“Older women, teach the younger women to be good” (Titus 2:5). So far we’ve looked at the goodness of God, the goodness of internal character, the good works that should flow out of good character, and the goodness Christ calls us to display in suffering. As an extension of all of those, let’s consider an example from David’s life. My thoughts were led in that direction from Psalm 122, one of the “Songs of Ascent,” which I was memorizing last month. We are told specifically t

Older women are to be teachers of good things, and one of the things they are to teach younger women is to be good . In the third blog on goodness, I shared how Paul clearly teaches in the book of Titus that goodness and good works flow out of sound doctrine. The grace of God found in the Gospel teaches us to be good from the inside out. It cleanses us from evil and fills us with the goodness of God in both character and action. Throughout the book of I Peter, Peter reiterat

Day 25: Jesus of Nazareth Prayer: Heavenly Father, show us the humility of Jesus and teach us to walk in His ways. Amen. Primary Scripture: John 19:19: Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. This name of Jesus is used in the very first chapter of John's Gospel. John the Baptist had pointed his disciples to Jesus. Two of them followed Jesus and spent the day with Him. At least one of them, Andrew, became

Day 24:   Jesus is The Man Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to see Jesus for who He really is. Teach us to live simply and to see spiritual truth in the everyday objects around us. Help us also to entrust ourselves more fully into the hands of Jesus, the master craftsman and builder of our life in You. Restore us to Your image and enable to bear it well with dignity and honor, in righteousness and holiness. Amen. Primary Scriptures: John 19:4-5: Pilate then went out again, a

Day 23: I AM the True Vine Prayer: Father, teach us the full meaning of abiding in Christ. Show us our helplessness and hopelessness apart from Christ. Fill us and make us fruitful for Your glory. Amen. Primary Scripture: John 15: 1, 5, 8: I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser…I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing…By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so y

Day 22:   The Way, the Truth, and the Life Prayer:  Heavenly Father, teach us what it means that Jesus doesn't doesn't just show us the Way, He doesn't just teach us the Truth, and He doesn't just give us Life, but that He is the Way, He is the Truth, and He is the Life. Open our hearts to grasp this spiritual revelation. Help us understand that all You want to give us and all You have to give us is wrapped up in a Person. May Jesus be glorified in us. Amen. Scripture:   J

Day 21: Lord and Master Prayer: O Heavenly Father, teach us the blessedness of acknowledging and submitting to the Lordship of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Show us His amazing grace and favor; reveal to us His humble servant leadership. Teach us His ways. Amen. Scripture: John 13:13-17: You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, t

Day 20: I AM the Resurrection and the Life Prayer: Heavenly Father, teach us to find our life in Jesus and to live in the hope and certainty of resurrection. Give us faith to believe in the words and works of Jesus. Amen. Scripture: John 11:25-26: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” When the messenger from Mary and Martha c

Day 19:   I AM the Good Shepherd Prayer:   Our Father in heaven, open the eyes and ears of our hearts to see and hear all the ways You have shown Your love to us by sending Jesus as our Good Shepherd.  Help us to believe and rely on the love You have for us . Teach us to abide and relax under the care of the Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in constant companionship with Him. Amen.  Scripture:   John 10:11:   I AM the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the shee

Day 18: I AM the Door Prayer: Our Father in heaven, thank You for Your prophetic Word that gives us certainty about who Jesus is. Thank you for confirming your Word through fulfilled prophecy and miraculous signs. Thank You for providing the way for us to come to You and for inviting us to come. Give us understanding; exalt Jesus in our hearts and minds. Amen. Primary Scripture: John 10:7, 9: Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the

Day 17: Jesus is the great I AM Prayer: Our Father in heaven, reveal Yourself to us. In an ongoing, daily, even moment-by-moment way, make Yourself known to us. Be for us all that we need and all that we could ever hope for. Show us the greatness of who You are and all You desire to be for us. Work within us and among us to deliver us with Your mighty acts of grace and strength. Ignite us with Your Living Flame. Amen. Primary Scripture: John 8:58: Jesus said to them, “Most

Day 16: Jesus is the Light of the World Prayer: Our Father in heaven, shine the Light of Jesus into our hearts. Illumine our darkness, both in our hearts and on our way. Like the rising sun, dawn gently in us till the full light of day takes over every part. As Psalm 19 says about the sun, may Your increasing light in us be like a strong man running Your race within us. To the glory of Jesus Christ, Amen. Primary Scriptures: John 8:12: Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying

Day 15: Jesus is the Bread of Life Prayer: Father in heaven, thank You for making our bodies to need daily intake of food. Thank You for the way our bodies digest food and carry its strength to every cell in our body—and all this without our even having to think about it. Thank You for the way You imprinted spiritual truth into all that You have made. Draw us to Yourself. Feed us with Your finest wheat: the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Primary Scripture: John 6:35: And Jesus sa

Day 14: Jesus is The Prophet Prayer: Father in heaven, help us to listen to the word and voice of Jesus. Give us ears to hear. You see and know all the inner workings of our thoughts and motives: make us attentive when You pinpoint our sin. You uphold the standard of righteousness: give us convictions that align our lives with Your own. You know the end from the beginning and all that will happen in our lives: prepare us for what's to come. Let the glory of Christ and the Ki

Day 13: Jesus is the Savior of the World Prayer: Father in heaven, Your mercy extends to the whole world; help us to see the largeness of Your heart and the magnitude of Your love. Teach us to revel not only in the salvation You have provided, but even more in the Savior who provided it. Amen.   Primary Scripture: John 4:39-42: And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when th

Day 12: Jesus is the Bridegroom Prayer: Our Father in heaven, help us to understand the depth of Your love for us. Even as we reflect on our heavenly Bridegroom, woo us to Yourself. Teach us to love You with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength, that Jesus might be magnified in our lives. Amen. Primary Scripture: John 3:28-30: “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bri

Day 11: Jesus is the Bronze Serpent in the Wilderness Prayer:  Father in heaven, help us to understand a little more clearly what Jesus bore for us when He died for our sins. Please touch our hearts with the depth of this truth. Help us also to understand the depth of our sin that we might worship Christ with more humility and more gratitude. Amen. Primary Scripture: John 3:14-15: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted u

Day 10: Jesus is the Temple of God Prayer: Father in heaven, make Your Presence known to us. Teach us the truth about Your temple. Reveal Christ to us—the wonder of who He is and what He came to do. Amen. Primary Scripture: John 2:19-22: Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the templ

Day 9: Jesus is the Son of Man Prayer: Father in heaven, help us today to more fully understand the significance of the name Son of Man. Let us see the dignity in it and the depth of identification with us. Help us to be in awe of all Jesus accomplished as the Son of Man and all it will mean for us in the future. May Jesus Christ be magnified in our minds and hearts. Amen. Primary Scripture: John 1:51: And [Jesus] said to [Nathanael], “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafte

Day 8: Jesus is the King of Israel Prayer: Father in heaven, we want to know Jesus as our reigning King. Come and establish Your Kingdom in our hearts and in our home. Show us what that will mean in our everyday lives. Amen. Primary Scripture: John 1:49: Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” The primary prophecies about the Messiah centered on promises of a coming King—at least these were the prophecies the people