Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
March 4, 2024
Mark 11:25
25 And whenever you stand up to pray, if you have something against anyone, forgive so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your wrongdoings.”
Good Morning! Hallelujah! Thine the Glory!
My dear sweet Lowell always proclaimed that praying on behalf of others was the most important part of our worship service. In many things, Lowell was focused on the most important part. Over the years, we made long trips home (Indiana) from wherever we were stationed or appointed. We would drive with our destination in mind and often made as few stops as possible.
He was in a hurry to do the most important part of the trip. His most important part was to give his mom a hug and tell her that he loved her. When she was still working at the hospital, we would go there first. After that stop, then we could consider what else we needed to do. I sometimes got the feeling that if the trip were suddenly cut short, it would be okay because he had done the most important part.
Perhaps we should approach our lives this way. Focus on doing the most important part first. We do not know when this opportunity will arise again. Whenever we gather, we should pray together. Praying is talking to God! Prayers can be short, long, sweet, sad, serious, or funny. Paul tells us that when we can no longer form words, the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf and presents our petitions to God.
Gracious God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. We get lost in doing lots of little, less important tasks, and never find time to take care of the most important ones. Help us focus on the most important ones first. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Praying for others helps us focus on what matters most.
Start with the most important part! Pastor Liz