desired

Opening Prayer: Lord, it is hard to wrap my mind around the fact that you desire me, because most days I do not feel desirable at all.  In fact, just the opposite.  But you do love and desire me, O Lord, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Scripture: Song of Songs 7:10

Journal: What does it stir up in you to know that you are desired by God?

Reflection: “I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me.” (Song of Songs 7:10)

“Do you know that you are desirable?  Do you know how deeply I love you and desire you?  You are my beloved, my bride, my lover, my heart’s desire.  You are the apple of my eye.  Don’t let the world around you, or the doubt within you, convince you of anything else.”

My you know the depths of his love and affection today.

Pray

Closing Prayer: May your desire for me, O Lord, stir up in my heart a deep desire for you.  After all, we love because you first loved us.

powerlessness

Opening Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, that when we were utterly powerless in our sin and struggle, you died for the ungodly.  Help us to live in that power today, and not in our own.

Scripture: Romans 5:6-8

Journal: What does God want to say to you through his word today?  How are you experiencing powerlessness and helplessness in your struggle against sin?  What does it look like to surrender and submit to Jesus?

Reflection: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)

When will we ever get it through our heads that apart from Jesus we are utterly powerless?  We keep trying to do it on our own, but we just keep “missing the mark” (the definition of the Greek word for sin).  And we will continue to miss the mark until we surrender our attempts to do it ourselves and submit to the power of Jesus to claim the victory for us that we can never achieve for ourselves.  We can’t, but he can.  Lord Jesus, have mercy on us!

Pray

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, maybe I keep failing because I keep trying to do it on my own.  I am powerless to do anything but miss the mark apart from you.  Lord Jesus, have mercy on me!