PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: Galatians 2:15-21 The value of Christ

Time to reflect: If living by some human and attainable standard is all that is needed for salvation, then there is no need for Christ and our God has very low standards. We all would like a check list of what it took to be holy. But the check lists we get in the Bible are impossible, which leaves us to fall back on the Grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Moving through the day: Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for God's Grace.

Scripture:

 15"We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' 16know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

 17"If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. 19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"[a]

PrayerBits for Friday

PrayerBits

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

Friday

Scripture Lesson: Psalm 5:1-8 A cry for help

Time to reflect: Do you ever feel that evil and bad people are getting the upper hand? The Psalmist did, and we can, at one time or other, all relate to the Psalmist's feelings. The Psalmist is, however, confident that in the end God and the good will prevail.

Moving through the day: How sure are you that God and the good will prevail? Mark this Psalm for the next time you are feeling discouraged.

Scripture:

 1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
       consider my sighing.

 2 Listen to my cry for help,
       my King and my God,
       for to you I pray.

 3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
       in the morning I lay my requests before you
       and wait in expectation.

 4 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;
       with you the wicked cannot dwell.

 5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence;
       you hate all who do wrong.

 6 You destroy those who tell lies;
       bloodthirsty and deceitful men
       the LORD abhors.

 7 But I, by your great mercy,
       will come into your house;
       in reverence will I bow down
       toward your holy temple.

 8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
       because of my enemies—
       make straight your way before me.

 

 

PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson: 1 Kings 21:1-10 Ahab and Jezebel

Time to Reflect: Power goes to people's heads and because they wield power others are afraid to stand up to them or they find it to their advantage to go along. All to often those who oppose the powerful are powerful themselves and with their own personal agenda. Who will defend the powerless? That is a part of the mandate for the Church and all Christians.

Moving Through the Day: Pray for courage and strength for those who need to stand up against an overreaching power.

Scripture:  

Naboth's Vineyard

 1 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth."

 3 But Naboth replied, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers."

 4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.

 5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?"

 6 He answered her, "Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, 'Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.' "

 7 Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."

 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him. 9 In those letters she wrote:
       "Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."

PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

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

Scripture Lesson: Hebrews 11:3-6 Faith

Time to reflect: “without faith it is impossible to please God...” Faith is not an intellectual affirming a principle (that is a “belief”). Faith is an internal commitment to a premise. For us it is rarely a life or death commitment, but it needs to be prepared for that level.

Moving through the Day: Doubts are reasonable and normal, but faith is a commitment in spite of the doubts. Pray the Biblical prayer (Mark 9:24) that was so meaningful to Martin Luther “I believe, help my unbelief”

Scripture:

 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

 5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: 1 Samuel 11:26-12:10 Nathan calls out King David

Time to reflect: Most Kings would have had Nathan killed, David repents. Nathan's parable, however, is very good for it put the question in the abstract and helped David see clearly and without personal bias what is right and what is wrong.

Moving through the day: Have a prayer of confession. Then remember God's grace and love.

Scripture:

1 Samuel said to all Israel, "I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. 2 Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. 3 Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right."

 4 "You have not cheated or oppressed us," they replied. "You have not taken anything from anyone's hand."

 5 Samuel said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand."
      "He is witness," they said.

 6 Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your forefathers up out of Egypt. 7 Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the LORD as to all the righteous acts performed by the LORD for you and your fathers.

 8 "After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the LORD for help, and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your forefathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

 9 "But they forgot the LORD their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. 10 They cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.'

 

 

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson:   Job 38:1-7 God humbles the human

Time to reflect: This is the heart of God's response to Job's complaining about having it hard. In essence it says: “I'm God and you're not!” Sometimes there be things of importance beyond ourselves. Sometimes there are processes that we don't understand. Sometimes God's universe doesn't work out to our personal preferences.

Moving through the day: How do you respond when going through a trial? Pray for objectivity and patience.

Scripture:

 1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:

 2 "Who is this that darkens my counsel
       with words without knowledge?

 3 Brace yourself like a man;
       I will question you,
       and you shall answer me.

 4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
       Tell me, if you understand.

 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
       Who stretched a measuring line across it?

 6 On what were its footings set,
       or who laid its cornerstone-

 7 while the morning stars sang together
       and all the angels [a] shouted for joy?