20th. January. 2022. Daily Devotion.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. ~ Matthew 6:13

Evil takes us where we never plan to go and will keep us much longer than we plan to stay. When we pray to God, and say, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” we are not only speaking of evil inflicted upon us, but also of the evil that we inflict on ourselves and others; evil which holds us captive.

If we keep our eyes straight ahead on Jesus, and move away from temptation toward the Father, we can avoid getting into trouble in this life. If it is too late, and we have given into our sinful desires, we need to remember, we are not alone. Yes, God is watching what we do in secret. The good news is, He loves us even while we are drowning in our sinfulness. He is there, waiting and willing, to protect, and deliver us from our evil arena. Recognize that sin is like quicksand; the longer we stay in, the harder it is to get out. Come quickly to the great Deliverer and be set free. J. Calvert.

Dear Father, Please help me out of this mess. In the name of Jesus, Amen

Confession

Have mercy on me, Oh Lord, for I am a humble and miserable sinner. [At this point, pause to remember specific sins you have committed during the day and speak or think them.] I renounce all of these sins, heavenly Father, and repent of them, and I promise to make every effort not to repeat them.

Have mercy on me, pardon me for these offences and any I might have omitted from forgetfulness or ignorance; in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, I pray for forgiveness. And I pray that your Holy Spirit may dwell with me in the coming day, to comfort me, to give me strength against temptation, and to guide me into the path of righteousness. Amen.

Prayer to Love Others

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom you have taught us that love is the greatest good; defend me this day against all the instincts that tempt me away from love of my fellow man. Let me put aside every sort of prejudice and bias against other people who are different from me: those who have a different gender, or skin colour, or accent, or who have different ideas about politics or how to drive a car or any of the thousand other differences that Satan uses to drive a wedge between me and all the other people of earth.

Let me accept others for who they are. Let me know that they are your creatures, and that you love them just as you love me. Let me not be stingy with my affection or my support of others out of jealousy, or greed, or pridefulness; but look upon the work of others, and their well-being, as I look upon my own.

I am weak, Lord, and I often stumble and let myself lapse into irritation or anger at others; but through your Holy Spirit, all things are possible; and I ask that today you be with me at every moment and fill me with the capacity for love that only your Spirit can bring to me. In the name of my Lord Christ I ask this, Amen.

Prayer for World Peace ~ Gods intervention

Father, even when things seem hopeless, we know that through you we are never without hope. We beg your intervention for a world constantly on the brink of war. Beat the swords into ploughshares and cause the lion to lie down with the lamb.

Intervene in this world that we may avoid the horrors of war and let peace rule in all lands. Through Christ, our Lord, Amen.