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Written by Todd Outcalt, a contemporary pastor and author.

Most people associate Halloween with fear—fear of death, fear of dying, fear of evil. But when we come to know the true power and trustworthiness of God, many of the fears we have in life melt away. Fear, however, is a natural and good feeling. Without fear we would make many stupid mistakes, hurting ourselves and others in the process. Without fear, we would not have enough wisdom to flee when true dangers present themselves. One of the ways people deal with their fears is by making fun of the fear itself. That, in fact, is part of the origin of Halloween, which means “all hallows eve.” People were naturally afraid of death and dying, and so they decided to face their greatest fear by poking fun at death. In 1 John, we are told that perfected love drives out fear. That is to say, when we become certain of God’s love, we don’t have to be afraid anymore. It’s as if God is the parent who comes in at night and tucks us in, turns on the night light, and tells us that there are no monsters. In God’s great love, all fear melts away. We can remove our fears by serving others. When we abandon our lives in service, we often discover that our fears lessen as our friendship and love deepens. As you and I think about our fears now, I hope that we will see that just as God has protected and redeemed those who have come before us, God will protect and redeem us, too. Even from death itself!

Prayer:

Written by John Birch, a contemporary writer and poet  from the United Kingdom, who has written several books of prayers and studies Celtic prayer. He created the Faith and Worship website to provide prayer resources for worship.

Breathe love into lives ruled by fear.

Soften hearts that are hardened by pride.

Whisper gently to those bound by chains.

Sow peace where conflict divides.    

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Written by Susan Larson, a contemporary author.

God is omnipresent—meaning He’s here, there, everywhere all at the same time—so no matter what you’re going through today or worried about facing tomorrow, He is closer than you can imagine, and His presence changes everything. The God of creation cares deeply about every detail of our personal lives. He’s in charge of every galaxy and has named every star. He also knows about the hurts in our hearts and the hairs on our heads. He’s near and far. His glory fills the universe, and yet He’s up close and involved. There’s nothing like God’s presence in our lives, but sometimes we chase the sensational and miss the supernatural. Worship services, retreats or conferences, and mountaintop experiences are great, but too often we rush right by the nuanced, miraculous ways God shows up in our story every day. When we pursue the heart of God through the Word of God, that’s when we experience the presence of God—and it makes all the difference in our lives.

Prayer:

Written by the Lead Like Jesus team, an organization established by Ken Blanchard to “glorify God by inspiring and equipping people to lead like Jesus.”

God, our God, who raised Jesus from death to life, who pours out Your Spirit on Your people, thank You that Jesus is present with me today. You know the challenges that I face, the ones that would cause me to act out of pride and fear. But in You I have hope. I can freely, humbly, and confidently move into this day, aware of Your presence and focused on serving others. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

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Written by Roy Hession (1908-1992), a British evangelist and author.

When we see Jesus as Commander of the army of the Lord, [it is our job] to fall on our faces before Him and worship — that is, to confess the self-will, self-effort, and self-glory that have dominated us and deeply surrender to Him as our Commander, and be willing for Him to make the decisions, give the orders, and be the doer of the work… We cannot be too low at His feet if He is to cause the walls of our Jericho to fall. He will have no difficulty with those walls if He can get us to fall first. 

Prayer:

Written by Kristine Brown, a contemporary writer and speaker.

Dear Heavenly Father, I hear your precious son Jesus gently calling me, yet I realize I’ve let the temptation of control keep me from responding to his voice. Forgive me for trying to do things on my own when I know your ways are best. I surrender to Jesus today. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to draw me back to you in those times when I’ve relied on my own strength. Thank you for reminding me that if I want to follow Jesus, I need to release my own way.

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Written by Emma Danzey, a contemporary author.

One of the greatest ways in which the enemy works is to get us to be silent. If we are quiet in our faith, struggles, and lives, the Lord cannot use us. This is certainly not to say if someone is mute that, God cannot use them, for there are many ways to communicate the gospel. However, when we know the truth of Christ and refrain from sharing that with others, it is wrong. When we know the hope of Jesus and that we are His children but try to hide out of fear, we are called to let our lights shine before all people. We are told not to be ashamed of the gospel.  In what ways do you feel tempted to be silent about your faith? It can be easy, without realizing it, to hide the most important part of our lives around others in certain settings or around relatives who have not been receptive… Has God ever invited you to lead or be part of something, and you turned it down? The sad part is that when we do this, the Lord is still going to work, but we miss out on the opportunity to be involved in His kingdom work. He has given us an invitation, but we have to decide if we will join in…Have you ever had a perfect moment at the perfect time? An experience where things just happened to work out right when they needed it? The Lord has beautifully orchestrated this exact period of time to use you and to use me for His glory. We are invited to not remain silent, but to speak of His love and salvation, to say yes to His call, and to remember that He is with us even in the most uncertain of times.

Prayer:

Written by Rachel Olsen, a contemporary author.

Lord God, you loved this world so much that you gave your one and only Son, that we might be called your children too. Lord, help us to live in the gladness and grace every day. Let us have hearts of thankfulness for your sacrifice. Let us have eyes that look upon your grace and rejoice in our salvation. Help us to walk in that mighty grace and tell your good news to the world. All for your glory do we pray, Lord, Amen.

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Written by the Lead Like Jesus team, an organization founded by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges that promotes a transformational leadership model based on following Jesus.

Just when we think we’ve got it all figured out, circumstances change, new challenges arise, situations develop. Sometimes we’ve seen them coming, other times they arise ‘out of the blue,’ as they say. While we may be surprised, God never is; He is always ahead of us on the journey and simultaneously right beside us to lend a hand. What will your day hold? Trust Jesus to help you respond with godly wisdom and a servant’s heart.

Prayer:

Today’s prayer is from the author of the meditation.

Lord, my heart is steadfast in the midst of changing circumstances. You are the sovereign Lord who holds the universe and my life in Your hand. May my life and leadership today reflect confidence in Your presence and guidance. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Written by Norman Jetmundsen, a contemporary attorney and writer. This is an excerpt from his work “The Subtle Power of Evil and God’s Antidote.”

The age-old conundrum is why would God allow evil? Could it be that God is either not all powerful or not all good? The simplest answer is to say this is a mystery we will never understand, which may well be the closest truthful answer. As George McDonald once wrote, “None but God hates evil and understands it.” Nevertheless, Lewis gives us an insight into why God took the risk of evil in the Garden of Eden: “Because free will – although it makes evil possible – is the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.” God knew that meaningful, unconditional love cannot be coerced. Any parent can verify this: obedience and even hugs can be compelled from young children, but their freely given love is what truly matters. It’s easy to talk about evil in the context of the Holocaust, or genocide, or war or September 11th, but the garden story in Genesis warns us not to ignore the equally dangerous and destructive power of subtle evil. The problem with the gentle road is that, without signposts, we gradually draw away from God without meaning to and with little recognition of the path we are taking. It’s just as effective for the devil to take us on the gradual road as the sudden one, like the story that the best way to boil a frog is to put him in cold water and slowly turn up the heat. In our world today, the heat has slowly turned up such that gradually the moral standards of our culture have changed dramatically. It doesn’t take long in perusing a night of prime-time television to realize we’re not in Mayberry anymore.

Prayer:

Today’s prayer is from The Roman Breviary, a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. Published in 1482, it became known as the Liturgy of the Hours.

O almighty God,

we seek the shelter of your protection.

Defend us from all evils,

that we may serve you in peace and quietness of spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Written by Margaret Bottome (1827-1906), an American reformer, organizational founder, Bible teacher, and author.

This [Fret not] to me is a Divine command; the same as “Thou shalt not steal.” Now let us get to the definition of fretting. One good definition is, “Made rough on the surface.” “Rubbed, or worn away”; and a peevish, irrational, fault-finding person not only wears himself out, but is very wearing to others. To fret is to be in a state of vexation, and in this Psalm we are not only told not to fret because of evildoers, but to fret not “in anywise.” It is injurious, and God does not want us to hurt ourselves. A physician will tell you that a fit of anger is more injurious to the system than a fever, and a fretful disposition is not conducive to a healthy body; and you know rules are apt to work both ways, and the next step down from fretting is crossness, and that amounts to anger. Let us settle this matter, and be obedient to the command, “Fret not.”

Prayer:

Written by James Lowry, a contemporary retired pastor and author. This is from his book “Prayers for the Lord’s Day.”

Lord God, forgive us. We have grown comfortable with the mundane and suspicious of the spectacular: We work and see in it little purpose; We play and see in it little pleasure; We fret and see in it little point. Startle us, we pray, with truth that will shake us, and with love that will not let us go. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Written by Christopher Hall, a contemporary author and theologian. This is an excerpt from his book “The Mystery of God: Theology for Knowing the Unknowable.”

‘Image of God’ is a phrase that is given maddeningly little formal definition in Scripture. This is true – except that when we examine the New Testament testimony, the Christological and incarnational focus of the imago is striking. Paul preaches to the Corinthian Christians about ‘the glory of Christ, who is the image of God’ (2 Cor. 4:4), and he tells the Colossians that it is Christ who ‘is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation’ (Col. 1:15). Christ, the image of God, is the Word made flesh (John 1:14), ‘the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father’ (John 1:18 NASB), the eternal Son who has created all things (Col. 1:16). The Letter to the Hebrews states that the Son ‘is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things   2 by his powerful word, sustaining all things by his powerful word’ (Heb. 1:3). We may want to know what the obscure language of imago Dei really refers to, but the New Testament does not define it. Instead, it points to where we can see the imago in action: we must turn our eyes to Jesus Christ. To look closely at Christ is to see at last what a real human being looks like.” And we are created in his image! We are God’s precious image bearers.

Prayer:

Written by Ken Boa, a contemporary teacher, writer, speaker, and President of Reflections Ministry. 

Father, I give thanks that You foreknew me, that You chose and called me, and that You have declared me righteous in Christ. My desire is that I become fully conformed to Your image in spirit, soul, and body so that I will display the beauty of Your light as it shines through me and blesses others. I eagerly await the fullness of my adoption as Your child through the redemption of my body. I long for the day that will come when we put off mortality and are clothed with immortality. In the resurrection of our bodies, we will enjoy the fullness of our salvation. You will do away with death and sickness and suffering and grief, and this perishable will become imperishable. We will manifest Your life and reflect Your glory through the prisms of our unique personalities, so that each of us will contribute to the whole at the great feast and in the great dance.  

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Written by Brian Morykon, a contemporary writer.

Becoming more like Jesus. This doesn’t mean your life will externally look like a first-century robe-wearing Jewish man. It does mean that your life—as a plumber, pastor, teacher, knowledge worker, or full-time parent—becomes ever more permeated with the rhythms, actions, and reactions Jesus would have if he were you. That last idea, living your life as Jesus would if he were you, is one I’ve heard to the point of overfamiliarity. But it revolutionized the way I think about being a disciple today. Even now, if I take the time to chew and digest that picture through my imagination—Jesus working my job, Jesus raising my kids—I feel nourished by what life can be. Nourished… and sometimes discouraged. The Enemy always distorts what’s good. Thinking about how Jesus would live our life may lead to shame if we focus on the distance between where we are and where we want to be (or, ought to be, if our thoughts are mired in measurements).  But the Holy Spirit invites us to focus on Jesus and the mystery that he’s in us and already at work. Jesus is with us to guide and teach. He is patient and ready to forgive. He is able—with our cooperation—to unbend us so that his actions and words bubble up naturally from our hearts.

Prayer:

Written by Cheryce Rampersad, contemporary Christian author and contributor to the ChristiansTT prayer website. 

Draw near Oh Lord, as I step out today into this unholy land. Let each and every step I take be a step closer to You as I begin the journey of thinking and acting as my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!

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Written by Lewis and Sarah Allen. Lewis is a contemporary pastor and Sarah a teacher and women’s ministry leader. This is an excerpt from their work: “Resilient Faith: Learning to Rely on Jesus in the Struggles of Life.”

In some circles, it’s been fashionable to downgrade the place of the weekly worship gathering. The reasoning is that God wants all of our lives to be worship, as he has redeemed every area to be filled with his praise and service. After all, doesn’t Paul tell us that, whatever we do, we are to do it “to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31)? Surely, then, worship can be working, golfing, traveling, sleeping in, and everything else besides? So let’s not lift the Sunday experience higher than the Bible does, or so goes the popular wisdom. Some might say, “But how much do you worship God when you focus on the golf ball? How conscious are you of the Lord and his goodness, and happily responding to him in thanksgiving when you’re navigating a stressful relationship at work?” Yes, these are real areas for you to develop your awareness of the Lord and satisfaction in him; but worship is a conscious, intentional bringing of mind, heart, and body to the Lord as we praise, thank, pray to, listen to, and enjoy him. That’s what the Bible teaches us in both Testaments. In the vast majority of its uses, the main word for “worship” in the New Testament speaks of the church on earth and in heaven praising and adoring God together. It is something Christians stop everything else in order to do. We turn aside from the good (enjoying God in all of his gifts) to focus on the best (enjoying conscious fellowship with him in the gathering and shared worship of fellow believers). This worship strengthens faith. We worship, and our faith is deepened. We don’t wait until we have deep faith before we worship God. We take the little we believe, the little we know, the thanks and the praise we have—aware that it feels so little—and we bring it to him. And he meets us.

Prayer:

Written by William Bright (1824-1901), an English ecclesiastical historian and Anglican priest.

 O most loving Father, you want us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but losing you, and to cast all our anxiety on you because you care for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have shown us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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