Focus

As you quiet yourself for this brief time, be willing to be open to God in whatever way that may take place.

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Read

Ephesians 6:10-18 (NRSV)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench 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.

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

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Reflect

Paul knew that Jesus followers would face evil, so he used an image with which they would have been familiar to help them understand how God would protect and empower them against these forces. He didn’t want these early followers to become discouraged and give up.

Although Paul’s letter wasn’t written to the people of our time, it could have been! We constantly seem to be faced with evil—whether in the form of violent acts, hate-filled words, temptations to follow the things of this world, etc. We also can have hope God is beside us and has given us the resources we need to withstand this evil. God’s armor protects us and helps us to stand against the evils of the world.

It is very important to stay alert to the world around us, watching for the evils that lurk everywhere. Some may be less obvious than others, making them more difficult to recognize as being evil. We need to support and lift up one another all the time, because that is how we show God’s love to those around us. We also need to pray for our ministers, missionaries, teachers, and all of those people who work to spread the good news about God to give them strength and guidance so that they can continue to do the great work that they do.

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Pray

Dear Lord, please be with me as I go throughout my day. Stand beside me as I face the evils in this world and lead me towards the good that is in it. Please help me to support my fellow brothers and sisters in this life as they need me and give them the strength that they need to continue to do your work. In your precious name I pray, Amen.

Go with God.