess that we are often not prepared for these things. Forgive us for forgetting that the Christian life is often hard and help us to prepare to stand for Christ come what may. We pray this in His Name. Amen.
Read More
Everyday Prayer with John Calvin (Day Two)
Scripture: Num. 14:13-19
The context of this passage is the immediate aftermath of the rebellion of God's people. They have rejected the good report of Caleb and Joshua. Instead, they desired to return to the land of bondage, Egypt. Here, Moses, the man of God, intercedes again for the sake of the people. This prayer is a "directory for prayer" for God's people today.
McKim writes, "Calvin saw in this 'a sure directory for prayer'" Citing Calvin, he continues, "For nothing can be more sure than [God's] own word, on which if our prayers are based, there is no reason to fear that they will be ineffectual, or that their results should disappoint us, since He who has spoken will prove Himself to be true. And, in fact, this is the reason why He speaks....to afford us the grounds for addressing Him, for else we must be dumb." (20)
Moses prayed the Word of the L
Read More
Everyday Prayer with John Calvin
Meditation for the day taken from "Everyday prayer with John Calvin" written by Donald McKim:
Scripture: Gen. 32:9-23
"Sometimes we pray, ask God for something, and then forget about it. We assume that God will act while we stand by and wait for the answer to our prayer to appear. But this is too simple, and it is not what God desires."
Calvin saw, in these steps that Jacob took, a prescription for how we should follow through with our own prayers to God. He wrote, 'After he has prayed to the Lord, and arranged his plans, he now takes confidence and meets the danger. By which example the faithful are taught, that whenever any danger approaches, this order of proceeding is to be observed; first, to resort directly to the Lord; secondly, to apply to immediate use whatever means of help may offer themselves; and thirdly, as persons prepared for any event, to proceed with intrepidity whithersoever the Lord commands. '" (19)
Read More
Christian Basics: The Sustaining Means of God's Love for His People
Introduction
Another new year is upon us, and if you are anything like me, you take the time to reflect on the previous year and make plans and goals for the new one. In some sense, this time of the year allows you to hit the "reset" button on your lives and adjust what needs to be changed related to your families, your relationship with Christ, and other essential matters. It is the second item, your relationship with Christ, that I want to focus on briefly, especially related to the fundamentals of the Christian life.
The basics are very important. If you watch sports, you will notice that when athletes competing at the highest level are in a tight spot and the game is on the line that their fundamentals are what gets them that hit that is needed, or golf shot within feet of the hole, or the important pass to win the game. So much depends on the basics – the fundamentals. It is no different in the Christian life.
Three Fundamentals
So, what are those basics? If each of you were to make a list, I am sure there would be agreement on many items, and perhaps some surprises as well. Allow me a few minutes to discuss three items that are of the utmost importance and ones that I encourage you to consider and reflect upon as you enter a new year.
Read More
Daily Prayer for December 27, 2020
Prayer: Our God, we bless you for the gift of the Lord's Day. Your word tells us that you regard this day as holy. Sadly, and too our own embarrassment, we often find it an interruption to our lives. We know that the command to keep the Sabbath holy uniquely reveals the remaining worldliness in us. We confess our self-centeredness and failure to honor you by spending the whole day in the public and private exercise of your worship. We are ashamed of how much we know this day brings us and how infrequently we take advantage of it. Forgive us, Father. Renew in us a greater love and zeal for the Lord's Day. Open our eyes and hearts that we may truly delight in it, not doing our own pleasure, by delighting in you. We pray this in the name of Christ. Amen.
Read More
Daily Prayer for December 22, 2020
Prayer: Our God in heaven, you were willing to condescend to us and to clothe yourself with human flesh and take upon yourself our nature, yet without sin. By the labors of the second person of the eternal Godhead, you came to redeem us from sin and misery. As the Son labors, he reverses the effect of the Fall. We are thankful to Him for his great work of redeeming us and bringing us peace of conscience. When we think about what the Son did on our behalf, we are ashamed of our lack of zeal and love for him. We fail to adore him as we should. We fall short of the obedience we owe as a result of his saving mercy. So often, we seek our own kingdom and not yours. Forgive us, Lord. Please renew our minds and hearts and conform them to your will. Please grant to us a greater willingness and zeal to love Jesus, your only begotten Son. We pray this in his name. Amen.
Read More
Daily Prayer for December 21, 2020
Prayer: Our great sovereign, the true God of heaven and earth, we come to you on behalf of our nation in which we live. We confess to you that we have placed too much emphasis on the importance of our leaders. We know that your Word states regarding the civil magistrates. We thank you for erecting civil order to govern and protect society. Yet, we also know that these people are mere men. Like us, they sin and fall short of your glory. Too often, we place our trust in princes and not the Prince of Peace. Too often, we complain about what they are doing and what they are not doing. Instead of praying for them, we gripe, murmur, and complain. Forgive us. We pray this day for our leaders. We plead with you to open their eyes and their minds and their hearts to their dire need. May they see that they too need Christ.. May they bow the knee now to the mandates of the true sovereign and king. Restrain them, Father, from evil mandates and laws. Expose their deceit, where it exists, and protect your church from harm. We pray these things in the name of Christ, the true King who rules in justice and mercy. Amen.
Read More
