PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson: Isaiah 60:1-6 Zion will be restored

Time to reflect: This song is actually “addressed” to Jerusalem. It is a promise to be restored after its destruction by the Babylonians. This is not, now a future event. That restoration happened about 75 years after the destruction. But the passage also tells us, indirectly, something about God's nature, that a bright future is always promised – sooner or later we each receive restoration.

Moving through the day: In what way was Jesus a form of restoration and wholeness for all?

Scripture:

"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
       and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

  See, darkness covers the earth
       and thick darkness is over the peoples,
       but the LORD rises upon you
       and his glory appears over you.

  Nations will come to your light,
       and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

  "Lift up your eyes and look about you:
       All assemble and come to you;
       your sons come from afar,
       and your daughters are carried on the arm.

  Then you will look and be radiant,
       your heart will throb and swell with joy;
       the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,
       to you the riches of the nations will come.

  Herds of camels will cover your land,
       young camels of Midian and Ephah.
       And all from Sheba will come,
       bearing gold and incense
       and proclaiming the praise of the LORD.

PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

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

Wednesday

Scripture lesson: Ephesians 1:3-14 An inheritance

Time to reflect: One of the characteristics of an inheritance is that someone else has done all the work. That the heir is getting an essentially free gift.

Moving through the day: Meditate on what we have “inherited” from Christ, and what that means to you.

 Scripture:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

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

Wednesday

Scripture lesson: Ephesians 1:3-14 An inheritance

Time to reflect: One of the characteristics of an inheritance is that someone else has done all the work. That the heir is getting an essentially free gift.

Moving through the day: Meditate on what we have “inherited” from Christ, and what that means to you.

 Scripture:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson: Isaiah 9:2-7 No more boots

Time to reflect: The Old Testament often gets the reputation of being full of violence and warfare. Warfare was then and is now a fact of life. But God's will is always suggesting that peace is a better way and that in the end when God reigns, all warfare and violence will cease.

Moving Through The Day: Read again the message of verses 6 and 7. Pray for peace.

Praise the LORD.
       Sing to the LORD a new song,
       his praise in the assembly of the saints.

 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
       let the people of Zion be glad in their King.

Let them praise his name with dancing
       and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

 For the LORD takes delight in his people;
       he crowns the humble with salvation.

Let the saints rejoice in this honor
       and sing for joy on their beds.

May the praise of God be in their mouths
       and a double-edged sword in their hands,

  to inflict vengeance on the nations
       and punishment on the peoples,

  to bind their kings with fetters,
       their nobles with shackles of iron,

to carry out the sentence written against them.
       This is the glory of all his saints.
       Praise the LORD.