Opening Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, help me to see my own sin and failure, but also Your abundant goodness and grace, and therefore to trust You and Your Son, and to choose to live wholeheartedly for Christ my Lord and King. I confess I often live for myself, help me to live for You and to build my life on You and Your words. In Your Son’s gracious name I pray. Amen!

Scripture

Devotion

Jesus asks us to be aware of three things: first, to humbly be aware of our own sins and failings. It is very easy to magnify the faults of others, while minimizing our own. Jesus gives us a healthy dose of right perspective (vv1-6). Second, Jesus asks us to be aware of who God the Father is. He is a good and gracious Father, who loves His children and loves to give us everything we need (not necessary want!) for life and godliness (vv7-11). Finally, Jesus wants us to see the binary nature of following Him: In verses 13-27 Jesus gives us numerous examples where we have two choices: two paths, two kinds of trees, two foundations upon which to build our lives. Because our sin is real, and our heavenly Father is good, gracious and generous, we should make a bold and clear decision to follow Jesus; we cannot follow Jesus half-heartedly, we cannot be one foot in His Kingdom and one foot out. We cannot ask Jesus to be King at some times, and not at others. We cannot walk down both paths. We cannot build our lives on two foundations. Jesus calls us to know Him deeply and personally (vv21-23), to love Him and to follow Him wholeheartedly as Lord and King.

Intercessory Prayer

God, a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His Holy Dwelling. You see the trouble of the afflicted; You consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to You. The fatherless look around and see many families with parents and ask, “why me”? Even as we have no answers, Lord, let them see You, that each one will come to know and trust You as their Father.
Show us how to introduce Christ & love them in the way they need. Teach us how we can help orphans, foster-care children, and those under abuse. Lord, reveal Yourself to them as we embrace them as our family and show love to them. We pray that kind eyes, a little spoken encouragement and smile, a gentle word, a little giving, a remembering of each ones’ names will go far deep into their hearts to know that they matter, and we love them.
Lord, You are faithful and good to the fatherless, You hear their cries & prayers and answer them. Please heal their hearts, and help them to find their identity & purpose in Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen!