The Four-Ones Forum

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Philippians 2:9-13

1 Passage: Philippians 2:9-13

1 Verse: Verse 13. for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for being at work in me. You know that all on my own I lack the will to work for Your good pleasure. Forgive me for also lacking the faith to believe that You are at work in me. Help me to recognize Your will in me, not rebel against it. I want to bring You pleasure through the good things I do.

1 Person: Now, it's your turn! Please click "COMMENTS" below to add your own favorite verse and to share your own personal prayer from today's passage. (Your favorite verse and prayer might even be the same as mine, but we'd still love to hear from you. Feel free to just drop us a note so we know you stopped by.) Thanks!

Tomorrow's passage: Matthew 5:14-16

Friday, February 23, 2007

Philippians 2:5-8

1 Passage: Philippians 2:5-8

1 Verse: Verse 5. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for sending us the gift of Your Son, who freely humbled himself, faithfully emptied himself, fully identified himself with the needy, the weak, the lowly, the dying. It is a blessing beyond measure to see Your perfect equal -- existing himself in the form of God -- becoming in form and likeness to a man, and a servant of men. And I'm sure You wouldn't be so cruel as to call us to have the same attitude that Jesus had if it wasn't possible. But I have to admit, it sure looks unlikely. Please forgive me of my attitude problem. Help me to believe that I too can have the same attitude as Christ -- that I can humble myself in loving submission and obedience to You, Father.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Revelation 5:11-14

1 Passage: Revelation 5:11-14

1 Verse: Verse 13. And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for allowing us in Your word to see the eventual outcome of all things. And, in the end, everything is absolutely, perfectly right and good. You deserve all blessing and honor and glory and dominion, and You will receive it -- even if now You do so only imperfectly. And I will give it -- even if now I do so only imperfectly. Father, today I want to live with this end in mind, so that by what I say and do You are enthroned with all praise.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

2 Corinthians 4:15-18

1 Passage: 2 Corinthians 4:15-18

1 Verse: Verse 18. while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

1 Prayer: Father, please help me to look to the eternal unseen things for the wisdom and strength to deal with the temporal visible things.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Psalm 86:9-12

1 Passage: Psalm 86:9-12

1 Verse: Verse 10. For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for all that You are and all that You do. No one else even comes close to being both so great in power and so rich in love. You alone are God. And I look to You for wondrous deeds on my behalf -- not because I deserve or earn them, but because You have graciously offered them to me by faith in Christ. Thank You for being that kind of God. I love You.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Psalm 25:4-5

1 Passage: Psalm 25:4-5

1 Verse: Verse 4. Make me know Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths.

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for making me know Your way. Jesus said it: "I am the way." And He has given us His Spirit to guide us as we walk with Him. But the path is narrow, and though I know You will not let me leave it, I do sometimes weave a bit from side to side. Forgive me when I don't follow as well as I could, when I get distracted by what's going on in the broad road, when I get weary and sulky and my feet hurt and I'm tired and I keep whining "Are we there, yet?". Thank You for being my loving -- patient and kind -- Father, and Jesus my Good Shepherd, and the Spirit my Comforter who comes alongside me.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Philippians 1:9-11

1 Passage: Philippians 1:9-11

1 Verse: Verse 9. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,

1 Prayer: Forgive us, Father, for the pain and hurt we inadvertently cause those we love when we try to love them without knowledge and discernment. You say love covers a multitude of sins, but foolish and undiscerning love seems rather to create a multitude of sins. Protect us from our own ignorance and carelessness, the fears and lies that taint our best efforts to love one another. Please give us grace toward each other, so that we can persevere together even when we fail to properly love one another. And please increase our ability to know and to discern what real love requires, and give us the courage to abound in love to all.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Philippians 2:1-4

1 Passage: Philippians 2:1-4

1 Verse: Verse 2. make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

1 Prayer: Father, may Your Spirit unify Your people into one cohesive whole. We are all so very different, yet we are all alike called to share the same mind -- the mind of Christ. We all give and receive love in various ways, yet we are all alike called to maintain the same love -- the love of Christ. Sometimes it seems like we have very different intents, varying values, divergent goals and myriad purposes, but we are all alike called to be intent together upon one purpose -- loving one another and the world around us, just as Christ loves us and gave himself up for us, taking the form of a servant, being humbled, making himself nothing, being willing to be treated as less than He deserved. Help me, Father, have the same attitude, even as I try to faithfully express my uniquely God-designed person. Help me to learn to faithfully play my part in Your whole with an attitude of selfless Christ-like love.

Friday, February 16, 2007

2 Peter 1:5-8

1 Passage: 2 Peter 1:5-8

1 Verse: Verse 8. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for showing us in Your word the way to become useful and fruitful. You give us the gift of faith not for ourselves only, but for others -- so that by the qualities of Your Spirit we become kind and loving to all. Forgive me, Father, for being uselessly unfruitful in my self-focused inwardness. Help me produce instead the fruit of kindness and love toward others today.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

2 Peter 1:1-4

1 Passage: 2 Peter 1:1-4

1 Verse: Verse 3. seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for giving us Your divine power to live godly lives. Forgive me for living weakly in my own godless powers. Help me to gain that true knowledge of You by which I come to understand that I have all that I need in You.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Romans 12:14-21

1 Passage: Romans 12:14-21

1 Verse: Verse 21. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for giving Your Son Jesus to the world to overcome the world. In Him is courage and peace. And despite how discouraging and damaging this world may be, I am thankful for the promise that even a very little light will not be overpowered by the darkness, that evil can be overcome, that courage and peace can be ours. Give me the faith to not be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Ephesians 6:13-18

1 Passage: Ephesians 6:13-18

1 Verse: Verse 16. in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for the gift of faith that shields us when we are under attack. Forgive me for not holding firm to my faith, for letting my guard down, for allowing my shield to slip just when I most need to be protected. Give me faith, Lord, to stand firm and stay strong instead. The fiery darts and flaming arrows aren't going to stop coming at me, no matter how many hits I take. But by faith, Father, You can snuff out every one.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Ephesians 5:15-17

1 Passage: Ephesians 5:15-17

1 Verse: Verse 15. Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for walking with me to make me wise. As we walk together today, will You please teach me how to be careful? So many times I want to be carefree, and end up only being careless. Show me how to be wise in the things that I care about, so that I do not attach too much or too little importance to the wrong things. I want to care about what You care about, and not care for foolish things. Make me wise, please, Father, so that I can be understanding of Your will. Thank You.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Ephesians 5:7-10

1 Passage: Ephesians 5:7-10

1 Verse: Verse 8. for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for making light of my darkness. Thank You for making me something as beautiful and useful and good as light itself. I could never have done that all on my own. Only in You do I become Light. Forgive me for not realizing it. Forgive me for shutting my eyes and stumbling around in my former blindness even after You have made me Light and allowed me to walk as a child of Light. Help me walk as Light in You today.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Proverbs 15:1-5

1 Passage: Proverbs 15:1-5

1 Verse: Verse 4. A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it crushes the spirit.

1 Prayer: Father, please give me a soothing tongue. Help me speak gentle words that are calm, encouraging and uplifting. Forgive me for saying harsh and inappropriate things that crush the spirit and stir up anger. Help me to replace those words with speech that brings life and turns away wrath.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Psalm 19:7-10

1 Passage: Psalm 19:7-10

1 Verse: Verse 7. The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for answering our prayers. When we ask You for wisdom, You tell us exactly where to find it -- in Your word. Make me wise enough to desire Your sure and perfect truth above all else. Restore my soul.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Colossians 1:9-14

1 Passage: Colossians 1:9-14

1 Verse: Verse 9. For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

1 Prayer: Father, so many times I come to You asking You to fill me with wisdom and understanding and the knowledge of Your will, yet so rarely do I unceasingly pray all those same things for others. Forgive me for being only focused on myself. Obviously, Father, I need Your wisdom, but I am not the only one who does. Help me to be like Paul, continuing to pray -- from the moment I hear about another's need -- that You would bless them with the fullness of all wisdom and understanding and knowledge of Your will. And help me to be wise today, too. Thank You, Father.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Hebrews 13:15-17

1 Passage: Hebrews 13:15-17

1 Verse: Verse 15^.Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

1 Prayer: Forgive me, Father, for fruitless lips that are at times more like the fig tree You cursed -- all showy leaves and no profitable produce -- than the humble little seed that You blessed, which yielded its crop one-hundredfold. You created these lips and this tongue for blessing, not cursing, and I want my words to be a pleasing sacrifice of praise and thanks to You. I owe You everything. Let me continually offer back to You praise and thanks for Your everlasting loving kindness.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Hebrews 12:4-11

1 Passage: Hebrews 12 :4-11

1 Verse: Verse 7. It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for dealing with me as Your son whom You love. Forgive me for not recognizing Your discipline for what it is. I cry and moan and blubber and wail, without ever realizing that, because You are my Father and I am Your son, all these blows are really blessings. Only Your love could manage to take all our sufferings and sorrows and scourgings and somehow transfigure them into good news. But, for all that, I still don't welcome Your discipline. I'm still begging You to relent. Teach me what You want me to endure. Show me the faults that Your discipline is meant to correct. And help me to continue to resist sin, in the full assurance that You are with me to help me become the son You have created me to be.

Monday, February 05, 2007

John 4:34-38

1 Passage: John 4:34-38

1 Verse: Verse 38. "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor."

1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for sending me out to harvest. Thank You for making sure that I don't labor all alone out there. Thank You for the labors of others who have begun the work and continued it to this day. Help me to enter into their labor with my own efforts to sow and reap, however small these may be. Silence my oh-so-smart ideas about when and where and how and why to harvest, and open my eyes to see both the present ripeness of the harvest field and the richness of the reapings from it.