May 1, 2020 (Friday)
In the Name of Jesus
“Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”
– John 14:12-14
Memory Verse: “If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” (John 14:14)
When we ask, we ask in the name of Jesus. That means we are asking for Jesus’ will to be done. That is the best thing we can ask for. Jesus knows our needs and will grant us what we ask for. Jesus will also grant what we ask in his name for this world. Let us pray in Jesus’ name.
Lord, may your will be done. Amen.
May 2, 2020 (Saturday)
Anxiety
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help 6and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.”
Psalm 42:5-6
Memory Verse: “Why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God.” (Psalm 42:5)
It is a natural human reaction to be cast down when we experience life’s crises. As our body hurts when harm is done to it, our heart worries when it sees crises. But it is not good to leave our anxiety to take control of us. When worries and anxiety start taking over our soul, we should command our soul to hope in God.
Lord, please take control of my thoughts. Amen.
May 3, 2020 (Sunday)
The Shepherd
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.”
– John 10:10-12
Memory Verse: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
We should be very thankful for the shepherd. The shepherd leads us and without the shepherd, we will be lost. The shepherd leads us to life, an abundant life. When we are guided by the shepherd, we will enjoy the abundant life. Let us listen to the voice of the shepherd and follow the voice.
Lord, thank you for leading me. Amen.
May 4, 2020 (Monday)
The Extraordinary Power
“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.”
– 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
Memory Verse: “But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
We appear weak but we are strong. We seem shaky on the outside, but on the inside, there is something that gives us the unshakable foundation. That’s why we are not driven to despair. We are not forsaken and crushed. There is this extraordinary power working within us. That power belongs to God.
Lord, thank you for the extraordinary power that is working within me. Amen.
May 5, 2020 (Tuesday)
In Jesus’ Hand
“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
– John 10:27-30
Memory Verse: “No one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)
We are in Jesus’ hand. No one and nothing can snatch us out of Lord’s hand. Jesus gave us the eternal life. We will never perish. What we need is faith to believe in that. When we are one with the Lord through our faith, we will find the anchor of our life. We will not be drifted away into chaos.
Lord, thank you for holding me in your hand in difficult times. Amen.
May 6, 2020 (Wednesday)
God Who Loves Us All
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.”
– Psalm 67:1-4
Memory Verse: “You judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth.” (Psalm 67:4)
God judges the peoples with equity. He loves all the peoples equally and takes care of them. What God wants is for the peoples of the world to help each other, love each other, and take care of each other. God’s love is deep and wide enough to embrace all the peoples.
Loving God, give this humanity the heart to love and take care of each other. Amen.
May 7, 2020 (Thursday)
Be Filled with the Spirit
“Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit.”
– Ephesians 5:15-18
Memory Verse: “Be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18)
We need to be filled with the Spirit. When we empty ourselves, open our heart and ask the Spirit, the Spirit will fill our heart. When we are filled with the Spirit, we will be awake. When we are drunk, we don’t know what is going on around us but when we are filled with the Spirit, all our consciousness becomes awake. We will understand what the will of the Lord is. That is how we live as wise people.
O Spirit, fill my heart. Amen.
May 8, 2020 (Friday)
Eternal Home
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”
– John 14:1-3
Memory Verse: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1)
We have an eternal home. The house we are living in right now is not our eternal home. We have the eternal home that Jesus prepared for us. There will be no worries and anxiety in that home. There will be peace that the world cannot give. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Jesus will take us to where he is.
Lord, please take away our worries and anxiety. Amen.
May 9, 2020 (Saturday)
Life of Doing Good
“Which of you desires life, and covets many days to enjoy good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.”
– Psalm 34:12-15
Memory Verse: “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.” (Psalm 34:15)
Deceit will not last long. Evil will ultimately be destroyed. Truth will live to the end. Doing good will overcome everything after all. Let us do good and seek peace. We will see God’s guiding hands at the end. We will find God’s blessings.
Lord, help me build my life on your truth. Amen.
May 10, 2020 (Sunday)
Our Mother
“Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.”
– John 19:25-27
Memory Verse: “Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.” (John 19:27)
Even in his last moment of death at the cross, Jesus took care of his mother. He expressed his gratitude for his mother who had raised him. Mother’s love is special love. It is painful love. We can see the painful love in Mary. Mothers internalize the pain of their children and that is why their heart is always painful. Let us always be thankful to our mother.
Lord, thank you for letting me experience the beautiful love through my mother. Amen.
May 11, 2020 (Monday)
Peace That the Spirit Gives Us
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
– John 14:26-27
Memory Verse: “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)
The Spirit teaches us everything we need to know. If we have difficulties, the Spirit will show us the way to overcome them. If we have problems, the Spirit will show us the way to solve them. So we do not need to let our hearts be troubled and be afraid. We experience the peace that the world cannot give through the Spirit.
Lord, thank you for granting me the peace. Amen.
May 12, 2020 (Tuesday)
Setting All Our Hope on God’s Grace
“Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
– 1 Peter 1:13-16
Memory Verse: “Prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:13)
Spiritual discipline is disciplining our mindset. We train our minds to set all our hope on God’s grace. Sometimes our situation is too much for us to be able to handle on our own. This is when our spirituality takes over. If we have disciplined ourselves to set our hope on God’s grace, we will be able to overcome our difficult situation. In the process of disciplining, God’s grace will fill us and holiness will become formed within us.
Lord, fill me with your grace. That is all I need. Amen.
May 13, 2020 (Wednesday)
Abide In Jesus
“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.”
– John 15:4-5
Memory Verse: “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4)
If we abide in Jesus, Jesus abides in us. This is Jesus’ promise and gift. Jesus gave us this great promise and gift. As Jesus told Zacchaeus that he would stay at his house, Jesus tells us that he would stay with us who are not clean. When Jesus is with us, we can overcome anything. Abiding in Jesus means to be always conscious of his presence.
Lord, please abide in me. Amen.
May 14, 2020 (Thursday)
Press On
“Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 13:13-14
Memory Verse: “I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 13:14)
We should not give up. We should not throw in the towel. We should stand up. We should strain forward. We should press on.
Lord, give me your strength. Amen.
May 15, 2020 (Friday)
Good Friend
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.”
– John 15:12-15
Memory Verse: “I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends….” (John 15:15)
Our relationship with God has changed through Jesus. Jesus didn’t call us his servants but his friends. And he gave his life as our friend. He did that as a friend, not for any other reasons. Then he taught us that that was love. When we are all alone, let us remember that our best friend is with us. He cries with us. He feels our pain. He embraces our fears.
Lord, thank you for being my best friend. Amen.
May 16, 2020 (Saturday)
Clear Conscience
“Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear.”
– 1 Peter 3:13-16
Memory Verse: “Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good?” (1 Peter 3:13)
Doing what is good with a clear conscience is a beautiful thing to do. When that becomes our lifestyle, fear will lose its power and we can live with confidence. Even if we do suffer, the suffering will only strengthen us rather than destroy us. The suffering will sanctify us and give us greater hope.
Lord, help me to live always with a clear conscience. Amen.
May 17, 2020 (Sunday)
Let Us Praise God
“Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip. For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.”
– Psalm 66:8-10
Memory Verse: “(God) has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.” (Psalm 66:9)
God does not let our feet slip. Through our suffering and sadness, God disciplines us and strengthens us. Let us praise God. The more difficult life becomes, the more let us praise God. He will let us live.
Lord, I praise you from the bottom of my heart. Amen.
May 18, 2020 (Monday)
Right Attitude Towards the End Time
“The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.”
– 1 Peter 4:7-10
Memory Verse: “The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.” (1 Peter 4:7)
The end of all things comes to everyone. It comes without invitation. It doesn’t give us time to prepare. That’s why we need to always discipline ourselves to be alert in our prayer. Our hearts should be ready to go when God calls us. But meanwhile, we should love others. We should be hospitable to them. And serve them with whatever gift we have received. That is the right attitude towards the end time.
Lord, please awaken me. Amen.
May 19, 2020 (Tuesday)
God Who Knows Us
“For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”
– Psalm 138:6-8
Memory Verse: “For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away.” (Psalm 138:6)
God knows us. God knows our heart. The Lord is high but he is not distant from us. He is near us and takes care of us. God resists the proud but regards the lowly. Even though we walk in the midst of trouble, God’s right hand will deliver us.
Lord, please do not forsake the work of your hands. Amen.
May 20, 2020 (Wednesday)
Set Your Minds on Things That Are Above
“So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:1-4
Memory Verse: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2)
Let us set our minds on things that are above. If we set our minds on things that are on earth, we cannot overcome death. What we see on earth is death. When we set our minds on death, we will be destroyed. Let us set our minds on Jesus Christ who was raised from the dead. When we focus on him, life that is hidden in God will be revealed to us.
Lord, I set my eyes on Jesus who is alive. Amen.
May 22, 2020 (Friday)
Birth Pangs
“Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labour, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
– John 16:20-22
Memory Verse: “So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” (John 16:22)
In life, we experience pain. That pain is like labour pain. It is the pain that gives birth to life. Let us endure our pain through our faith. There will be a time when our pain will turn into joy. All the hardships will be gone and we will taste the joy of life.
Lord, give me the strength to endure my pain. Amen.
May 23, 2020 (Saturday)
What Is Eternal
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live for ever.”
– 1 John 2:15-17
Memory Verse: “Do not love the world or the things in the world.” (1 John 2:15)
Do not love what is here for a while and vanishes. It will leave us only with emptiness. Let us love what remains to the end. God’s will for us is eternal. Whoever does the will of God will live for ever.
Lord, help me love what is eternal. Amen.
May 24, 2020 (Sunday)
Final Destination
“On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.”
– John 16:26-28
Memory Verse: “I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.” (John 16:28)
Jesus knew exactly where he came from and where he was going. He came from God and he returned to God. This world was not his final destination. People who take this world as their final destination are to be pitied. Through Jesus, now we have found a way to God. That is our final destination.
Lord, thank you for leading me where God is. Amen.
May 25, 2020 (Monday)
Cast All Your Anxiety on God
“Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you”
– 1 Peter 5:7-10
Memory Verse: “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
Let us cast all our anxiety on God. Let us discipline ourselves to do that. Suffering will help us to discipline ourselves. Our suffering is for a while and once it is finished, God will restore us, strengthen us, and establish us.
Lord, help me not to be afraid of the suffering that I go through. Amen.
May 26, 2020 (Tuesday)
Lay Down Your Burdens
“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belongs escape from death.”
Psalm 68:19-20
Memory Verse: “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up.” (Psalm 68:19)
God takes away our burden daily. God does not want us to be oppressed by our burdens. Let us bring our burdens before God every day. God will lighten our heavy heart. Then we can be liberated from darkness.
Lord, I lay down my burdens before you. Amen.
May 28, 2020 (Thursday)
Becoming One
“‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
– John 17:20-23
Memory Verse: “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one.” (John 17:22)
It is not easy to become one. Oneness cannot be achieved by domination. So oneness cannot be achieved by power. To be one, we need sacrifice and love. When we sacrifice for each other in love, we will experience the unity as its fruit.
Lord, grant me your love. Amen.
May 29, 2020 (Friday)
Bless the Lord, O My Soul
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits— who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
– Psalm 103:1-5
Memory Verse: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)
Blessing God itself is a blessing to us. When we bless God, God comes to us and wraps us with his mighty arms. God gives us the strength and renews us to be like the eagles.
Lord, I praise you with all my heart. Amen.
May 30, 2020 (Saturday)
God’s Steadfast Love
“By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.”
– Psalm 42:8, 11
Memory Verse: “By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.” (Psalm 42:8)
Let us remember God’s steadfast love by day and at night let us sing praises and pray. When we put our hope in ourselves, we cannot sing praises. Let us put our hope in God. Then the praise will come out of our mouth.
Lord, thank you for taking care of me with your steadfast love. Amen.
May 31, 2020 (Sunday)
God’s Steadfast Love
“On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
– John 7:37-39
Memory Verse: “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38)
Don’t let your life be dried up. There should be rivers of living water flowing within us. Then we can live with vitality. When a branch is connected with the tree, it can receive water. Let us meditate on Jesus. Let us accept Jesus in our heart. Rivers of living water shall flow out of our heart.
Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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