PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson: Matthew 6:24-32 The good news: humans can plan. The bad news: humans can plan

Time to reflect: It is a special gift that humans can plan and prepared and solve problems. But when the process becomes an end in itself, when taking care of our self becomes an obsession and the center of our focus, we are abusing this gift. This takes our focus away from God and our sense of trust and dependence on God.

Moving Through The Day: Pray a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for God's love and support.

Matthew 6:24-32

Serving Two Masters

24 ‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.*

Do Not Worry

25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,* or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?* 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” 32For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday

Scripture lesson: Mark 13:1-8 Give us a sign!

Time to Reflect: Humans would like a email from God spelling out when we need to get ready for the end of time. We don't get one! In this passage Jesus warns us against trying to second guess God. It will happen when it will happen and nothing on earth can be used to predict it.

Moving through the day: Pray that this lack of knowledge doesn't make us complacent.

Scripture:

Mark 13:1-8

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

13As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ 2Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’

3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’ 5Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!”* and they will lead many astray. 7When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: Hebrews 10:23-25 “provoke one another”

Time to reflect: This is a small thing but the wording here is amusing: it really does say “provoke (irritate) one another to love and good deeds.” The line “meeting together” is important also – Christianity is a team effort. The most important line, however is verse 23 that gives meaning to the following verses.

Moving through the day: Contemplate about how good a team player you are.

Scripture:

Hebrews 10:23-25

23Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson: 1 Samuel 1:4-20 Dedicated to God

Time to Reflect: This is not an attack on polygamy, although the points are well taken... However, the point is that Hannah dedicated any possible child to God. Nazirites were people who have dedicated themselves to serving God. The marks of a Nazirite were the things mentioned. It was a mark of extraordinary faith that she made this promise. The child was one of Israel's best and most important figures: Samuel the Priest. Note in verse 18, “her countenance was no longer sad.” Just because someone told her of God's blessing she viewed the problem as solved and she no longer had to worry about it.

Moving Through the Day: Some Lenten practices are Nazirite-like. If you were to make a special dedication of yourself to God for the next week, what signs or symbols would you use to illustrate your commitment?

Scripture:

1 Samuel 1:4-20

4On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; 5but to Hannah he gave a double portion,* because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. 6Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7So it went on year after year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8Her husband Elkanah said to her, ‘Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?’

9 After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord.* Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. 10She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. 11She made this vow: ‘O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite* until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants,* and no razor shall touch his head.’

12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14So Eli said to her, ‘How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.’ 15But Hannah answered, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.’ 17Then Eli answered, ‘Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.’ 18And she said, ‘Let your servant find favour in your sight.’ Then the woman went to her quarters,* ate and drank with her husband,* and her countenance was sad no longer.*

19 They rose early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, ‘I have asked him of the Lord.’

PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

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

Wednesday

Isaiah 26:3-4 “keeps you in peace”

Scripture lesson:

This is probably a good place to point out that peace “Shalom” is not referring to an absence of war or strife or even personal distress. It is a positive word with a broad meaning of health, wholeness, stability. When one has “Shalom” there is no room for anxiety, hostility, warfare, strife or other negatives. We need to all strive for “Shalom” in our lives.

Time to reflect: Pray about areas where there is a lack of Shalom in your life. Try thinking about how your faith in God can restore Shalom in these situations.

Scripture:

Isaiah 26:3-4

3Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace—
   in peace because they trust in you.
4Trust in the Lord for ever,
   for in the Lord God *
   you have an everlasting rock.

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: Psalm 92:1-5 Praise God

Time to reflect: I have observed over the years that modern Americans are good at prayers of thanksgiving and not very good at prayers of praise.

Moving through the day: Meditate on why this is so.

1 It is good to praise the LORD
       and make music to your name, O Most High,

 2 to proclaim your love in the morning
       and your faithfulness at night,

 3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
       and the melody of the harp.

 4 For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD;
       I sing for joy at the works of your hands.

 5 How great are your works, O LORD,
       how profound your thoughts!

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson: Psalm 56:10-11 “What can a mere mortal do to me?”

Time to reflect: It is natural to fear “mere mortals” because they can do us real, if temporary, harm. But in the end, they can not harm our spirit or our salvation

Moving Through The Day: Pray a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for God's love and support.

In God, whose word I praise,
   in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11in God I trust; I am not afraid.
   What can a mere mortal do to me?