Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

December 14

1 John 1

If we walk in the light, we have fellowship with God.

INSIGHT

The truth about our sin is a difficult thing to keep balanced in our minds. On the one hand, we know we should not sin; it is wrong. We should never take sinning lightly. On the other hand, we all sin; it is unavoidable. John writes: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves" (v. . Therefore, God had to make provision for us to be in fellowship with Him. If we confess our sins, He will forgive us. When we sin, we can accept God's forgiveness and restoration to fellowship. We need not berate ourselves endlessly or do a form of penance. Only the blood of Christ can pay for our sins. And only confession can bring restoration to fellowship with God.

PRAYER

The Lord forgives and restores us to fellowship, and in fellowship we can praise Him:
Praise the Lord!
I will praise the Lord with my whole heart,
In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. . . .
His work is honorable and glorious,
And His righteousness endures forever. . . .
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever(Psalm 111:1, 3, 10).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression (Psalm 19:12-13).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
passion for moral excellence,
Christian educational institutions,
whatever else is on your heart.

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:24).

[Judy Harder]

December 15

1 John 2

If we keep His commandments and love our brothers, we walk in fellowship.

INSIGHT

It is sometimes difficult to know if we are in fellowship with the Lord. We erroneously tend to rely on our feelings to gauge our relationship with Him. If we "feel" spiritual one day, we think we are in fellowship with Him. If on another day we do not "feel" spiritual, we assume we are not in fellowship. John helps us with this dilemma; he describes fellowship for us. If we are keeping the LordÕs commandments and loving others, we are in fellowship whether we "feel" in fellowship or not. Do not let your feelings deceive you and encourage you to sin.

PRAYER

Because the Creator of the universe longs for our fellowship, we worship Him:
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor (Psalm 8:3-5).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.
(3 John 11)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation . . . For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
(Ephesians 2:13-14, 18)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
sensitivity to sin,
spiritual growth of your friends,
whatever else is on your heart.

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Who is wise?
Let him understand these things.
Who is prudent?
Let him know them.
For the ways of the Lord are right;
The righteous walk in them,
But transgressors stumble in them (Hosea 14:9).

[Judy Harder]

December 16

1 John 3

Those who say they love God must manifest that love by loving others.

INSIGHT

The final test of Christian character is action, not words. It is not what you say that determines your life message, but what you do. John writes: "Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth" (v. 18). Consistency is one of the great challenges of the Christian walk. Whenever our actions do not match our words, the message of our actions always overrides the message of our words. Therein lies the basis for one of the most consistent complaints against Christianity over the ages: hypocrisy.

PRAYER

Praise God for loving you unconditionally and giving you the capacity to love others:
Vindicate me, O Lord,
For I have walked in my integrity.
I have also trusted in the Lord;
I shall not slip.
Examine me, O Lord, and prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.
For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have walked in Your truth.
I have not sat with idolatrous mortals,
Nor will I go in with hypocrites. . . .
My foot stands in an even place;
In the congregations I will bless the Lord (Psalm 26:1-4, 12).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Let all Your enemies perish, O Lord!
But let those who love Him be like the sun
When it comes out in full strength"(Judges 5:31).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:35, 37-39)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
consistent, loving actions,
complete honesty at all times,
your activities for the day.

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Ascribe greatness to our God.
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 32:3-4).

[Judy Harder]

December 17

1 John 4

Anyone is not of God who denies that Jesus is the Son of God who came in the flesh.

INSIGHT

Whenever you are uncertain about someone's teaching, find out what they teach about Jesus. If the truth about God's Son has been twisted, their belief system will be flawed. To test the truthfulness of a particular teaching, ask them these questions:

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the second member of the Trinity?
Do you believe that He came in the flesh, incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth?
Do you agree that He died for our sins and was resurrected from the dead?
Do you believe that His death provided atonement for our sins and that the only way of salvation is by grace through faith in Him?
If the answer to any of these questions is "No," be cautious. Do not believe everything someone says.

PRAYER

Praise the Lord for all that He has done in providing for our salvation:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord! . . .
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant. . . .
For I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods. . . .
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 135:1, 3, 5, 21).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way. . . .
For Your nameÕs sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great(Psalm 25:8-9, 11).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
(2 Timothy 1:7)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for your family,
missionaries in North and South America,
whatever else is on your heart.

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
(Psalm 90:1)

[Judy Harder]

December 18

1 John 5

Faith is the fundamental principle in overcoming the world and giving us eternal life.

INSIGHT

John writes: "Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (v. 5). Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. John wants us to have assurance of our salvation. So he writes further: "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life" (vv. 11-13). If you believe in Jesus as Your personal Savior, you have the Son of God and you have eternal life.

PRAYER

Thank the Lord that He has given you eternal life in Jesus Christ:
I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works(Psalm 145:1-5).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am desolate and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses!
Look on my affliction and my pain,
And forgive all my sins (Psalm 25:16-18).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."
(John 15:10)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your treasures,
revival in America,
your activities for the day.

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!(Psalm 103:21-22).

[Judy Harder]

December 19

2 John

False teachers do not confess Jesus Christ as God incarnate.

INSIGHT

The Bible teaches that Christians are to be tolerant, understanding, and compassionate. We are to go out of our way to be kind and loving to others; we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. However, how should we act toward false teachers who subvert our faith? The Bible teaches that while we should not be unkind, we should have no fellowship with them. John writes: "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine (salvation in Christ), do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds" (vv. 10-11).

PRAYER

Offer the Lord your praise that in His power and glory He still loves us:
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful. . . .
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite. . . .
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. . . .
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1, 5, 11, 20).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving and seek to keep your life free from sin:
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit(Psalm 32:1-2).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness.
(Romans 3:23-25)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
gaining an eternal perspective,
your spiritual goals,
whatever else is on your heart.

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Romans 15:5-6)

[Judy Harder]

December 20

3 John

John praises and encourages Gaius for his "witness of . . . love before the church" (v. 6).

INSIGHT

Affirmation is a powerful force for good in the Christian life. We all long to be affirmed for who we are and what we are doing. We all like to hear: "Good job." In essence, that is what John writes in his third epistle. He affirms Gaius in several areas: for his knowledge of truth, for his application of that knowledge, for offering hospitality to fellow Christians and to strangers, and for helping to support traveling missionaries. Good job, Gaius.

PRAYER

The Lord has not left us without instruction but leads us to truth, and so we praise Him:
All Your works shall praise You, O Lord,
And Your saints shall bless You.
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your power,
To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations (Psalm 145:10-13).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,"
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. . . .
You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah (Psalm 32:5, 7).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
(Romans 8:15)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
personal discipline,
Christians who are persecuted for their faith,
your activities for the day.

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(Romans 15:13)

[Judy Harder]

December 21

Jude

Jude is challenged to earnestly contend for the faith against false teachers.

INSIGHT

False teachers were a major problem in the early church, and many of the epistles deal with them. Jude offers scathing rebukes and warnings to false teachers, but in addition he offers insights on how we can protect ourselves from them. In verses 20-21, Jude uses four phrases which are instructive: "building yourselves up" (studying and doing things to encourage your spiritual growth); "praying in the Holy Spirit" (cultivating a healthy prayer life); "keeping yourselves in the love of God" (monitoring your lifestyle and guarding against sin); and "looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (cultivating an eternal perspective).

PRAYER

Thank the Lord that He is truth and praise Him that He leads the willing heart to know truth:
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness.
They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,
And shall sing of Your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works (Psalm 145:6-9).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning(Psalm 30:4-5).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
(Hebrews 11:1)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater desire to be like Christ,
local churches across the nation,
whatever else is on your heart.

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:7-8).

[Judy Harder]

December 22

Revelation 1

Jesus is seen in a vision as a glorious, powerful, heavenly being.

INSIGHT

When Jesus came to earth, He came in poverty, humility, and obscurity. He willingly allowed men to victimize Him and to seemingly triumph over Him. But this is not a complete picture of who Jesus really is. In coming to earth, Jesus Christ left a state of glory and power, clothed Himself in humanity, and veiled His divine appearance. The book of Revelation gives us a broader picture of who He is by telling us a little about His divine appearance and nature(vv. 14-15). Although we cannot know how Jesus looked while on earth, this description of Him certainly discloses many of His divine traits (vv. 17-18).

PRAYER

Praise the Holy Son of God for His righteousness, strength, and purity:
"Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!" . . .
"You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were
created" (Revelation 4:8, 11).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
(1 John 2:15-17)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
(2 Peter 1:3-4)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
kind speech,
unsaved friends and family,
your activities for the day.

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
(Jude 1-2)

[Judy Harder]

December 23

Revelation 2

Jesus sends prophetic messages to four churches.

INSIGHT

Jesus commends the church of Ephesus for the good work that they have done. Nevertheless, He commands them to repent and return to their "first love" (v. 4). Unless they seek forgiveness, they will experience the chastening of God. In the face of impending persecution, Jesus offers words of encouragement and hope to the church in Smyrna (v. 10). Addressing the church in Pergamos, our Lord warns the people not to tolerate evil. The same message is sent to the church in Thyatira. Unless they repent, Jesus warns that He will judge them quickly and severely.

PRAYER

Praise Jesus Christ for constantly watching over you, guiding you, and encouraging you:
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned (Psalm 34:17-22).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions. . . .
Cleanse me from my sin. . . .
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:1-2, 7).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders and the judgments of His
mouth (1 Chronicles 16:11-12).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
a willing attitude,
the ministries of your church,
whatever else is on your heart.

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"Know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other."
(Deuteronomy 4:39)