14th. July. 2020. Daily Devotion
Today I invite you to look up and away from the troubles of the world.
Revelation 21:22-22:5
21:22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendour into it.
25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.
26 The glory and honour of the nations will be brought into it.
27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.
4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
Psalm 91:1-6
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
Both the passage from Revelation and the Psalm are tremendously comforting. The Psalm teaches us that we live in the shadow of a powerful and protective God, and that we do not need to fear anything in our lives. The passage from Revelation illustrates, as well as our human minds can grasp, the utter beauty of a world without sin or falsehood that we will inherit.
Look beyond the archaic imagery and remember that John is trying to describe a spiritual reality using as his reference point the structures and beliefs with which he was familiar in the ancient world. Simply enjoy and be refreshed by the pictures he paints of his vision.
What could be more inviting than a crystal-clear river flowing through our city, lined by trees? These are trees of life, with twelve kinds of fruit, one for each month the leaves of which are for the healing of the nations.
Prayers
Prayer of Supplication
Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me, for I am poor and needy. Without you, I have nothing. I pray that this day I will have food, and shelter, and be free of pain and fear. If it is not your will for me to suffer, Lord, I pray that I will not. And above all, cleanse my soul of sin, that I might someday be free of all pain and evil; for, whatever I may bear in this life, I have faith and hope in the life to come, through your goodness and mercy. In Christ’s name, I pray, Amen.
Prayer for strength
If things get tough today, Lord — and in all hard times — let me stay motivated and calm. Let me look at how far I have come rather than how far I still have to go. Let me continue counting my blessings, not what I’ve been missing. May every day bring new chances to grow, beautiful new things to see, new plans to do, and new goals to pursue, as every new day is Your miracle day. Send me now into the world in peace and grant me strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.
Intercession
You call us to speak to you in prayer– even when the places we would usually go to do so are not available.
Help us to know you Spirit’s presence wherever we pray.
Today we pray for those who are living in fear or anxiety during this pandemic – give them your strength.
For those who have not yet realised the urgency of the situation – protect them, and all of us from harm.
Today I wish to pray for ……………….….
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
