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Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. — Ephesians 4:32 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Be kind and compassionate? These two qualities seem to be in short supply these days as we look at social media, politics, and people's personal agendas. Maybe it's because we hold up the wrong heroes? Maybe it is because we haven't let the Holy Spirit rule in our hearts? Unfortunately, kindness and compassion are two qualities often seen as signs of weakness rather than strength. To forgive as God forgave us requires great courage and great strength, two resources the Holy Spirit can supply if we pray for that strength, and pray for that strength in our brothers and sisters ( Ephesians 3:14-21 ). So, let's pray for each other to be strong and courageous, and display those qualities through our kindness and compassion! Let's forgive each other, as God in Christ has forgiven us. My Prayer... Holy God, there is no way I c...

If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. — Matthew 18:15 Thoughts on Today's Verse... The right thing to do can also be the very hardest thing to do. Many of us find it much easier to gossip about someone who has wronged us than to obey Jesus. But one thing is the right thing when we have been wounded by the action of another brother or sister in Christ. Jesus commanded us to go to the person who has wronged us, try to keep the damage contained to just the two of us, and work on being reconciled with each other. Satan lives in the festering and poisonous places in our hearts where unforgiveness and resentment reside. God's desire, and what should be our goal as his children, is reconciliation that is personal, face-to-face, and genuine. Our desire to be reconciled to our offending brother or sister "for whom Christ died" ( Romans 14:15-16 ; 1 Corinthians 8:11 ) must...

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies ... She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. — Proverbs 31:10, 27-28 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Give honor to whom honor is due is what Paul commanded the believers in Rome to do ( Romans 13:7 ). Giving proper honor is important. We must give godly women the honor they are due, and doubly so to those who are godly mothers, whether their motherhood is physical or spiritual. Proverbs demonstrates this by devoting an entire chapter to the principle of honoring godly women ( Proverbs 31:1-31 ). Paul also emphasized the vital role women played among the believers in Rome as he closed his letter to them, and dedicated much of chapter 16 to honoring them. He named ten women who made significant contributions in leadership and service to the Kingdom of God that are worthy of respect and ho...

Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. — Colossians 4:5-6 Thoughts on Today's Verse... When presented with an opportunity, we choose to do and say kind things because Jesus has called us to that. He challenged us to be salt that adds savor and preservation to the world's hopelessness and decay ( Matthew 5:13 ). He called us to be light that casts out the world's darkness ( Matthew 5:14-16 ). We are committed to acting in ways that are kind and beneficial to others, especially with our speech. We pray for opportunities to be kind and encouraging because we want what we say to benefit others ( Ephesians 4:29 ). This verbal kindness is an indication of the Holy Spirit's presence ( Galatians 5:22-23 ) as the Spirit conforms us to our Savior's kindness and character ( 2 Corinthians 3:18 ). This kind of salty speech - not the profane, crude, and coarse speech often...

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Where does your heart live? That's what these verses remind us to ask ourselves. They challenge us to notice where we spend the most time and what we focus on most in our hearts. Is there a constant awareness in our lives that God is present? Is he the unseen but always present companion in all our ups and downs? Or is God with us when it is convenient and gone when things are busy, or you feel that everything is going well? Joy comes from knowing we are never alone. Prayer is the ongoing conversation we have, spirit to Spirit, child to Abba, human with God. Thanksgiving and joy are great reminders that we have been lavishly blessed, regardless of what our temporary outward circumstances suggest. Being joyful, praying continually, and giving thanks in all situations is God's will for us. Why? Because...

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. — James 5:16 Thoughts on Today's Verse... To confess our sins means we do two things with our sins: We recognize sin for what it is in God's eyes. We get rid of our secrets and are honest with another Christian about our weaknesses, vulnerabilities, failures, then have them pray for us to overcome those sins. James' language is powerful. He mentions that this confession doesn't just bring forgiveness, it brings healing. So, let's confess our sins to each other, and pray for each other, so we can bring healing to relationships, the family of God, and be a demonstration of reconciliation and healing to the world. My Prayer... Holy Father, I have sinned. I now confess my own personal sins of the following things: ____________. I ask for your forgiveness and for your Spirit to strengthen me to overcome temptation as I pursue Jesu...