Day 2 – Devotional
Read
Matthew 6:1-14
1 “Examine your motives to make sure you’re not showing off when you do your good deeds, only to be admired by others; otherwise, you will lose the reward of your heavenly Father. 2 So when you give to the poor, don’t announce it and make a show of it just to be seen by people, like the hypocrites in the streets and in the marketplace. They’ve already received their reward! 3 But when you demonstrate generosity, do it with pure motives and without drawing attention to yourself. 4 Give secretly and your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly.”
Prayer
5 “Whenever you pray, be sincere and not like the pretenders who love the attention they receive while praying before others in the meetings and on street corners. Believe me, they’ve already received in full their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God, praying to him in secret. And your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly. 7 When you pray, there is no need to repeat empty phrases, praying like those who don’t know God, for they expect God to hear them because of their many words. 8 There is no need to imitate them, since your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.
9 Pray like this:
‘Our Father, dwelling in the heavenly realms, may the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn.
10 Manifest your kingdom realm, and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth, just as it is fulfilled in heaven.
11 We acknowledge you as our Provider of all we need each day.
12 Forgive us the wrongs we have done as we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
13 Rescue us every time we face tribulation and set us free from evil. For you are the King who rules with power and glory forever. Amen.’
14 “And when you pray, make sure you forgive the faults of others so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you.
Psalm 23
The Good Shepherd
David’s poetic praise to God
1 The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough.
2 He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss.
3 That’s where he restores and revives my life. He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to his name.
4 Lord, even when your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have! You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way. Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for you are near.
5 You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit; you give me all I can drink of you until my heart overflows.
6 So why would I fear the future? For your goodness and love pursue me all the days of my life. Then afterward, when my life is through, I’ll return to your glorious presence to be forever with you!
Pray
Dear Lord Jesus,
You have redeemed me from darkness and brought me into your kingdom of life and light. Your mercy and grace have freed me from sin. Your loving kindness has knit my heart to Yours.
Now I am Yours, and You are mine. You are my Lord and my beloved. You are my loving heavenly savior who loves me with a perfect love. Help me love You! Help me to see Your face and hear Your voice through Your WORDS. Help me stand in Your grace and under the fountain of Your love. May Your love and truth flow over, in deep, and through my soul. When despair, condemnation, doubt, or fear attempt to swallow me and threaten to bind me in their twisted claws, help me run to Your shelter in thanksgiving and praise.
I love You, Lord Jesus and in Your name I will have peace and joy. Help me walk forward with my heart set upon You and things above, not on things below. I want to love You with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength. I want Your love that is in me and my love for You to be demonstrated in a longing to serve You and others and through my faithful obedience to You and Your Word. May my sole desire be to please You as my Lord and my beloved. May I present myself before You as holy and acceptable. Help me, by Your grace, to know You and love You so deeply and dearly that You mean far more to me than the things of this world. I want to worship You and You alone so I can humbly shine, so others will see and want the same love that changes everything.
Thank You Jesus, that Your WORD tells me if I ask anything in Your name and according to Your will it will be done.
In your name Jesus I pray, Amen.
