Verse of the Day

Verse of the Day - 1 Corinthians 1:18

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0500

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

—1 Corinthians 1:18

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Power! We love power. We love the sound and fury of power. We love the power's ability to bring positive change to dreadful situations. The greatest power ever unleashed on this earth was the power displayed when the Almighty God held back his might and fury while his Son was persecuted, abused, belittled, battered, and murdered on a cross. Now that's an awesome display of power, and it was displayed specifically for us and to save us. Plus, we know the cross was not the end of God's powerful grace; it was the doorway to Jesus' glorious and triumphant resurrection. We now live by the power of God who raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:18-21). Praise God for his power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Video Commentary...

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My Prayer...

Holy and Majestic God, we praise you for your incredible might and power. We also thank you for your love, which guides the release of that power to bless and redeem us. Thank you for knowing that we are but dust, and without your sustaining Spirit, we will not have life in glory with you when our bodies fail. Thank you for saving us by withholding your mighty power when we sin, and for pardoning us through your sacrificial power released for us in Jesus. Because of your mercy, Father, and in the holy name of Jesus, we offer this prayer through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

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Verse of the Day - Romans 13:8

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0500

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

—Romans 13:8

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Jesus paid the debt we owed God for our sins, trespasses, and rebellious actions (Colossians 2:13-14; 1 Peter 1:8-10). Thank God we no longer owe the debt for those transgressions because of God's grace (Romans 6:23). However, I do owe others the love, respect, forgiveness, and grace that God has lavished on me (Ephesians 4:32). As Paul reminded us yesterday:

Give everyone what you owe him. If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Romans 13:7)

Why is this so important? We are to keep paying installments on the "continuing debt to love one another" as Jesus has loved us!

My Prayer...

Holy God, everything in heaven and earth is yours, yet you have graciously shared them with us, your children. We thank you for not just purchasing us from our debt to sin, but also for buying us out of our slavery to that sin, and to the evil one, death, and hell. Open our hearts to the realization that you own us, yet love us freely and forgive us completely. Please kindle love in our hearts through the refreshing power of the Holy Spirit that you pour into our hearts, enabling us to love others as you have loved us. In Jesus' name, we pray and commit to love. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

Verse of the Day - Romans 13:6-7

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0500

This is why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him. If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

—Romans 13:6-7

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Ouch! Tax day. Not my favorite day, how about you? But where would we be without government, order, and laws? Anarchy! Rebellion! Lawlessness! Dog-eat-dog days where all people are "in it" only for themselves!
While we may not always like how the system functions, we need to know from God how he wants us to live with flawed people in community. Paul is not naive. He knows he is likely going to be imprisoned and martyred by the Roman government. So, we can follow Paul's example as we seek to be redemptive in our living, obedient in our citizenship, and ask God to bless our countries and bring revival to them. Jesus left us this principle:

"So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." (Matthew 22:21)

The apostle Paul explained and expanded Jesus' principle in our verse today:

Give everyone what you owe him. If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Now it is up to us, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to live up to that principle even in challenging times!

My Prayer...

Holy God, I thank you that I am free in you and belong to no one and no power other than you. To you, O God, I offer my full and undivided allegiance. Because I want your name and your people to be respected, I will obey the laws of my land as long as they align with your will. I know it is good for the spread of the gospel of Jesus and for the blessing of all people that we be at peace in our world (Romans 12:18), so, dear LORD, I pray for peace. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

Verse of the Day - 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0500

I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you... that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

—1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The story of the Gospel is simple. The grace of the Gospel is glorious. The sacrifice of the Gospel is incomprehensible. The victory of the Gospel is eternal. The core of the Gospel is Christ, and him crucified and raised on the third day. We live in light of God's third-day solution accomplished for us in Jesus' resurrection from the dead!

My Prayer...

Almighty LORD, thank you for the empty tomb and Jesus' victory over the grave. Just as Jesus' death pardoned my sin, his resurrection assures my future. Thank you for grace and glory. May my life be lived each day by the power of the resurrection. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

Verse of the Day - Romans 3:23-24

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0500

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

—Romans 3:23-24

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

"I blew it!"
Come to think of it, we've all blown it! We don't measure up. We're not divine. We are not righteous on our own. We all fall short. We might be decent by the world's standards, but decent won't save us in the presence of a holy, infallible, and perfect God. Only the truly righteous make it past the grave and into glory. Thank God! Grace is freely given, and the price for our sin was paid by Jesus. While I "blew it," Jesus renewed it from sin, death, hell, and the evil one! While I "blew it" - and admit, you blew it, too - Jesus renewed our lives for life with him now, and in glory forever (Colossians 3:1-4). Jesus even presents us to the Father as "holy in his sight, without blemish, and free from accusation" (Colossians 1:22).

My Prayer...

Kind and Loving Father, thank you for being so generous with your mercy, grace, forgiveness, and cleansing. May I be as passionate for your righteousness as you were in redeeming me from my sin. Based on Jesus' authority and love, I ask for the Holy Spirit to help me with this, as I seek to please you and become more JESUShaped. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

Verse of the Day - Luke 9:23-24

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0500

Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."

—Luke 9:23-24

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

"I've just got to get away and find myself."
If that is our goal, we must know it won't ever happen. We do not "find ourselves" or "find our life" by pursuing it (Matthew 10:39). We find life, true and lasting life, by losing it for something and someone greater than ourselves. We find our lives by losing them to Jesus, to the work of his Kingdom, and to the grace of blessing others and bringing them to Jesus (Matthew 16:25).

My Prayer...

Master and Maker of all that lives and breathes, take my life and make it yours. Use my every breath for your glory. Holy Spirit, I trust your transforming work to make me more like Jesus, more JESUShaped. LORD Jesus, I pray that my words and actions are pleasing to you and consistent with the way you lived while on earth. In the words of your servant, David, I pray:

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

Through the mighty intercession and authority of Jesus, we offer you this prayer and our praise, O God. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

Verse of the Day - 1 Peter 2:24

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 02:00:00 -0500

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

—1 Peter 2:24

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Jesus bore our sins. He didn't just carry them to the cross; he also suffered the penalty we deserved for those sins. His anguish was our healing. His suffering was our righteousness. How can we ever think of going back to sin after he suffered so much to bear its penalty? So, let's begin each day declaring, "Today, O God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I die to my sins and live for righteousness! Please help me live up to my commitment by the transforming power of the Spirit to make me more like Jesus, more JESUShaped each day" (2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 1:28-29).

My Prayer...

Holy God, how you could stand to see your precious Son under the weight of my sin, along with all the sin of human history, I will never understand. Thank you for such great love and for being such a gracious God. None, not in heaven, not on earth, not in the spiritual realms, is comparable to you, O God. Your greatness is beyond imagining, and your love beyond my dreams. I choose, and commit, to live today to your glory because of Jesus, who bore my sin so I could be your righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:21). In the precious name of your Son, I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.