PrayerBits for Friday

PrayerBits

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

Friday

Scripture Lesson: Psalm 47 Babylon's time is coming

Time to reflect: We see this theme in Ezekiel also, that Babylon's job was to punish Judah for its wickedness, but it did too good a job, enjoyed it too much and it also was wicked. Therefore, it too would be destroyed, which happened around 70 years after its conquest of Judah. No nation is exempt and needs to remain humble and curb its natural tendency to wickedness.

Moving through the day: How would you feel if this was addressed to the United States (or your home country)?

 1 Clap your hands, all you nations;
       shout to God with cries of joy.

 2 How awesome is the LORD Most High,
       the great King over all the earth!

 3 He subdued nations under us,
       peoples under our feet.

 4 He chose our inheritance for us,
       the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
       Selah

 5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
       the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.

 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
       sing praises to our King, sing praises.

 7 For God is the King of all the earth;
       sing to him a psalm [a] of praise.

 8 God reigns over the nations;
       God is seated on his holy throne.

 9 The nobles of the nations assemble
       as the people of the God of Abraham,
       for the kings [b] of the earth belong to God;
       he is greatly exalted.

PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson: Acts 1:1-11 What are looking at?

Time to Reflect: The “first book” is the Gospel of Luke. With the ascension of Jesus, everything changes. The “Disciples,” students, become “Apostle's,” those sent out. The angels tell the Apostles to get with it!

Moving Through the Day: Maybe you don't stand there looking into heaven, looking for Jesus, but are there things that keep you from proclaiming the

Scripture:  

Acts 1

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

 1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

 6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

 7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

 9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

 10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

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

Wednesday: John 17:20-26 Jesus prays for the disciples

Scripture lesson: Part of a long prayer (starts in 17:1), Jesus is praying for his disciples. It is included here not for historical interest but because it is instructive to all disciples, throughout time and space.

Time to reflect: Picture Jesus laying his hand on you, then praying this prayer in your behalf.

20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: Revelation 22:12-14 Being cleansed

Time to reflect: Elsewhere in Revelation we find out that that our baptismal robes are to be washed, at the Resurrection, in the blood of Jesus which, paradoxically, makes them whiter than white and pure. This is the prerequisite to eternal life.

Moving through the day: Renew your commitment to and faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

 12"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

 14"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson: Acts 16:16-22 Greed knows no bounds

Scripture lesson: We are all tempted by greed. This story is about people who were willing to use a slave-girl's talent for their own gain and when they lost that source of income would result in lies to have Paul destroyed.

Time to reflect: Pray that greed not blind you to what is right and wrong. Pray that the excessively greedy of the world wake up and repent.

16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.

 19When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."

 22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten.

PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday

Scripture lesson: John 14:23-29 The Holy Spirit

Time to Reflect: The Holy Spirit tends to be the overlooked part of the Trinity, but it is how God interacts with us, collectively and individually in this modern world. It is what inspires, directs, encourages, supports, pricks, challenges churches, The Church and us.

Moving through the day: Think about times when you have felt the Holy Spirit was “speaking” to you, however, subtly. What do you think the Holy Spirit is saying to you and your church today?

 Scripture:

 23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

 25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 28"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: Revelation 21:10;21:22- 22:5 The New Jerusalem

Time to reflect: A symbolic representation to indicate that in the coming of the Kingdom of God God and people will be together. This “New Jerusalem” is LIKE a perfect Temple. The description here is using language that represents the “Holy of Holies,” God's throne, of the Jerusalem Temple, but the dimensions are exaggerated. The end result of the description is that the entire “New Jerusalem” will function as the Holy of Holies, but open to everyone not just the High Priest as in the earthly Temple.

Moving through the day:

Sin cannot come into the presence of God, which is why the earthly Temple had such restrictions. However, with the sacrifice of Christ each of us will be cleansed to the point we can be in the presence of God. Meditate on this.

Scripture: 

10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.