Heavenly Father, Give us grace to serve you today.

²¹I find then the law that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present.
²²For I delight in God’s law after the inward person,
…

Heavenly Father, Give us grace to face up to our failings today.

¹⁰The commandment which was for life, this I found to be for death;
¹¹for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me,
and…

June 2 Heavenly Father, Give us grace to live by the spirit of your laws rather than the letter

^7:6But now we have been discharged from the law,
having died to that in which we were held;…

Heavenly Father, Give us grace to be joined to you today, producing your fruit

¹Or don’t you know, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law),
that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives?
²…

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since…

Heavenly Father, Give us grace to live as your servants today, free from sin.

¹⁹I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh,
for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness
and to wickedness upon wickedness,
even so now present your members as servants to righteousness…

Heavenly Father, Give us grace today to be obedient to you from the heart

¹⁵What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace?
May it never be!
¹⁶Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as…

Heavenly Father, Give us grace to be instruments of righteousness today

^6:12Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body,
that you should obey it in its lusts.
¹³…

Heavenly Father, Give us grace to be alive today to everything that is good, and dead to everything that is not

⁷For he who has died has been freed from sin.
⁸But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will…

Heavenly Father, Give us grace to be dead to sin today, so that we may walk in newness of life

(^5:20 where sin abounded, grace over abounded)

^6:1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that…

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ^6…

Heavenly Father, Give us grace that we may over abound in grace and righteousness

¹⁷For if in the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one;
so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace
and of the…

Heavenly Father, Give us grace to walk in paths of righteousness today

¹²Therefore just as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin;
so death passed to all people, because all sinned.
¹³…

Heavenly Father, Give us grace to live reconciled lives both in our relationship with You and in our relationship with others.

⁹Much more then, being now made righteous in his blood,
we will be saved from wrath through him.
¹⁰…

Heavenly Father, Give us grace to live in love particularly when our circumstances are shaped by sins (both our own and those of others)

⁶For while we were yet weak, at the right time
Christ died on behalf of the wicked.
^7…

Heavenly Father, Give us grace to live in hope and love, whatever our circumstances

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
³Not only this, but we also rejoice in…

Heavenly Father, Give us grace to live at peace which arises from faithfulness

¹Being therefore made righteous out of faithfulness,
we have peace towards God
through our Lord Jesus Christ;
^…

Give us grace to trust you in difficult circumstances with hope, particular in valleys of deep shadows.

¹⁷As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.”
This is in the presence of him whom he believed:
God, who gives life to the dead,
and calls the things that are not, as though they were.
¹⁸Besides hope, Abraham in hope trusted,
to the end that he might become a father of…

Give us grace to affirm the faithfulness of others today, being thankful that Abraham’s family of faith is wide.

¹²He is the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision,
but who also walk in the steps of the faith in uncircumsion of our father Abraham
¹³For the promise to Abraham and to his offspring
that he should be heir of the world wasn’t through the law,
but through the righteousness of…

Give us grace to be true to our baptism, that we may be immersed in you and trust in you today (just as the descendants of Abraham should be true to their circumcision and trust in you today)

⁹Is this blessing then pronounced on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also?
For we are saying that faith was accounted to Abraham towards righteousness.
¹⁰In what way then was it accounted?
When he was in circumcision…

Give us grace to be forgiven and forgiving people today,
being willing not to hold past sins against others
(and give us grace to know when and how to confront ongoing sins in ourselves and others)

⁶Even as David speaks the blessedness of the man
to whom God accounts righteousness apart from works,
⁷“Blessed are they whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
 whose sins are covered…

Give us grace to trust in you today

¹What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh?
²For if Abraham was made righteous out of works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God.
³For what does the Scripture say?
“Abraham Trusted in God, and it was accounted to him towards righteousness.”
⁴Now to him who works, the…

Jesus said: ¹⁹ Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Heavenly father, give us grace to hear your voice and be obedient to what you call us to do. 

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

 

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry   JAMES 1:19

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: ‘People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship…

14 And we urge you, brothers [and sisters], admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not…

Yaweh, may your will become  the will of the world’s leaders so that peace may break out for all peoples.

3. Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.”

The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

4. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many…

Dear Lord, We thank-you so much for your Promise that this present Storm/Winter we are in will pass, that the season of Spring will come again. Help us to look up and see what you are doing and the courage to get up and go with you when you call us out of one season of our lives into another.  Amen.

11See! The winter is past;
    the rains are over and gone.
¹² Flowers appear on the earth;
   …

He will swallow up death forever.

The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
    from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
    from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.

Give us grace to be faithful today and avoid all boasting

²⁷Where then is the boasting? It is excluded.
By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faithfulness.
²⁸We maintain therefore that a man is made righteous by faithfulness apart from the works of the law.
²⁹Or is God the God of Jews only?
Isn’t he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
³⁰since indeed there is one…

Give us grace to show forth your righteousness today, coming out of the faithfulness of Jesus

For there is no distinction,
²³for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
²⁴being made righteous freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;
²⁵whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith(fulness) in his blood,
for a showing forth of his righteousness
through the passing…

Give us the grace of Jesus Christ to be faithful today

^3:19Now we know that whatever things the law says,
it speaks to those who are under the law,
that every mouth may be closed,
and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.
²⁰Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight;
for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
^3:21But now apart from…

Give us grace to seek after you, to fear you and to know the way of peace today

^3:9What then? Are we better than they?
No, in no way.
For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
¹⁰As it is written,
“There is no one righteous;  no, not one.
¹¹There is no one who understands.
 There is no one who seeks after God.
^…

Give us grace to avoid taking your goodness for granted.

^3:5But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say?
Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak like men do.
⁶May it never be! For then how will God judge the world?
⁷For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory,
why am I also still judged as a sinner?
⁸Why not (as we are slanderously…

Give us grace to be true to what you have revealed of yourself to us

^3:1Then what advantage does the Jew have?
Or what is the profit of circumcision?
²Much in every way!
Because first of all, they were entrusted with the revelations of God.
³For what if some were without faith?
Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God?
⁴May it never be! Yes, let God be found true…

Give us grace to love you with all our hearts today.

²⁵For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law,
but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
²⁶If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law,
won’t his uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision?
²⁷Won’t the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfils the law, judge you,
who with…

Give us grace to have integrity today, and do the things that we know are good.

¹⁷Indeed you bear the name of a Jew, rest on the law, glory in God,
¹⁸know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,
¹⁹and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind,
a light to those who are in darkness,
²⁰a corrector of the foolish,
a teacher of babies, having in…

Give us grace to listen to you speaking to us through our conscience today

¹²For as many as have sinned without the law will also perish without the law.
As many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
¹³For it isn’t the hearers of the law who are righteous before God,
but the doers of the law will be justified
¹⁴(for when Gentiles who don’t have the law do by nature the things of the law,
these…

Give us grace to perseverance in well-doing today, repenting of being self seeking and unrighteous

⁵But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart
you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation,
and of the righteous judgement of God;
⁶who “will pay back to everyone according to their works:”
⁷to those who by perseverance in well-doing seek for glory, honour…

Give us grace today to not stand in judgement over others, but to repent of our own failings

¹Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge.
For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself.
For you who judge practice the same things.
²We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.
³Do you think this, O man who judges…

Give us grace today to turn away from all that is disobedient to you.

²⁹being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers, ³⁰backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; ³²…

Give us grace today to have our knowledge based in you.

²⁶For this reason (their suppression of the truth of God in unrighteousness), God gave them up to dishonourable passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature. ²⁷Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due…

Give us grace today to avoid all that is ungodly and unrighteous, but be open to your revelation of yourself

²²Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ²³and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things. ²⁴Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be…

Give us grace today to avoid all that is ungodly and unrighteous, but be open to your revelation of yourself

¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. ²⁰For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen…

Give us grace to live faithfully as Jesus lived faithfully, and so be part of your revelation of your righteousness and your power

^1:13Now I don’t desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. ¹⁴I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish. ^15…

Give us grace to live faithfully in a caring community today, where we give and receive support and encouragement through prayer and through gifts

^1:8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. ⁹For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers, ¹⁰…

Give us grace to belong to Jesus Christ today, living faithfully, as he lived faithfully, not being afraid of anything which brings death, but having peace arising from the power of his resurrection from the dead

^1:1Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God, ²which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³concerning…

Heavenly Father
give us grace to notice others today and share their joys and sorrows 

40 After these things, the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, . 
² Pharaoh ³ put them in the prison, where ⁴ The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he took care of them. They stayed in prison many days. ⁵ They both dreamed a dream, in one night,
^6…

13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats[b]; do not be frightened.”[c] 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an…

Heavenly father
give us grace to rejoice in humble circumstances

⁹ But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position; 
¹⁰ and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away. 
¹¹ For the sun arises with the scorching wind and withers the grass, and the flower in it falls,
and the beauty of its appearance perishes…

⁵ By awesome deeds of righteousness, you answer us,
    God of our salvation.
You who are the hope of all the ends of the earth,
    of those who are far away on the sea.
⁶ By your power, you form the mountains,
    ⁷ You still the roaring of the seas.    
⁸ They also who dwell in faraway places are afraid at your…

Heavenly Father, our maker
give us grace to trust in your saving power, even when you are hidden from us

¹¹ Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel
    and his Maker says:
“You ask me about the things that are to come, concerning my sons,
    and you command me concerning the work of my hands!
¹² I have made the earth, and created man on it.
¹³ I have raised him up in righteousness…

Heavenly father
give us grace to express our deep longing to be with you, even when we don’t know what that would look like

¹¹ But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping.
So as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb, 
¹² and she saw two angels in white sitting,
one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 
¹³ …

Heavenly father
give us grace to see evidence of the kingdom and believe it.

The other disciple outran Peter, and came to the tomb first. 
⁵ Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn’t enter in. 
⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb.
He saw the linen cloths lying, ⁷ and the cloth that had been on his…

Heavenly Father
give us grace to trust you as our father to bring forth righteousness and salvation in us and for us in your own ways 

⁸ Rain, you heavens, from above,
    and let the skies pour down righteousness.
Let the earth open, that it may produce salvation,
    and let it cause righteousness to spring up with it.
I, Yahweh, have created it.

^9 …

¹ Praise waits for you, God, in Zion.
    Vows shall be performed to you.
² You who hear prayer,
    all men will come to you.
³ Sins overwhelmed me,
    but you atoned for our transgressions.
⁴ Blessed is the one whom you choose and cause to come near,
    that he may live in your courts…

Heavenly father
give us grace to refrain from doing what is wrong, whatever the consequences are,
and open our eyes to see your grace whatever our circumstances

⁶ Joseph was well-built and handsome. 
⁷ His master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.”
⁸ But he refused, and said to his master’s wife,
“Behold, my master has put all that he has into my hand. 
⁹ How then…

13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4…

Heavenly father
give us grace to ask for wisdom in faith without doubting

⁵ But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,
who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 
⁶ But let him ask in faith, without any doubting,
for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. 
⁷ For that man shouldn’t think that he…

⁷ But God will shoot at them.
    They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow.
⁸ Their own tongues shall ruin them.
    All who see them will shake their heads.
⁹ All mankind shall be afraid.
    They shall declare the work of God,
    and shall wisely ponder what he has done.
¹⁰ The righteous shall be glad in…

Heavenly Father
give us grace to know and trust your nature which permeates everything, both light and darkness

¹ Yahweh says to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him,
and strip kings of their armour;
to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:

² “I will go before you
    and make the rough places smooth.
I will break the doors of bronze…

Heavenly father
give us grace to see you at work, particularly in bad circumstances (such as slavery)

¹Joseph was brought down to Egypt by the Ishmaelites and sold as a slave to an officer of Pharaoh called Potiphar. 
² Yahweh was with Joseph, who then prospered in the house of the Egyptian. 
³ His master saw that Yahweh was with him, and that Yahweh made all that…

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore,…

Heavenly father
give us grace to be joyful and faithful when various temptations come our way 

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.

² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, 
³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 
⁴ Let endurance have its…

¹ Hear my voice, God, in my complaint.
    Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
² Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
    from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;
³ who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
    and aim their arrows, deadly words,
⁴    …

Heavenly Father
give us grace to trust in you, our creator -our source of knowledge and hope

²⁴ Yahweh, your Redeemer,
    and he who formed you from the womb says:
“I am Yahweh, who makes all things;
    who alone stretches out the heavens;
    who spreads out the earth by myself;
²⁵ who frustrates the signs of the liars,
    …

Heavenly father
give us grace to do the right thing, particularly when we may be embarrassed to do so.

¹² After Judah’s wife died, Judah went up to his sheep shearers to Timnah. 
¹³ Tamar was told this. ¹⁴ She took off the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and sat on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn’t given to him as a wife. 
^15…

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Heavenly father
give us grace to do your will and be well pleasing in your sight.

²⁰ Now may the God of peace,
who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep
with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, 
²¹ make you complete in every good work to do his will,
working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

^22…

⁵ My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food.
    My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,
⁶     when I remember you on my bed,
    and think about you in the night watches.
⁷ For you have been my help.
    I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ My soul stays close to you.
…

Heavenly Father
give us grace to rejoice in forgiveness today (both ours and others’)

²¹ Remember these things, Jacob and Israel;
    for you are my servant.
    I have formed you.
    You are my servant.
    Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
²² I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions,
…

Heavenly father
give us grace to see your glory of your love today and for your love to be in us. 

²⁴ Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am,
that they may see my glory, which you have given me,
for you loved me before the foundation of the world. 
²⁵ Righteous Father, the world hasn’t known you,
but I knew you; and these knew that you sent me. …

Heavenly father
give us grace to live life in all its fullness, and not be led into temptation of doing anything which is the opposite of life.

²  Judah took a Canaanite woman as his wife, . ³ who bore him sons named Er, ⁴  Onan. ⁵  and Shelah. ⁶ Judah took a wife for Er, and her name was Tamar. 
⁷ Er was wicked in Yahweh’s sight. So Yahweh killed him. …

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives & is arrested

39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from…

Heavenly father
give us grace to desire to live honourably in all things, to care for those entrusted to us with joy, and to submit to those in authority over us.

¹⁷ Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account,
that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.

¹⁸ Pray for us, for we are…