Prayer for the Week

Lord Jesus, I pray that you would cleanse my temple and renew it as a house of prayer for you as well – head to toe. Stir my spirit and deepen my appreciation for the events you experienced this week, pouring out heart and soul, life and blood to redeem your people – to redeem me. I look forward to another week of your blessings and pray that Father grants it in your name.

Amen.

Psalm of Meditation for the Week:

Psalms 51:13-19

• Read: the verses twice.
  

• Mark: the words or phrases that catch your attention.
  

• Meditate: talk (better yet write) with God about those words. Ask him to impress things upon your heart and mind; expect a response from the Lord.

Matthew 21:33-45

The Parable of the Tenants

33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

Prayer

Jesus, many church leaders of your day rejected you as Messiah, but like the Apostle Peter, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God and I know that I have life in your name. I also know that you taught people to “render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God’s”. So recognizing your ownership of my life, I render myself to you. Be the Cornerstone of my life as you are the church. I pray this in your name and to the glory of our Heavenly Father, Amen.

Scripture Meditation for the Day:

Psalm 51:13-14

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

Teaching or Command of God:

Matthew 7:5

You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

The Promise:

2 Peter 2:6

For in Scripture it says: See, I lay a stone in Zion a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.

Prayer Prompt

Check in with God about who any rivals that exist in your life as potential masters. Don’t skimp on this opportunity – with the Holy Spirit’s help, make a list even and clearly rebuke any other potential masters in prayer.

Scripture Meditation for the Day:

Psalm 51:15

Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.

The Promise:

1 Peter 2:9b-10a

You are a chosen people] that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.

Review

Where and how have you been allowing the weakened flesh to cause trouble for your spirit who is trying to follow God? No sense in hiding our sinful choices, weaknesses and laces where we have succumbed to temptations.

Repent (if necessary)

Go ahead and repent of them and pray that the Lord would strengthen you and your spirit. Jesus prayed so that he would be strengthened to do God's will and we want to pray for that same type of strength and fortitude as we seek to do God's will also.

Return (as necessary)

In order to return to God, let's ask Him to help us set aside the weakened flesh, to restore the Lord to His rightful place on heart throne and seek willingness to let him be master of all in our world.

Scripture Meditation for the Day:

Psalm 51:16-17

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, O God, will not despise.

Teaching or Command of God:

Mark 12:33

To love [God] with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.

The Promise:

Proverbs 3:34

God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.

And when I think that God his son not sparing
sent him to die I scarce can take it in.

~ How Great Thou Art

Once again I look upon the cross where you died
I'm humbled by your mercy and I'm broken inside
Once again I thank you once again I pour out my life.

~ Once Again, by Matt Redman

Scripture Meditation for the Day:

Psalm 51:18-19

May it please you to prosper Zion to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Teaching or Command of God:

Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

The Promise:

1 Peter 2:5

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28:1-10

The Resurrection of Jesus

1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Saturday was the weekly Sabbath in the life of a Jew, including that infamous Jew Jesus. No question Jesus was, in a sense, “resting” 
from his work on this Sabbath. He had just said on the cross “It is finished” and died, and now was buried. While not ‘six feet under’ he was definitely ‘behind closed doors’.

Have you ever thought about this: This Saturday would be the most stark day of rest Jesus would experience; his body at rest in a grave awaiting resurrection that would transform and redeem the history and future of man.

Prayer Prompt

While you review the story of Jesus’ resurrection which we celebrate tomorrow (Son-rise), take a few moments to rest from your work and ponder the work of Jesus on this day of his deepest rest.

Prayer Prompt

Father God, on this day of resurrection we celebrate again today, two suns would arise: The sun of our solar system and the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2). Both rise to shine on the evil and the good.

May both run their course with great effectiveness from now until eternity. I thank you for them both and the blessing that they bring into my life and the lives of those whom I love; in Jesus’ name, Amen.