Watkins Chapel CME Church Memphis

05/14/2026

Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. — Isaiah 64:8

Lord, I’m ready to admit imperfection. I’m tired of striving toward a moving target when no two people or places are the same.

Help me not to see imperfections as a setback, but as a window through which your light shines. Help me accept my intricate pattern, and to let you make and perfect me the way you desire. Show me the beauty of brokenness and how not having it all together makes me a vessel for your grace.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

05/13/2026

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:1-3, ESV).

Great God who spoke the world into being and formed the first human from the dust of the ground, You are the One who names the stars and makes nations rise and fall. So why do I so easily forget who You say I am when warring narratives come my way, or failure leaves me feeling untethered? Other aspects of life also try to define me: my job, relationships, sins, hobbies, and interests. Yet the Sovereign of all has already said who I am the moment I placed faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. You define me and are the only One who can tell me what I was made for.

Remind me again, gracious Father, that I am Your child, beloved not because I am perfect or must earn Your favor, but because of Your love. It was love that compelled You to send Your one and only Son into the world to save us. It was love that led Jesus to lay down His life for us. And it is love that sustains and keeps me today. I want to walk in that love as I live as Your child.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

05/12/2026

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35-36, NASB).

Heavenly Father,

I do not deserve Your mercy, but You have been so extravagant with Your love for me. Help me to reflect upon the gift of Your forgiveness daily, so that I can extend the same love to others.

When I am tempted to lose my temper or gossip, set a guard over my mouth, Lord. Help me cultivate and develop the fruit of self-control by the power of Your Spirit so that I can continue to walk peaceably, with all gentleness and humility as Your Word commands.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

05/11/2026

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” – Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV

Dear God, thank you for the prayers you didn’t answer how or when I wanted you to answer them. I see now that your wisdom was protecting me when I couldn’t protect myself. You knew what I didn’t, and you cared enough to say “no.” I’m letting go of my regrets. I know you heard my prayers and considered them carefully. I’m learning that your higher thoughts and higher ways really do lead to what’s best.

I’m not going to worry anymore that I didn’t get what I thought I wanted, because I can see that saying “no” was the most loving way for you to answer my prayers. Thank you for loving me enough to do what’s best for you in every situation. Help me trust you when I don’t understand your thoughts and your ways.

Please teach me how to let go of what’s not really good for me and to be confident that I’m not missing out because you’re doing what’s best for me. I’m grateful that you see the full picture of my life and that you always lead me toward what’s truly good.

Thank you for loving me so wisely. I love you, God. Amen.

05/10/2026

05/10/2026

"He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate." - Psalm 111:4

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the moms in our lives, both the ones who are thriving and the ones who are barely holding on.

You see every load of laundry and every whispered prayer over a sleeping child. You see the mom who smiled at church this morning and cried in the parking lot after. You know every sacrifice that goes unnoticed and every fear that goes unspoken.

Lord, make us people who extend Your grace to these women. Open our eyes to what they need, not only on Mother's Day, but in the ordinary, exhausting days when no one is celebrating them. Give us the courage to show up, to speak life, and to carry their burdens with them.

For every mom reading this, Father, remind her right now that Your grace is enough for today. She doesn't have to be perfect. She is already Yours.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

05/08/2026

Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.’ We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:6-12, NIV)

God, thank You for providing us with Your Word, which has everything we need to faithfully follow You. Help me create rhythms in my life that encourage me to remember how You worked in the past and to learn from the saints of old. I do not want to skip over parts of Scripture that can contribute to my growth merely because I think the account or passage is somehow divorced from daily life.

Increase in me the desire to be a faithful student of Your Word, including the Old and New Testament, so that I can learn from those who have gone ahead as I step out in faith today. And may I not be a reader only, but a doer of the Word.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

05/07/2026

“Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.
Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin
against those who pursue me. Say to me, ‘I am your salvation.’” - Psalm 35:1-3

Dear Father,

As our nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of its birth, let us, as believers, put our denominational differences aside for a day, so that we may join together to pray for our country.

Lead us with Your Holy Spirit in how to pray, giving us wisdom and insight into the current and future needs of our nation and our individuals.

Help us come together in Christian unity, so the world may witness Your love at work in Your Church.

As we pray, soften the hearts of our citizens to respond to a national call for repentance. Draw our men and women to humble themselves before You, to pray and seek Your face, and turn from our wicked ways.

Strengthen our faith to believe in the power of prayer and to seek another Great Awakening in America. We, too, ask for miracles to occur in our nation and in the lives of our leaders and compatriots.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

05/06/2026

Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart." - Psalm 97:11

Father, I lift up the moms in my life to You right now. There are some who are barely hanging on. Parenting can sometimes make one feel invisible. I lift up the ones who have forgotten what it feels like to laugh without guilt. You see what they carry.

Lord, help them find the joy You've already planted in their lives. I’m not asking you for a surface-level happiness that disappears when things get hard. Give them the kind of joy that comes from knowing You're with them. Open their eyes to the small moments they keep rushing past.

God, show me how to be someone who points them back to what You're doing, even when life feels like too much. Help me be a voice that speaks life into their weariness.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

05/04/2026

“For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:4-11, NIV).

Lord, You know how much the Corinthian church struggled with issues of the flesh, including the temptation to form groups around favorite teachers and workers. Today, many of us do the same. We spend more time listening to what a popular influencer has to say about an issue than communing with You personally. The result is that our faith begins to look stunted.

As helpful as many teachers and pastors are, their words and lives are not what bring growth. Only You are the One who deserves the glory for the growth in our lives. And only You are the One who should be praised for the salvation You died to give us. When we are tempted to become entangled in Christian celebrity cults, may You direct our focus back to You. Remind us again that You are the reason we are saved. Only in You will we boast.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.