Devotional | KFAITH 103.1

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Verse of the Day - Proverbs 26:20

Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Ol' Smokey The Bear said: "Only you can prevent forest fires!" Basically, that's what the Wiseman of Proverbs says about gossip. We can turn down the heat, douse the fire, and let the quarrel die. How? By not supplying juicy morsels of gossip, ditching the urge to spread destructive innuendos, and refusing to keep alive an ugly rumor. Without gossip, the bitterness of a rivalry can dissolve, and relationships can mend.

My Prayer...

Forgive me, O God, for I have sometimes kept gossip alive or entertained a conversation with someone who gossips. Please bless and heal those whom I have wounded with my participation in gossip. Give me the strength to say only what is helpful to bless others according to their needs, the courage to mend the relationships I have damaged because of my reckless words, and the wisdom to know how to discourage those seeking to spread gossip in front of me. In Jesus' name, I ask it. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

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Saturday, September 23, 2023

Verse of the Day - Psalm 79:9

Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.

—Psalm 79:9

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

We don't deserve the grace we need. We have no right to presume on God's forgiveness. We have no reason to expect divine deliverance. But in Jesus, God... Don't you love that phrase? But in Jesus, God has shown us his incredible love, grace, mercy, and deliverance. We can confidently call on his mercy and grace to receive his forgiveness, deliverance, and new life — not because we deserve it, but because of who God is and his great love for us. God's grace and forgiveness aren't just about bringing us salvation but also about magnifying his glorious name.

My Prayer...

Holy and awesome, God, I need your grace and forgiveness. I need your deliverance from the tempter's snare. Without your power and mercy, I will surely fail. May the grace you extend to me and the strength you display through me bring you praise. May the forgiveness you lavish on me bring others to honor you because they know your love and grace. May your deliverance of me from the tempter's snare bring glory to your name. In Jesus, my Savior's name, I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

Friday, September 22, 2023

Verse of the Day - Matthew 13:22

[Jesus continued explaining his parable of the soils, saying,] "The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful."

—Matthew 13:22

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

All sorts of things can distract us from Kingdom matters. The wear and tear of everyday life can make it hard to keep our spiritual focus. In an affluence-driven society, our desire for riches, our pursuit of material things, and our selfishness with wealth can entangle us. The worries of this life can stifle our faith. Eventually, the fruitfulness of the Gospel is choked out, and we lose our spiritual vitality. Our most valuable riches are found in Jesus, not in stuff that decays or can be stolen from us. If he is our priceless treasure, so his Kingdom must be our highest priority, then we can handle the other things that come our way (Matthew 6:33).

My Prayer...

Gracious Father, please help me faithfully use the blessings you have lavishly poured upon me. Please, Holy Spirit, don't let me be deceived or owned by the things I possess, nor do I want to covet what I do not have. Give me an undivided heart, LORD Jesus, about the matters of your Kingdom. Please bring to life the fruitfulness of a heart full of your grace. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Verse of the Day - Lamentations 5:21

Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may return; renew our days as of old.

—Lamentations 5:21

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

When these words were first spoken, the prophet and his people were focused on God's restoration of Israel back to their place in Judea, their prominence in the world of nations, their beauty in daily life, and their worship and security in the Temple of the LORD. From our vantage point, this prayer can be our prayer as well. Restoration can mean Christ's return, which brings us home to God. On that day, every barrier standing between God and us will fall. Our mortality will be swallowed up in victory. We will see God face to face and walk with him in the cool of the day as his perfect children. Maranatha — O LORD come (1 Corinthians 16:22-24 NRSV). And may that day come soon!

My Prayer...

Holy and awesome God, I know a huge gulf stands between your perfection and my limitations. Yet, dear Father, I believe you have spanned that gulf with your grace. While I wait for that perfection to dawn in all its fullness, please empower me for my battles with the evil one and deliver me from all spiritual harm and attack. Until the day I see you face to face, please accept my all-too-limited and human praise for all you have done to save me. I rejoice in Jesus' name. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Verse of the Day - Acts 17:27

[Paul spoke to the educated people of Athens and explained,] "God [made all people from one man] so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."

—Acts 17:27

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Our seeking God longs to be sought! God placed his fingerprints all over the universe and gave us places to find life and pursue meaning in that life. He had a purpose for this plan: God wanted us to seek him, the One behind it all. While God is never far away from us, he longs to be sought and found by us. When each of us seeks after God, we not only bless him but also live out one of our life's essential purposes!

My Prayer...

Heavenly Father, I long to know you more completely — as the old hymn* says to Jesus: "Beyond the sacred page, I seek Thee LORD. My spirit pants for thee O living Word." Loving Father, I ask that your presence would be recognizable in my daily life. I truly want to get to know you, even as I am known by you. In the name of the Savior, I pray. Amen.

* From the song, "Break Thou the Bread of Life" by Mary Lathbury.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Verse of the Day - Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

—Ephesians 4:29

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The goal in Christian communication is not just clarity. Neither is the goal just to be understood. The goal is not even just to be truthful. The goal is to be helpfully appropriate, encouragingly uplifting, and based on benefitting the person who hears my words.

My Prayer...

Tender Shepherd, I want to have a pure heart. I long for my words to be genuinely beneficial and intended to bless. Please help me as I seek to develop a kinder heart that fashions my words to bring others your blessings. I yearn to have a heart full of joyful encouragement to share your grace with those you lead into my path. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

Monday, September 18, 2023

Verse of the Day - Amos 5:4-5

This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: "Seek me and live; do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba."

—Amos 5:4-5

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Do you "go to church"? I hope not! Don't get me wrong; I'm not advocating you skip worship and fellowship this Sunday! We're told not to forsake gathering together as believers (Hebrews 10:25). But when we assemble as a body of believers, we gather together for encouragement and meeting with God (1 Corinthians 14). We're not GOING to church; we ARE the church! (The New Testament never used the word church to refer to a building!) God warned his people in Old Testament times that simply going to the places of worship and going through the motions was worthless. As much as they valued these holy places — Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba — they needed to seek the LORD to find genuine life! I believe that is precisely what God would have us do. And as we seek him together, we get to share fellowship, comfort, and encouragement with each other. As we do, we discover life with him!

My Prayer...

Holy and loving Father, as I face this week's struggles, it is comforting to know I am never away from your loving presence. I love those times when I meet with other believers in your presence, and our worship is powerful and encouraging. While I know you are always with us when we gather together, sometimes my heart, life circumstances, and relationship issues derail my awareness of your presence. This week, dear Father, I pray for our worship assembly to be vibrant and powerful. I pray for your presence to be palpably near. I pray that you will be honored by what we do to encourage each other and praise you. Please use this day to draw us near to you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.