PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson: Jeremiah 23:14-16 “The Lord is our righteousness”

Time to Reflect: Although Jeremiah was picturing someone more like an earthly king, we feel that Jesus was the fullest and best fulfillment of this passage. The Hebrews had a more concrete concept of “Righteousness” than we do. We tend to feel it is a personal choice to do right. They felt it was a divine quality imparted to humans that required right behavior.

Moving Through the Day: Contemplate how God is our righteousness. What does that mean to you?

Scripture:

Jeremiah 23:14-16

14But in the prophets of Jerusalem
   I have seen a more shocking thing:
they commit adultery and walk in lies;
   they strengthen the hands of evildoers,
   so that no one turns from wickedness;
all of them have become like Sodom to me,
   and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.
15Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets:
‘I am going to make them eat wormwood,
   and give them poisoned water to drink;
for from the prophets of Jerusalem
   ungodliness has spread throughout the land.’

16 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you; they are deluding you. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.

PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

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

Wednesday

Matthew 10:16-22 “The one who is faithful to the end...”

Scripture lesson:

It would be easier to be faithful if we were persecuted as foretold in this passage. Then the issues would be stark and clear and not so muddled, confusing and uncertain as we have in our lives.

Time to reflect: Pray to God asking help in figuring out the right thing to do to be faithful when the issues are so vague.

Scripture:

Matthew 10:16-22

Coming Persecutions

16 ‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; 18and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. 19When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; 20for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: 2 Peter 1:1-11 Start with faith and then build on it

Time to reflect: There is a lot in this passage that can be commented on, but I'd like to focus on the sequence of 5-7 and the fact that this passage indicates that faith and godliness is a process and one we can/should work on constantly.

Moving through the day: Think through the sequence of qualities and see if you can determine what the writer had in mind in linking these and in this order.

2 Peter 1:1-11

THE SECOND LETTER OF

Peter

Salutation

1Simeon* Peter, a servant* and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ:*

2 May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

The Christian’s Call and Election

3 His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by* his own glory and goodness. 4Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants in the divine nature. 5For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, 7and godliness with mutual* affection, and mutual* affection with love. 8For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For anyone who lacks these things is short-sighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. 10Therefore, brothers and sisters,* be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. 11For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson: Psalm 46 “He makes wars cease”

Time to reflect: Commenting on the three stanzas: 1) “though the earth should change” Our earth is changing in ways the Psalmist could not have imagined. But we still have the assurance of God's presence; 2) This is talking about Jerusalem which they felt was the “center of the universe” and where God, in some sense or other, dwelt; 3) This is talking about something still in the future: the coming of the Realm of God when all are at peace.

Moving Through The Day: Pray for the coming of the Realm of God, both in this world and in the world to come.

Psalm 46

God’s Defence of His City and People

To the leader. Of the Korahites. According to Alamoth. A Song.
1God is our refuge and strength,
   a very present* help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
   though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3though its waters roar and foam,
   though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
          Selah

4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy habitation of the Most High.
5God is in the midst of the city;* it shall not be moved;
   God will help it when the morning dawns.
6The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
   he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7The Lord of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our refuge.*
          Selah

8Come, behold the works of the Lord;
   see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
   he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields with fire.
10‘Be still, and know that I am God!
   I am exalted among the nations,
   I am exalted in the earth.’
11The Lord of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our refuge.*
          Selah

PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday

Scripture lesson: John 18:33-37 Are you a king?

Time to Reflect: Pilate was trying to prove that Jesus was a revolutionary and claiming to be a King, contrary to Roman Law. This would have then justified having him executed. Jesus makes clear that he was not a revolutionary or usurper with a really strong argument in verse 36.

Moving through the day: “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” Pray that you may clearly listen to Jesus voice as it is found in Scripture.

Scripture:

John 18:33-37

33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters* again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ 34Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ 35Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ 36Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ 37Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: Revelation 1:4b-8 Who is God, who is Jesus

Time to reflect: While I have this opportunity it needs to be said that the Book of Revelation is NOT a time table for the end of the world. It is a sermon of exhortation and encouragement to a persecuted and discouraged people. It is written in code (and we mostly know the code now) and uses vivid and dramatic imagery that is not to be taken (cannot actually be taken) literally. The “seven churches” translates to “every church,” the “seven spirits” is “the spirit of every church.” “Alpha and Omega” translates to “First and Last.” The point of this passage is to clearly state John of Patmos' basic theology, what he believes about God and Jesus.

Moving through the day: Unpack the passage, recognizing what John is saying about God and Jesus. Does his ideas make sense to you? Do you agree? Do you ever really think about God and Jesus in these terms?

Scripture:

Revelation 1:4b-8

4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed* us from our sins by his blood, 6and made* us to be a kingdom, priests serving* his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7Look! He is coming with the clouds;
   every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
   and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.

8 ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

PrayerBits for Friday

PrayerBits

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

Friday

Scripture Lesson: Psalm 132:1-12 A Psalm of Ascents

Time to reflect: This is probably was a Psalm pilgrims to Jerusalem sang when approaching the Temple. It is affirming the importance of the Temple and the connection between the Temple, the Royal line of David and God.

Moving Throughout the day: Presbyterians don't have “sacred spaces” since all of God's creation is viewed as sacred. Through the day think about God being present and blessing and making holy everywhere you go.

Scripture

Psalm 132

A song of ascents.

 1 O LORD, remember David
       and all the hardships he endured.

 2 He swore an oath to the LORD
       and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:

 3 "I will not enter my house
       or go to my bed-

 4 I will allow no sleep to my eyes,
       no slumber to my eyelids,

 5 till I find a place for the LORD,
       a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."

 6 We heard it in Ephrathah,
       we came upon it in the fields of Jaar

 7 "Let us go to his dwelling place;
       let us worship at his footstool-

 8 arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place,
       you and the ark of your might.

 9 May your priests be clothed with righteousness;
       may your saints sing for joy."

 10 For the sake of David your servant,
       do not reject your anointed one.

 11 The LORD swore an oath to David,
       a sure oath that he will not revoke:
       "One of your own descendants
       I will place on your throne-

 12 if your sons keep my covenant
       and the statutes I teach them,
       then their sons will sit
       on your throne for ever and ever."