Daily Devotional - 10/21

Prayer Focus - Friends


Day 7
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
One friend that you have lost touch with and have no idea where they are


Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs



Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 51



"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions." ( vs 1)

We need God's forgiveness. The fact that He is willing to forgive us at all is all about Him and not us. We don't deserve it but because His love is unfailing and because He has great compassion, we have hope. I am grateful for God's mercy and do not want to take it for granted.



"Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge." (vs. 4)

Whenever we sin, we are sinning against God. Sometimes we forget this and feel justified in doing wrong if the person we are sinning against is evil or has sinned against us. We are never justified. Our sin is always an affront to God. We need to remember that as it may help us to curb many of our more flagrant misdeeds. The sins of the heart are harder to deal with but are also done against God as well. He is justified when He says that we deserve death. He is not mean or evil. He is just and fair. We earn our condemnation. Praise God that He does not treat us as our sins deserve



"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." (vs. 7)

We can start over. God makes us like new and erases all of our filth. We do not have to have those burdens of regret around our necks any longer. We can be free, but let us not use this freedom to sin. Let us be like the sinful woman, who when pardoned by Jesus, was still challenged to go and sin no more and did allow her life to be transformed. We need to change and strive with all of our hearts to no longer sin.




"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me...Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." (vs. 10-11)

We need help to do this. God can create a pure heart in me. He can renew a steadfast spirit within me. He can restore my joy and help me get through by granting me a willing spirit. I cannot make it on my own. I am too weak, but God is my strength and God can change and strengthen anything in me. He is able. I want these gifts from Him so that I can please Him, now and forever.




"In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem." (vs. 18)

In God's good pleasure, He will make us prosper. It is all in His timing. I don't need to force anything. I just need to live and to do my best. I need to humble myself and keep going with a broken and contrite heart. He will lift me up.




Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,



Thank You for forgiving us. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. We know that we are completely unworthy and we are so grateful that You care for us anyway. Please grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. We can't keep it going by ourselves. Grant us joy as well so that we may live and be the examples that You deserve. We are unworthy, but we know that in Your good pleasure, You can make us prosper. We look forward to that day.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT


1. Do I realize how much I sin against God? Am I turning to Him for forgiveness?


2. Do I realize that when I sin against others, I am sinning against God? Does this help me to stop sinning or could this help me? How can I remind myself of this fact?


3. Do I feel burdened by past sins? Have I been forgiven? Do I need to discuss anything with another person to help deal with a habitual sin?


4. Am I turning to God for a pure heart, a steadfast spirit, a willing spirit, and a joyful heart? Which of these is the hardest for me to maintain?