Today Daily Devotional

I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.
— 1 Corinthians 14:15

This passage addresses the gift of speaking in tongues. I do not have that spiritual gift, but many believers do. Paul supports the fact that Christians may speak in tongues, and he notes that it’s also important for the community to understand what is said when a person speaks in tongues. When we can speak and pray and sing and listen with understanding, we use our minds in worship to the glory of God.Our worship must include both spirit and mind. If the Holy Spirit does not meet with our spirit, our words of worship can be cold, ineffective statements. And if our mind is not engaged in our prayer and singing to God, our worship can become just exuberant blather. Only mindful, spiritual worship is real worship.Worship should include our whole selves—mind, body, and spirit. It’s also important, then, that worship should be done by the congregation, not for the congregation. Worship is not a spectator sport. So while watching a singer perform can be inspiring, and while hearing a preacher’s sermon can be stimulating, we need to discern that these things truly lead us to worship God.Worship leaders have a great responsibility. They must direct the spirits and minds of worshipers toward God. They may not dazzle people or manipulate feelings. They must guide whole persons to Christ.

Father, Son, and Spirit, we want to worship you with our whole selves. Help us to engage both spirit and mind as we come into your presence in worship. Amen.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.
— James 1:5

The highest degree a person can earn in a field of study is a doctorate. But education is not a true measure of wisdom. There are lots of foolish people with doctoral degrees, and there are many uneducated men and women who are wise.Wisdom is not the same as academic learning. Wisdom not only understands many things but also knows how to interpret what it senses and how to use that knowledge wisely.Wisdom is a way of life, while knowledge can be little more than a collection of data. Computer programs can store more data than our brains can. But a computer cannot be wise. Wisdom is not mere knowledge. It also involves “know-how.”In the book of Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a perfect woman who brings life, peace, and blessing for all who seek her. When you find wisdom, you will know what to say and how best to think and live. You will discern how things came to be. You will understand what is right and how to avoid wrongdoing.Why would anyone be content with ignorance or foolishness when they could have the beautiful gifts of wisdom? Wisdom is found in hearing God’s Word, reflecting deeply on its teachings, and learning from other believers who are wise.True wisdom leads to the true God. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). True wisdom finds the source of all wisdom.

Lord, thank you for the gift of wisdom. Help us to follow Jesus, who shows us the way of true wisdom and leads us to eternal life with you. Amen.

Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 2:5

One of the most important goals for a believer in Christ is to have the same mindset as Jesus.Wouldn’t that be amazing?! In Philippians 2, the apostle Paul describes the attitude Jesus had when he came from heaven to earth to live among us and to save us from sin and death.In his descent, Jesus gave up all the power and glory he had in heaven by becoming a human being. He also came without status or privilege by taking the nature of a servant. Then he gave up even the life of a poor servant by submitting to death on a cross. In sum, the greatest being in the universe gave up everything and became a victim of excruciating punishment at the hands of brutal, mocking humans for our sake.To share in Jesus’ mindset, we are called to join in Jesus’ way of life. He showed complete sacrifice and humility. Jesus, who had all power and glory and majesty and privilege in heaven, gave it all up. He did not cling to anything that he rightfully had as the Son of God. He gave no thought to his own status or well-being. He gave it all up, for all of us.Is there anything you have that you might feel you deserve or have a right to?If we want to be like Christ, we need to give up any sense of entitlement so that we can serve God wholeheartedly and faithfully.

Lord Jesus, we wish to be like you, but the cost is great. By the power of your Spirit in us, help us to deny our own rights and desires and to seek yours. May your attitude be ours. Amen.

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
— Revelation 5:13

Maybe you have heard Handel’s Messiah, which includes this song and many others that we find in the Bible. Maybe the music of that stirring oratorio is going through your head right now.Praising God through song is not just a nice thing to do now and then. In this text, singing is shown to be one of the most worshipful things a believer can do. All creation is called to sing to the God who is worthy of “praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”In song we can take part in worship with our whole being. If we are conscious of the words we are singing, our mind is deeply involved. If our emotions are affected by the music and the words, it can feel as if every part of our being is engaged.I have been able to sing in a number of choirs. When I am singing a Christian song with a group of good singers, it can feel as if we are praising God in heaven.Not all of us are good singers or even musically inclined. But we don’t have to have great voices to sing wholehearted praise to our Creator and Savior. We can sing to and for the one true God who deserves all honor and glory and praise. And as our song reaches the Lord in heaven, it is purified, offering a sweet sound to his ear.

“Now blessed be the Lord our God . . . through all eternity; the whole earth let his glory fill: Amen! So let it be.”

They were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
— Revelation 5:8

Did you know that our prayers are like a scented offering to the Lord? Imagine God sitting on his throne, inhaling all of our prayers. He is surrounded by four creatures that are beyond our imagining, and by 24 elders who represent all of his people redeemed by Jesus, the Lamb of God. The amazing creatures and the elders hold out bowls of fragrant offerings to God, and these represent all of our prayers.We might not usually think of scents when we consider God’s holiness or God’s presence, but perhaps we need to. We know that God created the nose of the bloodhound, which is about 50 times more sensitive than our own. So perhaps we can imagine God deeply breathing in the most attractive scent in the universe— our prayers. He takes a deep breath and smiles. God loves us more than we can imagine, and he delights in hearing whatever we have to say. Whether we express joy or thanks or wonder or sadness or grief or concern or anxiety, the God who loves us is always eager to hear us.We can imagine that our prayers give God a scent more satisfying than fresh-baked bread or fresh-cut flowers. Our prayers are precious scents, offered to God in golden bowls.Did you know that your prayerful thoughts and words are enjoyed as the loveliest of scents in the highest heaven?

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, accept our offerings of prayer. May they be a pleasing scent to you as you sniff out what we truly need. Thank you, Lord, for hearing all our prayers. Amen.