Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, we humbly seek the wisdom to use the gifts You have given to us wisely to fulfil Your Purposes. Help us to know You intimately so that we can serve You diligently. And may we look forward to that day when, through our Lord Jesus Christ’s Merits, we enter into Your Joyous Commendation. In His Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture

Devotion

At the heart of the parable of the talents are three servants, each given bags of gold according to their abilities. A talent was a measure of weight equivalent to 33kg. So one talent of gold was equivalent to approximately 2M USD in today’s money. These were no small sums!

Two servants, understanding their master’s desires and wishing to please him when he returned, invested the money that they had been given and doubled it. When the master returned, he was pleased and rewarded them for their diligence. They were given praise, more responsibility and joy in their master’s presence.

The third servant, however, believing his master to be harsh and greedy, buried the gold, then simply returned it to his master. Despite the master’s incredible generosity and trust shown to his servants, this servant was driven by self-preservation rather than a desire to please the master. That made his work passive and fruitless. His punishment is the mirror opposite from the other servants’ reward – he is rebuked, his responsibilities are taken away, and he is thrown out of the master’s presence into outer darkness.

Knowing God’s Character, we are set free to live and work to His Praise and Glory. Do you see that all things are from His Hand? Do you know that He has graciously called you into His Service and given you work to accomplish? Have you been diligent in using what He has given in His Service? If so, then rejoice! At Christ’s Return He will be pleased to give you praise, greater responsibility and perfect joy in His Presence.

Intercessory Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, those who have to leave their homes to flee war, persecution, and insecurity are in great need of shelter and safe refuge. We ask the Lord to help them find new friendships and support in an unfamiliar environment and that they will feel accepted and respected. Lord, we also pray that governments and international organizations will handle the issue of asylum seekers and refugees with wisdom and love, and be able to provide appropriate resources and support to ensure that these people can rebuild their lives and create a better future for themselves and their families. In Jesus’s name, Amen!