Devotional for November 26

Each Morning

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation.
2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. Psalm 5:1-7 (KJV)

Morning Exhortation

Carving a turkey is hard to do with a dull knife. It may be enjoyable to carve a turkey with a sharp knife, but it becomes a real chore with a dull one. Prayer is the spiritual equivalent of putting a fine edge on the knife, of sharpening the axe, and making the saw able to sing. Too often we think of prayer only as an afterthought, when we could have won the fight had we prayed to God for the victory before the battle had begun. Sin has been the death sentence hanging over all mankind since our fall in the Garden of Eden. Simply reducing sin, unlike the benefits gained by reducing sugar, is like trying to crave a turkey with a butter knife. For us to live, we must die to sin. This is only possible by the Cross of Jesus Christ. The essence of the gospel is this: just as by one man (Adam), we all have been sold into bondage to sin, by one man (Jesus), comes the gift of salvation to set us free. Jesus paid the required death penalty for us. By Christ’s death we die to sin, and by His resurrection we live to God. This is how Jesus completely destroyed the work of the devil, and prayer is how we win the battles that remain. Accept the testimony of the gospel by faith and praise His glorious name.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Chronicles 22; 1 Peter 3

Micah 1; Luke 10

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.