Daily Devotion

Voice: Jennifer

Today is Thursday, 10th of July. As we start another day, let us observe a moment of silence.

We pray:

O Almighty God, who pourest out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to thee, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship thee in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We read Psalm 78:1-4

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
    incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
² I will open my mouth in a parable;
    I will utter dark sayings from of old,
³ things that we have heard and known,
    that our fathers have told us.
⁴ We will not hide them from their children,
    but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
    and the wonders that he has done.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.

The Scripture Reading is Romans 13:1-7

13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, ⁴ for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. ⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ⁷ Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Reflection

Living Under Authority

In one way or another, we are all under authority—whether it’s the government, legal systems, our workplace, schools, or even within our homes. Human life is structured around various layers of authority.

In Romans 13, Paul outlines why submission to authority is part of our Christian duty. He echoes the teaching of Jesus by reminding us that all authority ultimately comes from God. To respect human authority, therefore, is also to acknowledge the sovereignty of God.

Of course, human authority is often flawed. We can only imagine what first-century Christians had to endure under oppressive regimes. Paul himself would later suffer under Roman authority, and Jesus was crucified for refusing to comply with the demands of those who opposed His divine mission.

There comes a time when believers must refuse to submit—when human commands directly contradict God’s will. Jesus would not stop preaching the truth, even when it led Him to the cross. The apostles in Acts said plainly, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

That said, rebelliousness is not a virtue. A defiant spirit, whether at home, in school, or in society, is not pleasing to God. The heart of a Christian is marked by humility and a willingness to honor authority, not out of fear, but out of reverence for God.

So let us take a moment to reflect:

• Do I carry a rebellious attitude toward those in authority over me?
• Am I quick to dismiss or undermine the structures God has allowed in my life?
• Do I submit grudgingly, or with a heart that seeks to honour the Lord?

May the Lord give us a spirit of humility and wisdom, to live faithfully under authority—without compromise, but always with grace.

We end with this Collect:.

Almighty God
who desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of Your truth,
help our national leaders to serve with wisdom, 
a heart of compassion, 
and with righteousness and justice.
We pray regularly for them
that we may live quiet and peaceful lives 
in all godliness and holiness
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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In closing, be blessed by this song, Submission

When my heart’s a tug of war
When my will is fighting Yours
Help me say
Have Your way
Spirit, come and purify
Rid me of this double mind
Help me say
Have Your way

God, I submit
God, I submit to You
Whatever it takes
That’s what I’ll give
God, I submit to You
Ooh

Teach me how to hear Your voice
And filter out all other noise
Lord, I pray
Have Your way

Here I am Lord down on my knees
Here is my humility
When I draw close
You draw close to me
Every time the enemy flees
Every time there’s perfect peace
When I draw close
You draw close to me

Link to today’s Morning Office

About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.

Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.

For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg