READ 2 Kings 4
Elisha saves a Shunammite widow from economic disaster and revives her son from
Death.

INSIGHT
Elisha’s ministry is not startling; it is redemptive and constructive. Elijah was a prophet
of fire and judgment; Elisha was a prophet of mercy and compassion. Elijah was a man
on the move; Elisha enjoyed a tranquil life at home. Elijah’s miracles were destructive;
Elisha’s were constructive. It must have been tempting for Elisha to want to be like
Elijah. But he resists it; that is not what the Lord has for Elisha. He is his own man
before the Lord. It is often tempting for us to want to be like someone else, to be
dissatisfied with who we are and what we can do. Yet God made us to be what He
wanted us to be. We must be content with who we are. It is so liberating. Accept
yourself. God does.

PRAYER
Because the Lord made us and cares for us as we are, we offer Him the praise of our lips:
When I observe your heavens,
The work of your fingers,
The moon and the stars,
Which you set in place,  
What is a human being
That you remember him,
A son of man that you look after him?
Lord, our Lord,
How magnificent is your name
Throughout the earth! (Psalm 8:3-4, 9).

Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Then I acknowledged my sin to you  
And did not conceal my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the  Lord,”
And you forgave the guilt of my sin (Psalm 32:5).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep the mind that is dependent on you
In perfect peace, for it is trusting in you
(Isaiah 26:3).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

• Greater love for your family
• The work of missions in North and South America
• Whatever else is on your heart

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace himself
Sanctify you completely.
And may your whole spirit, soul, and body
Be kept sound and blameless
At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
(1 Thessalonians 5:23).