PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson: Exodus 34:29-35 The Khavod of God

Time to Reflect: The Khavod or “Gloly” of God is a physcial manifestation of God. It is usually visualized as a shine beyond earthly reality. This reflects an understanding of the nature of God which is somewhat foreign to modern people. The idea in this story is that the “glory” of God is so great that when one comes into God's presence it “rubs off” on one.

Moving Through the Day: Visualize coming into God's presence and what that must feel like.

Scripture:  

The Radiant Face of Moses

 29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.

 33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.

PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

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

Wednesday: Isaiah 42:1-4 God's beloved

Scripture lesson: This passage originally described anyone who would be God's beloved. It is a list of ideal qualities. In retrospect, we realize that the best implementation of these qualities was our Messiah, Jesus.

Time to reflect:

Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for Jesus, then pray for guidance and help in being more like the person described in this passage.

The Servant of the Lord

 1 "Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
       my chosen one in whom I delight;
       I will put my Spirit on him
       and he will bring justice to the nations.

 2 He will not shout or cry out,
       or raise his voice in the streets.

 3 A bruised reed he will not break,
       and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
       In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

 4 he will not falter or be discouraged
       till he establishes justice on earth.
       In his law the islands will put their hope."

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: Isaiah 58:6-8 The better form of Spiritual Practice

Time to reflect: This passage is not an argument against fasting or other formal religious practices, but rather a putting things in perspective. Many of the prophets were disturbed by people taking care of the required religious practices without FIRST taking care of God's people.

Moving through the day: Look through the list in these verses, translate into modern life (we're not going to find someone actually naked, but we will find people in desperate need of an overcoat or shoes) and find someone you can help TODAY.

6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
       to loose the chains of injustice
       and untie the cords of the yoke,
       to set the oppressed free
       and break every yoke?

 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
       and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
       when you see the naked, to clothe him,
       and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
       and your healing will quickly appear;
       then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
       and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson: Malachi 4:4-6 Families

Family strife is a given... But we are called on to work at concord.

Pray that you and your family can demonstrate the love of God.

 Remember the teaching of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

5 Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 6He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse.

PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday

Scripture lesson: Luke 5:1-11 Catching people

Time to Reflect: This is the basic calling of all “Apostles” (Greek for “those sent out”). We are all called to be apostles. The image “catching people” rather than “catching fish” made the call of Jesus meaningful for fishermen, by analogy.

Moving through the day: Think of what Jesus would say to you to call you (“From now on you will be raising disciples,” “From now on you will be selling the Gospel,” “From now on you will be ...”)

Scripture:

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

5Once while Jesus* was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ 5Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ 9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ 11When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 I handed on to you...

Time to reflect: This passage is both a creed – what Paul believed, in a nutshell, and a testimony to others about his beliefs and how these have changed his life.

Moving through the day: Jot down what you consider to be the core of your belief system.

The Resurrection of Christ

15Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters,* of the good news* that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.

3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters* at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.* 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to someone untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

PrayerBits for Friday

PrayerBits

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

Friday

Scripture Lesson: Psalm 138 We wish

Time to reflect: This is pretty much a Psalm of not-yet. The rulers of the earth are not yet willing to praise God.

Moving Throughout the day: Because this is not-yet we should be striving to make it come true. Pray that God's kingdom may come.

Thanksgiving and Praise

Of David.
1I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
   before the gods I sing your praise;
2I bow down towards your holy temple
   and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
   for you have exalted your name and your word
   above everything.*
3On the day I called, you answered me,
   you increased my strength of soul.*

4All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,
   for they have heard the words of your mouth.
5They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
   for great is the glory of the Lord.
6For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly;
   but the haughty he perceives from far away.

7Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
   you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand,
   and your right hand delivers me.
8The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me;
   your steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever.
   Do not forsake the work of your hands.