MARCH 2006
March 1, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isaiah 53:3, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
As the season of Lent unfolds before us, we would all do well to stop and contemplate our journey. Are we climbing or are we out for a leisurely stroll? Are we willing to put forth the effort to journey toward God actively and energetically?
Kimberly Dunnam Reisman
A prayer to strengthen your day
Awakening from sleep, I hasten to You, O Master and Lover of mankind. As I, through Your mercy, begin to fulfill my duties to You, I beseech You: aid me every minute and in every deed. Save me from every evil and from the snare of the evil one. Save me and lead me to Your eternal kingdom. You are my Creator and the Giver of every blessing. In You I trust, and to You I give praise, now and ever, and forever. Amen.
Saint Macarius
March 2, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:4-5, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
How can church people keep ourselves free from temptation? Not easily. But Sunday by Sunday, we can hear the preached word of God. And in Church school classes we can study the Bible together. Above all, on a regular basis, we can follow Jesus’ good advice and worship the Lord our God.
David Buttrick
A prayer to strengthen your day
O Christ, guide and strengthen all who are tempted in this hour.
Unknown
March 3, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
Isaiah 53:6-7, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
Even in the face of death, however, Jesus did not abandon his faith. Ultimately, Jesus trusted in God’s love and care and knew that God would not abandon him.
Sally Overby Langford
A prayer to strengthen your day
Father—free me this day from self-will, from lack of discipline, from yearning for admiration and from my love of ease and security. Amen.
Neil B. Wiseman
March 6, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I’ve got—
Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation.
God’s works are so great, worth
A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment!
Splendor and beauty mark his craft;
His generosity never gives out.
His miracles are his memorial—
This God of Grace, this God of Love.
Psalm 111:1-4, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, and to devote the will to the purpose of God.
William Temple
A prayer to strengthen your day
Compassionate Lord, Your mercies have brought me to the dawn of another day. Vain will be its gift unless I grow in grace, increase in knowledge, ripen for spiritual harvest. Let me this day know You as You are, love You supremely, serve You wholly, admire You fully.
Puritan prayer
March 7, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer.
2 Timothy 2:1-4, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
Our forefathers read the Bible persistently, eagerly, prayerfully; and as they read its sacred pages, they heard holy men of God speak “as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (1 Peter 1:21) . . . When they found their lives below the standard of God’s Word, they tampered not with its plain teachings but rather sought the grace it promised. Thus, instead of seeking to bring the Scriptures down to the level of men’s lives, they sought always to bring men’s lives up to the level of the Scriptures.
Hardy C. Powers
A prayer to strengthen your day
My Father, may I experience the great renewal today. My old duties be new. May my sympathies be new. May my aspirations be new. May I have a new heaven and a new earth.
J. H. Jowett
March 8, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
2 Timothy 2:9b-10, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
The future of the Christian movement is in reaching and growing the grass roots.
Kennon L. Callahan
A prayer to strengthen your day
Lord give me strength that I may live these wise words:
Be an honor to the church, follow Christ’s word,
Clear in thy task and careful in thy speech.
Be thine an open hand, a merry heart,
Christ in thy mouth, life that all men may know
A love of righteousness and compassion.
Let none come to thee and go sad away. . .
Sow living seeds, words that are quick with life.
Alcuin of York
March 9, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
God made the heavens—
Royal splendor radiates from him,
A powerful beauty sets him apart.
Bravo, God, Bravo!
Everyone join in the great shout: Encore!
In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might.
Psalm 96:5b-7, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
God’s glory is expressed through the harmony of variety. We do not need sameness in order to gain union.
John Henry Jowett
A prayer to strengthen your day
O gracious and holy Father,
Give us wisdom to perceive you,
intelligence to understand you,
diligence to seek you,
patience to wait for you,
eyes to see you,
a heart to meditate on you,
and a life to proclaim you,
through the power of the spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Saint Benedict
March 10, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
I know that you, God, are on the side of victims,
that you care for the rights of the poor.
And I know that the righteous personally thank you,
that good people are secure in your presence.
Psalm 140:12-13, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
The evil of riches, then, for institutions, for nations, for individuals, is that those who possess or seek to possess almost invariably overvalue possessions and so cease to live creatively. They stop loving God with all the heart and all the soul and all the strength and all the mind. They stop loving their neighbors, too. When you find a person of means who is not either a self-centered bore or a low person, you may know that God has worked a miracle.
Bernard Iddings Bell
A prayer to strengthen your day
Grant unto us thy servants
To our God—a heart of flame
To our fellow men—a heart of love
To ourselves—a heart of steel.
Adapted from Augustine
March 13, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings,
who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit,
and that’s why you’re worshiped.
Psalm 130:3-4, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
If I cannot in honest happiness take the second place (or the twentieth); if I cannot take the first without making a fuss about my unworthiness, then I know nothing of Calvary love.
Amy Carmichael
A prayer to strengthen your day
O God, our Father . . . we know that today will bring us an opportunity to lend a helping hand to those whose need is greater than our own; help us to be among our fellow men/women as one who serves.
William Barclay
March 14, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
2 Corinthians 4:1, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.
Samuel Chadwick
A prayer to strengthen your day
O Lord and Master of my life,
Grant not unto me a spirit of idleness, of discouragement, of lust for power, and of vain speaking.
But bestow upon me, Thy servant, the spirit of chastity, of meekness, of patience, and of love.
Yea, O Lord and King, grant that I may perceive my own transgressions, and judge not my brother, for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer of St. Ephraim
March 15, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
The reason why many fail in battle is because they wait until the hour of battle. The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle came . . . Anticipate your battles; fight them on your knees before temptation comes, and you will always have victory.
R. A. Torrey
A prayer to strengthen your day
Founder of the Church,
grant us joy in serving with others,
teach us to value gifts others bring to our team
and honor us with a healthy church. Amen.
Neil B. Wiseman
March 16, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
What you say goes, God,
and stays, as permanent as the heavens.
Your truth never goes out of fashion;
it’s as up-to-date as the earth when the sun comes up.
Your Word and truth are dependable as ever;
that’s what you ordered—you set the earth going.
Psalm 119:89-91, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.
G. K. Chesterton
A prayer to strengthen your day
O Savior, You do not only save me, You save truth—save it from being a proposition and made it into a Person. You did say, “I am the truth,” and lo, Truth is lovable and livable and not a dry-as-dust proposition. I am at Your feet, Gracious Truth. Amen.
E. Stanley Jones
March 17, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 2:18, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
Humility is knowing you yourself desperately require forgiveness as the greatest of all needs.
Martha Kilpatrick
A prayer to strengthen your day
You know me, Lord—me! What a security.
Corrie ten Boom
March 20, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
‘Not called!’ did you say? ‘Not heard the call,’ I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world.
William Booth
A prayer to strengthen your day
Now God, don’t hold out on me,
don’t hold back your passion.
Your love and truth
are all that keeps me together.
Psalm 40:11, TM
March 21, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:6, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
For the Supernatural, entering a human soul, opens to it new possibilities both of good and evil. From that point the road branches: one way to sanctity, humility, the other to spiritual pride, self-righteousness, persecuting zeal. . . . If the Divine call does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all bad men religious bad men are the worst.
C. S. Lewis
A prayer to strengthen your day
Shine upon me, Lord, and I shall be Light like the day. I will sing your praise in Light while I marvel. May the morning awaken me to the praise of your Godhead and I will pursue the study of your Word all the day long.
Orthodox prayer
March 22, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
Hebrews 2:11, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
Holiness is the architectural plan upon which God buildeth up His living temple.
C. H. Spurgeon
A prayer to strengthen your day
Give me your lantern and compass,
give me a map,
So I can find my way to the sacred mountain,
to the place of your presence,
To enter the place of worship,
meet my exuberant God,
Sing my thanks with a harp,
magnificent God, my God.
Psalm 43:3-4, TM
March 23, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.
2 Corinthians 4:13-14, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon Earth.
John Wesley
A prayer to strengthen your day
Great Head of the Church
We pray for those in authority in Your church
Renew their hope, strength their faith, rekindle their passion.
Help them to do right and lead with vision.
Grant them strength from our prayers
Though the days sometimes seems dark and the issues perplexing
Grant our leaders assurance that You providently placed them
and us in this period of human history for a reason.
And that You are not the least bit threatened by these times.
What we pray for them we pray for ourselves. Amen
Neil B. Wiseman
March 24, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
2 Corinthians 1:2-4, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. The flesh whines against service but it screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honor and recognition.
Richard Foster
A prayer to strengthen your day
My God, free me from the grip of Wicked,
from the clutch of Bad and Bully.
You keep me going when times are tough—
my bedrock, God, since my childhood.
I’ve hung on you from the day of my birth,
the day you took me from the cradle;
I’ll never run out of praise.
Many gasp in alarm when they see me,
but you take me in stride.
Psalm 71:4-7, TM
March 27, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
We live by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
The history of missions is the history of answered prayer. From Pentecost to the Haystack meeting in New England and from the days when Robert Morrison landed in China to the martyrdom of John and Betty Stam, prayer has been the source of power and the secret of spiritual triumph.
Samuel Zwemer
A prayer to strengthen your day
Oh, God, here I am, your servant,
your faithful servant: set me free for your service!
I’m ready to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice
and pray in the name of God.
Psalm 116:16-17, TM
March 28, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
I call to God;
God will help me.
At dusk, dawn, and noon I sigh
deep sighs—he hears, he rescues.
Psalm 55:16-17, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
Prayer—secret, fervent, believing prayer—lies at the root of all personal godliness.
William Carey
A prayer to strengthen your day
Holy Spirit, Spirit of truth, tell me the truth about myself. Help me see what you see, and then enable me to become the image of your dream for me.
D. E. Whitney
March 29, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
2 Corinthians 3:12, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
We need sound doctrine set on fire with divine passion that will leave its mark on new converts; doctrine that will start them toward heaven and a life of usefulness in the Church.
N. B. Herrell
A prayer to strengthen your day
My Father, teach us not only thy will, but how to do it. Teach us the best way of doing the best thing, lest we spoil the end by unworthy means.
J. H. Jowett
March 30, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
God gives a hand to those down on their luck,
gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.
All eyes are on you, expectant;
you give them their meals on time.
Generous to a fault,
you lavish your favor on all creatures.
Everything God does is right—
the trademark on all his works is love.
Psalm 145:14-17, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
Compassion costs. It is easy enough to argue, criticize and condemn, but redemption is costly, and comfort draws from the deep. Brains can argue, but it takes heart to comfort.
Samuel Chadwick
A prayer to strengthen your day
Lord, help us to remember that others don't always see the way we do, hear what we hear, feel what we feel, or understand things the way we've come to understand them. You give each of us gifts that are uniquely ours but so often we fail to value the gift in another, judging other gifts as wrong or somehow less important than our own. Give us the compassion you want us to have, O Father, and teach us to embrace each other with compassionate arms.
Katherine Murray
March 31, 2006
Good morning, ministry partner . . .
Be encouraged from the Word
God, you did everything you promised,
and I’m thanking you with all my heart.
You pulled me from the brink of death,
my feet from the cliff-edge of doom
Psalm 56:12-13, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
How we have prayed for a Revival—we did not care whether it was old-fashioned or not—what we asked for was that it should be such that would cleanse and revive His children and set them on fire to win others.
Mary Booth
A prayer to strengthen your day
I’m ready, God, so ready,
ready from head to toe,
Ready to sing, ready to raise a tune:
“Wake up, soul!
Wake up, harp! wake up, lute!
Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”
I’m thanking you, God, out loud in the streets,
singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness.
Soar high in the skies, O God!
Cover the whole earth with your glory!
Psalm 57:7-11, TM
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