Verse from Psalms

“耶和华我的神啊! 求你帮助我；求你按着你的慈爱拯救我，”

‭‭诗篇‬ ‭109:26‬ ‭

“Help me, Lord my God; save me according to your unfailing love.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭109:26‬ ‭

David was at the end of his rope: “poor and needy,” his “heart . . . wounded” (v. 22), and his body “thin and gaunt” (v. 24). He was fading “like an evening shadow” (v. 23), and sensed himself to be an “object of scorn” in the eyes of his accusers (v. 25). In his extreme brokenness, he had nowhere else to turn. He cried out for the Sovereign Lord to show him the way: “Help me, Lord my God” (v. 26).

There are seasons in our lives when “broken down” says it all. In such times it can be hard to know what to pray. Our loving God will respond to our simple prayer for help.

Verse from 1 John

“我们若爱神，并且遵行他的命令，就知道我们是爱神的儿女了。”

‭‭约翰壹书‬ ‭5:2‬ ‭

“This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:2‬ ‭

While God floods us with relentless love, a love that never wavers even when we resist or run away, He does expect something of us. When God instructed Israel how to live, He provided Ten Commandments, not ten suggestions (Exodus 20:1–17). Aware of our self-deception, God offers clear expectations (1 John 5:2).

Thankfully, “[God’s] commands are not burdensome” (v. 3). By the Holy Spirit’s power, we can live them out as we experience God’s love and joy. His love for us is unceasing. But the Scriptures offer a question to help us know if we love God in return: Are we obeying His commands as the Spirit guides us?

Verse from 1 Timothy

“其实敬虔而又知足，就是得大利的途径，”

‭‭提摩太前书‬ ‭6:6‬ ‭

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6:6‬ ‭

God has blessed us with so much, but it seems we’re always looking for more: a bigger house, a better car, a larger bank account, or [fill in the blank]. Paul encouraged Timothy to remind people in his congregation that “we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:7–8). 

God has given us our very breath and life—besides providing for our needs. How refreshing it might be to enjoy and be content with His gifts and to say, You’ve given us so much! We don’t need more. “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (v. 6).

Verse from 1 John

“孩子们，我们爱人, 不要只在言语和舌头上，总要在行动和真诚上表现出来。”

‭‭约翰壹书‬ ‭3:18‬ ‭

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:18‬ ‭

One of the ways we serve God is by serving those in need. First John 3:16–18 encourages us to help others from the abundance of our own possessions. Serving helps us to be more like Jesus as we begin to love and see people as He does.

God often uses His children to fulfill needs and to answer prayers. And as we serve others, our own hearts are encouraged as we encourage those we serve. As a result, our own faith will grow as God equips us for service in new ways (v. 18).

Verse from 1 Chronicles

“求你赐给我的儿子所罗门专一的心，谨守你的诫命、法度和律例，作成这一切事，用我所预备的一切来建造殿宇。””

‭‭历代志上‬ ‭29:19‬ ‭

“And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, statutes and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.””

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭29:19‬ ‭

Country artist Chris Stapleton’s deeply personal song, “Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore,” was inspired by his own father’s prayers for him. The poignant lyrics reveal the reason his father’s prayers ended: not disillusionment or weariness, but his own death. Stapleton imagines that now, instead of speaking with Jesus in prayer, his dad is walking and talking face-to-face with Jesus. 

Stapleton’s recollection of his father’s prayers for him brings to mind a biblical father’s prayer for his son. As King David’s life ebbed away, he made preparations for his son Solomon to take over as the next king of Israel. 

After assembling the nation together to anoint Solomon, David led the people in prayer, as he’d done many times before. As David recounted God’s faithfulness to Israel, he prayed for the people to remain loyal to Him. Then he included a personal prayer specifically for his son (1 Chronicles 29:19).

We too have the remarkable privilege to faithfully pray for the people God has placed in our lives.

Verse from Psalms

“我向你承认我的罪，没有隐藏我的罪孽；我说：“我要向耶和华承认我的过犯”；你就赦免我的罪孽。”

‭‭诗篇‬ ‭32:5‬ ‭

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:5‬ ‭

King David rested in forgiveness through confession (Ps. 32:1–2). He had hidden his sins against Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Sam. 11–12) until his “strength was sapped” (Ps. 32:3–4). 

But once David refused to “cover up” his wrongs, the Lord erased his guilt (v. 5). God protected him “from trouble” and wrapped him in “songs of deliverance” (v. 7). David rejoiced because the “Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him” (v. 10).

We can’t choose the consequences of our sins or control people’s responses when we confess and seek forgiveness. But the Lord can empower us to enjoy freedom from the bondage of sin and peace through confession, as He confirms that our guilt is gone.

Verse from Job

“他们就七天七夜与他一起坐在地上，没有人向他说一句话，因为他们看出他极其痛苦。”

‭‭约伯记‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭

“Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭

When Jen, a theme park employee, saw Ralph collapse in tears on the ground, she rushed to help. Ralph, a young boy with autism, was sobbing because the ride he’d waited all day to enjoy had broken down. Instead of hurrying him to his feet or simply urging him to feel better, Jen got down onto the ground with Ralph, validating his feelings and allowing him the time to cry. 

Jen’s actions are a beautiful example of how we can come alongside those who are grieving or suffering. The Bible tells of Job’s crippling grief after the loss of his home, his herds (his income), his health, and the simultaneous deaths of his ten children. When Job’s friends learned of his pain, they “set out from their homes . . . [to go] comfort him” (Job 2:11). Job sat on the ground in mourning. When they arrived, his friends sat down with him—for seven days—saying nothing because they saw the depth of his suffering. 

In their humanness, Job’s friends later offered Job insensitive advice. But for the first seven days, they gave him the wordless and tender gift of presence. We may not understand someone’s grief, but we don’t need to understand in order to love them well by simply being with them.