Good And Evil — Devotional and Prayer — KJV Bible Study
A DEVOTIONAL AND A PRAYER · SEEK HIM MORNING, NOON, AND NIGHT
Good and Evil — Foundational Biblical Doctrine
INTRO
Good and evil are set before you every day, not just once in a garden long ago. The Lord wants your senses trained to tell them apart, the way eyes adjust to tell colors apart in daylight. This reading walks through one full day — morning, noon, and night — asking at each hour: which one am I choosing right now? Carry these few words with you, and let them meet you at each watch of the day.
MORNING — SEEK ME EARLY
Psalm 5:3Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
MY VOICE SHALT THOU HEAR IN THE MORNING → IN THE MORNING WILL I DIRECT MY PRAYER, AND LOOK UP.
Psalm 143:8Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
CAUSE ME TO HEAR THY LOVINGKINDNESS IN THE MORNING → CAUSE ME TO KNOW THE WAY WHEREIN I SHOULD WALK.
(My personal thoughts — this morning, before the day's choices come, ask for the same thing David asked: not only forgiveness for yesterday's wrong, but knowledge of the way to walk today. Good and evil will both be offered before noon. Ask early which one to take.)
NOON — AND AT NOON WILL I PRAY
Psalm 55:17Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
EVENING, AND MORNING, AND AT NOON, WILL I PRAY → HE SHALL HEAR MY VOICE.
Acts 10:9Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
PETER WENT UP UPON THE HOUSETOP TO PRAY ABOUT THE SIXTH HOUR.
Amos 5:14Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Seek [H1875 darash]good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
SEEK GOOD, AND NOT EVIL → THAT YE MAY LIVE.
(My personal thoughts — at midday, work is half done and the will can grow tired. Peter was praying on an ordinary rooftop at an ordinary hour when heaven opened to him. Stop where you are, remember this morning's verse, and ask again: am I seeking the good today, or has the day quietly turned me toward what is easier?)
NIGHT — MEDITATE DAY AND NIGHT
Psalm 63:6Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
WHEN I REMEMBER THEE UPON MY BED → AND MEDITATE ON THEE IN THE NIGHT WATCHES.
BE YE ANGRY, AND SIN NOT → LET NOT THE SUN GO DOWN UPON YOUR WRATH.
Psalm 4:8Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
I WILL BOTH LAY ME DOWN IN PEACE, AND SLEEP → FOR THOU, LORD, ONLY MAKEST ME DWELL IN SAFETY.
(My personal thoughts — tonight, look back over the day against the verses you started with. Where evil was answered with evil, do not carry it into sleep — let the sun go down without your anger going down with it unresolved. Where good was done, give thanks, for it was his gift before it was your work. Then lie down in peace, for it is the Lord alone who makes you dwell in safety.)
BE NOT OVERCOME OF EVIL → OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The whole day is one walk, not three separate ones. Morning asks God to show the way. Noon asks whether that way is still being kept. Night asks what was done with it, and lets go of what needs to be let go of before sleep.
Deuteronomy 6:7Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
TALK OF THEM WHEN THOU SITTEST IN THINE HOUSE + WHEN THOU WALKEST BY THE WAY → WHEN THOU LIEST DOWN, AND WHEN THOU RISEST UP.
Do this when you rise, and when you lie down, and all through the day between.
APPLY TODAY
1. This morning, before you eat, read Psalm 143:8 out loud once and ask God to show you the way you should walk today. (Morning)
2. At midday, stop what you are doing for one minute, remember this morning's verse, and ask whether the day has turned you toward what is easier instead of what is good. (Noon)
3. Before you sleep tonight, name one place today where you answered evil with evil, and bring it to God before the sun goes down on it. (Night)
4. Say Romans 12:21 out loud once before you close your eyes tonight, so it is the last thing in your mind when you fall asleep. (Night)
THE PRAYER
Lord, in the morning I lift my voice to you, and I look up. Cause me to know the way I should walk today, for I lift up my soul to you. Give me a heart like Solomon's, to tell good from evil in the choices in front of me. At midday, when my strength is half spent and the work is not yet done, call my heart back to you the way Peter's was called on the rooftop; keep me seeking the good, and not sliding toward what is only easier. Tonight, let me look back honestly. Where I answered evil with evil, forgive me, and do not let the sun go down on my anger. Where I did good, I thank you, for it was your gift before it was my work. Keep me from growing weary of doing good, and keep me from growing lukewarm before the race is finished; let me endure to the end, and not fall away. Be not overcome of evil in me, but let me overcome evil with good, all my days. And when the day is done, let me lie down in peace, for you alone make me dwell in safety. Amen.
