Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

November 4

1 Thessalonians 4

Paul informs the Thessalonians regarding the Lord Jesus Christ's second coming.

INSIGHT

Death is a mysterious, unavoidable experience. For the most part a fearful and foreboding process, death is a common factor in human experience: We live to die. Understandably, the most profound question human beings ask is: What happens when we die? Death is fully addressed in the Scriptures - and the answer is one of the most satisfying answers in the Bible: "The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (vv. 16-17).

PRAYER

Praise God that Christ's death and resurrection removed the sting of death:
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:4-6).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God (Psalm 14:2).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
deeper understanding of Scripture,
missionaries in west Africa,
whatever else is on your heart.

Close your worship time with this prayer:
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 7:17)

[Judy Harder]

November 5

1 Thessalonians 5

The coming of the Lord will be instantaneous, and we should be ready!

INSIGHT

Many people who claim to believe in God have never made a commitment to Him. They say that at the end of their lives they will accept Jesus as Savior, preferring instead to live as they please rather than bowing to His claims. In their deceived minds, they have outwitted God and had it both ways. This is extremely foolish and very dangerous. Such people rarely get more spiritually sensitive in their old age. In fact, they often become more resistant to the Lord. Also, we never know when we will die. An accident might take us before we can repent. Or the Lord could come at any minute, and it would be too late. The coming of the Lord will be like "a thief in the night" (v. 2).

PRAYER

Praise God that in Christ we can be ready for the coming of the Lord:
Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Give to the Lord glory and strength.
Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! (1 Chronicles 16:28-29).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.
If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared. . . .
O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is mercy,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
(Psalm 130:1-4, 7)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
(2 Timothy 1:12)

The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the hungry around the world,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you." (Numbers 6:24-25)

[Judy Harder]

November 6

2 Thessalonians 1

Because God will avenge the righteous, we should be patient during times of persecution.

INSIGHT

"This world is not my home. I'm just passing through. If heaven's not my home, O Lord, what would I do? The angels beckon me from heaven's open door, and I can't feel at home in this world anymore." We are not of this world; we are sojourners and pilgrims. This world will deal with us unkindly; we cannot expect it to be otherwise. If we insist on getting our meaning or justice in life only from what comes to us in this world, most of us will be gravely disappointed. Complete justice for us will come only "when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels" (v. 7).

PRAYER

The Lord gives us a home in heaven with Him, and so we praise Him for this wonderful gift to us:
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
The world also is firmly established,
It shall not be moved.
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
And let them say among the nations,
"The Lord reigns." . . .
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
(1 Chronicles 16:30-31, 34, 36)

Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.
(Psalm 103:9-11)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:.

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater faithfulness with your time,
the president, national leaders, national affairs,
whatever else is on your heart.

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
(Psalm 19:14)

[Judy Harder]

November 7

2 Thessalonians 2

Signs of the Day of the Lord, a day preceded by a vast "falling away," show us we must stand fast.

INSIGHT

Unbelief is dangerous: It leads to deception, and deception leads to destruction. Jesus performed many miracles,convincing people of His identity so they could have a basis for believing in Him. Before His return, the Antichrist, empowered by Satan, will be loosed on the earth and a time of great deception and apostasy will occur. Those people who hate the truth will buy into this deception, precipitating their ultimate destruction. Meanwhile, believers must stand firm, holding tightly to the truth. In a world of falsehood and deliberate deception, we must always be on guard.

PRAYER

Praise the Lord for the encouragement He gives us through His Word, through the Holy Spirit, and through other believers:
He is the Rock, His work is perfect;
For all His ways are justice,
A God of truth and without injustice;
Righteous and upright is He (Deuteronomy 32:4).
The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let God be exalted,
The Rock of my salvation! (2 Samuel 22:47).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O God, You know my foolishness;
And my sins are not hidden from You.
Let not those who wait for You, O Lord
God of hosts, be ashamed because of me;
Let not those who seek You be confounded
because of me, O God of Israel (Psalm 69:5-6).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affir-mation to the Lord:
And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.
(Psalm 39:7)

The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater wisdom for living life,
needs of your immediate family,
your activities for the day.

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" . . .
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"(Revelation 5:12-13).

[Judy Harder]

November 8

2 Thessalonians 3

We are to hold other Christians accountable for the integrity of their lifestyles.

INSIGHT

Past generations of Christians have been guilty of excess in judging other people. The Inquisition and the Salem witch trials are glaring examples, but other examples abound throughout history. Today we live in an age of greater understanding and acceptance, which is certainly preferable - unless it degenerates into careless acceptance of things which are clearly wrong - in which case the pendulum swings too far the other way. We are to be tolerant of debatable things, but clear sin is to be dealt with. "Withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly" (v. 6).

PRAYER

Praise your heavenly Father for being the perfect Judge:
"O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim,
You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth.
You have made heaven and earth"(2 Kings 19:15).
"Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above
or on earth below like You,
who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants
who walk before You with all their hearts."
(1 Kings 8:23)

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits . . .
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!(Psalm 103:1-2, 22).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show
Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him."
(2 Chronicles 16:9)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for other Christians,
missionaries in Europe and Asia,
whatever else is on your heart.

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.Amen" (Revelation 7:12).

[Judy Harder]

November 9

1 Timothy 1

Beware of false teachers who may lead you or others astray.

INSIGHT

Lack of integrity is fast becoming a sign of our age. Once highly respected, many professionals are falling into disrepute: lawyers, doctors, journalists, and, most unfortunate of all, ministers. Whereas we once could invest considerable trust in these people, we now must exercise caution and discernment. With the proliferation of books, radio, television, and magazines, the opportunity for unscrupulous or inadequate ministers to foist themselves upon the public increases. Anything we hear being taught must carefully be compared with the Bible and other Bible teachers whom we know to be credible. We must take care not to be led astray by false teaching.

PRAYER

Offer your praise to the Lord for the Scriptures, which lead us to truth:
Stand up and bless the Lord your God
Forever and ever!
Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
You alone are the Lord . . .
The host of heaven worships You (Nehemiah 9:5-6).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well. . . .
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:14, 23-24).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater commitment to the Lord,
specific Christian ministries,
your activities for the day.

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever. Amen (Jude 24-25).

[Judy Harder]

November 10

1 Timothy 2

Public worship should include intercession for our nation's leaders.

INSIGHT

Praying for our state, national, and world leaders is a biblical responsibility and should be a part of our regular public worship. The ultimate focus of our prayers for our country and its leaders is evangelism. Paul teaches that we are first to pray that "we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence" (v. 2). In a free and peaceful setting, our love for God should flow easily and, therefore, evangelism should be a natural result. God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (v. 4). Is this your greatest desire as well?

PRAYER

Because we live in a land where we can freely worship God, we praise Him:
Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.
For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;
He is also to be feared above all gods (1 Chronicles 16:23-25).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend . . .
He honors those who fear the Lord . . .
He who does these things shall never be moved (Psalm 15:1-5).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The words of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.
You shall keep them, O Lord,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever (Psalm 12:6-7).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
non-Christian friends with whom to share Christ,
integrity among our national and world leaders,
whatever else is on your heart.

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20:7).

[Judy Harder]

November 11

1 Timothy 3

Spiritual leaders in the church must meet spiritual qualifications.

INSIGHT

The church is inherently a spiritual entity and must have spiritual leadership. While it is valid to have leaders who have knowledge and experience in many of the practical matters facing a church, practical leadership must be undergirded with spiritual maturity. A person who desires to be a bishop (elder) or a deacon should be a Christian with a strong track record of integrity and wisdom (see vv. 2-4, 7). These qualifications should be weighed carefully by all who aspire to lead in the church.

PRAYER

We praise Christ, the Head of the church:
I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man . . . to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen
(Ephesians 3:14-16, 19-21)

Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully (Psalm 24:3-4).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes . . .
I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me (Psalm 13:3, 5-6).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
peace and contentment,
physical safety,
your activities for the day.

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
(Colossians 2:6-7)

[Judy Harder]

November 12

1 Timothy 4

The effective teaching of the truth in the Scriptures will benefit both the teacher and the hearers.

INSIGHT

Anyone who has tasted the maturity given from the Lord to those who serve Him over time will testify that it did not come quickly or easily. Paul writes that we should exercise ourselves to godliness; that "bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things" (v. . Like an athlete, a Christian should rejoice with a rigorous course of training - knowing that the more demanding the training, the greater will be the spiritual prowess at the end. The present discomfort is fitting him or her for more victorious effort later. Present painÑlater gain. This message is difficult to communicate and even more difficult to learn. But to this end we must labor (v. 10).

PRAYER

Because the Lord uses trials to make us spiritually strong, we can praise Him even when we are in the midst of trials:
I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies. . . .
The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted (Psalm 18:1-3, 46).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions,
And like a cloud, your sins.
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you" (Isaiah 44:22).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live."
(John 11:25)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for the lost,
missionaries in Africa,
whatever else is on your heart.

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).

[Judy Harder]

November 13

1 Timothy 5

The church should care for widows, and the elders who lead the church should also receive respect.

INSIGHT

There are those in the church who feel that they have the gift of confrontation, and others the gift of rebuke. While we may smile at this, there are indeed those who have an acute sense of justice, gravitating toward exhortational ministries. These people provide an important balance in the church, but they must be cautious to wield their words with truth and grace. Paul writes that we should "not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with all purity" (vv. 1-2). The point is that such ministries are always to be done in a spirit of grace, truth, and love.

PRAYER

Because scriptural truth is intended to heal and strengthen us, we praise Him:
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
For the word of the Lord is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord (Psalm 33:3-5).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
(John 14:6)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your talents,
your state and local leaders,
your activities for the day.

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! . . .
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.
(Psalm 90:14, 17)