Isaiah 65:24 Before they call, I will answer

November 30

Before they call, I will answer. — Isaiah 65:24

Photo: Flavio Takemoto

JEHOVAH, our God, "How excellent is Thy name in all the earth." We come to Thee, acknowledging Thy goodness and greatness, reverently bowing in the name of Jesus Christ, to give Thee praise and seek at Thy hands the strength needed for the duties of today. Most humbly do we confess our sins. In thought, word and deed we have transgressed Thy holy laws and "done despite unto the Spirit of grace." We recognize, God, our weakness and failures in life; when we would do good, evil is ever present. We have brought shame upon Thy sacred name and dishonor to Thy cause. Led from the path of righteousness by the alluring influences of sin around us. But in Thy infinite love Thou wilt not refuse to hear or grant our petition. Forgive us of our many sins, and make possible, O God, a greater work of grace in our lives. Help us to be true to Thee each day. Help us to remember Thy mercies and to acknowledge Thee at all times. Strengthen us, dear Father, that in the hour of trial we may stand true as Thy children. Grant Thy blessing to all who seek Thee in truth. Bring back those who have wandered from Thee, that all may be saved. Accept this petition in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. Amen.

Rev. Joseph Keevil,

Cincinnati, Ohio

 

Hebrews 7:25 He ever liveth to make intercession for them

November 29

He ever liveth to make intercession for them. — Hebrews 7:25

Photo: Stock Xchng

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, because of Thy good hand upon us in mercy, we have been spared during another night. Help us to trust in Thee, to have no will but Thy will and to desire to be only what Thou wouldst have us be. We pray that Thou wilt show us how large is Thy pity, how great is Thy love, and how infinite is Thy goodness; give us to feel that Thou hast called us with a holy calling; that Thou hast put us here to do Thy pleasure, and hereafter to enjoy Thee forever. Breathe into us the spirit of prayer and teachableness, and enable us to give earnest heed to the truths taught in Thy Word. We thank Thee for Thy holy Word, for Thy Church and for all the ordinances of Thy house, and for the way of salvation through Christ. We bless Thee, our Heavenly Father, for all Thy gifts, but above all for Thine unspeakable gift, our Savior, Jesus Christ. We rejoice in the assurance that He is now interceding for us. May the weary and heavy-laden come unto Thee and find rest unto their souls. We pray that Thou wilt send forth laborers into Thy harvest. Be Thou to all Thine own as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Speedily fill the whole earth with Thy glory. Make us all, O Christ, joyful in hope, patient in suffering, active in service and abounding in love. We ask all these blessings in the name of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Savior. Amen.

Robert Stewart MacArthur, D.D.,

Boston, Massachusetts

Hebrews 11:8,10 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. . . For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. —

November 28

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. . . For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. — Hebrews 11:8,10

Photo: Stock Xchng

OUR Father, Who art in Heaven, we thank Thee for Thy presence in our hearts and in our home, for Thy loving kindness and Thy tender mercies. We desire to give Thee the largest possible place in our life, that Thine ideals for us may be realized and that we may fulfill our little part in Thy great plan. So humbly pray Thee to pardon anything in our lives that hinders our fellowship with Thee or our usefulness to our fellow men, and correct in our characters whatever is not Christlike. Teach us to trust Thee for all our needs, both of soul and body.

Defend us in the time of temptation, and help us to realize that we are citizens of the spiritual kingdom. Bless all our fellow-disciples the world around. Empower Thy Church that she may win great victories over evil, and at last receive us to be with Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rev. W. O. Rogers,

Terre Haute, Indiana

1 Kings 3:5 God said, Ask what I shall give thee

November 27

God said, Ask what I shall give thee. — 1 Kings 3:5

Photo: Patrick Nijhuis

O LORD, our Father, we lift our hearts in love and gratitude to Thee. Thy constant mercies come with the morning light, and fall upon us with the evening shadows; without them we could not live. The only return we can make to Thee, for Thine own sake, is to love Thee and to praise Thee. All else we must give to others, whose needs are like our own. Help us to know, also, that when we worship Thee, we ourselves are most benefited, by minds exalted and hearts purified in coming into Thy holy presence. May every day make Thee more real to us, until at last no other friend shall be so near. Give us to know Thy will concerning us, so that we shall not grope our way through life, but follow Thy plan. While we would thankfully enjoy every creature comfort bestowed upon us, keep us from setting our hearts too much on things that perish in the using. Help us to know our weaknesses, that we may have sympathy for all who fail and sin because they do not lean on Thee. Enable us so to live as not to spoil a single day or grieve a single heart by deeds that might never be undone, or words that might never be recalled. And this we can do only by His help Who is our Savior, and through Whom we ask it. Amen.

George W. White, D.D.,

Oakland, California

1 Timothy 2:8 I will, therefore, that men pray everywhere

November 26

I will, therefore, that men pray everywhere. — 1 Timothy 2:8

Photo: Bartlomiej Stroinski

OUR Father, we are Thy children by faith in the Redeemer. We are Thy children when we are obedient and Thou art pleased; we are Thy children when we are wayward and in grief Thou dost chasten us. We know that our sins are wholly displeasing to Thee, and they are painful to us. For Jesus' sake, forgive our sins.

Accept our deepest gratitude for Thy tender mercies in all our past, for the promise of Thy grace in all our needs, for the assurance of Thy presence always.

Bless us in the duties to which we have been called. Deliver us from the fear of man. Keep us from measuring our duties by the conduct of others, and help us to be great in Thy sight. Let us remember that there are but twelve hours in the day, and the night cometh. Help us to see that the great questions are issues of eternity, and may we be kept in the love of God.

Guide, O Jehovah, in the affairs of state; bless all movements and men that promote our Redeemer's Kingdom; and give Thy holy benediction upon the homes wherein our loved ones dwell. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Rev. J.M. Dawson,

Waco, Texas

Ephesians 5:2 Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us

November 25

Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us. — Ephesians 5:2

Photo: Jamie Brelsford

OUR Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for having mercifully kept us in health and strength, and for filling our lives with so much of comfort and happiness.

We pray for each one of those near and dear to us, and we beseech that Thou wilt keep them, and defend them from all evil. Enrich them with the blessing of Thy Holy Spirit.

Likewise we pray for all Thy disciples of every creed, wherever they may be, and that Thou wilt bring all those now separated from Thee to a vital knowledge of Thy goodness to them, and to a desire to become Thy humble followers.

As we pray "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," so, O Lord, may we daily strive by all our acts to do all that we can for the upbuilding and extension of Thy kingdom on earth, and may our lives show to all men that we are Thine.

May we honor Thee by striving to obey Thy command to do unto others as we would have that they should do unto us, and so bring men to acknowledge Thee as their Lord and Savior. Amen.

Alba B. Johnson,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Psalm 55-17 Evening and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous be moved

November 24

Evening and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous be moved. — Psalm 55:17

Photo: Johan van den Berg

OUR Father in Heaven, look upon us, we beseech Thee, in Thine infinite love and compassion. Dwell Thou with us, that being molded by Thy good Spirit, we may have fellowship with Thee as Thy children. Help us at all times to trust Thee. Appoint for us what Thou willest, and make us ready to receive with thankfulness whatsoever seemeth good to Thee concerning us. Go with us in every mission on which Thou art pleased to send us, and in Thy service we may find rest.

Lighten our darkness, we entreat Thee, that we may behold Thy face, and in Thy tender mercy, do Thou temper the storm lest our weak faith fail. Forgive our sins, and day by day deliver us from their power. We commit all our loved ones to Thy keeping. Do Thou watch over them and bless them. And as Thou givest us a taste of Thy joy in loving our friends, lead us into the fullness of the joy of loving all whom Thou lovest, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

William Farquharson, D.D.,

Agincourt, Ontario, Canada

John 16:24 Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full

November 23

Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. — John 16:24

Photo: Abdulhamid AlFadhly

O GOD, our Father! We worship Thy name, and bless Thee for Thyself. We acknowledge Thee to be the source and stay of our lives. We are Thy creatures. Thou wilt not leave us to suffer eternal want; Thou wilt not leave us to lack for daily bread. We are Thy children; we believe ourselves descended from Thee. O Grant that we may not plead Thy Fatherhood in vain! Let us not stand either as aliens or orphans, but as the heirs of God through promise. Give us, we beseech Thee, Thy Holy Spirit, that He may perfectly reveal to us Jesus Christ the Son. Give us to know Him, that we may abide in Him, and that His Word may abide in us. May neither prosperity nor the enticements of the world wean our thoughts and faith from Him. Pardon our sins and cleanse our hearts, that we may become a habitation of God through the Spirit; that Christ may dwell in us and we in Him. Guide and direct us in our intercourse with men. May our words and influence become a savor of life unto life. Show us how we may help to bring Thy Kingdom upon the earth. Admonish us in the days of health, nor forsake us in sickness and the hour of death. When our change shall come, give us to dwell forever in the house of Thy Fatherhood in Heaven, through the merit and grace of Jesus Christ Thy Son. Amen.

Horace M. DuBose, D.D.,

Nashville, Tennessee

Psalm 22:23 Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him

November 22

Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him. — Psalm 22:23

Photo: Brian Call

HELP us, O God, this day to recognize ourselves as Thy children. May we call to mind and refresh ourselves with the teachings of Thy servant who declared that our birth is a forgetting; that "the soul that rises with us, our life's star, hath had elsewhere its setting, and cometh from afar." May we remember that we come from God, who is our home, and may we mourn the fact that we have forgotten the Imperial Palace whence we come and the glories we have known. May it be in our hearts to thank Thee, O Lord, that there is something in each of us which the weights and the frosts of earth cannot suppress, with lives as the embers of primeval fires; those high instincts, those first affections--shadowy recollections which are the master light of all our seeing; a primal sympathy, a faith that looks through death.

We thank Thee, O Lord, for the seasons of calm weather, when we have sight of that immortal sea over which we voyaged to this world, and back over which again, when the work of life is done, we shall travel to our eternal home. In full knowledge of Thy way, Thy truth, Thy life, as declared through Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, may we live to serve Thee every day of our lives. Amen.

James W. Lee, D.D.,

St. Louis, Missouri

Matthew 5:13-16 Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven

November 21

Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. — Matthew 5:13-16

Photo: Elayne Wong

OUR Saviour and our Intercessor, Thou camest into the world not to be ministered unto, but minister, and to give Thy life a ransom for many. Thou didst go about doing good. Looking upon the young man, Thou didst love him.

Thou didst weep over Jerusalem. In the spirit of Thy love and sacrifice for lost souls, inflame our hearts with a sacred passion for the redemption of men. O Thou, the sinners' Christ, pour upon us a tender and undying yearning to save precious souls! Give us a greater zeal than our fathers had. May we take no neighboring saint for our standard, but dwell with our God for power. Amen.

Arthur S. Phelps, D.D.,

Waterville, Maine

Zechariah 14:7 But it shall come to pass that at evening time it shall be light

November 20

But it shall come to pass that at evening time it shall be light. — Zechariah 14:7

Photo: StockXchng

WE speak to Thee, O Lord, our Father, not as aliens and strangers, but as children of the household. Thou hast given unto us many and priceless tokens of Thy favor. We have felt the touch of Thy hand upon our head and the joy of Thy benediction in our heart. Cause Thy face to shine upon the dark places through which we may be called to pass this day and may the clouds be lifted; or, if the darkness be better for us according to Thy wisdom and Thy will, then be Thy promises a glorious beacon and Thy fidelity a star, and may we be made to feel that it is better to hold on to Thy hand in the dark than to walk alone in the light. If we are not all that Thou dost intend us to be; if we are not in harmony with Thee; if we want for ourselves, and not for others; if our service be the hollow service of habit or the shallow service of display, show us how we are disappointing Thee, and starving ourselves, and robbing our fellows, and putting far off the one divine event toward which the whole creation moves, the Kingdom of God in human hearts and the union of man in the bonds of righteousness and peace. Especially regard the unsaved. Those who touch us on every side, whose hearts are kept back from Thee. May our lives be so clean and so true that God's cause may ever have a witness and an evangel in the influence we daily exert. Amen.

John H. Wiley, Ph.D., S.T.D.,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness

November 19

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. — Romans 6:18

Photo: Bert Mutsaers

HEAVENLY FATHER, we thank Thee for the rest which has come to our bodies in sleep. During the long hours of the night Thou hast been watching over us. Thou art always mindful of us, not only in the night, but also in the workaday. Help us, dear Father, to be as mindful of Thee as Thou are thoughtful of us. Forbid that we forget our God. May we not become so occupied with worldly affairs that we have no time or place for Thee.

As we talk to Thee, our sins rise like mountains from the deep. We are ashamed of our weaknesses. We confess everything, and plead for Thy forgiveness. Leave us not in our humiliation, but take us by the hand and lift us up. Give us the assurance that our sins are pardoned, and help us to live this day as the blessed Jesus did every day.

We pray for the discouraged and distressed; Lord, give them cheer. We pray for all the people who are living in darkness; Lord, give them light. We pray for those who fight against themselves, against each other and against God; Lord, give them peace. We ask it all in the name of Jesus, for Thy glory and for our good. Amen.

Luther E. Todd, D.D.,

St. Louis, Missouri           

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit

November 18

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. — Ephesians 6:18

Photo: Nadia Szopińska

WE COME before Thee, our Father and our God, to worship, to praise Thy name, and to thank Thee for Thy great mercy and Thy many blessings. We confess our sins, but we come with boldness to Thy throne of grace, for our trust is in Him Who is our Advocate and our Mediator. We pray that Thou wilt show to each one of us Thy will for this day, and help us to do it, not going in our own selfish and sinful ways. O Lord, grant that Thy will may be done more and more by all men, and that Jesus may not only be given a place in the throne room of our hearts, but may we let Him be seated on the throne and crown Him Lord of all. Our Father, we ask that Thy Holy Spirit may be our comforter, our guide and our helper this day. May we let our light so shine today--in the home, on the street, at work or at play--that others may be drawn to Him Who is the Light of the World. We pray that it may be our earnest desire to know Christ better, and to make Him known. Help us to watch and be faithful, so when He comes He may find us with lamps trimmed and burning. And all we ask is in His own blessed name. Amen.

Rev. J. L. Read,

Little Rock, Arkansas

Isaiah 12:4 Praise the Lord, call upon His name

November 17

Praise the Lord, call upon His name. — Isaiah 12:4

Photo: Jason Conlon

ALMIGHTY GOD, our Heavenly Father, in Whom we live and move and have our being, from Thy kind hand comes down every good and perfect gift; and we humbly thank Thee for all Thy loving kindness to us.

We come before Thee confessing our sins, for which we ask Thy forgiveness. Bless us in our bodies and our spirits, which are Thine. Grant us food and strength and clothing and shelter as we need. And give us grace to know and do Thy holy will. Make the path of duty plain before us; keep us from temptation and from sin, enabling us to glorify Thee upon the earth.

Bless, too, all our loved ones whom, in the arms of our prayer, we would bring before Thee. Heal any who are sick, comfort the sorrowful, and strengthen any who are faltering; grant them each one Thy favor, in which is life; Thy loving kindness, which is better than life.

Remember graciously the community in which we dwell, in all its interests temporal and spiritual. Prosper Thy Church among us, and give success to its work. Bless our country, and make us that happy people whose God is the Lord. Send out Thy light and Thy truth, and hasten the coming of Thy Kingdom. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Thomas H. Law, D.D.,

Spartanburg, South Carolina

John 15:7 Ask what you will, and it shall be done unto thee

November 16

Ask what you will, and it shall be done unto thee. — John 15:7

Photo: Irum Shahid

O GOD our Father, Thou hast watched us during the hours of sleep, and under the shadow of Thy wings we have rested in safety. Grant that now, when we awake, we may be still with Thee. May we walk with Thee and work with Thee through all the hours of the day, seeing Thee in all the life about us, and finding it our meat to do the will of Him who sent us, and to finish His work.

In the busiest moments, may we never quite lose sight of Thee, or slacken the hold of our souls upon the things that are eternal.

Defend us from all dangers, but above all from our own faults and weaknesses. Help us so to pass through this day that we shall cast no shade on other lives, but shall bring brightness into the world about us.

And when the day draws to an end, may we have the quiet joy of knowing that, by Thy grace, we have been able to win and to manifest something of that eternal life which is found in doing justly, with loving kindness, and walking humbly with God. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

William Pierson Merrill, D.D.,

New York City, New York

Psalm 147:1 Its good to sing praises unto our God

November 14

Its good to sing praises unto our God. — Psalm 147:1

Photo: Stock Xchng

OUR Father, for such Thou hast taught us to call Thee, we thank Thee that we may be brought into Thy family through living, loving, faith in Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Elder Brother. And we thank Thee for all that may mean to us. We thank Thee for a Father's love. Keep us ever, we pray Thee, within the circle of that love. We thank Thee for the oversight and protection that Thou dost give us day by day. As we go out from the home, go Thou with us, and when we return at eventide may we bring Thee with us, to be with us in the breaking of bread and through all the hours of darkness, until morning break and the shadows flee away. Draw all members of the family circle into real fellowship with Thy Son, that we may be cleansed from all sin, and may be kept by His power from falling, and may be presented at last faultless before Thy presence with exceeding great joy. Make us to be more tender and thoughtful of one another, and of all our companions. Forgive all display of temper and hasty speech, give us the love that suffereth long and is kind. Bless with us all the needy and distressed. Bless all mankind. Redeem the world lying in sin, and hasten the coming of Thy Kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Ernest Thompson, D.D.,

Charleston, West Virginia

Psalm 71:8 Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise

November 13

Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise. — Psalm 71:8

Photo: Markus Biehal

WE THANK Thee, O Lord, that Thou has been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.

We thank Thee that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. We are grateful to Thee that He took upon Himself the form of a man like other men, and that He became obedient unto death--even the death upon the cross--that we might have life, and have it more abundantly.

Grant, O Lord, that we, the children of men, through the power of Thy Holy Spirit, may become like the Son of Man in mind and heart and will. May we be brothers to the race. Enable us to toil patiently up the slopes of service. Teach us to be willing to forgive as He forgave. We pray for all the nations of the earth whom Thou hast made of one blood. Speed the coming of Thy Kingdom upon the earth, that nation may no longer make war against nation. Hasten the coming of the day when the knowledge of God shall cover the earth as the waters now cover the sea, and bring us all at last up to that city whose Maker and Builder is God. Amen.

Hoyt M. Dobbs, D.D.,

Fort Worth, Texas

Psalm 79:13 We will show forth Thy praise

November 12

We will show forth Thy praise. — Psalm 79:13

Photo: Chris Wittwer

AS WE present ourselves before the throne of Thy power, Lord, we come to praise Thy name and to bring with us a large petition. We ask, nay, even with boldness we claim the inheritance left us by our Elder Brother, His peace — the peace which the world cannot give, and which the world cannot take away

We dare not ask for wealth, with all its allurement to worldliness; we dare not ask for length of days, with prospect of aged weakness and dependence; we dare not ask for preferment among our brethren, realizing that if we honor ourselves, our honor is nothing; we dare not ask for freedom from sorrow, remembering that they who are not of this world shall in the world have tribulation; but we do ask, our Father, that in perfect peace we may rest in Thee, knowing that He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, shall with Him also freely give us all things. Grant, Lord, that the peace of God which passeth all understanding, may keep our hearts and minds through abundance of grace in Christ our Redeemer.

This our prayer we make in the name of Him Who loveth us and gave Himself for us, even Jesus Christ our Righteousness. Amen.

John W. Friend,

Petersburg, Virginia

Jeremiah 29:13 Ye shall see Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart

November 11

Ye shall see Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart. — Jeremiah 29:13

Photo: Sigurd Decroos

O THOU, with Whom to dwell is the light of life and from Whom to depart is the shadow of death, grant us the joy of Thine abiding presence this day, that in us there may be no darkness at all. We are not children of the darkness, O Father, but our paths this day may lead us into the midst of human sorrow and strife and sin. May we walk as befits the children of the Light!

Give us, we pray Thee, open and alert minds to discover Thy will, and a holy purpose both to love and to do it. Help us to be true in the midst of all that is false, pure where evil most abounds, friendly to the friendless, and bearers of our brothers' burdens for our Saviour's sake. Take away, we pray Thee, all the guilt of our sin, and give us the joy of the victorious life through our divine Redeemer.

At the close of this day bring us, with spirits untroubled and unashamed, to our own firesides, where, by Thy grace, we may find rest, and the peace that passeth all understanding.

All of this we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Savior. Amen.

William Hiram Foulkes, D.D., LL.D.,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania