And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God
– Colossians 1:9-10

OBSERVATION: The day of an average business owner is filled with making hundreds of decisions, making as many people as possible happy, managing employees, and hopefully turning a profit.  A Christian business owner tries to do all this plus seek ways that God can use their business for His glory.  This requires integrity, godly wisdom and the knowledge that every interaction, be it a customer or an employee, is an opportunity for ministry.

PRAYER:  Lord, we pray for our local business owners.  We pray that you would enable them to walk in a manner worthy of you.  Give them wisdom and understanding into how you can be honored in their business.

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“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood” – Revelation 1:5

OBSERVATION: We praise Jesus Christ for He is faithful. He is the firstborn of the dead. He is Lord, and He has released us from our sin by His blood, because of His love. The things that He has done for us is the direct reflection of who He is. He is faithful therefore we receive His faithfulness when we receive Him. He is the firstborn, therefore we have access to a new birth. He is the ruler of Kings therefore I can trust His Lordship. He is love, He was the sacrifice. Who He is and what He has done deserves my praise.

PRAYER: Jesus, we praise you for all you have done, but mostly for who you are. We honor your faithfulness with our own. We acknowledge you as the firstborn, and we are privileged to be apart of your family. We gladly submit to your lordship. If you can rule the kings of the earth, I give you permission to rule over me. We praise you for your love, and the sacrifice of your blood. Only you are worthy, and to you we give our praise. May you alone become famous in our hearts. In Your Name we pray. Amen.

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Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. – Joshua 1:9

OBSERVATION:  When God has a plan, he will use whatever individuals necessary to accomplish His purpose no matter how strong or weak that person is.  In this case, when Moses died, God enabled Joshua to fulfill this promise of securing the great land of Israel.  The American military is unsurpassed with an extreme amount of courage and might.  The American military has been a force for good throughout all of the world.

PRAYER:  That God would continue to transform hearts of those in the military so that as they engage in conflicts or peacetime missions, the Gospel of Christ will always prevail.  America is called to be the light in a dark world from human standards.  May the love and compassion of a strong military force, the force of good on earth, reveal the awesome light of our Lord Jesus Christ!

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“When you give a party (or banquet or dinner), do not invite those who can repay the favor.  Instead, invite the poor and the blind, the lame and the maimed, the handicapped–those who cannot repay you–and you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” – Luke 14:14

OBSERVATION:  You and I don’t do a lot of partying or banquet-giving, (or maybe you do) as Luke refers to it in chapter 14. But it is possible for us to do things for those in our nursing homes that they will not be able to repay.

I believe the Lord Jesus takes it personally when His children go into nursing homes where often they know no one and minister to the patients, loving them, and leading them in worship, instruction, and in prayer.

You will be rewarded, He promised, at the Day of the Lord.

PRAYER:  Father, please bless those in our local nursing homes. Be their comfort and friend. Please help those who are responsible for their everyday care. And help us, your faithful servants, to minister to those who need a special touch from you through us. Amen.

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• “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” – Proverbs 31:8-9
• “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—when you already have it with you.” – Proverbs 3:27-28

OBSERVATION: The poor are a reality in our community and we as Christians are called to be proactive in ministering to their needs and building relationships to help break cycles rather than simply treating the symptoms of poverty.

PRAYER:  Father, shake us from our comfort zones and open our eyes to the plight of the poor amongst us.  Forgive those of us who think this is only a “big city problem.”  Help us to do more than merely talk, but actually minister in your name to those who are struggling.

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At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.  So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” – Luke 7:21-22

OBSERVATION:  Today we are thankful for the men and women who work in our healthcare facilities.  We are grateful for their talents and their willingness to use those gifts and talents for the glory of God!

PRAYER:   Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the LORD delivers them in times of trouble.  The LORD protects and preserves them— they are counted among the blessed in the land— he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.  The LORD sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness. -Psalm 41:1-3

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“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”  – Proverbs 4:23 NLT

OBSERVATION: When I chose safety of our schools to pray for, I must admit the violence in schools came to mind.  We all must be diligent in our prayers for those events, but I will also pray for the weapon the enemy has used for generations.  The human heart.  The Bible says the heart is deceitful above all things.  If we are not careful to lead our hearts it can be a tool used by the enemy from the inside.  My prayer is that our young people will realize that our value doesn’t come from this world.  Our value comes from the Creator God and the value He set on us…the value of His only son Jesus.  Child, you are valuable, and you are worth dying for!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we humbly come asking for protection for our schools.  We pray for our students, teachers, administrators, and parents.  We see the news and it is easy to take our eyes off of You.  God, help us to lead our hearts toward You.  Help us to understand that our worth comes from You and help us to love one another.  May revival break out and I pray it starts in our schools.  God protect us from any weapon formed against us either from the outside, or on the inside of us.  Wrap your big ole loving arms around us all, and become more real to us every day. In the unmatched name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

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“You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”  -2 Timothy 3:14-15 (NASB)

OBSERVATION:  John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  Jesus is your child’s friend. Christ gave his life in order to save your child from sin and death.   Parents and caregivers encourage your children to have faith in Him, to “love” and “trust” this Wonderful friend, also.

PRAYER:  Lord, give us the wisdom to teach our children how to embrace the holy scriptures.  Thank you, for the holy scriptures that have been written to teach, correct and redirect our children into a godly life.  No child is too young, nor too old to get this essential –and honorable training from a loving family of believers.  Lord, may we never overlook the Bible’s value in our children’s lives.  A Christ-centered life will help children overcome most any problem they will encounter in this present age.  The Word of God teaches our children to be wise, strong, courageous and steadfast, thank you, Father.  We offer praise and thanksgiving unto you, because our children are becoming anchored to a sure foundation by reading and applying the Word of God daily.  Today. Right now, Lord we are committed to teaching our children to love the Word of God.  The Holy Spirit is right here with us helping us to always be mindful that God is love.

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I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. – Psalms 34:1-3 (KJV)

OBSERVATION:  Life has its victories and its valleys. Life has its good times and its bad times.  Life has its high moments and low moments.  In life, we will experience moments of despair and moments of joy. However, whatever we are currently facing, whether good or bad, God is great and He deserves to be praised.  Sure, it’s easy to bless the Lord when everything is well. However, God is always God and He never changes. He is sovereign and He is good. Therefore, we must continue to praise Him.

PRAYER:  Lord, I thank you for everything that you have done for me. I praise you for the good times and the bad times that I have faced. Lord, forgive me for the times I did not appreciate you for your faithfulness towards me. I know you are here with me at all times; therefore, I will continue to bless you.

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“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”  – Colossians 3:18-21 (KJV)

OBSERVATION: The family structure in America is nothing like it needs to be. This passage in Colossians 3 gives us God’s plan for families. Wives need to allow their husbands to lead them spiritually just like they should allow God; Husbands need to love and care for their wives while leading the whole family in the ways of the Lord; and children need to respect and obey their parents. If men aren’t leading their children to the Lord and showing them how to live for Him, they are leading them in a way that is not God honoring. We need to endeavor to lead our families in the paths the Lord would have us follow so we can save our families.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for showing us what true love is by sending Jesus Christ Who brought us into Your family. Help the single parents and married parents today lead their children in Your paths; give them strength and endurance for what is needed to accomplish Your goals; and may they be the right example to others and their children. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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