For This Purpose: Scripture, Prayer & Application

True & Righteous Altogether

Scripture: The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. Psalms 19:7-9

Prayer: Lord, you are more perfect than we can imagine. Your testimony is our past, present and future and makes the wise man simple in comparison. Your commands are pure, enlightening, clean, enduring, true and righteous. Amen.

Application: May we marvel at the glory and righteousness of the Lord daily, allowing His story to shape us, mold us and enlighten us. May we fear Him (the beginning of wisdom) and seek His truth in all things.

How are you letting the Lord revive your soul and open your eyes today?

Walk in Newness of Life

Scripture: We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the new life that You have given us as we walk with You. May we be baptized, purified and raised into a new life through Jesus, who died to save us from certain death. Amen.

Application: Jesus defeated death so that we may live. Have you committed to honoring His sacrifice by taking up your cross to follow him?

Go and baptize the nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. That more people would experience the loving sacrifice of our Lord.

Heart Wholly True

Scripture: Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day. 1 Kings 8:61

Prayer: Lord, let our hearts be completely committed to you, whole and true. May we have the strength and perseverance to walk in Your statues and keep Your commandments. Amen

Application: We are all a part of God’s story, and His ways are not like ours, His thoughts are not our thoughts. But we do know how the story ends, and it ends well.

What He asks from us is that we give Him our whole hearts, to walk with Him and keep His commandments. He knows that we will fail and forgives us still.

Do you trust Him?

Fasting & Prayer

Scripture: So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty. Ezra 8:23

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for hearing our prayers and for your loving mercy. May we fast and pray to You without ceasing, that our thoughts would stay focused on you always. Amen

Application: Fasting can be a powerful reminder of our mortality and fragility. As we fast, we should be spending time meditating on His Word and in prayer. It is a reminder that our soul needs feeding just as our physical body needs food to survive.

What is one action you can take today to renew your focus on God?

P.S. “And he listened to our entreaty” – Entreaty means (I had to look it up) an earnest or humble request. It is a reminder to pray in humility and with a pure heart. He hears us, even if he does not respond according to our plans or timing.

Great and Hidden Things

Scripture: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:3

Prayer: Lord, we call out to you and know that you will guide us and lead us. We are thankful for those hidden things that you have revealed to us. We ask that You give us courage to act upon what has been revealed. Amen.

Application: Discernment, wisdom and understanding are all gifts that are given by God. As we seek Him and call out to Him, He reveals new things that change our perspective. Once we understand, it is our responsibility to obey.

What is something you have come to understand in a new way and how can you use that clarity and vision for His glory?

He Knows Your Heart

Scripture: You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. Luke 16:15

Prayer: Lord, You know our hearts and our deepest thoughts, we thank You for Your mercy and forgiveness of our sinful thinking. Help us to avoid the exalted lies of man and seek only truth in You. Amen.

Application: It is in our nature to seek the approval of others, but it is important to know that God knows your heart. To “do the right thing” with a deceitful or selfish heart may make your resume look nice, but you can’t lie to God. You have to actually love Him.

Identify something you are doing for selfish reasons. How can Jesus make that into something pure and beautiful?

It Is Not Good

Scripture: Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Genesis 2:18

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for our spouses and we honor you and praise you for making us whole through them. We know that it is not good that we should be alone and we ask that you remove any feelings of isolation and loneliness from us. Amen

Application: This was the first place in the Bible that God said “It is not good”. He made us in such a way that we experience the fullness of His blessing through our relationship with our spouse. May we honor that blessing all the days of our lives.

What is one way you can honor your spouse today and/or comfort someone who has lost a spouse or is seeking a spouse?

The Spirit Helps Us In Our Weakness

Scripture: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your Holy Spirit which intercedes for us when our pain and our longings are too difficult for our words to express. We know that your Spirit is in us and guides us ever closer to you as we continue to lean in. Amen.

Application: When you are praying, do you acknowledge the presence of His Holy Spirit that lives inside you?

For a long time, I struggled in praying straight to God, unintentionally bypassing the Holy Spirit and even sometimes Jesus as I prayed. The truth is that God moves in us through His Holy Spirit and we are only able to have relationship with Him through the sacrifice of Jesus. Pray and live in His strength, not your weakness.

Promises of God

Scripture: 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 2 Peter 1:3-4

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for drawing us near to You and for the great promises You have made to us. May we turn away from the sinful desires of this world and accept the glorious life You have given to us in Your kingdom. Amen

Application: The Lord calls us to worship Him in His excellence and glory. He wants us to partake in His divine nature and escape the sins of our world. But we have to be willing to accept the promises and change our live because of them.

What is something you have been led to believe that does not align with the promises of God?

Power of Community

Scripture: And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for our brothers and sisters, may we encourage one another to love and good works in Your name and the name of Your Son Jesus. May we build communities committed to following You and worshiping You Lord. Amen

Application: Don’t be too busy to spend time in community, we grow in our faith as we share it with others. If you are struggling, seek community to build you up and help you. If God has blessed you with much, give generously your time talent and treasure to others (don’t bury it or keep it for yourself).

Is there someone you have been meaning to reach out to? Follow that feeling and reach out, it could make their day, and yours.