If you are like me, you probably pray often for your family, friends, and for your own wants and needs, but maybe not as much for those outside that circle. We need to make an effort to expand those for whom we pray. Lately, I have been trying something new. When I am inclined to be irritated with someone, I try to use this feeling as a reminder to pray for them instead.

I like the way the Living Bible translates, Paul’s direction in his letter to Timothy, 1 Timothy 2:1, “Here are my directions; Pray much for others; plead for God’s mercy upon them; give thanks for all he is going to do for them.” the passage continues, in verse 3, “for this is good and pleases God our Savior, for he longs for all to be saved and to understand this truth.”

Dear Lord, There are so many people who need help, and it seems like the need is so great, and we are just one person, but help us remember to use our prayers to intercede for them, and give thanks that you hear us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

We cannot see the magnetic radio waves that are in the air all around us, but we can hear the message they carry when we tune in our radios.

In a similar way, John writes in 1 John 4:12, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

We are like the radio that tunes into God’s love, translates it and delivers it to those around us. He delivers his love to the world through those who believe and do his will.

Dear Lord, we know that you are Love, and you show that love to those who trust and believe in you. Help us take the love you have given us and bring it to others, each of us in our own individual way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

1 John 2:15-17 says, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

I think it is easy to be confused when reading this passage. Here we are on earth that God made for us, and where he put us, but we are not supposed to “love” anything here? After meditating on this and studying commentaries, I think the message is about the relative value we place on things of the world verses our faith and hope for our future with God. Enjoying the wonders of God’s creation is great, but it should not interfere with the priority of God’s will for us.

We need to be able to walk away from anything in this world that would come between us and God. We need to remember; God first, everything else, second.

Dear Lord, it is sometimes difficult for us to remember that even good things like family, friends, charity, and the beautiful things you put on earth for us are to take second place to our faith in you. Things on earth are not important for our eternity. Help us keep our priorities in your order. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Do you remember when you were a child being taught that when you get angry, count to 10 before speaking? This is a simple solution to maintaining control of oneself. When we lose control of our actions due to our emotions like anger, we are easy targets for temptation. Targets for the temptation of saying and doing things we know are wrong.

Psalm 4:4 writes, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.” James 1:19 says, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”

It is easy to say, “Control yourself and don’t get angry,” but definitely not easy to do. However, like all temptation, with God’s help we can overcome all temptation.

Dear Lord, we all face the temptation to lose our control at times. Help us remember to stop and ask for your help to control ourselves and overcome this temptation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

If you have learned to read music to play an instrument, or sing, you are familiar with the many small characters, accents, symbols and notations on sheet music that tell you to play faster, louder, with different techniques, or how to navigate the sections of the piece. It is kind of like a code, and if you don’t know it, you cannot really understand how the music should sound.

I a way, this is like the situation in Matthew 13:10-13, “Jesus’ disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.”

The parables are like a code that can only be deciphered by someone who has his or her heart open to receiving God’s message. The more open our heart is to hearing the message, the more understanding we are granted.

Dear Lord, We praise and thank you that you have given us the ability to understand your parables, and have given us the Holy Spirit working in us. Help us use this ability to become more knowledgeable and use this knowledge to help others come to understand as well. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.