The Upper Room Devotional 15th August 2023
The Upper Room Devotional August 15, 2023, Tuesday Message by Carroll Ellis Cobb (Virginia, USA)
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TOPIC: The Gift of Prayer
TODAY’S READING
1 Thessalonians 5:12-18
Pray continually. – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)
Throughout her life my mother prayed diligently. At the top of her prayer list was her family — my father, my sister, and me. When she died, what grieved me most was that the one person who prayed for me every single day of my life was gone. My grief made me realize just how important it is to pray continually for others.
So now I have a calendar on my refrigerator that marks the birthdays of people in my life: family, close friends, social media contacts, former work colleagues, church members, and college classmates. I make it a point to pray diligently for these extraordinary people during the month of their birthday. I contact those I know well to ask if they have anything specific for which they would like me to pray. Sometimes I get a list, sometimes not. Some people on my calendar have no idea that I am praying for them. But I pray anyway.
Just as my mother’s prayers brought comfort to me, I hope others are encouraged to know I am praying for them. But truth be told, the joy is mine — because when I pray for others, I celebrate the unique and wonderful people God created them to be and the blessings they are in my life.
TODAY’S PRAYER
O Lord, thank you for the people you have brought into our lives. Bless them with your presence, and help them to know how much you love them. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Praying for others is a gift I give to them and to myself.
PRAYER FOCUS
A friend who is celebrating a birthday
The Upper Room Devotional August 15, 2023 Message, is a daily devotional magazine published in more than 30 languages and 100 countries around the world. The daily meditations are written by readers of the magazine and others interested in sharing their faith experiences through writing—both laity and clergy, published authors and new writers. Read More.
READ MORE TOPICS: OPEN HEAVENS, OUR DAILY BREAD, IN TOUCH, SEEDS OF DESTINY, STREAMS OF JOY, JOEL OSTEEN, MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE, DCLM DAILY MANNA, UCB WORD FOR TODAY