November 14 -- John 18: 17-24 "The servant girl at the door said to Peter, 'You also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?' He said, 'I am not.' Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teachings. Jesus answered him, 'I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagoges and in the temples, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.' When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, 'Is that how you answer the high priest?' Jesus answered him, 'If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?' Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest."
Prayer focus for today: At first glance, today's passage of Scripture might seem like Jesus was getting sassy. But that isn't His way. Jesus was speaking truth, which rubbed some the wrong way. How much is that like our society today? True, we are commanded in Scripture to speak the truth, but in love. The problem comes when someone is hurt when confronted with the truth. As Christians, we should not be ugly when speaking truth, but we should be ready to stand our ground on God's Word if we are in a situation where we need to stand on truth, even when others do not agree. Pray today for growth in God's Word so that when you are called on to stand on the truth of His Word, you will be fully prepared. Pray for any situation you might currently be facing where you know you must speak truth to someone, but also know they might be upset with that, at least for a little while. Pray that YOU will be able to listen if someone brings a situation to your attention where YOU need to hear and accept truth in your own life.
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