Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Ephesians 4:25-5:5 ESV
Before you begin to pray, take a deep breath and quiet your thoughts. Focus on being in the presence of God. Thank God for hearing your prayers. Then reread the scripture we will study next Sunday, Ephesians 4:25-5:5. Read it slowly, recognizing that God is speaking to you through His Word. If God puts something specific on your heart, pray about that today.
Thank. In verse 25, Paul reminds us again that “we are members one of another.” The New Living Bible translates the second half of verse 25 this way, “Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.” You are not alone. You are part of the Body of Christ. What you do matters to the work of His Church. What glorious news! Today, thank God for giving you brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank God that you are not alone. Thank God that He has given you purpose.
Adore. Let’s adore God today for His perfect plan. He has adopted us into His family, given us purpose and most of all given us Jesus Christ who took on our sin so that we may be forgiven.
O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you;
Isaiah 25:1
I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
Confess. This week we are reminded that we are part of God’s family and that we have a sacred purpose to love others and share the gospel. That reminder should prompt us to confess that we often do not love others as God loves us. Ask God for forgiveness for those times, confident in the knowledge that He awaits your confession with open arms.
Others.
| CU Church: Pray for our worship team (led by Daniel). Pray for the musicians and singers that lead us in song and prayer. Pray that in their planning for our Thursday and Sunday services, they will be led by the Spirit to keep us focused on bringing glory to God. |
| Community: Pray a BIG prayer today. (Ephesians 3:20) Pray for revival in our communities! Pray that the Holy Spirit moves in our communities in ways we cannot imagine! |
| Global Church: Pray for Ukraine. Pray for the people who have been displaced by war, those who have lost family, friends and their homes. Pray that their suffering will end soon and that God will protect and provide for them. Pray that they will cling to God’s promise that Paul wrote of in Romans 8:35-37, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” |
Self. God is listening. He loves you. Pray for any specific needs that you or your family have.