PrayerBits for Saturday

Scripture lesson: Romans 5:1-11 from suffering to salvation

Time to reflect: There are a dozen important items in this passage. Too many to talk about or think about in a PrayerBit. I'd like to focus on the sequence in verses 3-5.

Moving through the day:Meditate on each item in this sequence. Why does the one item lead to the next item?

Scripture:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

PrayerBits for Friday

Scripture lesson: Psalm 95 Grateful even when inconvenienced?

Time to reflect: Maasah and Mirabah mentioned in verse 8 was one of the times during the Exodus when the people were thirsty and ready to give up on God (who had just saved them from harsh slavery). Its mention in this Psalm of praise should remind up of the danger of being “fair weather friends” of God. We praise God when things are going right and gripe and turn from God when inconvenienced.

Moving Throughout the day: Pray that you can praise God at all times, not just when things are going right.

Scripture:

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

PrayerBits for Thursday

Scripture lesson: Exodus 17:1-7 The griping Israelites

Time to reflect: This passage has been influential throughout Biblical history and on through to today. It is so striking that people then and now can so quickly forget all that God has done in the past and start griping and complaining – even rebelling – when inconvenienced.

Moving through the day: As a part of a prayer, make a list of things you are grateful to God for, then a list of things you wish God will get around to soon. Pray the second list with Jesus' words from Gethsemene “not what I want but what you want.”

Scripture:

The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink."
Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?"

But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"

Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."

The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"

PrayerBits for Wednesday

Scripture lesson: Revelation 21:1-7 The New Jerusalem

Time to reflect: These images are metaphoric trying to express in human language that which is way beyond human understanding (Jerusalem won't really be wearing a bridal gown).

Moving through the day: Read again the various OT quotes that form 3-4 (you might even look up the passages they come from) and think about what a glorious time this will be.

Scripture:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

PrayerBits for Tuesday

Scripture lesson: James 3:11-13 Show your wisdom?

Time to reflect: This is an odd verse grouping. Normally verses 11&12 are paragraphed with verse 10. Verse 13 should be taken alone (not grouped with any other verses).

Moving through the day: The point is that that wisdom is not knowledge but a trait that shows itself in our actions.

Scripture:

Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

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.

PrayerBits for Monday

Scripture lesson: Jeremiah 2:10-13 gods of our own choosing

Time to reflect: People like creating their own gods or versions of God – same name, different god. We want one that is convenient and manageable/

Moving Through The Day: Pray about the ways you twist your definition of God to suit yourself.

Cross over to the coasts of Kittim and look,
send to Kedar and observe closely;
see if there has ever been anything like this:

Has a nation ever changed its gods?
(Yet they are not gods at all.)
But my people have exchanged their Glory
for worthless idols.

Be appalled at this, O heavens,
and shudder with great horror,"
declares the LORD.

"My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.