Lord, the
prayer today is we clean out our hearts and commitment our hearts to what You
define as good and right. That we clear our minds of evil thoughts in wrong values,
beliefs, and personal opinions; make our minds Yours and Yours alone. Lord,
take our souls under Your complete control and protect them from any kind of
worldly or spiritual evil.
Lord, we put on the full armor of God, so
that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Help us to stand firm then, with the belt of
truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in
place, and with
your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,
with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
Lord,
guide us in prayers of preparation as we take up Your axe of action and move
forward in perfect unity of body, with You as the head, to do Your will in this
earthly realm; knowing and trusting Your Word in Strength, Power, and Might.
Proverbs
16 New
International Version
To
humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the
tongue.
All a
person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.
Commit
to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
The Lord works out everything to its
proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster. The Lord detests all the proud of
heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.
Through
love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.
When
the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies
to make peace with them.
Better
a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.
In
their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.
The
lips of a king speak as an oracle, and his mouth does not betray justice.
Honest
scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag
are of his making.
Kings
detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness.
Kings
take pleasure in honest lips; they value the one who speaks what is right.
A
king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but the wise will appease it.
When
a king’s face brightens, it means life; his favor is like a rain cloud in
spring.
How
much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!
The
highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their
lives.
Pride
goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
Better
to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the
proud.
Whoever
gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who
trusts in the Lord.
The
wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction.
Prudence
is a fountain of life to the prudent, but folly brings punishment to fools.
The
hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote
instruction.
Gracious
words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
There
is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
The
appetite of laborers works for them; their hunger drives them on.
A
scoundrel plots evil, and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.
A
perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.
A
violent person entices their neighbor and leads them down a path that is not
good.
Whoever
winks with their eye is plotting perversity; whoever purses their lips is bent
on evil.
Gray
hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.
Better
a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a
city.
The
lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
Proverbs
17 New
International Version
Better
a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.
A
prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son and will share the inheritance
as one of the family.
The
crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.
A
wicked person listens to deceitful lips; a liar pays attention to a destructive
tongue.
Whoever
mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster
will not go unpunished.
Children’s
children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.
Eloquent
lips are unsuited to a godless fool— how much worse lying lips to a ruler!
A
bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it; they think success will come
at every turn.
Whoever
would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter
separates close friends.
A
rebuke impresses a discerning person more than a hundred lashes a fool.
Evildoers
foster rebellion against God; the messenger of death will be sent against them.
Better
to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on folly.
Evil
will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good.
Starting
a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks
out.
Acquitting
the guilty and condemning the innocent— the Lord detests them both.
Why
should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to
understand it?
A
friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
One
who has no sense shakes hands in pledge and puts up security for a neighbor.
Whoever
loves a quarrel loves sin; whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.
One
whose heart is corrupt does not prosper; one whose tongue is perverse falls
into trouble.
To
have a fool for a child brings grief; there is no joy for the parent of a
godless fool.
A
cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
The
wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice.
A
discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of
the earth.
A
foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the mother who bore
him.
If
imposing a fine on the innocent is not good, surely to flog honest officials is
not right.
The
one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding
is even-tempered.
Even
fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their
tongues.
Proverbs
18 New
International Version
An
unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts
quarrels.
Fools
find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.
When
wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes reproach.
The
words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing
stream.
It is
not good to be partial to the wicked and so deprive the innocent of justice.
The
lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating.
The
mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very
lives.
The
words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.
One
who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.
The
name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are
safe.
The
wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to
scale.
Before
a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.
To
answer before listening— that is folly and shame.
The
human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
The
heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it
out.
A
gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.
In a
lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and
cross-examines.
Casting
the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart.
A
brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city; disputes are like the
barred gates of a citadel.
From
the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of
their lips they are satisfied.
The
tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its
fruit.
He
who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
The
poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.
One
who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks
closer than a brother.
Go forth
and take actions to:
We Claim
these things with the Power in the Names of Jesus; The Christ; The Messiah.
Amen.
Footnotes:
- Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Purchased Product License 01/09/2015
Notes:
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