PrayerBits for Wednesday

PrayerBits

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

Wednesday

Scripture lesson: Matthew 6:1-6,16-21 No earthly reward

Time to reflect: This passage hits humans hard. We want public recognition when we do something right. Our modern society is especially driven by runaway self-esteem – we expect praise for everything we do. Well, Jesus says here that when we do something for public recognition and get it, we've received all the reward we're going to get. If we want heavenly praise and recognition we need to do things without going for the human praise. (Ugh!)

Moving through the day:Pray about the change of attitude needed to go for heaven recognition rather than human recognition.

 Scripture: "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Prayer

 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven

 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: Colossians 1:15-20 Christ is...

Time to reflect: Paul, here is trying to express the inexpressible. Human words tend to be limiting or else vague. Paul is trying to say that Jesus is beyond all limitations, and IS God, not just A god nor a subordinate creature. So he uses a series of images and theological expressions. Rather than taking this passage apart and looking at each statement, let us step back and feel the overall effect of it, perhaps taking the opening statement as a summary: “[Christ] is the [visible] image of the invisible God...”

Moving through the day: What ways would you express the idea that Christ was God and not just another person? What does that mean to you?

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson: Exodus 34:29-35 The Shekinah

Time to reflect: The Biblical people felt that God's “Glory” (a stan­dard English translation of Shekinah) was physical and that if you came into God's “Glory” if you lived at all would be physically changed by it – as in this story. God's “Glory” would destroy, automatically, any imperfection and sin in anything it came into contact with. This is a powerful concept. As is often the case, the English translation is weaker than the original.

Moving Through The Day: Picture what it would be like to come into God's presence. Even if you don't think in terms of a physical Shekinah or “glory” it sure can't just be a casual, everyday kind of meeting.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.

  When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.

PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday

Scripture lesson: Mark 9:2-9 The Transfiguration

Time to reflect: This fulfilled Jewish tradition and Moses and Elijah must return before the Messiah could come. So this was a meaningful event and says clearly that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah.

Moving through the day: Picture yourself at the Transfiguration. How would you feel, how would you react?

Scripture:

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Gods of darkness and the God of light

Time to reflect: There are a lot of things in our culture that obscure and confuse and mislead us. These things are very convincing and persuasive. But when we look at things in the light of Scripture and what we know about Christ, we gain clarity of though.

Moving through the day: Think of something in our society that you find confusing and try to think what God feels about it.

Scripture:

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

PrayerBits for Friday

PrayerBits

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

Friday

Scripture lesson: Psalm 50:1-6 God the Judge

Time to reflect: Before we dismiss this as just “Old Testament God of Law” remember Matthew 25, the Sheep and to Goats story. Throughout the Bible God is portrayed as the Judge of all. But throughout the Bible God is portrayed as a loving God who is more interested in saving than condemning. But God is still the Judge of all.

Moving Throughout the day: Pray a prayer of confession.

 Scripture:

The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
       speaks and summons the earth
       from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.

 From Zion, perfect in beauty,
       God shines forth.

 Our God comes and will not be silent;
       a fire devours before him,
       and around him a tempest rages.

  He summons the heavens above,
       and the earth, that he may judge his people:

  "Gather to me my consecrated ones,
       who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."

  And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
       for God himself is judge.
       Selah

PrayerBits for Thursday

PrayerBits

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

Thursday

Scripture lesson:2 Kings 2:1-12 Elijah and Elisha

Time to reflect: One of the Bible's wilder stories. In its wildness, let us not lose sight of some of the dynamics, including Elisha's love for his teacher and how much he didn't want to let go of him, didn't even want to talk about his death. Such devotion. But Elijah needed to go and he went, and Elisha was distraught.

Moving through the day: Most of us can relate to Elisha's feelings of losing one who is dear to us. Say a prayer of thanksgiving for these people.

Scripture:

When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel."
      But Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.

  The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?"
      "Yes, I know," Elisha replied, "but do not speak of it."

  Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho."
      And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went to Jericho.

 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?"
      "Yes, I know," he replied, "but do not speak of it."

  Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan."
      And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So the two of them walked on.

  Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

  When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?"
      "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied.

  "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not."

  As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart.