𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 & 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫!

[Believer]

Morning Bible Verse of the Day

January 29, 2025 Wednesday

Morning Prayer

And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
From: Mark 4:24,25 (KJV)

Inspiration

On other occasions, Jesus used this phrase “with what measure you measure it shall be measured to you” to mean we should not judge others falsely or treat others over-harshly and expect that not to come back on our own heads. But here, he seems to use this phrase to mean: listen diligently because the more attentive and eager you are to learn, the more you measure to yourself of God’s Word that you hear, the more you will abound in it.

Prayer

Teach us to be good listeners when we read or hear you Word, Lord. Let us not take it for granted or treat it as an unimportant, common thing. Let us eagerly gather to ourselves all the knowledge of your Word that we can manage. And the more we progress, the more you will give; but those who neglect it can lose even that little bit that they have. Let us keep learning more of your Word and applying it ever more to our hearts and lives. Amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Morning Devotional

January 29, 2025 Wednesday

John 15:9-10 (KJV)

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

If You Love Me…

Frances Taylor

…You will keep my commandments! Doesn’t that sound easy? But, like the Rich Young Man in the Gospel, and the scribe who wants to know who is his neighbor, it’s just not that simple. Today’s world makes it a lot more difficult to figure out what the commandments mean. On the surface, many of them sound easy to keep because we don’t think we adore other gods, and we don’t believe in murder, and what does covet mean anyway? When we dig a little deeper and realize that the god we worship is often ourselves, or those curse words that slip off the tongue are just part of today’s speech, or who doesn’t tell a little white lie occasionally, we realize that the commandments are more difficult to keep than we originally thought. Perhaps it’s time to review the seven deadlies and see how they work into this equation. Do I let pride make me put God or others at the end of the line? Am I envious of the good fortune of others? Do I fuel the fires of anger instead of forgiveness? Do I allow lust to take root in me so that unhealthy relationships enter my life – in person, or electronically? Does gluttony for the good things in life rule my days so that work or the desire for money is more important than family? Perhaps sloth is a problem. Am I too lazy to pray, to go to church, to help my neighbor? You see, when these sins are rooted out, the commandments become a lot easier to follow, and that goes for the most important commandment at well – love others as Jesus has loved us. And as Jesus tells us, we don’t have to go it alone, the Holy Spirit is there to help us. All we have to do is ask.

Prayer

Lord, please remind me that the commandments are not suggestions but rules to be followed. Amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Night Bible Verse of the Day

January 29, 2025 Wednesday

Night Prayer

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
From: 1 Corinthians 9:24 (KJV)

Inspiration

When you enter a race, you prepare by training, eating well, and wearing the right clothes and shoes. And when the race begins, you keep your eyes on where you are going, staying on the track or course that leads to the finish line. Our spiritual race is much the same, we must be diligent in maintaining prayer, study, and fellowship. And we must direct our sight (and our feet) to the prize that God is leading us to.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I want to live faithfully for You. For You are a reward of immeasurable worth. Grow me in discipline, Lord, so that I may be fit and healthy, prepared to run the race that You’ve prepared for me. And help me to not lose sight of You, so that my feet may stay on the course You’ve set for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Morning Bible Verse of the Day

January 30, 2025 Thursday

Morning Prayer

And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
From: Micah 5:4 (KJV)

Inspiration

The day is coming when the Messiah will "be great to the ends of the earth. " He will reign on the earth and take all the kingdoms of this world as his own possession. He will establish justice and rule in might. Today, there is much injustice in the world, and governments are often corrupt. In that day, however, we will see the perfect righteous rule of Jesus Christ.

Prayer

O Lord, we look expectantly to the time of your Millennial and then Eternal reign. This age is passing us by, and its injustice will not long endure. We are glad to endure suffering for your glory now, but we rejoice in hope of the Kingdom of God that is yet to come. Let this future hope motivate us, we pray, to holy living in the present. Amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Morning Devotional

January 30, 2025 Thursday

Psalms 32:1-5 (KJV)

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

The Problem With Guilt

Frances Taylor

Does anyone sin anymore? We have a problem with admitting the existence of sin in our world today. We feel little responsibility to ask for forgiveness or to acknowledge that our actions have consequences. And so what happens with guilt? In today’s psalm, there is joy in the knowledge that God has forgiven the sins of the psalmist. He talks about how he felt carrying the guilt of his sins. They can be a heavy burden. Just because the moral code of today doesn’t like to admit that sin exists, our psyches as well as our bodies bear the brunt of our feelings of guilt. Many years ago I read an interesting piece of advice. Guilt can be heaped on us by others who didn’t get what they want from you and is therefore not real, and it can be because of something we actually are responsible for. The advice was to hang onto guilt for no more than 3 hours – enough to suffer for something false and enough time to ask forgiveness for anyone we might have hurt. One of my neighbors once came into my yard and stole an item he decided I didn’t want. When I confronted him and asked for it back, he gave it back but didn’t speak to me for 2 years, blaming me for his theft. It wasn’t until he acknowledged that he was to blame and asked for my forgiveness that he could relax and be a neighbor to others. Psychologists and psychiatrists have couches full of people whose guilt is wearing them down. How easy and difficult is the answer – acknowledge our sinfulness and ask God’s forgiveness.

Prayer

Lord, our world tells us that anything goes, that if it feels good it is good. So why do we suffer the effects of guilt? Give us the will to take stock of our lives admit our wrongdoing and ask your forgiveness. Amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Night Bible Verse of the Day

January 30, 2025 Thursday

Night Prayer

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
From: Mark 4:39 (KJV)

Inspiration

Storms can be scary. When we are faced with strong winds and driving rains, we realize how little control we have in these conditions. Yet we serve the God who holds authority over the wind and the rain. With only a word, He calms the storms and delivers peace, whereby we find sanctuary and rest.

Prayer

Lord God, I am helpless against the storms of life. When the winds of worry and the rains of difficulty come at me, please be my protector. For You are stronger than the wind, and You are above the rain. By Your authority, speak Your peace into my life so that I may be comforted and strengthened by Your presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Morning Bible Verse of the Day

January 31, 2025 Friday

Morning Prayer

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
From: 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

Inspiration

Here we are told that a Christian, one truly "in Christ, " is a new creature or new “creation” of God. The old life is gone; the new life in Christ has come. And even as God needed no help from us in creating the physical world, he alone brings into being that new state of grace called being in Christ.

Prayer

Lord, help us to live ever more like the new creatures we are in your Son, Jesus Christ. Being in Christ, we draw our spiritual life from him, but the old nature still causes us to stumble. Prospectively, the old things are as good as gone, but practically, remnants of the old remain, though they are passing away. Sanctify us today with your truth and bring your new creations that much closer to completion. Amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Morning Devotional

January 31, 2025 Friday

Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 (KJV)

Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

All Is Vanity

Frances Taylor

Today we have one of my favorite books in the Old Testament – Ecclesiastes! It is second only to Psalms. What are riches? What is so important about having things? Now, I’m not talking about necessities, or even the luxuries that most of us enjoy, but having things, just to have them. Greed is a very dangerous vice that we often don’t even recognize in ourselves. Just watch what happens when someone dies and the relatives fight over what they leave, or complain that one person got more than another! This happens in the best of families but it doesn’t usually make the papers or the media in the way it does when the person is rich or famous. In Ecclesiastes, this is pointed out rather starkly – no matter what you accumulate on earth, someone else is going to enjoy or waste it in the end. Jesus tells the parable of the rich man who hoards his goods only to die that night. I don’t believe that Jesus is telling us not to prepare for the future, but not to the extent that we think only of ourselves. How many times when a hurricane or blizzard is predicted have we seen people rushing out to the grocery store to buy enough water and milk or food to last a month or more without a thought of others who might want enough to last a couple of days! In times of extreme emergencies, we often see the generosity of others, but why does it take a catastrophe to open our eyes to another’s needs? Jesus asks us to be aware of the needs of others all the time, to share what we have, to refrain from envy and jealousy. Our society doesn’t make it easy to do this, as we are constantly bombarded with ads that encourage us to buy more, think only of ourselves and to live for the pleasure of the moment. What is it that we possess that we would find it hard to do without? This reading makes me think, what about you?

Prayer

Lord, help us to see what is important in life. Greed does not lead to happiness. Looking out for oneself and overlooking the pain of others only leads to fear and unhappiness. We are told in the Old and New Testament alike that the way to happiness is love of God and love of neighbor. Let us choose the right path. Amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Night Bible Verse of the Day

January 31, 2025 Friday

Night Prayer

But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
From: Acts 8:20 (KJV)

Inspiration

Why do we seek God? Simon the Sorcerer thought he could buy the gift of the Holy Spirit, and he got quite the response! His selfish motivation was revealed in his actions. Here’s a way to test our motives: Do we seek to know and do God’s will, or do we hope to bend Him to our will? If we desire God simply because of what we hope to gain in this life, it’s time to reexamine our motives.

Prayer

Lord, I confess that in my selfishness I sometimes envy the gifts of great teachers and leaders, and wish that You would make me more like them. But I come before You today asking that You help me overcome my pride, and equip me for the work that You have called me to, not for my sake, but for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Morning Bible Verse of the Day

February 01, 2025 Saturday

Morning Prayer

But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
From: Matthew 5:28 (KJV)

Inspiration

Though the Law of Moses only prescribed stoning for actually committing adultery, nonetheless, in regard to the Law’s relation to eternal and ultimate matters, more was implied in the command to avoid adultery than just to not do the very act. Jesus points out that one is not innocent and pure before God who has lusted adulterously though not done the actual act of adultery. Sin is still in that man’s heart.

Prayer

Keep us, O Lord, from making your Law a quick and easy checklist that we can easily check off and be smugly satisfied with our own performance of it. Teach us that unless we keep your Law from the heart and abide by the spirit as well as the letter of your commands, we have not truly kept them. Help us to keep your Law truly from a motive of love for you. Amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Morning Devotional

February 01, 2025 Saturday

Matthew 23:1-3 (KJV)

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Frances Taylor

Of course, this could also be called, “Practice what you preach!” This week’s gospel reading gives us several directions in which to go. Humility would be another direction from the one I have chosen, but in our world today, it is so hard for children to distinguish right from wrong, that I settled on this topic.

Think of the difficulty today in teaching sexual morality to preteens and teens. I am appalled at many of the television programs that completely ignore the Scripture’s teachings and promote bed-hopping with no thought given to the damage this does psychologically to young people. Our children don’t see that there is anything wrong in that as “everybody does it these days.”

How many times have you heard parents swearing at their children for using foul language? Stealing is wrong, but it’s okay to bring home supplies from the office; lying is a sin, but I’m not going to tell you the truth if it gets me into trouble or makes you think less of me. Jesus called the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites. How we would hate to have that term used for us, but we all need to take stock once in a while and do a self-check. Am I a living example of how I want my children, my grandchildren, or others who know me as a Christian to live? If the answer is “no” then what can I do to make sure that what I say, I also do.

Prayer

Help me Lord to be a witness to your Word. It can be hard at times, but give me the graces I need to be a “doer” that follows your commands. Amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Night Bible Verse of the Day

February 01, 2025 Saturday

Night Prayer

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
From: James 1:25 (KJV)

Inspiration

The rules and regulations of the law are incapable of saving us, but they are far from worthless. For the law reveals the character and will of God and His desire for our community and our stewardship of His creation. So we are wise to not toss the law aside because we’ve been saved by grace. Rather, we are to understand the law and strive to obey, so that through us the grace of God may be made known to others.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for giving me direction and purpose through Your word. Help me to remember what I’ve read and understand how to live more completely in Your will. Empower me to live for You, so that others may see You and experience Your love and goodness through me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Morning Bible Verse of the Day

February 02, 2025 Sunday

Morning Prayer

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
From: Genesis 6:8 (KJV)

Inspiration

God bestowed his grace upon Noah and his wife, and his sons, and his sons’ wives, and these 8 only were saved from the worldwide destrucion of the Great Flood. Having found grace, Noah walked with God (verse 9).

Prayer

O Lord, let us find grace in your sight. Let us then walk in that grace wherein we stand. And even as Noah obeyed you and saved others in the ark he built, even so may you use us to help others find refuge in you. Amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Morning Devotional

February 02, 2025 Sunday

Luke 2:21-24 (KJV)

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

Being Family

Frances Taylor

What does it take to be “Family?” For me, it means love, forgiveness, compassion, courage and sacrifice. Today we see Mary and Joseph bringing the baby Jesus to the temple to complete the purification rites according to the law of Moses. They are greeted there by Simeon, who realizes that he is in the presence of the promised Messiah, and by Anna, who has spent many years worshipping in the temple and also seems to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. What must Mary have thought when Simeon told her that a “sword would pierce her heart” even as this child was to do great things?

As a mother, I am sure that every parent’s heart is pierced by a sword at some time or another. I am equally sure that every adult and child’s heart will at some time also be pierced by a sword because that is the price of love. The broader our definition of family, the more we are called to be open to suffering. We have our nuclear family, our extended family, our friends, our neighborhoods, our parish, our community and also the all-inclusive family of God. Our hearts break when we hear of tragedies even when we don’t know the people involved. We work to end violence and discrimination even when we are not the victims.

The poet John Donne said it well in his poem, “No Man Is An Island.” We are all connected to each other. When Mary said, “Yes,” to the angel and Joseph welcomed Mary and the child yet to be born into his home, they both knew at some level that there would be sacrifices to make. This did not stop them from accepting what was to come. Let us all pray for our families in a special way today – living and dead, far and near, known and unknown to us, because God has called all families to be “Holy.”

Prayer

Loving God, bless us and our families, both living and dead. Give us the grace to be forgiving and accepting of the faults and failings of those we love. Help us to reach out to other families who are in need. We thank you for giving us the example of Joseph and Mary as they nurtured your Son, Jesus, our Lord and Messiah. Amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Night Bible Verse of the Day

February 02, 2025 Sunday

Night Prayer

He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
From: Psalm 46:9 (KJV)

Inspiration

Conflict is unpleasant. Whether we are faced with large-scale conflicts between nations, urban violence between different factions of society, or strife in our families, we all long for peace. But as long as we have a broken world, we will have conflict. Still, we have hope that God will end our fights when we turn to Him, and that someday He will bring an end to all war, and His peace will reign forever.

Prayer

Lord, when I examine the conflict in my life, I see my selfishness. Help me to lay down my agenda and seek You so that I may be an agent of peace with my neighbors. I also ask that You would grant wisdom to the world’s leaders, convict their hearts and turn them away from their ambitions that lead to war and suffering. May Your peace last forever. In Jesus’ name, amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Morning Bible Verse of the Day

February 03, 2025 Monday

Morning Prayer

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
From: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV)

Inspiration

In the time of the Old Covenant, God’s special presence was in the Temple in Jerusalem, in the Holy of Holies, where dwelt His Shekinah Glory. Today, his special presence is those who believe on his Son Jesus Christ and are saved by his grace. Seeing that God’s Holy Spirit dwells in us, we ought be holy and not live so as to grieve Him.

Prayer

O Spirit of Grace, you are the Spirit of Promise sent by Christ to dwell in our hearts. We belong to God. We are not our own, for we have been bought with a price, even with the precious blood of Christ. Help us to honor and not grieve you today and every day. Amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Morning Devotional

February 03, 2025 Monday

Matthew 8:14-17 (KJV)

And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever.
And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

We All Need Healing

Frances Taylor

Jesus wants to heal us. What kind of healing do you need? There are days when I wake up with a terrible sinus headache. There are times when I grieve for and with others. There are times when I wonder if I have been a good parent, a good daughter, a good friend. There are also times when I’m not sure that I have been the person God has called me to be. In all of these times, I turn to prayer – and in the case of the headache, medicine! I do believe that my prayers will be answered, even if I don’t always recognize the answer. Just as those who came to Jesus for healing in the Gospels, we come to Jesus looking for physical, spiritual, emotional and psychological healing.

When my parents were very ill, I didn’t really know what to pray for, I left it in God’s hands, and the healing for them came in their being welcomed into eternal life. For me, it came in the peace of knowing that they had lived their lives believing in God’s love for them. When dealing with physical suffering, the healing might come in giving us the courage to deal with the pain. Whatever our need may be, Jesus is by our side, walking with us because he knows our pain, our doubts, our fears, our insecurities. Just as he looked to his Father for answers, he invites us to do likewise and just as Jesus’ requests on behalf of all those who came to him in today’s Gospel were granted, so will his requests on our behalf be granted as well.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for your healing presence in our lives. You are the source of all our blessings. You answer all our prayers. Amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Night Bible Verse of the Day

February 03, 2025 Monday

Night Prayer

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
From: 1 Timothy 6:17 (KJV)

Inspiration

God has entrusted some of us with great material resources. And it’s often too easy to look at a comfortable home or a hefty bank balance and lose sight of the Giver behind it. Still, all wealth is only with us for a short time and can be gone in an instant. Only God, who gives us all things, is worthy of our trust.

Prayer

Father, thank You for the material blessings You have provided me. Whether I have more or less than my neighbor, I am reminded that everything I have comes from You. Help me to not put my hope in the possessions of this life, but to remember always that all I have is Yours, and all I need is You. Thank You for continuing to sustain me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Morning Bible Verse of the Day

February 04, 2025 Tuesday

Morning Prayer

O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:
From: Psalm 7:1 (KJV)

Inspiration

Though David was a man after God’s own heart and trusted in Him, yet, God allowed other men to sometimes persecute him. Yet, David was confident that in the end God would deliver him from all of his persecutors. In like manner, God may allow others to persecute believers, but we should not fear those who at most can kill the body but do no more but fear God in whose hands are both our bodies and our souls.

Prayer

O Mighty God of David, you are also our God today. Satan, the enemy of our souls, is always intent on persecuting us and would, if it were possible, destroy us. But we know that, though the righteous man fall seven times, he shall rise again. When we fall into sin, it’s in our own weakness we fall; but we do not rest in our own strength, but in yours. We know that you always cause us to triumph in Christ and by your grace we will not be discouraged. Amen.

• AMEN

[Believer]

Morning Devotional

February 04, 2025 Tuesday

Mark 6:53-56 (KJV)

And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.
And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,
And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.
And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

The Healing Continues

Frances Taylor

Jesus continues his journey proclaiming the Good News of the coming of the Kingdom and his fame spread throughout the area. Word of the healings that had taken place encouraged people to bring their sick to him wherever he went. They just wanted to touch his clothing hoping to be cured. We often go to Jesus begging for healing as well.

The problem often is that the answer we get from God is not always the one we want. The one suffering from cancer dies. The illness is not cured and the person continues to suffer. Jesus didn’t cure everyone either as we learn from further reading of the Gospels. Today there are people who are known as healers and God continues to heal in order to give witness to his power, But, again, not everyone who goes to Fatima, Lourdes, or Medugorje seeking healing are healed. And healing does not mean that those who are healed have more faith than those who are not.

I have a friend whose first 2 children were born with birth defects. She was angry with God to the point where she denied his existence. One day at work she fell and shattered her elbow. In spite of surgeries and physical therapy, she was unable to life her arm above her shoulder. Her mother heard of a well-known healer who was coming to the area and convinced my friend to go with her to the service. During the course of the service she felt heat in her arm. Doctors examining her later said that nothing short of a miracle was responsible for the total healing of her elbow.

We know that God’s ways are not always our ways, but we still don’t like it when God says no, or I have a better idea. Healing can be physical, spiritual or psychological. For many people, healing comes with a sense of peace that everything is in God’s hands. This can be more of a comfort for us than any other form of healing.

Prayer

Lord, when we call upon you in faith you answer us. May we accept your answer to our prayers trusting that your ways are best. Amen.

• AMEN