12th. September 2020. Daily Devotion
A Little Light, Please
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. Matthew 14:25-26
It is a dark evening, as I write this. There have been a couple of heavy rainfalls and the sky looks thundery and I had been wondering if it will be a warm day tomorrow as forecast when I found this comment on these verses:
Every so often a storm will come, and I’ll look up into the blackening sky and say, “God, a little light, please?” The light came for the disciples. A figure came to them walking on the water. It wasn’t what they expected. Perhaps they were looking for angels to descend or heaven to open … We don’t know what they were looking for. But one thing is for sure, they weren’t looking for Jesus to come walking on the water …
And since Jesus came in a way they didn’t expect, they almost missed seeing the answer to their prayers. And unless we look and listen closely, we risk making the same mistake. God’s lights in our dark nights are as numerous as the stars, if only we’ll look for them. From “In the Eye of the Storm.” Max Lucado
Prayer for Truth
Open my eyes, gracious Lord, as I turn to your word. I long to know you, to understand life, and to be changed. Examine me, Lord, by the floodlight of your truth, and let me see myself and all things in your light. Amen.
Prayer to overcome Bad Habits
Mighty Holy Spirit, face of the one true God, help me, for I have slipped into bad habits. Something in me defies my attempts to change, and I feel compelled to do that which I do not want to do. I feel weak and ashamed, and I turn to you for help. Help me, dear God. Help me to resist this temptation. Lend me your mighty power to cast it aside.
You have graciously promised that you would not let us be tempted beyond our ability, but instead, would provide an escape for any temptation we pray to resist. Holy Spirit show me my escape from my bad habit. Let me resolve to work on it, to pray on it, to turn it into a habit of good; for I know how you love righteous conduct, and my love for you longs to please you. Work your power to help me please you, mighty God; for I know that with your help, I can overcome any evil. In Christ’s name, I pray, Amen.
A Prayer for Strength
Lord we remember that after the Resurrection
your disciples spent time isolated in the upper room.
They felt the loss of your presence.
They were afraid of what they could not control.
Sometimes we feel like that because of the virus
and its social distancing.
For many of us it is a time of loneliness.
Help us to have the confidence
that you are with us during this time of trial.
Lord you are our strength.
Renew your spirit among us. Amen.
