DEVOTION:
Psalm 141:1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. ( Read the Psalm)
NOTE: This past week, a person called and asked what I meant in one of the daily devotions, July 6, 2026, when I wrote: “Ask God to guard your words and your heart today. Pay attention to what you speak and "what you tolerate within yourself.” Pastor, what does tolerate in your heart mean?
THOUGHTS:
The psalmist asks God to guard not only his mouth, but also his heart. He understands that the greatest spiritual danger is not always what happens around us, but what we allow to take root within us. We often pray for God to change our circumstances, while David prays that his circumstances will not change his character. Resentment, pride, bitterness, fear, and selfishness rarely appear all at once. They quietly settle into the heart until they begin shaping our thoughts, words, and actions. David's prayer reminds us to invite God to examine our hearts each day, removing whatever does not reflect Him. Perhaps one of the greatest prayers we can offer is simply, "Lord, don't let my circumstances change my heart."
ANOTHER THOUGHT
We cannot always change what happens around us, but by God's grace we can ask Him to keep what happens around us from becoming what lives within us.
PRAYER:
Almighty and Holy God, You are a God of infinite wisdom and grace. As this quiet Sunday morning begins, we come into Your presence with grateful hearts. Thank You for watching over us through the night and for the gift of this new day. Before we worship together, quiet our minds and draw our hearts close to Yours. Lord, search us and know us. Where there is pride, replace it with humility. Where there is fear, plant trust. Where there is bitterness, sow forgiveness. Eradicate from our hearts and minds anything that does not reflect the character of Christ, and fill us instead with Your love, mercy, patience, and peace.
We lift before You our church family. Encourage those who are weary, strengthen those who are recovering, comfort those who grieve, and guide those facing difficult decisions. Help us to love one another well, always choosing grace over judgment and understanding over division. We pray for our families, our community, our nation, and all who lead. Grant them wisdom, integrity, and hearts that seek what is right. May we, as Your people, be known not by our opinions, but by our love. We pray for the upcoming VBS with our children. Bless them all Lord. And as we gather to worship today, open our ears to hear Your voice and our hearts to receive Your Word. May everything we do bring honor to You and draw us closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ. In His precious name we pray, Amen.