Devotional for January 19

The Lord Accepts My Prayer

106 Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?
3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
5 That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.
6 We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
7 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.
8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.
48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 106:1-10, 47-48 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Strength is not renewed by diet, exercise, and rest alone. Strength is also a spiritual fruit. Make the spiritual tree good and the fruit will be good as well. Do not be content with a secondhand knowledge of God. Taste and see that the Lord is good for yourself. Working out our salvation has to do with willfully practicing the change of heart God has created within us into our everyday life and way of living. This is the working out of what God has worked within. The greatest gains are made by standing firm in the face of the resistance provided by the wickedness of this fallen world. Faith grows strong with testing, with preservice, and with patience. Trust in God. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He asks each of us just as He did the blind men: “Do you believe I am able to do this?” We must first choose to believe that God is able, and then to acknowledge the fact that He is also willing to grant all that He has promised. The chief of our faculties is the will. The will must learn to hold faith in God as the default rule of the heart. It is natural for the emotions to respond automatically to what the eyes see, which will often leave us suspectable to evil thoughts from within. Still, being born again by the Spirit makes us free to exercise our will in order to keep the heart firm in faith. Assurance of the truth comes in time. The essence of the Gospel promise is this: come to the Lord just as you are, be transformed, and all things will become new. Trust the Lord. Be strong and courageous. The God who has commanded us is almighty and forever faithful. The promise “ask and you shall receive” belongs to those who choose to please God.

Today’s Bible Reading

Genesis 20; Matthew 19

Nehemiah 9; Acts 19

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer