19 / Sinning?
Ladder to the Sky / Yu Hong / 2008 / Acrylic on canvas, 5 panels
Morning meditation
Read Exodus 20:13-17
Are you a rule follower?
Why did God make the Commandments?
—Scripture Notes and Additional Questions
Morning Prayer
This week we are asking GOD for a heart for missions each morning:
Wake me up, Lord, when I am too pleased to only be concerned with my own world. When my dreams are focused on what I can see because I am nearsighted. When I arrive safely because I sailed too close to home.
Wake me up, Lord, when the abundance of things I possess robs my thirst for others to find You. Having fallen in love with my own life, I have ceased to dream outside the borders of my comfort zone. And in my efforts to build a perfect life, I have allowed my vision of all nations worshipping You to dim.
Wake me up, Lord, to pray more boldly, to expand my heart across the seas. Where missionaries do the deep and lonely work of reaching those far from You. Where they lose sight of their home land, but find true life in seeing the salvation of many.
I ask You to push back the small borders of my vision and unite my heart with missionaries around the world. Make us one in Spirit and give us the strength, courage, hope and love to accomplish our assignment to see every tribe and tongue worship You.
—Adapted from disturb us, lord - Attributed to Sir Francis Drake - 1577
Download this smart phone wallpaper as a reminder to pray all day long!
Today’s motivation
“Every moment is on purpose.” Let’s preface this with not thinking everything that we go through is good or fun. There are things that bother us about this world. However, we are all so railroaded in our thinking that most of us rarely try to look at an event in our lives from a different angle. If this sounds like you, the next time you start getting frustrated, try to recognize that feeling welling up inside and pause. Ask what you can get out of the situation. After a while you’ll realize, every moment is on purpose.
—today’s motivation courtesy DJVONFIRE
keep daily goals in focus
Think about your goals this way…
☑️ Emotional - Sacrifice isn’t easy, but know that others are sacrificing as well. You are not on a solo journey.
☑️ Mental - Remember, the goal here is to set aside a certain amount of $$ each day and give it away on Easter.
☑️ Physical - Fasting and fitness…two things that may not seem to go together but are becoming a powerful combination in your life.
Evening Prayer
Set an alarm for this evening so you remember to end your day with God.
God, what shall I say? Should I go on sinning so that grace can increase? Of course not! Since I am counted among those who have died to sin; how can I live in it any longer? All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death! I was buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, I too may live a new life! Amen!
Pray for your neighbors. Pray for each neighbor by name. They matter to God!