Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Generous Father,
In my prayers I have often mentioned generosity because, in scripture, you often mention it. From my reading, I believe our having a generous heart is critically important to you. But that can lead us to giving as a sense of duty and obedience. And no doubt that is part of why we should give. But that alone does not address the fact that you want us to receive joy from giving. Cheerful giving is a two way street. You want us to be cheerful givers because you want us to experience joy from it. It took me a long time to learn this, but you have taught me the truth of this teaching. You have given me great joy in giving and being a part of your distribution system.
My prayer for these children is you teach this to them early in their lives. Teach them the pure joy that can come from giving by letting them experience that joy as they are generous in small things. But may their generosity then grow from having experienced that joy such that it becomes a part of their nature.
Amen
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Godly Sorrow
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)
Redeeming Father,
I pray these children come to understand the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. Worldly sorrow is guilt without an understanding of grace. Worldly sorrow focuses on our own failures as if everything depends on us. Since we are flawed human beings, the end result of worldly sorrow is hopelessness and, therefore, spiritual and emotional death.
But I ask that, when they wander from you, by your indwelling Spirit, you give them a healthy dose of godly sorrow - a realization that they have disappointed you. A realization that they have treated the sacrifice of Jesus casually and thrown it aside in order to choose to do what they wanted to do rather than to follow you. By this, may their hearts be convicted to fall upon your redeeming love and power as you joyfully reclaim them, as did the father of the prodigal son. May they then understand that redemption is by your power and your grace, not of their own doing. That their role is simply to turn back to you, to fully accept your freely offered forgiveness and to live in the joy of freedom from guilt.
Amen
Redeeming Father,
I pray these children come to understand the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. Worldly sorrow is guilt without an understanding of grace. Worldly sorrow focuses on our own failures as if everything depends on us. Since we are flawed human beings, the end result of worldly sorrow is hopelessness and, therefore, spiritual and emotional death.
But I ask that, when they wander from you, by your indwelling Spirit, you give them a healthy dose of godly sorrow - a realization that they have disappointed you. A realization that they have treated the sacrifice of Jesus casually and thrown it aside in order to choose to do what they wanted to do rather than to follow you. By this, may their hearts be convicted to fall upon your redeeming love and power as you joyfully reclaim them, as did the father of the prodigal son. May they then understand that redemption is by your power and your grace, not of their own doing. That their role is simply to turn back to you, to fully accept your freely offered forgiveness and to live in the joy of freedom from guilt.
Amen
Monday, June 10, 2013
Do Not be Yoked with Unbelievers
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)
Father,
I pray these children quickly come to understand the wisdom of this teaching. It is certainly true that in order to reach the lost and minister to the world, we must associate with people in the world. I do not believe this teaching is telling us not to do that. Rather, by using the term "yoked together", you are describing a close relationship, a relationship of interdependence. Those relationships are generally in three categories 1) close friendship of an enduring nature, 2) business partnership and 3)(the closest yoking there can be) the marriage relationship.
Help these children see the wisdom of avoiding any of these three relationships with a non-believer and the difficulties, heartache and temptation that can come therefrom.
Amen
Father,
I pray these children quickly come to understand the wisdom of this teaching. It is certainly true that in order to reach the lost and minister to the world, we must associate with people in the world. I do not believe this teaching is telling us not to do that. Rather, by using the term "yoked together", you are describing a close relationship, a relationship of interdependence. Those relationships are generally in three categories 1) close friendship of an enduring nature, 2) business partnership and 3)(the closest yoking there can be) the marriage relationship.
Help these children see the wisdom of avoiding any of these three relationships with a non-believer and the difficulties, heartache and temptation that can come therefrom.
Amen
Ambassadors for Christ
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
O Creator and Re-creator,
I pray these children understand their role in this world - to be an ambassador for your Son. It is amazing to me that you left the work of carrying on your redeeming work through weak and flawed human beings. But that is what you have done. You expect all Christians to serve as agents of Jesus, doing what we can to spread the good news that we can be reconciled to you. That we can be one with you again, not by our own righteousness, but by the righteousness of Jesus.
May these children take on that work in their everyday lives. But may they also understand what it means for them to be an ambassador - that ambassadors serve in a foreign land. The land they serve in is not their home and at the end of their assignment, they return to their true home. May these children understand that they live in a foreign land. That this world is not their true home, rather their true home is with you. May they look on this world as a temporary place to be lived as temporary residents, holding lightly to the possessions in this land, as they look to the return to their true home with you.
Amen
O Creator and Re-creator,
I pray these children understand their role in this world - to be an ambassador for your Son. It is amazing to me that you left the work of carrying on your redeeming work through weak and flawed human beings. But that is what you have done. You expect all Christians to serve as agents of Jesus, doing what we can to spread the good news that we can be reconciled to you. That we can be one with you again, not by our own righteousness, but by the righteousness of Jesus.
May these children take on that work in their everyday lives. But may they also understand what it means for them to be an ambassador - that ambassadors serve in a foreign land. The land they serve in is not their home and at the end of their assignment, they return to their true home. May these children understand that they live in a foreign land. That this world is not their true home, rather their true home is with you. May they look on this world as a temporary place to be lived as temporary residents, holding lightly to the possessions in this land, as they look to the return to their true home with you.
Amen
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Momentary Troubles
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4)
O Lord,
This is difficult. We believe that this world not all there is, and then we think and act like it is all there is. It is like getting caught up in the emotion of a movie and forgetting that it is not reality. Or perhaps more like being angst and fearful within a dream, sometimes even aware within the dream that it is only a dream, but still unable to escape the angst and fear.
Save these children from the false "reality" of the present. Help to see and believe deeply in the true reality of your presence, of eternal existence with you. So much of how they will face life will depend on this proper understanding of reality. Better said, everything will depend on it and their world view formed by it. May they fix their eyes on the unseen and put the "seen" into proper perspective and realize that they only "seen" that really matters are your children, fellow humans, and their struggles.
Amen
O Lord,
This is difficult. We believe that this world not all there is, and then we think and act like it is all there is. It is like getting caught up in the emotion of a movie and forgetting that it is not reality. Or perhaps more like being angst and fearful within a dream, sometimes even aware within the dream that it is only a dream, but still unable to escape the angst and fear.
Save these children from the false "reality" of the present. Help to see and believe deeply in the true reality of your presence, of eternal existence with you. So much of how they will face life will depend on this proper understanding of reality. Better said, everything will depend on it and their world view formed by it. May they fix their eyes on the unseen and put the "seen" into proper perspective and realize that they only "seen" that really matters are your children, fellow humans, and their struggles.
Amen
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Jars of Clay
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)
Dear Father,
These children will feel inadequate for your task. They will feel they don't have the skill or the words to carry your word into the world. Show them that such is precisely what you have in mind, to use their inadequacy to show your power. May they not retreat from their own inadequacies, rather may they embrace them, falling on your power to take their feeble efforts and magnify them with and to your glory. May they, so to speak, be willing to launch their defective boat to see where your Spirit wind might take it, trusting that you will honor their efforts made in trust. May they simply have the courage to open their mouths. As they do so, fill them with joy at having submitted to your plan.
Amen
Dear Father,
These children will feel inadequate for your task. They will feel they don't have the skill or the words to carry your word into the world. Show them that such is precisely what you have in mind, to use their inadequacy to show your power. May they not retreat from their own inadequacies, rather may they embrace them, falling on your power to take their feeble efforts and magnify them with and to your glory. May they, so to speak, be willing to launch their defective boat to see where your Spirit wind might take it, trusting that you will honor their efforts made in trust. May they simply have the courage to open their mouths. As they do so, fill them with joy at having submitted to your plan.
Amen
Thursday, June 6, 2013
The God of All Comfort
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (II Corinthians 1:3,4)
God of all Comfort,
Comfort these children when they suffer. Comfort them with your presence, a presence that they can feel and sense. From that experience of comfort, may they seek to comfort others who are suffering. Give them the wisdom to choose words of comfort wisely, words that sooth, words that strengthen. May they also realize that you will comfort them through other people. Realizing that, help them to resist the temptation to withdraw from the church when they are suffering. Give them the courage to be open about their struggles, the humility to accept comfort and support from others and the patience to realize such attempts at comfort will be imperfect.
Amen
God of all Comfort,
Comfort these children when they suffer. Comfort them with your presence, a presence that they can feel and sense. From that experience of comfort, may they seek to comfort others who are suffering. Give them the wisdom to choose words of comfort wisely, words that sooth, words that strengthen. May they also realize that you will comfort them through other people. Realizing that, help them to resist the temptation to withdraw from the church when they are suffering. Give them the courage to be open about their struggles, the humility to accept comfort and support from others and the patience to realize such attempts at comfort will be imperfect.
Amen
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