A good verse for prayerful meditation

Sometimes praying doesn't need to consist of a logically stream of deep thoughts. Rather, sometimes our prayers can be quiet reflections upon spiritual matters. For those types of prayers, it can help to repeat an easy-to-memorize verse over and over in our head. One good candidate appears in Proverbs 30:5 (KJV),

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

The verse highlights the importance of scripture, and it emphasizes God's protection and love for us. Try taking a few moments to repeat this verse, say, 5-10 times in your head. See if it helps establish a connection with God!

Bad influences

In Haggai 2:12 (KJV), God asks,

If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy?

And to this question, the priests answer "no." But then in verse 13 (KJV), God asks,

If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean?

And to this, the priests answer "yes."

Dealing with ancient Jewish law, these verses can seem cryptic, but the message is actually fairly simple. Verse 12 is saying that one person's righteousness will not "rub off" on someone else. Verse 13, on the other hand, is saying that sinful behavior will, in fact, tend to rub off on other people.

Thus, these two verses offer a call to personal responsibility, along with a note of warning. We, and we alone, are responsible for our standing toward God. We can't count on someone else having a good standing that somehow becomes credited to us. But at the same time, wickedness does tend to become contagious.

In our prayers, let's focus on strengthening our standing with God, while also praying for protection against worldly sins. 

God's forgiveness

Hosea 5:15 (KJV) highlights the process involved in God's forgiveness.

I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

This short verse packs a load of information. First, when we sin, God leaves us to our own devices by "going and returning" to his place. His pulling away eventually brings us "affliction." (Those points are made many places in the bible.) Second, he patiently awaits our repentance. 2 Peter 3:15 makes this same point. Finally, there is an indication that our turning toward God is inevitable, when he says, "they will seek me."

So in sum, we are going to sin, which pushes God away and invites negative consequences. He waits for us to turn back toward him. And this entire process is inevitable, a realization that should humble us before him.