Today's Verse

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By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
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James 3:13
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

— James 3:13 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The character of a loving and humble lifestyle shows who is truly wise. It is so easy for people to act arrogantly, yet in the Lord's eyes they are worse than silly; they are woefully ignorant. Wisdom is not about flaunting knowledge but about living a godly life. Which more closely resembles you in your walk with Jesus -- wisdom expressed through a humble and loving lifestyle or smart aleck with feelings of superiority and arrogance?

My Prayer...

Loving Shepherd, I know you have been a wise and loving Father to me. Help me share the care that you have lavished on me with the person who most needs it today. Please protect me from arrogance and feelings of superiority, and gently humble me in the ways that make me a more useful tool in your hands. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
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Ephesians 5:8
You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

— Ephesians 5:8 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Before and after -- that's the story of grace. "I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see." If we could only fully grasp what we so easily sing then life would be filled with more grace and our churches with more confident servants of God.

My Prayer...

Lord God Almighty, by your grace I know today that I stand before you welcomed into your presence and received as a beloved child. Thank you for rescuing me from all the traps of the darkness and bringing me into your light. Guide my heart and my feet so they will walk your path and show forth your light. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

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Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others.

— Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Do you remember one of the earliest questions in the Bible? "Where is your brother Abel?" To which Cain responded: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Paul's answer is a clear and undeniable yes! We must look to the interest of others and not just our own.

My Prayer...

Father, teach me to love your family as you do. I get so caught up and distracted with my own world and my own problems that I forget to notice those who are hurting around me. Help me to grow more aware and more attuned to their needs so you may minister to them through me. In the powerful name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

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By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
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Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

— Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The goal in Christian communication is not just clarity. The goal is not just to be understood. The goal is not just to be truthful. The goal is to be appropriate, encouraging, and building up others based on the needs of the other person.

My Prayer...

Tender Shepherd, give me a heart that is pure so that my words may be pure. Give me a heart that is kind so that my words may be kind. Give me a heart that is full of joy and encouragement so that I may share these with those you bring to my path and with whom I share conversation. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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Joel 2:23
Rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.

— Joel 2:23 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

"The prayers go up and the blessings come down..." The words to this children's song are only half right, because God sends his blessings many times even when we don't pray. But just as we love the special smell that comes with a drought-breaking rain, God loves the aroma of his children's joy, especially when he is the source of its delight!

My Prayer...

Holy God and tender Father, you are my great delight. When all others fail, you are still God. You are my rock and fortress, you are my tender shepherd, and you are my solid mountain that cannot be shaken or moved. Your blessings and grace shower down upon me and fill me with joy. I can't wait for the day I get to see you face to face and delight in your presence forever. Until then, I will rejoice in anticipation. In Jesus' glorious name I pray. Amen.

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2 Corinthians 13:14
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

— 2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

I have a friend in Jesus who has taught me the power of sharing a spiritual blessing with others. I can't think of a better one than the short blessing in today's verse! Grace, love, and fellowship -- all rooted in the eternal, sacrificial, and gracious nature of our God. We share these blessings with God's children all around the world.

My Prayer...

Father, I am thinking of several precious friends who need the richness of this blessing to fall upon them. Please bless them richly and graciously. In Jesus' name I ask it. Amen.

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Romans 15:7
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

— Romans 15:7 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

I hate racism and exclusivity. But my loathing does not match God's revulsion at these things. On the other hand, we can anticipate the choir of heaven (see Revelation 7:9ff.) if we will accept one another in Jesus and not let race, language, culture, or suspicion keep us from loving each other as we have already been loved by the Savior.

My Prayer...

Holy and Righteous Father, I pray that we will let your Spirit and your grace help us tear down any wall that divides your people based on race or culture or privilege. Teach us, teach me, to love each person in the way that you do. In the name of Jesus, who died for all people everywhere, I pray. Amen.

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Romans 5:3-4
We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

— Romans 5:3-4 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

I remember the old Corrie ten Boom phrase, "Thank God for the fleas." The fleas kept the German soldiers out of the barracks in the Jewish concentration camp where she was imprisoned. This allowed her to minister and visit with those who were being persecuted. There she could show and share Jesus. Even in the worst of suffering, God can bring blessings through those who know that life's goal is character, not comfort.

My Prayer...

Mighty God, I confess that I get impatient and frustrated with difficulty, pain, and suffering. Please give me more compassion and better listening skills to hear, so that I may bless those who need your love and grace. Give me the strength to find joy in the difficulties of breaking through the barriers Satan places in the way to keep others from Jesus. In the Savior's name I pray. Amen.

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Hebrews 10:35-36
Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

— Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

There are some tough times that go with living. They're inescapable. That's when our confidence in the Lord's salvation and our relationship with him get tested! It is one thing to sing "it is well with my soul" at the end of a peel-the-paint and raise-the-roof worship service, but it is quite another to be able to sing it when they auction your house off at the courthouse steps, you are told you have a long-term debilitating illness, or you lose a child to death. Faith can't take a holiday when we travel through the suburbs of hell or we'll never find our way out. So don't throw it away. Persevere! Keep putting one foot in front of the other trusting that God will give you the strength for the next step. No matter how hard it is at the moment, don’t give up to despair. Be like Job or Jeremiah who both argued and complained to God, but never let go of God. Don't quit. Christ is coming for you with grace and in glory. His return is just around the bend and could break into our world at any time.

My Prayer...

Holy and Almighty God, today is a good day. However, I am profoundly aware that some of those I love are close to throwing away their confidence in your love, mercy, grace, peace, and deliverance. Please use me to encourage them. Even more, dear Father, I ask that you use your Holy Spirit to renew their hearts. I pray that you intervene directly to change the course of events and give them relief and make your gracious presence known to them. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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1 John 2:1
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense -- Jesus Christ the Righteous One.

— 1 John 2:1 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

God hates sin. Don't you? I know I do. But isn't it amazing how we'll fall back into the same old traps again and again. This is where John, the tender Shepherd that he was, hits the nail on the head. The goal is to not sin even one sin. But, knowing our struggle against the flesh, John also gives assurance to those of us trying to live faithful and pure lives. He wants us to know that when we do sin, the Sacrifice for our sins, God's Son, is also our defense attorney who proclaims us sinless by his blood! So let's draw close to Christ. Let's invite him into our hearts each morning as we begin the day. Let's trust in his power and grace to sustain us and carry us through. When we do, he will!

My Prayer...

God, no one and nothing is like you. I did not have to provide the sacrifice for my sins. Even though my sins broke your heart, you provided that sacrifice. Please use me today, and each day to come, as I try to give myself, my life, and my future back to you as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you as I try to say thank you for your grace. Through Jesus, and in his name I pray. Amen.

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Hebrews 10:30-31
We know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

— Hebrews 10:30-31 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

God hates injustice, unfairness, brutality and abuse. In a world where the greedy, the murdering, the thieving, the raping, the mugging ... get away with their shameless and despicable behavior, God is the ultimate assurance that justice will be done and the wicked will not triumph. While those who love and serve Jesus anticipate his return with joyous expectation, those who are evil and vile will find out what a dreadful thing it is to fall into God's hands.

My Prayer...

Holy and Righteous God, my Heavenly Father, I am both uncomfortable and comforted to know that you will bring justice to those who have violently abused the innocent, weak, helpless, underprivileged, and infirmed. I hate to see anyone lost. However, I also hate when evil people harm those who are good and kind and godly. Give me the courage to stand between the evil of my world and those on whom it preys. Because of his grace and victory over sin and death, I pray in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.

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Matthew 6:33
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

— Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Seek -- pursue relentlessly -- God's Lordship over your life and the righteousness that he demands in your daily life. The other stuff you pursue is all temporary. Only God and his Kingdom remain. In the process of pursuing God's kingdom and his righteousness, you will find that the God who gives you his Kingdom and righteousness, also will bless you with the things in this life that you need.

My Prayer...

Holy Lord, only in you do I find what satisfies my soul's desires. The things that have captured my eye are boring after only a short while. The artificial things I have pursued, all of my addictive pursuits, have left me empty and enslaved. I find hope and help only in you. Please be near to love, correct, discipline, lead, and mold me to your glory. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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1 Corinthians 2:14
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

— 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The Holy Spirit is God's abiding gift, God's seal and promise. The Spirit is our assurance that what he began with Jesus' sacrificial death and our participation in it through faith and baptism, he will bring to completion at Jesus' return. But the world cannot understand this great promise, just as it cannot understand much of Scripture. Without the gift of the Holy Spirit, people of the world see only what they can touch with their fingers and cannot fully see what is true in God's heart and revealed in his Word.

My Prayer...

Father, I thank you for sending Jesus. Jesus, I thank you for sending the Spirit. Spirit, I thank you for never leaving me alone. As I am filled with the Spirit, O Lord, so fill me more and more until my will and my life more perfectly reflect your desires and character. Use me to bless others just as your presence now blesses me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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John 3:20-21
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.

— John 3:20-21 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Truth is seen in what it does and whom it seeks. Let's live as children of light and seek after the Father who dwells in indescribably glorious light so we might be the light of the world.

My Prayer...

Father of every heavenly light, I ask you to correct me gently as I place myself, my imperfections, failures and sins in your presence. Forgive and cleanse me by the blood of Jesus so that I might be spotless and holy and blameless in your sight. O Lord, I don't just want to be forgiven; I want to be useful to you and your church. Please help me find my way to usefulness. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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Philippians 1:9-10
This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.

— Philippians 1:9-10 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

I don't know about you, but my most difficult decisions are not about choosing between good and bad. I usually know what is good and what is bad, especially when bad involves evil. My toughest choices are when I have to choose between good, better, and best. My love for God usually overcomes my weakness and I choose good over bad. But unless I've placed myself before God's word and surrendered my heart to him in prayer, I have a very tough time choosing between good and best. Yet I'm convinced that much of what God would love to do through us today goes lacking because we've settled for good when he longs to lead us to best!

My Prayer...

Gracious and Almighty God, teach me your ways and give me your heart as I strive to not only love you, but to know your will and have insight into your ways. Help me to know the best things to do today and through the rest of my life. Give me wisdom to use my time in the best way possible to live out your will in my work, with my family, among my friends, and especially before those who do not know Christ as their Savior. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord I pray. Amen.