Today's Verse

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By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
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Psalm 80:7

Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

— Psalm 80:7 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

This passage makes me want to cry out to God: "Please restore us God! Restore us, your people, O God, who have lost their sense of wonder! Restore our old withered hearts to their innocence. Restore our lives to their unsoiled perfection and intention. Restore us to yourself, O God Almighty!" While not every Christian has lost his or her sense of wonder and while not every one of us has an old withered heart, we all need God's presence to shine upon us and renew us!

My Prayer...

O God, the maker of new things, sometimes I feel so old and worn; my soul is weary from the fight. I need your presence and strength to restore me. Please restore me to your side and make your grace alive in me. Please restore me to your love and share it with others through me. Please restore me to your righteousness so others can see your character in me. Please restore me, and not just me, please restore all those who call on your mighty name so that the world may see you in us and come to know your saving grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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Hebrews 2:14

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death -- that is, the devil.

— Hebrews 2:14 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Did you know that Jesus is not only our Savior, but he is also our brother! "He had to be made like his brothers" the Holy Spirit says after today's Scripture. We were God's lost children so Jesus came and shared our mortality, our human skin with all its limitations, so that he could defeat our worst enemy, the evil death-maker Satan. Death no longer has its hooks in us or its hold on us, because our big brother has defeated it and has gone to prepare our place at the Father's side!

My Prayer...

Almighty God, thank you for sending Jesus to be like me and live among people like me. As I think of your sacrifice and his love, I am overwhelmed to insignificance and then I realize that Jesus' gift has now made me your child and Jesus is now my older brother. Some days, Abba Father, it is hard for me to wait for our family reunion. Until that great reunion day, please use me to help others know about your family, your gift, and your Son! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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Colossians 1:18

He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

— Colossians 1:18 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Jesus is the living leader and head of his church. There is no man who has this right. No one but Jesus has earned this position. Jesus is supreme. Even though supremacy is rightfully his because of his divinity, he has earned his supremacy by what he has done for us. He was there before there was a beginning, he was the Creator of all that is, and he was the one who passed through death victoriously for us.

My Prayer...

Lord Jesus, I ask you to take control of your church, your Body. Please glorify yourself in us and permeate our leaders' hearts with your will. We want the world to see your supremacy because of our unity and devotion to you. And Holy God, please glorify yourself in Jesus through the Church. To you, Lord God, and to your Son and our Savior Jesus, be all honor and glory and praise for now, and forevermore. Amen.

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Revelation 5:9

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

— Revelation 5:9 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Worthy! What a beautiful word! For those of us who are disciples of Jesus, we know of only one who is truly worthy. He is worthy to open the scroll and reveal the future. He is worthy of praise and adoration. Why? Because even though he was holy, perfect and heavenly, his death on the cross to purchase our pardon, forgiveness, and salvation made him worthy. And he did it not just for us, but also for people of all races and languages and cultures. Jesus, you are worthy!

My Prayer...

Holy Lamb of God, you are worthy! You are worthy of my adoration and love. You are worthy of my worship and my devotion. And Holy Father, I thank you for your plan to send him to save me. Because of your grace in Jesus, I want to live my life in devotion to you and your will. Please forgive me for the times I've gotten side tracked. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to return to you. In the name of Jesus, your holy Lamb slain for my sins, I offer my love and thanks. Amen.

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Psalm 71:8

My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.

— Psalm 71:8 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Our mouths can be filled with food, profanities, or gossip. Or ... we can choose for our mouths to be filled with praise for God and his loving grace. We can talk about many things and speak to many different people about many different subjects. Or ... we can choose to declare the greatness, majesty, and splendor of our heavenly Father all during our day. Why don't we choose to praise God with our mouths and tell him of his greatness and let others know of his grace as we go about today's activities?

My Prayer...

Holy and marvelous Father, you are God of all creation and also God of all grace. Thank you for your kindness shared with me in Jesus. Thank you for your powerful victory over death when you raised him from the dead. Thank you for your patience with me as I sometimes stumble, but am always desiring to more perfectly reflect the character of Jesus. Please help me, O Lord, to profess and to show my love and admiration for you all during this day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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1 Timothy 3:16

Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

— 1 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Why would Jesus do it? How did he do it? How was he "God with us" and still in "human flesh"? We cannot fully comprehend it, but he was! The Son of God was also Jesus of Nazareth, born and placed in a manger and crucified on a cross. But he was raised from the dead and shown to be God's Son with power. He was seen by angels, both on earth after his resurrection and in heaven at the throne of God. He has been preached and believed on by people all over the world. The glory that he has he will one day show and share with us. If you want to understand godliness, then you begin with Jesus!

My Prayer...

Holy and marvelous God, your plan to redeem and save a sinner like me, along with those like me all around the world, is incredible. Your love that led you to such sacrifice is beyond comprehension. I thank you for this overwhelming grace. I ask you to forgive me of my sins. Please empower me with your Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead so the mystery of your godliness may be seen in my life today, in my family, among my friends, before my co-workers, by those with whom I attend school, and especially in the presence of my enemies. In Jesus' mighty name I pray. Amen.

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Colossians 1:19-20

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace with his blood, shed on the cross.

— Colossians 1:19-20 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

How do you comprehend both the majesty and the sacrifice of Jesus? We've been looking at our Lord's identity all this month and still we find ourselves amazed, delighted, bewildered, and blessed by his glorious and humble character. The main thing, however, is that he made peace between a perfect heaven and a flawed humanity. He made this peace at horrific cost, the shedding of his own blood on the torture tree at Calvary. He did this with all of God's pleasure and nature in himself. He did this because of our sin. He did this because of love.

My Prayer...

O Father, I am sorry that it took such a great sacrifice to atone for my sin. I am thankful that you loved so much that you would pay the price for that sacrifice. I praise you for bridging the distance that I could not cover that my sin created between you and me. May you be as pleased with me today and see my life as a praise for your costly grace. In Jesus' name I thank you. Amen.

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Proverbs 8:13

To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

— Proverbs 8:13 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

When we have a deep and reverential respect for our holy God, we are going to love what he loves and hate what he hates. We need to realize, however, that the word "hate" is used very carefully in Scripture. This strong verb is not used often, and when it is used with God as the subject, the object of God's hatred needs to be noticed. God hates evil, which in this case is defined as pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and vile speech. These are things that Christians not only avoid, but they also loathe. God wants his people to be people of character -- people of humility, moral behavior, and helpful speech.

My Prayer...

O holy and righteous Father, forgive me of my pride and self-interest. Forgive me for my arrogance and deceptive tongue. Remake me by your Spirit to be holy in word and deed, compassionate toward those in need, and freed from evil. To you, O LORD, be the glory in my life and in your Church, forever and ever. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Psalm 46:1-2

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

— Psalm 46:1-2 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

God is not only our protector; he is our helper. Even when our world seems to be crashing around us, he is there. He will deliver us from death or deliver us through death. He will deliver us from evil or he will deliver us to overcome evil. Our task is to trust that in the midst of our earthquakes and tidal waves that we are not alone and not abandoned.

My Prayer...

Holy God, I pray for those today who are in the middle of life's earthquakes. You know those for whom I am concerned. You know I care about their struggles which are too big for me to mitigate and too painful for me to truly bring comfort. I ask you now to bless them, be with them, and please deliver them quickly. You are our only true hope and Jesus is our only sure redeemer. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

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Psalm 69:6
May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel.

— Psalm 69:6 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

What a beautiful prayer for any Christian! In a world that is so self-absorbed, isn't it refreshing to be reminded of the powerful impact for good and bad that we can have? Let's not only be reminded of the devastating impact of our hypocrisy and rebellion, let's also pray that our failures will not be destructive to the Kingdom's increase nor to our brothers and sisters in Christ as they seek to serve and honor the Lord!

My Prayer...

O gracious and mighty God, I do not want to sin. I know it is rebellion against you and it breaks your heart. I do not want to sin because I know it diminishes me and makes me even more vulnerable to Satan's attacks in the future. I don't want to sin and bring disgrace upon your cause O God. And Father, I don't want to sin and be the cause of those seeking you to stumble. Please forgive my sins, but please Father, strengthen me and help me not stumble in my time of temptation. In the name of the one who conquered temptation and sin, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

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Colossians 1:21
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

— Colossians 1:21 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

So many people reject God because of the things they do not want to give up for him. They may couch it in an intellectual argument, but quite often they do not want to surrender their will to God because it will mean giving up something they love that is in conflict with the character of God. Many evangelists know that intellectual arguments seldom will win this kind of person to the truth. Instead, they must come to know Jesus and his sacrificial love for them before they are able to realize that God's demand for holiness in them is because he is their ally, not their enemy.

My Prayer...

Holy and almighty God, I praise you for your love and holiness. Thank you for demonstrating both by sending Jesus to save me. I regret the times that I saw your desire for holiness to be too demanding or harsh. I thank you for loving me enough to not only save me in Jesus, but also to call me to a holy life under your protection and care. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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Proverbs 20:22
Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.

— Proverbs 20:22 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Revenge is Satan's way of destroying both the innocent and the offender. Once vengeance becomes the motivation, the wounded party can suddenly be swept up in rage and hatred. This poison spreads to everything the vengeful person touches. On earth, we can see that we will never find perfect and complete justice, no matter the "goodness" of the judicial system in place at the time. But God will not only bring justice; he will deliver us: deliver us from the hands of the oppressor and deliver us from the poison of hatred.

My Prayer...

Forgiving Lord, God of all justice and steadfast love, I ask you to be at work in the justice system of my land. Make it more equitable and true. Expose those who buy and sell justice and remove them from power. Deal with the violent and the oppressor with your hand. Please Lord, by the power of your Spirit, stir me to forgive others and to wait on your justice. Guard me from the poison of an unforgiving and vengeful heart. May my attitude, behavior, and response to those who wrong me help lead them to know your Son as their Savior. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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Titus 2:13-14
...while we wait for the blessed hope -- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

— Titus 2:13-14 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Some of the most basic and elevated statements about Jesus are made in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. These letters are devoted to help ministers mature churches in difficult places. They are incredibly practical, but also are rooted in the work of Jesus, his divinity, and his faithfulness. We are waiting for the Faithful One! We trust that he will come for us because of what he sacrificed to redeem us. While we wait, we honor his mission by being a people eager to do what is good, showing in our lives that he is our Lord.

My Prayer...

O God, I find myself waiting for Jesus. Because he is coming for me, I know my life has direction and meaning even on those days that are long, hard, and seemingly fruitless. Fire my heart to wait longingly for Jesus' glorious appearing and stir my desires to want what is only good and holy. I want to see you! But, dear Lord, I also long to be like you! In the glorious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

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Colossians 1:22
He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.

— Colossians 1:22 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

"Christians aren't perfect; they're just forgiven." We know we are not perfect. We know our weaknesses, inadequacies, sinfulness, pettiness, immaturity, cowardice ... But Jesus demonstrated his love for us on the Cross as he offered his body and shed his blood. His sacrifice means that God looks at us as "perfect." Jesus' sacrifice means we are holy, without blemish, and without chargeable offense in God's presence! Jesus' perfect sacrifice has brought us perfect reconciliation with God!

My Prayer...

Forgive me, Almighty God, for my sins. I get sick of them and frustrated with my own inability to completely overcome them. Strengthen me, dear Father, so that I will have more fortitude and courage to face temptation victoriously. Thank you, God of glory, for sharing your perfection and glory with me by sending Jesus. I praise you O God, my Rock and my Redeemer, for you have made me your child! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

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John 13:21
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."

— John 13:21 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

I can still remember my friend saying it in church one Sunday: "We think so badly of old Judas for betraying the Lord for 30 pieces of silver, but how many times do we betray him for nothing?" Ouch! What makes this so difficult for us to bear is Jesus' anguish knowing one of his own would betray him. Let's make every effort and call upon God's strength so that such betrayal can never be true of us! And if it ever is, let's make sure we run toward his grace with an honest desire to escape sin and come back to him!

My Prayer...

Jesus, I am sorry for the times I have broken your heart with my rebellion and neglect. Father God, I apologize for my lack of passion and zeal for your Son's sacrifice that saved me from sin and death. I want to live more vibrantly for Jesus so others may see him and come to know him. It is in his precious and holy name I pray. Amen.