Verse of the Day
for Thursday, July 13th, 2023

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” -- 1 Timothy 4:12

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
How do you command the respect of others when you are young? You don't! You earn that respect by the character and quality of your life. Those of us who are older must recognize and validate younger Christians who are people of character and faith. We need to encourage them and fuel their desires to honor the Lord. Those of us who are younger need to live a life of character that cannot be questioned — you won't be perfect, but you can be passionate about living for Jesus. Character, morality, faith, and loving-kindness are essential attributes for us as disciples of Jesus, no matter our age.

My Prayer...
Holy God, we thank you for those in our church family who are young, stand for your character, and live godly lives despite pressure from their peers to do otherwise. Father, I also thank you for those older in the faith, who have given us a chance to use our gifts, and who have influenced and encouraged us in our spiritual growth. Please help us keep our church united in mission and purpose across the different age groups, to your glory and for the growth of your Kingdom. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

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

Verse of the Day
for Wednesday, July 12th, 2023

“Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.”
-- Proverbs 23:22

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
"Honor your father and mother..." (Exodus 20:12) is one of God's Ten Commandments. This is basic to God's plan for our lives. Families must be built on God's covenant of grace. Children learning to respect and obey their parents brings many blessings to the family, community, and culture. This early parental training helps children with the self-discipline they need throughout their lives. As adults, we preserve the dignity of our parents and teach our children important life lessons when we honor and respect our parents appropriately. Let's not get swept up in our era of parent-bashing and laissez-faire child-rearing. Let's bless our parents in ways that honor God and teach our children to do the same. (If your parents were ungodly or abusive, find older folks in your church family for your emotional and spiritual support while treating your physical parents with honesty, respect, and integrity as much as possible and honorable.)

My Prayer...
Loving Father and eternal God, thank you for my parents — physical and spiritual. Bless them with what they most need to find their way home to you. Please give me the wisdom to know the most appropriate way to show my love and respect to my parents. Most of all, Father, please help them to see that my love and character come from you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

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

Verse of the Day
for Tuesday, July 11th, 2023

“Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.” -- Psalm 126:2

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
So many of us are so richly blessed — if not by physical and financial blessings, then most definitely by God's gracious spiritual blessings. And his promises for the future give our lives even more meaning. The Lord has done great things for us! Let's honor him with songs of praise and lives full of laughter and joy!

My Prayer...
Generous and gracious Father, thank you so much for the many ways you have blessed me. Your gift of salvation through your Son Jesus is incredible and gives me hope and confidence for the future. May all the physical and financial blessings you've shared with me bring glory to you, not me! In Jesus' name. Amen.

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

Verse of the Day
for Monday, July 10th, 2023

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
-- Isaiah 6:8

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Church worship is not the goal of our life here on earth. As important as corporate public worship and personal praise are, they are only part of our goal for worship. We are on earth to glorify God with our lips, lives, hearts, and hands. With the world around us caught up in Satan's traps, God wants us to hear his call in our church and private worship and respond to him, saying, "Here am I. Send me!" God wants us to enter the world redemptively, making a difference in our "public worship" through daily life in ministry and mission (Romans 12:1-2; Hebrews 12:28-13:16).

My Prayer...
Loving God, thank you for giving me the experiences I've had. Thank you for the capabilities you wove into me while you fashioned me in my mother's womb (Psalm 139:13-16). Thank you for the gifts your Spirit poured into me when I became your child. Now, dear Father, please help me to use these gifts, experiences, and capabilities for your Kingdom's sake and to bless those around me. I want to use my gifts and abilities to bring others to you, build up the Body of Christ, and bless those in need. I pray all of this in the name and authority of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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

Verse of the Day
for Saturday, July 8th, 2023

“Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” -- Isaiah 6:5

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
In a time when God's name is so readily taken in vain, this passage has a refreshing bite and warning: God is vastly superior and far more holy than we can ever be on our own merits. To come into his presence should shock us into the instant realization of how utterly sinful we have been and how unworthy we are to be in the presence of the King of Glory. To experience God, to stand before his incomparable presence, is to be aware of his holiness and humbled into an awe-filled reverence with deep thankfulness. God's name, holiness, and majesty confront us with our need for reverence in his presence are suddenly no longer a theory. Once we glimpse it, the Lord's name, holiness, and majesty become the passions of our lives!

My Prayer...
O Almighty God, forgive me for the times I have not taken your holiness and honor seriously. Forgive me for using your holy name in ways that do not honor and glorify you. Forgive me for not treasuring the many names you have used to reveal your greatness and tenderness in Scripture. Forgive me because I know my imperfections, shortcomings, failures, and sinfulness. Without your grace, your holiness would be too pure for me to survive in your presence. Instead, dear Father, you welcome as your beloved child! Because of your grace, I can approach you with joy and anticipation! Thank you! Thank you, in Jesus' name. Amen.

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

Verse of the Day
for Thursday, July 6th, 2023

“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”
-- Isaiah 6:1

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
We often view difficult times and crises as bad because our circumstances are challenging and confusing. However, difficult times can also be a God-provided opportunity for our hearts to re-awaken to God's steadfastness and our great need for him. Uzziah's death was a horrible crisis for Israel, yet God used this crisis as a providential opportunity for Isaiah and Israel to see the Lord anew in his glorious holiness and faithful lovingkindness. God used this moment in history to call Isaiah into prophetic ministry to Israel, spoke to Israel's crises ahead, and provided hope far beyond the times in which Isaiah ministered. How can God use your crises, hardships, trials, and difficulties? Why don't you ask him to show you what he is calling you to do to bless those around you?

My Prayer...
Holy God, I confess that I get discouraged enduring hardships. I sometimes wonder where you are and why you have forgotten me. Deep in my heart, dear Father, I know you are there. But sometimes, O God, it is difficult for me to hold onto faith when I don't hear your voice or see you face to face. Please strengthen my heart with your Holy Spirit and help me "see" you in a fresh way so that I will open myself to you and be tuned more perfectly to your will and for your service. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

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

Verse of the Day
for Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

“In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”
-- Ephesians 3:12

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
In Christ, we are given many freedoms — freedom from law, sin, death, hell, fear, and so much more. And one of our greatest freedoms is God's invitation to come before him — the Creator of the universe, the only true and living God — and speak openly, confidently, and boldly with our Father in heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord. Incredibly, we mortals can enter the presence of our eternal God and present our problems, praises, and requests, confident that he hears and cares about our concerns and is blessed by our praise and thanksgiving!

My Prayer...
Almighty and most holy God, I know my prayers would go unnoticed without your gracious, attentive concern for my requests. Nevertheless, I am confident I am your beloved child. I know my requests matter to you. I am excited that my praise and thanksgiving bring you delight. Thank you for hearing my prayers each day. Thank you for your attentiveness to my concerns. Thank you for being patient with my immaturity and tender with my frustrations. Most of all, Father, thank you for the freedom to do what I have no right or power to do — to enter your world with my concerns and be welcomed by you just as I am. I pray in the name of Jesus, my Intercessor and Savior. Amen.

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

Verse of the Day
for Monday, July 3rd, 2023

We have sinned with our fathers, We have
committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
-- Psalm 106:6

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Sin is nothing new. The candor of the Scriptures allows us to see the stupidity and rebelliousness of God's people in the past. We should be convicted by their lost opportunities and the disasters they brought upon themselves and not repeat their mistakes, rebelliousness, and sin. We should also be reminded how little difference there often is between them and us and renew our passion to follow God more faithfully!

My Prayer...
Father, I know my sin, r*******n, and unfaithfulness have hurt you and your cause in my time as much as the sins of those in the Bible hurt your cause and people in the past. Please forgive and strengthen me as I seek to live a life holy and pleasing to you and a blessing to those around me. 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, June 30th, 2023

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.

5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. -- Micah 5:4-5

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
As followers of Christ Jesus, God's Messiah, we believe this prophecy speaks of the Lord's coming. So when Jesus proclaimed that he is the ''Good Shepherd," he demonstrated it by laying down his life for us, his sheep! For us, however, Jesus as our "Good Shepherd" means all Micah promised — strength, majesty, security, peace, and much more (John 10:10-18). Our Shepherd, Jesus, means everything to us now and forevermore! We live securely, knowing that our eternal lives are in his hands. We know that when he comes back for us in glory, we will share that glory with him (Colossians 3:1-4). Most of all, Jesus is our assurance of eternal shalom — more than just peace amid life's storms, we can be assured of our well-being amid times of trouble until we share life forever in his glory.

My Prayer...
Loving and eternal God, thank you so very much for sending Jesus to be my sacrificial Shepherd. In a world gone crazy, his strength sustains me, his majesty overwhelms me, and in him, I find my security and peace as I face the future. In the name of Jesus, I thank you. Amen.

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

Verse of the Day
for Thursday, June 29th, 2023

“O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.”
-- Jeremiah 10:24

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
We know that God is love! We know the Lord's justice is filled with faithful, lovingkindness. But God is also holy and righteous! If he did not lovingly and tenderly correct us, we could not survive before his tremendously awe-inspiring perfection. Yet our God has chosen to give us his undeserved mercy and kindness as he corrects us and molds us to be more like him — the God we see in Jesus. Because of God's grace and Jesus' sacrifice, we stand before God "holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation" (Colossians 1:22). Yes! We can stand before the Lord because of Jesus!

My Prayer...
Holy and righteous Father, I want to become more like you in righteous character, gracious compassion, faithful lovingkindness, and justice. But please, dear Father, humble and correct me gently, for you know how insignificant and flawed I am compared to you. In the name of my Savior, your Son Jesus, I pray. Amen.

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

Verse of the Day
for Tuesday, June 27th, 2023

One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
-- John 1:40-42

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Almost every time we see Andrew in the New Testament, he brings someone to meet Jesus (John 1:40-42, 6:5-9, 12:20-22). Aside from this t***h and that Andrew was Simon Peter's brother and a fisherman, we learn little else about Andrew in our Bibles. But doesn't Andrew have the kind of reputation you would like to have? "And he brought him to Jesus." I want to have the reputation of always bringing people to Jesus. Don't you?

My Prayer...
God, our source of salvation, please bless me as I seek to share Jesus with my friends and family. Please help me follow the example of Andrew, becoming someone who is always leading others to Christ. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

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

Verse of the Day
for Sunday, June 25th, 2023

Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened. -- Zachariah 11:17

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Zechariah criticized Israel's worthless shepherds in his prophecy. Paul warned church shepherds that Church leadership is an extraordinary and sobering responsibility and should be conducted with reverential humility (Acts 20:17-38). Those seeking status or privilege by becoming church leaders must know that the good Shepherd, Jesus (John 10:10-18), will deal with them harshly when he comes in his glory. Anyone who has abused God's people or misused their incredible responsibility to shepherd God's flock will receive harsh judgment. However, those who have followed Jesus' example as a shepherd will be generously rewarded (1 Peter 5:1-4).

My Prayer...
Loving Shepherd, please bless your church with qualified shepherds who love you and passionately care for your sheep. Please give these faithful leaders a sense of your nearness, help, and pleasure as they faithfully carry out their responsibilities to you and your sheep. I pray in the name of Jesus, your Lamb that was slain for our sins. Amen.

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

Verse of the Day
for Saturday, June 24th, 2023

Seek the LORD, and his strength: Seek his face evermore. -- Psalm 105::4

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
When we honestly evaluate where we use our time, how we spend our money, what we think about most frequently, and where we put forth our best efforts, what do we find? Is God our consuming passion? Is he our first love? Do we seek his presence always? God told his people, "Seek me and live..." (Amos 5:4, 6). Jesus' stepbrother, James, challenged us to "Come near to God and he will come near to you" (James 4:8). Yes, let's hear the call of David, the man after God's heart, when he says, "Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."

My Prayer...
O mighty Lord, it is hard not to be able to see your face physically, yet I know my imperfection makes that impossible in light of your awesome holiness and majesty. Until that Day I see you face-to-face (1 John 3:1-3), please make your presence known in my life as I seek you with all of my heart. In Jesus' name, I ask this. Amen.

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

Verse of the Day
for Friday, June 23rd, 2023

And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. -- Luke 4:43

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
When you think about the large cities of our modern world, what do you think about? Crime, traffic, high prices, big crowds, grime, and noise? Jesus sees them and passionately yearns for the lost people in those great cities to be saved! In case we miss Jesus' emphasis, Luke wrote the book of Acts to show us how the good news of Jesus rang out from Jerusalem, Antioch of Syria, Ephesus, and Rome. When we hear those horrible reports of crime and problems in our major cities, let's pray for those living there. If we live in big cities, when we hear sirens from the police, ambulances, fire trucks, or other emergency vehicles, let's take a moment and pray for the salvation of the people in our city!

My Prayer...
Most holy and loving God, revive in us, your Church, a passion for reaching the lost people of the world's great cities with the gospel and grace of your Son. I pray in the name of the only faithful Lord and Savior, Jesus. Amen.

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

Verse of the Day
for Thursday, June 22nd, 2023

Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: But righteousness delivereth from death.
-- Proverbs 10:2

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
As my brothers and I grew up, our mom regularly reminded us that sin is often a false shortcut to a good thing. Ill-gotten treasures may seem like a shortcut to riches, but they are a trap. So, the Holy Spirit reminded us in this passage that ill-gotten riches are not the path to a bountiful and satisfying life. Lasting value — spiritual worth that lives beyond our physical lifetimes — can only be acquired through godliness.

My Prayer...
Generous and loving Father, please forgive me for getting caught up in envy and the culture of affluence that suffocates and surrounds me. Please use your Spirit to develop in me the patience and righteousness I need to resist the deceptions of Satan and to pursue the fullness of life you long to bring me. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.

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