Daily Prayer 11/4/07

1 John 3:4-10 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

Father, please help us to understand this passage. I wanted to break it into smaller pieces, but also felt it needed to be left together. Simply we see two patterns of life. Is the pattern of our life sin or righteousness? You have shown us Father that it is really very clear....what we are known for is truly who we are. The evidence of our actions reveal what is in our hearts, rebellion against You or we have Your Holy Spirit in us guiding us away from sin and into practicing righteousness. May we be people who have believed in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and then may we be holy people who are known for righteousness.

I thank You Father for Dr. Renald Showers who has traveled to our church to teach! How You have gifted this man to teach and what a gift of knowledge of the Word You have given him. He is a hard worker for Your glory and the benefit of the saints in the church. I pray for his health and continued usefulness. May we also be able to enjoy his books for our growth.

For little Aubrie who's kidneys have completely shut down. We just pray for good news with her blood work each day. I pray they learn what caused this and can heal her. We pray for rest and peace for Bill and Karen and also strength to get through this and also to guide their little girl through this. Father we know our children's lives are in Your hands. We love them so and so we hold on to them sooo tight. Teach us to release our grip a bit and offer them up to You. Do not let them become idols for us so that we love our children more than we love Christ. We submit all things even our families to You.

We pray for little Thaddeus' heart again today and every day as You hear our words coming up to heaven carried by the Holy Spirit, we pray that You would hear our many prayers and answer us with a glad heart to give us our desires for his health. Please give his heart growth to normal size and also for the aorta that it would be healed and also that the hole in his heart would be repaired.

For Crystal, that she would not be early, but that her baby would arrive right on time.

We all have many needs, which You know....just answer our prayers according to Your will....whatever brings us closer to You and makes us more like Christ.

Give us hearts open to Your Word and give us a willingness to read it, may Your Spirit help us to understand it and then do what we must to come into compliance with it.

All for Christ, we offer our lives in praise, Amen.