READ Isaiah 53
Our Savior bore the chastisement for our iniquity.

INSIGHT
When Christians suffer, they are tempted to resent God, to wonder: “Why me?!” If God is all good and all powerful, why must His children suffer? The answer to that question is difficult-–and not totally satisfying to the finite mind. Jesus maintains His credibility, however, in that He readily suffered for us all—suffering more than He will ever ask of us. Why must God´s children suffer? We don´t know. What we do know is that God was willing to suffer for us. He asks nothing of us that He was not willing to do for us.

PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He is so skillful and patient in teaching us His way:
Then David blessed the Lord in the sight
Of all the assembly. David said, May you be blessed,
Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
And the glory and the splendor and the majesty,
For everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted
As head over all. Riches and honor come from you,
And you are the ruler of everything.  
Power and might are in your hand,
And it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all.    
Now therefore, our God, we give you thanks and praise
Your glorious name (1 Chronicles 29:10-13).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
And I said:  my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed
to lift my face toward you, my God, because our
iniquities are higher than our heads and our guilt is
as high as the heavens (Ezra 9:6).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to
show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly
devoted to him. You have been foolish in this matter.
Therefore, you will have wars from now on
(2 Chronicles 16:9).

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

• Greater insight into Scripture
• The hungry around the world
• Your activities for the day

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
God will bring this about in his own time.  He is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords,    
who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see,  to him be honor and
eternal power. Amen.  (1 Timothy 6:15-16).