PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday

Scripture lesson: Mark 6:1-13 shake off the dust

Time to reflect: Jesus and his followers were greeted with a great deal of indifference, unbelief and even hostility. He was not so obviously the “Messiah” and “Son of God” that people couldn't just write him off as “Mary's kid,” and big brother to James and the others.

Moving through the day: Visualize a Jesus that looked, sounded, acted – actually was – just like you. Does this diminish his divinity in your eyes? Would the disciples have to shake the dust off their sandals if the visited you, your town, your church?

Scripture:

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

 He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

 They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

 

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 True humility

Time to reflect: The “third heaven” is from an ancient Jewish cosmology. There were various ideas, with the most common being 7 heavens (one of which was “hell”). Paul actually may have been making fun of the idea with a little sarcasm. The broader point he was making is that there are always those who are “more spiritual,” “more blessed by God,” than he (us). But such things are nothing to boast of. Humbly relying on God, regardless of our “gifts” is to be preferred.

Moving through the day: Pray about things that you feel are impediments to your life and humbly accept these as opportunities for humility and pray about things you are proud of that you use them for God's glory, not for boasting.

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 6

 As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says,
   "In the time of my favor I heard you,
      and in the day of salvation I helped you."I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

Paul's Hardships

 We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.

PrayerBits for Friday

PrayerBits

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

Friday

Scripture Lesson: Psalm 133 Families together

Time to reflect: I'm sure family life was as difficult back then as now. This is why a having a family live in unit was like an amazing, rare blessing, as described in this Psalm.

Moving Throughout the day: Pray for whatever family or group of close companions you might have that they may live in unity and harmony.

 Scripture:

How good and pleasant it is
       when brothers live together in unity!

  It is like precious oil poured on the head,
       running down on the beard,
       running down on Aaron's beard,
       down upon the collar of his robes.

  It is as if the dew of Hermon
       were falling on Mount Zion.
       For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
       even life forevermore.

PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson I Samuel 17:57-18:5 David and Jonathan

Time to reflect: For clarity, Jonathan and David were of different generations and the language here and elsewhere is of a “sword bearer” which is equivalent to a modern aide-de-camp which was a “General in Training.” Jonathan, the heir apparent for the Throne, was retiring from the field and letting David prepare to take over military command for him. Things get complicated later.

Moving through the day: To ponder: David came a long way in a short time and would soon end up be anointed in place of Saul and Jonathan. Is this a sign that God is with him, or favorable circumstances that in retrospect show God at work?

Scripture:

As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine's head.

"Whose son are you, young man?" Saul asked him.
      David said, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem."

1 Samuel 18

Saul's Jealousy of David

  After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's house. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

  Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers as well.

PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

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

Wednesday

Scripture lesson:1 Samuel 17:32-49 David and Goliath

Time to reflect: Once again God changes the odds. Although David was equipped and skilled he was no match for Goliath. His killing of Goliath required, as he acknowledged, God's help.

Moving through the day: Meditation on how and when you include God in what you do.

 Scripture:

David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."

  Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."

  But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
      Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."

  Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.
      "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

  Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"

 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."

  As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: Psalm 9:9-20 “the cry of the afflicted”

Time to reflect: A problem most of us in the “First World” have in reading the Bible is that a lot of it is addressed to oppressed, downtrodden, or suffering people. We can't really relate to those passages directly. (Most of our “troubles” do not come close to comparing to the people being addressed in this Psalm or so many other passages in Scripture.)

Moving through the day: Pray and meditate on how to appropriate and apply passages like this. Pray for people for whom it applies directly.

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
       a stronghold in times of trouble.

  Those who know your name will trust in you,
       for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

  Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
       proclaim among the nations what he has done.

  For he who avenges blood remembers;
       he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

  O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!
       Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,

  that I may declare your praises
       in the gates of the Daughter of Zion
       and there rejoice in your salvation.

  The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
       their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

  The LORD is known by his justice;
       the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
       Higgaion. Selah

  The wicked return to the grave,
       all the nations that forget God.

  But the needy will not always be forgotten,
       nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

  Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph;
       let the nations be judged in your presence.

 Strike them with terror, O LORD;
       let the nations know they are but men.
       Selah

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson: Matthew 15:29-31 The Messiah has come

Time to reflect: Along with the surface meaning of this report, there is an underlying significance for the people of Jesus' time. The kinds of people listed here are viewed as those that would be healed by the Messiah, once he came. By simply reporting this, Matthew was making it clear who Jesus was.

Moving Through The Day: What aspects of Jesus makes him the “Messiah” for you?

 Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

 29Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.