Tag Archives: Prayer

Redemption Came at a Price

29 Friday Mar 2024

Posted by in Psalm 136

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Today’s Good Friday Devotion from the Psalms

Reading: Psalm 136:10-16
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.

to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.

 to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever (NIV). *
Psalm 10523-38 -365

Reflection
Because of the responsive pattern employed by the psalmist, today’s reading from Psalm 136 begins as an incomplete sentence. When combined with yesterday’s reading, the full sentence reads: Give thanks to the Lord of lords, to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, and brought Israel out from among them with a mighty hand and outstretched arm.

Whereas yesterday’s reading from Psalm 136 celebrates the wonders of God’s creation, today’s reading celebrates the wonders of God’s redemption of Israel. The LORD delivered the captive souls of Israel from hard labor and slavery in Egypt. Though the eldest child of the Egyptians perished, the Hebrew children were spared from the Angel of Death, because the blood of the Passover lamb was applied to the doorposts of their home. See Exodus 12.

At a grim Passover celebration 2,000 years ago, Jesus suffered and died on the cross as our Passover Lamb. When we place our faith in his sacrificial blood, we too are spared from death. Jesus tasted death on our behalf, so that we can live eternally with him.  As believers we can rejoice and draw comfort from these words. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

Through the blood of Christ, the power of Satan is broken, and we are brought into the dominion of the Son of God. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).

Surely as redeemed children of God—children personally redeemed by the Son of God—we have this testimony: His love endures forever.

Response: Father God, I thank you for redeeming me with the sacred blood of Jesus. I have been adopted into your family. You are my heavenly Father. I can never thank you enough. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you living in a new kingdom, under a new king—King Jesus? Is your heavenly citizenship evident to others?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

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Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

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This Is My Body

28 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by in Maunday Thursday

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Today’s Bible quote and prayer for
Maunday Thursday, the evening of Christ’s betrayal.

a person holding a bread and wine

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

Reading: Luke 22:14-20

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”

After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

And he took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Father God,
I thank for the shed blood of Jesus,
your Son.
I thank you for His body
that was broken for me.
I am eternally grateful for redemption,
and the forgiveness of my sins.
Amen.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

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Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

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Holy Week is here. Easter is approaching.
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The Wonder of God’s Creation

28 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by in Psalm 136, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from the Psalms

Reading: Psalm 136:1-9
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever (NIV). *

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The Aude River at sunset — Carcassonne, France

Reflection
Here are some straightforward facts about me. I love nature. I enjoy all four seasons. I love getting out of the house and hiking through the woods or riding my bicycle along nature trails. I am fascinated by the wildlife I encounter on these excursions. I like planting a backyard garden in spring and harvesting the produce from it through the summer and fall. I feel knitted to the land and its seasons.

My love for God’s creation underpins my love for God. A God who created such a beautiful, wonder-filled world must be truly awesome—awesome beyond measure—because the universe He created is awesome beyond measure.

Psalm 136 extols the virtues of this awesome limitless God. His love endures forever. For a total of twenty-six verses the psalmist expounds on the goodness of the LORD. In response His people reply, “His love endures forever.”

Today’s reading lays the foundation for our worship. That foundation rests on the wonder of God’s creation. We are to give thanks to God because He alone does great wonders. By his understanding, [He] made the heavens, and spread out the earth upon the waters.

As you go through your day, are there moments when you give God thanks for the wonders of His creation? In an urban, man-made environment we can lose touch with nature and our Creator. We lose something precious—something fundamental to our well-being—when that happens. 

Response: LORD God, help me to appreciate the wonder of your creation every day. Give me opportunities to see the beauty in it, because it’s a reflection of your magnificent character. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you enjoy nature? How can an appreciation of nature translate into love for God?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

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Are you ready for a journey to the cross?
For a closer look or to purchase click here.

My Almighty Savior

27 Wednesday Mar 2024

Posted by in Psalm 135, Psalms

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 135c Finances -365

Reading: Psalm 135:15-21

Father God,
I need the right perspective
on wealth and finances.
Your precious blood is worth more
than all the silver and gold
this world has to offer.
I bow before you, Jesus,
my Almighty Savior. 
Amen.

For you know that it was not with perishable things
such as silver or gold
that you were redeemed
from the empty way of life
handed down to you from your ancestors,
but with the precious blood of Christ,
a lamb without blemish or defect.
(1 Peter 1:18-19), NIV)*

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

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Holy Week is here. Easter is approaching.
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Rescued from the Dominion of Darkness

26 Tuesday Mar 2024

Posted by in Psalm 135

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 135_8-14 -365

Reading: Psalm 135:8-14

Father God,
I thank you for liberation.
Through Jesus,
you freed me from the bondage of sin.
I am eternally grateful.
Fill me with the joy of your salvation.
You saved me.
Hallelujah!
Amen.

For he has rescued us
from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom
of the Son he loves,
in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
(Colossians 1:13-14, NIV)*

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

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Holy Week is here. Easter is approaching.
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The Great Cosmic Struggle

26 Tuesday Mar 2024

Posted by in Psalm 135, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from the Psalms

Reading: Psalm 135:8-14
He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
the firstborn of people and animals.
He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
He struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings—
Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
and all the kings of Canaan—
and he gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to his people Israel.
Your name, LORD, endures forever,
your renown, LORD, through all generations.
For the LORD will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants (NIV). *

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Narbonne Plage, France — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Psalm 135 began with a call for the LORD’s people to praise Him. For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.

In today’s reading, the psalmist continues by recounting how Israel came to be God’s treasured possession. It happened as the result of a great cosmic struggle. The descendants of the patriarch Israel (who was also called Jacob) were enslaved in Egypt. There they toiled under cruel taskmasters until by the hand of Moses the LORD sent his signs and wonders into their midst. After ten terrible plagues, Pharaoh finally relented and set God’s people free. Nevertheless, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his army to pursue Israel. Again, at the Red Sea, the LORD intervened. He parted the sea, for His chosen people, but brought it crashing down upon Egypt’s army.

Make no mistake; you too are part of a great cosmic struggle. You were born into a world that is under the control of Satan. Jesus called our adversary the ruler, or prince of this world (John 16:11). We were born under Satan’s authority and within his domain just as the Hebrew children were born into a state slavery in the land of Egypt. As we grow up, Satan has his taskmasters, who set us to work doing his bidding. It begins as we bow to peer pressure, but soon those things we choose begin to assert control. We can soon find ourselves in a downward spiral, imprisoned by sinful habits.

Only Jesus can liberate us from this bondage. At the cross he paid the full price for our redemption. Crossing the Red Sea foreshadows the New Testament sacrament of baptism. It signals our break with the old life—the old bondage. See 1 Corinthians 10:1-4. We have a new master now. His name is Jesus. He is the great liberator. He liberates us from the bondage of sin, and the taunts of the Accuser, who insists that we will never be good enough. But Jesus is our sufficiency. By his grace we are saved.

Response: Father God, I thank you for liberation. Through Jesus, you freed me from the bondage of sin. I am eternally grateful. Fill me with the joy of your salvation. You saved me. Hallelujah! Amen.

Your Turn: Have you been liberated from the bondage of sin? What did that liberty feel like?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

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Lent is here. Easter is approaching.
Are you ready for a journey to the cross?
For a closer look or to purchase click here.

Worship with Joy

25 Monday Mar 2024

Posted by in Psalm 135

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 135_3

Reading: Psalm 135:1-7

Father God,
I worship you.
Thank you for sending Jesus to be my Savior.
Holy Spirit,
infuse my praise and worship with joy.
You are so very good—
so very kind to me.
Let praise in all its varied forms
flow from me to you.
Amen.

 Through Jesus, therefore,
let us continually offer to God
a sacrifice of praise—
the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
And do not forget to do good
and to share with others,
for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
(Hebrews 13:15-17, NIV)*

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

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Lent is here. Easter is approaching.
Are you ready for a journey to the cross?
For a closer look or to purchase click here.

My Salvation

23 Saturday Mar 2024

Posted by in Psalm 35, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!Psalm 35_1-4

Reading: Psalm 35:1-4

Of David.
Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me;
    fight against those who fight against me.
Take up shield and armor;
    arise and come to my aid.
Brandish spear and javelin
    against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
    “I am your salvation.”
May those who seek my life
    be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plot my ruin
    be turned back in dismay.*

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

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Lent is here. Easter is approaching.
Are you ready for a journey to the cross?
For a closer look or to purchase click here.

Adoption to Sonship

22 Friday Mar 2024

Posted by in Psalm 134

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 134 -365

Reading: Psalm 134

Father God,
I thank you for loving me
and inviting me into your family.
Lord Jesus,
thank you for purchasing my redemption.
Holy Spirit,
I thank you for the confirmation
that I am your child.
Amen.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God
are the children of God.
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves,
so that you live in fear again;
rather, the Spirit you received
brought about your adoption to sonship.
And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit
that we are God’s children.
(Romans 5:14-16, NIV)*

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

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Lent is here. Easter is approaching.
Are you ready for a journey to the cross?
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Good and Pleasant

21 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by in Psalm 133

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 133_1

Reading: Psalm 133

Father God,
help me sow words of love and unity.
Open my eyes to see
where I can bring a word of encouragement
and affirmation to those around me.
Make me an instrument of peace,
love, and unity today.
Amen.

Finally, all of you,
be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another,
be compassionate and humble.
Do not repay evil with evil
or insult with insult.
On the contrary,
repay evil with blessing,
because to this you were called
so that you may inherit a blessing.
(1 Peter 3:8-9, NIV)*

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

4485 FACEBOOK-1

Lent is here. Easter is approaching.
Are you ready for a journey to the cross?
For a closer look or to purchase click here.