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?

PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday: Luke 7:11-17 A resuscitation by Jesus

Time to Reflect: The assumptions from that era was that a Rabbi's skill as a healer was tied to their spiritual purity. All the great Rabbis of Judaism did healing, some of the greater ones did some spectacular ones. It was not surprising that Jesus healed people, but in this case, healing a dead person, it was mind boggling. How can someone have that amount of spiritual purity?

Moving through the day: We view healing in an entirely different way than the people back then. But bringing back to life is still mind boggling. Pray to God that you accept and celebrate the exceptional nature of Jesus and not try to minimize or diminish.

Scripture:

Jesus Raises a Widow's Son

 11Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry."

 14Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" 15The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

 16They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." 17This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea[a] and the surrounding country.

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: Galatians 1:11-24 The conversion of Saul/Paul

Time to reflect: Not all of us will have such a dramatic movement from doubt to faith. This may be the “gold standard” but it is not the only option. Most of us become believers in other, quieter ways. These conversions are equally valid. What is important is knowing that we, as individuals are called by God to serve in our own unique way.

Moving through the day: Think about how/when you came to accept Jesus as the Lord of All.

Scripture:

Paul Called by God

 11I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

 13For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when God, who set me apart from birth[a] and called me by his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

 18Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter[b] and stayed with him fifteen days. 19I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother. 20I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. 21Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24And they praised God because of me.

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: Proverbs 8:4-21 Wisdom

Time to reflect: This is a personified Wisdom speaking, promoting the value of wisdom and learning. Much of Proverbs was intended to lessons for children and youth, teaching them to read and write and teaching them wisdom at the same time.

Moving through the day: Contemplate on the difference between just plain knowledge and true wisdom. For example, knowledge can be used for wickedness but wisdom cannot (verse 7).

Scripture:

 4 "To you, O men, I call out;
       I raise my voice to all mankind.

 5 You who are simple, gain prudence;
       you who are foolish, gain understanding.

 6 Listen, for I have worthy things to say;
       I open my lips to speak what is right.

 7 My mouth speaks what is true,
       for my lips detest wickedness.

 8 All the words of my mouth are just;
       none of them is crooked or perverse.

 9 To the discerning all of them are right;
       they are faultless to those who have knowledge.

 10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
       knowledge rather than choice gold,

 11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
       and nothing you desire can compare with her.

 12 "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
       I possess knowledge and discretion.

 13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
       I hate pride and arrogance,
       evil behavior and perverse speech.

 14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
       I have understanding and power.

 15 By me kings reign
       and rulers make laws that are just;

 16 by me princes govern,
       and all nobles who rule on earth. [a]

 17 I love those who love me,
       and those who seek me find me.

 18 With me are riches and honor,
       enduring wealth and prosperity.

 19 My fruit is better than fine gold;
       what I yield surpasses choice silver.

 20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
       along the paths of justice,

 21 bestowing wealth on those who love me
       and making their treasuries full.

 

 

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: Matthew 3:1-11 Trying to limit doing good

Time to reflect: A debate in the time of Jesus was on the boundary between obeying the Sabbath law and doing good. Jesus obviously fell on the side of helping others no matter what. A recent state law in the Midwest declared it a “crime” to help an illegal alien and that all churches should check for documentation before helping someone in need. The church, from liberal to conservative, and everything in between said explicitly or implicitly – We will help those in need whether it is a crime or not.

Moving through the day: Can you think of situations where helping other is limited unnaturally like these two examples?

Scripture:

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

 1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
   "A voice of one calling in the desert,
   'Prepare the way for the Lord,
      make straight paths for him.' "[a]

 4John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

 7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

 11"I baptize you with[b] water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

 

 

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson:   Leviticus 10:8-11 The Sacred and the Profane

Time to reflect: There are a lot rules in Leviticus that give restrictions for everything that enters the Temple. We no long have temples. Most of these rules no longer apply. However we are now called to view all the world and life sacred. How do we honor this sacredness?

Moving through the day:  Pray and meditate about the sacredness of God's creation.

Scripture: Leviticus 10:8-11

 8 Then the LORD said to Aaron, 9 "You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 10 You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, 11 and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses."