PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday

Scripture lesson: Luke 24:36b-48 Resurrected

Time to reflect: Our Platonic view that mind, body and “soul” are three separate, separable entities somehow crammed in together makes this Bible story puzzling. But when we think about it, we know and have know for a long time that mind and body cannot be separated. The mind does not exist separate from the body. The “soul” also is not some ghosty thing stuck in our bodies. The Biblical view is that these three characteristics of humans are really only one thing (in Hebrew it is called a “Nephesh”). So the Biblical view of Jesus' resurrection is that he became fully alive again – able to eat fish – but in a perfected form that was capable of existing in the presence of God. (Paul dealt with the idea of the “body” after resurrection by saying that the “corruptible” part of the body is replaced by a new, incorruptible body.)

Moving through the day: Since none of us have been resurrected yet, this concept can be confusing. Try thinking of yourself in a holistic way: mind, body and soul, altogether, one being.

Scripture:

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: 1 John 3:1-7 Children of God

Time to reflect: One of our youth's favorite attempt to “stump the minister” is “if Jesus is the only Son of God” then how can we be “Children of God?” “That's easy,” I reply, “we're adopted.”

Moving through the day: What does it mean to you to be a child of God? Picture and pray about what an idea parent/child relationship is like.

Scripture:

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

 4\Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

 7\Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

PrayerBits for Friday

PrayerBits

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

Friday

Scripture Lesson: Psalm 4 A happy song

Time to reflect: Almost all of the Psalms were intended to be sung in the Temple. They were, we believe, a part of a series of songs: appeal to God, God's response (from a Prophet), a response of joy from the original petitioner. A petitioner could come in with an original song or they could hire one of the Temple musician groups. The “Psalms of David” were from a particular group. Headings to the psalms, such as this one, gave instruction to the musicians. As best as we can determine “Selah” means a musical break or solo.

Moving Throughout the day: What kind of “Psalm” song would you write if you were to present yourself before God today? What existing hymns or songs would you choose to use?

 Scripture:

Answer me when I call to you,
       O my righteous God.
       Give me relief from my distress;
       be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

  How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame ?
       How long will you love delusions and seek false gods ?
       Selah

  Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
       the LORD will hear when I call to him.

  In your anger do not sin;
       when you are on your beds,
       search your hearts and be silent.
       Selah

  Offer right sacrifices
       and trust in the LORD.

  Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
       Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.

 You have filled my heart with greater joy
       than when their grain and new wine abound.

I will lie down and sleep in peace,
       for you alone, O LORD,
       make me dwell in safety.

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson: Proverbs 3:5-8 “Do not be wise in your own eyes”

Time to reflect: This is a very common, if annoying, theme in Scripture – Old Testament and New. It makes sense, God's wisdom is of course way beyond the wisdom of the smartest human alive. But we like to believe we are wise and right on most subjects, and we'll go to God only when we're stumped. This passage says otherwise.

Moving Through The Day: Pray for the wisdom to view your wisdom as less wise than God's.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
       and lean not on your own understanding;

  in all your ways acknowledge him,
       and he will make your paths straight.

  Do not be wise in your own eyes;
       fear the LORD and shun evil.

  This will bring health to your body
       and nourishment to your bones.

PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday

Scripture lesson: John 20:19-31 Other signs

Time to reflect: I love the cryptic reference in verses 30&31 to “other signs” that the writer of John didn't report. Why not? Because he is not a historian or a biographer but a preacher. His book is not reporting the life and death of Jesus but writing so that we, the readers, “may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God...” The Gospel writers were all selective, focusing in on what would be helpful to us. If there are loose ends, unexplained background, unfinished stories, questions left unanswered, it is because these things would have been a distraction from the message they were trying to convey.

Moving through the day: If you were able to draw from the four Gospels, to give a message of hope to an unbelieving friend, what stories and sayings would you choose to use?

Scripture:

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Jesus Appears to Thomas

 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
      But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.