Scripture – Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Prayer Focus: Barbara J. Essex writes, “With the words of this text, Jesus seeks neither to set impossible goals nor shame people who cannot reach perfection.  Instead, he sets forth God’s vision of God’s world, where love, genuine and unconditional, reigns.”  Pray

Read More

Scripture – Matthew 5:47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the gentiles do the same? Prayer Focus: Jesus’ followers are called to love like Christ loves.  That means going out of our way to love and care for those who are labeled

Read More

Scripture – Matthew 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? Prayer Focus: Have you ever sang the hymn, “They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love?”  Christians are not known for loving the people who already love them…followers

Read More

Scripture – Matthew 5:45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. Prayer Focus: Why love people the way God loves us?  Because we are all children of God. 

Read More

Scripture – Matthew 5:44 But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Prayer Focus:  Jesus is always challenging the disciples to do the opposite of what seems normal and reasonable.  God’s community is filled with people who think of others first…even when those “others,” are people who are

Read More

Scripture – Matthew 5:34 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ Prayer Focus: It is so easy to love your friends and hate your enemy.  Today, all it takes is blocking someone on your cell phone or deleting them from your email or social media account. 

Read More

Scripture – Acts 9:18 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then Paul got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Prayer Focus: Without a declaration of faith for himself or anything other than prayer, Saul (now called Paul) is

Read More

Scripture – Acts 9:17-18 17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Prayer Focus: Ananias went. What

Read More

Scripture – Acts 9:15-16 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”    Prayer Focus:

Read More

Scripture – Acts 9:10-14 10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of

Read More