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MEDITATION:

Written by Sherwood Eliot Wirt (1911-2008), a Christian author. This is an excerpt from his book “A Thirst for God.”

Spiritual hunger…works just opposite from physical hunger. When we are physically hungry, we eat and satisfy our appetites and cease to be hungry. But when we are spiritually undernourished and are then given a feast of good spiritual food, it makes us hungrier than ever. Thus, the more we learn about God’s love, the more we want to know; we can’t get enough. The reverse…is also true. When we are physically hungry and miss a meal, our appetite becomes ravenous. But if time passes and we receive no spiritual food, we may lose our appetite for it. Malnutrition sets in and we cease to care.

PRAYER:

Written by Tommy Tenney, a contemporary pastor and author. This is an excerpt from his book “Experiencing His Presence: Devotions for God Chasers.”

Lord Jesus, my soul aches at the mere mention of Your name. My heart leaps for every rumor of Your coming, and each possibility that You will manifest Your presence. I’m not satisfied with mere spiritual dainties. I’m ravenously hungry for You in Your fullness. I’m desperate to feast on the bread of Your presence and quench my thirst with the wine of Your Spirit.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Renee Andrews, a contemporary author. This is an excerpt from the book “Mornings with Jesus.”

My family has a Labor Day tradition. The entire gang gathers at my parents’ home on the river for jet-skiing, swimming, good food… and homemade ice cream. My mother makes the best homemade ice cream. This Labor Day we were waiting for the ice cream, but the ice-cream maker just kept spinning. Then my dad remembered that he accidentally tossed the tiny part in the bottom out. That one little part ended up being important, and without it, the ice cream took much longer to get firm. Like that tiny part in the ice-cream maker, each part of Christ’s body is important to the livelihood of Christ’s church. We may not feel like our tiny part matters, but in the entire scheme of things, we could be the reason the church doesn’t stand firm. He needs our part. For me, I sometimes feel I don’t offer anything overly impressive to the growth of the Kingdom. I can speak, but I’m sure not great at it. I can sing, but it’s nothing to write home about. And it took me years before I gathered the courage to pray out loud. But I do have a few things I can do and enjoy doing. I can write and share God’s message with my readers. I can teach the preschoolers at church and help start their growth in the Lord. I can do my part servicing the nursery so new moms can fully enjoy the sermon. I can be willing to attribute my good mood to my good Lord whenever asked why I seem particularly happy. I can also let others know that God will see me through when I’m having hard times.

PRAYER:

Written by Lisa Heffernan, a contemporary author. This is an excerpt from her prayer “Belonging to the Body of Christ.”

God of all people, we thank you for the gifts you give each one of us to serve in the name of Jesus Christ. Help us to care for and love one another, especially those whom we may view as lesser than ourselves. Help us to see each other’s minds, bodies, and hearts as beautiful in their own ways, as we seek to create a church without barriers of any kind. May we see one another as your beloved children, each needed to participate in your mission of love and justice in our world. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Mark D. Roberts, a contemporary author and speaker.

Isaiah 6 begins with the prophet’s vision of a thrice-holy God: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty” (6:3). Isaiah’s first response to this revelation is to lament his own sinfulness: “Woe to me! . . . I am ruined!” (6:5). Yet, through an angel, God removes Isaiah’s sin. Then the Lord poses a question: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” (6:8). Isaiah’s response is one of simple trust: “Here I am. Send me!” Isaiah will take God’s message of justice and hope to the people of Israel. In many ways, our story parallels that of Isaiah. We have seen a revelation of God’s holiness in Jesus Christ. Like Isaiah, we might at first recoil from the Lord because of our sin. Yet, our sinfulness has been cleansed by the mercy of God through the death of Christ. Moreover, like Isaiah, we have been cleansed in order to share God’s message of justice and hope to the people around us. When God considers your co-workers, your neighbors, your family, your fellow students, your friends at the gym, your brothers and sisters at church, the people without homes who hang out downtown, and the other people in your life, God asks: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” How will you respond to this question? In a way, God has already “sent” you to your place in the world so that you might bear witness to him in deed and in word. You have the opportunity and, indeed, the calling to live for God right where you are, at work and at home, among your friends and colleagues, in all that you do. Will you accept the mission to which God has sent you? Will you live for God’s purposes in all that you do?

PRAYER:

Written by Mark D. Roberts, the author of today’s meditation.

Gracious God, you are indeed holy, holy, holy. The more we experience your holiness, the less we feel worthy to serve you. Like Isaiah, we know that we are sinful people of unclean lips. Yet, in your mercy, you have called us to yourself and set us apart for your work in this world. You have cleansed us through Christ so that we might serve you with all that we are. So, our answer is like that of Isaiah, though sometimes it’s inconsistent and hesitant. Yes, Lord, send us! Send me! To my neighbors and friends, send me. To the folks at church, send me. To my colleagues at work, send me. To any who needs to experience your love and grace, send me. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Henry W. Frost (1858-1945), missions leader and mobilizer, Bible teacher, conference speaker, evangelist, counselor, and author.

Nothing so pleases God in connection with our prayer as our praise, and nothing so blesses the man who prays as the praise which he offers. I got a great blessing once in China in this connection. I had received bad and sad news from home, and deep shadows had covered my soul. I prayed, but the darkness did not vanish. I summoned myself to endure, but the darkness only deepened. Just then I went to an inland station and saw on the wall of the mission home these words: “Try Thanksgiving.” I did, and in a moment every shadow was gone, not to return. Yes, the Psalmist was right, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.”

PRAYER:

Written by Aaron Brown is a contemporary writer, teacher, and visual artist.

My Father, I want to thank you. I want to thank you well in advance of the blessing that is to come. Though today feels marred with anxieties and trouble, I want to give you thanks knowing that this difficult season won’t last always. While I suffer, and in the glorious season to come, God, you remain the same. Scripture reminds me that your love endures forever. You do not love me based on the circumstances I face. Your love is truly unconditional. I thank you for that truth. I am grateful that you see me fit to be loved. May my words praise your name forever, just as your love endures. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), a British author, professor, and lay theologian. This is an excerpt from his book “Mere Christianity.”

I know the words ‘leave it to God’ can be misunderstood, but they must stay for the moment. The sense in which a Christian leaves it to God is that he puts all his trust in Christ: trusts that Christ will somehow share with him the perfect human obedience which He carried out from His birth to His crucifixion: that Christ will make the man more like Himself and, in a sense, make good his deficiencies. In Christian language, He will share His ‘sonship’ with us, will make us, like Himself, ‘Sons of God’. . . . . If you like to put it that way, Christ offers something for nothing: He even offers everything for nothing. In a sense, the whole Christian life consists in accepting that very remarkable offer. But the difficulty is to reach the point of recognizing that all we have done and can do is nothing. What we should have liked would be for God to count our good points and ignore our bad ones. Again, in a sense, you may say that no temptation is ever overcome until we stop trying to overcome it—throw up the sponge. But then you could not ‘stop trying’ in the right way and for the right reason until you had tried your very hardest. And, in yet another sense, handing everything over to Christ does not, of course, mean that you stop trying. To trust Him means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus, if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside you.

PRAYER:

Written by James Taiwo, a contemporary author. This is an excerpt from this work  “Book of Prayers.”

Father, I realize that you will perform great wonders for anyone who faithfully serve and obey your instructions. Therefore, I want to obey you and maintain good a relationship with you. Please help me to shun every form of ungodliness so that I can enjoy you deeply. Let me love and serve you well, and let me qualify to receive your undaunted blessings on earth and in heaven. For in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Naomi Reed, a Christian writer and speaker who spent six years in Nepal with a medical mission.

I have Parkinson’s Disease now. I can’t walk anymore and I’m mostly in my bed. I can’t leave this room, or go to church, or visit people. It’s a change for me. I spent my whole adult life sharing the Gospel. Back then, I walked through 72 districts in Nepal, preaching the Gospel…and we started a Bible correspondence course. In total, we’ve had 700,000 students. I was put in jail three times for my faith, and I was tortured. But I can’t walk anymore or get out of bed. The challenge for me, today, is in reading Colossians 1:28-29. The apostle Paul said, “Christ is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”  I want to be like Paul. I know that he used all his energy to share the Gospel, right to the end. And I want to do that too. I don’t have any energy in my body anymore, but I still have energy in my heart and my mind. Even now, people can ring me on my phone…and they ask me about Jesus and I still tell them. I’m still taking calls from our Bible correspondence students. I’m still using all my energy, even while I’m lying on my bed—all the energy that Christ has given me!

PRAYER:

Written by Stephen Macchia, a contemporary author and leader of spiritual formation.

Lord Jesus, may I be captivated today by your Great Commission, to go into all the world and preach the gospel, inviting others to become disciples of yours now and forever. May your mission become my own, for I long to know how best to reflect that in my daily life and service to others in your name. Whisper in my ear and continually invite me into deeper fellowship with you, which will result in a life of mission with you and co-mission with others. Illuminate the path and enlighten my heart so that I may be refreshed and renewed in all my ways. In Christ’s name and for his glorious sake I pray. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by George MacDonald (1824-1905), a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister.

It is possible to love our neighbor as ourselves. Our Lord never spoke hyperbolically, although, indeed, that is the supposition on which many unconsciously interpret his words, in order to be able to persuade themselves that they believe them. We may see that it is possible before we attain to it; for our perceptions of truth are always in advance of our condition. True, no man can see it perfectly until he is it; but we must see it, that we may be it. A man who knows that he does not yet love his neighbor as himself may believe in such a condition, may even see that there is no other goal of human perfection, nothing else to which the universe is speeding, propelled by the Father’s will. Let him labor on, and not faint at the thought that God’s day is a thousand years; his millennium is likewise one day—yea, this day, for we have him, the Love, in us, working even now the far end…A man must not choose his neighbor; he must take the neighbor that God sends him. In him, whoever he be, lies, hidden or revealed, a beautiful brother. The neighbor is just the person who is next to you at the moment, the person with whom any business has brought you in contact.

PRAYER:

This prayer is from the US Conference of Bishops, an assembly of bishops who exercise pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful in the United States.

Embracing Father, You grace each of us with equal measure in your love. Let us learn to love our neighbors more deeply, so that we can create peaceful and just communities. Inspire us to use our creative energies to build the structures we need to overcome the obstacles of intolerance and indifference. May Jesus provide us the example needed and send the Spirit to warm our hearts for the journey. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by C. H. Mackintosh (1820-1896), an Irish businessman and educator, active in the Irish Revival of 1859-1869.

God looks for reality. “He did not love us in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth; and He looks for a response from us—a response clear, full, and distinct; a response coming out in a life of good works, a life yielding mellow clusters of the “fruits of righteousness which are by Christ Jesus, to the glory and praise of God.” – Ought we not diligently to seek to promote love and good works? And how can this be most effectually accomplished? Surely by walking in love ourselves, and faithfully treading the path of good works in our own private life. For ourselves, we confess we are thoroughly sick of hollow profession. High truth on the lips and low practice in daily life, is one of the crying evils of our day. We talk of grace; but fail in common righteousness—fail in the plainest moral duties in our daily private life. We boast of our “position” and our “standing;” but we are deplorably lax as to our “condition” and “state.” May the Lord, in His infinite goodness, stir up all hearts to more thorough earnestness, in the pursuit of good works, so that we may more fully adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things!

PRAYER:

This prayer is from the Mozarabic Breviary, a liturgical rite of the Latin Church used on the Iberian Peninsula and developed in the 500s AD.

Look on us and hear us,

O Lord our God,

and help us to please you

as we do the work you have given to us.

As you have given the first act of will,

so give the completion of the work.

Give us strength to finish

what you have moved us to begin;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Jacquelyn Sheppard, a contemporary educator and writer.

It’s not the beginning of the race that is difficult. The hardest part of the race is just before we cross the finish line. We start out, fresh and lively, confident as we set our pace. But, somewhere along the way, we begin to grow tired and weary. Our feet and legs seem like wood and we stumble along, grasping with our hands to keep from falling. Sometimes we are blessed with a “second wind” and we pick up the pace and run faster, gaining strides and making up for lost time. At other times, just before we hit the ground, we feel a strong arm or someone’s prayers that lifts us up until we are back in the race. Sometimes we look around to see those who took themselves out of the race and it causes us to doubt our own strength. “If they fell, how can I succeed?” we ask. Yet, it’s not how another runs the race that determines our success. No, it’s whether or not we keep our eyes on Jesus and run toward the finish line—even when we can’t see it. It’s His face that we must keep before us regardless of what the world says or does and regardless of how badly our feet are hurting. We run on—because of the cross and for the crown.

PRAYER:

Adapted from a prayer written by Mark Herringshaw, a contemporary writer, speaker, and spiritual life coach.

God, you have chosen to give me this race of life, and I run to complete the course and honor you. The way is long and sometimes treacherous. Often I grow exhausted. Sometimes I want to quit. But I have a finish line to cross; I run to get there. You have given me the gift of movement. As I fly along the ground let me soak in the richness of the world you have created. Give me patience when I can’t do all I wish to do. Give me courage to push harder and further than my first instincts want. Help me to strike the balance between rest and reach. Teach me lessons. Show me your character and perseverance by putting a new and deeper perseverance into me.  I run the race you have set for me. I will not stop short. I will complete your course, for your honor Jesus.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Raymond Banner (1937-2022), an American pastor and Right to Life activist.

Prayer is expressed through various modes. There are petitions and intercessions; sometimes agony, tears, and fasting. I am especially intrigued by the prayer that comes wafting into our mind, that tugs at our heart as an inward desire to pray a particular blessing upon some individual, whether a loved one or a stranger. Often, we have no way to trace the efficacy of such prayers. But over the years I have occasionally discovered that such “inward desire” prayers for others have been answered in a definite way. I was reminded of one such incident when coming upon the March 8, 1988, entry in my journal. I was working at the Des Moines, Iowa post office. A number of weeks prior to the journal entry I had a quiet, easy, simple inward desire to pray for a woman that I knew only slightly upon seeing her working at a distance. My prayer desire was that she would seek and find God, supposing her to be a woman of the world and without any special interest in things spiritual. Several weeks later I happened to be working near her and heard her carrying on a conversation with a Christian man. She related that she had recently come to Christ, was attending church and attempting to read and understand the Bible.

PRAYER:

Written by Leah DiPascal, a contemporary speaker and author.

Heavenly Father, thank You for answering my prayers and performing miracles in my life every day. Just the fact that I woke up this morning and can take a breath is a gift from You. Help me to never take my health and loved ones for granted. Help me to always stand in faith and keep my focus on You when unexpected circumstances arise. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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