PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson: Job 1:1; 2:1-10 Satan's challenge

Time to reflect:

Whether Satan is real or allegorical is another discussion. It is important to keep in mind in regard to the Book of Job is that Satan is a part of the “Heavenly Court” and Satan's job is roughly equivalent or our Prosecuting Attorney. The word “Satan” means “accuser” in Hebrew. It was his job to catch Job in sin and he was frustrated in this endeavor. The key to understanding the whole book of Job is in verses 9&10.

Moving through the day: Do you ever feel God has abandoned you or is even picking on you? Can you say with Job “shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?”

Scripture:

Job 1:1; 2:1-10

Job

Job and His Family

1There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.

Attack on Job’s Health

2One day the heavenly beings* came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan* also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2The Lord said to Satan,* ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan* answered the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ 3The Lord said to Satan,* ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.’ 4Then Satan* answered the Lord, ‘Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives.* 5But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.’ 6The Lord said to Satan,* ‘Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.’

7 So Satan* went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8Job* took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes.

9 Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse* God, and die.’ 10But he said to her, ‘You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

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

Wednesday

Scripture lesson: Ephesians 4:17-24 Counter-Cultural church

Time to reflect: The “Gentiles” in verse 17 is what we refer to as “the modern culture.” Many of the addressees of this book were gentiles (non-Jews) by birth, but Paul is calling on them to reject some of the evil aspects of the culture around them.

Moving through the day: What areas of our culture do we need to reject? Pray to God for guidance and strength in this matter

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:17-24

The Old Life and the New

17 Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. 19They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practise every kind of impurity. 20That is not the way you learned Christ! 21For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. 22You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: Hebrews 3:7-14 Yes, God does get mad

Time to reflect: This is a stern warning from the New Testament (The Angry God isn't limited to the OT). There are three pieces: 1) Don't turn from God; 2) We need to be support to each other constantly; 3) We need to catch ourselves and others early so we don't become “hardened” (habitual) in our sin.

Moving through the day: Meditate on the strength of your relationship with God. Are you drifting away? Are you falling into some habitual sin? Are there those that need your help and support?

 Hebrews 3:7-14

Warning against Unbelief

7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
‘Today, if you hear his voice,
8do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
   as on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9where your ancestors put me to the test,
   though they had seen my works 10for forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
and I said, “They always go astray in their hearts,
   and they have not known my ways.”
11As in my anger I swore,
   “They will not enter my rest.” ’
12Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today’, so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end.

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson: Isaiah 55:6-13 my thoughts are not your thoughts

Time to reflect: We often get put out with God because God doesn't do things the way we would or for the reasons we think proper. But if God was just like us humans, we'd all be in a real mess.

Moving Through The Day: Try to think of a time when you wanted a particular “response” from God and didn't, but what did transpire was actually better.

Scripture:

Isaiah 55:6-13

6Seek the Lord while he may be found,
   call upon him while he is near;
7let the wicked forsake their way,
   and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
   and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
   nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
9For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
   so are my ways higher than your ways
   and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
   and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
   giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
   it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
   and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

12For you shall go out in joy,
   and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
   shall burst into song,
   and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
   instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
   for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday

Scripture lesson: Mark 9:38-41 Don't stop people who are doing good

Time to reflect: The Apostles didn't understand things, didn't want to ask and bickered among themselves as to who was more important. Just like any other gathering of Christians. Can't you see Jesus rolling his eyes and sighing? But in the end the changed the world.

Moving through the day:Through the day, if you see someone helping others or otherwise doing good works, thank or compliment them.

Scripture:

 Mark 9:38-41

Another Exorcist

38 John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone* casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ 39But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. 40Whoever is not against us is for us. 41For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: James 5:13-20 Pray for healing

Time to reflect: One important point is that “anointing with oil” wasn't some magical or mystical religious activity, but was a part of the medical practice of that day. To truly honor the spirit of this passage we should combine the best of modern medical practice with prayer.

Moving through the day: Take time to pray for people you know that are ill.

Scripture:

James 5:13-20

The Prayer of Faith

13 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. 14Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. 17Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

19 My brothers and sisters,* if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, 20you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s* soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

PrayerBits for Friday

PrayerBits

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

Friday

Scripture Lesson: Psalm 124 God is on our side... when?

Time to reflect:There is much wisdom in this Psalm

Moving Throughout the day:

Think about struggles you are aware of, not just wars, but also everything from family issues, to social movements. Think about what side God is most likely on based on the idea that God defends the downtrodden.

Scripture

Psalm 124

Thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance

A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1If it had not been the Lord who was on our side
   —let Israel now say—
2if it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
   when our enemies attacked us,
3then they would have swallowed us up alive,
   when their anger was kindled against us;
4then the flood would have swept us away,
   the torrent would have gone over us;
5then over us would have gone
   the raging waters.

6Blessed be the Lord,
   who has not given us
   as prey to their teeth.
7We have escaped like a bird
   from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
   and we have escaped.

8Our help is in the name of the Lord,
   who made heaven and earth.

PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson: Esther 7:1-6 Brave Esther

Time to reflect:

Although this is a wisely couched argument, Esther was taking a very big risk here by joining herself to the fate of her people, and speaking up to the king.

Moving through the day: How often have you had to put yourself on the line for what was right? Pray that God be with you the next time you need to.

Scripture:

Esther 7:1-6

Esther 7

Haman Hanged

 1 So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther, 2 and as they were drinking wine on that second day, the king again asked, "Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted."

 3 Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king. [a] "

 5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, "Who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?"

 6 Esther said, "The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman."
      Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen.

PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday

Scripture lesson: Mark 9:38-41 Don't stop people who are doing good

Time to reflect: The Apostles didn't understand things, didn't want to ask and bickered among themselves as to who was more important. Just like any other gathering of Christians. Can't you see Jesus rolling his eyes and sighing? But in the end the changed the world.

Moving through the day:Through the day, if you see someone helping others or otherwise doing good works, thank or compliment them.

Scripture:

 Mark 9:38-41

Another Exorcist

38 John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone* casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ 39But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. 40Whoever is not against us is for us. 41For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: James 5:13-20 Pray for healing

Time to reflect: One important point is that “anointing with oil” wasn't some magical or mystical religious activity, but was a part of the medical practice of that day. To truly honor the spirit of this passage we should combine the best of modern medical practice with prayer.

Moving through the day: Take time to pray for people you know that are ill.

Scripture:

James 5:13-20

The Prayer of Faith

13 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. 14Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. 17Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

19 My brothers and sisters,* if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, 20you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s* soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

PrayerBits for Friday

PrayerBits

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

Friday

Scripture Lesson: Psalm 124 God is on our side... when?

Time to reflect:There is much wisdom in this Psalm

Moving Throughout the day:

Think about struggles you are aware of, not just wars, but also everything from family issues, to social movements. Think about what side God is most likely on based on the idea that God defends the downtrodden.

Scripture

Psalm 124

Thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance

A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1If it had not been the Lord who was on our side
   —let Israel now say—
2if it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
   when our enemies attacked us,
3then they would have swallowed us up alive,
   when their anger was kindled against us;
4then the flood would have swept us away,
   the torrent would have gone over us;
5then over us would have gone
   the raging waters.

6Blessed be the Lord,
   who has not given us
   as prey to their teeth.
7We have escaped like a bird
   from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
   and we have escaped.

8Our help is in the name of the Lord,
   who made heaven and earth.