Verse of the Day for Thursday, November 1, 2018:

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. — Ephesians 1:18

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

Heaven is something we see with our heart. When we are discouraged, doubtful, and depressed, we need to have the eyes of our hearts "enlightened." The dawn needs to rise in our darkness and we see the dawn of hope and the riches of our inheritance. But when things look bad, sometimes the only way to remember these things is to sing them, pray them, and read God's promises of them.

My Prayer...

O God, you are my Hope. I trust in you and your promises. But I admit that at times, like even right now, I sometimes struggle with my confidence that you will act in response to my prayers and do what I've trusted you with my life to do. Please fill me with your Spirit and comfort my doubts and kindle my passion that I may serve you with boldness and share with others your grace. Through my Lord Jesus I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

Verse of the Day for Thursday, November 1, 2018:

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. — Ephesians 1:18

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

Heaven is something we see with our heart. When we are discouraged, doubtful, and depressed, we need to have the eyes of our hearts "enlightened." The dawn needs to rise in our darkness and we see the dawn of hope and the riches of our inheritance. But when things look bad, sometimes the only way to remember these things is to sing them, pray them, and read God's promises of them.

My Prayer...

O God, you are my Hope. I trust in you and your promises. But I admit that at times, like even right now, I sometimes struggle with my confidence that you will act in response to my prayers and do what I've trusted you with my life to do. Please fill me with your Spirit and comfort my doubts and kindle my passion that I may serve you with boldness and share with others your grace. Through my Lord Jesus I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

Verse of the Day for Friday, November 2, 2018:

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. -€” 1 Peter 2:9

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

Excluded. Rejected. Discarded. Abandoned. Forgotten. Pushed aside. Not picked. Each of these describes an aspect of feeling like you are a nobody. Satan gives our sinful flesh the tools and the opportunities to speak these words of self-condemnation to ourselves. But God — two of the greatest words in the Bible — loved us in Christ and brought us into his family and gave us a purpose. We are now part of the people of God! We have been chosen for the victorious team of teams. We have received mercy! Grace has washed over us and the love of God has adopted us in his family. Peter is giving maligned and persecuted people the reminder that they can choose to see themselves as "nobodies" or they can choose to see themselves by their new identity. Thankfully, Peter's words speak to our hearts, too. You, dear friend in Jesus, are God's child. You are part of his eternal and conquering people — like Moses, Esther, Paul, and Mary Magdalene. Mercy has reversed the! power of sin and failure and put grace in place empowered by the Holy Spirit's presence in you. So don't live today as you once "were": live today as you are in Jesus!

My Prayer...

O Father of Mercy and God of all grace, thank you for making me new — your child, part of your people, and a purpose put in the world around me on purpose. Please help me hear your description of me and not Satan's. Please help me define my identity by your words and not my own words of self-condemnation. I thank you for who I am and that I a no longer bound by what I once was. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

Verse of the Day for Friday, November 2, 2018:

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. -€” 1 Peter 2:9

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

Excluded. Rejected. Discarded. Abandoned. Forgotten. Pushed aside. Not picked. Each of these describes an aspect of feeling like you are a nobody. Satan gives our sinful flesh the tools and the opportunities to speak these words of self-condemnation to ourselves. But God — two of the greatest words in the Bible — loved us in Christ and brought us into his family and gave us a purpose. We are now part of the people of God! We have been chosen for the victorious team of teams. We have received mercy! Grace has washed over us and the love of God has adopted us in his family. Peter is giving maligned and persecuted people the reminder that they can choose to see themselves as "nobodies" or they can choose to see themselves by their new identity. Thankfully, Peter's words speak to our hearts, too. You, dear friend in Jesus, are God's child. You are part of his eternal and conquering people — like Moses, Esther, Paul, and Mary Magdalene. Mercy has reversed the! power of sin and failure and put grace in place empowered by the Holy Spirit's presence in you. So don't live today as you once "were": live today as you are in Jesus!

My Prayer...

O Father of Mercy and God of all grace, thank you for making me new — your child, part of your people, and a purpose put in the world around me on purpose. Please help me hear your description of me and not Satan's. Please help me define my identity by your words and not my own words of self-condemnation. I thank you for who I am and that I a no longer bound by what I once was. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

Verse of the Day for Friday, November 2, 2018:

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. -€” 1 Peter 2:9

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

Excluded. Rejected. Discarded. Abandoned. Forgotten. Pushed aside. Not picked. Each of these describes an aspect of feeling like you are a nobody. Satan gives our sinful flesh the tools and the opportunities to speak these words of self-condemnation to ourselves. But God — two of the greatest words in the Bible — loved us in Christ and brought us into his family and gave us a purpose. We are now part of the people of God! We have been chosen for the victorious team of teams. We have received mercy! Grace has washed over us and the love of God has adopted us in his family. Peter is giving maligned and persecuted people the reminder that they can choose to see themselves as "nobodies" or they can choose to see themselves by their new identity. Thankfully, Peter's words speak to our hearts, too. You, dear friend in Jesus, are God's child. You are part of his eternal and conquering people — like Moses, Esther, Paul, and Mary Magdalene. Mercy has reversed the! power of sin and failure and put grace in place empowered by the Holy Spirit's presence in you. So don't live today as you once "were": live today as you are in Jesus!

My Prayer...

O Father of Mercy and God of all grace, thank you for making me new — your child, part of your people, and a purpose put in the world around me on purpose. Please help me hear your description of me and not Satan's. Please help me define my identity by your words and not my own words of self-condemnation. I thank you for who I am and that I a no longer bound by what I once was. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

Verse of the Day for Saturday, November 3, 2018:

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. — Romans 13:1

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

Yes, there are things we don't like about our government. But God has truly blessed most of us so we can enjoy the protection of the authorities where we live. But we also live in the time of some of the greatest persecution ever known in the Christian era. So as we pray for our leaders and thank God for our freedoms, let's not forget the persecuted church all over the world.

My Prayer...

O Great Deliverer, God of the Exodus, as you have shown your power and deliverance in the past, we ask that you act today and bless every believer who is persecuted for your sake. Please bless them with tenderness, healing, and protection on this day. In the powerful name of Jesus we ask it. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

Verse of the Day for Saturday, November 3, 2018:

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. — Romans 13:1

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

Yes, there are things we don't like about our government. But God has truly blessed most of us so we can enjoy the protection of the authorities where we live. But we also live in the time of some of the greatest persecution ever known in the Christian era. So as we pray for our leaders and thank God for our freedoms, let's not forget the persecuted church all over the world.

My Prayer...

O Great Deliverer, God of the Exodus, as you have shown your power and deliverance in the past, we ask that you act today and bless every believer who is persecuted for your sake. Please bless them with tenderness, healing, and protection on this day. In the powerful name of Jesus we ask it. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.