PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church

Sunday

Scripture lesson:        Matthew 25:14-30 What to do with a God given responsibility

Time to reflect: As with all of Jesus' parables, we have to be careful about reading too much into it or trying to label every aspect of it as allegory. These are stories that try to make a point in a dramatic way. The “Master” does not represent God, but the situation is analogous to a relationship between God and us. When God gives us a responsibility, we are not to be timid about using it, but to use it boldly.

Moving through the day: In what ways are you carrying out God's expectations like the 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd servant?

Scripture:

"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'

 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

 " 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church

Saturday

Scripture lesson: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 The End Time

Time to reflect: Another of the many “thief in the night” passages. The emphasis here being “in the light” -- which means, in part, not having parts of your life that you would be embarrassed about God seeing.

Moving through the day: Think about what parts of your life you'd rather not think about God knowing about (God does, of course).

Scripture:

Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

PrayerBits for Friday

PrayerBits

A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church

Friday

Scripture lesson: Psalm 123 “as the eyes of a servant...”

Time to reflect: None of us like the idea of being subservient and deal, in various ways, good or bad, with those situations we are in where we have to be subservient. This Psalm reminds us that we need to consciously think about being subservient to God. God isn't a “pal” or a “friend” or an equal in any way. God is... well... God, and we're not. God is a loving, caring superior, but superior never-the-less.

Moving Throughout the day: Meditate on how you would express in a meaningful way how you are subordinate to God. (servant and maid might not be meaningful symbols for us)

 Scripture:

I lift up my eyes to you,
       to you whose throne is in heaven.

 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
       as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
       so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
       till he shows us his mercy.

  Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,
       for we have endured much contempt.

 We have endured much ridicule from the proud,
       much contempt from the arrogant.

PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church

Thursday

Scripture lesson: Judges 4:1-7 Judge Deborah

Time to reflect: The actual point of the Deborah passage falls outside of this paragraph – in verses 8-9, when Barak doesn't trust God quite enough. However, this passage again points out that modern assumptions about the Old Testament and Old Testament times are often wrong. How often do we think of these early days as being strictly patriarchal and demeaning of women. In reality it was not consistently so (We are talking about a 1000 year time span here!). Deborah was the leader of all Israel (however that was defined for that particular time), and Barak was her general.

 

Moving through the day: What assumptions do you have about the OT that might or might not be accurate? Take time to list these and try to find out whether they are valid.

 

Scripture:

After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.

Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.' "

PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church

Wednesday

Scripture lesson: Luke 8:5-15 The Parable of the Sower

Time to reflect: Actually this parable should be called the “Parable of the seed” since it is the seed that is the focus of attention. Since Jesus explains the parable, I don't need to.

Moving through the day: If you are the seed planted by God, where in your life do you see yourself falling on hard packed ground, among rocks, among brambles, in good soil?

 

Scripture:

Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: Luke 17:20-21 The Kingdom of God

Time to reflect: The Kingdom (Realm) of God is sometimes confusing and different people like picking those passages that suggest that this is a process that is going on on earth or picking those passages that suggest it is a place we go to after death.. This passage is used to support the first option. But in reading the whole Bible it is clear that it is a both/and not an either/or. The Realm of God is whenever, wherever God is in charge. Whenever we are acknowledging God as ruler, we are “ushering in the Kingdom of God.” The Realm of God reaches it completion and fulfillment at the end of time.

Moving through the day: Meditate on when and how you can “usher in the Kingdom of God” today.

 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church

Monday

Scripture lesson: Psalm 90:10-12

Time to reflect: I just saw a t-shirt on one of our young adults that says “Eat well, get exercise, die anyway.” Psalm 90. We do die, no matter what. The issue is how we live before them. One saying I heard once is “What are you doing with your dash?” The “dash” is the dash between your birthday and death day on your tombstone.

Moving Through The Day: Right the obituary you would like to have written when you die. Now go out and live your dash to the fullest.

 The length of our days is seventy years—
       or eighty, if we have the strength;
       yet their span is but trouble and sorrow,
       for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

 Who knows the power of your anger?
       For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

Teach us to number our days aright,
       that we may gain a heart of wisdom.