PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: Romans 8:26-39 The Spirit helps us

Time to reflect: It is a recurring theme in Paul's writing that our faith, faithfulness, and spiritual life all require direct intervention by God, through the Spirit, to happen. That we are too locked into sin and the material world to do this on our own. This may seem a little insulting, but really, without that “still small voice” from God would we be religious at all?

Moving through the day: Try a silent prayer where you simply open yourself up to God's influence.

Scripture:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

More Than Conquerors

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
   "For your sake we face death all day long;
      we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

PrayerBits for Friday

PrayerBits

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

Friday

Scripture lesson: Psalm 128 A wedding toast

Time to reflect: If you are female, translate this to apply to a female friend.

Moving Throughout the day: Pray this blessing on one or more friend.

Scripture:

Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
       who walk in his ways.

You will eat the fruit of your labor;
       blessings and prosperity will be yours.

  Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
       within your house;
       your sons will be like olive shoots
       around your table.

  Thus is the man blessed
       who fears the LORD.

  May the LORD bless you from Zion
       all the days of your life;
       may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,

  and may you live to see your children's children.
       Peace be upon Israel.

PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson: Genesis 29:15-28 Jacob the Grabber gets taken

Time to reflect: How many people today would work 14 years to get their spouse? This is certainly outside of our Culture! But out of this nasty trick by Laban comes the 12 tribes of Israel. In the end it was a good thing...

 

Moving through the day: Think about something in your life where an bad thing had a good outcome.

Scripture:

Laban said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."

  Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel."

  Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me." So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

  Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her."

 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her. And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.

  When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?"

  Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work."

  And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson: Genesis 28:10-19a Jacob's ladder

Time to reflect: This is the call of Jacob where he became aware of God haven chosen him.

 

Moving through the day: Most of us do not have such dramatic calls from God – but it was “only” a dream. How has God communicated with you in the past? When have you felt God's presence.

Scripture:

And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.

 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

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

Wednesday

Scripture lesson: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a The Love Chapter

Time to reflect: The classic love passage, 4-8a shouldn't be ripped from its context. The whole chapter is about how church people treat each other. The word “love” should really be “a sacrificial care and concern for others” but that is a bit cumbersomeT.

Moving through the day: Read this passage (and the rest of the chapter) applying it to your relationship with your church and the people in it.

Scripture:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: Isaiah 44:6-8 There are no other Gods

Time to reflect: A monotheistic religion is unusual, but especially in the era of Isaiah and friends, but here it is spelled out in no uncertain terms. There is ONLY one God.

Moving through the day: Do you ever let other “gods” slip into your thinking (most superstitions assume other gods). Are you able to hold onto the idea of one, single God without succumbing to relativism or being judgmental of other religions? Think about this for awhile then re-read the passage.

Scripture:

Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel
   and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
"I am the first and I am the last;
   besides me there is no god.
Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.
   Let him declare and set it before me,
since I appointed an ancient people.
   Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
Fear not, nor be afraid;
   have I not told you from of old and declared it?
    And you are my witnesses!
Is there a God besides me?
   There is no Rock; I know not any."

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson: Galatians 6:7-9 Reap what you sow

Time to reflect: To put this in modern terms: If you invest in impermanent securities you may lose it all, but if you invest in God's realm, the rewards are immense. “So let us not be weary in doing what is right...”

Moving Through The Day:  Meditate on what you spend your time, money and energy on.

Scripture:

 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.