Daily Prayer for the Lord's Day, July 25, 2021
Prayer: Our God in heaven, you have redeemed a people to come apart from the world and be your chosen nation and treasured possession. Though we are not of the world, we still live in the world. As pilgrims, we are traveling to our heavenly rest, and you are pleased to give us one day in seven that we might come apart from our worldly employments and recreations and gather with our brothers and sisters in corporate worship. We thank you for this great privilege that is our in Christ. We know that you have no need of our worship but have given it to us that we might be reminded of your love for us as we exalt your name by singing your praises and hearing from you as your Word is read and, especially, proclaimed. Please help us, our Father, to take seriously the Lord's Day and especially the gathering of the saints. Do not allow us to make excuses to avoid your worship, knowing that as we miss worship, we miss Christ. Therefore, we pray for ourselves that we would have a zeal for your worship. We pray for our brothers and sisters who habitually miss worship. We ask that you would overwhelm our hearts with a desire to exalt you and that you would convict those who are absent for their disobedience. Please grant to us today a measure of your presence and give to us the eternal Spirit so we can worship you as you have commanded. These things we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Daily Prayer for July 24, 2021
Prayer: Almighty God, you alone are perfectly and infinitely holy, and, as your creatures, we find that our lives are so often far from you. Though you have redeemed us, there are times when our hearts are cold and distant from your ways. We are thankful that the heart of Christ is toward his people. During times of fear and wandering, he nurtures us and encourages us to walk with him. The bruised reed he does not break. The smoldering wick he does not extinguish. We thank you, Father, for your Son who is kind and gentle with us. We long to have our hearts always tuned to you in the pursuit of holiness. Teach us to number our days that we would use them for you and your kingdom. Please grant us a willing mind and heart to glorify you every moment of the day. You are worthy, Lord. These things we pray in the name of the one who rescued us from sin and misery, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Prayers for Daily Needs
Meditation for the day taken from Everyday Prayer with John Calvin written by Donald McKim:
Scripture: Luke 11:1-4
The passage under consideration today is familiar to most. This text is the parallel passage that we find in Matt. 6. We know it as the Lord's Prayer. Traditionally the church has used this prayer as not merely a form of prayer, but one used in the corporate worship of God and quoted verbatim. It is a helpful prayer in that it teaches us much about prayer. The danger, however, is that we approach it with too much familiarity, not giving due attention to the words and meaning behind the words. Today we are considering the fourth petition (request) as given to us in Luke 11:3, "Give us this day our daily bread." The Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches us what this means and what we should meditate on as we say this portion of the prayer. We read in WSC Q104, "What do we pray for in the fourth petition? In the fourth petition, which is, Give us this day our daily bread, we pray that of God's free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy his blessing with them." The fact is that all that we have in this life has come from God. He is the one who blesses us with the good things of this life. As you look around and take inventory of the many earthly possession in your life, do you frequently thank God for them, knowing that he is the one who has given them to you?
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Daily Prayer for July 23, 2021
Prayer: Almighty God in heaven, we praise your name today because you have granted us a new day to honor and serve you. This is the day you have made, and we will be glad and rejoice in it. We ask, our Father, that you would grant to us the zeal and perseverance to glorify you with the use of our time -- that we would redeem it, being careful to use the minutes and hours you have given us for your glory because the day and age in which we live are evil. Grant to us, holy God, a willing mind and spirit to spend each moment in your service and help us to resolve not to lose a single moment for the good of your kingdom. We ask that you would cause us to live with eternity in view and store up treasures in heaven and not earth. Please help us to remember that our lives are short and only those things done for you will last. Grant us these requests through Jesus our Lord. Amen.
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The Morning Devotional: WSC Q32
The Morning Devotional for July 23, 2021
The Westminster Shorter Catechism Q32
What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life?
They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, (Rom. 8:30) adoption, (Eph. 1:5) and sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them. (1 Cor. 1:26,30)
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Faith Breaks Into Prayer
Meditation for the day taken from Everyday Prayer with John Calvin written by Donald McKim:
Scripture: Mark 11:20-24
The narrative under consideration today begins with an observation from the disciples about the cursed fig tree (see 11:12-14). It is on this occasion that Jesus launches into a lesson on the subject of prayer. As the disciples needed to be taught about prayer, we also need to be taught. So often, our prayers are prayerless. So often, we merely utter the words and do not connect and employ the great lesson Jesus offers in this narrative. That lesson is relatively simple, but it is hard to do. What is that lesson? That our prayers must be connected with faith and belief that the God to whom we pray can do "exceedingly, abundantly, beyond anything we ask or think." Prayer is not merely a moving of the air across our lips, nor is it simply contemplative thought. It is an expression of faith that states plainly that our God in heaven can do whatever it is we ask. Calvin wrote, "to have faith in God means precisely that assurance and expectation from God of whatever we need. As faith, if we have any, immediately breaks into prayer and reaches for the riches of the grace of God which are revealed in the Word, that we should enjoy them, so Christ adds prayer to faith...The true test of faith lies in prayer." (83). McKim adds, "Faith believes, with assurance that through prayer God will provide what we need. Faith gives way to prayer as it reaches for the blessings of God's grace, which are revealed in the Sc
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Daily Prayer for July 22, 2021
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, you who are more glorious than all of your creation and the one who redeems a people from their sin and misery, we thank you for the great salvation that is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord. Though we know that we deserve nothing from your hand but death and judgment and eternal torment in hell, you have rescued us and placed us on the solid rock that can never be moved. That rock is your Son and our Savior. Through him, we have an inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled reserved in heaven for us. In Him, we have all the blessings and promises that you grant to your people. We thank you, Father, for so great a salvation. Forgive us for the many times we allow our minds and hearts to think more on the affairs of this life instead of setting them firmly on the things. Give us the discipline to think about eternity and the wherewithal to labor while it is still day because the night is coming when no man can work. Please help us to redeem the time for the sake of your glory and kingdom. Forgive us when we go astray and help us to walk in newness of life. All of these things we pray only in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
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The Morning Devotional: WSC Q31
The Morning Devotional for July 22, 2021
The Westminster Shorter Catechism Q31
What is effectual calling?
Effectual calling is the work of God’ s Spirit, (2 Tim. 1:9, 2 Thess. 2:13–14) whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, (Acts 2:37) enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, (Acts 26:18) and renewing our wills, (Ezek. 36:26–27) he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel. (John 6:44–45, Phil. 2:13)
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Key Bible Passages from Exodus
Exodus 1 -- The people of God are located in Egypt under a Pharaoh that did not know Joseph.
Exodus 3 -- Moses is called by YHWH at the burning bush and commissioned to lead the people out of Egypt.
Exodus 7-11 -- The nine plagues/signs of YHWH.
Exodus 12 -- The institution of the Passover and the tenth plague/sign.
Exodus 14-- The crossing of the Red Sea
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Entering Into Prayer
Meditation for the day taken from Everyday Prayer with John Calvin written by Donald McKim:
Scripture: Mark 9:14-29
The narrative before us finds the Savior with a father who has a son who is possessed by a spirit that convulsed him and threatened him with bodily harm. This father brought his son to the disciples, who were unable to do anything. Therefore, in an act of last resort, the man appealed to Christ for help. As he did so, he indicates a certain level of uncertainty as to the ability of Christ to resolve the problem. Jesus, noticing the father's lack of belief, encourages him by saying that "all things are possible for one who believes." The father admitted his belief that was mingled with unbelief, and at that, Jesus healed the boy.
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Daily Prayer for July 21, 2021
Prayer: Almighty God, you who are glorious and majestic, the only true God of heaven and earth, we praise your name this morning as those called apart from the world as peculiar and holy people adopted as sons and daughters to live holy lives before you. We are thankful that we can pour out our hearts to a Father in heaven who stands able and ready to help his children. We pray this day that you would be pleased to give us our daily bread, knowing that you have promised to give to us all that we need. Indeed, our God, we are a needy people. There is no good in us at all. Your kindness and grace determine all that we are and all that we do. You give good gifts to us, and you bless us with your presence and Word. You have sustained us in a world full of sin and misery. Our health is due to you. You grant our worldly possessions for us to enjoy. You design our families as a rich blessing to help us in our journey to our heavenly rest. Our friends are a great comfort as we labor together to serve you. For these reasons and many more, we offer you heartfelt thanks knowing that words fail us. Above all of these things, we have your Son, who you gave as a demonstration of your love for us. How can we say thanks for so rich an inheritance? Because of all that you have done and will do, we seek to serve you. We know that we fall short and mourn our indwelling sin. Please help us, Father. Please be patient and kind and grant us more of your Spirit that we may love you and others as you have commanded us. These things we pray only because of the work of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
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