Father, we want to prayerfully consider Timothy’s warning and realize that evil will escalate in the last days where the wicked and impostors will worsen and deception will be rampant even in the church. This happens when the Holy Bible is not the supreme authority, and is replaced by the popular teaching of those who seek to sway believers as they “spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.” We want to be wise, discerning, and careful to line up that which we hear with the ancient words of Scripture. For You are coming to judge the earth. You will judge the world with righteousness and all the nations with Your truth. Therefore we want to be fully devoted to following Your commandments, contend faithfully to the truth, and guard the deposit You entrusted to us. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Father, the people of faith listed in Hebrews died without receiving all that You had promised, but they never lost their faith vision of heaven as a “better country – a heavenly one.” We take courage from these fearless heroes of our faith who remained faithful to You in this life so that they could inherit a future life with You for all eternity. We who follow You many generations later trust Jesus’ promise that He returned to heaven to prepare a place for all who remain faithful. We anticipate with great joy the hour that we are joined with You to receive our commendation in the clouds of glory for all eternity. In Jesus mighty Name, Amen.

Father, as we march onward to Zion and uphold the Biblical view of righteous living, we are often mocked or dismissed as a radical bunch of Jesus followers. But we know that it is the righteous remnant who restrain Your wrath in the midst of the flood of evildoers. You are not willing that any should perish, but that all should turn to salvation. You didn’t send Jesus to earth to condemn the world but to provide redemption for all who believe upon Your name. We do believe and respond by walking in the ways of righteousness. It is by grace that we are saved, so we give You thanks through Christ Jesus our Lord in whose name we pray. Amen.

Father, as we set You apart in our heart from everything that is common, we begin to lay hold of Your holiness, Your power and goodness, justice and truth which also gives us an even greater reason for the hope that we have in You. The basis of our hope is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, who conquered the enemy of our soul. We defend our faith with gentleness and respect lest we espouse a superior attitude or reveal any attitude that is inconsistent with Your compassionate and just nature. May Your indwelling Spirit guide us in love and truth as we seek to reach others with the message of hope and forgiveness through Christ Jesus our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Father, as the slide to decadence deepens, we see the influence it has on the Christian church at large. Fearing rejection and mockery from the world or appearing as unsuccessful in the eyes of the world, many church leaders become accepting of the current philosophies and lifestyles prominent in our day, rather than holding to the unchanging standards prescribed through Your commands in Scripture. In the gray areas, help us to be gracious. But in the black and white commands of Scripture help us to be brave, strong and unambiguous in our position and consistent in our example as permissiveness, false prophesies, and weakened leaders dot the landscape. When seekers want the timeless truth of Scriptures rather than the changing truth of our times we will be prepared to guide them to Your eternal truths. Keep us faithful in doing so. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.