[Membersandfriends] Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Tue Dec 14 22:01:32 PST 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Wednesday, December 15, 2004

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The Upper Room Living Prayer Center

The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by Christian volunteers. Submit prayer requests online or call and speak to one of our volunteers at 1-800-251-2468 (U.S. and Canada) or 615-327-4673 (International).
http://www.upperroom.org/prayer_center
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THEY'RE WATCHING
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Hebrews 12:1-3 (NRSV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.

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Make no friends with those given to anger, and do not associate with hotheads, or you may learn their ways and entangle yourself in a snare.
-- Proverbs 22:24-25 (NRSV)
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MY young son watches and imitates my every move.  Recently as we were driving to see family, I impatiently muttered, "Move it, people!" to the slow driver in front of us.  I thought nothing more of my words.  To my chagrin and embarrassment, five hours later, I listened as my child addressed our extended family using the exact phrase I had spoken earlier.

As Proverbs warns us, we can absorb and ultimately reflect the words and actions of those we spend time with.  There's nothing more sobering than to realize that the people closest to us can be profoundly influenced by our words and actions.

God wants us to be aware of the importance of our attitudes, actions, and words in our daily routine.  We can ask God to make us conduits of grace rather than conduits of selfishness, pride, and anger.  Our actions and words can be a positive Christian witness or a stumbling block to others.  As we spend time with Christ in Bible study and prayer and allow God to change us, our Christlike ways can rub off on others.

Prayer:  God, transform us so that we reflect your love in all that we say and do. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
What can I do to more clearly reflect Christ?

-- Paul Davis (Maryland, U.S.A.)

PRAYER FOCUS: Young children

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RELATED READING ...

Written by Christian educator and mother Betty Cloyd, CHILDREN AND PRAYER helps parents enrich the prayer lives of their children and bring God into their lives. Cloyd provides prayers and rituals to use with children and answers the difficult questions children and adults often ask about God.
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=12539

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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.