Bible Verse for Today

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
— Matthew 5:28 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Living in a sexually supercharged world and facing the prevalence of pornography on the Internet and in today's media, how are you doing with this issue?

My Prayer...Loving Father, give me the strength to resist sexual temptation, the wisdom to stay away from it, and character to triumph over it. In the mighty name of Jesus I...

 

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
— Luke 5:27 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...After capturing the hearts of the crowd, Jesus now calls another disciple, Levi (Matthew). Two things are significant about this calling. First, Jesus called someone no other religious leader would have chosen, a tax collector and Roman sympathizer -- to any Jew...

 

Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."
— Luke 5:26 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus forgave a man who was lame, then showed he had authority to forgive by healing him. As exciting and important as this healing was, the most important thing was the reaction of those who witnessed it; they praised God out of a sense of amazed awe. They recognized that Jesus had come to minister as God's very presence...

 

I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
— John 5:25 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Aren't you glad that not even death can stop us from hearing Jesus' promised words to us: "RISE!"? We will hear his voice and live with him forever. That sure puts a lift in my future plans; what about you?

My Prayer...Thank you, Almighty God, that Jesus' resurrection demonstrated your power to destroy...

 

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
— Galatians 5:24 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...When we became Christians, we died to the old person of sin and were raised up a new person. While we have many of the same battles with temptation, we also now have the power of the resurrection and the Holy Spirit at work within us to help us.

My Prayer...Righteous Father, help me keep the dead and cast-away sin of my past far away from...

 

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
— 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...We know that true righteousness and holiness are qualities possessed perfectly by only God. Amazingly, God uses his Spirit to make those qualities a growing reality in our lives when we will yield to his leadership. Yesterday, we committed to let the Spirit work on...

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
— Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Where the Holy Spirit lives, human character is changed and spiritual fruit can be seen. Certainly this maturity isn't found overnight! It is, however, noticeable over the long haul of life. What fruit is the Spirit bearing in your life? In what ways have you matured? In what...

 

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
— 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus was perfect, spotless, holy, righteous, and clean. Yet he became what he hated, sin. Why would he do such a thing? Because he loved us and wanted us to be what he is today, the righteousness of God.

My Prayer...Almighty and loving Father, thank you for making me holy -- your righteousness -- by the sacrifice of Jesus. Thank...

 

Jesus did not let him [the man from whom he had cast out demons] come with him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."
— Mark 5:19 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...This man has been given back his life, ransomed from the power of Satan and the grave. How will he use it? Simple. He will go tell those in his family what the Lord has done for him. Isn't that what we need to be doing with the unbelievers in our...

 

Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.
— Luke 5:18 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...What is the fullest definition of a friend? The Bible offers us numerous definitions and examples. One of my favorite examples is this story of the paralyzed man whose friends went to great extremes to get him to Jesus. Their faith and their effort to get him to Jesus are the things that ultimately result in the man's forgiveness and...