Today's Verse - Colossians 1:9

Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

—Colossians 1:9

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

In a world where we can feel so isolated and alone at times, despite all the ways we can connect online, it's important to know someone is praying for us and our spiritual needs. That also means we need to let others know we are praying for them, and tell them what we are praying for them! As I think of the hundreds of thousands who are a part of Verse of the Day, I cannot help but pray that each of them, that you specifically, are blessed by knowing that you share a spiritual journey with people all over the world, and that today, we will be praying for each other. And of course, there can be no better prayer than the one that Paul prayed for the Colossian friends he had never met:

[I ask] God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Please join me in prayer today for our brothers and sisters in Christ in over 190 countries and in fifteen languages who share fellowship through VerseoftheDay.com!

My Prayer...

Oh precious and divine Father, today we pray for the other believers in our worldwide family of faith, believers seeking to live for Jesus. Though we live all over the world and have all sorts of needs, we also realize that our deepest need is to know you, the true and living God, and to live out your will confidently, believing that you know us and love us. Please fill us with the true knowledge of your will through Spirit-led wisdom and understanding. We want to know, honor, serve, and ultimately, see you and each other face-to-face in glory. In the name of our older brother Jesus, we pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - 1 John 2:15-16

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world.

—1 John 2:15-16

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Love for things, especially temporary ones, can sure get us into trouble. We can begin to assume that these worldly things will make us happy or fill the empty places in our souls. These assumptions soon become cravings. Acting on these lusts, cravings, and pride then drives, enslaves, and addicts us. Not only do these false allures from the evil one leave us unfulfilled, but they also lead us away from the LORD and the life he longs to share with us (John 1:4, 10:10). Only when we truly place our hopes and yearnings in our Abba Father, seeking to know and experience him in our lives, do we find truly satisfying and lasting life (John 17:3).

My Prayer...

Please give me wisdom, righteous Father, to see beyond the evil one's false advertising - his mirages of life that entrap and enslave us. I ask for the Spirit's help to fully invest in you and what truly matters. I confess to you that my eyes and my heart are often distracted by the glitzy, temporary "stuff" that appeals to my fleshly cravings, selfish lusts, and egotistical pride. Please stir my heart to yearn for you - to find lasting life in Jesus as the Holy Spirit empowers me to know and experience you. In the precious name of Jesus, I pray and turn my heart fully toward you. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - Job 37:5-6

God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, "Fall on the earth," and to the rain shower, "Be a mighty downpour."

—Job 37:5-6

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Aren't those beautiful words?! "God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding." Amen! Isn't that so?! Instead of spending a lot of time talking or thinking about how marvelous God is - if he is greater than our words can capture (And he is!) - let's praise him in prayer through what we do today; not just in words, but in words and deeds. Like the rain and snow, let's do what the LORD asks of us and bring refreshment to our dry and weary world!

My Prayer...

Holy, righteous, and eternal God, you alone are marvelous, mighty, gracious, and holy. God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - we can barely comprehend the distant "outskirts" of your ways,* but we do love you. We admire you. We worship you. You are so far beyond and above us on our best days. We can't quite understand why you would pay such a terribly high cost to redeem people like us and bring us into your holy presence. But, dear God, we thank you and praise you from the bottom of our hearts for loving us, redeeming us, and bringing us your refreshment. In Jesus' name, we praise you. Amen.

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* This wonderful thought comes from Job 26:14 ESV:

Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power, who can understand?

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.