PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday

Scripture lesson: Luke 3:7-18 Don't count on it

Time to Reflect: The Israelites, the Judeans, the Jews, (the Americans?), all kept thinking that there was something about them that would cause God to protect them even when they didn't deserve to be protected. Again and again they were in for an unpleasant surprise. John was calling on them to not count on their heritage alone, but to straighten up an fly right.

Moving through the day: Do we as a people, a church, or as individuals think God will bless us even when we are not behaving as “children of God?” Pray about this

Scripture:

Luke 3:7-18

7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’

10 And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ 11In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ 12Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ 13He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ 14Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’

15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,* 16John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with* the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: Philippians 4:4-7 Exhortations

Time to reflect: These are commands not gentle reminders...

Moving through the day: Write each of the commands in this section separately on a piece or pieces of paper. Each hour of the day successively take one as the as “theme of the hour.”

Philippians 4:4-7

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.* 5Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson: Zephaniah 3:14-20 Return from Babylon

Time to Reflect: The future event of this passage is, today, a past event. The restoration of Jerusalem and the return of the people from the Babylon Captivity (verse 20), happened in the 6^th century B.C.E. (B.C.) The promise was fulfilled. This helps us to come to trust the promises of God. Of course the people became unfaithful again (and again) and new cycles of loss and redemption occurred. The once and for all promise, of course is Jesus, the Messiah.

Moving Through the Day:The Bible isn't all just ancient history, nor is it all predictions of the future. It is God's Word to all generations. Meditate on what this means to you.

Scripture: Zephaniah 3:14-20

A Song of Joy

14Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
   shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
   O daughter Jerusalem!
15The Lord has taken away the judgements against you,
   he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
   you shall fear disaster no more.
16On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
   do not let your hands grow weak.
17The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
   a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
   he will renew you* in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
18   as on a day of festival.*
I will remove disaster from you,*
   so that you will not bear reproach for it.
19I will deal with all your oppressors
   at that time.
And I will save the lame
   and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
   and renown in all the earth.
20At that time I will bring you home,
   at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
   among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
   before your eyes, says the Lord.

PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

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

Wednesday

2 Peter 3:1-9 Keeping things in perspective

Scripture lesson:

We tend to think in a very limited present tense: life is all about what is occurring to us, right now. It is hard for humans to even keep in mind our own personal history and its ups and downs. This is calling us to put even that in perspective to the God of the Universe and all of Time. Maybe, possibly we don't see how it all fits together.

Time to reflect:

Think for a moment about all the people, conditions, circumstances – from the beginning of time – that came together to create you.

Scripture:

2 Peter 3:1-9

The Promise of the Lord’s Coming

3This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you; in them I am trying to arouse your sincere intention by reminding you 2that you should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour spoken through your apostles. 3First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts 4and saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died,* all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!’ 5They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, 6through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished. 7But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgement and destruction of the godless.

8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you,* not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 What is our foundation

Time to reflect: Paul was using this analogy in relationship to the church in Corinth, to let it be known that his successor pastor there was legitimate and could be different and do different things, that he, Paul, was only the layer of the foundation. As is typical of Paul, he wanted to draw the attention away from himself and his successor and put the attention on Jesus.

Moving through the day: Apply the analogy to your life. Do you have a solid foundation in Jesus the Christ on which the rest of you life is built? Every building is different, but it takes a solid foundation to hold the building in tact.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 12Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. 14If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15If the work is burned, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson: Luke 5:27-32 Why do you eat and drink with tax collector's and sinners””

Time to reflect: Jesus was always in trouble with his society for hanging out with the “wrong crowd.” However, Jesus was strong enough to influence them rather than vice versa. His being with the “tax collector's and sinner” because he cared about them is different from going along with the crowd and indistinguishable from them. Jesus was clearly non-judgmental and didn't care that he was criticized for this. But he also called the people he was with away from their destructive ways. This is an important message for us all.

Moving Through The Day:Pray for people you need to reach out to and help.

Luke 5:27-32

Jesus Calls Levi

27 After this he went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ 28And he got up, left everything, and followed him.

29 Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax-collectors and others sitting at the table* with them. 30The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax-collectors and sinners?’ 31Jesus answered, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.’