Category Archives: sins

Friday, August 20, 2021

 

Pray this Lazaroo from the depths of your soul:

“Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate…”
(Joel 2:13)

Oh, yes You Are, Jesus!

You Are Gracious!

So kind to me.
So tender with me.

You refuse to treat me as my sins deserve.

And You Are Compassionate!

You get me.
You understand why I stumble.

You give me chance after chance after chance!

You keep lifting me up

brushing me off

and sending me back into the fray

not in my own strength

but in Yours.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning (812) 473-7729…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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1 Samuel 2:4; Job 4:4; Psalms 9:13; Psalms 37:24; Psalms 119:165; Psalms 139:1; Romans 3:23

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

 

Pray this Lazaroo in overwhelmed gratitude:

“Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
(Mark 2:9-10)

It wasn’t really about healing paralysis, was it, Jesus?

True, that’s incredibly impressive and compassionate.
It meant the world to that man.

But it was only a temporary fix.

What’s awesome

is Your forgiveness of sins.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning (812) 473-7729…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; Acts 5:31; Acts 26:18; Hebrews 8:12; 1 John 1:9

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

 

Pray this Lazaroo in grateful awareness:

“Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’”
(Mark 2:6-7)

When you forgave this man’s sins, Jesus

these religious experts made an astute observation:

“Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

But they were blind to the reality

that they were hearing those words of forgiveness

from God Himself.

Who can forgive my countless sins?

Oh, Jesus!
Only You.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning (812) 473-7729…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Matthew 9:2; Matthew 26:28; Mark 2:8-12; Luke 7:47; Luke 11:4; Acts 2:38; Ephesians 1:7

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

 

Pray this Lazaroo in sober awareness:

“This is how they treated all the Israelites…”
(1 Samuel 2:14)

Eli’s wicked sons repeatedly broke Your law and abused Your people, Jesus!

No wonder You put them to death.

You give us so many chances to repent and change our ways

that we may foolishly conclude that we can get away with our sins

that You won’t do anything about it.

But because You’re a God of of love

You’re a God of wrath –

against all who would intentionally defy You.

Jesus, God, Bible, prayer, 1on1, Lazaroo, Lazaroo.com, daily devotion, daily devotional, daily devotions, daily prayer, 1on1 Church, 1on1church.com, steve1on1, #1on1withJesus

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning (812) 473-7729…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Exodus 21:13; Numbers 35:20; Deuteronomy 32:35; Jeremiah 5:12; Ezekiel 7:9; Zephaniah 1:12; Hebrews 10:30

Monday, July 27, 2020

 

Pray this Lazaroo with growing understanding:

“…seek humility…
(Zephaniah 2:3)

Won’t have to seek long, Jesus.

If I’m genuinely looking for humility I’m gonna find it

in the blessings I don’t deserve

in the skills I don’t possess
to accomplish what I desire

in the sins I’ve committed
too many times to count

in the reality that I didn’t put myself here.
You created me, sustain me, own me.

So, yeah.

If I’m truly on the lookout for humility
it’ll hit me smack dab between the eyes.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning (812) 473-7729…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Psalm 45:4; Proverbs 11:2; Proverbs 15:33; Proverbs 22:4; Philippians 2:3; Colossians 2:18; Colossians 3:12

Sunday, March 29, 2020

 

Pray this Lazaroo with sold-out surrender:

“…they will take possession of it.”
(Deuteronomy 1:39)

This was a brutally hard thing for Your people to hear, Jesus.

The thing they had worked so hard to accomplish
the land they had journeyed so long to enter

was not to be theirs.

Instead, it was their children who would enjoy it.

Their sin had robbed them of Your promise.

May that not be true of me!

But may all those who come after me

indeed possess what You have promised!

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning (812) 473-7729…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Genesis 24:7; Genesis 28:15; Exodus 32:13; Numbers 14:23; Joshua 5:6; Deuteronomy 1:29-38; Acts 7:5

Sunday, January 19, 2020

 

Pray this Lazaroo in sold-out surrender:

“If a member of the community…does what is forbidden…”
(Leviticus 4:27)

Sadly, Jesus…

who hasn’t?

I have.

Everyone I know has.

You say the same:

There’s no one righteous, not even one.

But things can’t stay that way, can they?

Sin has to be atoned for.

Either the sinner pays
or someone with sufficient means

has to pay it for them.

Which is exactly what You did on the cross
for everyone who puts their trust in You.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning (812) 473-7729…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Exodus 30:10; Psalms 116:11; Romans 3:10-18; Romans 3:22-28; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9-10; James 3:2

Thursday, January 9, 2020

 

Pray this Lazaroo in devoted passion:

“They dash to the city wall…”
(Nahum 2:5)

That’s what enemy soldiers did, Jesus…

when attacking a city they felt confident they could destroy.

They didn’t crawl or walk.

They ran to the wall –
eager to destroy those cowering within.

Perhaps that’s what the enemies of my soul do, Father.

They’ve seen the sins and blunders of my past.
They assume I’ll keep right on sinning and blundering.

But by Your grace and in Your strength:

Not this time.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning (812) 473-7729…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Job 13:26; Psalms 27:2; Isaiah 9:1; Isaiah 43:18; Isaiah 65:16; Zechariah 8:11; 1 Peter 4:3

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

 

Pray this Lazaroo with unbridled joy:

“You take away my blessing from their children forever.”
(Micah 2:9)

Oh, Jesus. That’s what most sin does.

It removes Your blessings.

But not only ours!
All too often, it robs our loved ones, too.

You long to bless us.
You love to bless us.
Blessing us may be Your all-time favorite thing to do.

So when we disqualify ourselves
it breaks Your heart –
maybe even more than it does ours.

If I stop sinning
You bring the blessings.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning (812) 473-7729…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Genesis 12:2; Exodus 23:25; Leviticus 25:21; Deuteronomy 11:26-27; 2 Samuel 7:29; Luke 24:51; Romans 15:29

Thursday, December 5, 2019

 

Pray this Lazaroo in holy recognition:

“…the Jews…killed…the prophets…”
(1 Thessalonians 2:14-15)

Yes, they did, Jesus.

When You sent Your prophets to correct Your people’s sins
they were seldom received with open arms –

all too often, with hatred, threats, beatings, imprisonment

…and stones.

But Jews are not the only people who shoot the messenger.

It’s hard to be confronted with my wrongdoing.
I want to lash out at the person who’s in my face

until I drop my pretense and acknowledge:

You’re the One who sent them.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning (812) 473-7729…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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2 Samuel 12:1-13; 2 Kings 17:13; 2 Kings 17:23; 2 Kings 21:10; Ezra 9:11; Jeremiah 7:25; Zechariah 1:6; Revelation 11:18