PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday

Scripture lesson: Luke 13:1-9 We are judged also

Time to Reflect: People always want to think that the “other” person/country/people are worse than themselves. Jesus is trying to correct that reverse self-righteousness (“at least we are better than them”) by pointing out that all of us are sinful enough to deserve destruction.

Moving through the day: Pray a prayer of confession – but don't forget the “Assurance of Pardon!”

Scripture:

Repent or Perish

 1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

 6Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'

 8" 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 And do not ...

Time to reflect: Paul is tossing a set of Old Testament stories into the New Testament to use as examples and warnings against various insults to God.

Moving through the day: Meditate on verse 13.

1 Corinthians 10

Warnings From Israel's History

 1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.

 6Now these things occurred as examples[a] to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry."[b] 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

 11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

PrayerBits for Friday

PrayerBits

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

Friday

Scripture Lesson: Psalm 63:1-8 Mine Eyes have seen...

Time to reflect: Edom, a traditional enemy, if neighbor, of Israel/Judah betrayed Israel, took advantage of their weakness and, apparently, violently and ruthlessly devastated some cities. We're not sure of the details but they earned the people's hatred. This is a vision of God singlehandedly exacting vengeance.

Moving Throughout the day: We don't like to think about God and vengeance do we? But this concept is all through the Bible, Old and New Testament. Contemplate through the day how/where this fits into your concept of things.

Psalm 63

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

 1 O God, you are my God,
       earnestly I seek you;
       my soul thirsts for you,
       my body longs for you,
       in a dry and weary land
       where there is no water.

 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
       and beheld your power and your glory.

 3 Because your love is better than life,
       my lips will glorify you.

 4 I will praise you as long as I live,
       and in your name I will lift up my hands.

 5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
       with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

 6 On my bed I remember you;
       I think of you through the watches of the night.

 7 Because you are my help,
       I sing in the shadow of your wings.

 8 My soul clings to you;
       your right hand upholds me.

PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson: Isaiah 55:1-9 The true necessities of life

Time to Reflect: This is a wonderful poem, with a lot to think about. To pick just one: the more time we spend worrying about the necessities of life, food, clothing, shelter, the less time we spend on learning about, praying to and serving God. In our lives, how much do we really need to worry about the physical things?

Moving Through the Day: Make a worry list, then put at the top – “Pray to God” Before you can access the rest of the list you have to always start with that first item.

Scripture:  

Isaiah 55

Invitation to the Thirsty

 1 "Come, all you who are thirsty,
       come to the waters;
       and you who have no money,
       come, buy and eat!
       Come, buy wine and milk
       without money and without cost.

 2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
       and your labor on what does not satisfy?
       Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
       and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

 3 Give ear and come to me;
       hear me, that your soul may live.
       I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
       my faithful love promised to David.

 4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
       a leader and commander of the peoples.

 5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
       and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
       because of the LORD your God,
       the Holy One of Israel,
       for he has endowed you with splendor."

 6 Seek the LORD while he may be found;
       call on him while he is near.

 7 Let the wicked forsake his way
       and the evil man his thoughts.
       Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
       and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

 8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
       neither are your ways my ways,"
       declares the LORD.

 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
       so are my ways higher than your ways
       and my thoughts than your thoughts.

PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

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

Wednesday:Amos 5:21-24 Justice not sacrifice

Scripture lesson: The commentaries all point out that Amos is not condemning the sacrificial system as a whole, but the insincere use of it while injustice and unrighteous behavior abounded. Right service and behavior should accompany worship.

Time to reflect: Think of two, perhaps small, things, one having to do with helping others, one having to do with behavior, that you can do before the next worship service you will attend.

Amos 5:21-24

 21 "I hate, I despise your religious feasts;
       I cannot stand your assemblies.

 22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
       I will not accept them.
       Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, [a]
       I will have no regard for them.

 23 Away with the noise of your songs!
       I will not listen to the music of your harps.

 24 But let justice roll on like a river,
       righteousness like a never-failing stream!

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: Malachi 1:6-8 Shortchanging God

Time to reflect: God was complaining about people cutting corners in their worship to save money. The comment “Try presenting that to your governor” should bring us up short. God calls for a tithe – the Federal government a tax. Try getting by presenting 2% of your income to the Federal government. God calls for a tithe of our time – try getting away with giving your employer whatever of your time is left over... Etc. [I doubt that we're any happier with Malachi than were the original hearers of this oracle.]

Moving through the day: Think/pray about ways you might be shorting God.

 6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.
      "But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'

 7 "You place defiled food on my altar.
      "But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?'
      "By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible. 8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson: Ephesians 1:15-19 A charge from Paul

Scripture lesson: The “saints” here are not the statues or even dead people, it is the “holy ones” the Apostles in Jerusalem and other church leaders.

Time to reflect: Read this as if it were addressed to you specifically. Pray that it all may work out as Paul wishes.

Ephesians 1:15-19

Paul’s Prayer

15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love* towards all the saints, and for this reason 16I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.