PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday: Luke 10:1-11 Tough conditions

Time to Reflect: Proclaiming the Gospel has always been difficult and of limited effectiveness. Not everyone is interested in the message or willing to listen. In our culture the manner of not listening is different – modern apostles are not beaten or killed, just ignored. But we are called to not get discouraged but to persevere. We are to reach all that can be reached, regardless of what we have to go through.

Moving through the day: Who or in what way do you need to carry the good news to others?

Scripture:

Jesus Sends Out the Seventytwo

 1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

 5"When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' 6If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. 7Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

 8"When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. 9Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.' 10But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11'Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.'

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: Galatians 6:1-16 Legalism

Time to reflect: Paul was struggling with a subgroup (we don't know their exact nature or origin) that was trying to get the Galatian church to move from a grace filled approach to a rule based approach to life and a tendency to move from grace filled obedience to an anything goes libertarianism. Paul was even angrily opposing both of these extremes. Grace not rules save, but grace should lead one to obedience and good behavior.

Moving through the day: Which extreme do you tend toward? Prayerfully think of some aspect of your life you need to adjust.

Scripture:

Doing Good to All

 1Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5for each one should carry his own load.

 6Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

 7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature[a]will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Not Circumcision but a New Creation

 11See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!

 12Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. 14May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which[b] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. 16Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.

PrayerBits for Friday

PrayerBits

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

Friday

Scripture Lesson: Psalm 30 “Will the dust praise you?”

Time to reflect: I love this idea which we see in several Psalms, that one reason to remain alive is that it gives us a chance to praise God a little longer. This could be viewed cynically: the Psalmist is just trying to butter up God to stay alive. Or it can be taken at face value: the Psalmists truly wants to praise God as long as possible. I choose to believe the second reason.

Moving through the day: Pray to God that you may remain healthy as long as possible in order to serve God as long as possible and, as health diminishes, new ways of serving.

Scripture:

 1 I will exalt you, O LORD,
       for you lifted me out of the depths
       and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

 2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help
       and you healed me.

 3 O LORD, you brought me up from the grave [b] ;
       you spared me from going down into the pit.

 4 Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
       praise his holy name.

 5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
       but his favor lasts a lifetime;
       weeping may remain for a night,
       but rejoicing comes in the morning.

 6 When I felt secure, I said,
       "I will never be shaken."

 7 O LORD, when you favored me,
       you made my mountain [c] stand firm;
       but when you hid your face,
       I was dismayed.

 8 To you, O LORD, I called;
       to the Lord I cried for mercy:

 9 "What gain is there in my destruction, [d]
       in my going down into the pit?
       Will the dust praise you?
       Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

 10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;
       O LORD, be my help."

 11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
       you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

 12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
       O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

 

 

PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

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

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: 1 Kings 19:15-21 Israel past and present

Time to reflect:As we watch modern Israel try to establish a religiously and ethnically pure Jewish state, at all costs we all must struggle with both the wisdom and the rightness of such actions. Jehu's purge of Israel, as bloody as it was, was not successful and just perpetuated violence.

Moving through the day: Pray for a better way for both the Israelis and the Palestinians. The current approaches are not working.

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:15-21

 15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."

The Call of Elisha

 19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you."
      "Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?"

 21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.

PrayerBits for Monday

PrayerBits

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

Monday

Scripture lesson:   Proverbs 16:1-3 Self-perception vs God's perception

Time to reflect: Humans can talk themselves into believing anything. It is only when we check our perceptions and thoughts against an outside standard do we realize when we are off-base or being delusional. God, through the Bible, is the best outside standard.

Moving through the day: “Commit your work to the Lord” – think about things you are involved in or about to get involved in and think about whether God would approve or no.

Scripture:

Proverbs 16

 1 To man belong the plans of the heart,
       but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.

 2 All a man's ways seem innocent to him,
       but motives are weighed by the LORD.

 3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
       and your plans will succeed.

PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

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

Sunday: Luke 9:51-62 Excuses, excuses

Time to Reflect: Jesus didn't just call the familiar 12 but many others. We have some of their excuses here. Verse 60 isn't as harsh as it sounds. In ancient custom, the oldest child was expected to hang around until both parents were dead, buried and properly mourned. So the person wasn't asking for a few days but potentially years. Jesus would have been long gone by the time this person was ready to serve.

Moving through the day: What excuses do you give for not following sacrificially?

Scripture:

Samaritan Opposition

 51As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them[a]?" 55But Jesus turned and rebuked them, 56and[b] they went to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus

 57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

 58Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

 59He said to another man, "Follow me."
      But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

 60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

 61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

 62Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

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

Saturday

Scripture lesson: Galatians 5:1,13-15 A paradoxical freedom

Time to reflect: Because we have been freed from our sin, condemnation, and obligation to be perfect, we are called to use our freedom to serve God and others. In fact, if we are not willing to serve God and others then we really haven't accepted the freedom offered us – we're still trying to do it all ourselves and are therefore limited. Resisting God restricts us more than serving God.

Moving through the day: What are you free to do for others today?

Scripture:

Galatians 5

Freedom in Christ

 1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature[a]; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.