Today is September 16.


The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.   
  
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”    
   
Today’s reading is from the book of Romans, chapter 3.  
  

9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written:  
  
         “There is no one righteous, not even one;  
         11      there is no one who understands;  
         there is no one who seeks God.  
      12 All have turned away,  
         they have together become worthless;  
         there is no one who does good,  
         not even one.”  
      13 “Their throats are open graves;  
         their tongues practice deceit.” 
         “The poison of vipers is on their lips.”  
         14      “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”   
      15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;  
         16      ruin and misery mark their ways,  
      17 and the way of peace they do not know.”   
         18      “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  
  
 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. 
  

As we come to prayer today, let’s begin with a consideration of ‘becoming conscious of our sin’. Remember: we do this only under the covering of God’s grace! Take a few moments right now and invite God to search you, to know you, and to reveal to you any area of sin or proclivity to sin that might be under the surface of your life. 
   
This text tells us that the law is useful not to help us be obedient, but to help us recognize our LACK of obedience. The law gives us a test that we simply cannot pass on our own strength. Listen to the scripture again and pay attention to the strong way it speaks to our sinful nature. 
 
Do you often consider the power of God’s grace? Take time right now to recognize how wonderful and freeing it is to be a people who are forgiven by grace… not by works. Consider the love of God toward you that He would offer Himself to pay the debt you cannot pay. And allow God to convict you of any area – any hidden or secret ways – that need to be confessed to the God of all grace.

Music: You Have Our Yes - Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)