Search

Driving Notes

The Official Blog of WNZR's Afternoon Drive

Open Search
Category

Devotionals

Prayers of confession and humility

Today, we continue sharing devotionals from the book Let’s Pray: Talking to God with the Words of the Bible, by Dr. James Banks, who serves as a pastor at Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina and is a regular writer for Our Daily Bread.

In this short book, we are reminded that the prayers of the Bible are an amazing gift from God and they have so much to teach us.

This is what Alex and Stephen Kendrick talk about in their book The Battle Plan for Prayer in the chapter called ‘Praying the Word.’ In the prayers of scripture, we find words that can help carry our thoughts and emotions to God. He invites us closer to him through the prayers of the Bible.

This week, we continue to share prayers from the Word to confess sin and to humble ourselves.

Dr. Banks writes that of all of Jesus’ names and titles, the one that he likes best is the one that the Pharisees gave him: Friend of Sinners. It may have been one of Jesus’ favorites too, because in Luke 19:10 he said he “came to seek and save those who are lost.” Friend of Sinners best captures the reason He came. Why is that? Because a true friend will love you even when you don’t deserve it and will look for you when you’ve lost your way. Jesus does all of that and more. John 15:13 reminds us that there is “no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

All of us like friendship, but we need to remember that friendship is a two-way street. So as we think of Jesus as our friend, we need to ask ourselves – what kind of friend am I to Jesus? If I’m someone’s friend I’m going to care about our relationship. I’ll be mindful of things that could be hurtful or cause distance between us. Nothing causes Jesus more pain than sin. Remembering how much my sins cost Jesus helps me be a better friend to him. So the Bible’s prayers of confession and humbling ourselves before God also remind us to be a better friend.

Today we’re addressing what we do when we are faced with overwhelming guilt.  One verse that we can pray is Psalm 38…

1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Your arrows have pierced me,
    and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
    there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me
    like a burden too heavy to bear.

5 My wounds fester and are loathsome
    because of my sinful folly.
6 I am bowed down and brought very low;
    all day long I go about mourning.
7 My back is filled with searing pain;
    there is no health in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;
    I groan in anguish of heart.

18 I confess my iniquity;
    I am troubled by my sin.

Then follow with Psalm 119, verses 169-176:

169 May my cry come before you, Lord;
    give me understanding according to your word.
170 May my supplication come before you;
    deliver me according to your promise.
171 May my lips overflow with praise,
    for you teach me your decrees.
172 May my tongue sing of your word,
    for all your commands are righteous.
173 May your hand be ready to help me,
    for I have chosen your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation, Lord,
    and your law gives me delight.
175 Let me live that I may praise you,
    and may your laws sustain me.
176 I have strayed like a lost sheep.
    Seek your servant,
    for I have not forgotten your commands.

Thanks for listening!
– Todd and Joe

0

Prayers of confession

Today, guest hosts Eddie and Cierra continued sharing devotionals from the book Let’s Pray: Talking to God with the Words of the Bible, by Dr. James Banks, who serves as a pastor at Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina and is a regular writer for Our Daily Bread.

In this short book, we are reminded that the prayers of the Bible are an amazing gift from God and they have so much to teach us.

This is what Alex and Stephen Kendrick talk about in their book The Battle Plan for Prayer in the chapter called ‘Praying the Word.’ In the prayers of scripture, we find words that can help carry our thoughts and emotions to God. He invites us closer to him through the prayers of the Bible.

This week, we’re continuing to share prayers from the word to confess sin and to humble ourselves.

Dr. Banks writes that of all of Jesus’ names and titles, the one that he likes best is the one that the Pharisees gave him: Friend of Sinners. It may have been one of Jesus’ favorites too, because in Luke 19:10 he said he “came to seek and save those who are lost.” The title Friend of Sinners captures the reason he came better than any other title. Why is that? Because a true friend will love you even when you don’t deserve it and will look for you when you’ve lost your way. Jesus does all of that and more. John 15:13 reminds us that there is “no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

All of us like friendship, but we need to remember that friendship is a two-way street. So as we think of Jesus as our friend, we need to ask ourselves – what kind of friend am I to Jesus? If I’m someone’s friend I’m going to care about our relationship. I’ll be mindful of things that could be hurtful or cause distance between us. Nothing causes Jesus more pain than sin. Remembering how much my sins cost Jesus helps me be a better friend to him. So the Bible’s prayers of confession and humbling ourselves before God also remind us to be a better friend.

There is a lot of honesty in these prayers. 2 Samuel 7:20 says, “You know what your servant is really like.” Psalm 19:12 says, “how can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.”

There’s a real humility in these prayers and a description of what sin does to us. In Psalm 31:10 it says, “sin has drained my strength…I am wasting away from within.” Psalm 40 says, “My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out.”

All of these prayers clearly show God’s holiness, plus a humble admission that his judgment of sin is justified and the discipline he gives is deserved…

But you also find JOY.

Psalm 32 verses 1 through 2 says, “Oh what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven; whose sin is put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt; whose lives are lived in complete honesty.”

Psalm 66 reminds us, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” So these prayers are teaching us the best way to pray and mark the path that leads to our Savior’s heart. God has left us these prayers in the word to show us the way back to him.

The Bible reminds us that God knows us completely…yet he still loves us. Our final verse today is 2 Samuel 7:20-22, which says, “What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, sovereign Lord. Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.  How great you are, O, Sovereign Lord!  There is no one like you.  We have never even heard of another God like you!”

Thanks for listening!
– Joe, Lilly and Todd

0

More prayers of praise!

We continue today sharing devotionals from the book Let’s Pray: Talking to God with the Words of the Bible, by Dr. James Banks, who serves as a pastor at Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina and is a regular writer for Our Daily Bread.

In this short book, we are reminded that the prayers of the Bible are an amazing gift from God and they have so much to teach us. They help us understand how our Bible heroes like Jesus, Job, Mary, Moses, David, Samuel, and many others talked with God. These prayers can also help us talk to God. Just as Jesus used several of David’s prayers in his final moments on the cross in Matthew 27, we can find the prayers of scripture.

This is what Alex and Stephen Kendrick talk about in their book The Battle Plan for Prayer in the chapter called ‘Praying the Word.’ In the prayers of scripture, we find words that can help carry our thoughts and emotions to God. When we use the prayers from God’s word, humbly and with expectation, to encourage us in our own prayers, we can open our hearts and lives to deeper faith, renewed strength, blessings and God’s power. God invites us closer to him through the prayers of the Bible.

Today we’re going to share a couple more prayers to praise and honor God.

This is what Dr. Banks writes: true praise is praise with an active faith that is greater than just emotion. It is a daring thing. It challenges us to reach for something beyond ourselves, giving ourselves up to God.

Our first prayer today from the word comes from Psalm 104, where we are reminded that he created EVERYTHING:

Praise the Lord, my soul.Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
3     and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes winds his messengers,[a]
flames of fire his servants.

5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
6 You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
9 You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.

10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
15 wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,

19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.

24 How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

The next prayer is: NO ONE CAN MEASURE YOUR GREATNESS from Psalm 145:

 1 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you,
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall laud your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

0

Praise Thursday: A New Series!

Today Lilly and I jumped right into a new book that will be a series for the next few weeks!

This book is called ” Can God Be Trusted in Our Trials?” by Tony Evans – That title pretty much sums up what this book is about.

We started where most people start books, chapter one!  This chapter was titled “Our trials have a positive purpose.”

Today on the show we talked about the first two sections of chapter 1.

The first section that we coved was the introduction. This laid the groundwork for what trials are. The “Biblical definition of trials…are adverse or negative circumstances that God either brings about directly or allows in order to develop us spiritually.”

In this introduction, we also shared a verse, that I believe we will be talking about a lot, that is:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4 

We sum up this part with the quote “God is not telling us to be joyful about the pain but about the purpose and the outcome of the pain, which is our spiritual completeness and maturity.

We then started the second section, which is titled “Joy Vs. Happiness” – We talked about how happiness is more of a feeling and how our happiness levels can change within a second. “Our feelings respond to the information we are fed to them, whether it is true or not.”

We will be continuing this topic next week!

Thank you so much for tuning in to the Afternoon Drive! – Hannah Radke

 

0

Game Time Tuesday!

Today Lilly and I shared with you lots of information about our NEW event to Lifeline – A 5K run, walk, and bike! Click HERE for more information!

We also got to talk to Joe and Marcy who are in Nashville at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. They’ve had some really awesome opportunities to meet Alex Kendrick and see a South Korean choir! Here are some pictures!

 

Today we gave you two chances to win a $5 gift card to Troyer’s of Apple Valley!

First, we played ‘Song Poetry” and our lyrics for today were

You’ve counted every breath
Each hair upon my head
You know exactly who I am
And will always

From the song “All that Matters” by Colton Dixon – Congratulations to Francesca from Mount Vernon who won Song Poetry!

Then we played selling EEB-

Our theme today was was polar bears and our word was arctic. Congrats to Sandye from Mount Vernon who correctly spelled arctic backwards!

We also shared with a devotional from the late Billy Graham! Click HERE to read that.

Thank you for listening!
– Hannah Radke

0

Game Time Tuesday

Today Joe and I mixed it up (or threw it back) on Game Time Tuesday! We played “Song Poetry” like we normally do, but then we played “Spelling EEB” !!

Today’s “Song Poetry” lyrics were:

Seems like all I can see was the struggle
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past
Bound up in shackles of all my failures
Wondering how long is this gonna last?

From the song “Redeemed ” by Big Daddy Weave. Congrats to Maude from Mount Vernon who called in and got it right.

AND we brought back SPELLING EEB!! Today’s topic was Radio!

LJ from Mount Vernon called in a spelled the word “frequency” backwards – on the first try!! Congrats to him on winning that $5 gift card to Troyer’s of Apple Valley!

Joe shared with us a great uplifting story about Super Bowl winning quarterback Nick Foles – Read more HERE

I also shared a inspiring devotional from Sarah Young’s “Jesus Always” – To find out more about Sarah and what she does click HERE.

Thanks so much for listening!
– Hannah

 

 

 

0

Game Time Tuesday!

Today Joe and I gave you two chances to win a $5 gift card to Troyers of Apple Valley with Song Poetry and Name that Tune!

 

Today’s “Song Poetry” lyrics were:

I’m no stranger to the prison
I’ve worn shackles and chains
But I’ve been freed and forgiven (yes I have)

From the song “All my Hope” By Crowder/ Tauren Wells!

Congratulations to Abby from Mount Vernon who correctly guessed the title of the song and the name(s) of the artist.

Todays “Name the Tune” clip was from “Glow in the Dark” By Jason Gray!

Congrats to Faith from Mount Vernon who correctly guessed this song and artist and won that $5 gift card to Troyer of Apple Valley!

Joe shared two uplifting news stories today from the magazine “The week” from the section “It wasn’t all bad”. The first story was about a police officer’s first day and a life-saving act – Click HERE to read more! The second was about a family’s bakery struggling to get by after hurricane Harvey, but the families teenage daughter changed it all… click HERE to read more.

I also shared a devotional from Sarah Young’s “Jesus Always” about how God will make everything – including you – new! To find out more about Sarah and her awesome devotional click HERE. 

Thank you so much for joining us today! I hope that you had a great Tuesday!!  – Hannah

0

Game Time Tuesday!

Today on Game Time Tuesday Joe and I gave you two chances to win a $5 gift card to Troyers of Apple Valley with Song Poetry and Name that Tune!

Todays Song poetry lyrics were:

“Unmatched in all your wisdom
In love and justice you remain
Every knee will bow”
Congrats to Sherrisa from Howard who correctly guessed our Song Poetry song which was “Only King Forever” by Elevation worship ( Here at WNZR we also play the 7eventh Time Down version!)
Today’s Name that Tune song clip was from “Lift Your Head Weary Sinner” By Crowder.
Congratulation to Oliva from Mount Vernon who guessed the name of the artist and the title of the song above and won that $5 gift card to Troyers of Apple Valley!
We also asked that you would pray for the victims of yet another school shooting – Click HERE to read more about the story.
We also shared with you an upcoming date to put down on your calendar! Our annual WNZR 20th Valentines Banquet on February 9th! Click HERE for more info!
Joe shared a great uplifting New story about a very special Walmart Secret Santa – click HERE for the full story!
I shared a devotional from “Jesus Always” by Sarah Young  – to find out more about Sarah and her devotionals click HERE.
Thanks so much for listening! – Hannah Radke
0

The Story of the Savior through Scripture and Song

Another Friday of the 12 Days of Christmas here on WNZR!
Thanks for tuning in!
We did something special today on the Drive! We told the Christmas story through scripture and song! Check it out below!

Starting out, we read Luke 1:26-38, foretelling the birth of Jesus.

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

The song we chose to go along with this scripture was ‘Mary did you Know’.
Listen to it here!
We also played ‘Mary Sweet Mary’ from Selah.
Listen to that one here!

We then read Mary’s Song from Luke 1. Verses 46-55.
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”

For the songs about this scripture, we played Ave Maria!
Hear that one right here!
And listen to ‘Labor of Love’ here!

After that, we read from Matthew 1:18-25.
This tells about the angel Gabriel coming to Joseph…

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f] because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel”[g] (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Listen to Joseph’s Lullaby and Overwhelming 

We then talked about all of those who came to see the Christ Child.
We read in Luke 2:1-20

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Reading from Matthew 2:1-12 about the Magi…
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod,Magi[h] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
 are by no means least among the rulers of Judah
for out of you will come a ruler
 who will shepherd my people Israel.”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The songs we chose for this were ‘Gloria – Angels we have heard on High‘, ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear‘ and ‘The First Noel‘ for the Angels and the Shepherds and “We Three Kings‘ for the Wise Men!

Our Christmas word of the day today…
NOEL!
A Christmas carol
First Known Use: 15th century
English speakers borrowed the word noel from French. It can be traced further back to the Latin word natalis, which can mean “birthday” as a noun or “of or relating to birth” as an adjective. (The English adjective natal has the same meaning and is also an offspring of natalis.). Noels were being sung in Latin or French for centuries before the word found its way into our language in the 1800s. The earliest known musical use of noel occurred in the text of a Christmas motet called “Nova vobis gaudia,” which was written in the 1400s.

Thanks for listening!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑