October 25
Philippians 2
We are exhorted to be like Christ, who practiced only selflessness.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the source of most interpersonal conflict. Someone is taking something from us (materially, emotionally, socially, etc.) that we don't want to give, and we fight to keep or gain our desires. Unselfishness is the source of most interpersonal harmony. Think about the people you really like - even famous people you don't know personally. Usually the reason you like them is because they are gracious and kind, and give of themselves. If you want to be a harmonious, likable person, you must be unselfish.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that we see God in Christ, and praise Him for the privilege of knowing Him:
Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him". (Daniel 2:20-22)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight -
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
(Colossians 1:13-14)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater personal discipline,
persecuted Christians,
your activities for the day.
Close this time of worship with the following prayer:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
October 26
Philippians 3
Our goal in life should be to forsake temporal things for the sake of the eternal.
INSIGHT
Benjamin Franklin once decided to become morally perfect. He chose 13 qualities he felt embodied moral perfection and tried to perfect one a week - at the end of 13 weeks he would be morally perfect. He failed, yet later wrote he had become a much better man for trying and failing than if he had never tried at all. Our situation with the Lord is similar. We will never become morally perfect, as Paul writes, but we can experience maturation as we grow into the image of Christ.
PRAYER
Because the Lord knows our weaknesses and loves us anyway, we can praise Him with enthusiasm:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You,
O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You. . . .
But the Lord is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation
(Jeremiah 10:6-7, 10)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
(Romans 8:26)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
a stronger desire to be like Christ,
churches across the nation,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17). Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
(Ephesians 6:13)
October 27
Philippians 4
We must focus on those things which are pure and good.
INSIGHT
You are what you eat." Your body reflects what you feed it. Eat well and your body rewards you with health. The same is true spiritually and mentally. We become like what we put into our minds and like what we allow our minds to dwell on. Paul encourages us to think about whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, or of good report (v. 8). If you are unsatisfied with your spiritual, mental, or emotional development, ask yourself: "What do I put into my mind - what do I think about?" You may need a radical change in your spiritual diet.
PRAYER
God's attributes include love, joy, kindness, and mercy. Praise Him for developing these characteristics in your life:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
(1 Chronicles 16:8-11)
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
(Psalm 7:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
graciousness toward others,
laborers for Christ in India,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is their strength,
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever (Psalm 28:8-9).
October 28
Colossians 1
Christ is the image of the invisible God and the Head of the church.
INSIGHT
On the surface, it is pretty difficult to explain why you believe in God. No one has seen Him face-to-face, touched Him, or smelled Him, yet His fingerprints are everywhere. You must get beneath the surface where the intangible becomes tangible. God is made visible through Jesus Christ. Paul writes that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God" (v. 15). If you want to know about God, learn about Jesus. If you want to see God, look at Jesus. If you want to please God, follow Jesus. He is God in the flesh!
PRAYER
Praise God that He came to us in the person of Jesus Christ:
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
(John 14:10-13)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge - by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:20-21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual discipline,
strength for those ministering Gods Word in China,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
(John 1:18)
October 29
Colossians 2
Christ is our Savior and exampleÑthe center of life for Christians.
INSIGHT
People can no more save themselves than they can fly to the moon. Both are utterly impossible. And because of our spiritual condition and the spiritual laws of God, we stand a greater assurance of making our spiritual condition worse instead of better by trying to save ourselves. Paul says that we were dead. We had decrees written against us that we were powerless to remove. God made us alive together with Christ and removed the decrees against us by nailing them Òto the crossÓ (vv. 13-14). We must gain salvation by grace through faith in Christ or not have it at all.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that in our utter helplessness He offered us salvation through Christ:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33). Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
(Ephesians 1:3)
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless 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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for others,
the work of missions in Australia and New Zealand,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
(Titus 3:5)
October 30
Colossians 3
We have been raised up with Christ and should seek the things above.
INSIGHT
It is possible to be one place physically and another place mentally. It happens every Sunday morning in church. Bodies warm the pews while minds roam the kitchens and golf courses of the nation. In a graver example, prisoners of war survive by taking themselves mentally into another world away from the prison and there find meaning and solace. We, as Christians, are to do the same. We are to take ourselves out of the physical world, into the spiritual world, and operate according to its values, truths, and realities. "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above. . . . Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (vv. 1-2).
PRAYER
Place your mind on Christ, and give Him your praise as you seek the things above:
O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me . . .
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High (Psalm 7:1, 17).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
(Psalm 51:10-13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
(1 John 3:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in national and world affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close your time of worship by offering this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
October 31
Colossians 4
Conduct yourself with wisdom, and let your speech be filled with grace.
INSIGHT
"Out of the abundance of [a man's] heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). A man cannot claim his heart is kind if his words are unkind. He cannot claim his heart embraces heaven's values if his mouth speaks the values of the world. The heart is a reservoir and the mouth a faucet. When the faucet is turned on, whatever is in the reservoir comes out. Paul writes: "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt" (Colossians 4:6). Elsewhere he writes: "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29). Listen to your speech! Analyze your heart!
PRAYER
Out of the abundance of your heart, offer to the Lord the praise of your lips:
Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested(Revelation 15:3-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
your growth as you pursue your full potential as a child of God,
fulfillment of the Great Commission,
whatever else is on your heart.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
(Hebrews 2:9)
November 1
1 Thessalonians 1
The Thessalonians follow Paul's life example and grow to spiritual maturity.
INSIGHT
Because the Christian life is more easily caught than taught, personal godliness is a powerful ministry tool, and imitation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth. Paul gave the Thessalonians not just the words of the Gospel, but also his very life - "you know what kind of men we were among you" (v. 5). The Thessalonian believers witnessed Paul's life and imitated him, which resulted in spiritual growth for them - "you became followers of us" (v. 6). As a result, they became an example to the Macedonians and Achaians. This pattern of "life-on-life" ministry was first demonstrated by our Lord. Jesus selected 12 men "that they might be with Him" (Mark 3:14). Take a moment to think about how you can learn from or teach someone else in a mentoring relationship.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is our perfect example:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy . . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
(2 Corinthians 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
health and strength to serve Him,
His will to be done in your life,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace . . . make you complete in every good work to do His will.
(Hebrews 13:20-21)
November 2
1 Thessalonians 2
Paul's method of ministry is described. He communicates the Gospel with love and integrity.
INSIGHT
Whenever the message of your words and the message of your actions conflict, the message of your actions will always win out. You may speak gruffly but act kindly, and you will be known as having a hard shell but being a "softie" on the inside. Or you may speak well but act selfishly, and you will be known as a hypocrite. There is no accusation leveled at Christians more consistently than that of hypocrisy. Our lives must support the reality of the Gospel, or the Gospel will not be taken seriously and we will be resented. Paul writes: "We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives" (v. 8). Unless we are willing to impart our lives in ministry, our words will mean little.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He was willing to give us His very life:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)
"You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You,
according to all that we have heard with our ears." (2 Samuel 7:22)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you pray this confession to the Lord, seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affir-mation to the Lord:
There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
(1 Timothy 2:5-6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater sensitivity to sin,
the ministry of your church,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(2 Peter 3:18)
November 3
1 Thessalonians 3
Paul is not able to visit Thessalonica so he sends Timothy instead.
INSIGHT
Affliction is part of life. Sometimes circumstances afflict us; sometimes other people afflict us; sometimes we afflict ourselves. In the midst of affliction, we need encouragement. Paul writes that he sent Timothy to visit the Thessalonians "to establish and encourage" them because of their afflictions (vv. 2-3). Paul feared for their spiritual well-being. When we see others in the midst of affliction, we should be quick to encourage them. Rebuke, exhortation, counsel, and instruction all have their time and place, but encouragement is one of the most powerful ministries on earth.
PRAYER
Praise God for His encouraging Word!
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.
(Psalm 17:6-8)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
(Psalm 9:8)
Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
Be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
joy in the midst of unpleasant circumstances,
a positive, encouraging mind-set,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8).
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)
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)
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 40:8).
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)
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).
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).
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).
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).
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)
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. 8). 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).
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)
November 14
1 Timothy 6
The quest for godliness motivates us to "fight the good fight" of faith while we live on earth.
INSIGHT
If any of us could have three wishes, most of us would include wealth as one of those wishes. Everything else being equal, we would rather be rich than poor. Yet that very desire is a snare - so much so that Paul urges Timothy to flee the love of money and "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness" (v. 11). And he adds: "I urge you . . . that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing" (vv. 13-14). If we have wealth, we are to use it compassionately. If we do not have wealth, we are to be content.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for being free to worship Him with words and with our lives:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . . .O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).
Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the renewing of your mind,
needs of your extended family,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).
November 15
2 Timothy 1
Paul exhorts Timothy to rekindle his zeal for the Christian life and ministry.
INSIGHT
A number of years have passed between the writing of 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. During that time, Timothy has faced great trial and opposition and is in danger of discontinuing his ministry. Paul writes a terse letter of exhortation, urging strength and constancy. A list of phrases used in this book include:"stir up," "do not be ashamed," "hold fast," "be strong," "endure hardship," "be diligent, "flee youthful lusts," "pursue righteousness," and "preach the word!" In the heat of battle, short and powerful commands are easy to comprehend.
PRAYER
As you consider God's love for you, praise Him that He guides your spiritual growth:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the leading of the Lord in your life,
opportunities for evangelism,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
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).
November 16
2 Timothy 2
Paul uses the metaphors of a soldier, athlete, farmer, and worker to encourage Timothy.
INSIGHT
In our hard-driving society, gentleness is almost a lost commodity. Not only is it rarely honored, but it is also often thought of as being undesirable. Yet Paul instructs Timothy that the "servant of the Lord must . . . be gentle" (v. 24) and that our gentleness may help others repent from sin. Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek (the gentle)" (Matthew 5:5). Gentleness is not a word which suggests weakness or impotence. It is used of powerful war horses who have been skillfully trained to instantly obey their masters. It is a word which suggests power under complete control. It offers much.
PRAYER
The Lord is gentle with us, and for this we praise Him and try to be gentle toward others:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings (Psalm 33:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
(2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater passion for moral excellence,
Christian education institutions,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
"Let God be magnified!"
But I am poor and needy;
Make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay (Psalm 70:4-5).
November 17
2 Timothy 3
As Christians, we must be on our guard to follow the truth continually.
INSIGHT
The Scriptures are designed to be the basis of truth for leading a Christian to maturity in Jesus Christ. They are accurate and trustworthy, afford adequate knowledge, and lead to a godly, biblical lifestyle. They also yield a biblical ministry: "that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (v. 17). A mature Christian is one who knows what he needs to know (knowledge), is what he needs to be (lifestyle), does what he needs to do (ministry), and is guided by the Scriptures in all of this.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His magnificent Word that contains perfect instructions on how to live:
Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
My soul breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
You rebuke the proudÑthe cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments. . . .
Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors (Psalm 119:17-21, 24).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You (Psalm 51:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God." (Matthew 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater self-control,
those who minister in our inner cities,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
November 18
2 Timothy 4
Paul charges Timothy to preach the Word of God and offset the ministry of false teachers.
INSIGHT
We think of Paul as being one of the great spiritual giants of the ages. Because of this, most of us don't expect to receive the same reward that he will. However, we need to realize that the Lord does not reward talent or results - He rewards motive and faithfulness. At the end of his life, Paul wrote: "There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (v. 8). That means you and me!
PRAYER
How wonderful it is to know that God will reward our simple faith:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world (Psalm 19:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy,
And teach me Your statutes (Psalm 119:124).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah (Psalm 3:3-4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
purity in your thoughts,
love for the unlovely,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper (Psalm 1:1-3).
November 19
Titus 1
Paul instructs Titus to appoint spiritually qualified men to oversee the church ministry.
INSIGHT
The Bible is an enormous book that is difficult to master. It contains nearly 1,000 pages of information, none of which is insignificant. While it is true that new Christians can read and study the Scriptures on their own and gain spiritual truths through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is highly unlikely that anyone can grow to a mature understanding of the Bible without relying on teachers who know more about the Bible than they do. Herein lies a danger: We may not know enough about the Bible to determine if what is being taught to us is accurate. Therefore it is important to align ourselves with a church that believes and teaches the Bible. This type of setting will help safeguard us from being led into error.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He warns us about the danger of falling away from Him, and praise Him that He safeguards the faithful:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
(Hebrews 9:27-28)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for your family,
missionaries in North and South America,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this 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)
November 20
Titus 2
The book of Titus encourages people of all ages to live proper lives as Christians.
INSIGHT
The knowledge of Christ must effect a transformation in our lives so that our attitudes and actions will Òadorn the doctrine of GodÓ (v. 10). The words we speak will influence others only if our actions support our words. God has redeemed us from the slavery of sin, assuring us of "the blessed hope" of the coming of Christ (v. 13). Because we will one day be delivered from this world, we are to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, fixing our faith on the coming of "the blessed hope." This means we must be good stewards of the things of this world and live for the things Jesus would live for if He were in our place.
PRAYER
Because we can joyfully look ahead to a new life in another world, we praise our God:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. . . .
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
(Psalm 63:3-5, 7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
(Hebrews 11:6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your finances,
revival among Christians in America,
whatever else is on your heart.
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)
November 21
Titus 3
Those who believe in God should be careful to maintain good works.
INSIGHT
It is difficult for us to separate our hope of heaven from our good works. We instinctively feel that we must be good to get to heaven. While God certainly wants us to live good lives, none of us can live a life good enough to get to heaven. One sin disqualifies us, and everyone has sinned more than once. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us . . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (vv. 5, 7). Salvation is a gift.
PRAYER
The Lord longs to mature us in Christ, the very thing for which we long, and so we praise Him:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer (Isaiah 54:7-8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
(Psalm 51:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater wisdom in decision-making,
needs of close friends and family members,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name! . . .
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 103:1, 21-22).
November 22
Philemon
Paul urges Philemon to have mercy on his runaway slave, Onesimus, who has become a Christian.
INSIGHT
If anyone is a servant of Christ, he cannot be a tyrant to men. Jesus taught forgiveness, compassion, and gentlenessÑnot harshness, anger, and retribution. Paul urges Philemon to forgive, receive, and restore his runaway slave, Onesimus, as a brother in Christ, now that he has become a Christian. The fact that this letter has been preserved indicates PhilemonÕs favorable response. Although we do not have slaves today, our employees, co-workers, associates, and neighbors deserve respect from us. Service to Christ requires a forgiving spirit.
PRAYER
Thank and praise the Lord that what He requires of us is something we are able to give Him:
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain. . . .
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness (Psalm 48:1, 9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual victory over temptation,
opportunities to serve the Lord,
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).
November 23
Hebrews 1
Because Christ is the Son of God, He is superior to angels in every way.
INSIGHT
Angels do not seem real to us. They are found in fairy tales, and we tell children about them; but we tend not to take them seriously. They are very real, however, and play an important role in ministering to us as believers. Throughout the Bible we only get glimpses of the work of angels in our lives, but one of those glimpses is found in today's chapter. We read here that they are sent forth to minister to those who will inherit salvation. Perhaps this is the passage from which the idea of a guardian angel has come. Apparently, angels can appear in human form, for some have "entertained angels" without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). They are also very active in world affairs. At present, they are much greater than men, but one day redeemed men will "judge angels"(1 Corinthians 6:3).
PRAYER
Angels are ministers who serve believers, and we can praise the Lord for them:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen (Psalm 72:18-19).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is notin himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
(James 1:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
a stronger desire to be like Christ,
local churches across the nation,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
He is the living God,
And steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
He delivers and rescues,
And He works signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions (Daniel 6:26-27).
November 24
Hebrews 2
Because Christ was man as well as God, He is able to Ògive aidÓ to us who are human.
INSIGHT
Jesus is God, but He was also man; Jesus was man, but He is also God. It is essential that Christ be both God and man. If Christ were not man, He could not have died for our sins. If He were not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the price for the sin of mankind. Christ was the perfect sacrifice. In fact, He was the only possible sacrifice able to atone for the sins of man and appease the wrath of God. As you continue to read the book of Hebrews, you will realize that the author's main point is simply this - the superiority of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
The Lamb of God was the perfect sacrifice for our sin and so we praise Him:
"I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the Gentiles,
To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them" (Isaiah 42:6-9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?
Will the thing formed say to him who formed it,
"Why have you made me like this?" Does not the potter have power over the clay,
from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
(Romans 9:20-21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (Psalm 19:9-10).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
better listening skills,
wisdom for governing authorities,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah (Psalm 3:8).
November 25
Hebrews 4
As we labor to enter into GodÕs rest, we may call upon Christ for mercy and grace.
INSIGHT
The Word of God is energized by the Spirit of God. Whenever Scripture goes forth, it never returns without accomplishing the work it was intended to do. This is because the written Word of God is "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword" (v. 12). As we minister to others, the Bible must be central to all that we say and do. We must always remember that it is the Word which is alive, not our own insights, clever arguments, or interesting stories.
PRAYER
Because God has provided the Bible as our source of truth, we give Him praise:
I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope. . . .
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures
forevermore (Psalm 16:7-9, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him (Psalm 2:10-12).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."
(Matthew 5:44)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom in interpreting the Bible,
missionaries in India,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . My beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
(1 Corinthians 15:57-58)
November 26
Hebrews 8
The old covenant, being imperfect, was replaced by the new covenant based on grace.
INSIGHT
All the major features of the old covenant, which existed on a literal, physical level, are found in the new covenant on a spiritual, heavenly level. The old covenant had a physical sanctuary, a human high priest, and used real animals for sacrifices. This covenant was inadequate in that it could only deal with sins temporarily; it could not remove sins permanently (v. 7). In the new covenant there is a spiritual sanctuary, a heavenly High Priest, and a celestial Lamb whose death provides permanent forgiveness of sin for an infinite number of people. It is Òa better covenant, which was established on better promisesÓ (v. 6).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that JesusÕ sacrifice was sufficient for the sins of all humankind:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,You are God (Psalm 90:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
"Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips"(Hosea 14:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."
(Revelation 3:20)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for others,
missionaries in the Middle East,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23)
November 27
Hebrews 9
The old covenant of law is a picture of the new covenant of grace in Christ.
INSIGHT
Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (v. 22). We are not told why that is true, only that it is. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Wherever there is sin, someone must die. We can pay the penalty for our own sin, which is our own eternal, spiritual death, or the death which Christ suffered can be placed on our account. His death can count for ours, and we do not have to die spiritually. Faith is the vehicle by which this transaction takes place. Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but will have eternal life.
(John 3:16)
PRAYER
Because God has allowed His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place, praise Him with the words of this psalm:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him (Psalm 92:1-2, 15).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
(1 Corinthians 10:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
(John 17:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
national and world affairs,
whatever else is on your heart.
Close your worship time with this prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
November 28
Hebrews 11
A parade of heroic figures from the Old Testament depicts what it means to live by faith.
INSIGHT
Faith is the operative ingredient in the Christian life. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (v. 6). Faith is important because without it we cannot even begin to approach God. Simply put, faith is believing God and acting accordingly. All that is accomplished in the world to further the work of God is accomplished by faith. This list of exemplary faithful people shows that when God spoke, His people listened, believed, and acted accordingly. The words of an old hymn sum it all up: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
PRAYER
Praise God that Jesus was willing and sufficient to pay the price for our sins:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name." Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to hisways,
According to the fruit of his doings. . . .
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise (Jeremiah 17:9-10, 14).
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:
the development of an eternal perspective,
your spiritual goals,
your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
November 29
Hebrews 12
Following the example of Christ, we are to endure the chastening of God in our lives.
INSIGHT
We don't mind suffering some things as long as someone else is suffering too; we don't like to be the only one. Few things make us feel worse than when everything seems to be going well for everyone else and we are in the throes of suffering. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to endure our present sufferings as Christians in this world by reminding us that Christ suffered for us and that we ought, therefore, to be willing to suffer for Him. One of Jesus' highest points of integrity is that He never asks us to do anything for Him that He is not willing to do for us.
PRAYER
The Word of God is alive, and we can use it to worship and praise the One who gave it:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . . .
I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works (Psalm 71:8, 14-17).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me."
(Jeremiah 33:8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
(John 15:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater personal discipline,
Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
November 30
Hebrews 13
We are to live righteously before our fellow man and to offer God the sacrifice of praise.
INSIGHT
Praise is good for the soul and pleasing to God. The writer of Hebrews says," let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (v. 15). Again, in Psalm 33:1, we read: "Praise from the upright is beautiful." If you want to do something that pleases the Lord, praise Him. In addition, however, our actions must follow: "But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (v. 16). The praise of our lips must be followed with the godly pattern of our lives. Note that both praise and doing good are sacrifices with which God is well pleased.
PRAYER
Knowing that the Lord delights to hear it, offer Him your praise for who He is and what He has done for you:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting (Psalm 93:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that others will see Christ in you,
the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
your activities for the day.
Close your time of worship with this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen
(1 Timothy 1:17)
December 1
James 1
Some trials come into a Christian's life to bring that individual to spiritual maturity.
INSIGHT
When we read "count it all joy when you fall into various trials" (v. 2), we can mentally assent to the wisdom of that. But in real life, when the duration and intensity of our trials goes beyond what we deem to be reasonable, we pass the point of caring. We begin to question the goodness of God. We question the rationality of the Christian life. We just want relief. By the grace of God we must accept that we are finally experiencing what James is talking about. Take courage. Be strong. God has not forgotten you. And as He is testing you, you will become spiritually mature - though you probably will perceive the growth only in retrospect.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the God of love:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods (Psalm 95:1-3).
Pause for praise and adoration.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
(Romans 8:29-30)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater wisdom for living,
needs of your immediate family,
your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen (Jude 25).
December 2
James 2
True Christian love will not discriminate against the poor.
INSIGHT
"Birds of a feather flock together." Trite as that may sound, it's one of the fundamental laws of social interaction. We are more at home with those who are like us than with those who are not. There is nothing wrong with this tendency. It is built-in and there is little value in denying it. But if that tendency prompts us to act unlovingly, the action is wrong. A tendency cannot be avoided; unloving actions can. James specifically warns us about discriminating against the poor, though it is also wrong to discriminate against anyone because of wealth, creed, race, age, or national origin. The royal law is to love your neighbor as yourself regardless of who the neighbor is.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves us just as we are, we can praise Him that He does not discriminate against us:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earthbe glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness (Psalm 96:5-8, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
(Hebrews 12:11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known (Proverbs 10:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater insight into God's holy Word,
the hungry around the world,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
December 3
James 3
The exercise of genuine Christian faith results in controlling the tongue to speak good, not evil.
INSIGHT
Through the use of metaphors, James warns us about the tongue. There is nothing good or bad, right or wrong about a tongue; it is simply a few ounces of muscle. But the tongue articulates the contents of the heart. If a flask full of acid is bumped, acid will spill out. If a flask full of water is bumped, only water will spill out. Water will never spill out of a flask of acid, and acid will never spill out of a flask of water. In that sense, the tongue merely reveals the heart. Let the heart be bumped, and the tongue will reveal what is in the heart. In controlling the tongue, you must control the heart. If you want to change the words of the tongue, you must change the condition of the heart.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord who can soften our hearts and sweeten our tongues:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name (Psalm 97:10-12).
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:8-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8).
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:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
December 4
James 4
While selfishness produces conflict, humility produces submission to God.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the foundation for all conflict. When two hearts want different things - and neither is willing to sacrifice for the sake of the other - conflict arises. Selfishness is the cause of war, crime, and interpersonal conflict. By looking out for ourselves, we think we can get what we want from life. In contrast, the Lord teaches us that humility, not selfishness, results in satisfaction in life. Promote yourself, and wars and conflict result. Even God is against you (v. 6). But live in humility and wars and conflict cease, assuming all parties participate. And the Lord will lift you up.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord because He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name (Psalm 100:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
(1 John 2:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater faithfulness with your time,
the president and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
(Hebrews 13:20-2)
December 5
James 5
The rich of this world are warned against an uncompassionate use of their wealth.
INSIGHT
James does not condemn wealth; rather he condemns the uncompassionate use of wealth. It is not wrong to have money, but it is very wrong to have money and not use it to further the Gospel and the welfare of the needy of the world. Those in need are often utterly dependent on those with wealth. In support of James' teaching, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:17-18: "Command those who are rich . . . that they be rich in good works." Neither Paul nor James tells the rich to give up their riches; rather both encourage the rich to use their wealth compassionately and generously.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the harmony that He can bring to our relationships:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord (Psalm 104:24, 31-34).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams"(1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
(Revelation 3:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
good stewardship with your resources,
needs of your extended family,
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).
December 6
1 Peter 1
Because of our great hope for the future, we should be steadfast in the face of present trials.
INSIGHT
One mark of maturity is the ability to put off present gratification for the sake of a future reward. A child of six is not willing to give up buying a piece of candy to save that money for college tuition; yet an older child might be willing to forego present purchases for the sake of future education. Though in the Christian life the stakes are much higher, the principle is the same. Peter urges us to consider our future inheritance and endure present trials in expectation of our eternal reward.
PRAYER
We can praise the Lord because He has promised to see us through the trials of life:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek 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 (Psalm 105:1-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly."
(2 Samuel 24:10)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the Lord's leading in your life,
opportunities for evangelism,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
December 7
1 Peter 2
Spiritual sacrifice and personal holiness should be the Christian response to trials.
INSIGHT
A pilgrim is a wanderer. A sojourner is one who lives somewhere temporarily. Peter calls us pilgrims and sojourners in this world. We are no longer at home here; we are no longer a part of this world. Whatever we do should be evaluated in light of our true citizenship in heaven. As such, we live by the rules and values of heaven, not earth. Peter writes: "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul"(v. 11). When we violate the principles of heaven, it is not only God and His honor that suffer - we suffer.
PRAYER
The Lord has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness and made us citizens of the kingdom of light for which we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works. . . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
(John 6:37)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater commitment to the Lord,
the work of specific Christian ministries,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"You are worthy . . .
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9-10).
December 8
1 Peter 3
Husbands and wives should be sensitive to the responsibilities and needs of each other.
INSIGHT
In a Christian marriage, the wife should submit to her husband and live an exemplary life which validates her faith. The husband should love his wife unconditionally, be sensitive to her, and seek to understand her. When both spouses assume a proper role before God and each other, a harmonious and satisfying relationship will result. If not, conflict or alienation can result.
PRAYER
Praise your heavenly Father for assisting you in your human relationships:
Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments (Psalm 119:1-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:16-17).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.
(Genesis 9:16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
victims of natural disasters,
missionaries on college campuses,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
(Jude 20-21)
December 9
1 Peter 4
In the face of suffering, we should follow Christ's example.
INSIGHT
Life is often very trying whether you are a Christian or not. Difficult circumstances fall on the righteous and unrighteous alike. However, the Christian life often adds to our difficulties. We may be discriminated against because of our faith, or our beliefs may eliminate the "easy" ways out of a problem. But Christ does not ask us to suffer anything for Him that He was not willing to suffer for us. Someday we will be rewarded for our diligence and faith.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He is completely in control of your life:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple. . . .
Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.
Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.
Rivers of water run down from my eyes,
Because men do not keep Your law (Psalm 119:129-130, 134-136).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
(1 Peter 3:13-16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom and discernment,
Christian radio ministries.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
By Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
(Hebrews 13:15)
December 10
1 Peter 5
Elders should shepherd the church and, in turn, the church should respect their leaders.
INSIGHT
True leaders are servants. Their task is to make those under them successful. As everyone is successful, the larger goal toward which they are all contributing is achieved. This is an example of a fundamental principle which is taught throughout Scripture: The work of God is done by the people of God through mutual submission. As we submit to the needs and roles of others rather than looking out for our own efforts, His work is accomplished. Elders are to shepherd those in the church by living the kind of life that is a positive example to others. They should live in submission to the needs and characteristics of those under them and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt them in due time.
PRAYER
Rejoice that Jesus Christ was submissive to the will of the Father and died for us:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise? . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, Amen!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-2, 48).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God: I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.
(Ezra 9:6)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
(John 8:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for the lost,
missionaries in Africa,
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).
December 11
2 Peter 1
God has given us the capacity to grow in Christian character and to develop spiritual fruit.
INSIGHT
We are children of God, subjects of the King of creation. God calls us to act accordingly, but often we do not. Our actions tend to result from our self-image which is flawed and enamored with the values and attitudes of this world. Peter writes that we have become: partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world . . . " He then adds: ". . . for this very reason," pursue holiness (vv. 4-5). Those who do not pursue holiness are shortsighted and have forgotten that they have been purged of their old sin natures.
PRAYER
We have become partakers of the divine nature through Christ, so praise Him who made it possible:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth(Psalm 108:1, 3-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord - how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your talents,
state and local leaders,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
December 12
2 Peter 2
Beware of false teachers whose lives deny their faith and who will be judged by God.
INSIGHT
False teachers are viewed gravely in the Scriptures. Perhaps the most scathing rebukes and most unthinkable punishments are articulated against these "wolves in sheep's clothing." Why are they dealt with so harshly? Because while refusing salvation themselves, they also keep others from it. It is like a drowning man who not only refuses to accept a lifesaver, but also insists on drowning someone else with him. We must take great care to accurately teach the truth and shun those who do not.
PRAYER
We can walk in fellowship with the Lord and praise Him regardless of how we feel:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 113:1-3, 5-6, 9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:22-23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom in decision making,
the needs of your friends,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
December 13
2 Peter 3
Some people will scoff at the Day of the Lord, but we ought to purify ourselves for it.
INSIGHT
Most people agree that the world cannot last forever. Eventually the hydrogen in the sun will burn out, and the sun will grow cold, destroying the earth in the process. So how will the earth end? The Bible tells us that the day will come when the heavens and the earth will be destroyed by fire. It may not happen soon, but it will happen. Since all of us must face "the end" sometime, Peter writes that as we look forward to these things, we should accept salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Though we are not always consistent in our Christian walk, we can praise the Lord that He is always faithful to us:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 11, 18).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodnessÕ sake, O Lord (Psalm 25:6-7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
(John 14:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual victory over sin,
opportunities to serve the Lord in your home, office, or neighborhood,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:12, 14).
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. 8). 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).
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).
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).
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)
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).
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)
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)
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).
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)
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)
December 24
Revelation 3
Jesus gives prophetic messages to three additional churches.
INSIGHT
To the church in Sardis, Jesus offers a strong rebuke. He calls them "dead" and warns them to recall their initial response to the Gospel and repent. However, He also commends those few who have not defiled themselves. The Lord also commends the church in Philadelphia for having kept His command to persevere. Because of that, He will keep them from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole world. Perhaps the most frightening message goes to the church at Laodicea. Because their works are "neither cold nor hot" but lukewarm, Jesus says He will spew them out of His mouth. Their wealth has made them complacent and Jesus urges them to repent.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He cares enough not to let us drift and praise Him for His correction:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever (Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will meditate on Your precepts.
Let those who fear You turn to me,
Those who know Your testimonies.
Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes,
That I may not be ashamed (Psalm 119:78-80).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
love for others,
missionaries in New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific islands,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen
(Romans 16:25, 27)
December 25
Revelation 4
John describes an astounding vision of the throne of God in heaven.
INSIGHT
At Christmas our thoughts are on Jesus' birth, focusing on His humanity. By radical contrast, this Christmas Day we see the throne room of heaven and the surroundings which magnify His deity. In the center is a throne - behind which an emerald-colored rainbow arises. Dignitaries dressed in white robes and gold crowns are seated around the throne. The floor of the massive room is like crystal. Unusual looking creatures constantly give verbal praise to God and the dignitaries form a celestial choir, worshiping and praising God. This is the normal abode of God's Son. Yet we usually think of Jesus as a child in Bethlehem, a teacher on a hillside, or the One who bore our sins alone on a cross. Revelation balances that picture with a glimpse of Jesus' majesty and grandeur.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He was willing to become what we are - that we may inherit eternal salvation:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever --
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in world and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
December 26
Revelation 4
John describes an astounding vision of the throne of God in heaven.
INSIGHT
At Christmas our thoughts are on Jesus' birth, focusing on His humanity. By radical contrast, this Christmas Day we see the throne room of heaven and the surroundings which magnify His deity. In the center is a throne - behind which an emerald-colored rainbow arises. Dignitaries dressed in white robes and gold crowns are seated around the throne. The floor of the massive room is like crystal. Unusual looking creatures constantly give verbal praise to God and the dignitaries form a celestial choir, worshiping and praising God. This is the normal abode of God's Son. Yet we usually think of Jesus as a child in Bethlehem, a teacher on a hillside, or the One who bore our sins alone on a cross. Revelation balances that picture with a glimpse of Jesus' majesty and grandeur.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He was willing to become what we are - that we may inherit eternal salvation:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever --
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in world and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
December 27
Revelation 15
John begins a description of the earth's judgment that continues in the following chapters.
INSIGHT
One of the sobering realities of Scripture is the prophecy of judgment on mankind at the end of time. While theologians debate timetables and exact meanings, they generally agree on one thing: Judgment is a central feature of the end times. While the depiction of judgment in Revelation is shrouded in symbolism and mystery, it is clear that it is paralyzingly unpleasant. Accounts of judgment are accompanied by warnings to men to take heed and prepare themselves to meet the Lord.
PRAYER
We have such a glorious home and future with the Lord that we can praise Him now and throughout eternity:
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands . . . the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work.
(Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight -
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly (Proverbs 2:3-7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that the Lord deliver you from evil,
that the Lord send out laborers into His harvest,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen
(1 Timothy 1:17)
December 28
Revelation 19
John describes Jesus' return to the earth as the conquering King.
INSIGHT
Apocalypse: "The revelation of a violent struggle in which evil will be destroyed" (Webster's Dictionary). The second coming of Christ will be the apocalypse fulfilled. While the symbolism of the language in Revelation makes it difficult to ascertain exactly how events will unfold, it is clear that when Jesus returns again, it will be to confront evil and destroy it. The heavens will split and Jesus will descend upon the armies of the earth which have gathered in opposition to His return. In contrast to His past role as Savior of man, He will now come as King of creation. Whereas once He made Himself subject to men, now all men will become subject to Him. History will end and eternity will begin.
PRAYER
We praise Him that we can look forward to His appearing:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6).
Pause for a time of confession 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me(Psalm 51:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
(Romans 8:18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
sensitivity to sin,
the ministries of your church,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
December 29
Revelation 20
After leading a final rebellion, Satan is confined forever.
INSIGHT
Satan is not taken seriously by our society. Yet from Genesis to Revelation, Satan is revealed as God's enemy, a force to be seriously reckoned with. As part of the culmination of the end times, he is confronted, conquered, and confined. Today, Satan deceives in order to destroy. But in the end he will be defeated and his reign of terror on earth will end. "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone" (v. 10). In the end, Satan is a defeated foe!
PRAYER
Praise God that we can share in His victory:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . . .
Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people(Psalm 9:1-2, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood? Selah
But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly;
The Lord will hear when I call to Him (Psalm 4:2-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
In the Lord I put my trust . . .
The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord's throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men. . . .
For the Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright (Psalm 11:1, 4, 7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
thoughtfulness and encouraging words,
vision for reaching the unsaved,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly."
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen
(Revelation 22:20-21).
December 30
Revelation 21
When the old heaven and earth are transformed, we will fellowship intimately with God.
INSIGHT
In the new heaven and new earth, the distance between God and man will be removed. In the Old Testament, the glory of God was displayed as a brilliant light, but men were not able to look on it. In the New Testament, men were able to approach Jesus; but His glory was not seen, being veiled by His human form. In the new heaven and new earth, the glory of God will not be veiled, and we shall be able to behold it. The distance will be removed, and we will fellowship with God forevermore.
PRAYER
Praise God that He never ceases to care for His children:
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:11-12).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of therighteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish (Psalm 1:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the renewing of your mind,
purity of leadership at your church,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
December 31
Revelation 22
Jesus reaffirms His second coming and encourages us to be ready.
INSIGHT
Looking forward to the Messiah, Isaiah writes: "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance" (55:1-2). Then John, looking back to the Messiah, picks up the same theme: "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" (v. 17).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His salvation which He offers to us freely in Christ:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. . . .
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation (Luke 1:46-47, 49-50).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
"For 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).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that others might see Christ in you,
the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(2 Peter 3:18)
Genesis 1
The first chapter of Genesis reveals God as Creator of the universe.
INSIGHT
In the beginning, God! That is the way it is throughout the Bible. "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).
"Every knee [1] bow . . . every tongue [1] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:10-11).
God wants to be first and foremost in your life. He is the Author of the first creation, and He is the Author of the new creation in your heart.
In the first creation, the wind and the waves obey the Lord -- they have no choice. In the new creation, there is a choice: to obey or not to obey -- the pleasures of sin for a moment or the favor of fellowship for a lifetime.
Have you chosen to put God first in your life? Not to decide is to decide.
PRAYER
Continue your time with the Lord by praising God through these psalms:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth (Psalm 115:1).
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name,
O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the
morning,
And Your faithfulness every night
(Psalm 92:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your
tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions
(Psalm 51:1).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers (Colossians 1:15-16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your time,
· the president, national leaders,
and national affairs,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our
days! (Psalm 90:14).
Genesis 2
Adam and Eve rebel against their Creator.
INSIGHT
You may have heard the old saying, "For want of a nail, the shoe is lost; for want of a shoe, the horse is lost; for want of a horse, the king is lost; and for want of a king, the kingdom is lost." It is a clever way of saying that little things matter. Little things lead to larger things--often with disastrous consequences.
We see the first example of this in Genesis 3:6. First, Eve "saw" the forbidden fruit. No transgression yet. Then she "desired." Still no transgression--but a step closer. Finally, she "took and ate." Transgression.
The "look" seemed harmless. It was a small thing, but it led to "eating." Are there things in your life that you are "looking" at? They seem harmless now, but they lead to larger things. Spare yourself--give them up now. "For want of a nail . . . the kingdom is lost."
PRAYER
• Praise God with the following psalm for His redemption in Christ:
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify
Your name?
For You alone are holy (Revelation 15:3-4).
• Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
• As you confess your sins, voice your
affirmation of God's Word:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:8).
• As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
• greater love for fellow Christians,
• the work of missions in Europe and Asia,
• the concerns of your heart.
• Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
Genesis 4
The first murder: Cain kills his brother Abel, and is condemned to wander the earth.
INSIGHT
"Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain asks. God's answer is unequivocal: Yes. God intended for His people to be social beings -- to love, care for, and protect each other.
The mark of any society is how well it cares for those who cannot care for themselves. Elevated societies do well with this; debased societies do not.The mark of a selfish society is that it cares well for those it likes and does not care well for those it does not like. This kind of thinking leads to brutality.
The Christian is called to have the mind of Christ in this matter. We are to do good to all people, regardless of race, gender, or social position. Indeed, we are our brother's keeper.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him that He wants to demonstrate His compassion through His children:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation
from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples
(Psalm 96:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word by reflecting on the words of Jesus:
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for daily living,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· the needs of the unfortunate in your
community,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessed be the Lord forevermore!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 89:52).
Genesis 6
Man rebels and faces God's judgment.
INSIGHT
Faith is believing what God has said, not merely hoping for something. It is not like wishing upon a star when, if you believe hard enough, your wish will come true. Faith is trusting God's Word.
God told Noah to build an ark and save himself from the coming deluge. Noah had never seen an ark, but he believed God and was obedient to what he knew (Genesis 6:22). He believed the Word of God and acted on it. That's faith.
PRAYER
· Praise our Lord Jesus Christ for His promise to us in His Word that He will give us His faith to endure:
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).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for my iniquities have risen higher than my head, and my guilt has grown up to the heavens (based on Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind as you voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He has delivered us from the power of
darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the Scriptures,
· the hungry around the world,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
the love of God, and the communion of
the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen
(based on 2 Corinthians 13:14).
Genesis 7
God causes the great Flood.
INSIGHT
God protects His righteous ones -- always. The child of God need never fear any imagined "random blows of fate," for they will never fall. Yes, we receive blows -- but they are never random, and blind fate cannot wield them.
The Lord said to Noah, "Come into the ark . . . because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation" (Genesis 7:1). Then He delivered Noah and his family from a deluge that obliterated life on this earth.
That is how far God will go to save His people from harm. When we feel the blows of adversity, we can take comfort in this: God goes to the ends of the earth to protect us from the things which would destroy us.
PRAYER
· As you consider the protection which is yours from the hand of a loving God, offer Him this psalm of praise:
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 145:8-9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in
fellowship with Him:
Though my sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool
(based on Isaiah 1:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East, Australia, and the islands,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord, rejoicing in God's protection throughout your life:
Now to Him who is able to establish us according to His gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (based on Romans 16:25, 27).
Genesis 8
The flood waters recede.
INSIGHT
Because the physical world reflects spiritual truth, the resurrection is pictured throughout nature. Man falls asleep at night but awakens in the morning. The earth "dies" each fall, sleeps throughout the winter, but awakens in the spring.
The earth died with the Great Flood, but Noah and his family emerged from the ark to enter a resurrected earth. Death is a fact of nature, but God abundantly pictures to us His promise: He will give us new life after death (John 3:16).
Noah's response and ours? Worship.
PRAYER
· Lift up your heart to heaven as you praise the God who rules the earth.
The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace (Psalm 29:10-11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies
and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor
my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(based on Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater sense of the majesty of God in the world,
· an opportunity to share your faith today,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork
(Psalm 19:1).
Genesis 9
God covenants with Noah never to flood the earth again.
INSIGHT
A person is only as good as his word. If he is true to his word, he can be trusted; if he is not, he cannot. It is as simple as that. God promised that He would never destroy the earth with a flood again. He went even further by saying, "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease" (based on Genesis 8:22). Then God set a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise.
For thousands of years, God has been true to His Word. We sometimes get discouraged during the tough times in life, because we tend to focus on our particular circumstances rather than the promises of God.
We must remember the rainbow. God is true to His Word. He can be trusted.
PRAYER
· Along with the psalmist, praise God for His wonderful trustworthiness:
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 13:5-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me
(Psalm 27:7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
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 8:38-39).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater trust in God's Word,
· the work of missions in China and
the rest of the Orient,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord, in whom you can have complete
confidence:
The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters
(Psalm 24:1-2).
Genesis 11
God responds to the construction of the Tower of Babel.
INSIGHT
To understand the Lord's response to the people building the tower of Babel,
consider the command God gave Noah and his descendants in Genesis 9:1: "So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.' "
In apparent disobedience, the people stayed in one place and began to build a monument to themselves. In response, God confused their languages and scattered the people over the face of the earth.
God deals with disobedience in different ways. Sometimes He lets us go our own way and suffer the natural consequences of our sin. At other times the issue is a major part of His program, and it cannot be ignored.
Disobedience always has a price, and in the end God always has His way. Obedience, then, while not always easy, is always wise. God always acts for the ultimate benefit of His children.
PRAYER
· As you consider the love of the Lord, who disciplines us only for our good, offer Him this psalm of praise:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth
(Psalm 8:1).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in
fellowship with Him:
The chastisement for my peace was upon
You,
And by Your stripes I am healed
(based on Isaiah 53:5).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (John 8:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your talents,
· your state and local leaders and
civic affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
Genesis 12
God establishes a unilateral covenant with Abraham.
INSIGHT
The opposite of obedience is unbelief; the essence of obedience is belief. If you truly believe God is totally good and all powerful, if you truly believe He always acts for His children's benefit, you will obey whatever He asks of you. It is when you doubt these truths that obedience to the Lord becomes difficult.
The New Testament tells us: "Abraham believed God" (James 2:23). Therefore, he obeyed when God said, "Get out of your country" (Genesis 12:1).
Are you struggling with obedience in an area of your life? Perhaps there is something in the Scriptures you do not truly believe. Search your life, and in the tradition of the disciples, ask the Lord to increase your faith (Luke 17:5).
PRAYER
· In faith and obedience, offer to the Lord the praise of your lips:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His
glory (Psalm 72:18-19).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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 53:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new
(2 Corinthians 5:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
The Lord will command His lovingkindness
in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me
(Psalm 42:8).
January 10
Genesis 15
God confirms His covenant with Abraham.
INSIGHT
"Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (James 2:23). Faith is central to the Christian experience. In fact, without faith, there is no Christian experience.
Why is faith so important? Because we cannot make ourselves righteous -- any more than a cracked window can make itself uncracked.
We have sinned and only God can make us righteous. Faith then is the only thing we can do -- and even our faith is a gracious gift of God!
PRAYER
· Celebrate your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by offering Him this psalm of praise:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my
mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together
(Psalm 34:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord
to keep your life free from sin and in
fellowship with Him:
I turn to You, Lord, with all my heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. I rend my heart, and not my garments (based on Joel 2:12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· renewal of your mind,
· needs of your extended family,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (based on Hebrews 13:20-21).
January 11
Genesis 18
The birth of Isaac is promised.
INSIGHT
Don't you love hospitality? Isn't it a pleasant experience to enter someone's home and feel welcome? Hospitality is the mark of an open and giving heart.
The secret to hospitality is love. If you love your guests and go out of your way to make them feel loved, you will be an exceptional host or hostess.
Hospitality is such an important Christian character trait that elders in the church must be "hospitable" (1 Timothy 3:2).
Abraham was a man given to hospitality. Likewise, hospitality should be a trait in
our own lives.
PRAYER
· In full confidence in the character of God, offer your praise to Him through these psalms:
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful
(Psalm 33:1).
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits
(Psalm 71:14-15).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
I return to the Lord, my God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(based on Joel 2:13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian
ministries,
· today's activities.
· Offer this prayer of worship 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).
January 12
Genesis 21
Abraham and Sarah rejoice in the birth of the son of promise.
INSIGHT
Perhaps we do not celebrate enough -- often enough or grandly enough. Perhaps we do not make enough out of the good things God does for us.
Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. Certainly that was a
cultural event.
It would seem odd to celebrate the same event today. Yet there are other things we could celebrate within our
culture, but we don't.
When was the last time you made a big deal out of something important? Perhaps a high school or college graduation. A successful music recital. Climbing a mountain, or running a marathon.
God has created us with emotions that make life a richer experience for us. Perhaps we should celebrate more -- in both quantity and quality.
PRAYER
· Celebrate your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by giving Him your praise:
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous
works (Psalm 71:16-17).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Lord, You are near to those who have a
broken heart,
And save such as have a contrite spirit
(based on Psalm 34:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities to share your faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
January 13
Genesis 22
Abraham offers his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice.
INSIGHT
God tests our faith -- not to catch us failing so that He can punish us or merely to determine genuineness -- but to strengthen and increase our faith for the future.
The concept of testing includes refining or purifying. It is the same word used to describe the process of refining gold to purify it and to increase its value. The purpose of testing is to yield spiritual maturity.
We see from Abraham's life that God tests us for our good. We, then, can trust Him, even during times of testing.
PRAYER
· Give praise to God that He always acts in your interest:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes (Psalm 119:65-68).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me
(Psalm 138:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater ability to withstand temptation,
· civil leaders to act in godly ways,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above
all Your name.
In the day when I cried out,
You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my
soul (Psalm 138:2-3).
January 14
Genesis 24
Isaac takes Rebekah as his wife.
INSIGHT
A steward is one who is commissioned to oversee the welfare and execute the affairs of another. The closer a steward is able to represent the mind of his superior, the better he fulfills his role. Therefore, when a steward is on assignment, ideally he has no personal mind or will; he strives to have the mind and will of his superior.
Eliezer, Abraham's servant, was an excellent example of a faithful steward. His complete mindset was to represent the will of Abraham as faithfully as possible. As Christians, we are stewards of Christ, and as such, we are to strive to have the mind and will of Christ. In addition, we are always on assignment (1 Corinthians 6:20). By studying Eliezer, we can gain insight into how to be a more faithful steward of Christ.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and give Him your praise for making you a steward of the precious truth of salvation in Christ:
Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You
have toward Your people;
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
That I may see the benefit of Your chosen
ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your
nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance
(Psalm 106:4-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord -- how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word: God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness to the steward-ship of sharing the Gospel,
· the work of missions in the former Communist Bloc,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great peace have those who love Your law,
And nothing causes them to stumble.
Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly
(Psalm 119:165-167).
January 15
Genesis 27
Jacob deceives Isaac into blessing him rather than his older brother Esau.
INSIGHT
This chapter is a low point in the life of a chosen family. It is difficult to justify the behavior of anyone. Perhaps the deepest, most helpful lesson we can learn from this chapter is that since God was able to make a saint out of someone like Jacob, God can take our lives -- with all of their sin and failure -- and make something out of them for His glory.
Jacob lied; we lie. Jacob failed to trust God; we fail to trust God. Jacob became a man of God; we can become men and women of God. Jacob was used by the Lord; the Lord can use us, too.
For a child of God, there is always a future; and that future can bear fruit. If God can use Jacob, God can use us.
PRAYER
· We praise the Lord with joy because He never gives up on us, His children:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord in response to His revelation:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your finances,
· revival among Christians in America,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:8).
January 16
Genesis 28
Jacob dreams of angels and heaven.
INSIGHT
Jacob's dream -- in which he sees the angels ascending and descending the ladder to heaven -- seems to be a turning point in his life. It appears to be the point at which he receives a personal relationship with the Lord. Jacob's life after this encounter was not flawless. But God was able to use him in a central role to fulfill ancient promises.
So, too, we must have a personal relationship with God through Jesus, His Son, and our Savior, before we can experience the work of God in us and through us. Do you know Jesus personally? If not, why not receive Him as your Savior and Lord now?
PRAYER
· Offer praise to your Savior in the words of this psalm:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations (Psalm 100:4-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So my eyes look to You, the Lord my God,
Until You have mercy on me
(based on Psalm 123:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
(based on Romans 15:13).
January 17
Genesis 37
Jacob's son, Joseph, is sold by his brothers.
INSIGHT
Feeling loved is one of life's greatest needs. When we do not feel loved, we often will go to great lengths to try to earn love or retaliate against those who keep us from being loved.
Joseph's brothers contemplated murder but instead kidnapped Joseph to get rid of him. His brothers thought of him as a threat -- all because Jacob displayed his preference for Joseph.
Jacob's preferential treatment of Joseph in no way condones the actions of the brothers, but it points out to us as Christians that we should love all men as Christ would. When individuals feel that love, it makes it easier for them to love others in return.
PRAYER
· Praise our Lord that He can enable us to avoid showing partiality, so that we can love as He loves (James 2:1):
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him
(Psalm 34:8-9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight --
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord bless us and keep us;
The Lord make His face shine upon us,
And be gracious to us;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon us,
And give us peace
(based on Numbers 6:24-26).
January 18
Genesis 39
Joseph resists the advances of Potiphar's wife.
INSIGHT
Mark Twain once wrote: "Always do right. It will gratify some and astonish the rest." While we smile at that, there are greater reasons for doing right.
Joseph is a good example. When he resisted the advances of Potiphar's wife, Joseph set himself on the road to the throne of Egypt. Had he given in, Joseph would have set himself on the road to ruin.
Always do right. There is more at stake than you might think.
PRAYER
· We praise Christ Jesus for His wonderful works:
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. . .
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well. . .
How precious also are Your thoughts to me,
O God!
How great is the sum of them!
(Psalm 139:1, 14, 17).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a passion for moral excellence,
· Christian education institutions,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12).
January 19
Genesis 40
Joseph is confined in prison.
INSIGHT
Joseph is one of the finest examples in the Bible of faithfulness in the face of tribulation. Wherever he was, Joseph lived for the glory of God. He demonstrated that he could be trusted in the tough times, thereby making himself eligible for God to use him in other settings. Joseph was faithful over small things, so God was able to set him over large things.
Most of our failures come with the small things. It rarely occurs to us that the challenge of the moment is to demonstrate ourselves faithful at that point. Then -- and only then -- will we be trusted in the greater things. Joseph is a good reminder.
PRAYER
· Faithfulness in praise is a part of our privilege as servants of God:
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations (Psalm 145:13).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· deliverance from temptation,
· laborers for His harvest,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
January 20
Genesis 41
Joseph rises to power.
INSIGHT
God does the work of God, and man does the work of man. The work of man is faithfulness to what God has called him; the work of God is results. If we reverse the two, we can drive ourselves to an early grave. If we keep them in line, we can labor with freedom.
We need not get puffed up with pride when things go well, nor need we get distressed when things go poorly. To Pharaoh's question, Joseph answered, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace" (Genesis 41:16). Our job is faithfulness; God's job is results.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord that He always does what He desires:
His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation... He does according to His will in the army of
heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?" (Daniel 4:34-35).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
May You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray . . . hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive (2 Chronicles 6:21).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The Lord is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me (Psalm 118:6-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in your life,
· mercy on those who are suffering,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
January 21
Genesis 42
Joseph's brothers go to Egypt.
INSIGHT
This puzzling chapter becomes more enlightening when we suggest that Joseph was testing his brothers to discover if they would treat Benjamin differently than they had treated him. The issue was whether or not they could be trusted to bring Joseph's beloved brother to him without harm. While Joseph's heart cried out for reconciliation with his family, he was being cautious for Benjamin's sake. Joseph was wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove (Matthew 10:16).
We should be the same.
PRAYER
· Give heart-felt praise to the all-wise, all-loving God:
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? (Job 9:4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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
(Psalm 32:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in dealing with the problems you face in your life on a daily basis,
· wisdom for your church's leaders,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy
(Psalm 107:1-2).
January 22
Genesis 43
Jacob is forced to send his youngest son, Benjamin, to Egypt.
INSIGHT
In his commentary, F. B. Meyer regards Joseph as a reflection of Christ who, when his brothers come to him in fear, has only love to bestow on them. Meyer writes:
"Very often we move forward with dread into the unknown." In reality, our fears are groundless. "If only we realized that love is waiting for us there." His love requires little from us . . . just ourselves. He enables us to live a happy life when we realize the good He has for us. So, "lift up your hearts; a feast awaits you!"
PRAYER
· We are free to praise God because of what we know of Him through the Scriptures:
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name
(1 Chronicles 29:11-13).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
(Romans 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord who loves you as one of His children:
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen
(Revelation 7:12).
January 23
Genesis 44
Joseph's older brothers are tested.
INSIGHT
Sometimes we get a second chance. When we do, it is important to seize the opportunity.
Judah did. When his brothers plotted to kill Joseph, Judah intervened. But he still fell short of rescuing Joseph.
Judah's second chance came when, from his perspective, Benjamin's life was in danger. Judah put his own life on the line. Perhaps this commitment was taken into account in the blessings he passed on to his sons, resulting in the Messiah coming through the tribe of Judah.
Throughout life we are given second chances. We should take these chances and set things right.
PRAYER
· Daily we have the second chance to offer praise to the God of grace:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints . . .
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed,
O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· health and strength to serve Him,
· His will to be done on earth,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
January 24
Genesis 45
Joseph and his brothers reconcile.
INSIGHT
Forgiveness! Where would we be without forgiveness? Without forgiving and being forgiven?
We see in this chapter a very moving example of Joseph being willing to forgive the very ones who some years earlier had plotted to kill him. Notice that Joseph's ability to forgive was rooted squarely in his theology: "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).
If we lay hold of eternal rather than earthly things, we can more easily forgive when someone robs us of earthly things. Forgive and accept forgiveness.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him that He forgives us through Christ (John 15:5):
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons . . .
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him
(Daniel 2:20-22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in
fellowship with Him:
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I
would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart --
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve Him,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
For a day in Your courts is better than a
thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house
of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness
(Psalm 84:10).
January 25
Genesis 50
Jacob dies; then Joseph lives to be 110 years old.
INSIGHT
God's will is often fulfilled in strange ways. Joseph was given childhood dreams indicating he would rule over his brothers. Little could Joseph have imagined it would include their trying to kill him, his spending time in prison, and his ruling over the nation of Egypt.
That time and those experiences were needed to build into Joseph the character qualities and the wisdom needed to rule successfully. Never doubt in the dark what God shows you in the light.
PRAYER
· As we praise the Lord in the words of this psalm, focus on His sovereignty and goodness:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
You, my God, are wise in heart and mighty in strength,
Who has hardened himself against You and prospered? (based on Job 9:4).
I will return to the Lord;
For You have torn me, but You will heal me;
You have stricken, but You will bind me up.
After two days You will revive me;
On the third day You will raise me up,
That I may live in Your sight
(based on Hosea 6:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, affirming the truth of God's Word:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Romans 8:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
January 26
Exodus 1
The children of Israel suffer in Egypt.
INSIGHT
God's control over the world need never be questioned. God intended to bring Israel back into the Promised Land. He had spoken it, and He would do it.
When that seemed least likely, it was closest to happening. In the dark hour of Israel's enslavement, God was working to deliver them -- through the birth and miraculous preservation of Moses. Before Moses would die, Israel would be back on the doorstep of the land which had been promised to them.
To many today, the fulfillment of God's promises seems unlikely. Christ's return may be scoffed at, but God has spoken it, and God will do it.
The day is drawing nearer. We must watch -- and be ready.
PRAYER
· In the words of this psalm, praise the God of the impossible:
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings
I will rejoice (Psalm 63:6-7).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
If I say that I have no sin, I deceive myself, and the truth is not in me. If I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (based on 1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 10:9-11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· the Lord's work in national and world affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
January 27
Exodus 2
Moses is born and later flees to Midian.
INSIGHT
God is sovereign in all the earth; we must never forget that. Much inner distress in life comes from losing sight of that one fact.
The same God who cared for Moses promises to care for us -- perhaps not as dramatically, but just as certainly. The peace that God promises -- the peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7) -- is ours only if we embrace that fundamental truth.
PRAYER
· In full confidence of the sovereignty of God in your circumstances, give praise to God with this passage from the prophet Isaiah:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
(Isaiah 40:21-22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me
(Psalm 38:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· God's sovereign will to be done on earth as it is in heaven,
· greater righteousness in your community,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned
(Revelation 11:17).
January 28
Exodus 3
God calls Moses to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.
INSIGHT
The wisdom of Egypt was not adequate to equip Moses to serve God, so God took him out of the limelight -- into solitude and obscurity. There Moses met God and learned to walk with Him.
The pattern was the same for many of God's servants: Joseph, David, Daniel, Paul, and John. Occasionally it will appear as though we have been set aside. Properly used, that time will equip the Lord's servant for the next level of ministry.
Be faithful. Without deserts, there are no deliverers.
PRAYER
· Regardless of your circumstances, lift up your heart to God in praise.
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land
(Psalm 95:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged (Isaiah 6:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a heart filled with thanksgiving for the opportunity to worship the living God,
· your pastor and worship leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand
(Isaiah 64:8).
January 29
Exodus 4
Aaron is appointed to help Moses.
INSIGHT
God does not need any one of us. He wants us and He would like to use us, but God does not need us. Take away one person, and the work of God is not diminished -- it goes on.
When God calls us to a ministry, it is for our benefit. If we are unwilling or impure, He can get the work done through someone else. We must realize that everything God asks of us is ultimately for our benefit -- even serving Him. Moses is a good example of that fact.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord your praise for His goodness through the words of this psalm:
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!
Tremble before Him, all the earth
(1 Chronicles 16:28-30).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You, even You, are He who blots out my
transgressions for Your own sake;
And You will not remember my sins
(based on Isaiah 43:25).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your development of an eternal perspective,
· needs of work or school mates,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(based on 2 Peter 3:18).
January 30
Exodus 5
Israel's affliction increases.
INSIGHT
When troubles come upon us, instinctively the first question we ask is: "Why?" "Why me, why this, why now?" That is what Moses asked in verse 22. Yet, in retrospect, we see that the question was premature. We now know why -- since hindsight is better than foresight.
How long will it take the Lord to deliver us from our troubles? Usually just a little longer than we thought we could tolerate. We must remember the example of Moses when we are tempted to ask the Lord, "Why?"
PRAYER
· Even in the midst of trials, we can praise the Lord, who hears us and cares for us:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
In returning and rest I shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be my strength
(based on Isaiah 30:15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
(Psalm 27:13-14).
January 31
Exodus 6
Moses is reassured by God.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, God becomes more and more intimate with His people. By His official title, El Shaddai, God made Himself known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But now He tells Moses His name: Jehovah. Then in the Gospels, God becomes even more personal -- as Jesus becomes incarnate. And in Acts and the Epistles, we discover that God comes to live in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit.
The final act of intimacy will be when God brings us home. Then we can fellowship with Him face to face and forever.
PRAYER
· Let us praise our intimate God with the words of the psalmist:
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord
(Psalm 104:33-34).
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light
(Psalm 36:9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled
(Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire for Christ to live through you,
· churches across the nation,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve us from all evil;
He shall preserve our souls.
The Lord shall preserve our going out and our coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore
(based on Psalm 121:7-8).
February 1
Exodus 7
The plagues against Pharaoh and Egypt begin.
INSIGHT
In this chapter, as the Lord speaks to Moses, we read the remarkable words, "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh" (Exodus 7:1). To the world, God's children often stand in the place of God. We are the only Bible they will read-all of Jesus they will see.
It is vital that we represent the Lord accurately. Of course, no mortal man can do so in any complete sense, but in a representative sense we must. It does not mean we must be perfect, but it does mean we are to give those around us a glimpse of who Jesus really is.
Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Commit yourself to Christlikeness and believe that the Lord will multiply your life as others see Him in you.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of humble praise:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
And because of Your truth.
Why should the Gentiles say,
"Where now is their God?" (Psalm 115:1).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word by reflecting on Jesus' words:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works
(Psalm 73:28).
February 2
Exodus 8
Additional plagues are inflicted upon Egypt.
INSIGHT
In the Old Testament, God makes a distinct difference between how He treats the Jewish nation and how He treats others. God lets none of the plagues that fall on Egypt fall upon Israel.
How we wish sometimes that God would do the same for us in the church! How we wish that, because we are Christians, we would have none of the unpleasant things happen to us that happen to the world!
We must recognize that in the Old Testament, God wants the recognizable difference between Israel and the world to be physical. In the New Testament, He wants that difference to be spiritual. In the Old Testament, God's blessing is the fruit of the vine. In the New Testament, it is the fruit of the Spirit. We must focus on spiritual blessings to be the difference between us and the world.
PRAYER
· Think about how you have been spiritually blessed as you offer your praise to God:
Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
For there is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin
(Ecclesiastes 7:20).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him (Ezra 8:22).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
February 3
Exodus 9
The plagues on Egypt intensify.
INSIGHT
Frogs and gnats? Boils and hail? Water into blood? What strange plagues! What reasoning went behind the selection of plagues? Were they chosen at random, or was there design behind it? Though we might not always be able to discern it, the God of omniscience does nothing without design. The Egyptians worshiped odd and debased gods. Each plague was designed to strike at the credibility of an Egyptian god and manifest the barrenness of belief in these objects.
God does the same today. Our gods are fortune, power, beauty, talent, and intelligence. There's nothing wrong with them as servants, but when we worship them, they are cruel. God shows the barrenness of worshiping them by allowing people without them to be deeply joyful while those who worship them are tortured. Again, today, God's personal mark of blessing is the fruit of the Spirit and not necessarily of the vine. Joy is found in God, not things.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord praise for the joy He gives:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain
(Psalm 104:1-2).
· Pray this confession to the Lord:
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).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living life,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
February 4
Exodus 10
Pharaoh's will hardens.
INSIGHT
God does not compromise. Moses asks Pharaoh to let the nation of Israel go into the wilderness to worship God. Pharaoh refuses but says the men can go. But those are not God's instructions.
Pharaoh pays the price. But, while God does not compromise, He does forgive. With the hand of judgment on him, Pharaoh begs God for forgiveness. God withdraws the judgment.
Have you compromised in your walk with God? He will not accept it. But He will forgive and restore you if you ask Him.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to the God who is too holy to accept compromise:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them
(Psalm 145:17-19).
· As you contemplate the glory, majesty, and holiness of God, pray this passage of confession to Him:
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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous,
And shout for joy all you upright in heart
(Psalm 32:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· today's activities.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
February 5
Exodus 11
The final plague on Egypt is a Passover sacrifice.
INSIGHT
God's dealings with Pharaoh reveal His longsuffering attitude toward such rebellion. The plagues start out fairly minor, thus giving Pharaoh a chance to change his mind before utter calamity strikes. With each successive act of rebellion, the subsequent plague intensifies. Beginning with the unpleasant but fairly harmless plague of frogs, the process ends with the death of the firstborn of every household in Egypt. At any point, had Pharaoh repented, the plagues would have been stopped.
Analyze your own life. If you've entered into conflict with God, abandon the fight before it escalates.
PRAYER
· Rejoice in God's patience with rebellion and praise Him:
Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
· Pray this confession to the Lord:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
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
(Psalm 103:8-10).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Since I am in Christ, I am a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (based on 2 Corinthians 5:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· missions in Asia,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now to You who are able to keep me from stumbling,
And to present me 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
(based on Jude 24-25).
February 6
Exodus 12
The Passover ends with the redemption of a promise.
INSIGHT
Exodus 12 is one of the most remarkable and important chapters in all of the Bible. In it we learn many things:
1. Only God can deliver us from sin.
2. Sin's penalty is death.
3. God is willing to allow a substitute death, so that we don't have to die.
4. Faith is the basis of our salvation. Our belief results in our obedience.
5. The Old Testament passover lamb is a foreshadowing of the New Testament Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ.
6. We are saved the same way the Israelites were saved: by faith in the substitutionary atonement of the Lamb which God provided.
7. Not to accept this avenue of escape is to suffer the wrath of God.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for His picture of salvation:
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds
(Psalm 108:3-4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
As the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us
(Psalm 103:11-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds
(Psalm 77:11-12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· opportunities for personal evangelism,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
February 7
Exodus 13
All of the firstborn, both man and beast, are consecrated to God.
INSIGHT
The spiritual truths, which God wanted to ensure were never forgotten, are memorialized in a ceremony-often involving a meal. The Passover meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are symbolic meals designed to commemorate the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, so the people of Israel would never forget what God had done for them.
The New Testament counterpart is the Lord's Supper, in which we eat a symbolic meal to memorialize the deliverance of the church from sin. When we observe communion, we celebrate a meal which has been observed in unbroken succession for 2,000 years.
PRAYER
· Give praise to the Lord for so graciously saving us from the consequences of sin:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain
(Psalm 104:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord 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).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom,
· needs of your immediate family,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
February 8
Exodus 14
The Lord parts the Red Sea for the children of Israel.
INSIGHT
When we are obedient to God, nothing can touch us that does not come from God Himself. The armies of Egypt, symbolic of the armies of Satan, are no match for a God jealous to care for His beloved people. Resting in God's full protection in spiritual warfare, we may put on His full armor and stand firm, knowing that we will triumph in Him.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to our forgiving God:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works,
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the hungry around the world,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord will command His
lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
February 9
Exodus 19
The Israelites migrate to Mount Sinai where Moses meets with God.
INSIGHT
God's love for us is nothing less than total. And He leaves no doubt in our minds as to His commitment to us. The Lord goes so far as to establish a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai and with us at Calvary as an expression of His absolute commitment to us.
We should have two responses: we should love fully the God who first loved us. And, if we are to love our family as God loves us, we must leave no doubts in their minds as to the totality of our love for them. Communicate your love to them in certain terms.
PRAYER
· For His unconditional love, praise the Lord with this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 150:1-2, 6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· specific Christian ministries,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord who has made a covenant with you:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
(based on Hebrews 13:20-21).
February 10
Exodus 20
Moses meets with the Lord on top of Mount Sinai where he receives the Ten Commandments.
INSIGHT
The genius of God's moral system is that everything He asks of us is for our good. Often the Ten Commandments are seen by people as restrictive, keeping them from doing something that would make them happy. Initially, perhaps. But ultimately, nothing could be further from the truth.
Sin is self-destructive; righteousness is self-constructive. It makes no more sense to sin willfully than it does to become a drug addict. In both cases, the person is destroying himself.
Abandon yourself to the moral law of God. It is glorifying to Him, but it is also good for you. Understood in this light, we see the truth in the statement that anything less than the glory of God is anti-human.
PRAYER
· The holy God of Mount Sinai is worthy of our praise:
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
(Psalm 18:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
I return to the Lord my God,
For I have stumbled because of my iniquity,
I take words with me and return to the Lord
And say to Him, "Take away all iniquity,
Receive me graciously,
For I will offer the sacrifices of my lips"
(based on Hosea 14:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· today's activities.
· Finally, offer this closing 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).
February 11
Exodus 32
The Israelites sin by worshiping an idol-the golden calf.
INSIGHT
Sin does not mind rubbing shoulders with righteousness. Even while Moses is on Mount Sinai communing with God, the children of Israel are fashioning a golden idol to worship in His place. Fueled by shamelessness and a short memory, the Israelites rush headlong into one of the most remarkable displays of indiscretion in the Bible.
Beware! Even when you are rubbing shoulders with righteousness, sin can trip you up. Even when you are basking in the light of Mount Sinai, evil may be lurking in the shadows.
As Peter wrote, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His truth and light:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved (Psalm 93:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You are my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
You are the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
(based on Psalm 27:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your life,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to God:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11).
February 12
Leviticus 16
The Day of Atonement.
INSIGHT
In spite of God's desire that we be holy, He is fully aware that we will not remain free from sin. But because God loves us and wants to be gracious to us, He provides a way for our sins to be forgiven.
In the Old Testament, the nation is cleansed from sin annually on the Day of Atonement. Since Christ has come, we may be cleansed moment by moment- whenever we ask for His cleansing mercy.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God of redemption through this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
And His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God?
(Psalm 113:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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 name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great
(Psalm 25:8-9, 11).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in the continent of Africa,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
February 13
Numbers 13
The Lord commands Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan.
INSIGHT
One of the most common mistakes we make during the tough times in life is to place our eyes on circumstances rather than on the promises of God. The Lord promises Israel that He will lead them into the Promised Land and defeat the armies that are living there. He even promises to send in swarms of hornets to drive out the armies, so Israel won't even have to fight. But one look at the giants, and every promise is forgotten. One glimpse of the armies, and "God is not enough."
The New Testament is full of promises for us. We must keep our eyes on the promises.
PRAYER
· As you focus on God's promises, praise Him with this psalm:
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
(Psalm 113:4-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
You will cleanse me from all my iniquity by which I have sinned against You, and You will pardon all my iniquities by which I have sinned and by which I have transgressed against You (based on Jeremiah 33:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
I delight to do Your will, O my God;
And Your law is within my heart
(Psalm 40:8).
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, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your talents,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
February 14
Numbers 14
The children of Israel reject God's signs.
INSIGHT
By nature, we are sight-walkers, not faith-walkers. We tend to have confidence in that which we can see, that which we have known. We fear that which we can't see and haven't known.
Not only does Israel refuse to go into the land because of the giants-the Israelites want to return to Egypt! Do they not remember that they were slaves there? Do they not remember that they cried out in tears to God for deliverance from Egypt?
You can't go back to your old life. There is nothing there but bondage. Your hope lies in following the Lord by faith. Walk forward.
PRAYER
· Give praise to the God who is powerful enough to defeat the giants in our own lives:
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 4:11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in your anger, lest You bring me to nothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater ability to walk by faith in your own life,
· courage for Christian leaders to consistently yield to God's will,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!
(Revelation 5:13).
February 15
Deuteronomy 1
Moses reminds the new generation of their parents' disobedience.
INSIGHT
Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it. Moses reviews the history of the wanderings of Israel to the new generation poised on the plains of Moab-ready to enter the Promised Land.
Moses tells them that their fathers did not believe the promises of God. Therefore, they were not obedient to Him. Their fathers condemned themselves to a life of untold hardship. Their fathers made their own destiny; they sealed their own fate.
Learn from their history. Do not repeat it.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His truth and light:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting
(Psalm 93:1-2).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies
and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
(Psalm 27:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities to share your faith,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
February 16
Deuteronomy 2
The Israelites wander in the desert.
INSIGHT
David writes that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly. But we see that it is possible, through rebellion,
to miss something good that God wants to give us.
God wants to give the Israelites the Promised Land. But when they refuse to enter it, they wander through the wilderness until the rebellious generation dies. Then that which God had wanted to give to them, He gives to someone else-the next generation.
When we walk in rebellion, we pay a price. God's blessings often include a test. Do we turn back? Or trust Him?
PRAYER
· We can express trust in Him with a psalm of praise:
For I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
He causes the vapors to ascend from the
ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain
(Psalm 135:5-7).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
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).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising
lovingkindness, judgment, and
righteousness in the earth
(Jeremiah 9:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral integrity,
· the ministry of Christian education institutions,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to God:
Now 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).
February 17
Deuteronomy 3
The transfer of authority from Moses to Joshua is announced.
INSIGHT
The past is a picture of the future. When trying to determine what will be, it is important to know what has been.
Throughout the wilderness journey, God reminds Israel what He has done in the past-to give them courage and hope for the future. As the reins of leadership are passed from Moses to Joshua, the Lord encourages Joshua with a review of history: "Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two [1] kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass" (Deuteronomy 3:21).
The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When we face the giants in our lives, we can take heart from the Lord's words to Joshua: "You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you" (Deuteronomy 3:22). Our giants are not flesh and blood. They are spiritual and emotional. But the Lord must still defeat them. Trust!
PRAYER
· Praise the God of the past and the future:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalm 9:1-2).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I shall not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I shall lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also (based on Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever (Psalm 28:9).
February 18
Deuteronomy 4
Moses appeals to the Israelites to live a life of faithful obedience to God.
INSIGHT
Thomas Jefferson once said, "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance." If true politically, how much more so spiritually. "Take heed," Moses says three times in chapter 4. First, take heed and keep your soul diligently. Second, take heed that you not worship idols. Third, take heed that you not forget the covenant the Lord made with you.
These are all dangers for us today. How easily we get careless about the welfare of our souls. How easily we worship modern idols. How easily we forget the promises of the Lord. We, too, must take heed. The price of our spiritual strength is eternal vigilance.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:
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 4:11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you reflect upon His forgiveness:
You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.
I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over the temptations you experience,
· revival among Christians in America and throughout the rest of the world,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 90:17).
February 19
Deuteronomy 5
Moses reviews the Ten Commandments with the children of Israel.
INSIGHT
David writes that the Law of the Lord is perfect, and in keeping it, there is great reward. Part of that great reward is spelled out in chapter 5. Moses says that if the children of Israel will keep God's commandments, it will go well with them and with their sons forever! In addition, the Lord promises that they will live and that they may prolong their days in the land.
Holiness is not expensive. In fact, all the deepest longings of a child of God are met only in holiness. Could we consistently believe this, our lives would be more holy. Like the Israelites, we think that we are missing something by serving God. We are missing no more than the Israelites missed of Egypt.
PRAYER
· Honor the holiness of God by offering Him this psalm of praise:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
(Psalm 106:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives
(Hebrews 12:5-6).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
To Him who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (based on 1 Timothy 6:15-16).
February 20
Deuteronomy 6
Moses exhorts the Israelites to obey the greatest commandment.
INSIGHT
There are three keys to sharing your faith with someone else. First, it must be real in your life. Moses said the words must be in your "heart," not just your "head." Second, we must impart truth and information. That is, we must teach diligently. Finally, this truth must penetrate every corner of our lives. We must talk of it when we lie down and when we rise up.
We rarely fool anyone, and if one of these keys is missing in our lives, we will not make an impact on others. We must know the truth, it must be real to us, and it must permeate our daily lives.
PRAYER
· As you foster the reality of your walk with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of praise:
Praise the Lord! . . .
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
He also established them forever and ever
(Psalm 148:1-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit
(Psalm 34:18).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You so loved the world, that You gave Your only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (based on John 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· national and world leaders,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
February 21
Deuteronomy 7
God commands the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites.
INSIGHT
God instructs the Israelites to remove from their land everything that will lead them to forsake their purity and commitment to the Lord. When we allow corruption inside our walls, it seeps into our lives and destroys us. We must remove the things from our lives that would tempt us or weaken us. Paul wrote, "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:14). Are there some things you have carried over from your earlier days that ought to be removed from your life? Why not remove them right away?
PRAYER
· Use this psalm to praise the God of the past and the future:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalm 9:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys the voice of His Servant?
Who walks in darkness
And has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord
And rely upon his God
(Isaiah 50:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· wisdom in decision making,
· needs of your friends,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd us also,
And bear us up forever
(based on Psalm 28:9).
February 22
Deuteronomy 8
Moses reminds the Israelites of the Lord's blessings on them.
INSIGHT
Following God has never been easy. God never intended for it to be. He tests us to know what is in our hearts and to teach us that we do not live by bread alone. When things are too easy, we tend to be ungrateful. We tend not to give God the recognition for His blessing. In chapter 8, we see God's love and care, along with His tests and trials. We need both to be healthy. To grow, we need sunshine and rain.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!
(Isaiah 6:3 ).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.
I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength
(Isaiah 26:3-4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 90:17).
February 23
Deuteronomy 26
The Lord teaches the Israelites the importance of giving.
INSIGHT
We offer a portion of our income to the Lord in gratitude for what He has given us. If we know Him for who He really is, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, then we will rightly understand that everything in the world truly belongs to Him. In His goodness and compassion, He has provided us with the things that we need to survive. As we give to the church, "the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow," we are acknowledging his exuberant generosity and love.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm to our worthy God:
"For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. . .
Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me"
(Psalm 50:10-11, 14-15).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Bow down your ear, O Lord, hear me;
For I am poor and needy. . . .
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:1, 5).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You are my portion, O Lord;
I have said that I would keep Your words. . . .
The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:57, 64).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an attitude of gratefulness,
· the poor and needy,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions-
This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great
(Psalm 104:24-25).
February 24
Deuteronomy 27
Curses from Mount Ebal dramatize disobedience.
INSIGHT
What a drama! Mount Gerazim and Mount Ebal are two masses of limestone rock rising over 2,000 feet above sea level. Between them lies a beautiful valley, about 300 yards wide. Half the children of Israel are on one mountain, and half are on the other, with the Levites in the valley between the two mountains. Curses are called from Mount Ebal and blessings are called from Mount Gerazim. All of this is to dramatize the importance of obedience and the consequences of disobedience, even down to not letting a blind man wander out of his way.
Nothing is insignificant to a holy God. Nor should it be to us. We must care about right and wrong.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to our holy God in the words of this psalm:
Oh give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Remember His marvelous works . . .
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth
(Psalm 105:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
"Whoever drinks of the water that You shall give him will never thirst. But the water that You shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (based on John 4:14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the churches across the nation,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
February 25
Deuteronomy 28
The people receive the blessings of Mount Gerazim.
INSIGHT
A sword and a plowshare are laid on the valley floor between Ebal and Gerazim. Blessings are piled upon pile-until you wonder if the blessings can be contained. The Lord outdoes Himself, searching His omniscience to find ways of blessing Israel. Obviously, He takes great pleasure in doing good to them.
But in the shadow of the plowshare lies a sword. The 14 verses of blessings are followed by 54 verses of the most heart-rending curses imaginable.
How evil, how unspeakably terrible is sin. Thank God that He has delivered us from it. Thank God that, through Christ, we may taste of His blessings forever.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His goodness in delivering us from the consequences of sin:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You are the bread of life. He who comes to You shall never hunger, and he who believes in You shall never thirst
(based on John 6:35).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an eternal perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may You, the God of patience and comfort grant us to be likeminded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (based on Romans 15:5-6).
February 26
Deuteronomy 29
The covenant with the children of Israel is renewed in Moab.
INSIGHT
After laying out the options before the Israelites at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim, God now says, "Choose."
But by His grace, He makes clear the consequences of these choices. How terrible are the curses-and how wonderful are the blessings.
Seeing the alternative so clearly before us, what could possibly account for our choosing the curses? The only conceivable answer is that we don't believe God. We don't really believe that the blessings will be that good-or that the curses will be that bad.
The Old Testament was written for our instruction. We must learn to take God at His Word. Period.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise for giving us His blessings:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice;
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You are the light of the world. He who follows You shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (based on John 8:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· the Lord's work in national and international affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord-the God who has promised to bless those who follow Him:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
February 27
Deuteronomy 30
Restoration is promised to the Israelites.
INSIGHT
Where would we be without forgiveness? In his weakness, man is not able to sustain any relationship without eventually needing to forgive and to be forgiven. This includes his relationship with God. Unless God were willing to forgive us, we could have no relationship with Him, for we are unable to be sinless before Him.
What a warm and tender chapter comes on the heels of the curses. God says, "If you turn from Me, I will pour out on you the curses. But if you repent and return to Me, I will forgive you and restore you." What a comfort. What a wonderful God.
PRAYER
· For His grace to forgive, offer the Lord this psalm of praise:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples
(Psalm 96:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
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 53:5-6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
These things You have spoken to me, that in You I may have peace. In the world I will have tribulation; but I will be of good cheer, You have overcome the world (based on John 16:33).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
February 28
Deuteronomy 32
Moses writes in poetic form a summary of everything he has taught the Israelites.
INSIGHT
Man is more than a machine. Man is more than a combination of blood vessels and bones. There is something within man that transcends the physical. It is the image of God. When the major issues of life lie before us, the image of God within us demands that we sing a song or paint a picture or write a poem or perform a dance.
At the end of his life-as Moses is struggling to summarize all that he needs to say to his people-he bursts out in song. Surely the thumbprint of God is seen in his crowning achievement.
PRAYER
· A mark of the image of God within is revealed as you offer Him your praise:
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).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Having been justified by faith, I have peace with You through my Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also I have access by faith into this grace in which I stand; and I rejoice in hope of the glory of You (based on Romans 5:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ with others,
· your state and local leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
O, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14).
March 1
Matthew 1
Matthew records Jesus' miraculous conception and birth.
INSIGHT
The birth of Jesus splits time and space like a lightning bolt in a hot July sky. The stage is set for the most important event in history. It has been planned before the foundation of the world. It is promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. The prophets have heralded it, the people long for it, and the culture is ripe for it.
The Messiah is coming to establish His kingdom. More importantly, He is coming to effect a new relationship between God and man.
Jesus is not just another world leader. He is God in the flesh. God, who has previously made Himself known through a nation, and through a law, is now coming to make Himself known through a man, a God-man, Jesus.
PRAYER
· Continue your time with the Lord by offering your praise to the God of history through these words:
You are my praise and You are my God,
who has done these great and awesome
things for me which my eyes have seen
(based on Deuteronomy 10:21).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me...
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, submit yourself to His will:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
· As you make your requests known to God, pray for
· laborers for the harvest,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· As your closing prayer, pray this passage to the Lord:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night
(Psalm 92:1-2).
March 2
Matthew 2
Mary and Joseph flee with Jesus to escape Herod's murderous attack.
INSIGHT
When Herod asks the scholars where the Messiah is to be born, they answer without hesitating: "Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet."
The odds against anyone other than Jesus being the Messiah are staggering. There are 60 major prophecies that are fulfilled in the life of Christ.
Josh McDowell writes in Evidence That Demands a Verdict that, by using the science of probability in reference to all 60 major prophecies, the chances that any man might have fulfilled all 60 is humanly impossible. Reason demands that we accept Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah.
PRAYER
· As you rest in the security that Jesus is the Messiah, offer the Lord praise:
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).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin and its awful effects, pray this confession to the Lord:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him; and to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray to the Lord this affirmation of His mercy in your life:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church in the local community,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds
(Psalm 77:11-12).
March 3
Matthew 3
After His baptism by His forerunner, John, Jesus' ministry is validated by God the Father.
INSIGHT
No matter when, no matter where, repentance is necessary when meeting God for the first time. To repent means to change your mind.
If you have been living your life without God, you must change your mind about Him. You must stop thinking of Him as something less than Sovereign Lord of the universe. You must acknowledge His right to define what is right -- and wrong -- for you. And you must trust Him to reconcile you to Himself through His only begotten Son.
If you were transported back to John's time and heard his message, would you repent?
PRAYER
· At Jesus' baptism, God confirmed Jesus' divine sonship to all who were at the scene. Thank God that He reveals Himself in ways that all people understand:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard
(Psalm 19:1-3).
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God
(Romans 3:10-11).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· day-to-day repentance,
· the Lord to reveal Himself to others through you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).
March 4
Luke 1
The births of John and Jesus are foretold.
INSIGHT
How do you think you would feel if you were suddenly in the presence of an angel?
If you're like the biblical characters, you would feel . . . afraid. Scripture recounts several instances of human beings coming face-to-face with supernatural beings. Most of those occasions were frightening -- even terrifying -- to the persons involved.
But God's messengers understand our fear. And they do their best to assuage it. When Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, he saw her troubled look and said, "Do not be afraid."
That's what God says to us throughout our lives. Drawing us into His holy presence, He reassures us that we need not fear. God loves us, Christ died for us, and God has a plan for our lives.
So we can approach Him with complete confidence!
PRAYER
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of Scripture:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise against me,
In this I will be confident
(Psalm 27:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, offer this prayer of confession to the Lord:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in God's love,
· evangelism in your community,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, close with this prayer:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).
March 5
Luke 2
Luke gives his account of Jesus' birth and early life.
INSIGHT
To Jesus, nothing is more important than doing His Father's will, even at the age of 12. When His parents miss Him on the trip home from the Passover, they return and find Him in the temple. "Did you not know that I had to be about My Father's business?" He asked. "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me," He later said in John 4:34. Absolute single-mindedness!
We are to have the mind in us which was also in Christ Jesus. We are to have absolute single-mindedness about doing the will of the Father. Most of us don't feel very single-minded. We feel distracted and pulled in the direction of the world, the flesh, and the enticements of the devil.
But the goal remains unchanged: absolute single-mindedness in serving the Father. Make that your purpose and your prayer.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise in these words to the God who is worthy of unceasing devotion:
O Lord our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
(Psalm 8:1).
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works
(Psalm 9:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool"
(Isaiah 1:18).
· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the former Soviet Union,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
March 6
Luke 3
Jesus begins His own ministry after John baptizes Him.
INSIGHT
The unique contribution of each of the four Gospels is very important to our understanding of the life of Christ. In the gospel of Matthew, the genealogy takes Jesus' ancestry back to Abraham. That is because Matthew's gospel is written by a Jew to Jews and emphasizes distinctly Jewish matters. However, Luke is a Gentile, writing to Gentiles, who emphasizes matters that are of concern to a broader audience.
From Matthew we learn that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, and we see the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham. From Luke, we learn that Jesus is the Son of God, and we see the fulfillment of God's promises to those of us who are not descendants of Abraham.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is faithful to His Word:
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being
(Psalm 146:1-2).
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful
(Psalm 147:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Forgive us Lord, when we are unmindful of the Rock who begot us, and when we forget the God who fathered us (based on Deuteronomy 32:18).
Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord (Lamentations 3:40).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time and efforts,
· opportunities for sharing your faith in Christ with others,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety
(Psalm 4:8).
March 7
Luke 4
Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and tempted by Satan.
INSIGHT
When Satan tempts Jesus, he offers Him things which God has already promised to give to Jesus. The things are not wrong in and of themselves, but they are not in God's time or in God's way. Each time Jesus rebuffs Satan, He does so with Scripture. Each time Satan offers Jesus something, Jesus' reply is, "No, because it is written . . ." To be victorious, we must know Scripture well enough to use it in our spiritual warfare, to see through the tricks of Satan.
PRAYER
· The repentant heart is one that can offer praise to the Lord:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God
(Psalm 90:1-2).
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works
(Psalm 104:24, 31).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By grace I have been saved through faith, and that not of myself; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest I should boast. For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that I should walk in them (based on Ephesians 2:8-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living as God would want you to,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
March 8
Mark 1
Jesus begins His ministry of miracles and preaching and calls His first disciples.
INSIGHT
Mark writes that after Jesus' baptism the Spirit impels Him to go out into the wilderness, where He is tempted by Satan.
The next 40 days are enormously difficult for Jesus. It is not true that if you follow God's will, you will have a life of ease. Often, the way of God involves circumstances in which we must trust in the Lord and draw on His truth and strength.
Jesus was the God-man. Yet His life on this earth was filled with trials He had to endure. And we should expect to encounter trials during our sojourning in this world, but we can endure if we draw strength from the One who has paved the way for us.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who transforms us through His Word:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me
(Psalm 51:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the teachings of Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me --
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
March 9
Mark 2
Mark tells of Jesus' early ministry in Capernaum.
INSIGHT
When a paralyzed man is brought to Jesus, He says, "Son, your sins are forgiven you" (Mark 2:5). The scribes are incensed. No one can forgive sin but God, and they do not believe that Jesus is God. In response, Jesus says, "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?" (Mark 2:9).
Of course, it is easier to say that your sins are forgiven. After all, who can verify if it is true? So, to prove that He is God and has the power to forgive sins, Jesus says to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed and go your way to your house" (Mark 2:11). Jesus' miracles are often timed strategically to demonstrate the validity of a central truth which He is teaching.
PRAYER
· Rejoice in the fact that Jesus will forgive your sins, and offer Him praise:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms, there is none like You
(Jeremiah 10:6-7).
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments
(Psalm 112:1).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight --
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4).
· As you contemplate the Lord's mercy, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I shall know the truth, and the truth shall make me free (based on John 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to walk in the ways of the Lord,
· blessings on the work of a specific Christian ministry,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works
(Psalm 73:28).
March 10
Mark 3
Jesus chooses 12 followers to be His disciples.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. A look at the 12 men Jesus chooses to be His disciples does not reveal a "Who's Who" in Judea. Rather, the men seem to be unknown and undistinguished.
The work of God does not depend on talent or intelligence. Different people have different strengths, but God uses all of us to accomplish His purposes. The body of Christ is made up of many parts -- some highly visible, some hidden, all useful. God makes the most of the talents and spiritual gifts He has given each of us.
PRAYER
· Using the following passage, offer your praise to the Lord, who uses us to do His will in His world:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
That He may seat him with princes --
With the princes of His people
(Psalm 113:1-3, 7-8).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession:
My iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness
(Psalm 38:4-5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater comfort in God's providence,
· the needs of family members,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which You have prepared for those who love You (based on 1 Corinthians 2:9).
March 11
Matthew 5
Jesus teaches on the Beatitudes.
INSIGHT
Love is the fundamental factor of all meaningful relationships. Love is an action -- the action of selflessness, of esteeming others above ourselves. All interpersonal problems could be solved with a faithful, mutual expression of love.
Imagine what the world would be like if everyone acted in love. No war. No divorce. No AIDS. No murder. No rape. No tears.
Though Jesus knew that sin presently prevents perfect love, He held believers to a high standard of showing His love in this world: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who loves us in spite of our sin:
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings
(Psalm 17:6-8).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 15:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But You demonstrate Your own love toward me, in that while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me (based on Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater gratitude for your salvation,
· a return to righteousness in this nation,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing 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).
March 12
MATTHEW 6
Jesus teaches His followers concerning prayer and personal treasures.
INSIGHT
We cannot fool God. It is impossible to put something over on Someone who is omniscient. We can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time. But not God. Jesus says, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them"(Matthew 6:1).
It is easy for us to fall into the trap of living our Christian lives for the sake of other Christians. We should be living it for the sake of our relationship with the Lord. We may find ourselves going to church, singing the songs, and going through the motions but spending no time cultivating a personal relationship with the Lord. Such a relationship does not come easily. It requires commitment and time.
But we must not fool ourselves, either. The Lord does not want merely our church attendance or other external actions. He wants us!
PRAYER
· Ponder the fact that the Lord wants a personal relationship with us, and offer Him your praise:
O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
And according to the fruit of his doings
(Jeremiah 17:9-10).
· As you ponder the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
March 13
Matthew 7
Jesus teaches His followers concerning the need to follow the Lord fully in everything.
INSIGHT
Love is the basis of all that God asks of us. Jesus says, "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12). This teaching goes hand in hand with what Jesus urges later in Luke 10:27, that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.
We want to be appreciated, loved, treated with dignity, and esteemed. This, then, is the way we ought to treat others. The double benefit is that when we treat others that way, they begin to treat us the same, and our relationships are characterized by depth and meaning.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because He has treated us with love and dignity:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. . . .
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
(Psalm 32:3, 5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The wages of sin is death, but Your gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (based on Romans 6:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your talents,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever
(Psalm 28:9).
March 14
Luke 7
Jesus helps the people understand the significance of John the Baptist and his ministry.
INSIGHT
"Don't confuse me with the facts; my mind is made up!"
Sometimes unbelief can't be shown enough proof of God and His Word. No matter how much evidence is compiled, if a person refuses to believe, nothing will convince him. The scribes and Pharisees have already rejected God before Jesus or John ever came on the scene. That is why they reject John when he comes preaching a message of preparation for the Messiah and for Jesus when He comes.
We must know in order to believe, yet we must also believe in order to know. Many truths in the Bible may puzzle us. To begin mastering them, we must first rest completely in the character and power of almighty God.
PRAYER
· As you consider God's willingness to use you, offer Him your praise through this passage.
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. . . . You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:17, 19).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word (Isaiah 66:2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord:
· pray for the renewing of your mind by the power of God's Word,
· openness to be used by God,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore
(Psalm 16:11).
March 15
Mark 4
As Jesus expands His public ministry, He teaches extensively using parables.
INSIGHT
Faith does not come to us full-blown.
It must be cultivated and nurtured. Jesus cultivates the faith of His disciples. After an extensive time of teaching, Jesus goes out into the Sea of Galilee with the Twelve, knowing that a storm will come. He calms the storm and then asks, rhetorically, "How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40). His disciples marvel and their faith grows. We, too, must go through times of testing to become strong.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God who loves you and who seeks your love in return:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
You who are mighty have done great things for me, and holy is Your name. And Your mercy is on those who fear You from generation to generation (based on Luke 1:49-50).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
· As you consider the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 2:16-17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your walk with Him,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith in Christ,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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).
March 16
Matthew 13
Jesus continues teaching with parables, then returns to His hometown of Nazareth.
INSIGHT
Throughout His ministry, there are periods during which Jesus teaches extensively in parables. Often the multitudes do not understand the meaning of the parables, but Jesus is careful to explain them to His disciples.
This pattern is illustrative of God's ways: to those who are the most receptive to truth, the Lord grants understanding.
However, for those who do not receive the truth, greater understanding is not given. Light received brings greater light; light rejected leaves darkness. If you hunger for greater spiritual understanding, it is vital that you strive for faithfulness in what you do understand. Then light received can bring more light in your life.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God of light in the words of this psalm:
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions
(Psalm 45:6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer
(Isaiah 54:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· the ministry of Christian educational institutions,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
March 17
Mark 5
Jesus casts demons out of a Gadarene man and raises a girl from the dead.
INSIGHT
When Jesus takes over a life, He makes a difference. The worse the life, the greater the change.
When the demoniac from Gadarene rushes at the disciples with evil intent, Jesus exercises divine power, banishing Satan's minions from their victim's soul. Later, the man who had run naked among the tombs, howling and cutting himself, is sitting beside Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.
Wherever we are in our spiritual journey, the Lord will continue the work He has begun. He will keep changing us, ever into the image of Christ.
PRAYER
· As you consider God's power to make sinners into saints, offer Him praise:
For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him
(Psalm 18:28-30).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
What I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me (Romans 7:15-17).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your continued sanctification by the power of God's Spirit,
· a greater willingness to share what Christ has done for you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever
(Psalm 30:11-12).
March 18
Mark 6
Jesus performs two astounding miracles in His hometown of Nazareth.
INSIGHT
Jesus' miracles are often more than acts of kindness; they are also profound object lessons given to train His contemporary and future followers.
After feeding the 5,000, Jesus again sends the Twelve out onto the Sea of Galilee, knowing a storm will come. Then He walks out on the water to reveal to them more deeply the reality of who He is. By their reaction, the disciples show that their idea of Christ is too small. He is more -- much more -- than they think He is.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for the greatness of His character:
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).
· As you seek to keep your life free from the sin that so easily entangles, pray this confession to the Lord:
I long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And Your law is my delight.
Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
And let Your judgments help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments
(Psalm 119:174-176).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another -- He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:24-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of God's character through His Word,
· contentment with His will,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer:
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22).
March 19
Mark 7
Jesus points out the hypocrisy of observing traditions yet ignoring the Scripture.
INSIGHT
Even the earnest Christian must guard against hypocrisy. How easy it is to sing, "All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give," and then go out to live with some areas of our lives not given over to Christ.
Yet, there is a difference between weakness and rebellion. All of us struggle with weaknesses which we wish we didn't have and with which we wrestle in the grace of God to overcome. Rebellion expresses itself when we could overcome a sin if we wanted to but make no attempt to do so.
The Bible expresses compassion for us in our weaknesses as we cry out to the Lord for greater strength. But God's Word pronounces a scathing rebuke for hypocrisy and rebellion. We must check our hearts to be certain that our shortcomings are weaknesses and not hypocrisy.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord accepts us in spite of our weaknesses, we can praise Him:
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only
(Psalm 71:14-16).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight (Hosea 6:1-2).
· As you confess your sins, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go;
You will guide me with Your eye
(based on Psalm 32:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· evangelism in America,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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 You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:5-6).
March 20
Mark 8
Jesus uses the miracle feeding of the 4000 as a teaching tool for His disciples.
INSIGHT
After feeding the 4000, it is obvious that the disciples do not understand the significance of the event. Jesus says, "When I fed the 5000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" His disciples reply, "Twelve." Then again, "When I fed the 4000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" "Seven," they answer.
"Do you not yet understand?" the Lord asks them.
Then, some days later, Jesus is alone with the Twelve, and He asks them, "Who do you think I am?" Peter replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Finally, progress!
PRAYER
· Offer your praise with the following psalm to the Lord who is faithful to us when we are weak:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night. . . .
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(Joel 2:13).
· As you consider the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are the door. If anyone enters by You, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. You have come that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly (based on John 10:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· the President and national leaders and affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
March 21
Mark 9
Jesus is transfigured as a validation of His identity as the Deity and Messiah.
INSIGHT
The Transfiguration gives us an exciting glimpse into our resurrection life. From it, we may learn several things. Our physical bodies may be startlingly brilliant and beautiful, as we witness the amazing appearance of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. We may know each other automatically since the disciples seemed to recognize Moses and Elijah without instruction. We apparently will not be subject to the physical limitations of nature since Moses and Elijah appeared and disappeared. What a joy awaits us in eternity!
PRAYER
· Use this passage of Scripture to offer your praise to the Lord, who transforms us into the image of Christ:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together
(Psalm 34:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this passage of affirmation:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
There is no searching of His understanding.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might
He increases strength
(Isaiah 40:28-29).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
March 22
Luke 10
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.
INSIGHT
The harsh reality of life is that we cannot help everyone in need. From the parable of the Good Samaritan, we can learn several things which help us evaluate when we should help. We are obligated to assist a person in need when
· he or she comes across our path in the normal course of life;
· he or she has a legitimate need, not of his or her own making;
· he or she cannot help himself or herself;
· and we have the ability to meet the need.
PRAYER
· We praise the Lord because He is faithful to bring us to spiritual maturity:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9).
· As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over the temptation you face,
· reformation in America and the world at large,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer these closing prayers to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
March 23
Luke 15
Jesus tells three parables to demonstrate the quality and quantity of God's love for sinners.
INSIGHT
Many things about God are difficult to understand. But there is one thing about God which is easy to understand. He earnestly longs for the lost to be saved. In the parable of the lost sheep, we see a God who is willing to leave the multitudes to seek just one which is lost. In the parable of the lost coin, we see a God who will move heaven and earth to find a prized possession. In the parable of the prodigal son, we see a God who rejoices with great joy when a lost one comes home.
As Christians, we should not let that which we don't know cloud that which we do know. We must focus on the roses rather than the thorns. God loves the sinner, and on that, we can rest.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord your praise for His great love for you:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods
(Psalm 95:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the ministry of other churches around the nation,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
March 24
Luke 16
Through parables, Jesus gives instruction on the proper perspective of wealth.
INSIGHT
It's hard to let go of the temporal and lay hold of the eternal. And the temporal world can hold on to rich and poor alike through money. Both the greedy and the envious live as if there were no eternal realm.
Jesus often speaks about a true and good perspective on money. Perhaps His financial teaching can be summed up by this: Our faith should be in God, not money. We must be careful always to trust God who supplies the money rather than to trust the money itself.
PRAYER
· The Lord can be completely trusted with all your needs. Thank Him with praise:
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday
( Psalm 37:3-6).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
See, O Lord, that I am in distress;
My soul is troubled;
My heart is overturned within me,
For I have been very rebellious.
Outside the sword bereaves,
At home it is like death
(Lamentations 1:20).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance. . . .
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me --
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:5, 8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faith in God's providence,
· the needs of your friends,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May I learn in whatever state I am, to be content (based on Philippians 4:11).
March 25
Luke 17
Jesus describes the circumstances surrounding His second coming.
INSIGHT
Gratitude is beautiful to witness. When a person's eyes light up as they open a gift, the giver enjoys the experience as much as the receiver.
We appreciate gratitude, and so does the Lord. He loves to see His children rejoicing at His many good gifts.
Gratitude to the Lord can be cultivated. Imagine what your life would be like without the Lord's grace. Show the Lord that you appreciate Him by nurturing an attitude of gratitude.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is so liberal with His good gifts:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalm 92:1-4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments
(Psalm 119:5-6).
· As you reflect on God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You have . . . given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
You enlarged my path under me;
So my feet did not slip
(Psalm 18:35-36).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a renewed commitment to showing gratitude for God's many blessings,
· opportunities to encourage other believers,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Close your prayer time with the Lord with this offering from the pages of Scripture:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
March 26
Mark 10
Jesus prepares His disciples for His death.
INSIGHT
If there is anything between you and the Lord, He will pinpoint it and ask you to give it up. He wants total commitment -- nothing less.
That does not mean you cannot be committed to other things. It just means that He wants nothing to be higher on your priority list than He is.
A husband must be committed to his wife and children. A professional must be committed to his job. But all must be committed to the Lord first.
The rich young ruler learned this in a very painful lesson. We can learn from his experience: Put the Lord first.
PRAYER
· As an expression of your commitment to the Lord, offer Him this psalm of praise:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me
(Psalm 63:3-4, 6-8).
· Pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart --
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray to the Lord this affirmation of your faith in Him:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to Christ,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May You, the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To You be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
March 27
Mark 11
Jesus is perceived as an earthly king as He rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey.
INSIGHT
When Jesus rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey, why does the crowd rush out to greet Him? The answer is found in Jewish culture and history. In Old Testament times, one of the ways a king was inaugurated was to get on a donkey and have a large retinue of people walk along behind him shouting, "Long live the King!"
The crowd in the temple wants to make Jesus king. When they see Him riding toward them on a donkey, they use it as an opportunity to precipitate a coronation. That He was crucified shortly afterward indicates that they were looking only for a national leader rather than a personal Savior. How do you see Him?
PRAYER
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of this psalm:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture
(Psalm 100:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, confess this prayer to the Lord:
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 139:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
O God of peace, sanctify me completely; make my whole spirit, soul, and body to be preserved blameless at the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ (based on 1 Thessalonians 5:23).
March 29
Mark 13
Jesus responds to His disciples' questions regarding His future coming.
INSIGHT
To the world, the idea of Jesus returning in history to judge His enemies and reward His friends is a joke.
"Come down out of the clouds," people say, "and spend your time thinking about what you can do right here and now."
Though the world doesn't take the doctrine of the Second Coming seriously, the Bible places great emphasis on the teaching. Christians, then, need to take it seriously as well. Twice in Mark 13 Jesus warns, "Be on the alert!" Properly understood, awaiting Christ's return should help us live righteously as we do God's work in this world.
PRAYER
· Express your gratitude to the Lord for His promises by offering Him praise:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things; . . .
Shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises
(Psalm 98:1, 4).
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:6-7).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater discipline in your personal Bible study,
· national and world affairs,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
April 1
Mark 14
Jesus spends His last two days in intimate communion with His closest friends.
INSIGHT
Prayer is one of the true mysteries in the Bible. It is inevitable, as we grow in our prayer life, that we will struggle with an inadequate understanding of how to pray.
The example of Jesus praying in Gethsemane helps us with what we can know and understand about prayer. First, we can know that prayer does not eliminate emotional struggling.
A second thing we can learn is that prayer can make us stronger spiritually and keep us from temptation. In each account of His prayer, Jesus says to His disciples, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation." (Mark 14:38). If we watch and pray, we will be strengthened against temptation.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this praise:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all
(1 Chronicles 29:11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon
(Isaiah 55:6-7).
· As you confess your sins, pray this affirmation of God's Word:
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength. . . .
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint
(Isaiah 40:29, 31).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the Scriptures,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace
(Numbers 6:24-26).
April 2
Mark 15
After Jesus is crucified, Joseph of Arimathea buried Him in Joseph's own tomb.
INSIGHT
Most of us have a highly developed sense of justice. We want things to be fair, and we are incensed when they are not. From simple things like people cutting in line ahead of us to major things like prejudice and bigotry, we are angered when we see or experience injustice.
With that in mind, review what happens to Jesus. Though He is totally righteous and without sin, religious bigots manufacture charges against Him and take Him to a legal jellyfish who doesn't have the courage to execute justice. Then He is beaten, mocked, and crucified. Doesn't that inflame your sense of justice? He has the power to obliterate those who harm Him; yet He willingly endures it for us.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him for the "great and awesome" things He has done in offering you salvation:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
(Exodus 15:11).
Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot me,
I am unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered me
(based on Deuteronomy 32:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (John 14:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· the work of missions in Asia,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing 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).
April 3
Mark 16
Mary and Mary Magdalene discover that Jesus has risen from the dead.
INSIGHT
It is a momentous morning as Mary and Mary Magdalene walk to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, intent on anointing the body of Jesus but not knowing how they will get into the tomb. They say to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us?"
Miracle number one: The stone has been rolled away. Miracle number two: An angel is sitting in the tomb to explain to them what has happened. Miracle number three: Jesus is gone; He has risen.
They have two responses. They were amazed! And they report to the disciples all that they have seen.
They expect to deal with death. But they find themselves in the middle of more life than they can imagine. Such paradox is God's way. He brings life from death.
PRAYER
· Give your praise to the Lord for offering you the gift of eternal life:
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).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president, national leaders, and national affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
April 5
Matthew 27
Pilate tries Jesus then hands Him over to be crucified.
INSIGHT
Proverbs 20:17 says, "Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel." If ever a man illustrates that truth, Judas does. Some mysterious passion burns in his breast to betray Jesus.
Whether Judas seeks political ambition or mere lust for money, we do not know. But later, his remorse is so great that he throws the money away and hangs himself. We must remember Judas when illicit desire burns in our breast. Such desire always promises more than it delivers; it always turns to gravel in our mouths.
PRAYER
· The sacrifice which Jesus made for us took tremendous courage, for which we praise Him:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . .
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from the power of sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your life,
· opportunities for personal evangelism,
· your activities for the day,
· 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).
April 6
Matthew 28
After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples.
INSIGHT
Jesus' message of salvation is the greatest news on earth. He does not leave to chance the need for His message to be taken to all earth's people.
In Matthew 28, Jesus charges His disciples with that task. If however, you begin the recital of the Great Commission with verse 19, you have the "great omission." Verse 19 begins with "Go therefore." But to fully understand the phrase, we must go to verse 18 to see what "therefore" is there for.
On the basis of His authority, we are to go, and to go in confidence that, as we are obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ's commission, He will accomplish His work through us.
PRAYER
· Because someone "came" to give the Gospel to us, thank the Lord and give Him your praise:
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!
And all the people said, "Amen!" and praised the Lord
(1 Chronicles 16:31, 34, 36).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· blessings on the work of specific Christians,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
April 7
Luke 22
Jesus shares the Passover meal with His disciples.
INSIGHT
At the beginning of human history, the first people disobeyed God. That fateful choice proved spiritually fatal-for Adam, Eve, and all their descendants.
Since the fall, we have all imitated our first parents. We have tried to usurp God's right to control His creation. We have demanded the right to control our own destinies, our own moral judgments, our own decisions.
Even those who actually walked with Jesus fell prey to this proud way of thinking. During the Last Supper, which you might think would be one of the most spiritually intimate moments in the disciples' experience, an argument broke out about who was the greatest among them. Jesus replied that the greatest among them must be a servant to all.
Beware when you find yourself striving for preeminence. Instead, your quest must be servanthood.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He has revealed His will for us in His Word:
Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it abides.
They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
For all are Your servants.
Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would then have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life
(Psalm 119:89-93).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (Romans 7:22-23).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater humility before God,
· the preaching of the Gospel,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I put on the whole armor of God, that I may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (based on Ephesians 6:11).
April 8
Luke 23
Pilate sentences Jesus to be crucified on the hill called Golgotha, "The Skull."
INSIGHT
Without conflict, there are no heroes. The hero and coward look alike until the battle begins. Then and only then, in the face of the challenge, is each one's true character manifested.
In Jesus' time, you do not expect heroes of the Christian faith to emerge from the ranks of the Pharisees. But Joseph of Arimathea defies the expectations.
This godly man risks wealth, reputation, and perhaps personal safety, when he asks for and receives the permission to take down Jesus' body from the cross and lay it in his own tomb.
PRAYER
· Give God praise that He enables His children to do heroic deeds on His behalf:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was translated so that he did not see death . . for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased You, O God (based on Hebrews 11:1-5).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience (based on Ephesians 2:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater courage in evangelism,
· the work of missions in Europe,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Since I am surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, . . . let me run with endurance the race that is set before me (based on Hebrews 12:1).
April 9
Luke 24
After Jesus rises from the dead, He appears to a number of His disciples.
INSIGHT
The most reasonable explanation for the empty tomb is the Resurrection. If, as some have claimed, Jesus had not been killed but only weakened by the crucifixion, the stone and the soldiers would have prevented His escape from the tomb. If Jesus' friends had tried to steal the body, the stone and the soldiers likewise would have prevented them. Jesus' enemies would not have taken the body, since a missing body would only encourage belief in His resurrection. The easiest way to quiet claims of His resurrection would have been to produce the body. This they could not do.
The angel said, "He is not here, for He is risen, as He said" (Matthew 28:6). Since Jesus predicted and experienced His own death, burial, and resurrection, we can trust Him with our lives.
PRAYER
· The Lord can be trusted with our lives because of His own life, and we praise Him:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works. . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You
(Psalm 9:1, 9-10).
· 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out (John 6:37).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
April 10
John 1
John traces the deity of Christ from "the beginning."
INSIGHT
The Scriptures are such an intimate and personal revelation of the mind of God that there is no distance between the Word and God Himself. John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This verse refers to Jesus, and yet, He is called "the Word."
In Revelation 19:13, John writes of Jesus: "He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." To know the Word is to know God; to uphold the Word is to uphold God; to believe the Word is to believe God; and to obey the Word is to obey God.
PRAYER
· The Word of the Lord is certain, and we praise Him for that trust:
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
(Psalm 18:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done . . . (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
· Confessing any sins the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Now 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, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with the gifts and talents God has given you,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
(Psalm 103:22).
April 11
John 2
Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana to demonstrate His deity to His disciples.
INSIGHT
In John 2:24 we read, "But Jesus did not commit Himself to them." The word commit is the same word that is translated "faith" or "believe" in other places in the Bible. It gives us additional insight concerning the concept of faith in the Bible.
Faith is more than just intellectual understanding. Once someone understands the Gospel, he must make a personal commitment to it. He must entrust himself to it. In reality, to believe in Jesus Christ is to commit one's self to Him.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to Jesus, who, as God, offers us salvation:
Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power
(Psalm 21:13).
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 personal 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 name's 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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).
April 12
John 3
Jesus explains the spiritual nature of salvation.
INSIGHT
Faith, or belief, is often misunderstood. Faith has been defined as "believing in spite of there being nothing to believe" or "believing in spite of the evidence to the contrary." It is often viewed as identical with wishful thinking. If we believe hard enough, we can make something come true (regardless of whether or not God may approve).
None of these concepts is biblical. Faith is belief based on sufficient evidence. In other words, faith is trusting what God has revealed in His Word and in the world, both of which give ample testimony to the truth.
PRAYER
· The sensitive and believing heart looks for opportunities to praise the Lord for His goodness:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
· Pause for personal 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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).
April 13
John 4
Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman.
INSIGHT
The supreme activity of a Christian is worship. As Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman about a location of worship, He proclaims that God is spirit and that those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.
For worship, God is indifferent to places, nationalities, and methods. We may worship Him on a mound of dirt or in a cathedral. But we must worship Him in truth. When our body sits in a worship service but our mind is elsewhere, we are not worshiping.
Worship is an act of the will. You can decide to worship. Enter into the songs that are sung, the prayers that are prayed, and the Scripture that is read. Offer Him spiritual sacrifices, and you will experience worship.
PRAYER
· As an act of personal worship, offer this psalm of praise to the Lord:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings
(Psalm 33:1-2).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· the ministry of Christian education institutions,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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 ).
April 14
John 5
Jesus infuriates the religious leaders by claiming equality with God.
INSIGHT
Many people in this world-atheists, agnostics, and those in pseudo-Christian cults-say that Jesus was merely a man, not God. What's more, these people say Jesus never claimed to be God. The Incarnation-the doctrine that Jesus was one person with two natures, one human, one divine-is an anti-biblical and absurd idea invented by the church in later centuries, these skeptics opine.
The gospel of John certainly dispels that notion. In chapter 8, John writes that the religious leaders of His day picked up stones to slay the Lord Jesus Christ because He made Himself equal with God. The Jewish leaders were men of Jesus' time and culture. They understood Jesus' meaning far better than 21st-century skeptics. And as far as they were concerned, Jesus was committing the blasphemy of claiming to be God-a capital offense.
PRAYER
· As an act of personal worship, offer the following praise to God the Son:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-4, 14).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us.
Have mercy on us,
O Lord, have mercy on us!
(Psalm 123:2-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple (Psalm 5:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater love for the God-Man-Christ Jesus,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
(Psalm 4:1).
April 15
John 6
After feeding the 5000, Jesus teaches that He is the "Bread of Life."
INSIGHT
Throughout Jesus' ministry, He often speaks in figures of speech. Sometimes the people understand what those sayings mean; sometimes they don't.
Jesus promises living water to the woman at the well, so she will never thirst. Her reply is: "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?" (John 4:11).
And in John 6, Jesus speaks of Himself as a bread even better than the manna in the desert, for He gives eternal life to the whole world, rather than merely physical life to the Hebrews in the desert. Missing his point, his audience says hungrily, "Lord, give us this bread always" (v. 34).
He later explains to His disciples, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). Jesus reveals the truths behind the figures of speech to His followers.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God who reveals His will to you through His Word:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world
(Psalm 19:1-4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 19:12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of the Bible,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
April 16
John 7
Jesus becomes involved in controversy with religious leaders over His true identity.
INSIGHT
When iron and aluminum shavings are mixed together, they are indistinguishable. You cannot identify them by sight; you must sweep a magnet through them. The magnet will attract all of the iron filings, but the aluminum filings will remain undisturbed.
The Lord Jesus Christ has exactly the same effect on those to whom He ministers. Those whose understanding is anchored in faith are drawn to Him like iron to a magnet. Those who choose not to believe remain undisturbed, as though nothing special has happened.
Some of the multitude were saying, "This is the Christ" while others were saying, "Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?" Understanding, combined with faith, understands even more. Unbelief blinds people.
PRAYER
· Let us praise Him, for surely, this is the Christ:
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions
(Psalm 45:6-7).
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness
(Psalm 48:9-10).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you 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).
· Now pause to 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, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
April 17
John 8
Jesus teaches on truth.
INSIGHT
By nature, we want absolute freedom. But such freedom is not possible. In fact, no such thing as absolute freedom exists. To be free to sail the seven seas, we must make ourselves a slave to the compass. This subservience irritates us.
All of life is a contrast between freedoms and corresponding bondages. We can be slaves to Jesus and free from the bondage of sin, or we can be free from Jesus and slaves to the bondage of sin. We can make ourselves slaves to truth, and the truth can set us free.
PRAYER
· The heart that has been set free by truth can offer praise to the Lord of all truth:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.
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
(Psalm 32:3, 5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with the finances God has entrusted you with,
· revival to spread among American Christians,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25, 27).
April 18
John 9
Jesus heals a man born blind, stirring up controversy.
INSIGHT
While Jesus certainly has compassion on those to whom He ministers, His miracles are done not only to relieve human suffering but also to establish His credentials. He claims to be the Bread of Life. To validate that message, He feeds the 5000.
In chapter 9, Jesus says that the man's blindness is not because of sin but for the purpose of manifesting the work of God in him. The same was true with Lazarus. His death was not final but was for the purpose of bringing glory to the Son of God. Jesus raises Lazarus and then says that the Son is glorified.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise as you seek spiritual closeness with God:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
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 4:11).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
(Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· an eternal perspective,
· your spiritual goals,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
April 19
John 10
Using the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus teaches of salvation and His deity.
INSIGHT
Whoever comes in contact with Jesus is either blinded or enlightened. They either accept Him or begin manufacturing reasons not to believe in Him. Jesus illustrates this reality with the imagery of sheep and a shepherd. He says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (10:27). Make your heart tender and sensitive to hear and obey Jesus. Walk in His light and you will not stumble.
PRAYER
· Join your heart with the saints of the ages over the last 2,000 years in offering praise to the God of our salvation:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings
I will rejoice (Psalm 63:3-4, 6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me
(Psalm 51:1-3).
· As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
April 20
John 11
After Jesus raises his close friend, Lazarus, from the dead, many believe in Him.
INSIGHT
Jesus was ministering on the east side of the Jordan River, about a day's walk from Bethany, when Lazarus fell sick. Messengers were sent to tell Jesus, who waited two days before returning to Bethany. He found that Lazarus had been dead for four days, apparently having died the same day the messengers were dispatched. So Lazarus was dead by the time Jesus learned about his illness.
Why, then, did Jesus delay His return for two days? Jesus knew Lazarus' condition. His delay was to heighten the manifestation of the power of God. Jesus called, "Lazarus, come forth!" And Lazarus came forth. The result of this miracle? Many of the Jews believed in Him, and the Son of God was glorified.
PRAYER
· As a God, both of power and compassion, we offer Him our praise:
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;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the ministries of your church,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
April 21
John 12
After the triumphal entry, the multitudes herald Jesus as their Messiah.
INSIGHT
It is easy to get someone to talk about God, but try to talk about Jesus, and it is not so easy. People will often talk about "feeling close to God." But mention Jesus, and people start to get uncomfortable. Say that Jesus is the only way to God, and people get downright offended.
But Jesus says that if you accept Him, you accept God; and conversely, if you do not accept Him, you do not accept God. When someone talks about being close to God but wants nothing to do with Jesus, you can be sure he is not yet close to God.
Regardless of anyone's unbelief, here is the simple truth: Jesus is God the Son, and He is the only way God has provided for sinners' reconciliation with Himself.
PRAYER
· Praise God for His merciful provision of a Savior:
For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
(Job 19:25-27).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You"
(Psalm 41:4).
· As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater appreciation for Christ,
· a revival in our nation,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).
April 22
John 13
Jesus meets with His disciples and institutes the Lord's Supper.
INSIGHT
More than 2000 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ ate a ceremonial meal with His disciples. This meal originated in the Passover and pictured Christ's death, our need to receive Him personally for our salvation, and the fact that all those who are His people are a communion of saints. During the meal, He instructed His disciples to observe this ceremony regularly and with gladness until His return.
And so, whether called the Lord's Supper, Communion, or the Lord's Table, Christians today observe a solemn but joyous ceremonial meal which looks back to the redemption of the Cross and forward to the glory of the Second Coming.
PRAYER
· Praise God that He is powerful enough to keep the promises pictured by Communion.
The Lord reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
Let them praise Your great and awesome name - He is holy
(Psalm 99:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear
(Psalm 66:18).
· As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!
(Psalm 66:19-20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of other traditions within Christianity,
· heart-felt worship at your local church,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! (Revelation 19:9).
April 23
John 14
Jesus reassures His disciples with His promise to send the Holy Spirit.
INSIGHT
A very tender and intimate scene begins in chapter 14. The disciples do not understand clearly everything that is going on, but they know that something big is about to happen and that Jesus will be leaving them. Their Teacher, their Mentor, their Friend for the last three years is leaving, and their hearts are crushed with the burden.
In this spirit, Jesus speaks softly, kindly, tenderly to them: "Let not your heart be troubled; . . . I go to prepare a place for you (in My Father's house). And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself" (14:1-3). Again: "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (14:18).
How loving and compassionate. And He loves us just as much as the disciples.
PRAYER
· God's love for us is indeed cause for us to give Him our heart-felt praise and adoration:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God, "How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to
You (Psalm 66:1-3).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalm 103:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in Australia and the islands of the South Pacific,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
April 24
John 15
Jesus teaches that a personal relationship with Him, and others, is central to His design.
INSIGHT
There are times when our prayers are answered and we seem "in tune" with God. At other times, our prayers seem not to be answered, and we seem far from God.
Jesus gives us two directives to keep in mind as we ponder our prayer. First, we are to abide in Him. This abiding, among other things, includes fostering a conscious awareness of His presence at all times and bringing all thoughts, attitudes, and actions in line with what we understand of His teachings. Second, "and My words abide in you" must involve studying, memorizing, and meditating upon the Word so that we pray intelligently, knowing God's will ahead of time on some things. As we grow in these two areas, more and more of our prayers will be answered.
PRAYER
· The Lord is pleased when we offer Him our praise:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . . .
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only
(Psalm 71:8, 14-16).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength (Isaiah 30:15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in evangelism,
· national and world affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
April 25
John 16
The Lord teaches the disciples about prayer through His own example.
INSIGHT
We often gain by our losses. The one who has suffered no loss is still a shallow person. It was expedient for the disciples that the Lord should leave because the Spirit's presence was contingent upon His physical absence. Christ's work must be complete so the Spirit can apply it to the hearts of men. Jesus must die and be resurrected. The Holy Spirit will draw men to His offer of salvation. And the best news? We'll see Jesus again.
PRAYER
· God forgives our sin and beckons us to Himself for which we offer Him our gratitude and praise:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. . . .
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 90:1-2, 17).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You
(Isaiah 26:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the homeless in America,
· greater wisdom for living life,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
April 26
John 17
Jesus prays that the Father will make His disciples fruitful and give them future glory.
INSIGHT
The mark of a Christian should be love. In Matthew 22, we read that the two greatest commandments are love for God and love for our neighbor. In John 13:35, Jesus says, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." In John 17:21, Jesus says if Christians have unity (based on love), the world will believe that Christ was sent from God. When our badge is love, the world is convinced that we are genuine disciples of Jesus, rather than hypocrites.
PRAYER
· In the words of this psalm, offer your praise to the Lord, who is patient with us when we doubt:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4, 15).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. . . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world (John 6:51).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· laborers for the harvesting of souls,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen
(Revelation 7:12).
April 27
John 18
After His arrest, Jesus is taken before Pilate and the religious leaders.
INSIGHT
As the power of the Creator of the universe was veiled in human flesh in Jesus of Nazareth, men came with torches and weapons to subdue Him.
He asked, "Whom are you seeking?" They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." With the force of those words from Jesus, they "drew back, and fell to the ground" (John 18:6).
It must have rattled their confidence to have to arrest Jesus. How much greater significance it lends to Jesus' words: "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself" (John 10:17-18).
For our sakes, Jesus laid down His life that we might take it up. He became what we are so that we might become what He is. Praise and glory to God!
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord your praise for His willingness to lay down His life for you:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen
(Psalm 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken me except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that I may be able to bear it (based on 1 Corinthians 10:13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation (Hebrews 9:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, . . . through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
April 28
John 19
After being cruelly mistreated, Jesus is crucified and gives up His spirit.
INSIGHT
The apostle John reveals the most detailed picture of Pilate's judgment of Jesus. At first, Pilate says, "I find no fault in Him at all" (18:38). Then, he scourges Jesus, hoping to placate the Jews. Without success, he makes efforts to release Jesus, but the Jewish leaders will not stand for it. Anxious about his political reputation in Rome, Pilate caves in, washes his hands of the affair, and releases Jesus to the Jewish leaders to be crucified.
We place much of the blame for Jesus' death on Pilate. But if at any point in time Pilate had repented of His deed, Jesus Himself would have welcomed him into the kingdom of God.
PRAYER
· Give your praise to the Lord for sending His only begotten Son to provide the way for your redemption:
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities
(Isaiah 53:10-11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:6).
· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations
(Psalm 22:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· deeper gratitude for your salvation,
· the integrity of those who represent Christ in the pulpit,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
April 29
John 20
After Jesus's resurrection, He appears to His disciples and reassures Thomas of His deity.
INSIGHT
God commands us to believe in Him, but He doesn't require us to believe in Him contrary to the evidence.
Thomas needed to be shown that the miracle of Jesus' resurrection was really true. God provided Thomas with the proof he needed. Jesus appeared to Thomas and said, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands. . . . Do not be unbelieving, but believing" (20:27). Jesus saw what Thomas needed and gave him sufficient evidence to believe.
You don't have to be afraid of sincere doubt. That doubt can be changed. Just examine the evidence of Christ's work in the New Testament. Then ask God to help you to believe according to the evidence. Like the father in Mark 9:24, your prayer can be: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He has made the truths of His existence, power, and righteousness plain for all people to see:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the
foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
(Isaiah 40:21-22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord:
When I know to do good and do not do it, to me it is sin (based on James 4:17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him
(Psalm 103: 11-13).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the glory of God's creation,
· the work of missions in Asia,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 42:10).
April 30
John 21
Jesus appears to His disciples again to reassure them and to build their faith.
INSIGHT
Without a shepherd, the sheep scatter. After Jesus' death, His disciples scatter and the fishermen return to the sea. They simply do not know what to do next.
After an evening of unfruitful fishing, they return to shore to find Jesus there with breakfast ready. We see a picture of Peter and Jesus, eating together in perfect harmony. Bear in mind, this is the man who denied that he ever knew Jesus. This incident adds weight to Jesus' statement that the one can love greater who has been forgiven for the greater sin.
The Lord is mindful of our frame and knows that we are but dust. You must not let sin fester in your heart. Confess it and accept His forgiveness.
PRAYER
· The Lord reigns and He forgives. Praise Him for His blessings on our behalf:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting
(Psalm 93:1-2).
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
· 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).
· As you confess your sins, pause and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your spiritual growth,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!
(Revelation 5:13).
May 1
Joshua 1
The people pledge their allegiance to Joshua's leadership.
INSIGHT
The genius of God's moral code is that everything He requires of us is for our own good. When we violate His code of life, we suffer harmful consequences.
Joshua's success is dependent upon not deviating from God's Law. God instructs Joshua to meditate on the Law day and night so "that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it" (1:8). When Joshua does according "to all that is written in it," then "[1] will make your way prosperous, and then [1] will have good success."
Anything less than obedience to God is not only disappointing to Him-it is self-destructive. There is more than one reason for faithfulness to His Word.
PRAYER
· As you think of the impact of the Word of God on your life, offer the Lord this praise:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6).
· Having offered Him your praise, now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
We look for light, but there is darkness! . . .
Our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them
(Isaiah 59:9, 12).
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea
(Micah 7:19).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, come to Him with your concerns and desires:
· your spiritual growth,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your activities for the day.
· 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;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace
(Numbers 6:24-26).
May 2
Joshua 2
Rahab shelters two spies and helps them escape from the city of Jericho.
INSIGHT
God will meet any person, any time, any place. There are few people who seem to be further from the Lord than a harlot. Yet, in the course of her everyday life, Rahab finds herself keeping a divine appointment with two strangers in need and, in the process, meets with God.
The kind of risks Rahab takes will not be taken without a searching heart. In her own way, she takes a step of faith; God meets her. Her reward is not only eternal life, but also the honor of being included in the messianic lineage. Wherever you are in your life, God will meet you there.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise as you remember all He has done for you:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· As you ponder the wondrous holiness of the Lord, pray this confession to Him as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool"
(Isaiah 1:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who will protect you:
When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-5).
May 6
Joshua 23
Nearing his death, Joshua charges the Israelites to be faithful to the Lord.
INSIGHT
After a brilliant career as Israel's leader, Joshua bids them farewell. He urges them not to allow themselves to be corrupted by the gods or people of the nations around them. Then Joshua encourages them that if they are faithful, "all the good things" of the Lord will come upon them (23:15); if they are not faithful, "the Lord will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land" (23:15).
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His faithfulness to all generations of those who obey Him:
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 personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin: David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly" (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. . . . This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world" (John 6:47-48, 50-51).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faith in God's providence,
· ministry leaders,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
May 7
Joshua 24
Joshua reviews Israel's history, charges them to serve the Lord, then dies at the age of 110.
INSIGHT
Joshua again gathers Israel to hear a review of their history and the good things God has done for them. He states the benefits and consequences of faithfulness and unfaithfulness. "If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (v. 15). Fortunately, the Israelites accept the challenge and agree to serve the Lord.
From time to time, the Lord may challenge us through various and unpredictable ways. When we drift from Him, when we get stale, or cease growing, the Lord will often bring a circumstance into our lives which forces us to choose whom we will serve. At those times, we must learn from the nation of Israel and choose to serve the Lord.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord cares enough about us to challenge us to total commitment, we praise Him:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalm 100:1-5).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 139:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for other Christians,
· missions in Europe and Asia,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
May 8
Judges 1
The tribes of Israel do an inadequate job of vanquishing the aliens living in the Promised Land.
INSIGHT
The book of Judges is a pathetic chronicle of a weak and willful people. Soon after Joshua's death, the Israelites begin to fall short of the directives he gave them. They fail at the most crucial point and tolerate the presence of immoral idol worshipers among them. The story which follows is one of sexual immorality, murder, idolatry, corruption, and greed. The depths to which the Israelites plunge is truly disgusting- reminding us of the warnings given by Moses and Joshua.
Turning your back on God always has tragic consequences. When we read about the Israelites, their foolishness seems so clear. Yet when we are faced with temptations today, it doesn't seem so clear. We can learn from the past, however. The consequences can be just as grave for us. A wise man walks with the Lord and is saved.
PRAYER
· Because we can be delivered from bondage to sin, offer your praise for the Lord's goodness:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord
(Psalm 104:24, 34).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He is despised and rejected by men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. . . .
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 53:3, 6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president and national leaders,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
(Psalm 84:11-12).
May 9
Judges 2
The Israelites begin worshipping Baal, a god of Canaan.
INSIGHT
There is a distinct pattern of events that begins to unfold in Judges. The children of Israel fall into sin and begin worshiping other gods. Sin is followed by servitude. The Lord causes other nations to rise up in judgment and enslave Israel.
Israel cries out to God for deliverance, and the Lord delivers them by raising up a judge to lead them to victory. Then the land has rest until that judge dies and the cycle begins again: sin, servitude, supplication, salvation, and silence. Sin is always followed by bondage. Repentance frees.
PRAYER
· Because God always honors our obedience to Him, we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more. . . .
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength"
(Isaiah 30:15).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living,
· the needs of your family,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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).
May 10
Judges 6
Gideon is chosen to rule Israel.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. This is true in times of apostasy when God sometimes calls His mightiest servants from places of obscurity and gives them faith to believe Him. He works great deliverance through them.
This is certainly the case with Gideon who exclaims that he is from the weakest family in Manasseh and is the youngest in that family. Yet he is devoted to the Lord and, therefore, usable for God's purposes.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for the privilege of following Him fully:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name"
Selah
(Psalm 66:1-4).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· growth in all areas of your life,
· fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
(Revelation 5:13).
May 11
Judges 7
God uses Gideon's 300 men to rout the entire Midianite army.
INSIGHT
"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit" is the work of the Lord accomplished (Zechariah 4:6). Few stories illustrate that principle more clearly than that of Gideon and his army of 300. God wants prepared men to fight His battles with His weapons in His way. His weapons are not earthly but spiritual. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We want to offer God our strength and our weapons and our insight but He does not need them. We need Him. Rather than trying to get God to accept our plans, strategies, and goals, we ought to strive to understand His. His way is the way of victory.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord is our victory, we praise Him and rest in His care:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord
(Psalm 105:1-3).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings. . . ."
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise
(Jeremiah 17:9-10, 14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries for which you are concerned,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
This is the day which the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it
(Psalm 118:24).
May 12
Judges 14
Samson desires a Philistine wife.
INSIGHT
Some people are strongly gifted and seem to see results, regardless of their personal worthiness. This is true of Samson. It is difficult to imagine a more unworthy vessel for the work of God. It is a challenge to decide if he carelessly disregards wisdom and the Word of God or whether his decision-making ability is somehow impaired. Nevertheless, in spite of his exceedingly foolish escapades, God uses him to bring judgment on the Philistines who have flaunted their hostility toward Jehovah.
PRAYER
· Give God praise that He uses His people even though we are all unworthy vessels:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
(Psalm 8:1-4).
· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater appreciation of God's mercy,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom
(Psalm 90:12).
Judges 15
Samson uses foxes to burn the Philistines' crops and kills 1,000 men.
INSIGHT
A list of the sins of Samson:
1. Fraternizing with pagans
2. Marrying an unbeliever
3. Disobeying his parents
4. Touching a dead animal
5. Murdering innocent people
6. Visiting a harlot
7. Lying
We are often tempted to disregard the truth. We weary of being good and fighting natural inclinations. But one look at Samson's life reveals the consequences of giving in to that weariness. We must wait on the Lord and have our strength renewed.
PRAYER
· Give praise to God that He forgives our sins and uses us to accomplish His purposes despite our iniquities:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works,
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater appreciation of God's mercy,
· a favorite ministry,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
As a seal upon your arm
(Song of Solomon 8:6).
May 14
Judges 16
Samson is subdued and later dies in his final act of resistance.
INSIGHT
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7). Samson's lustful foolishness finally catches up with him, and in a profound example of bad judgment, he discloses the secret of his strength to a woman who had betrayed him repeatedly.
He violates his Nazarite vow, and all his power leaves him. His eyes are gouged out and he dies, not avenging the Lord against the Philistines but avenging the loss of his own eyes. It is a heartbreaking conclusion to a life that is tragic-tragic not only because of what it was, but even more for what it could have been.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and give Him your praise. By His grace, we can escape consequences similar to those Samson experienced by living for Him:
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:
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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· mission work in Africa,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now 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).
May 15
Ruth 1
A Jewess, Naomi, and her two daughters-in-law lose their husbands.
INSIGHT
In Ruth, we see one of the most stirring examples of loyalty in the Bible. In spite of Naomi's urgings to the contrary, Ruth stays with her, looking not for personal fulfillment or material comfort but longing merely to maintain the relationship with one whom she loves. This loyalty comes from a pure heart, and it is not surprising that it extends not just to Naomi but also to the Lord.
In stark contrast to Samson, Ruth's selflessness leads to beauty, fulfillment, and seeking the good of others. We should take instruction for our own lives and live as Ruth, not as Samson.
PRAYER
· Because we can have the beauty of the Lord in our lives, give thanks and praise to Him:
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 113:2-3, 5-6, 9).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord;
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me
(Psalm 40:11-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your talents,
· your state and local leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25, 27).
May 16
Ruth 2
Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem in hopes of fostering a livelihood.
INSIGHT
When Boaz, a noble and godly man, hears of Ruth's noble and godly actions, he is moved with appreciation for the kind of person she is.
When he finds her gleaning in his fields, he bestows kindnesses on her. Ruth asks why he should take notice of her since she is a foreigner. Boaz replies that it is because of all that she has done for Naomi. The way we live our everyday lives communicates a "life message" to others. When we live for the Lord, that message is a beacon of light to others.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for His sovereignty and for the fact that He works His will regardless of the failures of His children:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-3, 48).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
May 17
Ruth 3
Boaz, a close relative of Naomi, agrees to marry Ruth.
INSIGHT
The custom in the Old Testament is that when a relative dies without leaving a male heir, the next nearest relative marries the surviving spouse to preserve the family name and property rights. Naomi thinks Boaz is the next of kin; therefore, there is nothing forward in Ruth's actions. Boaz exercises admirable restraint, knowing that there is closer kin. His concern for Ruth's good name again shows his nobility of character, for he is surely attracted to Ruth already.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who renews our strength when we wait on Him:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth
(Psalm 108:1-5).
· Pause for personal 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities for evangelism,
· your activities for the day.
· 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).
May 18
Ruth 4
Boaz marries Ruth and restores the fortunes of both Ruth and Naomi.
INSIGHT
What a happy ending. Because of Ruth's faithfulness and circumspection, all the broad acres in which she once gleaned as a destitute alien are now hers, for she has become one with the owner.
When we are one with Christ, we are no longer aliens in another's fields; and being one with Christ, all that is His is now also ours. As Ruth is translated from isolation and poverty to union and wealth in Boaz, so we become fellow heirs of the riches of Christ and the grace of God. It is likely that the story of Ruth is intended by God to picture our redemption in Christ. And our story is even greater than Ruth's story.
PRAYER
· Ruth is such a beautiful story of redemption. Praise the Lord for His redemption for us:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . . .
We will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 115:1, 11, 18).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us
(Psalm 103:10-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
(Isaiah 9:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· Christian education institutions,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14).
May 19
1 Samuel 1
God gives a child to Hannah and Elkanah, after Hannah's years of praying for a son.
INSIGHT
The grief of being childless drives Hannah to God. In Him, she finds her only resource for consolation.
Even though children may cry when they are taken to a doctor by their parents, they still trust their parents in spite of fear and pain. Similarly we must still trust and cling to the Lord even though we do not understand why He does not deliver us from our pain. Just as children will someday understand about the doctor, we will someday understand about the pain.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who will one day make all things in heaven and on earth right:
With righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat. . . .
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea
(Isaiah 11:4-6, 9).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession 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
(Psalm 51:1).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faith in the Lord,
· a world-wide revival,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
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).
May 20
1 Samuel 2
Hannah dedicates Samuel to the service of the Lord.
INSIGHT
We rarely give God sufficient thanks and praise for the things He does for us, and we rarely give Him adequate worship for who He is and for His significant answers to prayer.
By contrast, notice Hannah's song of thanksgiving. She prays earnestly for a child, and when the Lord gives her one, she expresses her gratitude in full-blown poetic praise. Her response is fitting for the gift.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord is so merciful to us, we give Him heartfelt praise and thanksgiving with the psalmist:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The Lord has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God
(Psalm 98:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater thankfulness to the Lord,
· unsaved family members,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
A day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness
(Psalm 84:10).
May 21
1 Samuel 3
The Lord speaks directly to Samuel, and all Israel recognizes Samuel as a prophet.
INSIGHT
For all the glory of speaking directly with the Lord, Samuel is given a very difficult task: He must deliver to Eli a troubling message from the Lord. With a pure heart and nothing to gain or lose by the encounter, Samuel tells Eli the truth.
We too must sometimes confront people with truth, knowing that the truth will hurt. Ephesians 4:15 instructs us to speak the truth in love. Speaking the truth without love is destructive.
Samuel's example is a difficult one but a good one. Like Samuel, we can only fulfill such a task if our hearts are pure and we do not manipulate the situation for our own benefit.
PRAYER
· Because we can know the truth and the truth can set us free, offer your praise to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 145:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer
(Isaiah 54:7-8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
May 22
1 Samuel 8
Israel demands a king from the Lord.
INSIGHT
The Lord intends to rule Israel by theocracy, which means that God will rule through a man who will be His spokesman. In rejecting this method, the Israelites are not rejecting Samuel but God. To be sure there is a problem with Samuel's sons not walking after the Lord, but rather than ask God for another theocratic administrator, they demand a monarchy. In seeking to correct a legitimate problem, they make matters worse because their motives are wrong. They have a selfish desire for a king like the nations around them.
When we see legitimate problems, we must be careful that we do not demand wrong solutions. There is no substitute for pure motives when it comes to problem solving.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because we need not fear His solutions to problems:
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness. . . .
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 personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart-
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· revival among Christians in America,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
May 23
1 Samuel 9
God instructs Samuel to anoint Saul as the first king over Israel.
INSIGHT
The sovereignty of God is a difficult concept to keep in balance. Often we find ourselves making too much or too little of it.
It is true, however, that many of the events in our lives, which seem to come at random with no significance, are actually events that the Lord is using to orchestrate His purpose in our lives.
For example, Saul goes looking for donkeys and ends up discovering that he will be king of Israel. We should always bathe our daily activities in prayer, for we never know what the Lord might be preparing for us.
PRAYER
· Even though you may be in pain, praise the Lord that He loves you and cares for you:
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments
(Psalm 112:1).
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him, "Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips"
(Hosea 14:1-2).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of personal friends,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered
(Psalm 40:5).
May 24
1 Samuel 10
Samuel publicly introduces Saul to the nation of Israel.
INSIGHT
Leadership is at the same time a blessing and a curse. Leaders like to have the allegiance and esteem of their followers, but such is rarely the case. Inherent in humanity are differences of opinion, and those differences cause some to be for certain leadership and against other leadership.
The day Saul is presented as king over Israel, a faction of "worthless men" grumble against him. If you are in a position of leadership, you should not be insensitive to dissension, but you must also realize that you will never make all the people happy all the time.
PRAYER
· Use the following psalm to express your gratitude and praise to the Lord for all He has done for you:
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. . . .
I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places. . . .
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 135:1, 3, 5-6, 21).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels" (Revelation 3:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
May 25
1 Samuel 15
Saul breaks the Law of the Lord then offers sacrifices to the Lord.
INSIGHT
Saul's fall is fast and far. His spiritual leadership is destroyed before he really gets a good start. Such a profound disparity between how he starts and how he ends is difficult to explain.
It stands as a warning, however. None of us is above falling, no matter where we are in our spiritual walk.
Our regular prayers ought to include what Jesus teaches us to pray: "Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13). Again, Jesus says, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation" (Matthew 26:41).
The price of our spiritual welfare is eternal vigilance.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His protection from evil:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness
(Psalm 96:5-8, 11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· local churches around the nation,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
May 26
1 Samuel 16
David is anointed to be king.
INSIGHT
David is indeed an outstanding individual. As a teenager, he is known to be "skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him" (v. 18). In each of these things, David is not just lucky. David works hard at all the things for which he is known, including the fact that "the Lord is with him."
Each of us has been given talents and abilities. Like David, if we are to achieve our God-given potential, we must be slaves to the things that advance those abilities.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord that we are the objects of His tender mercies and powerful leading:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:65-68).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater trust in God's sovereignty,
· the spiritual condition of our national leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be
May 27
1 Samuel 17
Goliath the Philistine challenges Israel's army.
INSIGHT
When God goes to war, there are no accidents. Just as He uses Gideon and an army of only 300 to rout the Midianite army that was "without number," so He uses a boy with a slingshot to rout the Philistine army. In 2 Chronicles 18:33, "a certain man drew a bow at random," but it "struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor." There are no accidents when God goes to war.
We can take comfort in this fact in relationship to the spiritual warfare in which we all find ourselves. The obstacles may seem insurmountable. But if we are on God's side, no foe is too great.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise as you rejoice in the power He uses in controlling the events of history:
We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
You drove out the nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.
For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand,
Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
Because You favored them
(Psalm 44:1-4).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long?
(Psalm 6:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me
(Psalm 138:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater courage in the midst of trials,
· your pastor,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands
(Psalm 138:8).
May 28
2 Samuel 5
After many years of delay, David assumes Israel's throne.
INSIGHT
Earlier, Samuel had anointed David-then a young, inexperienced boy-to be king over Israel. Fourteen years elapsed between Samuel's anointing and the time when David actually assumes the rule over all of Israel.
Instead of luxuriating in the royal palace during these years, David runs from cave to cave, trying to escape from Saul who is bent on killing him. But it is these difficult experiences that build into David the strength of character, the convictions, the sensitivity to right and wrong, and the vision to be a great king.
Even for us today, the road to transformation always goes through the tunnel of trials.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord uses the difficult times to create Christlikeness in our lives, we can praise Him for all things:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain
(Psalm 127:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East, the islands, and Australia,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
May 29
2 Samuel 7
David prepares for building a temple, but God tells him that David's son will build it.
INSIGHT
With all his heart, David wants to build the temple of God. Yet because David is a man of war, God reserves that privilege for David's son Solomon, whose very name means "peace."
While David cannot actually build the temple, he does draw the plans and begins amassing the materials. And Solomon's job is much easier because of David's work.
In fact, the Lord commends David's deep desire to build the temple even though he is not permitted to do so (see 2 Chronicles 6:8.)
There may be things in your heart that you would like to do for God that you cannot do. Even so, it is good that it is in your heart to want to do them.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He rewards us because of our motives:
"Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify
Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested"
(Revelation 15:3-4).
One cried to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!"
(Isaiah 6:3).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· 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, pray for:
· faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· the Lord's work in world affairs,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this 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).
May 30
2 Samuel 11
David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his loyal commanders.
INSIGHT
There is greater pain in sin than in righteousness. David clearly loves Bathsheba. Certainly, it would have pained him had he turned his heart away from her before having relations with her. But that pain is nothing compared to the pain he brings on himself and others by taking her as his own. Adultery, murder, the death of their child, the loss of respect, and the memory of the guilt were some of the results of his sin.
It is sometimes painful to do the right thing, but it is always more painful to do the wrong thing.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because He fulfills our lives by giving us talents and abilities to develop:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 150:1-3, 6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me (Jeremiah 33:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord
(Lamentations 3:25-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your development of an eternal perspective,
· your personal spiritual goals,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).
May 31
2 Samuel 12
The prophet Nathan openly rebukes David and stirs him to repent.
INSIGHT
When Nathan comes to accuse David of adultery and murder, it is well within David's power to shout: "Off with his head!" But David does not issue that order. Instead, his heart breaks. The horror and magnitude of his sin is incalculable, but it is to David's credit that he immediately repents. Rather than resisting repentance because we feel we don't deserve forgiveness, we should do as David did-repent that very instant.
PRAYER
· Give praise and thanks to the Lord for giving us victory over the world:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You. . . .
The Lord is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation
(Jeremiah 10:6-7, 10).
· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· persecuted Christians worldwide,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
June 1
1 Kings 1
The prophet Nathan and Bathsheba join forces to ensure that Solomon replaces David as king.
INSIGHT
As Adonijah, David's oldest living son, takes steps to become king, only Bathsheba and Nathan know of David's desire that Solomon succeed him.
Circumstances seem grim to Bathsheba. Should Adonijah become king, she and Solomon most probably would lose their lives, being seen as threats to the throne. Yet it is God who establishes kings, and His will is that Solomon reign. Again God demonstrates that He is in control-in spite of the foreboding circumstances.
As we consider the perplexing nature of circumstances in the world, we are tempted to lose heart, perhaps to question whether God is really in control. We should be reminded from this passage that He is. Whatever comes our way, the hand of God is there to see us through. It is something we must believe.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer this praise to Him:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works. . . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You
(Psalm 9:1, 9-10).
· Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(Joel 2:12-13).
· The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace"
(Numbers 6:24-26).
June 2
1 Kings 2
David charges Solomon with the urgency of living for the Lord.
INSIGHT
Parts of the Old Testament tax our understanding and our acceptance.
First, we do not understand much about Judaism, the Law, and Old Testament
culture and customs. Second, many of the events are violations of God's desires-though that is not explained to us. And finally, God deals with men differently in the Old Testament than in the New Testament.
While not all things are easily explained, in chapter 2, Solomon takes vengeance only upon all those people who had already committed acts that were punishable by death. This doesn't answer every problem we might have with this difficult chapter, but it is a beginning.
PRAYER
· The Lord will guard and care for those who want to follow Him with their whole heart:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears
(Psalm 34:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord answered Job, and said:
"Shall the one who contends with the
Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it."
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
"Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth"
(Job 40:1-4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him" (John 6:27).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a friend to believe in Christ,
· greater understanding and love for God's Word,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned (Revelation 11:17).
June 4
1 Kings 4
Solomon's fame spreads throughout the world.
INSIGHT
To understand the significance of Solomon's wealth, power, and wisdom, we must go back to Deuteronomy 28, where God outlined the consequences for Israel's obedience and disobedience. During the latter part of David's reign and the early part of Solomon's reign, Israel follows the Lord in righteousness for a longer period of time than any other. The results are a greater blessing than at any other time in Israel's history.
It is a glaring and tragic reality that shortly after Solomon's reign, Israel follows her kings in unrighteousness, and the curses in Deuteronomy begin to come about. The welfare of Israel is always related to her righteousness.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is holy and in whose holiness we can share:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
· Pray this confession as you 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 13:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· mission work in Europe and Asia,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
.
June 5
1 Kings 5
Solomon forms an alliance with Hiram for help in building the temple.
INSIGHT
Known as a fair, just, and righteous man, David builds an excellent reputation with noble neighboring leaders. Hiram and David establish their friendship early in David's reign (2 Samuel 5:11), and 1 Kings 5:1 states: "Hiram had always loved David."
It is perhaps David's reputation that prompts Solomon to write in Proverbs 22:1: "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches." Each of us must take this Scripture to heart and dedicate ourselves to the development of a spotless reputation by being fair, just, and righteous and by being utterly true to our word.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord whose reputation we share when we live for Him:
Ah, Lord God! . . . There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them-the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:17-19).
· 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
"For 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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president and national leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
.
June 6
1 Kings 6
Solomon oversees the temple construction, making it a work of art glorifying God.
INSIGHT
The temple that Solomon builds for the Lord is spectacular. The stonework is magnificent; the tapestry work is glorious; and nearly everything inside is overlaid with gold.
Why such opulence? Because the temple is to be a physical representation of the beauty and glory of God. One is supposed to be able to look at the temple and be reminded of the beauty of God. It is not beauty for beauty's sake, but for the glory of the God of beauty.
PRAYER
· Offer God your praise in the words of this Scripture:
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him
(Daniel 2:20-22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater wisdom for living,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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.
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 19:13-14).
.
June 7
1 Kings 7
King Hiram of Tyre supplies artisans and craftsmen to finalize the glorious temple.
INSIGHT
Not only is the work of the temple designed to reflect the splendor and glory of God, but also the layout of the temple is designed to reflect His work in atoning for our sin. The bronze laver, the candlesticks, the tables of showbread, the Holy of Holies-all are designed to picture for us the atoning work of Christ. All this is in keeping with what Paul wrote in Romans 15:4: "Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."
PRAYER
· The Lord knows us totally and loves us completely, and for this we offer Him our praise:
Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation" (Luke 1:46-50).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:9-11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
.
June 8
1 Kings 8
Solomon leads the people into a grand dedication ceremony for the new temple.
INSIGHT
The phenomenal blessings that God pours out on Israel have a purpose beyond merely blessing them. In fact, God wants other nations to see His favor on Israel and desire to know Him because of what they witness in the lives of His people.
This truth is reflected when Solomon prays that "the Lord our God be with us . . . [1] that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other" (vv. 57, 60). David understands this principle also when he writes in Psalm 67:7: "God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him." And today God wants to bless us spiritually that others may see Christ in us and be drawn to Him.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord who blesses us that we might draw others to Him because of His mark in our lives:
"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 4:11).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the
Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and its effects:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you
(Deuteronomy 32:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
.
June 9
1 Kings 9
The Lord reiterates His promise to bless Israel for faithfulness and to judge her for sin.
INSIGHT
Three things happen when Israel lives in a righteous relationship with the Lord. First, God is glorified. Second, Israel is blessed, receiving the fullness of life for which she longs. Third, the unsaved world is drawn to want to know God because of the magnificent picture they see of Him.
Because so much hinges on Israel's standing before God, the Lord makes it clear to her how serious her position is. If she will trust and obey Him, He will bless Israel forever. However, if she lives in sin, He will utterly destroy her.
PRAYER
· Give the Lord praise for His perfect and holy justice and goodness:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalm 100:4-5).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be obedient to God's commands,
· our nation's military personnel,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the waters
(Psalm 24:1-2).
.
June 10
1 Kings 10
The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon.
INSIGHT
Solomon leads Israel in righteousness, and God pours out His blessing on the nation to such an extent that the reports of Israel's prosperity spread throughout the world. The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon because she cannot believe the reports she has been hearing. After Solomon meets with her and shows her around Jerusalem, she is overwhelmed.
The blessing of Israel is to draw attention to the God of Israel. Today as the Lord blesses us spiritually for our faithfulness to Him, attention will be drawn, not to us, but to the Lord.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord that He still does marvelous things through His people-things that make the world stand up and take notice:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord who blesses the work of His people:
God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faithfulness in evangelism,
· the church's impact on the world,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned (Revelation 11:17).
.
June 11
1 Kings 11
Solomon takes wives from (and makes allegiances with) foreigners, and God judges him.
INSIGHT
Not long after the Lord reminds Solomon of the blessings of obedience and the cataclysmic consequences of disobedience, Solomon disobeys. After taking foreign wives who turn his heart from the Lord, Solomon begins to worship Ashtoreth and builds a "high place" of worship for Chemosh and Molech, detestable pagan gods. True to His word, the Lord raises up an adversary, Hadad, to plague Solomon. God's purpose is not to punish. He wants the adversity to turn Solomon's heart back to Him. When you suffer adversity, examine yourself to see if there is sin in your life. That is not always true, but it is something to which we must be sensitive.
PRAYER
Bless the Lord and praise Him for His goodness because He forgives our sin:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11).
You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You, according to all
that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face
to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads,
and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus,
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the Scripture says,
"Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 10:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:6).
June 12
1 Kings 12
After Solomon's death, Rehoboam splits the kingdom.
INSIGHT
Because Solomon drifts from the Lord during the latter part of his reign, he does not leave to his successor a healthy, vibrant nation. Israel struggles for moral and political leadership. Rehoboam inherits the throne but places foolish and inordinate financial demands on the nation on the heels of what Solomon had demanded--to build the temple and his palace. The people rebel and the nation divides. The northern part of the kingdom (Israel) follows after Jeroboam while Rehoboam retains control over the southern part (Judah); neither man leads the nation in righteousness and the disintegration that began with Solomon continues. Sin is taking its toll. It always does.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that when we confess our sin, He removes the eternal penalty:
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 personal praise and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled
(Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God
(Romans 5:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your talents
-- Your state and local leaders
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
.
June 13
1 Kings 17
After Elijah prophesies drought, the Lord hides him and later uses him to heal a child.
INSIGHT
Drought is a devastating natural disaster, and when it comes to the children of Israel, it does not come by accident. It is always divine judgment. From the beginning of his reign, Ahab, who is king when Elijah begins his ministry, violates the Lord's name. He encourages idolatry and the worship of Baal, a pagan god. He "did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him" (1 Kings 16:30). Elijah's name means "Jehovah is my strength," and the Lord sets about to prove the significance of Elijah's name as He brings judgment on Israel and destroys the worshipers of Baal.
PRAYER
The Lord longs to bless us. Offer Him your praise for His goodness and mercy:
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).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
-- Your activities for the day
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).
.
June 14
1 Kings 18
The prophet Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.
INSIGHT
The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal is one of the most exciting chapters in the Bible, with fire raining down from heaven -- consuming meat, water, and stone! Then after Baal worship is defeated, it rains, signifying an end to that judgment. Elijah prays, "Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again" (v. 37). God does not punish His children for sin but rather chastens them in the hope that they will repent and return to Him.
PRAYER
Let us praise the Lord in the words of this psalm:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for personal evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
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 121:5-8).
.
June 15
1 Kings 19
Elijah flees from Jezebel, and the Lord ministers to him after saving him.
INSIGHT
On the heels of the stupendous victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah falls into despair. He fears for his own life in the face of Jezebel's threat and flees to a lonely mountain for safety--to lick his wounds and mourn his fate. How shameful that this great prophet would call down fire from heaven one day and flee for his life the next. We all have feet of clay. Notice though that God does not berate him. Rather, He ministers to him quietly, restoring his spirit and strength. Then God calls Elijah back into His service again. God cares when we are hurt and discouraged and gently calls us to Himself for new strength.
PRAYER
Offer to the Lord your praise for His lovingkindness on your behalf:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name
(Psalm 63:3-4).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day
(Psalm 25:4-5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater passion for moral excellence
-- The ministry of Christian educational institutions
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).
.
June 16
2 Kings 1
The Lord sends Elijah to inform Ahaziah that he will die.
INSIGHT
Ahab and Jezebel have become famous for their irreverence and disregard for the Law of the Lord. Yet Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, goes beyond them in his blatant disregard for the Lord. After an accident, he inquires of Baal-Zebub, the pagan god of Ekron, whether or not he will recover. Elijah informs the messengers that Ahaziah will die. No longer afraid, Elijah has been strengthened from his previous failure. We must always look at failure as an opportunity to grow.
PRAYER
God often uses our hard times to refine us into the people He wants us to be. Give Him your praise for His care:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:65-68).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater trust in God's leading in your life
-- The ministry of your local church
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
.
June 17
2 Kings 2
The Lord takes Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind.
INSIGHT
Miracles don't permeate the entire Bible. They tend to be concentrated during the times of Moses, the prophets, and Jesus. They occur other times as well, but these are the times of greatest concentration; and Elijah and Elisha represent one of the strongest periods. In our lives today, God seems rather inactive in comparison. Yet that is not because He is unable to act-but rather because He has chosen not to act in the same way. The power is still there, and we can rest in the confidence that He still has all things under control.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord who possesses power to do all things He desires:
O Lord, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.
A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
When the wicked spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever
(Psalm 92:5-7).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy
(Habakkuk 3:2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who loves you:
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- Contentment in God's providence
-- Opportunities for watching God work
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).
June 18
2 Kings 4
Elisha saves a Shunammite widow from economic disaster and revives her son from death.
INSIGHT
Elisha's ministry is not startling; it is redemptive and constructive. Elijah was a prophet of fire and judgment; Elisha was a prophet of mercy and compassion. Elijah was a man on the move; Elisha enjoyed a tranquil life at home. Elijah's miracles were destructive; Elisha's were constructive. It must have been tempting for Elisha to want to be like Elijah. But he resists it; that is not what the Lord has for Elisha. He is his own man before the Lord. It is often tempting for us to want to be like someone else, to be dissatisfied with who we are and what we can do. Yet God made us to be what He wanted us to be. We must be content with who we are. It is so liberating. Accept yourself. God does.
PRAYER
Because the Lord made us and cares for us as we are, we offer Him the praise of our lips:
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? . . .
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:3-4, 9).
Pause for personal 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.
Selah
(Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- The work of missions in North and South America
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
.
June 19
2 Kings 5
Naaman is healed of leprosy when he obeys Elisha's directives.
INSIGHT
It is God who has power to move in the realm of the spiritual and miraculous--not man. So whether God asks us to do something difficult or simple, it doesn't matter. He will do the work behind our faith. Naaman learns this the hard way. His heart is open to God, for he goes to Elisha hoping that God will heal his leprosy. But when Elisha tells him to wash in the Jordan seven times, Naaman roars: "Are not . . . the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel?" (v. 12). He misses the point. The point is not clean water or unclean. The point is: Does he believe God? The Jordan is merely a test of his faith in God. When Naaman realizes that, he washes and is healed.
PRAYER
By faith, we offer our praise to the Lord and thank Him for the power that makes us clean:
Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless 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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
.
June 20
2 Kings 6
When the Syrians threaten Elisha, they are struck blind.
INSIGHT
We often have no idea what is going on around us in the spiritual realm. Spiritual battles explode before our very eyes, but we neither see them nor hear them (Daniel 10:13). Guardian angels minister to our needs (Hebrews 1:14). We entertain angels "unwittingly" (Hebrews 13:2). How real and alive is the spiritual realm; yet without the Scriptures, we would know little about it. The Syrian army is camped around Dothan, but Elisha is not concerned because an army of the angels of the Lord encircles the horizon. We walk by faith and not by sight.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He can turn our failures into successes, and offer Him your praise in this psalm:
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 personal 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 name's 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world"
(John 6:51).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of personal friends
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
.
June 21
2 Kings 7
Israel is delivered from Aram.
INSIGHT
While we must be careful about "spiritualizing" what we read in the Old Testament and making it say something it doesn't, there is at least an excellent illustration in the defeat of the Aramean army relating to the message of the Gospel today. The lepers are lost and starving and come upon abundance adequate for their own welfare as well as the welfare of all others. They realize it is wrong to keep it to themselves, and they go out to tell others. The same is true of the Gospel of Christ. Those of us who have had our needs met by Him cannot be satisfied keeping it to ourselves -- we must tell others.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord for the miracle of the "new birth," and praise Him for His grace:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings
(Psalm 33:1-2).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin and its effects:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord who protects you:
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:21).
.
June 22
2 Kings 8
The king restores the Shunammite widow's land.
INSIGHT
Nothing happens in our lives or in the world apart from divine appointment or permission. Behind every event and incident, there is divine providence. The Shunammite widow, who has done so much for Elisha, is remembered and cared for years afterward. The Lord has a wonderful memory for those who feed Him when He is hungry and minister to Him when He is in need (see Matthew 25:37). The conversation between Gehazi, Elisha's servant, and the king might seem an accident, but it is providential. When we abide in the will of God, life is sown with divine coincidences.
PRAYER
For the Lord's sovereignty and goodness to us, offer this praise:
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).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You. . . ."
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen
(Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength
(Isaiah 40:28-29).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Local churches across the nation
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
June 23
2 Kings 18
Hezekiah institutes a reign of righteousness.
INSIGHT
It is wonderful that such a wicked man as Ahaz had such a righteous son as Hezekiah. It is difficult to stand against moral disintegration--especially when it is all around you and generally accepted. It is also likely the fall of the Northern Kingdom is a great incentive to root out idolatry. God richly rewards Hezekiah for his moral courage and leadership, demonstrating the validity of 2 Chronicles 16:9: "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."
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He richly blesses those who seek to follow Him with all their heart:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
I opened my mouth and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.
Look upon me and be merciful to me,
As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.
Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
(Psalm 119:129-133)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
(Psalm 138:7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- A heart more tender to the things of the Lord
-- The work of a specific ministry that has had an impact on your life
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
(Psalm 121:8)
.
June 24
2 Kings 19
When Sennacherib attacks Jerusalem, Hezekiah calls upon the Lord.
INSIGHT
In spite of all the trouble that comes upon Israel and Judah, God wants to bless them. It is only as He is blessing them that His desire for the world is advanced. All that is needed is obedience. Hezekiah demonstrates just how quickly everything can turn around. He is looking into the jaws of an Assyrian military machine one minute, and the Assyrians are routed the next. God is not reluctant to bless us. But we must be sure we are eligible by being faithful to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord; for He controls the universe and does all things for our good:
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, "Glory!"
The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.
(Psalm 29:5-11)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
(Joel 2:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faith in God's goodness
-- Those who've never heard the Gospel
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this prayer to the Lord:
Jesus, You are the door. If anyone enters by You, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (based on John 10:9).
June 25
2 Kings 20
In answer to Hezekiah's prayer, the Lord extends his life.
INSIGHT
Hezekiah's contribution to our lives is probably very great. We read of his zeal for the house of Jehovah and for the worship of Jehovah and of his strict adherence to the Davidic traditions (2 Chronicles 29:3-19; 20-27; 30). His delight is in the Word of Jehovah. In 2 Chronicles 31:21, we read of the "work" which Hezekiah began "in the law and in the commandment." Apparently he formed a guild of men for this devout literary work. These "men of Hezekiah" evidently included Isaiah (2 Kings 19:2) and also had a hand in shaping the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 25:1). What a contribution this ancient one has made to our lives today!
PRAYER
The Lord's dominion is forever, and we can praise Him that He never changes:
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 personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
(Psalm 51:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- The work of missions in Australia
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
June 26
2 Kings 25
God judges Judah by allowing Nebuchadnezzar to capture Jerusalem.
INSIGHT
Judah has a total of 20 kings after Solomon. Only eight of them give moral and spiritual leadership. And as the king goes, so goes the nation. As a result, God has to bring judgment on Israel. The ghastly succession of horrors promised for disobedience in Deuteronomy 28--and reiterated to Solomon in 1 Kings 9--begins to unfold. "I will cast (Israel) out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples" (1 Kings 9:7). Nebuchadnezzar besieges and captures Jerusalem, transports her main people to Babylonia, robs her treasury, and violates worship in the temple. Sin has a terrible price.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that we can be spared from His judgment on sin:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
(Psalm 63:1-2)
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:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases.
(Psalm 103:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The Lord's work in national and world affairs
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).
.
June 27
1 Chronicles 17
God promises David that He will propagate David's lineage forever.
INSIGHT
David is described as a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). It is difficult for us to accept that statement when David is guilty of lying, adultery, murder, and other indiscretions. However, to be a man after God's own heart means that David wants the same things God wants. His noble desires and intentions are overruled several times by his passions; but when David's senses are restored and he repents of his sin, again his heart beats after God's desires. We may not be as bad as David in his bad moments, but are we as good as David in his good moments? Do our hearts beat after God?
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that He is eager to bless our righteous acts:
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)
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
(Psalm 7:17)
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me
(Psalm 51:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
He also has become my salvation"
(Isaiah 12:2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- An increased eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Grace, mercy, and peace [be to you] from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).
.
June 28
1 Chronicles 29
Just before his death, David blesses Israel and gives his blessing to Solomon.
INSIGHT
How we spend our money is a powerful reflection of our value system. If we have strong spiritual values, we give our money generously to spiritual things. If we have primarily temporal values, we resist--and perhaps even resent--giving to spiritual things. After completing the temple, the Israelites rejoiced, "for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD" (v. 9). Where are your values?
PRAYER
Bless the Lord. Praise Him for His blessings in our lives:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.
(1 Chronicles 29:11-13)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
(Psalm 51:4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:31)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Persecuted Christians worldwide
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
.
June 29
2 Chronicles 34
Josiah leads Judah into righteousness.
INSIGHT
It is almost impossible to imagine the Law could have gotten lost in Jerusalem. How could that have happened? The whole nation is to worship the Lord; the dominant building in Jerusalem is the temple. Israel's entire history revolves around the giving and preservation of the Law. How can this happen? Neglect has a poor memory. How quickly we can drift from the Lord in just a short time of spiritual staleness. Consider our nation. The moral fiber we had 20 years ago is nonexistent today. People are people. Israel drifted the same way--but for a longer time. This ought to serve as a warning to us; the same can happen to us as individuals.
PRAYER
The Lord will guard and care for the heart that follows Him and is filled with praise:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by. . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
(Psalm 51:14-15)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- Others to see Christ in you
-- The Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest
-- Your activities for the day
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).
.
June 30
2 Chronicles 35
The Passover, unobserved for years, is reinstated.
INSIGHT
Abraham Lincoln once said, "A man's about as happy as he makes up his mind to be." That may be an oversimplification; yet it states a basic truth: Often we must consciously decide what we want to become. Those who grow spiritually are those who have made a conscious decision to pursue spiritual things. Josiah, one of the great kings of Judah, is a strong reformer who tries to lead the nation in righteousness. In 2 Chronicles 34:31, we read: "The king . . . made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul." Have you ever made the decision to follow the Lord with your whole heart?
PRAYER
As He is a God both of power and compassion, we offer Him our praise:
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;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it, . ..
The host of heaven worships You.
(Nehemiah 9:5-6)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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.
(Psalm 34:17-18)
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- The ministry of our nation's churches
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
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 3:20-21).
`
July 1
Ezra 1
The Lord prompts the king of Persia to rebuild the temple.
INSIGHT
The Bible says that God "removes kings and raises up kings" (Daniel 2:21) and that "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord" (Proverbs 21:1). We see a classic example of these truths in the book of Ezra. The Israelites are taken captive by the Babylonians for 70 years. During that time, the Babylonians are conquered by Persia. Then the Lord moves in the heart of the king of Persia to orchestrate the return of the Jews to Jerusalem. God is in control. Bad things will still happen; we live in a fallen world. But God is in control and history is moving toward His end. The ultimate needs of His children are met, and we have the promise of eternal life. Beyond that, we must cling to the fact that we are pilgrims, sojourners to another world--heaven, where our true citizenship lies.
PRAYER
As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this praise:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
(Psalm 106:1-3)
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.
(Psalm 130:1-4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to God:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:4-6).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- His will to be done
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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).
`
July 2
Ezra 3
The priests restore the altar and worship of the Lord.
INSIGHT
The basis of most discontent is comparison. We could be happy with our cars if the neighbors didn't have better ones. We would be satisfied with our houses if they were as nice as everyone else's. Yet, were we to have our present possessions in Africa, we would be considered rich. Once our basic needs are met, the issue is not "how are we," but rather, "how are we compared to how everyone else is." When the foundation of the new temple is laid, the new generation rejoices at the work of God; but the older generation laments that the new temple is not as impressive as the old one. We should be content with what God has chosen to give us and not make comparisons. He is rich who rejoices in his portion.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for what He has given you, and rejoice in your portion:
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
(Psalm 71:15-17)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this prayer:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous spirit.
(Psalm 51:10, 12)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- That others might see Christ in you
-- That the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers into His harvest
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing 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).
`
July 3
Ezra 4
The king orders a halt to the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
There is a common misconception in the Christian world that if you are doing the Lord's will, you will not suffer hardships for it. The example of the Jews rebuilding the temple certainly does not support that supposition. The Lord clearly intends for them to rebuild the temple, yet they suffer opposition the entire time. It is not necessarily a sign of God's displeasure when work begun for Him fails. There may be other reasons for the failure, which are hidden in His sovereignty. That is why it is so important to be in fellowship with Him. If something we are doing fails, we have confidence that it is not because of our sin, but His sovereignty.
PRAYER
Because He faithfully loves you, faithfully praise Him and thank Him for your many blessings:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
(Psalm 72:18-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:13-14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
(Psalm 119:67, 71)
God yearns to hear His children's desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual growth
-- Fulfillment of the Great Commission
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
(Psalm 23:6)
`
July 4
Ezra 6
The original decree is found, and permission is given to complete the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
It is often darkest before the dawn. Just as it looks as if the work on the temple is going to be stopped, the Lord turns the situation around. Not only is permission given to complete the temple, but those who had tried to stop the work are required to finance the remainder of the restoration! Worrying does little to further the work of God; He is quite capable of accomplishing His work. Our work is trust, obedience, and faithfulness to our responsibilities.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over your circumstances, and thank Him for being in total control of your life:
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.
(Psalm 18:1-3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
God desires to hear the petitions of His people. As you make you requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment in the circumstances of your life,
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace."
(Numbers 6:24-25)
`
July 5
Ezra 6
The original decree is found, and permission is given to complete the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
It is often darkest before the dawn. Just as it looks as if the work on the temple is going to be stopped, the Lord turns the situation around. Not only is permission given to complete the temple, but those who had tried to stop the work are required to finance the remainder of the restoration! Worrying does little to further the work of God; He is quite capable of accomplishing His work. Our work is trust, obedience, and faithfulness to our responsibilities.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over your circumstances, and thank Him for being in total control of your life:
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.
(Psalm 18:1-3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin,
but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
God desires to hear the petitions of His people.
As you make you requests known to the Lord, include:
contentment in the circumstances of your life,
greater love for the lost,
the work of missions in Africa,
whatever else is on your heart.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-25).
`
July 6
Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah weeps as he learns of Jerusalem's deterioration.
INSIGHT
One of the essential characteristics of leadership is that the leader feels the full weight of the plight of certain people and assumes responsibility for their condition. Many people knew of Jerusalem's condition, but few felt the impact and had the vision for response. Nehemiah did and God used him in a mighty way. What in life "hits" you? What situations cause you to feel the impact of the plight of others, and for what situations do you have a vision for response? It might be as large as a nation or as small as a church nursery. But if you feel it and have a vision for it, chances are God would like to use you there.
PRAYER
Being used by the Lord is a joyful experience. Praise Him as you consider how He might use you:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:1-2, 14)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
(Proverbs 2:3-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater sensitivity to sin,
-- The ministry of your local church,
-- Your activities for the day.
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)
`
July 7
Nehemiah 2
Nehemiah requests the king's help in rebuilding Jerusalem.
INSIGHT
Nehemiah comes before the king unable to conceal his agitation over the situation in Jerusalem. When we are faced with situations that need change, preparation is vital. We may not be able to do anything about it at the moment, but we can ask ourselves this question: "If it lay within our power to do anything we wanted to do, what would we do?" If we can answer that, then we will recognize opportunity when it knocks, and we can capitalize on it as Nehemiah does.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is concerned about the details of your life and is ready to fulfill your every need:
The Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
(Psalm 1:6)
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)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil (Ecclesiastes 5:1).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Boldness in sharing Christ with others
-- The innocent victims in war-torn lands
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
`
July 8
Nehemiah 4
The work on the city wall is ridiculed by those opposing it.
INSIGHT
It is difficult to do any work when we are strongly opposed. We begin to doubt the validity of the task or our ability to perform it. When we are assailed for doing God's work, we must evaluate the source of opposition. We cannot assume opposition means that God is against us. While it is of little value to blame the devil for everything that goes wrong, the Bible makes it clear that spiritual opposition is a reality in the work of God. If we suspect spiritual opposition, we must oppose the enemy, remain at the task at hand, and redouble our prayers!
PRAYER
Praise God that He has given us instruction for life in the Bible and through the Holy Spirit:
"My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation."
(1 Samuel 2:1)
Pause for additional praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. . . God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. (1Thessalonians 4:1-2, 7-8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God. . . .
He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
For by strength no man shall prevail."
(1 Samuel 2:2, 9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Diligence in our work in spite of obstacles
-- Wisdom in making decisions
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
The blessings of your father
Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
(Genesis 49:25-26)
`
July 9
Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah stops the internal mistreatment among the Jews by force of example.
INSIGHT
The prospects for some of the returned exiles are bleak. There are deficient rains and poor harvests. As a result, the farmers mortgage their lands to their wealthier brethren and, in extreme cases, sell their children into slavery to pay the king's taxes. The rich Jews, rather than helping out, are capitalizing on the situation to line their own pockets. This is inexcusable! Few things bring on more reproach to the cause of the Lord than the worldliness and hard-heartedness of those who claim to follow Him. Unselfish dedication to the common welfare of others in Christ is our spiritual obligation.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves each of us equally and accepts our welfare as His obligation, we praise Him:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.
(Psalm 93:1-2)
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:5)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 love for fellow Christians
-- Missions in Europe and Asia
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this 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)
`
July 10
Nehemiah 6
The work on the wall is completed.
INSIGHT
Nehemiah resists the efforts of the adversaries to discourage him or distract him from working on the wall. He is convinced that he is doing the right thing, and he steadfastly resists the interference. The Old Testament often has a literal illustration of a spiritual truth that is explained in the New Testament. In Ephesians 6:11, we read that we are to "put on the whole armor of God": the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Once these are in place, we "resist"--"stand firm!"
PRAYER
Praise God for victory in spiritual warfare as we use His armor:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
O come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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 53:6)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- The president and world affairs
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing 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)
`
July 11
Nehemiah 8
The people gather at the square to hear Ezra, who reads the Law publicly.
INSIGHT
No one appreciates a glass of water like a man who is truly thirsty. It takes deprivation to appreciate the significance of our blessings. That is why the Christian life is not always easy--with blessings flowing unabated. We get dull and stale to it--just as we do when we have too much food and too little exercise. We are indeed blessed to have the Word of God in such abundance. The returning Jews have never heard the Word, and they are truly thirsty. They stand -- from dawn till dusk -- and drink it in. To appreciate the Word in your life, imagine not having it at all.
PRAYER
Give the Lord your praise, because He knows us and loves us and will never leave or forsake us:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
(Psalm 97:10-12)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
(1 Corinthians 2:9)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
`
July 12
Nehemiah 9
Upon hearing the Law, the people publicly confess their transgressions.
INSIGHT
Paul says in the New Testament that it was not until he heard the Law that he was conscious of sin. How true! It is not until you know the truth that the truth can set you free (John 8:32). The returning Jews experience this truth in a dramatic way. Upon hearing the Law, Israel repents of her sins and rededicates herself to serving the Lord. This repentance clears her conscience, results in rich worship, and makes her eligible for the blessings of the Lord. It sets her free! Repentance will do the same for you.
PRAYER
Because the Lord preserves us through spiritual battles, offer your praises as you read this psalm:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands (Psalm 92:1-2, 4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, God of my salvation,
I have cried out day and night before You.
Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life draws near to the grave
(Psalm 88:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:8).
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).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater insight into God's Word
-- The homeless in your country and around the world
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
`
July 13
Esther 1
Because Vashti refuses to dance for King Ahasuerus, she is removed as queen.
INSIGHT
In Ezra and Nehemiah, we learn how God watches over the Jews who return from captivity. Esther tells us how those who remain in exile--scattered through the East--are marvelously preserved. Though the name of God does not appear in the book, His hand is clearly manifest throughout. The significance of the "narrow escapes" cannot be dismissed as coincidental. Ahasuerus demands that his queen appear before the party. She refuses. The stage is now set for God's miraculous plan of deliverance for His people.
PRAYER
Take comfort in the sovereignty of God, and praise Him for His faithfulness:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness.
(Psalm 96:5-8, 11)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.
(Isaiah 54:7-8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
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:
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 ).
``
July 14
Esther 2
Esther wins the king's favor and is chosen to become queen.
INSIGHT
Abraham, Moses, David, and Esther are all living lives of obscurity when God chooses them. He uses them for great things because they are faithful to Him in the little things. While not all of us are destined to do incredible things in the eyes of man, greatness in the eyes of God is simply being faithful to Him the best way we know how. God has not forgotten about us; His eye is on us. And He will use us--even if only in seemingly "small" ways.
PRAYER
Thank God that we do not need to be born into a wealthy family or attain a place of prestige to be used by Him. Praise God that He uses ordinary people to do His extraordinary work:
As for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.
(Psalm 5:7-8)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
(Psalm 5:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
(Psalm 5:4-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment in the place God has led you to
-- Patience in serving others
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
(Psalm 5:11-12)
`
July 15
Esther 3
Haman deceives the king into signing an edict that would kill all the Jews.
INSIGHT
Man's inhumanity to man over the ages has been astounding. Some of the acts of violence and degradation have defied comprehension. In this vein, Haman hatches a savage and inhumane plot against the Jews to have them annihilated--men, women, and children. King Ahasuerus also has a monstrous mind, willing to sanction such savagery without question. When sin progresses to such extremes, we see just how repulsive it is.
PRAYER
God continually watches over His children. Thank Him for His protection:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1-2)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to God:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
(Psalm 19:7-11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The political leaders of your country
-- Graciousness in speech
-- The needs of family members
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
`
July 16
Esther 4
Esther learns of the plot to kill the Jews and plans to intercede.
INSIGHT
"I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" (4:16). Those are not the words of someone being melodramatic; they are the words of a realist who accurately assesses the situation. By law, no one can go into the presence of the king unless invited; to do so means execution. If the king chooses to extend grace to the person, he offers his scepter, whereupon the subject is to kneel and touch the top of the scepter. Esther has no idea what Ahasuerus will do. He deposed Vashti with a clap of his hands; he signed the edict to kill the Jews without asking a question. Though she has no other choice, Esther's decision still takes great courage.
PRAYER
Our courage comes from confidence in God who loves us, and for this, we give Him our praise:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 104:1-2, 35)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
(Isaiah 59:9)
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them.
(Psalm 41:10)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:15-16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for non-Christians
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Those who are persecuted for their faith
Now close with this prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
`
July 17
Esther 5
Esther plans a banquet to set the stage for the revelation of the death plot.
INSIGHT
"Pride goes before destruction" (Proverbs 16:18). One of the supreme examples of this truth in all of the Bible is Haman. His ego is on a feeding frenzy. He has power, wealth, position, family, friends, and honor. Yet all of this fails to satisfy his ego. Mordecai's unwillingness to bow down to him sticks like a bone in Haman's throat. Haman's wife reveals her character by suggesting a flamboyant display of vengeance: "Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high [75 feet], and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it," she counsels (v. 14). The same shadow is darkening both hearts. When pride is taken to this extreme, we see how exceedingly ugly it is. Beware of pride!
PRAYER
Our pride is mellowed when we see how Jesus humbled Himself for us. Praise Him for His love:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions-- . . .
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
(Psalm 104:24, 33-34)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
(Jeremiah 10:23-24)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
(Psalm 77:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your talents
--State and local leaders,
-- Your activities for the day,
-- Whatever else is on your heart.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
``
July 18
Esther 6
Haman must honor Mordecai with acts which Haman himself suggested.
INSIGHT
Very few things in the Bible are actually funny. However, taken in isolation, chapter 6 of Esther is probably the funniest event in the Bible. The king asks Haman what he thinks is a good way to honor someone. Haman thinks to himself, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?" (6:6). Then he tells the king what he, Haman, would like to have done for himself. The king then responds by telling Haman to do that for Mordecai. The irony is overwhelming--the humor irrepressible. The wrath of man is made to praise God.
PRAYER
God is a God of power and glory, yet He loves to call us His own. Praise Him for His love for us:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
(Psalm 108:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this prayer:
"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me" (Jeremiah 33:8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of friends
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
`
July 19
Esther 7
Haman's plot is revealed, and he is hanged.
INSIGHT
The final irony falls. Haman hangs on the gallows which he had constructed for Mordecai. Pride has come full circle; sin has self-destructed. Satan is called the deceiver and the destroyer; he deceives in order to destroy. He gets us to commit ourselves to a course of action which we think will achieve our aims, and, in the end, it destroys us. If you are on any course of action which you feel will achieve your aims--but the course of action is wrong--give it up. Unchecked, you will eventually be destroyed by it.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that though He does not always spare us from pain, He is always with us through the pain:
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)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Assyria shall not save us,
We will not ride on horses,
Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands,
"You are our gods."
For in You the fatherless finds mercy.
(Hosea 14:3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
(Proverbs 9:10)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Your activities for the day,
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
`
July 20
Esther 8
Mordecai is honored and promoted.
INSIGHT
The law of the Medes and Persians cannot be revoked. Once written, no one, not even the king, can rescind it. The law to annihilate the Jews is carved in stone. Since the original plan cannot be revoked, a clever counter-plan is conceived to neutralize it. Permission is given to the Jews to arm themselves and to assemble and defend themselves. In addition, Mordecai is raised to power, replacing the position previously occupied by Haman. God's sovereign protection of His people in exile is in its final stages. The integrity of Esther and Mordecai is rewarded. Righteousness triumphs.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over the circumstances of our lives:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek 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.
(Psalm 105:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it? . . .
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise.
(Jeremiah 17:9, 14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- Greater passion for moral excellence
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
`
July 21
Esther 9
With the king's permission, the Jews are allowed to protect themselves.
INSIGHT
National salvation is culminated for the Jews. When the fateful day arrives, the Jews throughout the empire stand on the defense. In the provinces, 75,000 of their assailants fall--500 of them in the capital of Susa alone. Among these are the 10 sons of Haman. A divine purpose runs through all human governments and events; and as God exalted Mordecai to honor and glory, so will He work for those who love Him. And so, ultimately, will He put all enemies under His feet.
PRAYER
God is far more powerful than any earthly leader. Thank Him that His power is tempered with righteousness and compassion:
The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
(Psalm 10:16-18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,
Who have said,
"With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?"
(Psalm 12:3-4)
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)
Our heavenly Father loves to communicate with His children. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Wisdom for your church leaders
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! (2 Timothy 4:18).
``
July 22
Job 1
After meeting with God, Satan receives permission to test Job.
INSIGHT
If God is all good and all powerful, then why do the righteous suffer? Throughout the book of Job, questions of the ages arise. Job is a righteous man, and while he does not curse God, he does wonder why these things have happened. These same questions form today in the minds of people who observe or experience suffering. It is not wicked to ask these questions. All people struggle with these questions sooner or later. But we learn from Job that we can struggle without sinning.
PRAYER
God is trustworthy and kind. Because we know that He loves us with an everlasting love, we can praise Him:
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.
(Psalm 17:6-9)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
(Psalm 18:4-6)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
(Psalm 18:16-18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Health and strength
-- Guidance for local political leaders
-- Your pastor and his family
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
(Psalm 18:46)
'
July 23
Job 42
God blesses Job, restoring his good fortunes.
INSIGHT
Throughout life, there are things we do not understand. As we mature, we begin to understand. Likewise, we do not understand why the righteous must suffer. But someday, in heaven, we will understand. It will make sense. In the midst of Job's struggle, he makes some incisive observations that help us cope until we receive full understanding: "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (23:10). "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (13:15).
PRAYER
Though we do not always understand the Lord, we can always trust Him and give Him our praise:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 113:1-3, 5-6, 9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
(Joel 2:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
As you make your requests to the Lord include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- Missions in South America
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
`
July 24
Psalm 1
The righteous prosper as they delight in the Lord, while the wicked perish.
INSIGHT
In Jerusalem, each gate is named for the destination of the road leading away from it. There is the Joppa Gate, leading to Joppa; there is the Damascus Gate, leading to Damascus. Some of these gates are very close together, but their destinations are very far apart. Life is like that. The psalmist says there are basically two gates in life: the "wicked gate" and the "righteous gate." Your destination in life depends upon which gate you choose. The "righteous gate" begins at the Word of God and leads to trees, water, and fruit. The "wicked gate" starts with man's counsel and leads to wind and chaff.
PRAYER
Thank and praise the Lord that He always leads us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
The Lord has been mindful of us;
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron. . . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 12, 18).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
O Lord, You are the portion of my
inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance (Psalm 16:5-6).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Safety for vacationing families
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
`
July 25
Psalm 19
The works of God are declared in the heavens, and the words of God lead to righteousness.
INSIGHT
A creator is known by his creation; an artist is known by his art; a musician by his music; and a sculptor by his sculpture. God can be known by the universe that He has created. Psalm 19:1 says: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork." Romans 1:20 says: "since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen." Judging from nature, God exists and has power, intelligence, and a flair for beauty!
PRAYER
The Lord is greater than our deep longings, and we praise Him that He satisfies our hearts:
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. . . .
I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places. . .
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 135:1, 3, 5-6, 21).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord include:
-- An eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Local prison ministries
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
`
July 26
Psalm 23
The Lord is pictured as David's shepherd, leading him in righteousness.
INSIGHT
Perhaps the most outstanding characteristic of sheep is that they cannot take care of themselves. The demands of life exceed their intelligence and their abilities. They must have a shepherd. Man is the same. While there is a vast and gratifying difference between men and sheep, the demands of life for men exceed their intelligence and abilities. We also need a shepherd, the Lord. He is the Great Shepherd. He will lead us. The question is: Will we follow?
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He hears and answers our prayers, and praise Him that His answers are good:
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. . .
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works (Psalm 145:1-3, 5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).
``
July 27
Psalm 37
The righteous will receive eternal life, while the wicked ultimately will be destroyed.
INSIGHT
Serving the Lord does not always pay temporal dividends. The righteous still experience misfortune, financial reversals, physical illnesses, natural disasters, and persecution. At the same time, the unrighteous often prosper, enjoying wealth, fame, honor, and health. David realizes God's justice wins in the end. So do not be discouraged in doing right, even when the unrighteous prosper. Do not be tempted to copy them. "Depart from evil and do good" (v. 27). "Wait on the Lord, and keep His way" (v. 34). "Mark the blameless man" (v. 37). "The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord" (v. 39).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that while serving Him might cost us in "time," it will reward us in "eternity:"
Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us (Psalm 123:1-2).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Local churches across the nation
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
``
July 28
Psalm 63
Spiritual thirst is satisfied only by spiritual intimacy with God.
INSIGHT
There is a God-shaped vacuum in every human heart. Man was made for God, and his soul will be restless until it finds its rest in Him. Our longings for love, relationships, belonging, security, meaning, purpose, and identity are ultimately met only in the Lord Jesus Christ. We find temporary fulfillment in the pursuit of people, possessions, and circumstances; but eventually, these will pass away or we will change and they will no longer satisfy. We have been made for God, and we will find our deepest longings met only in Him. Make David's prayer your own prayer for spiritual fulfillment.
PRAYER
It is amazing to think that the Creator of the universe desires a relationship with us. Praise God for His love:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to God:
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:
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward (Psalm 19:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Peace in the midst of difficult circumstances
-- The various ministries of your church
-- Spiritual growth for family members
Offer this closing 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).
``
July 29
Psalm 90
God is eternal in time past and future--while man is temporal and weak.
INSIGHT
In this psalm, Moses declares the eternality of God in verses 1-2. Then he contrasts the frailty of man in verse 3. God's displeasure with sin next occupies his attention: "We have been consumed by Your anger . . . You have set our iniquities before You" (vv. 7-8). Based on these three realities, Moses calls upon God in a series of petitions: "Teach us to number our days . . . Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy . . . Make us glad . . . and establish the work of our hands" (Psalm 90:12, 14-15, 17). You can make these petitions your own.
PRAYER
Although we are inclined to do evil, God has chosen to forgive us. For this we praise Him:
Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into singing, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And glorified Himself in Israel (Isaiah 44:23).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
We must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. . . How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him? (Hebrews 2:1, 3).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren (Hebrews 2:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Patience with others
-- Missions in Great Britain
-- Local hospital and prison chaplains
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
We also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).
``
July 30
Psalm 100
All men are exhorted to praise the Lord because He made us and we are His.
INSIGHT
Psalm 100 is perhaps the finest example of a praise psalm in the Bible. The righteous heart pours forth a spontaneous stream of undefiled praise. First, he calls upon all men everywhere to praise the Lord. Then he identifies the relationship which God has with His children. We are not our own; He has made us. "We are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (v. 3). Next he calls for us to praise God again: "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise" (v. 4). Give thanks. Bless Him. Then he finishes by listing attributes of God. God is good; He loves forever. Make this psalm your personal psalm of praise.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord your praise that He is good and loves us forever:
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. . . .
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God . . .
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1, 5, 7, 11, 20).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (John 6:35).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- Missions in the Middle East
-- Elderly members of your family
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).
``
July 31
Psalm 145
The Lord is extolled for the goodness of who He is and what He has done.
INSIGHT
There has never been a generation that did not praise God. Since the beginning of time, salvation and praise have been passed down in unbroken succession. David writes, "One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts" (v. 4). That praise is directed to God for who He is (His character) and what He has done. Of God's character, David writes: "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy" (v. 8). The Lord is good. Writing of God's work, he says, "The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up those who are bowed down" (v. 14); "is near to all who call upon Him" (v. 18); and "will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him" (v. 19). "The Lord preserves all who love Him" (v. 20). For these reasons, we praise Him along with David.
PRAYER
All the earth will one day praise the Lord. We can begin now in the words of this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-2, 6).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart--
These, O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51:16-17).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The Lord's work in world affairs
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
`
August 1
Proverbs 1
Solomon writes a metaphorical warning from the perspective of "Wisdom."
INSIGHT
To be free to sail the seven seas, you must make yourself a slave to the compass. Every freedom has a corresponding slavery. We can be free from the toothbrush and a slave to cavities or a slave to the toothbrush and free from cavities. For everything we want, we must give up something else. Wisdom calls us to slavery. If we become a slave to wisdom, we must heed the Word of God and shun sin. If we neglect these, distress and anguish will come. We will experience the natural consequences of our actions. There is no escape from this cause-and-effect law. Rededicate yourself to becoming a "wise" person. Wisdom begins with "fearing" (respecting) the Lord. It is to His glory and also to our best interest.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you ponder your need for wisdom:
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
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 (Psalm 33:2-4).
Now pray this confession to the Lord:
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;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:10-12).
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- That His will be done on earth as it is in heaven
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
`
August 2
Proverbs 2
Wisdom must be sought after with our entire being.
INSIGHT
Nothing of value is easily obtained. If it were, it would no longer be valuable. Inherent within the concept of value is the feature of scarcity. If all gravel were made of pure gold, then gold would not be valuable. The same is true with intangibles like wisdom. She is an exceedingly valuable life commodity, but she is not easy to come by. If we want wisdom, we must incline our ears, apply our hearts, cry for her, lift our voice for her, seek her as we would silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures (vv. 2-4). Then, and only then, will we understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God (v. 5).
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you consider His goodness:
Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints! . . .
All nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested (Revelation 15:3-4).
And one cried to another and said:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory! (Isaiah 6:3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- That others might see Christ in you
-- That the Lord of the harvest would send laborers into His harvest,
-- Your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful, . . .
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:23-24).
`
August 3
Proverbs 3
The benefit of wisdom is better than gold.
INSIGHT
Inherent within the human heart is a longing for peace, love, and joy. Among Christians and non-Christians alike, the desire is the same. Yet peace, love, and joy do not answer just any beck and call. They will come only by certain means; they are fruits on the tree of wisdom. Wisdom will bring length of days (v. 2), peace (v. 2), favor with God and man (v. 4), strength to your bones (v. 8), honor (v. 16), pleasantness (v. 17), paths of peace (v. 17), confidence in life (v. 26), and freedom from the snares of life (v. 26). Foolishness brings harm (v. 29), oppression (v. 31), and shame (v. 35). We all long for the benefits of wisdom. We must remember that she comes with a price: submission to the will of God and the truth of Scripture.
PRAYER
As you consider the benefits of wisdom, praise the Lord that we may share in His character:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness (Exodus 15:11).
You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You, according to all that
we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater sensitivity to sin
-- The ministry of your church
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
`
August 4
Proverbs 31
An excellent wife cares for her home, is kind to the needy, and is an example of good character.
INSIGHT
One view of women is that they are merely caretakers of the home and have no role other than changing diapers, cooking, and cleaning house. Another view seeks to free women from the responsibilities at home. Both are wrong. Women are to care for their homes and maintain certain responsibilities--just as men should. But their role carries with it great flexibility and variety. The Proverbs 31 woman is a skillful, industrious person who models integrity and esteems her home and family highly.
PRAYER
Thank God for the women you know (mothers, grandmothers, friends) who exemplify Christ's love:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name" (Luke 1:46-49).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path (Psalm 119:103-105).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A more Christ-like character
-- Strengthening of the church in China
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11).
`
August 5
Ecclesiastes 12
The pursuit of temporal things is futile.
INSIGHT
Our society tends to breed materialism. Young couples expect to own a house, two cars, and maybe a boat. We dream of the day when we can afford to take exotic vacations and own a bigger house. Game shows offer spectacular prizes, and lottery tickets are sold by the thousands. But Solomon experienced tremendous wealth and found himself unhappy. He learned that eternal things matter most. God wants His children to invest their brief lives in others--not just in material things.
PRAYER
God has promised that He will provide His children's needs. Let's praise Him:
"Why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:28-30, 33).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? . . . Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (Matthew 6:25, 27).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? . . . If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-9, 11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment with the material possessions you own
-- God's provision for the less fortunate
-- Safety of missionaries in Central America
Offer this closing prayer to God:
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
`
August 6
Song of Solomon 1
Solomon expresses the beauty of married love.
INSIGHT
Hebrews 13:4 says that the marriage bed is holy and "undefiled." In his commentary on the Song of Solomon, A Song for Lovers, Craig Glickman writes: "No artist could have fashioned two people better suited for one another. He was the king of their great nation; she, his chosen bride. Spring had seen their love blossom like the flowers in the palace gardens. Their love was destined to be a song for the world. And, in fact, so ideal was their love that the song about them was chosen as one of the books of sacred Scripture. It became the only one of the entire collection devoted exclusively to courtship and marriage." The Song of Solomon gives us God's perspective on marriage and love.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord your praise for the unconditional love He gives you as a member of the church, the "bride of Christ":
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds (Psalm 57:1, 9-10).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord as you agree with and submit yourself to the will of God, your heavenly Father:
You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A more intimate relationship with your Bridegroom
-- Greater love for fellow Christians
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:8).
`
August 7
Isaiah 6
Isaiah is commissioned to become a prophet to Israel.
INSIGHT
Isaiah sees the Lord in a terrifying vision which makes him acutely aware of his sinfulness and God's holiness. The Lord takes away his sin--seeing the repentance of his heart--and then commissions Isaiah to serve Him as a prophet. This event illustrates how the Lord calls His servants. First, He reveals Himself through His Word. When the hearer receives the Scriptures, he becomes aware of his sin and asks God for forgiveness and salvation. God then sends him into the world to take the message of salvation to others.
PRAYER
God is holy, and we praise Him because He makes us holy, cleansing us spiritually with the blood of Christ:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . . . O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord (Psalm 25:7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10).
I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him" (Ezra 8:22).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- National leaders and current events
-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).
`
August 8
Isaiah 40
The Lord gives strength to those who wait on Him.
INSIGHT
God has given us the Christian family as a picture of the relationship between Him and His children. We are given earthly fathers, that we might more fully understand our heavenly Father. Just as an earthly father takes no delight in disciplining his children, so our heavenly Father takes no delight in disciplining His children. Hear the tenderness in these words: "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" (v. 1). God tenderly loves us and takes no pleasure in our pain, although He desires our spiritual growth as a result.
PRAYER
Since the earthly family pictures the heavenly family, praise the Lord that He is your heavenly Father:
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:
David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly" (2 Samuel 24:10).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Make your requests known to God, and include:
-- Greater wisdom for living life
-- Needs of your immediate family
-- Those you know who are suffering
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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).
`
August 9
Isaiah 53
Our Savior bore the chastisement for our iniquity.
INSIGHT
When Christians suffer, they are tempted to resent God, to wonder: "Why me?!" If God is all good and all powerful, why must His children suffer? The answer to that question is difficult --and not totally satisfying to the finite mind. Jesus maintains His credibility, however, in that He readily suffered for us all--suffering more than He will ever ask of us. Why must God's children suffer? We don't know. What we do know is that God was willing to suffer for us. He asks nothing of us that He was not willing to do for us.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He is so skillful and patient in teaching us His way:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all (1 Chronicles 29:10-13).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 insight into Scripture
-- The hungry around the world
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
`
August 10
Isaiah 55
All that salvation costs is what everyone can afford: one's self.
INSIGHT
Coming to the Lord costs a man nothing and, at the same time, costs him everything. The offer is free in that a man need not give anything in exchange for his salvation. "Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (v. 1). Yet receiving salvation costs man his life. He no longer has the freedom of self-determination. "Seek the Lord while He may be found . . . Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him" (vv. 6-7). All that it costs is what everyone can give: one's self.
PRAYER
Nothing can exceed the importance of the salvation that the Lord offers us in Christ, and for it, praise Him:
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: 34, 36).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord--how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater commitment to the Lord
-- The work of specific Christian ministries
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Close with this prayer of praise 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).
`
August 11
Jeremiah 31
God establishes a covenant with the children of Israel to write His Law on their hearts.
INSIGHT
The primary theme of nearly all the Prophetic Books is warning of judgment for sin. The prophets proclaim the Word of God as their basic ministry, but from time to time, the Lord reveals to them a specific message for the children of Israel. If they do not turn from their sin, a specific judgment will follow. It is comforting to see, however, that in nearly all instances the judgment is to be followed by restoration. God's judgment on His children is not for retaliation but to get His children to turn from their sin to Him.
PRAYER
Praise God that He has made Himself knowable to mankind through Christ Jesus:
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. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God (Romans 15:5-7).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written,
"The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:1-4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Growth in your knowledge of God
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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)
`
August 12
Lamentations 3
God sends a message of hope and restoration to Israel.
INSIGHT
Through the prophets, God has been warning Judah for many years to turn from idolatry to serve Him only. Finally, her sin has compounded to the point that judgment is no longer avoidable if God is to be true to His Word. But although destruction overtakes Judah, there is hope on the horizon. Jeremiah writes: "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (vv. 22-23).
PRAYER
God blesses His children beyond measure. Count your blessings as you praise Him:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. . . . All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify (1 Corinthians 10:12, 23).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A humble and submissive attitude
-- The work of prison ministries
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
It is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit (1 Peter 3:17-18).
`
August 13
Ezekiel 37
Ezekiel has a vision of a huge valley filled with dry bones.
INSIGHT
The apostle John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:1, 4). God is life--and not just life for today--but forever. Timothy writes that God alone possesses immortality (1 Timothy 6:16). God is life, and He is the giver of life. He can make dead things live. In Ezekiel's vision, a huge valley is filled with dead men's bones. Then God begins to move. The bones form skeletons upon which form flesh and clothes. Then God breathes into that valley of bodies the breath of life, and the bodies come alive. That is a picture of what God will do with Israel: give her life again. That is what He will do with anyone who believes in Him and asks Him for life. Have you asked God for eternal life?
PRAYER
The Lord gives us His immortality, so we praise Him:
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 (Psalm 18:1-3).
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 your sins.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26). `
August 14
Daniel 1
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, chooses Israelite captives to be trained to serve him.
INSIGHT
Moral courage. It is the resolve to do what is right--even if no one knows. Regardless of the consequences. Even when you are weary. Even when there are extenuating circumstances and when everyone would understand if you "caved in." Daniel is a man of moral courage. The food he is offered probably violates the dietary restrictions in the Law of Moses. Note the words: "Daniel purposed in his heart" (1:8). Then God brings Daniel into favor. He gives him skill; He gives him a healthy glow. When faced with moral challenges, we must do our part--be obedient from the heart. And then trust God to do His part.
PRAYER
Because God honors our commitment to moral excellence, praise Him with the words of this psalm:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water (Psalm 63:1).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord:
And Achan answered Joshua and said,
"Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel,
and this is what I have done . . ." (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your talents
-- Your state and local leaders
-- 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).
August 15
Daniel 2
Nebuchadnezzar requires the wise men to tell him his dream and its interpretation.
INSIGHT
One of our responsibilities as children of God is to give God credit for who He is and what He does. It is a careless Christian who stands under the showers of God's blessings without recognizing them. It is an irresponsible Christian who recognizes God's blessings and does not give God the credit. Daniel recognizes God's work and tells the king that it is God who "reveals deep and secret things" (v. 22). And through this, God is glorified. We must always be alert to the blessings of God in our lives, express our gratitude to Him, and give Him public credit.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He has warned us of the consequences of our sin, and praise Him that in Christ we can escape them:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
God encourages us to come to Him with our concerns. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Opportunities to glorify Him
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
August 16
Daniel 3
God supernaturally protects Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
INSIGHT
What courage it took to defy the king! Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden image and orders everyone to bow down to it. When the Jews are brought to him in violation of the order, they say, "God may protect us from the fire, but even if He doesn't, let it be known that we are not going to serve your gods!" Surely God gives His grace in times such as these. For those of us who are living in easier times, our total dedication to the Lord must be seen in our selfless commitment to serving Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that--though all of us sin--God's compassions are new every morning:
Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said:
"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:
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 name's 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
August 17
Daniel 4
Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's second dream.
INSIGHT
What a towering figure is Nebuchadnezzar! Sovereign over the greatest nation on earth at the time, wealthy beyond description, subject to fits of rage, and yet somehow vulnerable and teachable. Nebuchadnezzar rages in fury at the three Jews who refuse to worship his image--yet proclaims their God the only God when He saves them from the furnace. Then, warned by Daniel that unless he repents he will be stripped of his kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar lapses into convenient forgetfulness and self-adulation. True to Daniel's word, the king becomes an animal and roams the forest. Yet, when his senses are restored, the king again worships God and proclaims His praise to the ends of the earth.
PRAYER
We praise the Lord for ruling in love:
"Stand up and bless the Lord your God
Forever and ever!
"Blessed be Your glorious name. . .
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to God:
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies (Psalm 40:4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A passion for moral excellence
-- The ministry of Christian education institutions
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
`
August 29
Haggai 1
Haggai explains that God's people suffer because they neglect to finish the temple.
INSIGHT
As the children of Israel return from the Babylonian captivity, their first order of business is to rebuild the temple. Haggai, a prophet of God who is ministering at the time, encourages the people to work hard at restoring the temple. With great enthusiasm, they quickly lay the foundation. But discouragement sets in and work on the temple is soon forgotten as they begin to build their own houses. Finally, after 15 years, Haggai tells them that the afflictions they are suffering are because of their neglect of the temple. They must finish the temple first and then resume building their houses. First things first. God demands proper priorities.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you express your gratitude for His justice:
O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Your development of an eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
`
August 30
Zechariah 14
The day is coming when God will be the righteous King over all the earth.
INSIGHT
Haggai and Zechariah minister to the same people at the same time. Their goal is the same: to motivate the people to rebuild the temple. But their very different personalities show through the pages of Scripture. Haggai utters rebuke; Zechariah breathes encouragement. Haggai makes them feel that they ought to rebuild the temple. Zechariah makes them want to rebuild the temple. He reinforces God's love and care for Israel and the certainty of the ultimate defeat of the enemies as they continue to obey God.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that His Word can be trusted:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name"
Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Persecuted Christians worldwide
-- Your activities for the day
Now, offer this closing prayer to God:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
`
August 31
Malachi 3
Malachi charges the Israelites with robbing God and refusing to acknowledge it.
INSIGHT
The Israelites who returned to Jerusalem have grown comfortable, complacent, and arrogantly insensitive. Through His messenger Malachi, God confronts the Israelites with their complacency. He charges that the priests are despising His name and defiling His altar. God says He will no longer accept their offerings. He states that the Israelites have been wearisome to Him with their words. God asks them to return to Him. He reproaches them for robbing Him. The Israelites have hardened their hearts, and they no longer feel the pull of God in their lives. The result is a barren period of 400 years with no word from God. Be certain that you respond to the work of God in your heart--lest you experience spiritual barrenness.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for enriching our lives when we follow Him:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You (Jeremiah 10:6-7).
Pray this confession to the Lord 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 (Psalm 130:1-4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Growth as you pursue your full potential as a child of God
-- The fulfillment of the Great Commission
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
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).
`
September 1
Acts 1
After the Ascension, the apostles meet in an upper room to choose a replacement for Judas.
INSIGHT
God is moving. For thousands of years He has worked in the world through the nation of Israel and the Law of Moses. Now He will work through the church and the gospel of Christ. God instructs the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they receive power from on high. Then when they are baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit, they are to be the Lord's witnesses in their city, the surrounding country, and the entire world.
PRAYER
Offer God this psalm of praise as you think about His power and the significance of serving Him:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. (Psalm 145:17-19, 21)
Having offered Him your praise, pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation 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)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Compassion for others
The Lord's work in national and world affairs
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!" (Revelation 5:12)
`
September 2
Acts 2
The Holy Spirit comes upon the believing Jews gathered at the temple.
INSIGHT
Who would have expected the coming of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament to be like this? Rushing wind. Fire. Many languages spoken and all being understood. Those with unbelieving hearts always find a "natural" explanation, but those who believe drop to their knees and cry out to God! "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (2:37). Revelation always demands a response. Unbelievers always look for a way to get out from under the authority of Scripture. But the believing heart will cry out, "O God, what shall I do?" Search your mind. Is there some response you should make to God right now?
PRAYER
As you continue to meditate on God's Word, offer praises to the Lord as you respond to His revelation:
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, and as you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Patience in difficult circumstances
Wisdom for your church leaders
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
`
September 3
Acts 7
Stephen is arrested for preaching the Gospel.
INSIGHT
The New Testament was written in times that, in many ways, seem barbaric to us. That respectable people would clamor for a crucifixion or incite a mob to riot or pick up stones and kill another man is difficult for us to imagine. Yet culture was different then. Today we do not kill a person to get rid of an unwanted message. Instead, we use other tactics. We can kill the message by making it look foolish or by discrediting the messenger. We even attack God Himself, declaring that He is dead or that He has no relevance to our era. But unless we accept the message of salvation that Stephen preached, we are as guilty before God as the ones who threw the stones.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him for offering us abundant life in Christ:
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:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for your fellow Christians
The work of missionaries in Indonesia
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing 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)
`
September 4
Acts 8
The stoning of Stephen initiates a wave of persecution, led by Saul.
INSIGHT
As the Jewish believers flee Jerusalem, Philip comes upon an Ethiopian dignitary who is struggling to understand the Scriptures. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asks. "How can I, unless someone guides me?" is the reply (vv. 30-31). We are God's method to reach the world for Christ. The Lord could have resorted to skywriting, sending personal visions to all people, or sending angels. Instead, He chose men and women to reach other men and women. Our responsibility is simple: to manifest the character of Christ and proclaim His name wherever we go. The work is God´s, and He will use you if you will let Him.
PRAYER
Because the Lord led someone to give His message of salvation to you, praise Him with this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin. (Ecclesiastes 7:20)
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your
strength." (Isaiah 30:15)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater faithfulness with your time and resources
The president and national leaders
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
`
September 5
Acts 9
On his way to Damascus, Saul has a divine revelation of Jesus and is converted.
INSIGHT
From God's perspective, the relationship between Christ and the church is a very close and dear one. Jesus is the Son of God; the church is His bride. To harm the church is to harm Christ. Though Paul never laid a hand on Him, Jesus spoke from heaven, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (v. 4). Just as Paul did, we must strive to gain God's perspective on who we are. We are His bride, His chosen one, the delight of His life. When we see ourselves as He sees us, we can be more successful at living as we should.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord because He turns even the difficult things into good:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Surely He has borne our grief
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:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The renewing of your mind
The needs of your extended family
Your activities for the day
Close with the following prayer:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
(Psalm 23:6)
`
September 6
Acts 13
Saul adopts a Christian name, Paul, and travels to Galatia with the message of the Gospel.
INSIGHT
Chapter 13 records a remarkable fulfillment of prophecy that is easily missed. In chapter 1, Jesus commissions the disciples to be witnesses for Him and proclaims that they will take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Now the Holy Spirit sets Paul and Barnabas apart to begin traveling to the ends of the earth, taking the message with them. You and I can extend that prophetic fulfillment, too, as we accept the Great Commission as our personal commission and help to take the message of salvation to the ends of the world.
PRAYER
Offer the following psalm of praise to the Lord for allowing you to hear the message of salvation:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . .
I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only. (Psalm 71:8, 14-16)
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me. (Jeremiah 33:8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
(John 4:23-24)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The leading of the Lord in your life
Opportunities for personal evangelism
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.
(Psalm 31:23-24)
`
September 7
Acts 15
Paul begins his second missionary journey.
INSIGHT
Inherent within man is a tendency to want to work his way to heaven. Accepting a gift with gratitude does not seem to be enough; human beings want to do something to earn it. While Paul and Barnabas are at Antioch, some men come down from Judea and teach: "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (v. 1). This issue grows into a major debate involving the leaders in Jerusalem, but in the final analysis, Peter's argument wins out: "Why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" (v. 10). The council in Jerusalem then sends a letter to the Gentile churches encouraging their faith and assuring them that they are not under bondage.
PRAYER
Since none of us could earn it, praise the Lord that salvation is a gift:
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. . . .
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God . . .
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. . . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1, 5, 7, 11, 20)
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:
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
(John 17:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Unity in the body of Christ
Greater commitment to the Lord
Your activities for the day
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14)
`
September 8
Acts 16
Paul travels to Macedonia, Achaia, and Greece, carrying the Gospel.
INSIGHT
During World War II, many soldiers "got religion" while in their foxholes under enemy fire. Because many of those "foxhole conversions" were not genuine, some people become skeptical of anyone who professes Christianity under stressful circumstances. Yet there are many, including the Philippian jailer, who will testify that some "foxhole conversions" are genuine. Be sensitive to the Lord when you are under stress. He may use that very situation to help you get your life into perspective.
PRAYER
Praise God for the circumstances that surrounded your conversion:
Your word is very pure;
Therefore Your servant loves it.
I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.
Trouble and anguish have overtaken me,
Yet Your commandments are my delights.
The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting;
Give me understanding, and I shall live.
(Psalm 119:140-144)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:18-19)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Jeremiah 31:33).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A compassionate heart
The leaders of your church
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
Because I have hoped in Your word. (Psalm 119:74)
`
September 9
Acts 17
As Paul continues his journey, he establishes churches.
INSIGHT
It is often necessary to establish common ground with others in order to win an audience for the Gospel. Paul uses a point of common ground when he begins talking to the people of Athens about the idol bearing the inscription: "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD"(17:23). Catching their interest, Paul develops his argument to present to them the living Christ (vv. 30-31). This skillful message is used by the Holy Spirit to bring men and women to Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Praise God that He has revealed Himself to you:
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I havemy being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:31-35).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
When we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
(Romans 5:6-8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his
work (Psalm 62:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
courage to follow God's leading,
salvation of your neighbors,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. . . . Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ(Acts 2:32-33, 36).
`
September 10
Acts 18
Paul embarks on his third journey that takes him first to Ephesus.
INSIGHT
Apollos combines the eloquence of the Greek with the religious instinct of the Jew. Most likely a student from the great university at Alexandria, Apollos is a convert to the Gospel, deeply conversant with the Old Testament. Gifted with marvelous eloquence, he is a strong ally of the Christian forces of his age. But he needs to understand the death, resurrection, and ascended power of Christ. Aquila and Priscilla teach Apollos these things. How wonderful is that holy wisdom that the Spirit of God gives to humble believers so that they can become teachers of men who are intellectually their superiors! When teaching children or new believers, encourage them and have hope that some may become "mighty in the Scriptures" (v. 24).
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for the ministry that He provides in your life through other believers:
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them - the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them.
(Isaiah 59:12)
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
The work of missions in Africa
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
`
September 11
Acts 21
After Paul's travels, he preaches in Jerusalem and is arrested for violating the Law.
INSIGHT
When Paul preaches, either a riot or a revival usually occurs. When he goes to Jerusalem for the last time, a riot breaks out. Having been told beforehand by the Holy Spirit, Paul is aware that he will be imprisoned and handed over to the Gentiles. Even though his friends beg him to avoid Jerusalem, Paul "would not be persuaded"; and his friends give up and say, "The will of the Lord be done" (v. 14). Paul views himself as a sojourner on this earth, for his true citizenship is in heaven. He is to be simply a steward, an ambassador of Christ while his time lasts. What power and vision that outlook gives Paul to avoid the entanglements of this world! How much more completely would we realize our calling if we saw ourselves in the same way.
PRAYER
Give praise and thanks to the Lord for giving us citizenship in heaven:
Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him." (Daniel 2:20-22)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . .
As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And set me before Your face forever.
(Psalm 41:10, 12)
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:
Wisdom for your country´s leaders
Faithfulness with your talents
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
`
September 12
Acts 22
Upon his arrest at the temple, Paul attempts in vain to justify his message to the Jews.
INSIGHT
Even though Paul lives in complete recognition of the will of the Lord and acceptance of the sovereignty of God, he is not passive regarding his personal welfare or the welfare of his mission. Paul knows it is illegal to punish a Roman citizen without his being tried and found guilty. When he is about to be beaten, Paul brings up this issue and is spared. Acceptance of the sovereignty of God does not mean passiveness in the things of this world. Paul does what he can within the legal system and then leaves the results to the Lord.
PRAYER
Because the Lord is sovereign, we praise Him and trust in His goodness on our behalf:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
(Jeremiah 10:23-24)
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. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom in decision making
The needs of personal friends
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing 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)
`
September 13
Acts 23
Because of attempts to kill Paul, he is taken to Caesarea to await trial.
INSIGHT
Jesus says, "I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16). This certainly describes Paul. As he stands before the Jewish Council, Paul knows that his life is in peril. He also knows that the Council is divided between Pharisees, who believe in the resurrection of the dead, and the Sadducees, who do not. When Paul deliberately brings up that issue, the ensuing dissension is so great that the soldiers take him away, thwarting the immediate plot against him.
PRAYER
It is by grace through faith that we can repent, turn to God, and give Him our praise:
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 4:11)
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 7:17)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
And according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Spiritual victory over temptation
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising loving-
kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
`
September 14
Acts 23
Paul's first trial before Felix, the governor of the region, is not decisive.
INSIGHT
During World War II there was a popular song with the phrase: "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." This snatch of verse captures a theme that runs throughout the Bible: Assume human responsibility while relying on the sovereignty of God. Throughout the Bible, men pray and then act. Paul's arguments are clever and his logic is deft, as though he is relying on himself for his freedom. And yet under it all is a peace, a trust, a confidence that can only be explained by his rest in the Lord whom he serves. Whether his circumstances are good or bad, Paul regards wherever he is as the "world" into which the Lord wants him to go to "preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that we can rely on Him:
And Mary said:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation." (Luke 1:46-50)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm. (Joel 2:12-13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A passion for moral excellence
Christian educational institutions
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2)
`
September 15
Acts 25
Felix vacates his office without resolving Paul's status.
INSIGHT
How strangely God fulfills His own word: "So you must also bear witness at Rome" (Acts 23:11). Paul knows he will have to go to Rome, but he doesn't expect to go under Roman guard and at Rome's expense. After two years the Jews still thirst for his blood! Had he been transferred to Jerusalem, his life would have been imperiled. However, God had called him to preach the Gospel in Rome. Through these circumstances, Paul is transferred.
PRAYER
Let's praise God for His wonderful ways:
Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him. (Psalm 28:6-7)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
Save, Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.
(Psalm 20:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
(Psalm 22:3-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Careful speech
Troubling current events
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard. (Psalm 22:22-24)
`
September 16
Acts 26
Paul is given an audience with King Agrippa.
INSIGHT
To repent means to turn around, to go in the opposite direction, or to think opposite thoughts. If you have not received Christ, you must repent to do so. In his defense before King Agrippa and Festus, Paul says he preaches to everyone that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance (v. 20). One cannot repent without changing. Repentance toward Christ brings new birth and the power to change. Have you repented and turned to God?
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His patience and love:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1-2)
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy. (Psalm 33:1-3)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly.
I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
For all my ways are before You. (Psalm 119:166-168)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Power to become more Christ-like
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright. (Psalm 11:7)
`
September 17
Acts 27
Paul exercises his right as a Roman citizen to take his case before Caesar.
INSIGHT
One of the secrets of peace is believing the promises of God. There are many things that we think we believe, but our anxiety level reveals that we do not. The Lord promises to meet all our needs, but our labor and worry reveal that we are not so sure. Paul receives a word from God that he will not perish. In relating this to the sailors, Paul says: "Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me" (v. 25). If we believe, we can be at peace; if we do not believe, we will fret. Review the promises of Scripture when you are troubled. What among them are you not believing? If you are trying to believe but still struggle, you may pray the prayer of the father regarding his son who had an evil spirit: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24).
PRAYER
Praise God that He rewards our faith, even if it is as small as a mustard seed:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 72:18-19)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
"Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips."
(Hosea 14:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world." (John 6:51)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for your family
Missions in North America
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works." (Matthew 16:27)
`
September 18
Acts 28
Paul finally arrives in Rome after a harrowing journey by sea.
INSIGHT
Our lives are a constant struggle between our own wills and the will of God. The circumstances of God's will are often strange and enigmatic; they do not always make sense. However, His will is being worked out even in ways we cannot see or understand. When we relinquish control of our lives and yield to God's will, then peace, love, and joy will characterize our lives. Paul must have wondered from time to time how shipwreck and imprisonment were working into God's will; yet with historical perspective, we can see that good came of these events. In the words of the old hymn, we must: "Trust and obey, for there´s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him because He is good and can be trusted:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:1-2, 14)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye. (Psalm 32:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness with your finances
Revival in America
Whatever else is on your heart
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)
September 19
Romans 1
Paul emphasizes the importance of the gospel message.
INSIGHT
According to Romans 1:18-20, all people have two avenues for beginning to learn about God. First, all human beings have an inner awareness of God or conscience (v. 19). Second, they can look at nature and learn several truths about God: (1) His invisible attributes--beauty, intelligence, etc.; (2) His eternal power--what awesome power it takes to put the stars in place!; (3) His divine nature--that there is a God who is higher than man and nature. Whenever anyone looks at nature and honestly searches his own heart, he can know that there is a God.
PRAYER
The righteousness of God has been imputed to you if you are a child of God, and you can praise Him in holiness and truth:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting. (Psalm 93:1-2)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart--
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The development of an eternal perspective
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
September 20
Romans 2
The Jews have no partiality with God because they live for the Law.
INSIGHT
Without God, there is no right and wrong; there is only preference. We can say that we prefer something to be or not to be; but unless we appeal to God, we cannot use the words right and wrong. If one person says something is right and another says it is wrong, their opinions cancel each other out unless they can appeal to a higher authority. Mankind needs God not only for salvation but also for the normal functioning of society. It is sobering to ask, "If everyone were exactly like me, what kind of society would we have?"
PRAYER
Give praise and thanks to the Lord for the matchless gift of eternal life through Christ:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand. (Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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. (Psalm 103:1-2)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments. . . .
Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,
And teach me Your judgments. (Psalm 119:105-106, 108)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater personal discipline
Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
September 21
Romans 3
The world stands guilty before God, and can only be forgiven through Christ.
INSIGHT
There are several commonly held misconceptions about how God evaluates the deeds of men. One idea is that as long as we don't do anything "terrible," God will overlook our "little" sins. Another is that God weighs all our good works on one side of a scale and all our bad works on the other. If the good outweighs the bad, we're okay. A third incorrect notion is that God lines up all the people who have ever lived from the best to the worst and then divides them in half. If you make the cut, you're okay. The truth the Bible teaches is that God demands sinlessness. And since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, all people are condemned. There is only one way out: Receive Jesus as your personal Savior. Through Him, all your sins can be forgiven.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for His grace and salvation:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
(Psalm 92:1-2, 15)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives."
(Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A stronger desire to be like Christ
Churches across the nation
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. (Romans 16:25, 27)
September 22
Romans 4
Justification by faith is illustrated in the Old Testament through the lives of Abraham and David.
INSIGHT
To impute something means "to apply something to your account." The Bible teaches that no one can earn salvation. However, God will give it to us freely if we have faith in Him. God honors the attitude of our hearts and imputes righteousness to our accounts. To be able to impute righteousness to those living during Old Testament times, God looked ahead to the work of Christ on the cross. Now He looks back to the Cross. But in both cases, God´s people have been saved by grace through faith.
PRAYER
Offer praise to God for His righteous works:
I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
(Psalm 69:30-32)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Have we not all one Father?
Has not one God created us?
Why do we deal treacherously with one another
By profaning the covenant of the fathers?
(Malachi 2:10)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.
For the Lord will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.
(Psalm 135:13-14).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A humble spirit
Evangelism in Russia
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever
The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.
(Psalm 136:4-9)
September 23
Romans 5
"Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 1).
INSIGHT
Paul spells out in specific terms how our salvation is accomplished. We learn that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
We also discover that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
"Sin entered the world" through Adam "and death through sin," for all sinned (5:12). But salvation is offered to all through the God-Man, Jesus Christ. We can escape death by trusting in Christ as our Redeemer.
PRAYER
Praise the Son for His glorious sacrifice on the cross:
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
Pray this confession to the Lord 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. . .
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:1, 17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
An attitude of gratefulness
Unsaved family members
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Therefore God also has highly exalted [Jesus] and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:9-11)
September 24
Romans 6
We are to present our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness.
INSIGHT
Micky Cohen, a noted gangster of a past generation, said that after he embraced Christianity, he felt betrayed. No one had explained that God would require a change in his behavior. "There are Christian athletes and Christian businessmen. Why not Christian gangsters?" he reasoned. But when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are no longer free to continue living as we did in the world. Our affections and activities must change to reflect the God whom we serve. The term "Christian gangster" contradicts itself because the activities of a gangster generally oppose the character of Christ.
PRAYER
Use the following psalm to offer the Lord your praise for all He has done for you:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
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 to be feared above all gods. (Psalm 96:1-4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
(John 6:37)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for others
The work of missions worldwide
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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).
`
September 25
Romans 7
A civil war rages in the life of every Christian.
INSIGHT
The "inward man" (v. 22) is created in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24), wills to do good (v. 21), joyfully delights in the law of God (v. 22), and serves "the law of God" (v. 25). However, the "flesh" (v. 18) practices the thing the inward man hates (v. 15). "Nothing good" dwells in the flesh (v. 18). It wars against the law of the mind (v. 23) and serves "the law of sin" (v. 25). As a result of this civil war, our lives do not run smoothly. We do things we don't want to do, and we fail to do things we want to do. Who can deliver us from "this body of death" (v. 24)? Only Jesus. When we receive Him as our personal Savior, the spiritual forces are put into place to free us from the bondage of sin. Then we must begin the process of dying to sin on a daily basis.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord because He frees you from the bondage of sin and gives you glorious, eternal life:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness. (Psalm 96:5-8, 11)
Pause to express your praise and thankfulness.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you.
(Deuteronomy 32:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness in sharing Christ
The Lord´s work in world affairs
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
`
September 26
Romans 8
What the Law cannot do in delivering us from sin, God does through Christ.
INSIGHT
In Greece, a little boy might run into the kitchen and call "Mama, Mama!" when he wants to find his mother. And late in the afternoon as he hears familiar masculine footsteps approaching the house, he may run out to his father and cry "Abba, Abba!" "Mama" and "Abba" are terms of close family endearment. God loves the whole world, but He loves His spiritual children in a different, special way. With respect and joy, we can express our love back to Him with the tender name, "Abba, Abba." It's a term of endearment in the spiritual family.
PRAYER
Because the Lord has made us a part of such a loving entity as the body of Christ, offer your praise to Him:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
(Psalm 100:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel."
(Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5)
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:
Health and strength to serve Him
His will to be done on earth
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. . . . I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You." (Job 42:2, 5)
`
September 27
Romans 12
The Christian life is a life of total dedication and service to others.
INSIGHT
To better understand the implications of the first two verses of chapter 12, it is helpful to read them backwards. We all want to be a living demonstration of the fact that the will of God is "good and acceptable and perfect." In order to do that, we must have our minds transformed and renewed. In order to have our minds transformed and renewed, we must make our bodies "a living sacrifice" to God. We all want the will of God in our lives. We can experience it if we present ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the bond of love that binds us to Him and to other Christians:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works. . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer. (Isaiah 54:7-8)
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:
That others will see Christ in you
That the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
September 28
Romans 13
The Christian is to obey the government and love his fellow man.
INSIGHT
Love is the central characteristic of the Christian. In Matthew 22:37-40, a lawyer asks Jesus which is the greatest commandment. Jesus says: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Then the Lord gives the second greatest commandment: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul writes that love is the greatest characteristic--even greater than faith or hope. Now in Romans this theme is picked up again. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the Law. God is love. If we are to be like Him, we also must love.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He loves you, and praise Him that through Him you can love others:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
(Psalm 97:10-12)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. . . .
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 53:3, 6)
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:
Greater sensitivity to sin
Your role in the ministry of your church
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
:angel:
September 29
Romans 14
Christians should not exercise personal liberty if it destroys another Christian.
INSIGHT
We are a part of others; what we say and what we do affects others. This is especially true of Christians. We are a part of the body of Christ; we are a part of one another. Not only does God not want us to live isolated lives but He has made it so that we cannot make it alone. Therefore, we must always be alert to how our actions affect others. If something we do harms another person, we must take that into account. If our freedom causes hurt to a brother or sister in Christ, then love dictates that we limit our freedom.
PRAYER
Praise your heavenly Father for your brothers and sisters in Christ:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity! . . .
It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing--
Life forevermore. (Psalm 133:1, 3)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and as you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession 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)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Kindness in your dealings with others
Encouragement for missionaries in Europe
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2)
:angel:
September 30
Romans 15
We are to conduct our lives in a way that glorifies God.
INSIGHT
When we become Christians, we exchange our citizenship on earth for citizenship in heaven. Therefore, we live according to the value system in heaven, not the value system on earth. On earth we look out for ourselves, and we satisfy our own wants and desires. In heaven we look out for the welfare of others. This does not mean that we neglect ourselves and our families. Other passages in Scripture indicate that we are to love our spouses, children, and parents and care for their needs, which brings this teaching into balance with other truths.
PRAYER
Praise God for His love that we can pass on to others:
"Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
Sing to the Lord,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!" (Isaiah 12:4-6)
Having offered Him your praise, pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The fool has said in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.
God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one. (Psalm 53:1-3)
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater peace and trust
Guidance for your church leaders
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the Lord of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever. Selah.
(Psalm 48:8)
:angel:
October 1
1 Corinthians 1
Paul appeals for unity among the Corinthian believers.
INSIGHT
It has been said: God does the work of God and man does the work of man. Man cannot do the work of God. God will not do the work of man. Paul's exhortation to the Corinthian believers certainly supports this. The Corinthian church had split into factions, following different men. Some said, "I follow Paul." Others said, "I follow Apollos." The most pious among them disdained to follow mere men and said, "I follow Christ." Using the imagery of a husbandman, Paul says, "I planted (brought the message of salvation), Apollos watered (taught you more advanced things), but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Pursue the work of man with all diligence. And rest in the work of God.
PRAYER
Praise God for caring for the things that are out of your control:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
(Psalm 105:1-3)
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. (Psalm 19:12-13)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations.
(1 Chronicles 16:14-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The fruit of the Spirit in your life
Those who minister in the inner cities
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
And let them say among the nations,
"The Lord reigns." . . .
Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
(1 Chronicles 16:31, 33)
:angel:
October 2
1 Corinthians 2
When Paul ministers to the Corinthians, he relies on the work of the Holy Spirit.
INSIGHT
When we speak, teach, or preach to the unsaved, we are not speaking to those who are merely blindfolded; we are speaking to those who are blind. It is not as though we can appeal to them to remove their blindfolds. Rather, we must appeal to the Lord to remove their blindness through the power of His Holy Spirit. "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, it is foolishness on our part to attempt to minister to others without first praying fervently for that ministry, asking the Lord to draw those hearts to Christ.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He broke through your blindness with the Light of life:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord. (Psalm 104:24, 33-34)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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. (Romans 3:23-24)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
That others might see Christ in you
That the Lord of the harvest will send laborers into His fields
Today's activities
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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)
:angel:
October 3
1 Corinthians 3
Paul says no foundation can be laid other than Jesus, and anything else is worthless in eternity.
INSIGHT
When the events of life are viewed with an eternal perspective, things that initially seemed important become unimportant, and things that seemed unimportant become important. Religious activity that is not undertaken with the right spirit or motive is worthless in view of eternity, regardless of how much weight it is given by men. And conversely the smallest cup of water given in the name of Christ receives eternal reward. Be careful how you build your life's work. Keep eternity in mind at all times.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He loved us enough to sacrifice His pleasures in heaven for our welfare:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
(Psalm 108:1, 3-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom for living
Needs of your immediate family
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen" (Revelation 7:11-12).
:angel:
Quiet Walk
October 4
1 Corinthians 6
Brothers should not go to court against brothers, especially before unbelievers.
INSIGHT
When we come to Christ, we give up our title to all earthly possessions, and we receive eternal possessions that are fabulous beyond imagination. All of the riches of Christ are ours as co-inheritors with Him; all those things that we might have viewed as possessions must now be seen as "on loan." We are now merely administrators, stewards of these things that belong to the Lord. We must hold them loosely with an open hand, not as possessions, and use them as we believe Christ would.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that Christ's passion for us went as far as the Cross:
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.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. . . .
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, 3-4, 10)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you. (Deuteronomy 32:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Patience in dealing with others
The hungry around the world
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you,
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
October 5
1 Corinthians 7
Paul instructs the Corinthians concerning marriage, divorce, and singleness.
INSIGHT
Within the bonds of marriage, spiritual, emotional, and physical dimensions exist. The relationship should be established by a spiritual bond out of which flow emotional and physical bonds. When this order is properly maintained, the relationship is balanced and satisfying. However, many marriages take the opposite direction. Out of physical attraction grow emotional bonds, and spiritual bonds may or may not follow. Strive to strengthen the spiritual bonds in your relationships in order to keep them healthy and balanced. Even in a marriage where one partner is unsaved, the relationship will be stronger and more satisfying if your spouse sees the reality of your spiritual life and love for Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that our spiritual bond with Christ can strengthen the bonds of other relationships:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise? . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-2, 48)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you pray this confession to the Lord:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater sensitivity to sin
The ministry of your church
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea,
and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13)
:angel:
October 6
1 Corinthians 8
Take care that your actions do not wound another Christian.
INSIGHT
There is an inseparable link between Christ and the church. In Acts 9:4 Jesus appears to Saul on the road to Damascus and asks, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Yet Saul had not persecuted Jesus; he had never even seen Jesus. However, because he was persecuting the church, Jesus rebuked Saul for persecuting Him. Again in 1 Corinthians 8 Paul teaches that if we sin against our brothers in Christ--wounding their consciences when they are weak--we sin against Christ. We must be cautious with our words and actions.
PRAYER
Praise Christ, the Head of the church:
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height , and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14, 17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and
the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:11-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up. (Psalm 5:1-3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Perseverance
Endurance for those who work with the homeless
Whatever else is on your heart
Close this time of worship with the following prayer:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
October 7
1 Corinthians 9
Paul limits his freedom for the sake of other Christians.
INSIGHT
Spiritual maturity is not a product of human effort. The fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit, not of self-effort. Yet God will not grant spiritual maturity to us unless we are striving for it. Paul says, "I run . . . not with uncertainty. I fight . . . not as one who beats the air. I discipline my body . . . " in pursuit of spiritual goals (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). The reality is that few of us have the spiritual passion to equal the temporal passion of the unsaved. It is a challenge to care about the same things God cares about--a challenge we must accept!
PRAYER
Praise God that His work of sanctification continues in your life:
May the Lord give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 115:14-18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother" (Zechariah 7:9-10).
As you confess your sins, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation. (Psalm 118:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Purity of mind
Your spiritual goals
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:15-16)
:angel:
October 8
1 Corinthians 13
Love is the greatest virtue that all Christians should exhibit.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, love is clearly considered the supreme virtue. Both Jesus and Paul teach that the greatest Christian virtue is love. However, it is not always easy to measure love, especially because our society has such a distorted concept of what love is. Many people think that love is simply an emotion. We may think that if we don't feel "warm and fuzzy," we don't love. While emotions certainly may be attached to biblical love, love is primarily an act of the will. And God commands us to love. If you exhibit the qualities listed in today's chapter, you are loving regardless of your emotions.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He loves us with the same love He asks from us:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens. (Psalm 113:1-4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for fellow Christians
The work of missions in Europe and Asia
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)
:angel:
October 9
1 Corinthians 15
Christ's resurrection is the basis for our resurrection, which is the final victory over sin.
INSIGHT
It is difficult for us to imagine what our resurrected bodies will be like. Yet there are snatches of information in the Scriptures that may give us some idea. In Matthew 17, for example, we read about Jesus, Moses, and Elijah who, having lost their earthly appearance, glow with a dazzling light. From this one brief example, we might conclude that our bodies will shine with dazzling light, that we will be free from gravity, that we may travel at fabulous speeds, and will be able to appear and disappear. C. S. Lewis once wrote that if we were to see our glorified selves coming down the street, we would be tempted to fall at our own feet and worship ourselves.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that each believer will have a wonderful resurrected body:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 11, 18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly"
(2 Samuel 24:10).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater faithfulness with your time
The president, national leaders, and national and world affairs
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
October 10
2 Corinthians 1
The Lord comforts us in our affliction so we may comfort others.
INSIGHT
There is a fellowship of suffering. Someone who has suffered the same things we have suffered is better able to minister to us. And if we have been comforted in our suffering, we are better able to comfort someone else who experiences the same difficulties. Suffering can make us compassionate toward others. As the sufferings of Christ overflow into our lives, so can the compassion of Christ overflow from our lives into the lives of others.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that Jesus was willing to lay down His immediate comfort for our sakes:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.
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 135:1-5, 21)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord - how long? (Psalm 6:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit . . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirsaccording to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-5, 7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The renewing of your mind
The needs of your extended family
Your activities for the day
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)
:angel:
October 11
2 Corinthians 4
Man's evident weakness presents an opportunity for God to manifest His power.
INSIGHT
When we look at Israel and the Mosaic Law, we tend to think that the Jews performed poorly. All they had to do was be obedient to some basic laws, and God would bless them beyond measure. Yet they might say the same about us. With the Holy Spirit living in us, we have only to live in love toward God and man and God will bless us spiritually beyond measure. While human frailty is glaring in both systems, the work of God is being accomplished nevertheless. God's message is carried in "jars of clay" so that in eternity the glory of the redeemed will go to God and not to man.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord as an expression of the gratefulness of your heart:
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 and in fellowship with Him:
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:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The Lord's leading in your life
Opportunities for evangelism
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14)
:angel:
October 12
2 Corinthians 5
We should live for the eternal rather than the temporal, and we will be rewarded accordingly.
INSIGHT
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine "bema" that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds "on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord as you "set your mind on things above":
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us. (Psalm 123:1-2)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him, pray this confession to the Lord:
"My God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater commitment to Him
The work of specific Christian ministries
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:23-24)
:angel:
October 13
2 Corinthians 8
We should follow Christ's example and be generous toward others.
INSIGHT
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine "bema" that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds "on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).
PRAYER
Praise God for supplying all your needs:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Indeed I have all and abound. I am full . . . And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:18-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver. (Psalm 119:71-72)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot
compare with her. (Proverbs 3:13-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Yieldedness to God's will
Missionaries in the Middle East
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
:angel:
October 14
2 Corinthians 9
Christians should give generously as God has prospered them.
INSIGHT
God asks for your money, not for His sake, but for yours. What God wants is your heart, and one measure of how much of your heart He has is how willing you are to give your money back to Him. Two of God's reasons for asking Christians to give to other Christians are to foster mutual unity and concern among believers, and to show the love of God to the unsaved. Remember, it is not the amount but the willingness that counts. Give as God has prospered you.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the many material possessions you enjoy:
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
Let Mount Zion rejoice,
Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
Because of Your judgments. (Psalm 48:9-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."
But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:21-22)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way. . .
Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy,
And teach me Your statutes.
I am Your servant;
Give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies.
(Psalm 119:103-104, 124-125)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Contentment with what you own
Health concerns of friends and family members
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
(Psalm 119:129-130) :angel:
October 15
2 Corinthians 12
Paul was given a vision of heaven and then "a thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble.
INSIGHT
The Bible gives us a number of reasons why Christians suffer adversity. One reason is to strengthen and mature us. Another is that it is the natural consequence of our own foolishness from which God does not necessarily protect us. And another reason Paul gives us in today's chapter is to keep us humble. If things always went well for us, if life was always "coming up roses," we would tend to become conceited, to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and perhaps think less of others. Notice that Paul only prayed three times for the removal of his "thorn in the flesh" (vv. 7-8). When it was clear that God was not going to remove it, Paul accepted it.
PRAYER
Because the Lord always has a reason for allowing adversity, we can praise Him for all things:
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 and in fellowship with Him:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5)
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:
Patience in difficult circumstances
The work of missions in South America
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
October 16
Galatians 5
As Christians walk by the Spirit, they will manifest His characteristics.
INSIGHT
As Paul teaches in Romans 7, a civil war rages within every child of God. The opposing forces are the power of the flesh and the power of the Spirit. Paul refers to these as the "outer man" and the "inner man." What is at stake is the control of the child of God. As we yield ourselves to the control of the Spirit, then love, joy, peace, patience, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. As we yield ourselves to the control of our unrighteous promptings, then anger, jealousy, impurity, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. We must yield our "members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Romans 6:13) and begin to taste of the fruit of God.
PRAYER
Because we can taste the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, give thanks and praise to Him:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindness,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness sake, O Lord. (Psalm 25:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness with your talents
The ministry of Christian radio
Your activities for the day
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)
:angel:
October 17
Galatians 6
Christians are to look out for one another and bear one another's burdens.
INSIGHT
John Donne once wrote: "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main. . . . If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less." What Donne wrote generally and poetically, Paul wrote specifically hundreds of years earlier: "Restore" one another and "bear one another's burdens" (vv. 1-2); "do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (v. 10). We are part of one another, and we are to live for one another in harmony and mutual concern. We are all part of the same "continent"--the "continent" of Christ.
PRAYER
Offer praise to the Lord because the message of Christ the Savior has come to you:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. (Psalm 145:17-21)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to stay in fellowship with Him:
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
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. . . .
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You. (Psalm 25:15-18, 21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom in decision making
The needs of personal friends
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:6)
:angel:
October 18
Ephesians 1
Christians have forgiveness of sin--an eternal inheritance.
INSIGHT
Most Christians need to re-identify who they are. We still see ourselves as mere human beings, children of the age with the albatross of the world hanging around our necks. That is who we once were, but are no longer. We have been adopted by God and are now His children. We are newly created in Him in holiness and righteousness. We have been given an inheritance in heaven that includes wealth and power. We have been changed; we are no longer what we were. When that truth "sinks in," we begin to act like who we really are rather than who we were.
PRAYER
Praise God for His mighty work of regeneration in your life!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God. . . .
The Lord shall reign forever--
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A renewed mind
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
Read Mark 14 -- 16
Highlights In Today's Reading:
Two days until Passover with Jesus as the ultimate Sacrificial Lamb (14:1). His prayer (14:36); betrayal, arrest, Peter's denial (14:10-11,43-72). Go . . . tell; Go ye into all the world (16:7,15)
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the Sanhedrin determined that Jesus must die (John 11:53). But His popularity made them fearful of arresting Him because so many believed Him to be the Messiah (Luke 22:2; Mark 12:37).
It was now the Saturday evening before Sunday's triumphant entry into Jerusalem (John 12:2,12). Simon, a leper who had been healed by Jesus, lived in Bethany; he had invited Jesus and the disciples to his home for supper. As they sat eating, there came a woman (Mary) having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on His (Jesus') head (Mark 14:3; John 12:1-8; Matt. 26:6-13). This ointment was valued at three hundred pence -- almost a year's wages (Mark 14:5; Matt. 20:2). Judas spoke up, saying: Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? (John 12:5).
Obviously, this was a great sacrifice for Mary. Yet she poured out her very precious treasure upon the head and feet of Jesus as an expression of her devotion to Him. But to Judas, Mary's action was a great waste. But, what is "waste"?
Since Judas was the one who spoke openly against Mary's loving gift, Jesus must have been looking at him even though He also rebuked the others: Let her alone; why trouble ye her? . . . She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint My body to the burying (Mark 14:6,8).
The lost opportunity to sell the ointment and keep the money, the strong rebuke from Jesus, and the great honor He bestowed upon Mary probably embittered Judas, and he went unto the chief priests, to betray Him (14:10; Luke 22:3-4). Judas' greedy offer gave the chief priests the opportunity to arrest Jesus and to press for the death penalty much sooner than expected. They were glad, and promised to give him money (Mark 14:11). All this was foretold by the prophet: I said unto them . . . give me my price . . . So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver (Zech. 11:12).
Judas' greed was in striking contrast to Mary and others who treasure Jesus and His Kingdom: The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field (Matt. 13:44).
Thought for Today:
Glory and honour are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place (I Chr. 16:27).
Word Studies:
14:31 spake the more vehemently =protested emphatically; 14:65 buffet Him =hit Him with their fists; 15:15 scourged =whipped; 15:38 twain =wo; 16:16 damned =condemned to eternal hell.
Cross References:
For Mark 14:27: See Zech. 13:7. Mark 14:62: See Ps. 110:1; Dan. 7:13. Mark 15:24: See Ps. 22:18. Mark 15:28: See Is. 53:12. Mark 15:29: See Ps. 22:7-8. Mark 15:34: See Ps. 22:1. Mark 16:19: See Ps. 110:1.
Prayer Needs:
Pray for English International Shortwave Broadcasts for the month of October sponsored by Mr. Rick Lokites • Staff: Gina Lesnefsky • Government Officials: Rep. Patrick Murphy (PA) and Rep. Kurt Schrader (OR) • Country: Guinea-Bissau (1 million) on the western coast of Africa • Major languages: Portuguese and Criolo • Religious freedom • 51% animist; 42% Muslim; 6% Roman Catholic; .7% Protestant • Prayer Suggestion: Rely upon the Lord at all times; He is your refuge (Ps. 62:8).
Memory Verse for the Week: Matthew 15:19
:angel:
October 20
Ephesians 3
Paul is called to be a minister and to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.
INSIGHT
Paul calls his ministry the fulfillment of a "mystery." In the Bible, a mystery is nothing mysterious but something previously unknown. The mystery was that Jews and Gentiles would join together to form a new entity--the church. This mystery was foretold by Jesus, but the details of the doctrine, walk, and destiny of the church were communicated by Paul and his fellow apostles. Now as a new thing--the body of Christ--we are all to allow Christ to live His life through us.
PRAYER
Praise God for the mighty plan He has for the church:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord! . . .
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
(Psalm 113:1, 4-6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:16-18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Wisdom as you serve in your local church
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-10)
:angel:
October 21
Ephesians 4
Christians are to live in righteousness and holiness, worthy of their calling in Christ.
INSIGHT
On the basis of who we are in Christ - redeemed, inheritors with Christ, adopted into God's family, and destined to spend eternity with Him - we are to live a lifestyle that reflects our identity. We are no longer to live as we did before we knew the Lord - or as those who do not know Him. By putting on the "new man" we will preserve the unity of the Spirit and show the world that Christ is real. He makes a difference in the life that is dedicated to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He is molding you into His image:
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous (Psalm 112:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness
(Psalm 101:2-4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever
(Psalm 104:1-2, 5).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
sensitivity to the Holy Spirit,
unsaved friends and co-workers.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord
(Psalm 107:43)
:angel:
October 22
Ephesians 5
We are to walk in love just as Christ did.
INSIGHT
The wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience (the unsaved). Therefore, we are not to partake of their deeds. For we were formerly darkness, but now we are light in the Lord. If this is so, do you as a Christian need to alter any of your present habits? What about your television viewing habits? If it is disgraceful even to speak of the things that are done by the children of darkness, how much more disgraceful is it to sit in our living rooms and watch it? What about movies, books, magazines, or conversations with friends? Do your habits reflect the light of God?
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He has transferred us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light:
Mary said:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation"(Luke 1:46-50).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you pray this confession to the Lord:
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:
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills (Habakkuk 3:19).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for your family,
the work of missions in South America.
Finally, close with this prayer:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
(Romans 16:25-27)
:angel:
October 23
Ephesians 6
We are to put on the full armor of God to fight and win the spiritual war.
INSIGHT
Satan is a deceiver and a destroyer; he deceives in order to destroy. A part of his deception is to have us believe he is not at work opposing our pursuit of righteousness. To combat his efforts, we must do several things. First, recognize that we must "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might"(v. 10), not in our own strength. Second, we must "put on the whole armor of God" (v. 11). Each piece described in verses 14-17 must be in place daily. Third, we must pray at all times Òin the SpiritÓ (v. 18). And finally, having done all that, we must stand firm without fear, knowing we are secure (v. 13).
PRAYER
Because the Lord has promised to fight for us, we can praise Him!
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
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. . . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1-5, 11, 20).
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your finances,
revival among Christians in America,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
October 24
Philippians 1
Paul urges us to have his perspective: "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (v. 21).
INSIGHT
With Paul's perspective on life, he cannot lose. Wherever he is, Paul considers it "the world" into which the Lord wants him to go to preach the Gospel. Even prison is a positive experience for Paul, because he is able to spread the Gospel there. And if he is to die, that is even better. To live is fruitful ministry, but to die is gain. Most of us have our affections too deeply implanted in the things of this world to identify with hisperspective. We must learn to let go.
PRAYER
The Lord is worthy of our praise:
"Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after themÑthe Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings."
(Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
(Psalm 51:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
(2 Corinthians 8:9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
an eternal perspective,
your ministry in your local church,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
October 25
Philippians 2
We are exhorted to be like Christ, who practiced only selflessness.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the source of most interpersonal conflict. Someone is taking something from us (materially, emotionally, socially, etc.) that we don't want to give, and we fight to keep or gain our desires. Unselfishness is the source of most interpersonal harmony. Think about the people you really like - even famous people you don't know personally. Usually the reason you like them is because they are gracious and kind, and give of themselves. If you want to be a harmonious, likable person, you must be unselfish.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that we see God in Christ, and praise Him for the privilege of knowing Him:
Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him". (Daniel 2:20-22)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight -
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
(Colossians 1:13-14)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater personal discipline,
persecuted Christians,
your activities for the day.
Close this time of worship with the following prayer:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
:angel:
October 26
Philippians 3
Our goal in life should be to forsake temporal things for the sake of the eternal.
INSIGHT
Benjamin Franklin once decided to become morally perfect. He chose 13 qualities he felt embodied moral perfection and tried to perfect one a week - at the end of 13 weeks he would be morally perfect. He failed, yet later wrote he had become a much better man for trying and failing than if he had never tried at all. Our situation with the Lord is similar. We will never become morally perfect, as Paul writes, but we can experience maturation as we grow into the image of Christ.
PRAYER
Because the Lord knows our weaknesses and loves us anyway, we can praise Him with enthusiasm:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You,
O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You. . . .
But the Lord is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation
(Jeremiah 10:6-7, 10)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
(Romans 8:26)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
a stronger desire to be like Christ,
churches across the nation,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
(Ephesians 6:13) :angel:
October 27
Philippians 4
We must focus on those things which are pure and good.
INSIGHT
You are what you eat." Your body reflects what you feed it. Eat well and your body rewards you with health. The same is true spiritually and mentally. We become like what we put into our minds and like what we allow our minds to dwell on. Paul encourages us to think about whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, or of good report (v. 8). If you are unsatisfied with your spiritual, mental, or emotional development, ask yourself: "What do I put into my mind - what do I think about?" You may need a radical change in your spiritual diet.
PRAYER
God's attributes include love, joy, kindness, and mercy. Praise Him for developing these characteristics in your life:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
(1 Chronicles 16:8-11)
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
(Psalm 7:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
graciousness toward others,
laborers for Christ in India,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is their strength,
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever (Psalm 28:8-9).
:angel:
October 28
Colossians 1
Christ is the image of the invisible God and the Head of the church.
INSIGHT
On the surface, it is pretty difficult to explain why you believe in God. No one has seen Him face-to-face, touched Him, or smelled Him, yet His fingerprints are everywhere. You must get beneath the surface where the intangible becomes tangible. God is made visible through Jesus Christ. Paul writes that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God" (v. 15). If you want to know about God, learn about Jesus. If you want to see God, look at Jesus. If you want to please God, follow Jesus. He is God in the flesh!
PRAYER
Praise God that He came to us in the person of Jesus Christ:
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
(John 14:10-13)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge - by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:20-21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual discipline,
strength for those ministering Gods Word in China,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
(John 1:18)
:angel:
October 29
Colossians 2
Christ is our Savior and exampleÑthe center of life for Christians.
INSIGHT
People can no more save themselves than they can fly to the moon. Both are utterly impossible. And because of our spiritual condition and the spiritual laws of God, we stand a greater assurance of making our spiritual condition worse instead of better by trying to save ourselves. Paul says that we were dead. We had decrees written against us that we were powerless to remove. God made us alive together with Christ and removed the decrees against us by nailing them Òto the crossÓ (vv. 13-14). We must gain salvation by grace through faith in Christ or not have it at all.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that in our utter helplessness He offered us salvation through Christ:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
(Ephesians 1:3)
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless 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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for others,
the work of missions in Australia and New Zealand,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
(Titus 3:5)
:angel:
October 30
Colossians 3
We have been raised up with Christ and should seek the things above.
INSIGHT
It is possible to be one place physically and another place mentally. It happens every Sunday morning in church. Bodies warm the pews while minds roam the kitchens and golf courses of the nation. In a graver example, prisoners of war survive by taking themselves mentally into another world away from the prison and there find meaning and solace. We, as Christians, are to do the same. We are to take ourselves out of the physical world, into the spiritual world, and operate according to its values, truths, and realities. "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above. . . . Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (vv. 1-2).
PRAYER
Place your mind on Christ, and give Him your praise as you seek the things above:
O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me . . .
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High (Psalm 7:1, 17).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
(Psalm 51:10-13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
(1 John 3:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in national and world affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close your time of worship by offering this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11) :angel:
October 31
Colossians 4
Conduct yourself with wisdom, and let your speech be filled with grace.
INSIGHT
"Out of the abundance of [a man's] heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). A man cannot claim his heart is kind if his words are unkind. He cannot claim his heart embraces heaven's values if his mouth speaks the values of the world. The heart is a reservoir and the mouth a faucet. When the faucet is turned on, whatever is in the reservoir comes out. Paul writes: "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt" (Colossians 4:6). Elsewhere he writes: "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29). Listen to your speech! Analyze your heart!
PRAYER
Out of the abundance of your heart, offer to the Lord the praise of your lips:
Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested (Revelation 15:3-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
your growth as you pursue your full potential as a child of God,
fulfillment of the Great Commission,
whatever else is on your heart.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
(Hebrews 2:9)
:angel:
November 1
1 Thessalonians 1
The Thessalonians follow Paul's life example and grow to spiritual maturity.
INSIGHT
Because the Christian life is more easily caught than taught, personal godliness is a powerful ministry tool, and imitation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth. Paul gave the Thessalonians not just the words of the Gospel, but also his very life - "you know what kind of men we were among you" (v. 5). The Thessalonian believers witnessed Paul's life and imitated him, which resulted in spiritual growth for them - "you became followers of us" (v. 6). As a result, they became an example to the Macedonians and Achaians. This pattern of "life-on-life" ministry was first demonstrated by our Lord. Jesus selected 12 men "that they might be with Him" (Mark 3:14). Take a moment to think about how you can learn from or teach someone else in a mentoring relationship.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is our perfect example:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy . . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
(2 Corinthians 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
health and strength to serve Him,
His will to be done in your life,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace . . . make you complete in every good work to do His will.
(Hebrews 13:20-21)
:angel:
November 2
1 Thessalonians 2
Paul's method of ministry is described. He communicates the Gospel with love and integrity.
INSIGHT
Whenever the message of your words and the message of your actions conflict, the message of your actions will always win out. You may speak gruffly but act kindly, and you will be known as having a hard shell but being a "softie" on the inside. Or you may speak well but act selfishly, and you will be known as a hypocrite. There is no accusation leveled at Christians more consistently than that of hypocrisy. Our lives must support the reality of the Gospel, or the Gospel will not be taken seriously and we will be resented. Paul writes: "We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives" (v. 8). Unless we are willing to impart our lives in ministry, our words will mean little.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He was willing to give us His very life:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)
"You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You,
ccording to all that we have heard with our ears." (2 Samuel 7:22)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you pray this confession to the Lord, seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affir-mation to the Lord:
There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
(1 Timothy 2:5-6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater sensitivity to sin,
the ministry of your church,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(2 Peter 3:18)
:angel:
November 3
1 Thessalonians 3
Paul is not able to visit Thessalonica so he sends Timothy instead.
INSIGHT
Affliction is part of life. Sometimes circumstances afflict us; sometimes other people afflict us; sometimes we afflict ourselves. In the midst of affliction, we need encouragement. Paul writes that he sent Timothy to visit the Thessalonians "to establish and encourage" them because of their afflictions (vv. 2-3). Paul feared for their spiritual well-being. When we see others in the midst of affliction, we should be quick to encourage them. Rebuke, exhortation, counsel, and instruction all have their time and place, but encouragement is one of the most powerful ministries on earth.
PRAYER
Praise God for His encouraging Word!
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.
(Psalm 17:6-8)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
(Psalm 9:8)
Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
Be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
joy in the midst of unpleasant circumstances,
a positive, encouraging mind-set,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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 40:8).
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) :angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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. 8). 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). :angel:
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) :angel:
November 14
1 Timothy 6
The quest for godliness motivates us to "fight the good fight" of faith while we live on earth.
INSIGHT
If any of us could have three wishes, most of us would include wealth as one of those wishes. Everything else being equal, we would rather be rich than poor. Yet that very desire is a snare - so much so that Paul urges Timothy to flee the love of money and "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness" (v. 11). And he adds: "I urge you . . . that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing" (vv. 13-14). If we have wealth, we are to use it compassionately. If we do not have wealth, we are to be content.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for being free to worship Him with words and with our lives:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . . .O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).
Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the renewing of your mind,
needs of your extended family,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
November 15
2 Timothy 1
Paul exhorts Timothy to rekindle his zeal for the Christian life and ministry.
INSIGHT
A number of years have passed between the writing of 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. During that time, Timothy has faced great trial and opposition and is in danger of discontinuing his ministry. Paul writes a terse letter of exhortation, urging strength and constancy. A list of phrases used in this book include:"stir up," "do not be ashamed," "hold fast," "be strong," "endure hardship," "be diligent, "flee youthful lusts," "pursue righteousness," and "preach the word!" In the heat of battle, short and powerful commands are easy to comprehend.
PRAYER
As you consider God's love for you, praise Him that He guides your spiritual growth:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the leading of the Lord in your life,
opportunities for evangelism,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
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).
:angel:
November 16
2 Timothy 2
Paul uses the metaphors of a soldier, athlete, farmer, and worker to encourage Timothy.
INSIGHT
In our hard-driving society, gentleness is almost a lost commodity. Not only is it rarely honored, but it is also often thought of as being undesirable. Yet Paul instructs Timothy that the "servant of the Lord must . . . be gentle" (v. 24) and that our gentleness may help others repent from sin. Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek (the gentle)" (Matthew 5:5). Gentleness is not a word which suggests weakness or impotence. It is used of powerful war horses who have been skillfully trained to instantly obey their masters. It is a word which suggests power under complete control. It offers much.
PRAYER
The Lord is gentle with us, and for this we praise Him and try to be gentle toward others:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings (Psalm 33:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
(2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater passion for moral excellence,
Christian education institutions,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
"Let God be magnified!"
But I am poor and needy;
Make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay (Psalm 70:4-5).
:angel:
November 17
2 Timothy 3
As Christians, we must be on our guard to follow the truth continually.
INSIGHT
The Scriptures are designed to be the basis of truth for leading a Christian to maturity in Jesus Christ. They are accurate and trustworthy, afford adequate knowledge, and lead to a godly, biblical lifestyle. They also yield a biblical ministry: "that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (v. 17). A mature Christian is one who knows what he needs to know (knowledge), is what he needs to be (lifestyle), does what he needs to do (ministry), and is guided by the Scriptures in all of this.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His magnificent Word that contains perfect instructions on how to live:
Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
My soul breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
You rebuke the proudÑthe cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments. . . .
Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors (Psalm 119:17-21, 24).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You (Psalm 51:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater self-control,
those who minister in our inner cities,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
:angel:
November 18
2 Timothy 4
Paul charges Timothy to preach the Word of God and offset the ministry of false teachers.
INSIGHT
We think of Paul as being one of the great spiritual giants of the ages. Because of this, most of us don't expect to receive the same reward that he will. However, we need to realize that the Lord does not reward talent or results - He rewards motive and faithfulness. At the end of his life, Paul wrote: "There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (v. 8). That means you and me!
PRAYER
How wonderful it is to know that God will reward our simple faith:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world (Psalm 19:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy,
And teach me Your statutes (Psalm 119:124).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah (Psalm 3:3-4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
purity in your thoughts,
love for the unlovely,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper (Psalm 1:1-3). :angel:
November 19
Titus 1
Paul instructs Titus to appoint spiritually qualified men to oversee the church ministry.
INSIGHT
The Bible is an enormous book that is difficult to master. It contains nearly 1,000 pages of information, none of which is insignificant. While it is true that new Christians can read and study the Scriptures on their own and gain spiritual truths through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is highly unlikely that anyone can grow to a mature understanding of the Bible without relying on teachers who know more about the Bible than they do. Herein lies a danger: We may not know enough about the Bible to determine if what is being taught to us is accurate. Therefore it is important to align ourselves with a church that believes and teaches the Bible. This type of setting will help safeguard us from being led into error.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He warns us about the danger of falling away from Him, and praise Him that He safeguards the faithful:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
(Hebrews 9:27-28)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for your family,
missionaries in North and South America,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this 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) :angel:
November 20
Titus 2
The book of Titus encourages people of all ages to live proper lives as Christians.
INSIGHT
The knowledge of Christ must effect a transformation in our lives so that our attitudes and actions will Òadorn the doctrine of GodÓ (v. 10). The words we speak will influence others only if our actions support our words. God has redeemed us from the slavery of sin, assuring us of "the blessed hope" of the coming of Christ (v. 13). Because we will one day be delivered from this world, we are to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, fixing our faith on the coming of "the blessed hope." This means we must be good stewards of the things of this world and live for the things Jesus would live for if He were in our place.
PRAYER
Because we can joyfully look ahead to a new life in another world, we praise our God:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. . . .
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
(Psalm 63:3-5, 7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
(Hebrews 11:6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your finances,
revival among Christians in America,
whatever else is on your heart.
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)
:angel:
November 21
Titus 3
Those who believe in God should be careful to maintain good works.
INSIGHT
It is difficult for us to separate our hope of heaven from our good works. We instinctively feel that we must be good to get to heaven. While God certainly wants us to live good lives, none of us can live a life good enough to get to heaven. One sin disqualifies us, and everyone has sinned more than once. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us . . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (vv. 5, 7). Salvation is a gift.
PRAYER
The Lord longs to mature us in Christ, the very thing for which we long, and so we praise Him:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer (Isaiah 54:7-8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
(Psalm 51:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater wisdom in decision-making,
needs of close friends and family members,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name! . . .
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 103:1, 21-22).
:angel:
November 22
Philemon
Paul urges Philemon to have mercy on his runaway slave, Onesimus, who has become a Christian.
INSIGHT
If anyone is a servant of Christ, he cannot be a tyrant to men. Jesus taught forgiveness, compassion, and gentleness. Ñot harshness, anger, and retribution. Paul urges Philemon to forgive, receive, and restore his runaway slave, Onesimus, as a brother in Christ, now that he has become a Christian. The fact that this letter has been preserved indicates PhilemonÕs favorable response. Although we do not have slaves today, our employees, co-workers, associates, and neighbors deserve respect from us. Service to Christ requires a forgiving spirit.
PRAYER
Thank and praise the Lord that what He requires of us is something we are able to give Him:
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain. . . .
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness (Psalm 48:1, 9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual victory over temptation,
opportunities to serve the Lord,
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).
:angel:
November 23
Hebrews 1
Because Christ is the Son of God, He is superior to angels in every way.
INSIGHT
Angels do not seem real to us. They are found in fairy tales, and we tell children about them; but we tend not to take them seriously. They are very real, however, and play an important role in ministering to us as believers. Throughout the Bible we only get glimpses of the work of angels in our lives, but one of those glimpses is found in today's chapter. We read here that they are sent forth to minister to those who will inherit salvation. Perhaps this is the passage from which the idea of a guardian angel has come. Apparently, angels can appear in human form, for some have "entertained angels" without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). They are also very active in world affairs. At present, they are much greater than men, but one day redeemed men will "judge angels" (1 Corinthians 6:3).
PRAYER
Angels are ministers who serve believers, and we can praise the Lord for them:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen (Psalm 72:18-19).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is notin himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
(James 1:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
a stronger desire to be like Christ,
local churches across the nation,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
He is the living God, and steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
He delivers and rescues,
And He works signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions (Daniel 6:26-27).
:angel:
November 24
Hebrews 2
Because Christ was man as well as God, He is able to Ògive aidÓ to us who are human.
INSIGHT
Jesus is God, but He was also man; Jesus was man, but He is also God. It is essential that Christ be both God and man. If Christ were not man, He could not have died for our sins. If He were not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the price for the sin of mankind. Christ was the perfect sacrifice. In fact, He was the only possible sacrifice able to atone for the sins of man and appease the wrath of God. As you continue to read the book of Hebrews, you will realize that the author's main point is simply this - the superiority of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
The Lamb of God was the perfect sacrifice for our sin and so we praise Him:
"I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the Gentiles,
To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them" (Isaiah 42:6-9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
(Romans 9:20-21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (Psalm 19:9-10).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
better listening skills,
wisdom for governing authorities,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah (Psalm 3:8).
:angel:
November 25
Hebrews 4
As we labor to enter into GodÕs rest, we may call upon Christ for mercy and grace.
INSIGHT
The Word of God is energized by the Spirit of God. Whenever Scripture goes forth, it never returns without accomplishing the work it was intended to do. This is because the written Word of God is "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword" (v. 12). As we minister to others, the Bible must be central to all that we say and do. We must always remember that it is the Word which is alive, not our own insights, clever arguments, or interesting stories.
PRAYER
Because God has provided the Bible as our source of truth, we give Him praise:
I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope. . . .
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:7-9, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. (Psalm 2:10-12).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."
(Matthew 5:44)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom in interpreting the Bible,
missionaries in India,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . My beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
(1 Corinthians 15:57-58) :angel:
November 26
Hebrews 8
The old covenant, being imperfect, was replaced by the new covenant based on grace.
INSIGHT
All the major features of the old covenant, which existed on a literal, physical level, are found in the new covenant on a spiritual, heavenly level. The old covenant had a physical sanctuary, a human high priest, and used real animals for sacrifices. This covenant was inadequate in that it could only deal with sins temporarily; it could not remove sins permanently (v. 7). In the new covenant there is a spiritual sanctuary, a heavenly High Priest, and a celestial Lamb whose death provides permanent forgiveness of sin for an infinite number of people. It is a 'better covenant, which was established on better promises.' (v. 6).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that Jesus' sacrifice was sufficient for the sins of all humankind:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God (Psalm 90:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
"Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips." (Hosea 14:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."
(Revelation 3:20)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for others,
missionaries in the Middle East,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23)
:angel:
November 27
Hebrews 9
The old covenant of law is a picture of the new covenant of grace in Christ.
INSIGHT
Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (v. 22). We are not told why that is true, only that it is. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Wherever there is sin, someone must die. We can pay the penalty for our own sin, which is our own eternal, spiritual death, or the death which Christ suffered can be placed on our account. His death can count for ours, and we do not have to die spiritually. Faith is the vehicle by which this transaction takes place. Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but will have eternal life.
(John 3:16)
PRAYER
Because God has allowed His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place, praise Him with the words of this psalm:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him (Psalm 92:1-2, 15).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
(1 Corinthians 10:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
(John 17:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
national and world affairs,
whatever else is on your heart.
Close your worship time with this prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
:angel:
November 28
Hebrews 11
A parade of heroic figures from the Old Testament depicts what it means to live by faith.
INSIGHT
Faith is the operative ingredient in the Christian life. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (v. 6). Faith is important because without it we cannot even begin to approach God. Simply put, faith is believing God and acting accordingly. All that is accomplished in the world to further the work of God is accomplished by faith. This list of exemplary faithful people shows that when God spoke, His people listened, believed, and acted accordingly. The words of an old hymn sum it all up: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
PRAYER
Praise God that Jesus was willing and sufficient to pay the price for our sins:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name." Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to hisways,
According to the fruit of his doings. . . .
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise (Jeremiah 17:9-10, 14).
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:
the development of an eternal perspective,
your spiritual goals,
your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
November 29
Hebrews 12
Following the example of Christ, we are to endure the chastening of God in our lives.
INSIGHT
We don't mind suffering some things as long as someone else is suffering too; we don't like to be the only one. Few things make us feel worse than when everything seems to be going well for everyone else and we are in the throes of suffering. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to endure our present sufferings as Christians in this world by reminding us that Christ suffered for us and that we ought, therefore, to be willing to suffer for Him. One of Jesus' highest points of integrity is that He never asks us to do anything for Him that He is not willing to do for us.
PRAYER
The Word of God is alive, and we can use it to worship and praise the One who gave it:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . . .
I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works (Psalm 71:8, 14-17).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me."
(Jeremiah 33:8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
(John 15:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater personal discipline,
Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
November 30
Hebrews 13
We are to live righteously before our fellow man and to offer God the sacrifice of praise.
INSIGHT
Praise is good for the soul and pleasing to God. The writer of Hebrews says," let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (v. 15). Again, in Psalm 33:1, we read: "Praise from the upright is beautiful." If you want to do something that pleases the Lord, praise Him. In addition, however, our actions must follow: "But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (v. 16). The praise of our lips must be followed with the godly pattern of our lives. Note that both praise and doing good are sacrifices with which God is well pleased.
PRAYER
Knowing that the Lord delights to hear it, offer Him your praise for who He is and what He has done for you:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting (Psalm 93:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that others will see Christ in you,
the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
your activities for the day.
Close your time of worship with this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen
(1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
December 1
James 1
Some trials come into a Christian's life to bring that individual to spiritual maturity.
INSIGHT
When we read "count it all joy when you fall into various trials" (v. 2), we can mentally assent to the wisdom of that. But in real life, when the duration and intensity of our trials goes beyond what we deem to be reasonable, we pass the point of caring. We begin to question the goodness of God. We question the rationality of the Christian life. We just want relief. By the grace of God we must accept that we are finally experiencing what James is talking about. Take courage. Be strong. God has not forgotten you. And as He is testing you, you will become spiritually mature - though you probably will perceive the growth only in retrospect.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the God of love:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods (Psalm 95:1-3).
Pause for praise and adoration.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
(Romans 8:29-30)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater wisdom for living,
needs of your immediate family,
your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen (Jude 25).
:angel:
December 2
James 2
True Christian love will not discriminate against the poor.
INSIGHT
"Birds of a feather flock together." Trite as that may sound, it's one of the fundamental laws of social interaction. We are more at home with those who are like us than with those who are not. There is nothing wrong with this tendency. It is built-in and there is little value in denying it. But if that tendency prompts us to act unlovingly, the action is wrong. A tendency cannot be avoided; unloving actions can. James specifically warns us about discriminating against the poor, though it is also wrong to discriminate against anyone because of wealth, creed, race, age, or national origin. The royal law is to love your neighbor as yourself regardless of who the neighbor is.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves us just as we are, we can praise Him that He does not discriminate against us:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earthbe glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness (Psalm 96:5-8, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
(Hebrews 12:11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known (Proverbs 10:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater insight into God's holy Word,
the hungry around the world,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
:angel:
December 3
James 3
The exercise of genuine Christian faith results in controlling the tongue to speak good, not evil.
INSIGHT
Through the use of metaphors, James warns us about the tongue. There is nothing good or bad, right or wrong about a tongue; it is simply a few ounces of muscle. But the tongue articulates the contents of the heart. If a flask full of acid is bumped, acid will spill out. If a flask full of water is bumped, only water will spill out. Water will never spill out of a flask of acid, and acid will never spill out of a flask of water. In that sense, the tongue merely reveals the heart. Let the heart be bumped, and the tongue will reveal what is in the heart. In controlling the tongue, you must control the heart. If you want to change the words of the tongue, you must change the condition of the heart.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord who can soften our hearts and sweeten our tongues:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name (Psalm 97:10-12).
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:8-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8).
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:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:) :angel:
December 4
James 4
While selfishness produces conflict, humility produces submission to God.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the foundation for all conflict. When two hearts want different things - and neither is willing to sacrifice for the sake of the other - conflict arises. Selfishness is the cause of war, crime, and interpersonal conflict. By looking out for ourselves, we think we can get what we want from life. In contrast, the Lord teaches us that humility, not selfishness, results in satisfaction in life. Promote yourself, and wars and conflict result. Even God is against you (v. 6). But live in humility and wars and conflict cease, assuming all parties participate. And the Lord will lift you up.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord because He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name (Psalm 100:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
(1 John 2:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater faithfulness with your time,
the president and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
(Hebrews 13:20-2)
:) :angel: :) :angel:
December 5
James 5
The rich of this world are warned against an uncompassionate use of their wealth.
INSIGHT
James does not condemn wealth; rather he condemns the uncompassionate use of wealth. It is not wrong to have money, but it is very wrong to have money and not use it to further the Gospel and the welfare of the needy of the world. Those in need are often utterly dependent on those with wealth. In support of James' teaching, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:17-18: "Command those who are rich . . . that they be rich in good works." Neither Paul nor James tells the rich to give up their riches; rather both encourage the rich to use their wealth compassionately and generously.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the harmony that He can bring to our relationships:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord (Psalm 104:24, 31-34).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams"(1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
(Revelation 3:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
good stewardship with your resources,
needs of your extended family,
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).
:angel:
December 6
1 Peter 1
Because of our great hope for the future, we should be steadfast in the face of present trials.
INSIGHT
One mark of maturity is the ability to put off present gratification for the sake of a future reward. A child of six is not willing to give up buying a piece of candy to save that money for college tuition; yet an older child might be willing to forego present purchases for the sake of future education. Though in the Christian life the stakes are much higher, the principle is the same. Peter urges us to consider our future inheritance and endure present trials in expectation of our eternal reward.
PRAYER
We can praise the Lord because He has promised to see us through the trials of life:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek 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 (Psalm 105:1-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly."
(2 Samuel 24:10)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the Lord's leading in your life,
opportunities for evangelism,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel: :D
December 7
1 Peter 2
Spiritual sacrifice and personal holiness should be the Christian response to trials.
INSIGHT
A pilgrim is a wanderer. A sojourner is one who lives somewhere temporarily. Peter calls us pilgrims and sojourners in this world. We are no longer at home here; we are no longer a part of this world. Whatever we do should be evaluated in light of our true citizenship in heaven. As such, we live by the rules and values of heaven, not earth. Peter writes: "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul"(v. 11). When we violate the principles of heaven, it is not only God and His honor that suffer - we suffer.
PRAYER
The Lord has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness and made us citizens of the kingdom of light for which we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works. . . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
(John 6:37)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater commitment to the Lord,
the work of specific Christian ministries,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"You are worthy . . .
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9-10).
:angel: :angel: :) :angel: :angel:
December 8
1 Peter 3
Husbands and wives should be sensitive to the responsibilities and needs of each other.
INSIGHT
In a Christian marriage, the wife should submit to her husband and live an exemplary life which validates her faith. The husband should love his wife unconditionally, be sensitive to her, and seek to understand her. When both spouses assume a proper role before God and each other, a harmonious and satisfying relationship will result. If not, conflict or alienation can result.
PRAYER
Praise your heavenly Father for assisting you in your human relationships:
Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments (Psalm 119:1-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:16-17).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.
(Genesis 9:16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
victims of natural disasters,
missionaries on college campuses,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
(Jude 20-21)
:angel:
December 9
1 Peter 4
In the face of suffering, we should follow Christ's example.
INSIGHT
Life is often very trying whether you are a Christian or not. Difficult circumstances fall on the righteous and unrighteous alike. However, the Christian life often adds to our difficulties. We may be discriminated against because of our faith, or our beliefs may eliminate the "easy" ways out of a problem. But Christ does not ask us to suffer anything for Him that He was not willing to suffer for us. Someday we will be rewarded for our diligence and faith.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He is completely in control of your life:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple. . . .
Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.
Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.
Rivers of water run down from my eyes,
Because men do not keep Your law (Psalm 119:129-130, 134-136).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
(1 Peter 3:13-16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom and discernment,
Christian radio ministries.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
By Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
(Hebrews 13:15)
:angel: :angel: ;) :angel: :angel:
December 10
1 Peter 5
Elders should shepherd the church and, in turn, the church should respect their leaders.
INSIGHT
True leaders are servants. Their task is to make those under them successful. As everyone is successful, the larger goal toward which they are all contributing is achieved. This is an example of a fundamental principle which is taught throughout Scripture: The work of God is done by the people of God through mutual submission. As we submit to the needs and roles of others rather than looking out for our own efforts, His work is accomplished. Elders are to shepherd those in the church by living the kind of life that is a positive example to others. They should live in submission to the needs and characteristics of those under them and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt them in due time.
PRAYER
Rejoice that Jesus Christ was submissive to the will of the Father and died for us:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise? . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, Amen!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-2, 48).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God: I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.
(Ezra 9:6)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
(John 8:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for the lost,
missionaries in Africa,
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).
:angel: :angel: ;) ;) :angel: :angel:
December 11
2 Peter 1
God has given us the capacity to grow in Christian character and to develop spiritual fruit.
INSIGHT
We are children of God, subjects of the King of creation. God calls us to act accordingly, but often we do not. Our actions tend to result from our self-image which is flawed and enamored with the values and attitudes of this world. Peter writes that we have become: partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world . . . " He then adds: ". . . for this very reason," pursue holiness (vv. 4-5). Those who do not pursue holiness are shortsighted and have forgotten that they have been purged of their old sin natures.
PRAYER
We have become partakers of the divine nature through Christ, so praise Him who made it possible:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth (Psalm 108:1, 3-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord - how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your talents,
state and local leaders,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel: :angel: :) :angel: :angel:
December 12
2 Peter 2
Beware of false teachers whose lives deny their faith and who will be judged by God.
INSIGHT
False teachers are viewed gravely in the Scriptures. Perhaps the most scathing rebukes and most unthinkable punishments are articulated against these "wolves in sheep's clothing." Why are they dealt with so harshly? Because while refusing salvation themselves, they also keep others from it. It is like a drowning man who not only refuses to accept a lifesaver, but also insists on drowning someone else with him. We must take great care to accurately teach the truth and shun those who do not.
PRAYER
We can walk in fellowship with the Lord and praise Him regardless of how we feel:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 113:1-3, 5-6, 9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:22-23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom in decision making,
the needs of your friends,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
:angel: :angel: ;) :angel: :angel:
December 13
2 Peter 3
Some people will scoff at the Day of the Lord, but we ought to purify ourselves for it.
INSIGHT
Most people agree that the world cannot last forever. Eventually the hydrogen in the sun will burn out, and the sun will grow cold, destroying the earth in the process. So how will the earth end? The Bible tells us that the day will come when the heavens and the earth will be destroyed by fire. It may not happen soon, but it will happen. Since all of us must face "the end" sometime, Peter writes that as we look forward to these things, we should accept salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Though we are not always consistent in our Christian walk, we can praise the Lord that He is always faithful to us:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 11, 18).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodnessÕ sake, O Lord (Psalm 25:6-7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
(John 14:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual victory over sin,
opportunities to serve the Lord in your home, office, or neighborhood,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:12, 14).
:angel: ;) :angel:
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. 8). 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).
:angel: :angel: :) :angel: :angel:
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).
:angel: ;) :angel:
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).
:angel: :D :angel:
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 name's 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)
:angel:
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).
:angel: ;) :angel:
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)
:angel: :) :angel:
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)
:angel:
;)
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).
:angel: :D :angel:
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)
:angel: :) :angel:
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)
:angel: :angel: :) :angel: :angel:
December 24
Revelation 3
Jesus gives prophetic messages to three additional churches.
INSIGHT
To the church in Sardis, Jesus offers a strong rebuke. He calls them "dead" and warns them to recall their initial response to the Gospel and repent. However, He also commends those few who have not defiled themselves. The Lord also commends the church in Philadelphia for having kept His command to persevere. Because of that, He will keep them from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole world. Perhaps the most frightening message goes to the church at Laodicea. Because their works are "neither cold nor hot" but lukewarm, Jesus says He will spew them out of His mouth. Their wealth has made them complacent and Jesus urges them to repent.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He cares enough not to let us drift and praise Him for His correction:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever (Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will meditate on Your precepts.
Let those who fear You turn to me,
Those who know Your testimonies.
Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes,
That I may not be ashamed (Psalm 119:78-80).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
love for others,
missionaries in New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific islands,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
(Romans 16:25, 27)
:angel: :) :angel:
December 25
Revelation 4
John describes an astounding vision of the throne of God in heaven.
INSIGHT
At Christmas our thoughts are on Jesus' birth, focusing on His humanity. By radical contrast, this Christmas Day we see the throne room of heaven and the surroundings which magnify His deity. In the center is a throne - behind which an emerald-colored rainbow arises. Dignitaries dressed in white robes and gold crowns are seated around the throne. The floor of the massive room is like crystal. Unusual looking creatures constantly give verbal praise to God and the dignitaries form a celestial choir, worshiping and praising God. This is the normal abode of God's Son. Yet we usually think of Jesus as a child in Bethlehem, a teacher on a hillside, or the One who bore our sins alone on a cross. Revelation balances that picture with a glimpse of Jesus' majesty and grandeur.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He was willing to become what we are - that we may inherit eternal salvation:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever --
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in world and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
December 26
Revelation 4
John describes an astounding vision of the throne of God in heaven.
INSIGHT
At Christmas our thoughts are on Jesus' birth, focusing on His humanity. By radical contrast, this Christmas Day we see the throne room of heaven and the surroundings which magnify His deity. In the center is a throne - behind which an emerald-colored rainbow arises. Dignitaries dressed in white robes and gold crowns are seated around the throne. The floor of the massive room is like crystal. Unusual looking creatures constantly give verbal praise to God and the dignitaries form a celestial choir, worshiping and praising God. This is the normal abode of God's Son. Yet we usually think of Jesus as a child in Bethlehem, a teacher on a hillside, or the One who bore our sins alone on a cross. Revelation balances that picture with a glimpse of Jesus' majesty and grandeur.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He was willing to become what we are - that we may inherit eternal salvation:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever –
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in world and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
.
December 27
Revelation 15
John begins a description of the earth's judgment that continues in the following chapters.
INSIGHT
One of the sobering realities of Scripture is the prophecy of judgment on mankind at the end of time. While theologians debate timetables and exact meanings, they generally agree on one thing: Judgment is a central feature of the end times. While the depiction of judgment in Revelation is shrouded in symbolism and mystery, it is clear that it is paralyzingly unpleasant. Accounts of judgment are accompanied by warnings to men to take heed and prepare themselves to meet the Lord.
PRAYER
We have such a glorious home and future with the Lord that we can praise Him now and throughout eternity:
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands . . . the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work.
(Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight -
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly (Proverbs 2:3-7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that the Lord deliver you from evil,
that the Lord send out laborers into His harvest,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen
(1 Timothy 1:17) :angel:
December 28
Revelation 19
John describes Jesus' return to the earth as the conquering King.
INSIGHT
Apocalypse: "The revelation of a violent struggle in which evil will be destroyed" (Webster's Dictionary). The second coming of Christ will be the apocalypse fulfilled. While the symbolism of the language in Revelation makes it difficult to ascertain exactly how events will unfold, it is clear that when Jesus returns again, it will be to confront evil and destroy it. The heavens will split and Jesus will descend upon the armies of the earth which have gathered in opposition to His return. In contrast to His past role as Savior of man, He will now come as King of creation. Whereas once He made Himself subject to men, now all men will become subject to Him. History will end and eternity will begin.
PRAYER
We praise Him that we can look forward to His appearing:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6).
Pause for a time of confession 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me (Psalm 51:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
(Romans 8:18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
sensitivity to sin,
the ministries of your church,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
December 29
Revelation 20
After leading a final rebellion, Satan is confined forever.
INSIGHT
Satan is not taken seriously by our society. Yet from Genesis to Revelation, Satan is revealed as God's enemy, a force to be seriously reckoned with. As part of the culmination of the end times, he is confronted, conquered, and confined. Today, Satan deceives in order to destroy. But in the end he will be defeated and his reign of terror on earth will end. "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone" (v. 10). In the end, Satan is a defeated foe!
PRAYER
Praise God that we can share in His victory:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . . .
Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people (Psalm 9:1-2, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood? Selah
But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly;
The Lord will hear when I call to Him (Psalm 4:2-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
In the Lord I put my trust . . .
The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord's throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men. . . .
For the Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright (Psalm 11:1, 4, 7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
thoughtfulness and encouraging words,
vision for reaching the unsaved,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly."
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen
(Revelation 22:20-21).
:angel:
December 30
Revelation 21
When the old heaven and earth are transformed, we will fellowship intimately with God.
INSIGHT
In the new heaven and new earth, the distance between God and man will be removed. In the Old Testament, the glory of God was displayed as a brilliant light, but men were not able to look on it. In the New Testament, men were able to approach Jesus; but His glory was not seen, being veiled by His human form. In the new heaven and new earth, the glory of God will not be veiled, and we shall be able to behold it. The distance will be removed, and we will fellowship with God forevermore.
PRAYER
Praise God that He never ceases to care for His children:
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:11-12).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of therighteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish (Psalm 1:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the renewing of your mind,
purity of leadership at your church,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
December 31
Revelation 22
Jesus reaffirms His second coming and encourages us to be ready.
INSIGHT
Looking forward to the Messiah, Isaiah writes: "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance" (55:1-2). Then John, looking back to the Messiah, picks up the same theme: "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" (v. 17).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His salvation which He offers to us freely in Christ:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. . . .
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation (Luke 1:46-47, 49-50).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
"For 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).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that others might see Christ in you,
the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
(2 Peter 3:18)
:angel:
January 1, 2010
Genesis 1
The first chapter of Genesis reveals God as Creator of the universe.
INSIGHT
In the beginning, God! That is the way it is throughout the Bible. "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).
"Every knee [1] bow . . . every tongue [1] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:10-11).
God wants to be first and foremost in your life. He is the Author of the first creation, and He is the Author of the new creation in your heart.
In the first creation, the wind and the waves obey the Lord -- they have no choice. In the new creation, there is a choice: to obey or not to obey -- the pleasures of sin for a moment or the favor of fellowship for a lifetime.
Have you chosen to put God first in your life? Not to decide is to decide.
PRAYER
Continue your time with the Lord by praising God through these psalms:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth (Psalm 115:1).
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name,
O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the
morning,
And Your faithfulness every night
(Psalm 92:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your
tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions
(Psalm 51:1).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers (Colossians 1:15-16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your time,
· the president, national leaders,
and national affairs,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our
days! (Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
Genesis 2
Adam and Eve rebel against their Creator.
INSIGHT
You may have heard the old saying, "For want of a nail, the shoe is lost; for want of a shoe, the horse is lost; for want of a horse, the king is lost; and for want of a king, the kingdom is lost." It is a clever way of saying that little things matter. Little things lead to larger things--often with disastrous consequences.
We see the first example of this in Genesis 3:6. First, Eve "saw" the forbidden fruit. No transgression yet. Then she "desired." Still no transgression--but a step closer. Finally, she "took and ate." Transgression.
The "look" seemed harmless. It was a small thing, but it led to "eating." Are there things in your life that you are "looking" at? They seem harmless now, but they lead to larger things. Spare yourself--give them up now. "For want of a nail . . . the kingdom is lost."
PRAYER
• Praise God with the following psalm for His redemption in Christ:
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify
Your name?
For You alone are holy (Revelation 15:3-4).
• Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
• As you confess your sins, voice your
affirmation of God's Word:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:8).
• As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
• greater love for fellow Christians,
• the work of missions in Europe and Asia,
• the concerns of your heart.
• Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Genesis 4
The first murder: Cain kills his brother Abel, and is condemned to wander the earth.
INSIGHT
"Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain asks. God's answer is unequivocal: Yes. God intended for His people to be social beings -- to love, care for, and protect each other.
The mark of any society is how well it cares for those who cannot care for themselves. Elevated societies do well with this; debased societies do not.The mark of a selfish society is that it cares well for those it likes and does not care well for those it does not like. This kind of thinking leads to brutality.
The Christian is called to have the mind of Christ in this matter. We are to do good to all people, regardless of race, gender, or social position. Indeed, we are our brother's keeper.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him that He wants to demonstrate His compassion through His children:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation
from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples
(Psalm 96:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word by reflecting on the words of Jesus:
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for daily living,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· the needs of the unfortunate in your
community,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessed be the Lord forevermore!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 89:52).
:angel:
Genesis 6
Man rebels and faces God's judgment.
INSIGHT
Faith is believing what God has said, not merely hoping for something. It is not like wishing upon a star when, if you believe hard enough, your wish will come true. Faith is trusting God's Word.
God told Noah to build an ark and save himself from the coming deluge. Noah had never seen an ark, but he believed God and was obedient to what he knew (Genesis 6:22). He believed the Word of God and acted on it. That's faith.
PRAYER
· Praise our Lord Jesus Christ for His promise to us in His Word that He will give us His faith to endure:
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).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for my iniquities have risen higher than my head, and my guilt has grown up to the heavens (based on Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind as you voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He has delivered us from the power of
darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the Scriptures,
· the hungry around the world,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
the love of God, and the communion of
the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen
(based on 2 Corinthians 13:14).
.
Genesis 7
God causes the great Flood.
INSIGHT
God protects His righteous ones -- always. The child of God need never fear any imagined "random blows of fate," for they will never fall. Yes, we receive blows -- but they are never random, and blind fate cannot wield them.
The Lord said to Noah, "Come into the ark . . . because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation" (Genesis 7:1). Then He delivered Noah and his family from a deluge that obliterated life on this earth.
That is how far God will go to save His people from harm. When we feel the blows of adversity, we can take comfort in this: God goes to the ends of the earth to protect us from the things which would destroy us.
PRAYER
· As you consider the protection which is yours from the hand of a loving God, offer Him this psalm of praise:
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 145:8-9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in
fellowship with Him:
Though my sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool
(based on Isaiah 1:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East, Australia, and the islands,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord, rejoicing in God's protection throughout your life:
Now to Him who is able to establish us according to His gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (based on Romans 16:25, 27).
Genesis 8
The flood waters recede.
INSIGHT
Because the physical world reflects spiritual truth, the resurrection is pictured throughout nature. Man falls asleep at night but awakens in the morning. The earth "dies" each fall, sleeps throughout the winter, but awakens in the spring.
The earth died with the Great Flood, but Noah and his family emerged from the ark to enter a resurrected earth. Death is a fact of nature, but God abundantly pictures to us His promise: He will give us new life after death (John 3:16).
Noah's response and ours? Worship.
PRAYER
· Lift up your heart to heaven as you praise the God who rules the earth.
The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace (Psalm 29:10-11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies
and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor
my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(based on Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater sense of the majesty of God in the world,
· an opportunity to share your faith today,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork
(Psalm 19:1).
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Genesis 9
God covenants with Noah never to flood the earth again.
INSIGHT
A person is only as good as his word. If he is true to his word, he can be trusted; if he is not, he cannot. It is as simple as that. God promised that He would never destroy the earth with a flood again. He went even further by saying, "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease" (based on Genesis 8:22). Then God set a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise.
For thousands of years, God has been true to His Word. We sometimes get discouraged during the tough times in life, because we tend to focus on our particular circumstances rather than the promises of God.
We must remember the rainbow. God is true to His Word. He can be trusted.
PRAYER
· Along with the psalmist, praise God for His wonderful trustworthiness:
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 13:5-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me
(Psalm 27:7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
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 8:38-39).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater trust in God's Word,
· the work of missions in China and
the rest of the Orient,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord, in whom you can have complete
confidence:
The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters
(Psalm 24:1-2).
:angel:
Genesis 11
God responds to the construction of the Tower of Babel.
INSIGHT
To understand the Lord's response to the people building the tower of Babel, consider the command God gave Noah and his descendants in Genesis 9:1: "So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.' "
In apparent disobedience, the people stayed in one place and began to build a monument to themselves. In response, God confused their languages and scattered the people over the face of the earth.
God deals with disobedience in different ways. Sometimes He lets us go our own way and suffer the natural consequences of our sin. At other times the issue is a major part of His program, and it cannot be ignored.
Disobedience always has a price, and in the end God always has His way. Obedience, then, while not always easy, is always wise. God always acts for the ultimate benefit of His children.
PRAYER
· As you consider the love of the Lord, who disciplines us only for our good, offer Him this psalm of praise:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth
(Psalm 8:1).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in
fellowship with Him:
The chastisement for my peace was upon
You,
And by Your stripes I am healed
(based on Isaiah 53:5).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (John 8:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your talents,
· your state and local leaders and
civic affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
January 9, 2010
Genesis 12
God establishes a unilateral covenant with Abraham.
INSIGHT
The opposite of obedience is unbelief; the essence of obedience is belief. If you truly believe God is totally good and all powerful, if you truly believe He always acts for His children's benefit, you will obey whatever He asks of you. It is when you doubt these truths that obedience to the Lord becomes difficult.
The New Testament tells us: "Abraham believed God" (James 2:23). Therefore, he obeyed when God said, "Get out of your country" (Genesis 12:1).
Are you struggling with obedience in an area of your life? Perhaps there is something in the Scriptures you do not truly believe. Search your life, and in the tradition of the disciples, ask the Lord to increase your faith (Luke 17:5).
PRAYER
· In faith and obedience, offer to the Lord the praise of your lips:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His
glory (Psalm 72:18-19).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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 53:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new
(2 Corinthians 5:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
The Lord will command His lovingkindness
in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
January 10
Genesis 15
God confirms His covenant with Abraham.
INSIGHT
"Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (James 2:23). Faith is central to the Christian experience. In fact, without faith, there is no Christian experience.
Why is faith so important? Because we cannot make ourselves righteous -- any more than a cracked window can make itself uncracked.
We have sinned and only God can make us righteous. Faith then is the only thing we can do -- and even our faith is a gracious gift of God!
PRAYER
· Celebrate your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by offering Him this psalm of praise:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my
mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together
(Psalm 34:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord
to keep your life free from sin and in
fellowship with Him:
I turn to You, Lord, with all my heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. I rend my heart, and not my garments (based on Joel 2:12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· renewal of your mind,
· needs of your extended family,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (based on Hebrews 13:20-21).
January 11
Genesis 18
The birth of Isaac is promised.
INSIGHT
Don't you love hospitality? Isn't it a pleasant experience to enter someone's home and feel welcome? Hospitality is the mark of an open and giving heart.
The secret to hospitality is love. If you love your guests and go out of your way to make them feel loved, you will be an exceptional host or hostess.
Hospitality is such an important Christian character trait that elders in the church must be "hospitable" (1 Timothy 3:2).
Abraham was a man given to hospitality. Likewise, hospitality should be a trait in our own lives.
PRAYER
· In full confidence in the character of God, offer your praise to Him through these psalms:
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful
(Psalm 33:1).
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits
(Psalm 71:14-15).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
I return to the Lord, my God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(based on Joel 2:13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries,
· today's activities.
· Offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
January 12
Genesis 21
Abraham and Sarah rejoice in the birth of the son of promise.
INSIGHT
Perhaps we do not celebrate enough -- often enough or grandly enough. Perhaps we do not make enough out of the good things God does for us.
Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. Certainly that was a cultural event.
It would seem odd to celebrate the same event today. Yet there are other things we could celebrate within our culture, but we don't.
When was the last time you made a big deal out of something important? Perhaps a high school or college graduation. A successful music recital. Climbing a mountain, or running a marathon.
God has created us with emotions that make life a richer experience for us. Perhaps we should celebrate more -- in both quantity and quality.
PRAYER
· Celebrate your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by giving Him your praise:
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous
works (Psalm 71:16-17).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Lord, You are near to those who have a
broken heart,
And save such as have a contrite spirit
(based on Psalm 34:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities to share your faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
January 13
Genesis 22
Abraham offers his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice.
INSIGHT
God tests our faith -- not to catch us failing so that He can punish us or merely to determine genuineness -- but to strengthen and increase our faith for the future.
The concept of testing includes refining or purifying. It is the same word used to describe the process of refining gold to purify it and to increase its value. The purpose of testing is to yield spiritual maturity.
We see from Abraham's life that God tests us for our good. We, then, can trust Him, even during times of testing.
PRAYER
· Give praise to God that He always acts in your interest:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes (Psalm 119:65-68).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me
(Psalm 138:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater ability to withstand temptation,
· civil leaders to act in godly ways,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above
all Your name.
In the day when I cried out,
You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my
soul (Psalm 138:2-3).
:angel:
January 14
Genesis 24
Isaac takes Rebekah as his wife.
INSIGHT
A steward is one who is commissioned to oversee the welfare and execute the affairs of another. The closer a steward is able to represent the mind of his superior, the better he fulfills his role. Therefore, when a steward is on assignment, ideally he has no personal mind or will; he strives to have the mind and will of his superior.
Eliezer, Abraham's servant, was an excellent example of a faithful steward. His complete mindset was to represent the will of Abraham as faithfully as possible. As Christians, we are stewards of Christ, and as such, we are to strive to have the mind and will of Christ. In addition, we are always on assignment (1 Corinthians 6:20). By studying Eliezer, we can gain insight into how to be a more faithful steward of Christ.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and give Him your praise for making you a steward of the precious truth of salvation in Christ:
Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You
have toward Your people;
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
That I may see the benefit of Your chosen
ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your
nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance
(Psalm 106:4-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord -- how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word: God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness to the steward-ship of sharing the Gospel,
· the work of missions in the former Communist Bloc,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great peace have those who love Your law,
And nothing causes them to stumble.
Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly
(Psalm 119:165-167). :angel:
January 15
Genesis 27
Jacob deceives Isaac into blessing him rather than his older brother Esau.
INSIGHT
This chapter is a low point in the life of a chosen family. It is difficult to justify the behavior of anyone. Perhaps the deepest, most helpful lesson we can learn from this chapter is that since God was able to make a saint out of someone like Jacob, God can take our lives -- with all of their sin and failure -- and make something out of them for His glory.
Jacob lied; we lie. Jacob failed to trust God; we fail to trust God. Jacob became a man of God; we can become men and women of God. Jacob was used by the Lord; the Lord can use us, too.
For a child of God, there is always a future; and that future can bear fruit. If God can use Jacob, God can use us.
PRAYER
· We praise the Lord with joy because He never gives up on us, His children:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord in response to His revelation:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your finances,
· revival among Christians in America,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:8). :angel:
January 17
Genesis 37
Jacob's son, Joseph, is sold by his brothers.
INSIGHT
Feeling loved is one of life's greatest needs. When we do not feel loved, we often will go to great lengths to try to earn love or retaliate against those who keep us from being loved.
Joseph's brothers contemplated murder but instead kidnapped Joseph to get rid of him. His brothers thought of him as a threat -- all because Jacob displayed his preference for Joseph.
Jacob's preferential treatment of Joseph in no way condones the actions of the brothers, but it points out to us as Christians that we should love all men as Christ would. When individuals feel that love, it makes it easier for them to love others in return.
PRAYER
· Praise our Lord that He can enable us to avoid showing partiality, so that we can love as He loves (James 2:1):
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him
(Psalm 34:8-9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight --
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord bless us and keep us;
The Lord make His face shine upon us,
And be gracious to us;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon us,
And give us peace
(based on Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
January 18
Genesis 39
Joseph resists the advances of Potiphar's wife.
INSIGHT
Mark Twain once wrote: "Always do right. It will gratify some and astonish the rest." While we smile at that, there are greater reasons for doing right.
Joseph is a good example. When he resisted the advances of Potiphar's wife, Joseph set himself on the road to the throne of Egypt. Had he given in, Joseph would have set himself on the road to ruin.
Always do right. There is more at stake than you might think.
PRAYER
· We praise Christ Jesus for His wonderful works:
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. . .
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well. . .
How precious also are Your thoughts to me,
O God!
How great is the sum of them!
(Psalm 139:1, 14, 17).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a passion for moral excellence,
· Christian education institutions,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12).
:angel:
January 19
Genesis 40
Joseph is confined in prison.
INSIGHT
Joseph is one of the finest examples in the Bible of faithfulness in the face of tribulation. Wherever he was, Joseph lived for the glory of God. He demonstrated that he could be trusted in the tough times, thereby making himself eligible for God to use him in other settings. Joseph was faithful over small things, so God was able to set him over large things.
Most of our failures come with the small things. It rarely occurs to us that the challenge of the moment is to demonstrate ourselves faithful at that point. Then -- and only then -- will we be trusted in the greater things. Joseph is a good reminder.
PRAYER
· Faithfulness in praise is a part of our privilege as servants of God:
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations (Psalm 145:13).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· deliverance from temptation,
· laborers for His harvest,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
January 20
Genesis 41
Joseph rises to power.
INSIGHT
God does the work of God, and man does the work of man. The work of man is faithfulness to what God has called him; the work of God is results. If we reverse the two, we can drive ourselves to an early grave. If we keep them in line, we can labor with freedom.
We need not get puffed up with pride when things go well, nor need we get distressed when things go poorly. To Pharaoh's question, Joseph answered, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace" (Genesis 41:16). Our job is faithfulness; God's job is results.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord that He always does what He desires:
His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation... He does according to His will in the army of
heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?" (Daniel 4:34-35).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
May You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray . . . hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive (2 Chronicles 6:21).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The Lord is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me (Psalm 118:6-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in your life,
· mercy on those who are suffering,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). :angel:
January 21
Genesis 42
Joseph's brothers go to Egypt.
INSIGHT
This puzzling chapter becomes more enlightening when we suggest that Joseph was testing his brothers to discover if they would treat Benjamin differently than they had treated him. The issue was whether or not they could be trusted to bring Joseph's beloved brother to him without harm. While Joseph's heart cried out for reconciliation with his family, he was being cautious for Benjamin's sake. Joseph was wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove (Matthew 10:16).
We should be the same.
PRAYER
· Give heart-felt praise to the all-wise, all-loving God:
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? (Job 9:4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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
(Psalm 32:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in dealing with the problems you face in your life on a daily basis,
· wisdom for your church's leaders,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy
(Psalm 107:1-2).
:angel:
January 22
Genesis 43
Jacob is forced to send his youngest son, Benjamin, to Egypt.
INSIGHT
In his commentary, F. B. Meyer regards Joseph as a reflection of Christ who, when his brothers come to him in fear, has only love to bestow on them. Meyer writes:
"Very often we move forward with dread into the unknown." In reality, our fears are groundless. "If only we realized that love is waiting for us there." His love requires little from us . . . just ourselves. He enables us to live a happy life when we realize the good He has for us. So, "lift up your hearts; a feast awaits you!"
PRAYER
· We are free to praise God because of what we know of Him through the Scriptures:
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name
(1 Chronicles 29:11-13).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
(Romans 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord who loves you as one of His children:
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen
(Revelation 7:12).
:angel:
January 23
Genesis 44
Joseph's older brothers are tested.
INSIGHT
Sometimes we get a second chance. When we do, it is important to seize the opportunity.
Judah did. When his brothers plotted to kill Joseph, Judah intervened. But he still fell short of rescuing Joseph.
Judah's second chance came when, from his perspective, Benjamin's life was in danger. Judah put his own life on the line. Perhaps this commitment was taken into account in the blessings he passed on to his sons, resulting in the Messiah coming through the tribe of Judah.
Throughout life we are given second chances. We should take these chances and set things right.
PRAYER
· Daily we have the second chance to offer praise to the God of grace:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints . . .
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed,
O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· health and strength to serve Him,
· His will to be done on earth,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
January 24
Genesis 45
Joseph and his brothers reconcile.
INSIGHT
Forgiveness! Where would we be without forgiveness? Without forgiving and being forgiven?
We see in this chapter a very moving example of Joseph being willing to forgive the very ones who some years earlier had plotted to kill him. Notice that Joseph's ability to forgive was rooted squarely in his theology: "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).
If we lay hold of eternal rather than earthly things, we can more easily forgive when someone robs us of earthly things. Forgive and accept forgiveness.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him that He forgives us through Christ (John 15:5):
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons . . .
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him
(Daniel 2:20-22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart --
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve Him,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness
(Psalm 84:10).
:angel:
January 25
Genesis 50
Jacob dies; then Joseph lives to be 110 years old.
INSIGHT
God's will is often fulfilled in strange ways. Joseph was given childhood dreams indicating he would rule over his brothers. Little could Joseph have imagined it would include their trying to kill him, his spending time in prison, and his ruling over the nation of Egypt.
That time and those experiences were needed to build into Joseph the character qualities and the wisdom needed to rule successfully. Never doubt in the dark what God shows you in the light.
PRAYER
· As we praise the Lord in the words of this psalm, focus on His sovereignty and goodness:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
You, my God, are wise in heart and mighty in strength,
Who has hardened himself against You and prospered? (based on Job 9:4).
I will return to the Lord;
For You have torn me, but You will heal me;
You have stricken, but You will bind me up.
After two days You will revive me;
On the third day You will raise me up,
That I may live in Your sight
(based on Hosea 6:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, affirming the truth of God's Word:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Romans 8:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
January 26
Exodus 1
The children of Israel suffer in Egypt.
INSIGHT
God's control over the world need never be questioned. God intended to bring Israel back into the Promised Land. He had spoken it, and He would do it.
When that seemed least likely, it was closest to happening. In the dark hour of Israel's enslavement, God was working to deliver them -- through the birth and miraculous preservation of Moses. Before Moses would die, Israel would be back on the doorstep of the land which had been promised to them.
To many today, the fulfillment of God's promises seems unlikely. Christ's return may be scoffed at, but God has spoken it, and God will do it.
The day is drawing nearer. We must watch -- and be ready.
PRAYER
· In the words of this psalm, praise the God of the impossible:
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings
I will rejoice (Psalm 63:6-7).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
If I say that I have no sin, I deceive myself, and the truth is not in me. If I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (based on 1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 10:9-11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· the Lord's work in national and world affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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). :angel:
January 27
Exodus 2
Moses is born and later flees to Midian.
INSIGHT
God is sovereign in all the earth; we must never forget that. Much inner distress in life comes from losing sight of that one fact.
The same God who cared for Moses promises to care for us -- perhaps not as dramatically, but just as certainly. The peace that God promises -- the peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7) -- is ours only if we embrace that fundamental truth.
PRAYER
· In full confidence of the sovereignty of God in your circumstances, give praise to God with this passage from the prophet Isaiah:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
(Isaiah 40:21-22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me
(Psalm 38:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· God's sovereign will to be done on earth as it is in heaven,
· greater righteousness in your community,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned
(Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
January 28
Exodus 3
God calls Moses to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.
INSIGHT
The wisdom of Egypt was not adequate to equip Moses to serve God, so God took him out of the limelight -- into solitude and obscurity. There Moses met God and learned to walk with Him.
The pattern was the same for many of God's servants: Joseph, David, Daniel, Paul, and John. Occasionally it will appear as though we have been set aside. Properly used, that time will equip the Lord's servant for the next level of ministry.
Be faithful. Without deserts, there are no deliverers.
PRAYER
· Regardless of your circumstances, lift up your heart to God in praise.
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land
(Psalm 95:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged (Isaiah 6:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a heart filled with thanksgiving for the opportunity to worship the living God,
· your pastor and worship leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand
(Isaiah 64:8).
:angel:
January 29
Exodus 4
Aaron is appointed to help Moses.
INSIGHT
God does not need any one of us. He wants us and He would like to use us, but God does not need us. Take away one person, and the work of God is not diminished -- it goes on.
When God calls us to a ministry, it is for our benefit. If we are unwilling or impure, He can get the work done through someone else. We must realize that everything God asks of us is ultimately for our benefit -- even serving Him. Moses is a good example of that fact.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord your praise for His goodness through the words of this psalm:
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!
Tremble before Him, all the earth
(1 Chronicles 16:28-30).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You, even You, are He who blots out my
transgressions for Your own sake;
And You will not remember my sins
(based on Isaiah 43:25).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your development of an eternal perspective,
· needs of work or school mates,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(based on 2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
January 30
Exodus 5
Israel's affliction increases.
INSIGHT
When troubles come upon us, instinctively the first question we ask is: "Why?" "Why me, why this, why now?" That is what Moses asked in verse 22. Yet, in retrospect, we see that the question was premature. We now know why -- since hindsight is better than foresight.
How long will it take the Lord to deliver us from our troubles? Usually just a little longer than we thought we could tolerate. We must remember the example of Moses when we are tempted to ask the Lord, "Why?"
PRAYER
· Even in the midst of trials, we can praise the Lord, who hears us and cares for us:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
In returning and rest I shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be my strength
(based on Isaiah 30:15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
(Psalm 27:13-14).
:angel:
January 31
Exodus 6
Moses is reassured by God.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, God becomes more and more intimate with His people. By His official title, El Shaddai, God made Himself known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But now He tells Moses His name: Jehovah. Then in the Gospels, God becomes even more personal -- as Jesus becomes incarnate. And in Acts and the Epistles, we discover that God comes to live in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit.
The final act of intimacy will be when God brings us home. Then we can fellowship with Him face to face and forever.
PRAYER
· Let us praise our intimate God with the words of the psalmist:
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord
(Psalm 104:33-34).
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light
(Psalm 36:9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled
(Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire for Christ to live through you,
· churches across the nation,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve us from all evil;
He shall preserve our souls.
The Lord shall preserve our going out and our coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore
(based on Psalm 121:7-8).
:angel:
February 1
Exodus 7
The plagues against Pharaoh and Egypt begin.
INSIGHT
In this chapter, as the Lord speaks to Moses, we read the remarkable words, "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh" (Exodus 7:1). To the world, God's children often stand in the place of God. We are the only Bible they will read-all of Jesus they will see.
It is vital that we represent the Lord accurately. Of course, no mortal man can do so in any complete sense, but in a representative sense we must. It does not mean we must be perfect, but it does mean we are to give those around us a glimpse of who Jesus really is.
Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Commit yourself to Christlikeness and believe that the Lord will multiply your life as others see Him in you.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of humble praise:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
And because of Your truth.
Why should the Gentiles say,
"Where now is their God?" (Psalm 115:1).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word by reflecting on Jesus' words:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works
(Psalm 73:28).
:angel:
February 2
Exodus 8
Additional plagues are inflicted upon Egypt.
INSIGHT
In the Old Testament, God makes a distinct difference between how He treats the Jewish nation and how He treats others. God lets none of the plagues that fall on Egypt fall upon Israel.
How we wish sometimes that God would do the same for us in the church! How we wish that, because we are Christians, we would have none of the unpleasant things happen to us that happen to the world!
We must recognize that in the Old Testament, God wants the recognizable difference between Israel and the world to be physical. In the New Testament, He wants that difference to be spiritual. In the Old Testament, God's blessing is the fruit of the vine. In the New Testament, it is the fruit of the Spirit. We must focus on spiritual blessings to be the difference between us and the world.
PRAYER
· Think about how you have been spiritually blessed as you offer your praise to God:
Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
For there is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin
(Ecclesiastes 7:20).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him (Ezra 8:22).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
February 3
Exodus 9
The plagues on Egypt intensify.
INSIGHT
Frogs and gnats? Boils and hail? Water into blood? What strange plagues! What reasoning went behind the selection of plagues? Were they chosen at random, or was there design behind it? Though we might not always be able to discern it, the God of omniscience does nothing without design. The Egyptians worshiped odd and debased gods. Each plague was designed to strike at the credibility of an Egyptian god and manifest the barrenness of belief in these objects.
God does the same today. Our gods are fortune, power, beauty, talent, and intelligence. There's nothing wrong with them as servants, but when we worship them, they are cruel. God shows the barrenness of worshiping them by allowing people without them to be deeply joyful while those who worship them are tortured. Again, today, God's personal mark of blessing is the fruit of the Spirit and not necessarily of the vine. Joy is found in God, not things.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord praise for the joy He gives:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain
(Psalm 104:1-2).
· Pray this confession to the Lord:
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).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living life,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
:angel:
February 4
Exodus 10
Pharaoh's will hardens.
INSIGHT
God does not compromise. Moses asks Pharaoh to let the nation of Israel go into the wilderness to worship God. Pharaoh refuses but says the men can go. But those are not God's instructions.
Pharaoh pays the price. But, while God does not compromise, He does forgive. With the hand of judgment on him, Pharaoh begs God for forgiveness. God withdraws the judgment.
Have you compromised in your walk with God? He will not accept it. But He will forgive and restore you if you ask Him.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to the God who is too holy to accept compromise:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them
(Psalm 145:17-19).
· As you contemplate the glory, majesty, and holiness of God, pray this passage of confession to Him:
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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous,
And shout for joy all you upright in heart
(Psalm 32:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· today's activities.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
February 5
Exodus 11
The final plague on Egypt is a Passover sacrifice.
INSIGHT
God's dealings with Pharaoh reveal His longsuffering attitude toward such rebellion. The plagues start out fairly minor, thus giving Pharaoh a chance to change his mind before utter calamity strikes. With each successive act of rebellion, the subsequent plague intensifies. Beginning with the unpleasant but fairly harmless plague of frogs, the process ends with the death of the firstborn of every household in Egypt. At any point, had Pharaoh repented, the plagues would have been stopped.
Analyze your own life. If you've entered into conflict with God, abandon the fight before it escalates.
PRAYER
· Rejoice in God's patience with rebellion and praise Him:
Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
· Pray this confession to the Lord:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
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
(Psalm 103:8-10).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Since I am in Christ, I am a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (based on 2 Corinthians 5:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· missions in Asia,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now to You who are able to keep me from stumbling,
And to present me 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
(based on Jude 24-25).
:angel:
February 6
Exodus 12
The Passover ends with the redemption of a promise.
INSIGHT
Exodus 12 is one of the most remarkable and important chapters in all of the Bible. In it we learn many things:
1. Only God can deliver us from sin.
2. Sin's penalty is death.
3. God is willing to allow a substitute death, so that we don't have to die.
4. Faith is the basis of our salvation. Our belief results in our obedience.
5. The Old Testament passover lamb is a foreshadowing of the New Testament Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ.
6. We are saved the same way the Israelites were saved: by faith in the substitutionary atonement of the Lamb which God provided.
7. Not to accept this avenue of escape is to suffer the wrath of God.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for His picture of salvation:
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds
(Psalm 108:3-4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
As the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us
(Psalm 103:11-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds
(Psalm 77:11-12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· opportunities for personal evangelism,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
February 7
Exodus 13
All of the firstborn, both man and beast, are consecrated to God.
INSIGHT
The spiritual truths, which God wanted to ensure were never forgotten, are memorialized in a ceremony-often involving a meal. The Passover meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are symbolic meals designed to commemorate the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, so the people of Israel would never forget what God had done for them.
The New Testament counterpart is the Lord's Supper, in which we eat a symbolic meal to memorialize the deliverance of the church from sin. When we observe communion, we celebrate a meal which has been observed in unbroken succession for 2,000 years.
PRAYER
· Give praise to the Lord for so graciously saving us from the consequences of sin:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain
(Psalm 104:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord 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).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom,
· needs of your immediate family,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
:angel:
February 8
Exodus 14
The Lord parts the Red Sea for the children of Israel.
INSIGHT
When we are obedient to God, nothing can touch us that does not come from God Himself. The armies of Egypt, symbolic of the armies of Satan, are no match for a God jealous to care for His beloved people. Resting in God's full protection in spiritual warfare, we may put on His full armor and stand firm, knowing that we will triumph in Him.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to our forgiving God:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works,
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the hungry around the world,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord will command His
lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
February 9
Exodus 19
The Israelites migrate to Mount Sinai where Moses meets with God.
INSIGHT
God's love for us is nothing less than total. And He leaves no doubt in our minds as to His commitment to us. The Lord goes so far as to establish a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai and with us at Calvary as an expression of His absolute commitment to us.
We should have two responses: we should love fully the God who first loved us. And, if we are to love our family as God loves us, we must leave no doubts in their minds as to the totality of our love for them. Communicate your love to them in certain terms.
PRAYER
· For His unconditional love, praise the Lord with this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 150:1-2, 6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· specific Christian ministries,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord who has made a covenant with you:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
(based on Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
February 10
Exodus 20
Moses meets with the Lord on top of Mount Sinai where he receives the Ten Commandments.
INSIGHT
The genius of God's moral system is that everything He asks of us is for our good. Often the Ten Commandments are seen by people as restrictive, keeping them from doing something that would make them happy. Initially, perhaps. But ultimately, nothing could be further from the truth.
Sin is self-destructive; righteousness is self-constructive. It makes no more sense to sin willfully than it does to become a drug addict. In both cases, the person is destroying himself.
Abandon yourself to the moral law of God. It is glorifying to Him, but it is also good for you. Understood in this light, we see the truth in the statement that anything less than the glory of God is anti-human.
PRAYER
· The holy God of Mount Sinai is worthy of our praise:
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
(Psalm 18:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
I return to the Lord my God,
For I have stumbled because of my iniquity,
I take words with me and return to the Lord
And say to Him, "Take away all iniquity,
Receive me graciously,
For I will offer the sacrifices of my lips"
(based on Hosea 14:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· today's activities.
· Finally, offer this closing 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).
:angel:
February 11
Exodus 32
The Israelites sin by worshiping an idol-the golden calf.
INSIGHT
Sin does not mind rubbing shoulders with righteousness. Even while Moses is on Mount Sinai communing with God, the children of Israel are fashioning a golden idol to worship in His place. Fueled by shamelessness and a short memory, the Israelites rush headlong into one of the most remarkable displays of indiscretion in the Bible.
Beware! Even when you are rubbing shoulders with righteousness, sin can trip you up. Even when you are basking in the light of Mount Sinai, evil may be lurking in the shadows.
As Peter wrote, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His truth and light:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved (Psalm 93:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You are my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
You are the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
(based on Psalm 27:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your life,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to God:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
February 12
Leviticus 16
The Day of Atonement.
INSIGHT
In spite of God's desire that we be holy, He is fully aware that we will not remain free from sin. But because God loves us and wants to be gracious to us, He provides a way for our sins to be forgiven.
In the Old Testament, the nation is cleansed from sin annually on the Day of Atonement. Since Christ has come, we may be cleansed moment by moment- whenever we ask for His cleansing mercy.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God of redemption through this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
And His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God?
(Psalm 113:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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 name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great
(Psalm 25:8-9, 11).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in the continent of Africa,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
February 13
Numbers 13
The Lord commands Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan.
INSIGHT
One of the most common mistakes we make during the tough times in life is to place our eyes on circumstances rather than on the promises of God. The Lord promises Israel that He will lead them into the Promised Land and defeat the armies that are living there. He even promises to send in swarms of hornets to drive out the armies, so Israel won't even have to fight. But one look at the giants, and every promise is forgotten. One glimpse of the armies, and "God is not enough."
The New Testament is full of promises for us. We must keep our eyes on the promises.
PRAYER
· As you focus on God's promises, praise Him with this psalm:
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
(Psalm 113:4-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
You will cleanse me from all my iniquity by which I have sinned against You, and You will pardon all my iniquities by which I have sinned and by which I have transgressed against You (based on Jeremiah 33:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
I delight to do Your will, O my God;
And Your law is within my heart
(Psalm 40:8).
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, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your talents,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
February 14
Numbers 14
The children of Israel reject God's signs.
INSIGHT
By nature, we are sight-walkers, not faith-walkers. We tend to have confidence in that which we can see, that which we have known. We fear that which we can't see and haven't known.
Not only does Israel refuse to go into the land because of the giants-the Israelites want to return to Egypt! Do they not remember that they were slaves there? Do they not remember that they cried out in tears to God for deliverance from Egypt?
You can't go back to your old life. There is nothing there but bondage. Your hope lies in following the Lord by faith. Walk forward.
PRAYER
· Give praise to the God who is powerful enough to defeat the giants in our own lives:
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 4:11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in your anger, lest You bring me to nothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater ability to walk by faith in your own life,
· courage for Christian leaders to consistently yield to God's will,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
February 15
Deuteronomy 1
Moses reminds the new generation of their parents' disobedience.
INSIGHT
Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it. Moses reviews the history of the wanderings of Israel to the new generation poised on the plains of Moab-ready to enter the Promised Land.
Moses tells them that their fathers did not believe the promises of God. Therefore, they were not obedient to Him. Their fathers condemned themselves to a life of untold hardship. Their fathers made their own destiny; they sealed their own fate.
Learn from their history. Do not repeat it.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His truth and light:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting
(Psalm 93:1-2).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies
and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
(Psalm 27:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities to share your faith,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
February 16
Deuteronomy 2
The Israelites wander in the desert.
INSIGHT
David writes that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly. But we see that it is possible, through rebellion,
to miss something good that God wants to give us.
God wants to give the Israelites the Promised Land. But when they refuse to enter it, they wander through the wilderness until the rebellious generation dies. Then that which God had wanted to give to them, He gives to someone else-the next generation.
When we walk in rebellion, we pay a price. God's blessings often include a test. Do we turn back? Or trust Him?
PRAYER
· We can express trust in Him with a psalm of praise:
For I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
He causes the vapors to ascend from the
ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain
(Psalm 135:5-7).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
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).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising
lovingkindness, judgment, and
righteousness in the earth
(Jeremiah 9:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral integrity,
· the ministry of Christian education institutions,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to God:
Now 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).
:angel:
February 17
Deuteronomy 3
The transfer of authority from Moses to Joshua is announced.
INSIGHT
The past is a picture of the future. When trying to determine what will be, it is important to know what has been.
Throughout the wilderness journey, God reminds Israel what He has done in the past-to give them courage and hope for the future. As the reins of leadership are passed from Moses to Joshua, the Lord encourages Joshua with a review of history: "Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two [1] kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass" (Deuteronomy 3:21).
The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When we face the giants in our lives, we can take heart from the Lord's words to Joshua: "You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you" (Deuteronomy 3:22). Our giants are not flesh and blood. They are spiritual and emotional. But the Lord must still defeat them. Trust!
PRAYER
· Praise the God of the past and the future:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalm 9:1-2).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I shall not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I shall lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also (based on Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever (Psalm 28:9).
:angel:
February 18
Deuteronomy 4
Moses appeals to the Israelites to live a life of faithful obedience to God.
INSIGHT
Thomas Jefferson once said, "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance." If true politically, how much more so spiritually. "Take heed," Moses says three times in chapter 4. First, take heed and keep your soul diligently. Second, take heed that you not worship idols. Third, take heed that you not forget the covenant the Lord made with you.
These are all dangers for us today. How easily we get careless about the welfare of our souls. How easily we worship modern idols. How easily we forget the promises of the Lord. We, too, must take heed. The price of our spiritual strength is eternal vigilance.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:
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 4:11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you reflect upon His forgiveness:
You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.
I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over the temptations you experience,
· revival among Christians in America and throughout the rest of the world,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
February 19
Deuteronomy 5
Moses reviews the Ten Commandments with the children of Israel.
INSIGHT
David writes that the Law of the Lord is perfect, and in keeping it, there is great reward. Part of that great reward is spelled out in chapter 5. Moses says that if the children of Israel will keep God's commandments, it will go well with them and with their sons forever! In addition, the Lord promises that they will live and that they may prolong their days in the land.
Holiness is not expensive. In fact, all the deepest longings of a child of God are met only in holiness. Could we consistently believe this, our lives would be more holy. Like the Israelites, we think that we are missing something by serving God. We are missing no more than the Israelites missed of Egypt.
PRAYER
· Honor the holiness of God by offering Him this psalm of praise:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
(Psalm 106:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives
(Hebrews 12:5-6).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
To Him who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (based on 1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
February 20
Deuteronomy 6
Moses exhorts the Israelites to obey the greatest commandment.
INSIGHT
There are three keys to sharing your faith with someone else. First, it must be real in your life. Moses said the words must be in your "heart," not just your "head." Second, we must impart truth and information. That is, we must teach diligently. Finally, this truth must penetrate every corner of our lives. We must talk of it when we lie down and when we rise up.
We rarely fool anyone, and if one of these keys is missing in our lives, we will not make an impact on others. We must know the truth, it must be real to us, and it must permeate our daily lives.
PRAYER
· As you foster the reality of your walk with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of praise:
Praise the Lord! . . .
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
He also established them forever and ever
(Psalm 148:1-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit
(Psalm 34:18).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You so loved the world, that You gave Your only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (based on John 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· national and world leaders,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
February 21
Deuteronomy 7
God commands the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites.
INSIGHT
God instructs the Israelites to remove from their land everything that will lead them to forsake their purity and commitment to the Lord. When we allow corruption inside our walls, it seeps into our lives and destroys us. We must remove the things from our lives that would tempt us or weaken us. Paul wrote, "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:14). Are there some things you have carried over from your earlier days that ought to be removed from your life? Why not remove them right away?
PRAYER
· Use this psalm to praise the God of the past and the future:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalm 9:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys the voice of His Servant?
Who walks in darkness
And has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord
And rely upon his God
(Isaiah 50:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· wisdom in decision making,
· needs of your friends,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd us also,
And bear us up forever
(based on Psalm 28:9).
:angel:
February 22
Deuteronomy 8
Moses reminds the Israelites of the Lord's blessings on them.
INSIGHT
Following God has never been easy. God never intended for it to be. He tests us to know what is in our hearts and to teach us that we do not live by bread alone. When things are too easy, we tend to be ungrateful. We tend not to give God the recognition for His blessing. In chapter 8, we see God's love and care, along with His tests and trials. We need both to be healthy. To grow, we need sunshine and rain.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!
(Isaiah 6:3 ).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.
I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength
(Isaiah 26:3-4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
February 23
Deuteronomy 26
The Lord teaches the Israelites the importance of giving.
INSIGHT
We offer a portion of our income to the Lord in gratitude for what He has given us. If we know Him for who He really is, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, then we will rightly understand that everything in the world truly belongs to Him. In His goodness and compassion, He has provided us with the things that we need to survive. As we give to the church, "the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow," we are acknowledging his exuberant generosity and love.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm to our worthy God:
"For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. . .
Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me"
(Psalm 50:10-11, 14-15).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Bow down your ear, O Lord, hear me;
For I am poor and needy. . . .
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:1, 5).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You are my portion, O Lord;
I have said that I would keep Your words. . . .
The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:57, 64).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an attitude of gratefulness,
· the poor and needy,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions-
This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great
(Psalm 104:24-25).
:angel:
February 24
Deuteronomy 27
Curses from Mount Ebal dramatize disobedience.
INSIGHT
What a drama! Mount Gerazim and Mount Ebal are two masses of limestone rock rising over 2,000 feet above sea level. Between them lies a beautiful valley, about 300 yards wide. Half the children of Israel are on one mountain, and half are on the other, with the Levites in the valley between the two mountains. Curses are called from Mount Ebal and blessings are called from Mount Gerazim. All of this is to dramatize the importance of obedience and the consequences of disobedience, even down to not letting a blind man wander out of his way.
Nothing is insignificant to a holy God. Nor should it be to us. We must care about right and wrong.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to our holy God in the words of this psalm:
Oh give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Remember His marvelous works . . .
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth
(Psalm 105:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
"Whoever drinks of the water that You shall give him will never thirst. But the water that You shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (based on John 4:14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the churches across the nation,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
February 25
Deuteronomy 28
The people receive the blessings of Mount Gerazim.
INSIGHT
A sword and a plowshare are laid on the valley floor between Ebal and Gerazim. Blessings are piled upon pile-until you wonder if the blessings can be contained. The Lord outdoes Himself, searching His omniscience to find ways of blessing Israel. Obviously, He takes great pleasure in doing good to them.
But in the shadow of the plowshare lies a sword. The 14 verses of blessings are followed by 54 verses of the most heart-rending curses imaginable.
How evil, how unspeakably terrible is sin. Thank God that He has delivered us from it. Thank God that, through Christ, we may taste of His blessings forever.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His goodness in delivering us from the consequences of sin:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You are the bread of life. He who comes to You shall never hunger, and he who believes in You shall never thirst
(based on John 6:35).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an eternal perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may You, the God of patience and comfort grant us to be likeminded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (based on Romans 15:5-6).
:angel:
February 26
Deuteronomy 29
The covenant with the children of Israel is renewed in Moab.
INSIGHT
After laying out the options before the Israelites at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim, God now says, "Choose."
But by His grace, He makes clear the consequences of these choices. How terrible are the curses-and how wonderful are the blessings.
Seeing the alternative so clearly before us, what could possibly account for our choosing the curses? The only conceivable answer is that we don't believe God. We don't really believe that the blessings will be that good-or that the curses will be that bad.
The Old Testament was written for our instruction. We must learn to take God at His Word. Period.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise for giving us His blessings:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice;
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You are the light of the world. He who follows You shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (based on John 8:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· the Lord's work in national and international affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord-the God who has promised to bless those who follow Him:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
February 27
Deuteronomy 30
Restoration is promised to the Israelites.
INSIGHT
Where would we be without forgiveness? In his weakness, man is not able to sustain any relationship without eventually needing to forgive and to be forgiven. This includes his relationship with God. Unless God were willing to forgive us, we could have no relationship with Him, for we are unable to be sinless before Him.
What a warm and tender chapter comes on the heels of the curses. God says, "If you turn from Me, I will pour out on you the curses. But if you repent and return to Me, I will forgive you and restore you." What a comfort. What a wonderful God.
PRAYER
· For His grace to forgive, offer the Lord this psalm of praise:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples
(Psalm 96:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
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 53:5-6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
These things You have spoken to me, that in You I may have peace. In the world I will have tribulation; but I will be of good cheer, You have overcome the world (based on John 16:33).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
February 28
Deuteronomy 32
Moses writes in poetic form a summary of everything he has taught the Israelites.
INSIGHT
Man is more than a machine. Man is more than a combination of blood vessels and bones. There is something within man that transcends the physical. It is the image of God. When the major issues of life lie before us, the image of God within us demands that we sing a song or paint a picture or write a poem or perform a dance.
At the end of his life-as Moses is struggling to summarize all that he needs to say to his people-he bursts out in song. Surely the thumbprint of God is seen in his crowning achievement.
PRAYER
· A mark of the image of God within is revealed as you offer Him your praise:
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).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Having been justified by faith, I have peace with You through my Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also I have access by faith into this grace in which I stand; and I rejoice in hope of the glory of You (based on Romans 5:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ with others,
· your state and local leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
O, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
March 1
Matthew 1
Matthew records Jesus' miraculous conception and birth.
INSIGHT
The birth of Jesus splits time and space like a lightning bolt in a hot July sky. The stage is set for the most important event in history. It has been planned before the foundation of the world. It is promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. The prophets have heralded it, the people long for it, and the culture is ripe for it.
The Messiah is coming to establish His kingdom. More importantly, He is coming to effect a new relationship between God and man.
Jesus is not just another world leader. He is God in the flesh. God, who has previously made Himself known through a nation, and through a law, is now coming to make Himself known through a man, a God-man, Jesus.
PRAYER
· Continue your time with the Lord by offering your praise to the God of history through these words:
You are my praise and You are my God,
who has done these great and awesome
things for me which my eyes have seen
(based on Deuteronomy 10:21).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me...
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, submit yourself to His will:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
· As you make your requests known to God, pray for
· laborers for the harvest,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· As your closing prayer, pray this passage to the Lord:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night
(Psalm 92:1-2).
:angel:
March 2
Matthew 2
Mary and Joseph flee with Jesus to escape Herod's murderous attack.
INSIGHT
When Herod asks the scholars where the Messiah is to be born, they answer without hesitating: "Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet."
The odds against anyone other than Jesus being the Messiah are staggering. There are 60 major prophecies that are fulfilled in the life of Christ.
Josh McDowell writes in Evidence That Demands a Verdict that, by using the science of probability in reference to all 60 major prophecies, the chances that any man might have fulfilled all 60 is humanly impossible. Reason demands that we accept Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah.
PRAYER
· As you rest in the security that Jesus is the Messiah, offer the Lord praise:
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).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin and its awful effects, pray this confession to the Lord:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him; and to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray to the Lord this affirmation of His mercy in your life:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church in the local community,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds
(Psalm 77:11-12).
:angel:
March 3
Matthew 3
After His baptism by His forerunner, John, Jesus' ministry is validated by God the Father.
INSIGHT
No matter when, no matter where, repentance is necessary when meeting God for the first time. To repent means to change your mind.
If you have been living your life without God, you must change your mind about Him. You must stop thinking of Him as something less than Sovereign Lord of the universe. You must acknowledge His right to define what is right -- and wrong -- for you. And you must trust Him to reconcile you to Himself through His only begotten Son.
If you were transported back to John's time and heard his message, would you repent?
PRAYER
· At Jesus' baptism, God confirmed Jesus' divine sonship to all who were at the scene. Thank God that He reveals Himself in ways that all people understand:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard
(Psalm 19:1-3).
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God
(Romans 3:10-11).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· day-to-day repentance,
· the Lord to reveal Himself to others through you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).
:angel:
March 4
Luke 1
The births of John and Jesus are foretold.
INSIGHT
How do you think you would feel if you were suddenly in the presence of an angel?
If you're like the biblical characters, you would feel . . . afraid. Scripture recounts several instances of human beings coming face-to-face with supernatural beings. Most of those occasions were frightening -- even terrifying -- to the persons involved.
But God's messengers understand our fear. And they do their best to assuage it. When Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, he saw her troubled look and said, "Do not be afraid."
That's what God says to us throughout our lives. Drawing us into His holy presence, He reassures us that we need not fear. God loves us, Christ died for us, and God has a plan for our lives.
So we can approach Him with complete confidence!
PRAYER
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of Scripture:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise against me,
In this I will be confident
(Psalm 27:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, offer this prayer of confession to the Lord:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in God's love,
· evangelism in your community,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, close with this prayer:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).
:angel:
March 5
Luke 2
Luke gives his account of Jesus' birth and early life.
INSIGHT
To Jesus, nothing is more important than doing His Father's will, even at the age of 12. When His parents miss Him on the trip home from the Passover, they return and find Him in the temple. "Did you not know that I had to be about My Father's business?" He asked. "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me," He later said in John 4:34. Absolute single-mindedness!
We are to have the mind in us which was also in Christ Jesus. We are to have absolute single-mindedness about doing the will of the Father. Most of us don't feel very single-minded. We feel distracted and pulled in the direction of the world, the flesh, and the enticements of the devil.
But the goal remains unchanged: absolute single-mindedness in serving the Father. Make that your purpose and your prayer.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise in these words to the God who is worthy of unceasing devotion:
O Lord our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
(Psalm 8:1).
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works
(Psalm 9:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool"
(Isaiah 1:18).
· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the former Soviet Union,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
March 6
Luke 3
Jesus begins His own ministry after John baptizes Him.
INSIGHT
The unique contribution of each of the four Gospels is very important to our understanding of the life of Christ. In the gospel of Matthew, the genealogy takes Jesus' ancestry back to Abraham. That is because Matthew's gospel is written by a Jew to Jews and emphasizes distinctly Jewish matters. However, Luke is a Gentile, writing to Gentiles, who emphasizes matters that are of concern to a broader audience.
From Matthew we learn that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, and we see the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham. From Luke, we learn that Jesus is the Son of God, and we see the fulfillment of God's promises to those of us who are not descendants of Abraham.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is faithful to His Word:
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being
(Psalm 146:1-2).
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful
(Psalm 147:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Forgive us Lord, when we are unmindful of the Rock who begot us, and when we forget the God who fathered us (based on Deuteronomy 32:18).
Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord (Lamentations 3:40).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time and efforts,
· opportunities for sharing your faith in Christ with others,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety
(Psalm 4:8).
:angel:
March 7
Luke 4
Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and tempted by Satan.
INSIGHT
When Satan tempts Jesus, he offers Him things which God has already promised to give to Jesus. The things are not wrong in and of themselves, but they are not in God's time or in God's way. Each time Jesus rebuffs Satan, He does so with Scripture. Each time Satan offers Jesus something, Jesus' reply is, "No, because it is written . . ." To be victorious, we must know Scripture well enough to use it in our spiritual warfare, to see through the tricks of Satan.
PRAYER
· The repentant heart is one that can offer praise to the Lord:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God
(Psalm 90:1-2).
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works
(Psalm 104:24, 31).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By grace I have been saved through faith, and that not of myself; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest I should boast. For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that I should walk in them (based on Ephesians 2:8-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living as God would want you to,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
March 8
Mark 1
Jesus begins His ministry of miracles and preaching and calls His first disciples.
INSIGHT
Mark writes that after Jesus' baptism the Spirit impels Him to go out into the wilderness, where He is tempted by Satan.
The next 40 days are enormously difficult for Jesus. It is not true that if you follow God's will, you will have a life of ease. Often, the way of God involves circumstances in which we must trust in the Lord and draw on His truth and strength.
Jesus was the God-man. Yet His life on this earth was filled with trials He had to endure. And we should expect to encounter trials during our sojourning in this world, but we can endure if we draw strength from the One who has paved the way for us.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who transforms us through His Word:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me
(Psalm 51:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the teachings of Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me --
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
March 9
Mark 2
Mark tells of Jesus' early ministry in Capernaum.
INSIGHT
When a paralyzed man is brought to Jesus, He says, "Son, your sins are forgiven you" (Mark 2:5). The scribes are incensed. No one can forgive sin but God, and they do not believe that Jesus is God. In response, Jesus says, "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?" (Mark 2:9).
Of course, it is easier to say that your sins are forgiven. After all, who can verify if it is true? So, to prove that He is God and has the power to forgive sins, Jesus says to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed and go your way to your house" (Mark 2:11). Jesus' miracles are often timed strategically to demonstrate the validity of a central truth which He is teaching.
PRAYER
· Rejoice in the fact that Jesus will forgive your sins, and offer Him praise:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms, there is none like You
(Jeremiah 10:6-7).
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments
(Psalm 112:1).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight --
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4).
· As you contemplate the Lord's mercy, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I shall know the truth, and the truth shall make me free (based on John 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to walk in the ways of the Lord,
· blessings on the work of a specific Christian ministry,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works
(Psalm 73:28).
:angel:
March 10
Mark 3
Jesus chooses 12 followers to be His disciples.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. A look at the 12 men Jesus chooses to be His disciples does not reveal a "Who's Who" in Judea. Rather, the men seem to be unknown and undistinguished.
The work of God does not depend on talent or intelligence. Different people have different strengths, but God uses all of us to accomplish His purposes. The body of Christ is made up of many parts -- some highly visible, some hidden, all useful. God makes the most of the talents and spiritual gifts He has given each of us.
PRAYER
· Using the following passage, offer your praise to the Lord, who uses us to do His will in His world:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
That He may seat him with princes --
With the princes of His people
(Psalm 113:1-3, 7-8).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession:
My iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness
(Psalm 38:4-5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater comfort in God's providence,
· the needs of family members,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which You have prepared for those who love You (based on 1 Corinthians 2:9).
:angel:
March 11
Matthew 5
Jesus teaches on the Beatitudes.
INSIGHT
Love is the fundamental factor of all meaningful relationships. Love is an action -- the action of selflessness, of esteeming others above ourselves. All interpersonal problems could be solved with a faithful, mutual expression of love.
Imagine what the world would be like if everyone acted in love. No war. No divorce. No AIDS. No murder. No rape. No tears.
Though Jesus knew that sin presently prevents perfect love, He held believers to a high standard of showing His love in this world: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who loves us in spite of our sin:
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings
(Psalm 17:6-8).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 15:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But You demonstrate Your own love toward me, in that while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me (based on Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater gratitude for your salvation,
· a return to righteousness in this nation,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
March 12
MATTHEW 6
Jesus teaches His followers concerning prayer and personal treasures.
INSIGHT
We cannot fool God. It is impossible to put something over on Someone who is omniscient. We can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time. But not God. Jesus says, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them"(Matthew 6:1).
It is easy for us to fall into the trap of living our Christian lives for the sake of other Christians. We should be living it for the sake of our relationship with the Lord. We may find ourselves going to church, singing the songs, and going through the motions but spending no time cultivating a personal relationship with the Lord. Such a relationship does not come easily. It requires commitment and time.
But we must not fool ourselves, either. The Lord does not want merely our church attendance or other external actions. He wants us!
PRAYER
· Ponder the fact that the Lord wants a personal relationship with us, and offer Him your praise:
O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
And according to the fruit of his doings
(Jeremiah 17:9-10).
· As you ponder the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
March 13
Matthew 7
Jesus teaches His followers concerning the need to follow the Lord fully in everything.
INSIGHT
Love is the basis of all that God asks of us. Jesus says, "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12). This teaching goes hand in hand with what Jesus urges later in Luke 10:27, that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.
We want to be appreciated, loved, treated with dignity, and esteemed. This, then, is the way we ought to treat others. The double benefit is that when we treat others that way, they begin to treat us the same, and our relationships are characterized by depth and meaning.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because He has treated us with love and dignity:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. . . .
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
(Psalm 32:3, 5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The wages of sin is death, but Your gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (based on Romans 6:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your talents,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever
(Psalm 28:9).
:angel:
March 14
Luke 7
Jesus helps the people understand the significance of John the Baptist and his ministry.
INSIGHT
"Don't confuse me with the facts; my mind is made up!"
Sometimes unbelief can't be shown enough proof of God and His Word. No matter how much evidence is compiled, if a person refuses to believe, nothing will convince him. The scribes and Pharisees have already rejected God before Jesus or John ever came on the scene. That is why they reject John when he comes preaching a message of preparation for the Messiah and for Jesus when He comes.
We must know in order to believe, yet we must also believe in order to know. Many truths in the Bible may puzzle us. To begin mastering them, we must first rest completely in the character and power of almighty God.
PRAYER
· As you consider God's willingness to use you, offer Him your praise through this passage.
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. . . . You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:17, 19).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word (Isaiah 66:2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord:
· pray for the renewing of your mind by the power of God's Word,
· openness to be used by God,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore
(Psalm 16:11).
:angel:
March 15
Mark 4
As Jesus expands His public ministry, He teaches extensively using parables.
INSIGHT
Faith does not come to us full-blown.
It must be cultivated and nurtured. Jesus cultivates the faith of His disciples. After an extensive time of teaching, Jesus goes out into the Sea of Galilee with the Twelve, knowing that a storm will come. He calms the storm and then asks, rhetorically, "How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40). His disciples marvel and their faith grows. We, too, must go through times of testing to become strong.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God who loves you and who seeks your love in return:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
You who are mighty have done great things for me, and holy is Your name. And Your mercy is on those who fear You from generation to generation (based on Luke 1:49-50).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
· As you consider the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 2:16-17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your walk with Him,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith in Christ,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
March 16
Matthew 13
Jesus continues teaching with parables, then returns to His hometown of Nazareth.
INSIGHT
Throughout His ministry, there are periods during which Jesus teaches extensively in parables. Often the multitudes do not understand the meaning of the parables, but Jesus is careful to explain them to His disciples.
This pattern is illustrative of God's ways: to those who are the most receptive to truth, the Lord grants understanding.
However, for those who do not receive the truth, greater understanding is not given. Light received brings greater light; light rejected leaves darkness. If you hunger for greater spiritual understanding, it is vital that you strive for faithfulness in what you do understand. Then light received can bring more light in your life.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God of light in the words of this psalm:
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions
(Psalm 45:6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer
(Isaiah 54:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· the ministry of Christian educational institutions,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
March 17
Mark 5
Jesus casts demons out of a Gadarene man and raises a girl from the dead.
INSIGHT
When Jesus takes over a life, He makes a difference. The worse the life, the greater the change.
When the demoniac from Gadarene rushes at the disciples with evil intent, Jesus exercises divine power, banishing Satan's minions from their victim's soul. Later, the man who had run naked among the tombs, howling and cutting himself, is sitting beside Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.
Wherever we are in our spiritual journey, the Lord will continue the work He has begun. He will keep changing us, ever into the image of Christ.
PRAYER
· As you consider God's power to make sinners into saints, offer Him praise:
For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him
(Psalm 18:28-30).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
What I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me (Romans 7:15-17).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your continued sanctification by the power of God's Spirit,
· a greater willingness to share what Christ has done for you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever
(Psalm 30:11-12).
:angel:
March 18
Mark 6
Jesus performs two astounding miracles in His hometown of Nazareth.
INSIGHT
Jesus' miracles are often more than acts of kindness; they are also profound object lessons given to train His contemporary and future followers.
After feeding the 5,000, Jesus again sends the Twelve out onto the Sea of Galilee, knowing a storm will come. Then He walks out on the water to reveal to them more deeply the reality of who He is. By their reaction, the disciples show that their idea of Christ is too small. He is more -- much more -- than they think He is.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for the greatness of His character:
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).
· As you seek to keep your life free from the sin that so easily entangles, pray this confession to the Lord:
I long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And Your law is my delight.
Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
And let Your judgments help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments
(Psalm 119:174-176).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another -- He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:24-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of God's character through His Word,
· contentment with His will,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer:
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22).
:angel:
March 19
Mark 7
Jesus points out the hypocrisy of observing traditions yet ignoring the Scripture.
INSIGHT
Even the earnest Christian must guard against hypocrisy. How easy it is to sing, "All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give," and then go out to live with some areas of our lives not given over to Christ.
Yet, there is a difference between weakness and rebellion. All of us struggle with weaknesses which we wish we didn't have and with which we wrestle in the grace of God to overcome. Rebellion expresses itself when we could overcome a sin if we wanted to but make no attempt to do so.
The Bible expresses compassion for us in our weaknesses as we cry out to the Lord for greater strength. But God's Word pronounces a scathing rebuke for hypocrisy and rebellion. We must check our hearts to be certain that our shortcomings are weaknesses and not hypocrisy.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord accepts us in spite of our weaknesses, we can praise Him:
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only
(Psalm 71:14-16).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight (Hosea 6:1-2).
· As you confess your sins, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go;
You will guide me with Your eye
(based on Psalm 32:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· evangelism in America,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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 You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:5-6).
:angel:
March 20
Mark 8
Jesus uses the miracle feeding of the 4000 as a teaching tool for His disciples.
INSIGHT
After feeding the 4000, it is obvious that the disciples do not understand the significance of the event. Jesus says, "When I fed the 5000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" His disciples reply, "Twelve." Then again, "When I fed the 4000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" "Seven," they answer.
"Do you not yet understand?" the Lord asks them.
Then, some days later, Jesus is alone with the Twelve, and He asks them, "Who do you think I am?" Peter replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Finally, progress!
PRAYER
· Offer your praise with the following psalm to the Lord who is faithful to us when we are weak:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night. . . .
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(Joel 2:13).
· As you consider the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are the door. If anyone enters by You, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. You have come that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly (based on John 10:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· the President and national leaders and affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
March 21
Mark 9
Jesus is transfigured as a validation of His identity as the Deity and Messiah.
INSIGHT
The Transfiguration gives us an exciting glimpse into our resurrection life. From it, we may learn several things. Our physical bodies may be startlingly brilliant and beautiful, as we witness the amazing appearance of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. We may know each other automatically since the disciples seemed to recognize Moses and Elijah without instruction. We apparently will not be subject to the physical limitations of nature since Moses and Elijah appeared and disappeared. What a joy awaits us in eternity!
PRAYER
· Use this passage of Scripture to offer your praise to the Lord, who transforms us into the image of Christ:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together
(Psalm 34:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this passage of affirmation:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
There is no searching of His understanding.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might
He increases strength
(Isaiah 40:28-29).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
March 22
Luke 10
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.
INSIGHT
The harsh reality of life is that we cannot help everyone in need. From the parable of the Good Samaritan, we can learn several things which help us evaluate when we should help. We are obligated to assist a person in need when
· he or she comes across our path in the normal course of life;
· he or she has a legitimate need, not of his or her own making;
· he or she cannot help himself or herself;
· and we have the ability to meet the need.
PRAYER
· We praise the Lord because He is faithful to bring us to spiritual maturity:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9).
· As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over the temptation you face,
· reformation in America and the world at large,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer these closing prayers to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
Quiet Walk
March 23
Luke 15
Jesus tells three parables to demonstrate the quality and quantity of God's love for sinners.
INSIGHT
Many things about God are difficult to understand. But there is one thing about God which is easy to understand. He earnestly longs for the lost to be saved. In the parable of the lost sheep, we see a God who is willing to leave the multitudes to seek just one which is lost. In the parable of the lost coin, we see a God who will move heaven and earth to find a prized possession. In the parable of the prodigal son, we see a God who rejoices with great joy when a lost one comes home.
As Christians, we should not let that which we don't know cloud that which we do know. We must focus on the roses rather than the thorns. God loves the sinner, and on that, we can rest.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord your praise for His great love for you:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods
(Psalm 95:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the ministry of other churches around the nation,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
March 24
Luke 16
Through parables, Jesus gives instruction on the proper perspective of wealth.
INSIGHT
It's hard to let go of the temporal and lay hold of the eternal. And the temporal world can hold on to rich and poor alike through money. Both the greedy and the envious live as if there were no eternal realm.
Jesus often speaks about a true and good perspective on money. Perhaps His financial teaching can be summed up by this: Our faith should be in God, not money. We must be careful always to trust God who supplies the money rather than to trust the money itself.
PRAYER
· The Lord can be completely trusted with all your needs. Thank Him with praise:
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday
( Psalm 37:3-6).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
See, O Lord, that I am in distress;
My soul is troubled;
My heart is overturned within me,
For I have been very rebellious.
Outside the sword bereaves,
At home it is like death
(Lamentations 1:20).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance. . . .
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me --
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:5, 8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faith in God's providence,
· the needs of your friends,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May I learn in whatever state I am, to be content (based on Philippians 4:11).
:angel:
March 25
Luke 17
Jesus describes the circumstances surrounding His second coming.
INSIGHT
Gratitude is beautiful to witness. When a person's eyes light up as they open a gift, the giver enjoys the experience as much as the receiver.
We appreciate gratitude, and so does the Lord. He loves to see His children rejoicing at His many good gifts.
Gratitude to the Lord can be cultivated. Imagine what your life would be like without the Lord's grace. Show the Lord that you appreciate Him by nurturing an attitude of gratitude.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is so liberal with His good gifts:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalm 92:1-4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments
(Psalm 119:5-6).
· As you reflect on God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You have . . . given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
You enlarged my path under me;
So my feet did not slip
(Psalm 18:35-36).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a renewed commitment to showing gratitude for God's many blessings,
· opportunities to encourage other believers,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Close your prayer time with the Lord with this offering from the pages of Scripture:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
:angel:
March 26
Mark 10
Jesus prepares His disciples for His death.
INSIGHT
If there is anything between you and the Lord, He will pinpoint it and ask you to give it up. He wants total commitment -- nothing less.
That does not mean you cannot be committed to other things. It just means that He wants nothing to be higher on your priority list than He is.
A husband must be committed to his wife and children. A professional must be committed to his job. But all must be committed to the Lord first.
The rich young ruler learned this in a very painful lesson. We can learn from his experience: Put the Lord first.
PRAYER
· As an expression of your commitment to the Lord, offer Him this psalm of praise:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me
(Psalm 63:3-4, 6-8).
· Pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart --
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray to the Lord this affirmation of your faith in Him:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to Christ,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May You, the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To You be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
March 27
Mark 11
Jesus is perceived as an earthly king as He rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey.
INSIGHT
When Jesus rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey, why does the crowd rush out to greet Him? The answer is found in Jewish culture and history. In Old Testament times, one of the ways a king was inaugurated was to get on a donkey and have a large retinue of people walk along behind him shouting, "Long live the King!"
The crowd in the temple wants to make Jesus king. When they see Him riding toward them on a donkey, they use it as an opportunity to precipitate a coronation. That He was crucified shortly afterward indicates that they were looking only for a national leader rather than a personal Savior. How do you see Him?
PRAYER
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of this psalm:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture
(Psalm 100:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, confess this prayer to the Lord:
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 139:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
O God of peace, sanctify me completely; make my whole spirit, soul, and body to be preserved blameless at the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ (based on 1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
March 28
Mark 12
The Pharisees and Sadducees attempt to discredit Jesus through treacherous questions.
INSIGHT
In today's passage, we see one of the most marvelous teachings in the New Testament. An attorney, intrigued by the quality of the answers Jesus gives to the Pharisees who are trying to discredit Him, asks Jesus what the greatest commandment is. He only asks for one; Jesus gives him two.
The Lord says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . [1] your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these"(Mark 12:30-31). The Christian life can be very complex, but at its heart, it is very simple: love God and others.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord has promised to care for our needs, offer Him your thanks:
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
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 33:1-5).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You
(Psalm 5:4).
He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· your development of a perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (based on 2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
Quiet Walk
March 29
Mark 13
Jesus responds to His disciples' questions regarding His future coming.
INSIGHT
To the world, the idea of Jesus returning in history to judge His enemies and reward His friends is a joke.
"Come down out of the clouds," people say, "and spend your time thinking about what you can do right here and now."
Though the world doesn't take the doctrine of the Second Coming seriously, the Bible places great emphasis on the teaching. Christians, then, need to take it seriously as well. Twice in Mark 13 Jesus warns, "Be on the alert!" Properly understood, awaiting Christ's return should help us live righteously as we do God's work in this world.
PRAYER
· Express your gratitude to the Lord for His promises by offering Him praise:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things; . . .
Shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises
(Psalm 98:1, 4).
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:6-7).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater discipline in your personal Bible study,
· national and world affairs,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
March 30
Matthew 24
Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree and signs of His second coming.
INSIGHT
Matthew 24 and 25 offer some of the most comforting -- and terrifying -- verses in the Bible. They detail some of the judgments to fall on mankind at the end of history. Yet God will not be caught by surprise. He is able to protect His spiritual children.
If someone comes along and says, "I am Christ," we do not have to be confused. We know he is a false teacher, for Jesus will come in the twinkling of an eye -- there will be no time for such statements. The God of power is also the God of the future, and we can rest in His sovereign care as we trust in Him.
PRAYER
· As you rest in God's sovereignty, offer Him this psalm of trust:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalm 100:4-5).
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory (Psalm 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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 53:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation 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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· blessing in your life roles: family, work, ministry,
· the Lord to send out laborers into His harvest,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
March 31
Matthew 25
Jesus continues His teachings concerning His second coming.
INSIGHT
Christians cannot compartmentalize their lives into the secular and the sacred. All truth is God's truth, and anything done for Him whether "religious" or not is sacred.
Jesus equates loving your fellow man with loving Him. He equates serving those in need with serving Him. He equates caring for the suffering as caring for Him.
You can love your fellow man without loving Christ, but you cannot love Christ without loving your fellow man. Whether you are worshiping the Lord or washing the feet of a bum on skid row, it is sacred and holy work if it is done out of love for the Lord.
PRAYER
· The praise of the Lord's children is a sacred and holy work. Join in that praise with the psalmist:
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
(Psalm 145:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has have done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the spreading of the Gospel,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
April 1
Mark 14
Jesus spends His last two days in intimate communion with His closest friends.
INSIGHT
Prayer is one of the true mysteries in the Bible. It is inevitable, as we grow in our prayer life, that we will struggle with an inadequate understanding of how to pray.
The example of Jesus praying in Gethsemane helps us with what we can know and understand about prayer. First, we can know that prayer does not eliminate emotional struggling.
A second thing we can learn is that prayer can make us stronger spiritually and keep us from temptation. In each account of His prayer, Jesus says to His disciples, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation." (Mark 14:38). If we watch and pray, we will be strengthened against temptation.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this praise:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all
(1 Chronicles 29:11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon
(Isaiah 55:6-7).
· As you confess your sins, pray this affirmation of God's Word:
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength. . . .
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint
(Isaiah 40:29, 31).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the Scriptures,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace
(Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
April 2
Mark 15
After Jesus is crucified, Joseph of Arimathea buried Him in Joseph's own tomb.
INSIGHT
Most of us have a highly developed sense of justice. We want things to be fair, and we are incensed when they are not. From simple things like people cutting in line ahead of us to major things like prejudice and bigotry, we are angered when we see or experience injustice.
With that in mind, review what happens to Jesus. Though He is totally righteous and without sin, religious bigots manufacture charges against Him and take Him to a legal jellyfish who doesn't have the courage to execute justice. Then He is beaten, mocked, and crucified. Doesn't that inflame your sense of justice? He has the power to obliterate those who harm Him; yet He willingly endures it for us.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him for the "great and awesome" things He has done in offering you salvation:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
(Exodus 15:11).
Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot me,
I am unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered me
(based on Deuteronomy 32:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (John 14:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· the work of missions in Asia,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing 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).
:angel:
April 3
Mark 16
Mary and Mary Magdalene discover that Jesus has risen from the dead.
INSIGHT
It is a momentous morning as Mary and Mary Magdalene walk to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, intent on anointing the body of Jesus but not knowing how they will get into the tomb. They say to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us?"
Miracle number one: The stone has been rolled away. Miracle number two: An angel is sitting in the tomb to explain to them what has happened. Miracle number three: Jesus is gone; He has risen.
They have two responses. They were amazed! And they report to the disciples all that they have seen.
They expect to deal with death. But they find themselves in the middle of more life than they can imagine. Such paradox is God's way. He brings life from death.
PRAYER
· Give your praise to the Lord for offering you the gift of eternal life:
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).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president, national leaders, and national affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
April 3
Mark 16
Mary and Mary Magdalene discover that Jesus has risen from the dead.
INSIGHT
It is a momentous morning as Mary and Mary Magdalene walk to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, intent on anointing the body of Jesus but not knowing how they will get into the tomb. They say to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us?"
Miracle number one: The stone has been rolled away. Miracle number two: An angel is sitting in the tomb to explain to them what has happened. Miracle number three: Jesus is gone; He has risen.
They have two responses. They were amazed! And they report to the disciples all that they have seen.
They expect to deal with death. But they find themselves in the middle of more life than they can imagine. Such paradox is God's way. He brings life from death.
PRAYER
· Give your praise to the Lord for offering you the gift of eternal life:
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).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president, national leaders, and national affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
April 5
Matthew 27
Pilate tries Jesus then hands Him over to be crucified.
INSIGHT
Proverbs 20:17 says, "Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel." If ever a man illustrates that truth, Judas does. Some mysterious passion burns in his breast to betray Jesus.
Whether Judas seeks political ambition or mere lust for money, we do not know. But later, his remorse is so great that he throws the money away and hangs himself. We must remember Judas when illicit desire burns in our breast. Such desire always promises more than it delivers; it always turns to gravel in our mouths.
PRAYER
· The sacrifice which Jesus made for us took tremendous courage, for which we praise Him:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . .
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from the power of sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your life,
· opportunities for personal evangelism,
· your activities for the day,
· 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).
:angel:
April 6
Matthew 28
After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples.
INSIGHT
Jesus' message of salvation is the greatest news on earth. He does not leave to chance the need for His message to be taken to all earth's people.
In Matthew 28, Jesus charges His disciples with that task. If however, you begin the recital of the Great Commission with verse 19, you have the "great omission." Verse 19 begins with "Go therefore." But to fully understand the phrase, we must go to verse 18 to see what "therefore" is there for.
On the basis of His authority, we are to go, and to go in confidence that, as we are obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ's commission, He will accomplish His work through us.
PRAYER
· Because someone "came" to give the Gospel to us, thank the Lord and give Him your praise:
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!
And all the people said, "Amen!" and praised the Lord
(1 Chronicles 16:31, 34, 36).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· blessings on the work of specific Christians,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
April 7
Luke 22
Jesus shares the Passover meal with His disciples.
INSIGHT
At the beginning of human history, the first people disobeyed God. That fateful choice proved spiritually fatal-for Adam, Eve, and all their descendants.
Since the fall, we have all imitated our first parents. We have tried to usurp God's right to control His creation. We have demanded the right to control our own destinies, our own moral judgments, our own decisions.
Even those who actually walked with Jesus fell prey to this proud way of thinking. During the Last Supper, which you might think would be one of the most spiritually intimate moments in the disciples' experience, an argument broke out about who was the greatest among them. Jesus replied that the greatest among them must be a servant to all.
Beware when you find yourself striving for preeminence. Instead, your quest must be servanthood.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He has revealed His will for us in His Word:
Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it abides.
They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
For all are Your servants.
Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would then have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life
(Psalm 119:89-93).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (Romans 7:22-23).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater humility before God,
· the preaching of the Gospel,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I put on the whole armor of God, that I may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (based on Ephesians 6:11).
:angel:
April 8
Luke 23
Pilate sentences Jesus to be crucified on the hill called Golgotha, "The Skull."
INSIGHT
Without conflict, there are no heroes. The hero and coward look alike until the battle begins. Then and only then, in the face of the challenge, is each one's true character manifested.
In Jesus' time, you do not expect heroes of the Christian faith to emerge from the ranks of the Pharisees. But Joseph of Arimathea defies the expectations.
This godly man risks wealth, reputation, and perhaps personal safety, when he asks for and receives the permission to take down Jesus' body from the cross and lay it in his own tomb.
PRAYER
· Give God praise that He enables His children to do heroic deeds on His behalf:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was translated so that he did not see death . . for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased You, O God (based on Hebrews 11:1-5).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience (based on Ephesians 2:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater courage in evangelism,
· the work of missions in Europe,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Since I am surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, . . . let me run with endurance the race that is set before me (based on Hebrews 12:1).
:angel:
April 9
Luke 24
After Jesus rises from the dead, He appears to a number of His disciples.
INSIGHT
The most reasonable explanation for the empty tomb is the Resurrection. If, as some have claimed, Jesus had not been killed but only weakened by the crucifixion, the stone and the soldiers would have prevented His escape from the tomb. If Jesus' friends had tried to steal the body, the stone and the soldiers likewise would have prevented them. Jesus' enemies would not have taken the body, since a missing body would only encourage belief in His resurrection. The easiest way to quiet claims of His resurrection would have been to produce the body. This they could not do.
The angel said, "He is not here, for He is risen, as He said" (Matthew 28:6). Since Jesus predicted and experienced His own death, burial, and resurrection, we can trust Him with our lives.
PRAYER
· The Lord can be trusted with our lives because of His own life, and we praise Him:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works. . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You
(Psalm 9:1, 9-10).
· 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out (John 6:37).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
April 10
John 1
John traces the deity of Christ from "the beginning."
INSIGHT
The Scriptures are such an intimate and personal revelation of the mind of God that there is no distance between the Word and God Himself. John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This verse refers to Jesus, and yet, He is called "the Word."
In Revelation 19:13, John writes of Jesus: "He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." To know the Word is to know God; to uphold the Word is to uphold God; to believe the Word is to believe God; and to obey the Word is to obey God.
PRAYER
· The Word of the Lord is certain, and we praise Him for that trust:
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
(Psalm 18:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done . . . (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
· Confessing any sins the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Now 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, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with the gifts and talents God has given you,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
(Psalm 103:22).
:angel:
April 11
John 2
Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana to demonstrate His deity to His disciples.
INSIGHT
In John 2:24 we read, "But Jesus did not commit Himself to them." The word commit is the same word that is translated "faith" or "believe" in other places in the Bible. It gives us additional insight concerning the concept of faith in the Bible.
Faith is more than just intellectual understanding. Once someone understands the Gospel, he must make a personal commitment to it. He must entrust himself to it. In reality, to believe in Jesus Christ is to commit one's self to Him.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to Jesus, who, as God, offers us salvation:
Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power
(Psalm 21:13).
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 personal 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 name's 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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).
:angel:
April 12
John 3
Jesus explains the spiritual nature of salvation.
INSIGHT
Faith, or belief, is often misunderstood. Faith has been defined as "believing in spite of there being nothing to believe" or "believing in spite of the evidence to the contrary." It is often viewed as identical with wishful thinking. If we believe hard enough, we can make something come true (regardless of whether or not God may approve).
None of these concepts is biblical. Faith is belief based on sufficient evidence. In other words, faith is trusting what God has revealed in His Word and in the world, both of which give ample testimony to the truth.
PRAYER
· The sensitive and believing heart looks for opportunities to praise the Lord for His goodness:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
· Pause for personal 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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).
:angel:
April 13
John 4
Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman.
INSIGHT
The supreme activity of a Christian is worship. As Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman about a location of worship, He proclaims that God is spirit and that those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.
For worship, God is indifferent to places, nationalities, and methods. We may worship Him on a mound of dirt or in a cathedral. But we must worship Him in truth. When our body sits in a worship service but our mind is elsewhere, we are not worshiping.
Worship is an act of the will. You can decide to worship. Enter into the songs that are sung, the prayers that are prayed, and the Scripture that is read. Offer Him spiritual sacrifices, and you will experience worship.
PRAYER
· As an act of personal worship, offer this psalm of praise to the Lord:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings
(Psalm 33:1-2).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· the ministry of Christian education institutions,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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 ).
:angel:
April 14
John 5
Jesus infuriates the religious leaders by claiming equality with God.
INSIGHT
Many people in this world-atheists, agnostics, and those in pseudo-Christian cults-say that Jesus was merely a man, not God. What's more, these people say Jesus never claimed to be God. The Incarnation-the doctrine that Jesus was one person with two natures, one human, one divine-is an anti-biblical and absurd idea invented by the church in later centuries, these skeptics opine.
The gospel of John certainly dispels that notion. In chapter 8, John writes that the religious leaders of His day picked up stones to slay the Lord Jesus Christ because He made Himself equal with God. The Jewish leaders were men of Jesus' time and culture. They understood Jesus' meaning far better than 21st-century skeptics. And as far as they were concerned, Jesus was committing the blasphemy of claiming to be God-a capital offense.
PRAYER
· As an act of personal worship, offer the following praise to God the Son:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-4, 14).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us.
Have mercy on us,
O Lord, have mercy on us!
(Psalm 123:2-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple (Psalm 5:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater love for the God-Man-Christ Jesus,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
(Psalm 4:1).
:angel:
April 15
John 6
After feeding the 5000, Jesus teaches that He is the "Bread of Life."
INSIGHT
Throughout Jesus' ministry, He often speaks in figures of speech. Sometimes the people understand what those sayings mean; sometimes they don't.
Jesus promises living water to the woman at the well, so she will never thirst. Her reply is: "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?" (John 4:11).
And in John 6, Jesus speaks of Himself as a bread even better than the manna in the desert, for He gives eternal life to the whole world, rather than merely physical life to the Hebrews in the desert. Missing his point, his audience says hungrily, "Lord, give us this bread always" (v. 34).
He later explains to His disciples, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). Jesus reveals the truths behind the figures of speech to His followers.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God who reveals His will to you through His Word:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world
(Psalm 19:1-4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 19:12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of the Bible,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
:angel:
April 16
John 7
Jesus becomes involved in controversy with religious leaders over His true identity.
INSIGHT
When iron and aluminum shavings are mixed together, they are indistinguishable. You cannot identify them by sight; you must sweep a magnet through them. The magnet will attract all of the iron filings, but the aluminum filings will remain undisturbed.
The Lord Jesus Christ has exactly the same effect on those to whom He ministers. Those whose understanding is anchored in faith are drawn to Him like iron to a magnet. Those who choose not to believe remain undisturbed, as though nothing special has happened.
Some of the multitude were saying, "This is the Christ" while others were saying, "Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?" Understanding, combined with faith, understands even more. Unbelief blinds people.
PRAYER
· Let us praise Him, for surely, this is the Christ:
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions
(Psalm 45:6-7).
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness
(Psalm 48:9-10).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you 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).
· Now pause to 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, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
April 17
John 8
Jesus teaches on truth.
INSIGHT
By nature, we want absolute freedom. But such freedom is not possible. In fact, no such thing as absolute freedom exists. To be free to sail the seven seas, we must make ourselves a slave to the compass. This subservience irritates us.
All of life is a contrast between freedoms and corresponding bondages. We can be slaves to Jesus and free from the bondage of sin, or we can be free from Jesus and slaves to the bondage of sin. We can make ourselves slaves to truth, and the truth can set us free.
PRAYER
· The heart that has been set free by truth can offer praise to the Lord of all truth:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.
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
(Psalm 32:3, 5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with the finances God has entrusted you with,
· revival to spread among American Christians,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25, 27).
:angel:
April 18
John 9
Jesus heals a man born blind, stirring up controversy.
INSIGHT
While Jesus certainly has compassion on those to whom He ministers, His miracles are done not only to relieve human suffering but also to establish His credentials. He claims to be the Bread of Life. To validate that message, He feeds the 5000.
In chapter 9, Jesus says that the man's blindness is not because of sin but for the purpose of manifesting the work of God in him. The same was true with Lazarus. His death was not final but was for the purpose of bringing glory to the Son of God. Jesus raises Lazarus and then says that the Son is glorified.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise as you seek spiritual closeness with God:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
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 4:11).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
(Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· an eternal perspective,
· your spiritual goals,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
April 19
John 10
Using the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus teaches of salvation and His deity.
INSIGHT
Whoever comes in contact with Jesus is either blinded or enlightened. They either accept Him or begin manufacturing reasons not to believe in Him. Jesus illustrates this reality with the imagery of sheep and a shepherd. He says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (10:27). Make your heart tender and sensitive to hear and obey Jesus. Walk in His light and you will not stumble.
PRAYER
· Join your heart with the saints of the ages over the last 2,000 years in offering praise to the God of our salvation:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings
I will rejoice (Psalm 63:3-4, 6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me
(Psalm 51:1-3).
· As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
April 20
John 11
After Jesus raises his close friend, Lazarus, from the dead, many believe in Him.
INSIGHT
Jesus was ministering on the east side of the Jordan River, about a day's walk from Bethany, when Lazarus fell sick. Messengers were sent to tell Jesus, who waited two days before returning to Bethany. He found that Lazarus had been dead for four days, apparently having died the same day the messengers were dispatched. So Lazarus was dead by the time Jesus learned about his illness.
Why, then, did Jesus delay His return for two days? Jesus knew Lazarus' condition. His delay was to heighten the manifestation of the power of God. Jesus called, "Lazarus, come forth!" And Lazarus came forth. The result of this miracle? Many of the Jews believed in Him, and the Son of God was glorified.
PRAYER
· As a God, both of power and compassion, we offer Him our praise:
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;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the ministries of your church,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
April 21
John 12
After the triumphal entry, the multitudes herald Jesus as their Messiah.
INSIGHT
It is easy to get someone to talk about God, but try to talk about Jesus, and it is not so easy. People will often talk about "feeling close to God." But mention Jesus, and people start to get uncomfortable. Say that Jesus is the only way to God, and people get downright offended.
But Jesus says that if you accept Him, you accept God; and conversely, if you do not accept Him, you do not accept God. When someone talks about being close to God but wants nothing to do with Jesus, you can be sure he is not yet close to God.
Regardless of anyone's unbelief, here is the simple truth: Jesus is God the Son, and He is the only way God has provided for sinners' reconciliation with Himself.
PRAYER
· Praise God for His merciful provision of a Savior:
For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
(Job 19:25-27).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You"
(Psalm 41:4).
· As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater appreciation for Christ,
· a revival in our nation,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).
:angel:
April 22
John 13
Jesus meets with His disciples and institutes the Lord's Supper.
INSIGHT
More than 2000 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ ate a ceremonial meal with His disciples. This meal originated in the Passover and pictured Christ's death, our need to receive Him personally for our salvation, and the fact that all those who are His people are a communion of saints. During the meal, He instructed His disciples to observe this ceremony regularly and with gladness until His return.
And so, whether called the Lord's Supper, Communion, or the Lord's Table, Christians today observe a solemn but joyous ceremonial meal which looks back to the redemption of the Cross and forward to the glory of the Second Coming.
PRAYER
· Praise God that He is powerful enough to keep the promises pictured by Communion.
The Lord reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
Let them praise Your great and awesome name - He is holy
(Psalm 99:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear
(Psalm 66:18).
· As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!
(Psalm 66:19-20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of other traditions within Christianity,
· heart-felt worship at your local church,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! (Revelation 19:9).
:angel:
April 23
John 14
Jesus reassures His disciples with His promise to send the Holy Spirit.
INSIGHT
A very tender and intimate scene begins in chapter 14. The disciples do not understand clearly everything that is going on, but they know that something big is about to happen and that Jesus will be leaving them. Their Teacher, their Mentor, their Friend for the last three years is leaving, and their hearts are crushed with the burden.
In this spirit, Jesus speaks softly, kindly, tenderly to them: "Let not your heart be troubled; . . . I go to prepare a place for you (in My Father's house). And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself" (14:1-3). Again: "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (14:18).
How loving and compassionate. And He loves us just as much as the disciples.
PRAYER
· God's love for us is indeed cause for us to give Him our heart-felt praise and adoration:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God, "How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to
You (Psalm 66:1-3).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalm 103:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in Australia and the islands of the South Pacific,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
April 24
John 15
Jesus teaches that a personal relationship with Him, and others, is central to His design.
INSIGHT
There are times when our prayers are answered and we seem "in tune" with God. At other times, our prayers seem not to be answered, and we seem far from God.
Jesus gives us two directives to keep in mind as we ponder our prayer. First, we are to abide in Him. This abiding, among other things, includes fostering a conscious awareness of His presence at all times and bringing all thoughts, attitudes, and actions in line with what we understand of His teachings. Second, "and My words abide in you" must involve studying, memorizing, and meditating upon the Word so that we pray intelligently, knowing God's will ahead of time on some things. As we grow in these two areas, more and more of our prayers will be answered.
PRAYER
· The Lord is pleased when we offer Him our praise:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . . .
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only
(Psalm 71:8, 14-16).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength (Isaiah 30:15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in evangelism,
· national and world affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
April 25
John 16
The Lord teaches the disciples about prayer through His own example.
INSIGHT
We often gain by our losses. The one who has suffered no loss is still a shallow person. It was expedient for the disciples that the Lord should leave because the Spirit's presence was contingent upon His physical absence. Christ's work must be complete so the Spirit can apply it to the hearts of men. Jesus must die and be resurrected. The Holy Spirit will draw men to His offer of salvation. And the best news? We'll see Jesus again.
PRAYER
· God forgives our sin and beckons us to Himself for which we offer Him our gratitude and praise:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. . . .
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 90:1-2, 17).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You
(Isaiah 26:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the homeless in America,
· greater wisdom for living life,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
April 26
John 17
Jesus prays that the Father will make His disciples fruitful and give them future glory.
INSIGHT
The mark of a Christian should be love. In Matthew 22, we read that the two greatest commandments are love for God and love for our neighbor. In John 13:35, Jesus says, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." In John 17:21, Jesus says if Christians have unity (based on love), the world will believe that Christ was sent from God. When our badge is love, the world is convinced that we are genuine disciples of Jesus, rather than hypocrites.
PRAYER
· In the words of this psalm, offer your praise to the Lord, who is patient with us when we doubt:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4, 15).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. . . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world (John 6:51).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· laborers for the harvesting of souls,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen
(Revelation 7:12).
:angel:
April 27
John 18
After His arrest, Jesus is taken before Pilate and the religious leaders.
INSIGHT
As the power of the Creator of the universe was veiled in human flesh in Jesus of Nazareth, men came with torches and weapons to subdue Him.
He asked, "Whom are you seeking?" They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." With the force of those words from Jesus, they "drew back, and fell to the ground" (John 18:6).
It must have rattled their confidence to have to arrest Jesus. How much greater significance it lends to Jesus' words: "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself" (John 10:17-18).
For our sakes, Jesus laid down His life that we might take it up. He became what we are so that we might become what He is. Praise and glory to God!
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord your praise for His willingness to lay down His life for you:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen
(Psalm 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken me except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that I may be able to bear it (based on 1 Corinthians 10:13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation (Hebrews 9:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, . . . through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
April 28
John 19
After being cruelly mistreated, Jesus is crucified and gives up His spirit.
INSIGHT
The apostle John reveals the most detailed picture of Pilate's judgment of Jesus. At first, Pilate says, "I find no fault in Him at all" (18:38). Then, he scourges Jesus, hoping to placate the Jews. Without success, he makes efforts to release Jesus, but the Jewish leaders will not stand for it. Anxious about his political reputation in Rome, Pilate caves in, washes his hands of the affair, and releases Jesus to the Jewish leaders to be crucified.
We place much of the blame for Jesus' death on Pilate. But if at any point in time Pilate had repented of His deed, Jesus Himself would have welcomed him into the kingdom of God.
PRAYER
· Give your praise to the Lord for sending His only begotten Son to provide the way for your redemption:
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities
(Isaiah 53:10-11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:6).
· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations
(Psalm 22:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· deeper gratitude for your salvation,
· the integrity of those who represent Christ in the pulpit,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
April 29
John 20
After Jesus's resurrection, He appears to His disciples and reassures Thomas of His deity.
INSIGHT
God commands us to believe in Him, but He doesn't require us to believe in Him contrary to the evidence.
Thomas needed to be shown that the miracle of Jesus' resurrection was really true. God provided Thomas with the proof he needed. Jesus appeared to Thomas and said, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands. . . . Do not be unbelieving, but believing" (20:27). Jesus saw what Thomas needed and gave him sufficient evidence to believe.
You don't have to be afraid of sincere doubt. That doubt can be changed. Just examine the evidence of Christ's work in the New Testament. Then ask God to help you to believe according to the evidence. Like the father in Mark 9:24, your prayer can be: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He has made the truths of His existence, power, and righteousness plain for all people to see:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the
foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
(Isaiah 40:21-22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord:
When I know to do good and do not do it, to me it is sin (based on James 4:17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him
(Psalm 103: 11-13).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the glory of God's creation,
· the work of missions in Asia,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 42:10).
:angel:
April 30
John 21
Jesus appears to His disciples again to reassure them and to build their faith.
INSIGHT
Without a shepherd, the sheep scatter. After Jesus' death, His disciples scatter and the fishermen return to the sea. They simply do not know what to do next.
After an evening of unfruitful fishing, they return to shore to find Jesus there with breakfast ready. We see a picture of Peter and Jesus, eating together in perfect harmony. Bear in mind, this is the man who denied that he ever knew Jesus. This incident adds weight to Jesus' statement that the one can love greater who has been forgiven for the greater sin.
The Lord is mindful of our frame and knows that we are but dust. You must not let sin fester in your heart. Confess it and accept His forgiveness.
PRAYER
· The Lord reigns and He forgives. Praise Him for His blessings on our behalf:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting
(Psalm 93:1-2).
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
· 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).
· As you confess your sins, pause and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your spiritual growth,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
May 1
Joshua 1
The people pledge their allegiance to Joshua's leadership.
INSIGHT
The genius of God's moral code is that everything He requires of us is for our own good. When we violate His code of life, we suffer harmful consequences.
Joshua's success is dependent upon not deviating from God's Law. God instructs Joshua to meditate on the Law day and night so "that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it" (1:8). When Joshua does according "to all that is written in it," then "[1] will make your way prosperous, and then [1] will have good success."
Anything less than obedience to God is not only disappointing to Him-it is self-destructive. There is more than one reason for faithfulness to His Word.
PRAYER
· As you think of the impact of the Word of God on your life, offer the Lord this praise:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6).
· Having offered Him your praise, now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
We look for light, but there is darkness! . . .
Our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them
(Isaiah 59:9, 12).
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea
(Micah 7:19).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, come to Him with your concerns and desires:
· your spiritual growth,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your activities for the day.
· 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;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace
(Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
May 2
Joshua 2
Rahab shelters two spies and helps them escape from the city of Jericho.
INSIGHT
God will meet any person, any time, any place. There are few people who seem to be further from the Lord than a harlot. Yet, in the course of her everyday life, Rahab finds herself keeping a divine appointment with two strangers in need and, in the process, meets with God.
The kind of risks Rahab takes will not be taken without a searching heart. In her own way, she takes a step of faith; God meets her. Her reward is not only eternal life, but also the honor of being included in the messianic lineage. Wherever you are in your life, God will meet you there.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise as you remember all He has done for you:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· As you ponder the wondrous holiness of the Lord, pray this confession to Him as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool"
(Isaiah 1:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who will protect you:
When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-5).
:angel:
May 3
Joshua 3
God miraculously parts the Jordan River for the people of Israel to cross over.
INSIGHT
There are two times in history when God parts water for the Israelites-once at the Red Sea as they flee from the Egyptian army and again at the Jordan River as they enter the Promised Land.
The Red Sea experience receives more acclaim, but the Jordan River experience is just as miraculous. The water parts for a distance of almost 20 miles as the nation passes over on dry ground during the flood stage.
God is faithful to accomplish His good purposes for His people.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His goodness to all generations of those who love Him:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
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 to be feared above all gods
(Psalm 96:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord, who has been good to you:
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, pray for:
· greater insight into the meaning of Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord who is goodness in Himself, and therefore the standard of goodness for all His creatures:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
May 4
Joshua 4
The Israelites choose 12 stones to erect as a memorial to God's faithfulness.
INSIGHT
Memorials help us preserve important memories. God memorializes many important things in the Old Testament, often through feasts and ceremonies. Now He uses a monument built of stones so that in the future the Israelites can tell their children: "Here, the God of miracles was faithful."
What things has God done in your life that you ought not to forget? Think of ways to memorialize them. You might have ceremonies, anniversaries of important events, or a physical memorial. Either way, foster the memory of God's work on your behalf.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to the Lord as you remember all He has done for you:
The Lord reigns;
Let the earth rejoice;
Let the multitude of isles be glad!
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the
foundation of His throne. . . .
The mountains melt like wax at the
presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory
(Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:3-4).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who has done great things for you:
[We look] for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works (Titus 2:13-14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
May 5
Joshua 6
The Lord fells the walls of Jericho.
INSIGHT
The Word of God often goes against all reason. Consider Joshua, a military strategist so brilliant that his campaigns are still studied today. He is standing afar, looking at the city of Jericho, pondering how to conquer it. The angel of the Lord appears to him saying, "Walk around the city several times and shout. That ought to do it!"
Can you imagine the response from the standpoint of military strategy? It is sheer nonsense. Yet it is a test of faith and obedience. Joshua believes and obeys, and the fallen walls are history.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord who fights mightily for His people:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His
glory. Amen and Amen
(Psalm 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in the Lord's power,
· revival to pour down on our spiritually parched land,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord who does everything according to His plan and purpose:
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will (Ephesians 1:4-5).
:angel:
Quiet Walk
May 6
Joshua 23
Nearing his death, Joshua charges the Israelites to be faithful to the Lord.
INSIGHT
After a brilliant career as Israel's leader, Joshua bids them farewell. He urges them not to allow themselves to be corrupted by the gods or people of the nations around them. Then Joshua encourages them that if they are faithful, "all the good things" of the Lord will come upon them (23:15); if they are not faithful, "the Lord will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land" (23:15).
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His faithfulness to all generations of those who obey Him:
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 personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin: David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly" (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. . . . This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world" (John 6:47-48, 50-51).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faith in God's providence,
· ministry leaders,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
May 7
Joshua 24
Joshua reviews Israel's history, charges them to serve the Lord, then dies at the age of 110.
INSIGHT
Joshua again gathers Israel to hear a review of their history and the good things God has done for them. He states the benefits and consequences of faithfulness and unfaithfulness. "If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (v. 15). Fortunately, the Israelites accept the challenge and agree to serve the Lord.
From time to time, the Lord may challenge us through various and unpredictable ways. When we drift from Him, when we get stale, or cease growing, the Lord will often bring a circumstance into our lives which forces us to choose whom we will serve. At those times, we must learn from the nation of Israel and choose to serve the Lord.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord cares enough about us to challenge us to total commitment, we praise Him:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalm 100:1-5).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 139:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for other Christians,
· missions in Europe and Asia,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
:angel:
May 8
Judges 1
The tribes of Israel do an inadequate job of vanquishing the aliens living in the Promised Land.
INSIGHT
The book of Judges is a pathetic chronicle of a weak and willful people. Soon after Joshua's death, the Israelites begin to fall short of the directives he gave them. They fail at the most crucial point and tolerate the presence of immoral idol worshipers among them. The story which follows is one of sexual immorality, murder, idolatry, corruption, and greed. The depths to which the Israelites plunge is truly disgusting- reminding us of the warnings given by Moses and Joshua.
Turning your back on God always has tragic consequences. When we read about the Israelites, their foolishness seems so clear. Yet when we are faced with temptations today, it doesn't seem so clear. We can learn from the past, however. The consequences can be just as grave for us. A wise man walks with the Lord and is saved.
PRAYER
· Because we can be delivered from bondage to sin, offer your praise for the Lord's goodness:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord
(Psalm 104:24, 34).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He is despised and rejected by men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. . . .
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 53:3, 6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president and national leaders,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
(Psalm 84:11-12).
:angel:
May 9
Judges 2
The Israelites begin worshipping Baal, a god of Canaan.
INSIGHT
There is a distinct pattern of events that begins to unfold in Judges. The children of Israel fall into sin and begin worshiping other gods. Sin is followed by servitude. The Lord causes other nations to rise up in judgment and enslave Israel.
Israel cries out to God for deliverance, and the Lord delivers them by raising up a judge to lead them to victory. Then the land has rest until that judge dies and the cycle begins again: sin, servitude, supplication, salvation, and silence. Sin is always followed by bondage. Repentance frees.
PRAYER
· Because God always honors our obedience to Him, we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more. . . .
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength"
(Isaiah 30:15).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living,
· the needs of your family,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
May 10
Judges 6
Gideon is chosen to rule Israel.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. This is true in times of apostasy when God sometimes calls His mightiest servants from places of obscurity and gives them faith to believe Him. He works great deliverance through them.
This is certainly the case with Gideon who exclaims that he is from the weakest family in Manasseh and is the youngest in that family. Yet he is devoted to the Lord and, therefore, usable for God's purposes.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for the privilege of following Him fully:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name"
Selah
(Psalm 66:1-4).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· growth in all areas of your life,
· fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
May 11
Judges 7
God uses Gideon's 300 men to rout the entire Midianite army.
INSIGHT
"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit" is the work of the Lord accomplished (Zechariah 4:6). Few stories illustrate that principle more clearly than that of Gideon and his army of 300. God wants prepared men to fight His battles with His weapons in His way. His weapons are not earthly but spiritual. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We want to offer God our strength and our weapons and our insight but He does not need them. We need Him. Rather than trying to get God to accept our plans, strategies, and goals, we ought to strive to understand His. His way is the way of victory.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord is our victory, we praise Him and rest in His care:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord
(Psalm 105:1-3).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings. . . ."
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise
(Jeremiah 17:9-10, 14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries for which you are concerned,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
This is the day which the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it
(Psalm 118:24).
:angel:
May 12
Judges 14
Samson desires a Philistine wife.
INSIGHT
Some people are strongly gifted and seem to see results, regardless of their personal worthiness. This is true of Samson. It is difficult to imagine a more unworthy vessel for the work of God. It is a challenge to decide if he carelessly disregards wisdom and the Word of God or whether his decision-making ability is somehow impaired. Nevertheless, in spite of his exceedingly foolish escapades, God uses him to bring judgment on the Philistines who have flaunted their hostility toward Jehovah.
PRAYER
· Give God praise that He uses His people even though we are all unworthy vessels:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
(Psalm 8:1-4).
· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater appreciation of God's mercy,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom
(Psalm 90:12).
:angel:
May 13
Judges 15
Samson uses foxes to burn the Philistines' crops and kills 1,000 men.
INSIGHT
A list of the sins of Samson:
1. Fraternizing with pagans
2. Marrying an unbeliever
3. Disobeying his parents
4. Touching a dead animal
5. Murdering innocent people
6. Visiting a harlot
7. Lying
We are often tempted to disregard the truth. We weary of being good and fighting natural inclinations. But one look at Samson's life reveals the consequences of giving in to that weariness. We must wait on the Lord and have our strength renewed.
PRAYER
· Give praise to God that He forgives our sins and uses us to accomplish His purposes despite our iniquities:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works,
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater appreciation of God's mercy,
· a favorite ministry,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
As a seal upon your arm
(Song of Solomon 8:6).
:angel:
May 14
Judges 16
Samson is subdued and later dies in his final act of resistance.
INSIGHT
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7). Samson's lustful foolishness finally catches up with him, and in a profound example of bad judgment, he discloses the secret of his strength to a woman who had betrayed him repeatedly.
He violates his Nazarite vow, and all his power leaves him. His eyes are gouged out and he dies, not avenging the Lord against the Philistines but avenging the loss of his own eyes. It is a heartbreaking conclusion to a life that is tragic-tragic not only because of what it was, but even more for what it could have been.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and give Him your praise. By His grace, we can escape consequences similar to those Samson experienced by living for Him:
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:
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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· mission work in Africa,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now 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).
:angel:
May 15
Ruth 1
A Jewess, Naomi, and her two daughters-in-law lose their husbands.
INSIGHT
In Ruth, we see one of the most stirring examples of loyalty in the Bible. In spite of Naomi's urgings to the contrary, Ruth stays with her, looking not for personal fulfillment or material comfort but longing merely to maintain the relationship with one whom she loves. This loyalty comes from a pure heart, and it is not surprising that it extends not just to Naomi but also to the Lord.
In stark contrast to Samson, Ruth's selflessness leads to beauty, fulfillment, and seeking the good of others. We should take instruction for our own lives and live as Ruth, not as Samson.
PRAYER
· Because we can have the beauty of the Lord in our lives, give thanks and praise to Him:
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 113:2-3, 5-6, 9).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord;
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me
(Psalm 40:11-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your talents,
· your state and local leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25, 27).
:angel:
May 16
Ruth 2
Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem in hopes of fostering a livelihood.
INSIGHT
When Boaz, a noble and godly man, hears of Ruth's noble and godly actions, he is moved with appreciation for the kind of person she is.
When he finds her gleaning in his fields, he bestows kindnesses on her. Ruth asks why he should take notice of her since she is a foreigner. Boaz replies that it is because of all that she has done for Naomi. The way we live our everyday lives communicates a "life message" to others. When we live for the Lord, that message is a beacon of light to others.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for His sovereignty and for the fact that He works His will regardless of the failures of His children:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-3, 48).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
May 17
Ruth 3
Boaz, a close relative of Naomi, agrees to marry Ruth.
INSIGHT
The custom in the Old Testament is that when a relative dies without leaving a male heir, the next nearest relative marries the surviving spouse to preserve the family name and property rights. Naomi thinks Boaz is the next of kin; therefore, there is nothing forward in Ruth's actions. Boaz exercises admirable restraint, knowing that there is closer kin. His concern for Ruth's good name again shows his nobility of character, for he is surely attracted to Ruth already.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who renews our strength when we wait on Him:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth
(Psalm 108:1-5).
· Pause for personal 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities for evangelism,
· your activities for the day.
· 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).
:angel:
May 18
Ruth 4
Boaz marries Ruth and restores the fortunes of both Ruth and Naomi.
INSIGHT
What a happy ending. Because of Ruth's faithfulness and circumspection, all the broad acres in which she once gleaned as a destitute alien are now hers, for she has become one with the owner.
When we are one with Christ, we are no longer aliens in another's fields; and being one with Christ, all that is His is now also ours. As Ruth is translated from isolation and poverty to union and wealth in Boaz, so we become fellow heirs of the riches of Christ and the grace of God. It is likely that the story of Ruth is intended by God to picture our redemption in Christ. And our story is even greater than Ruth's story.
PRAYER
· Ruth is such a beautiful story of redemption. Praise the Lord for His redemption for us:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . . .
We will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 115:1, 11, 18).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us
(Psalm 103:10-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
(Isaiah 9:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· Christian education institutions,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
May 19
1 Samuel 1
God gives a child to Hannah and Elkanah, after Hannah's years of praying for a son.
INSIGHT
The grief of being childless drives Hannah to God. In Him, she finds her only resource for consolation.
Even though children may cry when they are taken to a doctor by their parents, they still trust their parents in spite of fear and pain. Similarly we must still trust and cling to the Lord even though we do not understand why He does not deliver us from our pain. Just as children will someday understand about the doctor, we will someday understand about the pain.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who will one day make all things in heaven and on earth right:
With righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat. . . .
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea
(Isaiah 11:4-6, 9).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession 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
(Psalm 51:1).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faith in the Lord,
· a world-wide revival,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
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).
:angel:
May 20
1 Samuel 2
Hannah dedicates Samuel to the service of the Lord.
INSIGHT
We rarely give God sufficient thanks and praise for the things He does for us, and we rarely give Him adequate worship for who He is and for His significant answers to prayer.
By contrast, notice Hannah's song of thanksgiving. She prays earnestly for a child, and when the Lord gives her one, she expresses her gratitude in full-blown poetic praise. Her response is fitting for the gift.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord is so merciful to us, we give Him heartfelt praise and thanksgiving with the psalmist:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The Lord has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God
(Psalm 98:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater thankfulness to the Lord,
· unsaved family members,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
A day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness
(Psalm 84:10).
:angel:
May 21
1 Samuel 3
The Lord speaks directly to Samuel, and all Israel recognizes Samuel as a prophet.
INSIGHT
For all the glory of speaking directly with the Lord, Samuel is given a very difficult task: He must deliver to Eli a troubling message from the Lord. With a pure heart and nothing to gain or lose by the encounter, Samuel tells Eli the truth.
We too must sometimes confront people with truth, knowing that the truth will hurt. Ephesians 4:15 instructs us to speak the truth in love. Speaking the truth without love is destructive.
Samuel's example is a difficult one but a good one. Like Samuel, we can only fulfill such a task if our hearts are pure and we do not manipulate the situation for our own benefit.
PRAYER
· Because we can know the truth and the truth can set us free, offer your praise to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 145:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer
(Isaiah 54:7-8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
May 22
1 Samuel 8
Israel demands a king from the Lord.
INSIGHT
The Lord intends to rule Israel by theocracy, which means that God will rule through a man who will be His spokesman. In rejecting this method, the Israelites are not rejecting Samuel but God. To be sure there is a problem with Samuel's sons not walking after the Lord, but rather than ask God for another theocratic administrator, they demand a monarchy. In seeking to correct a legitimate problem, they make matters worse because their motives are wrong. They have a selfish desire for a king like the nations around them.
When we see legitimate problems, we must be careful that we do not demand wrong solutions. There is no substitute for pure motives when it comes to problem solving.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because we need not fear His solutions to problems:
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness. . . .
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 personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart-
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· revival among Christians in America,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
May 23
1 Samuel 9
God instructs Samuel to anoint Saul as the first king over Israel.
INSIGHT
The sovereignty of God is a difficult concept to keep in balance. Often we find ourselves making too much or too little of it.
It is true, however, that many of the events in our lives, which seem to come at random with no significance, are actually events that the Lord is using to orchestrate His purpose in our lives.
For example, Saul goes looking for donkeys and ends up discovering that he will be king of Israel. We should always bathe our daily activities in prayer, for we never know what the Lord might be preparing for us.
PRAYER
· Even though you may be in pain, praise the Lord that He loves you and cares for you:
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments
(Psalm 112:1).
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him, "Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips"
(Hosea 14:1-2).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of personal friends,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered
(Psalm 40:5).
:angel:
May 24
1 Samuel 10
Samuel publicly introduces Saul to the nation of Israel.
INSIGHT
Leadership is at the same time a blessing and a curse. Leaders like to have the allegiance and esteem of their followers, but such is rarely the case. Inherent in humanity are differences of opinion, and those differences cause some to be for certain leadership and against other leadership.
The day Saul is presented as king over Israel, a faction of "worthless men" grumble against him. If you are in a position of leadership, you should not be insensitive to dissension, but you must also realize that you will never make all the people happy all the time.
PRAYER
· Use the following psalm to express your gratitude and praise to the Lord for all He has done for you:
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. . . .
I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places. . . .
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 135:1, 3, 5-6, 21).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels" (Revelation 3:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
May 25
1 Samuel 15
Saul breaks the Law of the Lord then offers sacrifices to the Lord.
INSIGHT
Saul's fall is fast and far. His spiritual leadership is destroyed before he really gets a good start. Such a profound disparity between how he starts and how he ends is difficult to explain.
It stands as a warning, however. None of us is above falling, no matter where we are in our spiritual walk.
Our regular prayers ought to include what Jesus teaches us to pray: "Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13). Again, Jesus says, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation" (Matthew 26:41).
The price of our spiritual welfare is eternal vigilance.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His protection from evil:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness
(Psalm 96:5-8, 11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· local churches around the nation,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
May 26
1 Samuel 16
David is anointed to be king.
INSIGHT
David is indeed an outstanding individual. As a teenager, he is known to be "skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him" (v. 18). In each of these things, David is not just lucky. David works hard at all the things for which he is known, including the fact that "the Lord is with him."
Each of us has been given talents and abilities. Like David, if we are to achieve our God-given potential, we must be slaves to the things that advance those abilities.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord that we are the objects of His tender mercies and powerful leading:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:65-68).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater trust in God's sovereignty,
· the spiritual condition of our national leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
May 27
1 Samuel 17
Goliath the Philistine challenges Israel's army.
INSIGHT
When God goes to war, there are no accidents. Just as He uses Gideon and an army of only 300 to rout the Midianite army that was "without number," so He uses a boy with a slingshot to rout the Philistine army. In 2 Chronicles 18:33, "a certain man drew a bow at random," but it "struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor." There are no accidents when God goes to war.
We can take comfort in this fact in relationship to the spiritual warfare in which we all find ourselves. The obstacles may seem insurmountable. But if we are on God's side, no foe is too great.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise as you rejoice in the power He uses in controlling the events of history:
We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
You drove out the nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.
For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand,
Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
Because You favored them
(Psalm 44:1-4).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long?
(Psalm 6:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me
(Psalm 138:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater courage in the midst of trials,
· your pastor,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands
(Psalm 138:8).
:angel:
May 28
2 Samuel 5
After many years of delay, David assumes Israel's throne.
INSIGHT
Earlier, Samuel had anointed David-then a young, inexperienced boy-to be king over Israel. Fourteen years elapsed between Samuel's anointing and the time when David actually assumes the rule over all of Israel.
Instead of luxuriating in the royal palace during these years, David runs from cave to cave, trying to escape from Saul who is bent on killing him. But it is these difficult experiences that build into David the strength of character, the convictions, the sensitivity to right and wrong, and the vision to be a great king.
Even for us today, the road to transformation always goes through the tunnel of trials.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord uses the difficult times to create Christlikeness in our lives, we can praise Him for all things:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain
(Psalm 127:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East, the islands, and Australia,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
May 29
2 Samuel 7
David prepares for building a temple, but God tells him that David's son will build it.
INSIGHT
With all his heart, David wants to build the temple of God. Yet because David is a man of war, God reserves that privilege for David's son Solomon, whose very name means "peace."
While David cannot actually build the temple, he does draw the plans and begins amassing the materials. And Solomon's job is much easier because of David's work.
In fact, the Lord commends David's deep desire to build the temple even though he is not permitted to do so (see 2 Chronicles 6:8.)
There may be things in your heart that you would like to do for God that you cannot do. Even so, it is good that it is in your heart to want to do them.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He rewards us because of our motives:
"Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify
Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested"
(Revelation 15:3-4).
One cried to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!"
(Isaiah 6:3).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· 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, pray for:
· faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· the Lord's work in world affairs,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this 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).
:angel:
May 30
2 Samuel 11
David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his loyal commanders.
INSIGHT
There is greater pain in sin than in righteousness. David clearly loves Bathsheba. Certainly, it would have pained him had he turned his heart away from her before having relations with her. But that pain is nothing compared to the pain he brings on himself and others by taking her as his own. Adultery, murder, the death of their child, the loss of respect, and the memory of the guilt were some of the results of his sin.
It is sometimes painful to do the right thing, but it is always more painful to do the wrong thing.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because He fulfills our lives by giving us talents and abilities to develop:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 150:1-3, 6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me (Jeremiah 33:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord
(Lamentations 3:25-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your development of an eternal perspective,
· your personal spiritual goals,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).
:angel:
May 31
2 Samuel 12
The prophet Nathan openly rebukes David and stirs him to repent.
INSIGHT
When Nathan comes to accuse David of adultery and murder, it is well within David's power to shout: "Off with his head!" But David does not issue that order. Instead, his heart breaks. The horror and magnitude of his sin is incalculable, but it is to David's credit that he immediately repents. Rather than resisting repentance because we feel we don't deserve forgiveness, we should do as David did-repent that very instant.
PRAYER
· Give praise and thanks to the Lord for giving us victory over the world:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You. . . .
The Lord is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation
(Jeremiah 10:6-7, 10).
· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· persecuted Christians worldwide,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
June 1
1 Kings 1
The prophet Nathan and Bathsheba join forces to ensure that Solomon replaces David as king.
INSIGHT
As Adonijah, David's oldest living son, takes steps to become king, only Bathsheba and Nathan know of David's desire that Solomon succeed him.
Circumstances seem grim to Bathsheba. Should Adonijah become king, she and Solomon most probably would lose their lives, being seen as threats to the throne. Yet it is God who establishes kings, and His will is that Solomon reign. Again God demonstrates that He is in control-in spite of the foreboding circumstances.
As we consider the perplexing nature of circumstances in the world, we are tempted to lose heart, perhaps to question whether God is really in control. We should be reminded from this passage that He is. Whatever comes our way, the hand of God is there to see us through. It is something we must believe.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer this praise to Him:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works. . . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You
(Psalm 9:1, 9-10).
· Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(Joel 2:12-13).
· The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace"
(Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
June 2
1 Kings 2
David charges Solomon with the urgency of living for the Lord.
INSIGHT
Parts of the Old Testament tax our understanding and our acceptance.
First, we do not understand much about Judaism, the Law, and Old Testament
culture and customs. Second, many of the events are violations of God's desires-though that is not explained to us. And finally, God deals with men differently in the Old Testament than in the New Testament.
While not all things are easily explained, in chapter 2, Solomon takes vengeance only upon all those people who had already committed acts that were punishable by death. This doesn't answer every problem we might have with this difficult chapter, but it is a beginning.
PRAYER
· The Lord will guard and care for those who want to follow Him with their whole heart:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears
(Psalm 34:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord answered Job, and said:
"Shall the one who contends with the
Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it."
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
"Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth"
(Job 40:1-4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him" (John 6:27).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a friend to believe in Christ,
· greater understanding and love for God's Word,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned (Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
June 3
1 Kings 1
God grants Solomon wisdom.
INSIGHT
Solomon's heart is manifested by the purity of his prayer. He could have asked for a long life; he could have asked for riches and honor. But instead Solomon asks simply for wisdom. What an honest and unselfish prayer.
Being honest with God is not as easy as we might think. We all tend to live life with masks on-behind which the real "us" hides-to make a better impression on people.
How foolish! God sees behind the mask-as do most people. We can learn from Solomon. God is pleased with honest, transparent prayers.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His wisdom to all generations of those who love Him:
Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord
(Jeremiah 9:23-24).
· 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.
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 19:12-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the all-wise Lord:
In you, O Christ, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (based on Colossians 2:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in your daily life,
· wisdom for political leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
June 4
1 Kings 4
Solomon's fame spreads throughout the world.
INSIGHT
To understand the significance of Solomon's wealth, power, and wisdom, we must go back to Deuteronomy 28, where God outlined the consequences for Israel's obedience and disobedience. During the latter part of David's reign and the early part of Solomon's reign, Israel follows the Lord in righteousness for a longer period of time than any other. The results are a greater blessing than at any other time in Israel's history.
It is a glaring and tragic reality that shortly after Solomon's reign, Israel follows her kings in unrighteousness, and the curses in Deuteronomy begin to come about. The welfare of Israel is always related to her righteousness.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is holy and in whose holiness we can share:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
· Pray this confession as you 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 13:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· mission work in Europe and Asia,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
June 5
1 Kings 5
Solomon forms an alliance with Hiram for help in building the temple.
INSIGHT
Known as a fair, just, and righteous man, David builds an excellent reputation with noble neighboring leaders. Hiram and David establish their friendship early in David's reign (2 Samuel 5:11), and 1 Kings 5:1 states: "Hiram had always loved David."
It is perhaps David's reputation that prompts Solomon to write in Proverbs 22:1: "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches." Each of us must take this Scripture to heart and dedicate ourselves to the development of a spotless reputation by being fair, just, and righteous and by being utterly true to our word.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord whose reputation we share when we live for Him:
Ah, Lord God! . . . There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them-the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:17-19).
· 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
"For 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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president and national leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
June 6
1 Kings 6
Solomon oversees the temple construction, making it a work of art glorifying God.
INSIGHT
The temple that Solomon builds for the Lord is spectacular. The stonework is magnificent; the tapestry work is glorious; and nearly everything inside is overlaid with gold.
Why such opulence? Because the temple is to be a physical representation of the beauty and glory of God. One is supposed to be able to look at the temple and be reminded of the beauty of God. It is not beauty for beauty's sake, but for the glory of the God of beauty.
PRAYER
· Offer God your praise in the words of this Scripture:
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him
(Daniel 2:20-22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater wisdom for living,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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.
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 19:13-14).
:angel:
June 7
1 Kings 7
King Hiram of Tyre supplies artisans and craftsmen to finalize the glorious temple.
INSIGHT
Not only is the work of the temple designed to reflect the splendor and glory of God, but also the layout of the temple is designed to reflect His work in atoning for our sin. The bronze laver, the candlesticks, the tables of showbread, the Holy of Holies-all are designed to picture for us the atoning work of Christ. All this is in keeping with what Paul wrote in Romans 15:4: "Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."
PRAYER
· The Lord knows us totally and loves us completely, and for this we offer Him our praise:
Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation" (Luke 1:46-50).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:9-11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
June 8
1 Kings 8
Solomon leads the people into a grand dedication ceremony for the new temple.
INSIGHT
The phenomenal blessings that God pours out on Israel have a purpose beyond merely blessing them. In fact, God wants other nations to see His favor on Israel and desire to know Him because of what they witness in the lives of His people.
This truth is reflected when Solomon prays that "the Lord our God be with us . . . [1] that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other" (vv. 57, 60). David understands this principle also when he writes in Psalm 67:7: "God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him." And today God wants to bless us spiritually that others may see Christ in us and be drawn to Him.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord who blesses us that we might draw others to Him because of His mark in our lives:
"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 4:11).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the
Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and its effects:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you
(Deuteronomy 32:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
June 9
1 Kings 9
The Lord reiterates His promise to bless Israel for faithfulness and to judge her for sin.
INSIGHT
Three things happen when Israel lives in a righteous relationship with the Lord. First, God is glorified. Second, Israel is blessed, receiving the fullness of life for which she longs. Third, the unsaved world is drawn to want to know God because of the magnificent picture they see of Him.
Because so much hinges on Israel's standing before God, the Lord makes it clear to her how serious her position is. If she will trust and obey Him, He will bless Israel forever. However, if she lives in sin, He will utterly destroy her.
PRAYER
· Give the Lord praise for His perfect and holy justice and goodness:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalm 100:4-5).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be obedient to God's commands,
· our nation's military personnel,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the waters
(Psalm 24:1-2).
:angel:
June 10
1 Kings 10
The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon.
INSIGHT
Solomon leads Israel in righteousness, and God pours out His blessing on the nation to such an extent that the reports of Israel's prosperity spread throughout the world. The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon because she cannot believe the reports she has been hearing. After Solomon meets with her and shows her around Jerusalem, she is overwhelmed.
The blessing of Israel is to draw attention to the God of Israel. Today as the Lord blesses us spiritually for our faithfulness to Him, attention will be drawn, not to us, but to the Lord.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord that He still does marvelous things through His people-things that make the world stand up and take notice:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord who blesses the work of His people:
God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faithfulness in evangelism,
· the church's impact on the world,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned (Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
June 11
1 Kings 11
Solomon takes wives from (and makes allegiances with) foreigners, and God judges him.
INSIGHT
Not long after the Lord reminds Solomon of the blessings of obedience and the cataclysmic consequences of disobedience, Solomon disobeys. After taking foreign wives who turn his heart from the Lord, Solomon begins to worship Ashtoreth and builds a "high place" of worship for Chemosh and Molech, detestable pagan gods. True to His word, the Lord raises up an adversary, Hadad, to plague Solomon. God's purpose is not to punish. He wants the adversity to turn Solomon's heart back to Him. When you suffer adversity, examine yourself to see if there is sin in your life. That is not always true, but it is something to which we must be sensitive.
PRAYER
Bless the Lord and praise Him for His goodness because He forgives our sin:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11).
You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You, according to all
that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face
to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads,
and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus,
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the Scripture says,
"Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 10:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:6).
:angel:
June 12
1 Kings 12
After Solomon's death, Rehoboam splits the kingdom.
INSIGHT
Because Solomon drifts from the Lord during the latter part of his reign, he does not leave to his successor a healthy, vibrant nation. Israel struggles for moral and political leadership. Rehoboam inherits the throne but places foolish and inordinate financial demands on the nation on the heels of what Solomon had demanded--to build the temple and his palace. The people rebel and the nation divides. The northern part of the kingdom (Israel) follows after Jeroboam while Rehoboam retains control over the southern part (Judah); neither man leads the nation in righteousness and the disintegration that began with Solomon continues. Sin is taking its toll. It always does.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that when we confess our sin, He removes the eternal penalty:
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 personal praise and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled
(Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God
(Romans 5:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your talents
-- Your state and local leaders
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
June 13
1 Kings 17
After Elijah prophesies drought, the Lord hides him and later uses him to heal a child.
INSIGHT
Drought is a devastating natural disaster, and when it comes to the children of Israel, it does not come by accident. It is always divine judgment. From the beginning of his reign, Ahab, who is king when Elijah begins his ministry, violates the Lord's name. He encourages idolatry and the worship of Baal, a pagan god. He "did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him" (1 Kings 16:30). Elijah's name means "Jehovah is my strength," and the Lord sets about to prove the significance of Elijah's name as He brings judgment on Israel and destroys the worshipers of Baal.
PRAYER
The Lord longs to bless us. Offer Him your praise for His goodness and mercy:
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).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
-- Your activities for the day
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).
:angel:
June 14
1 Kings 18
The prophet Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.
INSIGHT
The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal is one of the most exciting chapters in the Bible, with fire raining down from heaven -- consuming meat, water, and stone! Then after Baal worship is defeated, it rains, signifying an end to that judgment. Elijah prays, "Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again" (v. 37). God does not punish His children for sin but rather chastens them in the hope that they will repent and return to Him.
PRAYER
Let us praise the Lord in the words of this psalm:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for personal evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
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 121:5-8).
:angel:
June 15
1 Kings 19
Elijah flees from Jezebel, and the Lord ministers to him after saving him.
INSIGHT
On the heels of the stupendous victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah falls into despair. He fears for his own life in the face of Jezebel's threat and flees to a lonely mountain for safety--to lick his wounds and mourn his fate. How shameful that this great prophet would call down fire from heaven one day and flee for his life the next. We all have feet of clay. Notice though that God does not berate him. Rather, He ministers to him quietly, restoring his spirit and strength. Then God calls Elijah back into His service again. God cares when we are hurt and discouraged and gently calls us to Himself for new strength.
PRAYER
Offer to the Lord your praise for His lovingkindness on your behalf:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name
(Psalm 63:3-4).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day
(Psalm 25:4-5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater passion for moral excellence
-- The ministry of Christian educational institutions
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).
:angel:
June 16
2 Kings 1
The Lord sends Elijah to inform Ahaziah that he will die.
INSIGHT
Ahab and Jezebel have become famous for their irreverence and disregard for the Law of the Lord. Yet Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, goes beyond them in his blatant disregard for the Lord. After an accident, he inquires of Baal-Zebub, the pagan god of Ekron, whether or not he will recover. Elijah informs the messengers that Ahaziah will die. No longer afraid, Elijah has been strengthened from his previous failure. We must always look at failure as an opportunity to grow.
PRAYER
God often uses our hard times to refine us into the people He wants us to be. Give Him your praise for His care:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:65-68).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater trust in God's leading in your life
-- The ministry of your local church
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
:angel:
June 17
2 Kings 2
The Lord takes Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind.
INSIGHT
Miracles don't permeate the entire Bible. They tend to be concentrated during the times of Moses, the prophets, and Jesus. They occur other times as well, but these are the times of greatest concentration; and Elijah and Elisha represent one of the strongest periods. In our lives today, God seems rather inactive in comparison. Yet that is not because He is unable to act-but rather because He has chosen not to act in the same way. The power is still there, and we can rest in the confidence that He still has all things under control.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord who possesses power to do all things He desires:
O Lord, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.
A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
When the wicked spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever
(Psalm 92:5-7).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy
(Habakkuk 3:2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who loves you:
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- Contentment in God's providence
-- Opportunities for watching God work
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).
:angel:
June 18
2 Kings 4
Elisha saves a Shunammite widow from economic disaster and revives her son from death.
INSIGHT
Elisha's ministry is not startling; it is redemptive and constructive. Elijah was a prophet of fire and judgment; Elisha was a prophet of mercy and compassion. Elijah was a man on the move; Elisha enjoyed a tranquil life at home. Elijah's miracles were destructive; Elisha's were constructive. It must have been tempting for Elisha to want to be like Elijah. But he resists it; that is not what the Lord has for Elisha. He is his own man before the Lord. It is often tempting for us to want to be like someone else, to be dissatisfied with who we are and what we can do. Yet God made us to be what He wanted us to be. We must be content with who we are. It is so liberating. Accept yourself. God does.
PRAYER
Because the Lord made us and cares for us as we are, we offer Him the praise of our lips:
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? . . .
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:3-4, 9).
Pause for personal 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.
Selah
(Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- The work of missions in North and South America
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
June 19
2 Kings 5
Naaman is healed of leprosy when he obeys Elisha's directives.
INSIGHT
It is God who has power to move in the realm of the spiritual and miraculous--not man. So whether God asks us to do something difficult or simple, it doesn't matter. He will do the work behind our faith. Naaman learns this the hard way. His heart is open to God, for he goes to Elisha hoping that God will heal his leprosy. But when Elisha tells him to wash in the Jordan seven times, Naaman roars: "Are not . . . the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel?" (v. 12). He misses the point. The point is not clean water or unclean. The point is: Does he believe God? The Jordan is merely a test of his faith in God. When Naaman realizes that, he washes and is healed.
PRAYER
By faith, we offer our praise to the Lord and thank Him for the power that makes us clean:
Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless 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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
June 20
2 Kings 6
When the Syrians threaten Elisha, they are struck blind.
INSIGHT
We often have no idea what is going on around us in the spiritual realm. Spiritual battles explode before our very eyes, but we neither see them nor hear them (Daniel 10:13). Guardian angels minister to our needs (Hebrews 1:14). We entertain angels "unwittingly" (Hebrews 13:2). How real and alive is the spiritual realm; yet without the Scriptures, we would know little about it. The Syrian army is camped around Dothan, but Elisha is not concerned because an army of the angels of the Lord encircles the horizon. We walk by faith and not by sight.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He can turn our failures into successes, and offer Him your praise in this psalm:
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 personal 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 name's 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world"
(John 6:51).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of personal friends
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
June 21
2 Kings 7
Israel is delivered from Aram.
INSIGHT
While we must be careful about "spiritualizing" what we read in the Old Testament and making it say something it doesn't, there is at least an excellent illustration in the defeat of the Aramean army relating to the message of the Gospel today. The lepers are lost and starving and come upon abundance adequate for their own welfare as well as the welfare of all others. They realize it is wrong to keep it to themselves, and they go out to tell others. The same is true of the Gospel of Christ. Those of us who have had our needs met by Him cannot be satisfied keeping it to ourselves -- we must tell others.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord for the miracle of the "new birth," and praise Him for His grace:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings
(Psalm 33:1-2).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin and its effects:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord who protects you:
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:21).
:angel:
June 22
2 Kings 8
The king restores the Shunammite widow's land.
INSIGHT
Nothing happens in our lives or in the world apart from divine appointment or permission. Behind every event and incident, there is divine providence. The Shunammite widow, who has done so much for Elisha, is remembered and cared for years afterward. The Lord has a wonderful memory for those who feed Him when He is hungry and minister to Him when He is in need (see Matthew 25:37). The conversation between Gehazi, Elisha's servant, and the king might seem an accident, but it is providential. When we abide in the will of God, life is sown with divine coincidences.
PRAYER
For the Lord's sovereignty and goodness to us, offer this praise:
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).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You. . . ."
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen
(Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength
(Isaiah 40:28-29).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Local churches across the nation
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
June 23
2 Kings 18
Hezekiah institutes a reign of righteousness.
INSIGHT
It is wonderful that such a wicked man as Ahaz had such a righteous son as Hezekiah. It is difficult to stand against moral disintegration--especially when it is all around you and generally accepted. It is also likely the fall of the Northern Kingdom is a great incentive to root out idolatry. God richly rewards Hezekiah for his moral courage and leadership, demonstrating the validity of 2 Chronicles 16:9: "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."
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He richly blesses those who seek to follow Him with all their heart:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
I opened my mouth and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.
Look upon me and be merciful to me,
As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.
Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
(Psalm 119:129-133)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
(Psalm 138:7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- A heart more tender to the things of the Lord
-- The work of a specific ministry that has had an impact on your life
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
(Psalm 121:8)
:angel:
June 24
2 Kings 19
When Sennacherib attacks Jerusalem, Hezekiah calls upon the Lord.
INSIGHT
In spite of all the trouble that comes upon Israel and Judah, God wants to bless them. It is only as He is blessing them that His desire for the world is advanced. All that is needed is obedience. Hezekiah demonstrates just how quickly everything can turn around. He is looking into the jaws of an Assyrian military machine one minute, and the Assyrians are routed the next. God is not reluctant to bless us. But we must be sure we are eligible by being faithful to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord; for He controls the universe and does all things for our good:
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, "Glory!"
The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.
(Psalm 29:5-11)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
(Joel 2:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faith in God's goodness
-- Those who've never heard the Gospel
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this prayer to the Lord:
Jesus, You are the door. If anyone enters by You, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (based on John 10:9).
:angel:
June 25
2 Kings 20
In answer to Hezekiah's prayer, the Lord extends his life.
INSIGHT
Hezekiah's contribution to our lives is probably very great. We read of his zeal for the house of Jehovah and for the worship of Jehovah and of his strict adherence to the Davidic traditions (2 Chronicles 29:3-19; 20-27; 30). His delight is in the Word of Jehovah. In 2 Chronicles 31:21, we read of the "work" which Hezekiah began "in the law and in the commandment." Apparently he formed a guild of men for this devout literary work. These "men of Hezekiah" evidently included Isaiah (2 Kings 19:2) and also had a hand in shaping the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 25:1). What a contribution this ancient one has made to our lives today!
PRAYER
The Lord's dominion is forever, and we can praise Him that He never changes:
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 personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
(Psalm 51:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- The work of missions in Australia
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
June 26
2 Kings 25
God judges Judah by allowing Nebuchadnezzar to capture Jerusalem.
INSIGHT
Judah has a total of 20 kings after Solomon. Only eight of them give moral and spiritual leadership. And as the king goes, so goes the nation. As a result, God has to bring judgment on Israel. The ghastly succession of horrors promised for disobedience in Deuteronomy 28--and reiterated to Solomon in 1 Kings 9--begins to unfold. "I will cast (Israel) out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples" (1 Kings 9:7). Nebuchadnezzar besieges and captures Jerusalem, transports her main people to Babylonia, robs her treasury, and violates worship in the temple. Sin has a terrible price.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that we can be spared from His judgment on sin:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
(Psalm 63:1-2)
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:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases.
(Psalm 103:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The Lord's work in national and world affairs
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
June 27
1 Chronicles 17
God promises David that He will propagate David's lineage forever.
INSIGHT
David is described as a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). It is difficult for us to accept that statement when David is guilty of lying, adultery, murder, and other indiscretions. However, to be a man after God's own heart means that David wants the same things God wants. His noble desires and intentions are overruled several times by his passions; but when David's senses are restored and he repents of his sin, again his heart beats after God's desires. We may not be as bad as David in his bad moments, but are we as good as David in his good moments? Do our hearts beat after God?
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that He is eager to bless our righteous acts:
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)
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
(Psalm 7:17)
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me
(Psalm 51:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
He also has become my salvation"
(Isaiah 12:2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- An increased eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Grace, mercy, and peace [be to you] from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).
:angel:
June 28
1 Chronicles 29
Just before his death, David blesses Israel and gives his blessing to Solomon.
INSIGHT
How we spend our money is a powerful reflection of our value system. If we have strong spiritual values, we give our money generously to spiritual things. If we have primarily temporal values, we resist--and perhaps even resent--giving to spiritual things. After completing the temple, the Israelites rejoiced, "for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD" (v. 9). Where are your values?
PRAYER
Bless the Lord. Praise Him for His blessings in our lives:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.
(1 Chronicles 29:11-13)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
(Psalm 51:4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:31)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Persecuted Christians worldwide
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
June 29
2 Chronicles 34
Josiah leads Judah into righteousness.
INSIGHT
It is almost impossible to imagine the Law could have gotten lost in Jerusalem. How could that have happened? The whole nation is to worship the Lord; the dominant building in Jerusalem is the temple. Israel's entire history revolves around the giving and preservation of the Law. How can this happen? Neglect has a poor memory. How quickly we can drift from the Lord in just a short time of spiritual staleness. Consider our nation. The moral fiber we had 20 years ago is nonexistent today. People are people. Israel drifted the same way--but for a longer time. This ought to serve as a warning to us; the same can happen to us as individuals.
PRAYER
The Lord will guard and care for the heart that follows Him and is filled with praise:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by. . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
(Psalm 51:14-15)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- Others to see Christ in you
-- The Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest
-- Your activities for the day
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).
:angel:
June 30
2 Chronicles 35
The Passover, unobserved for years, is reinstated.
INSIGHT
Abraham Lincoln once said, "A man's about as happy as he makes up his mind to be." That may be an oversimplification; yet it states a basic truth: Often we must consciously decide what we want to become. Those who grow spiritually are those who have made a conscious decision to pursue spiritual things. Josiah, one of the great kings of Judah, is a strong reformer who tries to lead the nation in righteousness. In 2 Chronicles 34:31, we read: "The king . . . made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul." Have you ever made the decision to follow the Lord with your whole heart?
PRAYER
As He is a God both of power and compassion, we offer Him our praise:
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;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it, . ..
The host of heaven worships You.
(Nehemiah 9:5-6)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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.
(Psalm 34:17-18)
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- The ministry of our nation's churches
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
July 1
Ezra 1
The Lord prompts the king of Persia to rebuild the temple.
INSIGHT
The Bible says that God "removes kings and raises up kings" (Daniel 2:21) and that "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord" (Proverbs 21:1). We see a classic example of these truths in the book of Ezra. The Israelites are taken captive by the Babylonians for 70 years. During that time, the Babylonians are conquered by Persia. Then the Lord moves in the heart of the king of Persia to orchestrate the return of the Jews to Jerusalem. God is in control. Bad things will still happen; we live in a fallen world. But God is in control and history is moving toward His end. The ultimate needs of His children are met, and we have the promise of eternal life. Beyond that, we must cling to the fact that we are pilgrims, sojourners to another world--heaven, where our true citizenship lies.
PRAYER
As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this praise:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
(Psalm 106:1-3)
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.
(Psalm 130:1-4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to God:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:4-6).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- His will to be done
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
July 2
Ezra 3
The priests restore the altar and worship of the Lord.
INSIGHT
The basis of most discontent is comparison. We could be happy with our cars if the neighbors didn't have better ones. We would be satisfied with our houses if they were as nice as everyone else's. Yet, were we to have our present possessions in Africa, we would be considered rich. Once our basic needs are met, the issue is not "how are we," but rather, "how are we compared to how everyone else is." When the foundation of the new temple is laid, the new generation rejoices at the work of God; but the older generation laments that the new temple is not as impressive as the old one. We should be content with what God has chosen to give us and not make comparisons. He is rich who rejoices in his portion.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for what He has given you, and rejoice in your portion:
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
(Psalm 71:15-17)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this prayer:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous spirit.
(Psalm 51:10, 12)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- That others might see Christ in you
-- That the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers into His harvest
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing 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).
:angel:
July 3
Ezra 4
The king orders a halt to the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
There is a common misconception in the Christian world that if you are doing the Lord's will, you will not suffer hardships for it. The example of the Jews rebuilding the temple certainly does not support that supposition. The Lord clearly intends for them to rebuild the temple, yet they suffer opposition the entire time. It is not necessarily a sign of God's displeasure when work begun for Him fails. There may be other reasons for the failure, which are hidden in His sovereignty. That is why it is so important to be in fellowship with Him. If something we are doing fails, we have confidence that it is not because of our sin, but His sovereignty.
PRAYER
Because He faithfully loves you, faithfully praise Him and thank Him for your many blessings:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
(Psalm 72:18-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:13-14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
(Psalm 119:67, 71)
God yearns to hear His children's desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual growth
-- Fulfillment of the Great Commission
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
(Psalm 23:6)
:angel:
July 4
Ezra 6
The original decree is found, and permission is given to complete the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
It is often darkest before the dawn. Just as it looks as if the work on the temple is going to be stopped, the Lord turns the situation around. Not only is permission given to complete the temple, but those who had tried to stop the work are required to finance the remainder of the restoration! Worrying does little to further the work of God; He is quite capable of accomplishing His work. Our work is trust, obedience, and faithfulness to our responsibilities.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over your circumstances, and thank Him for being in total control of your life:
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.
(Psalm 18:1-3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
God desires to hear the petitions of His people. As you make you requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment in the circumstances of your life,
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace."
(Numbers 6:24-25)
:angel:
July 5
Ezra 6
The original decree is found, and permission is given to complete the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
It is often darkest before the dawn. Just as it looks as if the work on the temple is going to be stopped, the Lord turns the situation around. Not only is permission given to complete the temple, but those who had tried to stop the work are required to finance the remainder of the restoration! Worrying does little to further the work of God; He is quite capable of accomplishing His work. Our work is trust, obedience, and faithfulness to our responsibilities.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over your circumstances, and thank Him for being in total control of your life:
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.
(Psalm 18:1-3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin,
but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
God desires to hear the petitions of His people.
As you make you requests known to the Lord, include:
contentment in the circumstances of your life,
greater love for the lost,
the work of missions in Africa,
whatever else is on your heart.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-25).
:angel:
July 6
Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah weeps as he learns of Jerusalem's deterioration.
INSIGHT
One of the essential characteristics of leadership is that the leader feels the full weight of the plight of certain people and assumes responsibility for their condition. Many people knew of Jerusalem's condition, but few felt the impact and had the vision for response. Nehemiah did and God used him in a mighty way. What in life "hits" you? What situations cause you to feel the impact of the plight of others, and for what situations do you have a vision for response? It might be as large as a nation or as small as a church nursery. But if you feel it and have a vision for it, chances are God would like to use you there.
PRAYER
Being used by the Lord is a joyful experience. Praise Him as you consider how He might use you:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:1-2, 14)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
(Proverbs 2:3-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater sensitivity to sin,
-- The ministry of your local church,
-- Your activities for the day.
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)
:angel:
July 7
Nehemiah 2
Nehemiah requests the king's help in rebuilding Jerusalem.
INSIGHT
Nehemiah comes before the king unable to conceal his agitation over the situation in Jerusalem. When we are faced with situations that need change, preparation is vital. We may not be able to do anything about it at the moment, but we can ask ourselves this question: "If it lay within our power to do anything we wanted to do, what would we do?" If we can answer that, then we will recognize opportunity when it knocks, and we can capitalize on it as Nehemiah does.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is concerned about the details of your life and is ready to fulfill your every need:
The Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
(Psalm 1:6)
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)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil (Ecclesiastes 5:1).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Boldness in sharing Christ with others
-- The innocent victims in war-torn lands
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
:angel:
July 8
Nehemiah 4
The work on the city wall is ridiculed by those opposing it.
INSIGHT
It is difficult to do any work when we are strongly opposed. We begin to doubt the validity of the task or our ability to perform it. When we are assailed for doing God's work, we must evaluate the source of opposition. We cannot assume opposition means that God is against us. While it is of little value to blame the devil for everything that goes wrong, the Bible makes it clear that spiritual opposition is a reality in the work of God. If we suspect spiritual opposition, we must oppose the enemy, remain at the task at hand, and redouble our prayers!
PRAYER
Praise God that He has given us instruction for life in the Bible and through the Holy Spirit:
"My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation."
(1 Samuel 2:1)
Pause for additional praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. . . God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. (1Thessalonians 4:1-2, 7-8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God. . . .
He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
For by strength no man shall prevail."
(1 Samuel 2:2, 9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Diligence in our work in spite of obstacles
-- Wisdom in making decisions
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
The blessings of your father
Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
(Genesis 49:25-26)
:angel:
July 9
Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah stops the internal mistreatment among the Jews by force of example.
INSIGHT
The prospects for some of the returned exiles are bleak. There are deficient rains and poor harvests. As a result, the farmers mortgage their lands to their wealthier brethren and, in extreme cases, sell their children into slavery to pay the king's taxes. The rich Jews, rather than helping out, are capitalizing on the situation to line their own pockets. This is inexcusable! Few things bring on more reproach to the cause of the Lord than the worldliness and hard-heartedness of those who claim to follow Him. Unselfish dedication to the common welfare of others in Christ is our spiritual obligation.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves each of us equally and accepts our welfare as His obligation, we praise Him:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.
(Psalm 93:1-2)
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:5)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 love for fellow Christians
-- Missions in Europe and Asia
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
July 10
Nehemiah 6
The work on the wall is completed.
INSIGHT
Nehemiah resists the efforts of the adversaries to discourage him or distract him from working on the wall. He is convinced that he is doing the right thing, and he steadfastly resists the interference. The Old Testament often has a literal illustration of a spiritual truth that is explained in the New Testament. In Ephesians 6:11, we read that we are to "put on the whole armor of God": the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Once these are in place, we "resist"--"stand firm!"
PRAYER
Praise God for victory in spiritual warfare as we use His armor:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
O come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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 53:6)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- The president and world affairs
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing 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)
:angel:
July 11
Nehemiah 8
The people gather at the square to hear Ezra, who reads the Law publicly.
INSIGHT
No one appreciates a glass of water like a man who is truly thirsty. It takes deprivation to appreciate the significance of our blessings. That is why the Christian life is not always easy--with blessings flowing unabated. We get dull and stale to it--just as we do when we have too much food and too little exercise. We are indeed blessed to have the Word of God in such abundance. The returning Jews have never heard the Word, and they are truly thirsty. They stand -- from dawn till dusk -- and drink it in. To appreciate the Word in your life, imagine not having it at all.
PRAYER
Give the Lord your praise, because He knows us and loves us and will never leave or forsake us:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
(Psalm 97:10-12)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
(1 Corinthians 2:9)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
July 12
Nehemiah 9
Upon hearing the Law, the people publicly confess their transgressions.
INSIGHT
Paul says in the New Testament that it was not until he heard the Law that he was conscious of sin. How true! It is not until you know the truth that the truth can set you free (John 8:32). The returning Jews experience this truth in a dramatic way. Upon hearing the Law, Israel repents of her sins and rededicates herself to serving the Lord. This repentance clears her conscience, results in rich worship, and makes her eligible for the blessings of the Lord. It sets her free! Repentance will do the same for you.
PRAYER
Because the Lord preserves us through spiritual battles, offer your praises as you read this psalm:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, God of my salvation,
I have cried out day and night before You.
Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life draws near to the grave.
(Psalm 88:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:8)
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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater insight into God's Word
-- The homeless in your country and around the world
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
July 13
Esther 1
Because Vashti refuses to dance for King Ahasuerus, she is removed as queen.
INSIGHT
In Ezra and Nehemiah, we learn how God watches over the Jews who return from captivity. Esther tells us how those who remain in exile--scattered through the East--are marvelously preserved. Though the name of God does not appear in the book, His hand is clearly manifest throughout. The significance of the "narrow escapes" cannot be dismissed as coincidental. Ahasuerus demands that his queen appear before the party. She refuses. The stage is now set for God's miraculous plan of deliverance for His people.
PRAYER
Take comfort in the sovereignty of God, and praise Him for His faithfulness:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness.
(Psalm 96:5-8, 11)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.
(Isaiah 54:7-8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
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:
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 ).
:angel:
July 14
Esther 2
Esther wins the king's favor and is chosen to become queen.
INSIGHT
Abraham, Moses, David, and Esther are all living lives of obscurity when God chooses them. He uses them for great things because they are faithful to Him in the little things. While not all of us are destined to do incredible things in the eyes of man, greatness in the eyes of God is simply being faithful to Him the best way we know how. God has not forgotten about us; His eye is on us. And He will use us--even if only in seemingly "small" ways.
PRAYER
Thank God that we do not need to be born into a wealthy family or attain a place of prestige to be used by Him. Praise God that He uses ordinary people to do His extraordinary work:
As for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.
(Psalm 5:7-8)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
(Psalm 5:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
(Psalm 5:4-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment in the place God has led you to
-- Patience in serving others
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
(Psalm 5:11-12)
:angel:
July 15
Esther 3
Haman deceives the king into signing an edict that would kill all the Jews.
INSIGHT
Man's inhumanity to man over the ages has been astounding. Some of the acts of violence and degradation have defied comprehension. In this vein, Haman hatches a savage and inhumane plot against the Jews to have them annihilated--men, women, and children. King Ahasuerus also has a monstrous mind, willing to sanction such savagery without question. When sin progresses to such extremes, we see just how repulsive it is.
PRAYER
God continually watches over His children. Thank Him for His protection:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1-2)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to God:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
(Psalm 19:7-11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The political leaders of your country
-- Graciousness in speech
-- The needs of family members
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
July 16
Esther 4
Esther learns of the plot to kill the Jews and plans to intercede.
INSIGHT
"I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" (4:16). Those are not the words of someone being melodramatic; they are the words of a realist who accurately assesses the situation. By law, no one can go into the presence of the king unless invited; to do so means execution. If the king chooses to extend grace to the person, he offers his scepter, whereupon the subject is to kneel and touch the top of the scepter. Esther has no idea what Ahasuerus will do. He deposed Vashti with a clap of his hands; he signed the edict to kill the Jews without asking a question. Though she has no other choice, Esther's decision still takes great courage.
PRAYER
Our courage comes from confidence in God who loves us, and for this, we give Him our praise:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 104:1-2, 35)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
(Isaiah 59:9)
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them.
(Psalm 41:10)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:15-16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for non-Christians
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Those who are persecuted for their faith
Now close with this prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
July 17
Esther 5
Esther plans a banquet to set the stage for the revelation of the death plot.
INSIGHT
"Pride goes before destruction" (Proverbs 16:18). One of the supreme examples of this truth in all of the Bible is Haman. His ego is on a feeding frenzy. He has power, wealth, position, family, friends, and honor. Yet all of this fails to satisfy his ego. Mordecai's unwillingness to bow down to him sticks like a bone in Haman's throat. Haman's wife reveals her character by suggesting a flamboyant display of vengeance: "Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high [75 feet], and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it," she counsels (v. 14). The same shadow is darkening both hearts. When pride is taken to this extreme, we see how exceedingly ugly it is. Beware of pride!
PRAYER
Our pride is mellowed when we see how Jesus humbled Himself for us. Praise Him for His love:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions-- . . .
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
(Psalm 104:24, 33-34)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
(Jeremiah 10:23-24)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
(Psalm 77:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your talents
--State and local leaders,
-- Your activities for the day,
-- Whatever else is on your heart.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
July 18
Esther 6
Haman must honor Mordecai with acts which Haman himself suggested.
INSIGHT
Very few things in the Bible are actually funny. However, taken in isolation, chapter 6 of Esther is probably the funniest event in the Bible. The king asks Haman what he thinks is a good way to honor someone. Haman thinks to himself, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?" (6:6). Then he tells the king what he, Haman, would like to have done for himself. The king then responds by telling Haman to do that for Mordecai. The irony is overwhelming--the humor irrepressible. The wrath of man is made to praise God.
PRAYER
God is a God of power and glory, yet He loves to call us His own. Praise Him for His love for us:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
(Psalm 108:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this prayer:
"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me" (Jeremiah 33:8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of friends
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
July 19
Esther 7
Haman's plot is revealed, and he is hanged.
INSIGHT
The final irony falls. Haman hangs on the gallows which he had constructed for Mordecai. Pride has come full circle; sin has self-destructed. Satan is called the deceiver and the destroyer; he deceives in order to destroy. He gets us to commit ourselves to a course of action which we think will achieve our aims, and, in the end, it destroys us. If you are on any course of action which you feel will achieve your aims--but the course of action is wrong--give it up. Unchecked, you will eventually be destroyed by it.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that though He does not always spare us from pain, He is always with us through the pain:
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)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Assyria shall not save us,
We will not ride on horses,
Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands,
"You are our gods."
For in You the fatherless finds mercy.
(Hosea 14:3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
(Proverbs 9:10)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Your activities for the day,
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
July 20
Esther 8
Mordecai is honored and promoted.
INSIGHT
The law of the Medes and Persians cannot be revoked. Once written, no one, not even the king, can rescind it. The law to annihilate the Jews is carved in stone. Since the original plan cannot be revoked, a clever counter-plan is conceived to neutralize it. Permission is given to the Jews to arm themselves and to assemble and defend themselves. In addition, Mordecai is raised to power, replacing the position previously occupied by Haman. God's sovereign protection of His people in exile is in its final stages. The integrity of Esther and Mordecai is rewarded. Righteousness triumphs.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over the circumstances of our lives:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek 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.
(Psalm 105:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it? . . .
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise.
(Jeremiah 17:9, 14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- Greater passion for moral excellence
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
July 21
Esther 9
With the king's permission, the Jews are allowed to protect themselves.
INSIGHT
National salvation is culminated for the Jews. When the fateful day arrives, the Jews throughout the empire stand on the defense. In the provinces, 75,000 of their assailants fall--500 of them in the capital of Susa alone. Among these are the 10 sons of Haman. A divine purpose runs through all human governments and events; and as God exalted Mordecai to honor and glory, so will He work for those who love Him. And so, ultimately, will He put all enemies under His feet.
PRAYER
God is far more powerful than any earthly leader. Thank Him that His power is tempered with righteousness and compassion:
The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
(Psalm 10:16-18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,
Who have said,
"With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?"
(Psalm 12:3-4)
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)
Our heavenly Father loves to communicate with His children. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Wisdom for your church leaders
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! (2 Timothy 4:18).
:angel:
July 22
Job 1
After meeting with God, Satan receives permission to test Job.
INSIGHT
If God is all good and all powerful, then why do the righteous suffer? Throughout the book of Job, questions of the ages arise. Job is a righteous man, and while he does not curse God, he does wonder why these things have happened. These same questions form today in the minds of people who observe or experience suffering. It is not wicked to ask these questions. All people struggle with these questions sooner or later. But we learn from Job that we can struggle without sinning.
PRAYER
God is trustworthy and kind. Because we know that He loves us with an everlasting love, we can praise Him:
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.
(Psalm 17:6-9)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
(Psalm 18:4-6)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
(Psalm 18:16-18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Health and strength
-- Guidance for local political leaders
-- Your pastor and his family
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
(Psalm 18:46)
:angel:
July 23
Job 42
God blesses Job, restoring his good fortunes.
INSIGHT
Throughout life, there are things we do not understand. As we mature, we begin to understand. Likewise, we do not understand why the righteous must suffer. But someday, in heaven, we will understand. It will make sense. In the midst of Job's struggle, he makes some incisive observations that help us cope until we receive full understanding: "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (23:10). "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (13:15).
PRAYER
Though we do not always understand the Lord, we can always trust Him and give Him our praise:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 113:1-3, 5-6, 9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
(Joel 2:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
As you make your requests to the Lord include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- Missions in South America
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
:angel:
July 24
Psalm 1
The righteous prosper as they delight in the Lord, while the wicked perish.
INSIGHT
In Jerusalem, each gate is named for the destination of the road leading away from it. There is the Joppa Gate, leading to Joppa; there is the Damascus Gate, leading to Damascus. Some of these gates are very close together, but their destinations are very far apart. Life is like that. The psalmist says there are basically two gates in life: the "wicked gate" and the "righteous gate." Your destination in life depends upon which gate you choose. The "righteous gate" begins at the Word of God and leads to trees, water, and fruit. The "wicked gate" starts with man's counsel and leads to wind and chaff.
PRAYER
Thank and praise the Lord that He always leads us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
The Lord has been mindful of us;
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron. . . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 12, 18).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
O Lord, You are the portion of my
inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance (Psalm 16:5-6).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Safety for vacationing families
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
July 25
Psalm 19
The works of God are declared in the heavens, and the words of God lead to righteousness.
INSIGHT
A creator is known by his creation; an artist is known by his art; a musician by his music; and a sculptor by his sculpture. God can be known by the universe that He has created. Psalm 19:1 says: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork." Romans 1:20 says: "since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen." Judging from nature, God exists and has power, intelligence, and a flair for beauty!
PRAYER
The Lord is greater than our deep longings, and we praise Him that He satisfies our hearts:
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. . . .
I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places. . .
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 135:1, 3, 5-6, 21).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord include:
-- An eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Local prison ministries
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
July 26
Psalm 23
The Lord is pictured as David's shepherd, leading him in righteousness.
INSIGHT
Perhaps the most outstanding characteristic of sheep is that they cannot take care of themselves. The demands of life exceed their intelligence and their abilities. They must have a shepherd. Man is the same. While there is a vast and gratifying difference between men and sheep, the demands of life for men exceed their intelligence and abilities. We also need a shepherd, the Lord. He is the Great Shepherd. He will lead us. The question is: Will we follow?
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He hears and answers our prayers, and praise Him that His answers are good:
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. . .
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works (Psalm 145:1-3, 5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
July 27
Psalm 37
The righteous will receive eternal life, while the wicked ultimately will be destroyed.
INSIGHT
Serving the Lord does not always pay temporal dividends. The righteous still experience misfortune, financial reversals, physical illnesses, natural disasters, and persecution. At the same time, the unrighteous often prosper, enjoying wealth, fame, honor, and health. David realizes God's justice wins in the end. So do not be discouraged in doing right, even when the unrighteous prosper. Do not be tempted to copy them. "Depart from evil and do good" (v. 27). "Wait on the Lord, and keep His way" (v. 34). "Mark the blameless man" (v. 37). "The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord" (v. 39).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that while serving Him might cost us in "time," it will reward us in "eternity:"
Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us (Psalm 123:1-2).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Local churches across the nation
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
July 28
Psalm 63
Spiritual thirst is satisfied only by spiritual intimacy with God.
INSIGHT
There is a God-shaped vacuum in every human heart. Man was made for God, and his soul will be restless until it finds its rest in Him. Our longings for love, relationships, belonging, security, meaning, purpose, and identity are ultimately met only in the Lord Jesus Christ. We find temporary fulfillment in the pursuit of people, possessions, and circumstances; but eventually, these will pass away or we will change and they will no longer satisfy. We have been made for God, and we will find our deepest longings met only in Him. Make David's prayer your own prayer for spiritual fulfillment.
PRAYER
It is amazing to think that the Creator of the universe desires a relationship with us. Praise God for His love:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to God:
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:
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward (Psalm 19:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Peace in the midst of difficult circumstances
-- The various ministries of your church
-- Spiritual growth for family members
Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
July 29
Psalm 90
God is eternal in time past and future--while man is temporal and weak.
INSIGHT
In this psalm, Moses declares the eternality of God in verses 1-2. Then he contrasts the frailty of man in verse 3. God's displeasure with sin next occupies his attention: "We have been consumed by Your anger . . . You have set our iniquities before You" (vv. 7-8). Based on these three realities, Moses calls upon God in a series of petitions: "Teach us to number our days . . . Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy . . . Make us glad . . . and establish the work of our hands" (Psalm 90:12, 14-15, 17). You can make these petitions your own.
PRAYER
Although we are inclined to do evil, God has chosen to forgive us. For this we praise Him:
Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into singing, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And glorified Himself in Israel (Isaiah 44:23).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
We must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. . . How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him? (Hebrews 2:1, 3).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren (Hebrews 2:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Patience with others
-- Missions in Great Britain
-- Local hospital and prison chaplains
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
We also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).
:angel:
July 30
Psalm 100
All men are exhorted to praise the Lord because He made us and we are His.
INSIGHT
Psalm 100 is perhaps the finest example of a praise psalm in the Bible. The righteous heart pours forth a spontaneous stream of undefiled praise. First, he calls upon all men everywhere to praise the Lord. Then he identifies the relationship which God has with His children. We are not our own; He has made us. "We are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (v. 3). Next he calls for us to praise God again: "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise" (v. 4). Give thanks. Bless Him. Then he finishes by listing attributes of God. God is good; He loves forever. Make this psalm your personal psalm of praise.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord your praise that He is good and loves us forever:
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. . . .
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God . . .
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1, 5, 7, 11, 20).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (John 6:35).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- Missions in the Middle East
-- Elderly members of your family
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).
:angel:
July 31
Psalm 145
The Lord is extolled for the goodness of who He is and what He has done.
INSIGHT
There has never been a generation that did not praise God. Since the beginning of time, salvation and praise have been passed down in unbroken succession. David writes, "One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts" (v. 4). That praise is directed to God for who He is (His character) and what He has done. Of God's character, David writes: "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy" (v. 8). The Lord is good. Writing of God's work, he says, "The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up those who are bowed down" (v. 14); "is near to all who call upon Him" (v. 18); and "will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him" (v. 19). "The Lord preserves all who love Him" (v. 20). For these reasons, we praise Him along with David.
PRAYER
All the earth will one day praise the Lord. We can begin now in the words of this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-2, 6).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart--
These, O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51:16-17).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The Lord's work in world affairs
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
August 1
Proverbs 1
Solomon writes a metaphorical warning from the perspective of "Wisdom."
INSIGHT
To be free to sail the seven seas, you must make yourself a slave to the compass. Every freedom has a corresponding slavery. We can be free from the toothbrush and a slave to cavities or a slave to the toothbrush and free from cavities. For everything we want, we must give up something else. Wisdom calls us to slavery. If we become a slave to wisdom, we must heed the Word of God and shun sin. If we neglect these, distress and anguish will come. We will experience the natural consequences of our actions. There is no escape from this cause-and-effect law. Rededicate yourself to becoming a "wise" person. Wisdom begins with "fearing" (respecting) the Lord. It is to His glory and also to our best interest.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you ponder your need for wisdom:
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
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 (Psalm 33:2-4).
Now pray this confession to the Lord:
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;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:10-12).
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- That His will be done on earth as it is in heaven
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
:angel:
August 2
Proverbs 2
Wisdom must be sought after with our entire being.
INSIGHT
Nothing of value is easily obtained. If it were, it would no longer be valuable. Inherent within the concept of value is the feature of scarcity. If all gravel were made of pure gold, then gold would not be valuable. The same is true with intangibles like wisdom. She is an exceedingly valuable life commodity, but she is not easy to come by. If we want wisdom, we must incline our ears, apply our hearts, cry for her, lift our voice for her, seek her as we would silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures (vv. 2-4). Then, and only then, will we understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God (v. 5).
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you consider His goodness:
Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints! . . .
All nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested (Revelation 15:3-4).
And one cried to another and said:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory! (Isaiah 6:3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- That others might see Christ in you
-- That the Lord of the harvest would send laborers into His harvest,
-- Your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful, . . .
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:23-24).
:angel:
August 3
Proverbs 3
The benefit of wisdom is better than gold.
INSIGHT
Inherent within the human heart is a longing for peace, love, and joy. Among Christians and non-Christians alike, the desire is the same. Yet peace, love, and joy do not answer just any beck and call. They will come only by certain means; they are fruits on the tree of wisdom. Wisdom will bring length of days (v. 2), peace (v. 2), favor with God and man (v. 4), strength to your bones (v. 8), honor (v. 16), pleasantness (v. 17), paths of peace (v. 17), confidence in life (v. 26), and freedom from the snares of life (v. 26). Foolishness brings harm (v. 29), oppression (v. 31), and shame (v. 35). We all long for the benefits of wisdom. We must remember that she comes with a price: submission to the will of God and the truth of Scripture.
PRAYER
As you consider the benefits of wisdom, praise the Lord that we may share in His character:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness (Exodus 15:11).
You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You, according to all that
we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater sensitivity to sin
-- The ministry of your church
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
August 4
Proverbs 31
An excellent wife cares for her home, is kind to the needy, and is an example of good character.
INSIGHT
One view of women is that they are merely caretakers of the home and have no role other than changing diapers, cooking, and cleaning house. Another view seeks to free women from the responsibilities at home. Both are wrong. Women are to care for their homes and maintain certain responsibilities--just as men should. But their role carries with it great flexibility and variety. The Proverbs 31 woman is a skillful, industrious person who models integrity and esteems her home and family highly.
PRAYER
Thank God for the women you know (mothers, grandmothers, friends) who exemplify Christ's love:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name" (Luke 1:46-49).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path (Psalm 119:103-105).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A more Christ-like character
-- Strengthening of the church in China
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11).
:angel:
August 5
Ecclesiastes 12
The pursuit of temporal things is futile.
INSIGHT
Our society tends to breed materialism. Young couples expect to own a house, two cars, and maybe a boat. We dream of the day when we can afford to take exotic vacations and own a bigger house. Game shows offer spectacular prizes, and lottery tickets are sold by the thousands. But Solomon experienced tremendous wealth and found himself unhappy. He learned that eternal things matter most. God wants His children to invest their brief lives in others--not just in material things.
PRAYER
God has promised that He will provide His children's needs. Let's praise Him:
"Why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:28-30, 33).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? . . . Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (Matthew 6:25, 27).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? . . . If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-9, 11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment with the material possessions you own
-- God's provision for the less fortunate
-- Safety of missionaries in Central America
Offer this closing prayer to God:
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
:angel:
August 6
Song of Solomon 1
Solomon expresses the beauty of married love.
INSIGHT
Hebrews 13:4 says that the marriage bed is holy and "undefiled." In his commentary on the Song of Solomon, A Song for Lovers, Craig Glickman writes: "No artist could have fashioned two people better suited for one another. He was the king of their great nation; she, his chosen bride. Spring had seen their love blossom like the flowers in the palace gardens. Their love was destined to be a song for the world. And, in fact, so ideal was their love that the song about them was chosen as one of the books of sacred Scripture. It became the only one of the entire collection devoted exclusively to courtship and marriage." The Song of Solomon gives us God's perspective on marriage and love.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord your praise for the unconditional love He gives you as a member of the church, the "bride of Christ":
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds (Psalm 57:1, 9-10).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord as you agree with and submit yourself to the will of God, your heavenly Father:
You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A more intimate relationship with your Bridegroom
-- Greater love for fellow Christians
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:8).
:angel:
August 7
Isaiah 6
Isaiah is commissioned to become a prophet to Israel.
INSIGHT
Isaiah sees the Lord in a terrifying vision which makes him acutely aware of his sinfulness and God's holiness. The Lord takes away his sin--seeing the repentance of his heart--and then commissions Isaiah to serve Him as a prophet. This event illustrates how the Lord calls His servants. First, He reveals Himself through His Word. When the hearer receives the Scriptures, he becomes aware of his sin and asks God for forgiveness and salvation. God then sends him into the world to take the message of salvation to others.
PRAYER
God is holy, and we praise Him because He makes us holy, cleansing us spiritually with the blood of Christ:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . . . O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord (Psalm 25:7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10).
I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him" (Ezra 8:22).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- National leaders and current events
-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
August 8
Isaiah 40
The Lord gives strength to those who wait on Him.
INSIGHT
God has given us the Christian family as a picture of the relationship between Him and His children. We are given earthly fathers, that we might more fully understand our heavenly Father. Just as an earthly father takes no delight in disciplining his children, so our heavenly Father takes no delight in disciplining His children. Hear the tenderness in these words: "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" (v. 1). God tenderly loves us and takes no pleasure in our pain, although He desires our spiritual growth as a result.
PRAYER
Since the earthly family pictures the heavenly family, praise the Lord that He is your heavenly Father:
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:
David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly" (2 Samuel 24:10).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Make your requests known to God, and include:
-- Greater wisdom for living life
-- Needs of your immediate family
-- Those you know who are suffering
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
August 9
Isaiah 53
Our Savior bore the chastisement for our iniquity.
INSIGHT
When Christians suffer, they are tempted to resent God, to wonder: "Why me?!" If God is all good and all powerful, why must His children suffer? The answer to that question is difficult --and not totally satisfying to the finite mind. Jesus maintains His credibility, however, in that He readily suffered for us all--suffering more than He will ever ask of us. Why must God's children suffer? We don't know. What we do know is that God was willing to suffer for us. He asks nothing of us that He was not willing to do for us.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He is so skillful and patient in teaching us His way:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all (1 Chronicles 29:10-13).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 insight into Scripture
-- The hungry around the world
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
August 10
Isaiah 55
All that salvation costs is what everyone can afford: one's self.
INSIGHT
Coming to the Lord costs a man nothing and, at the same time, costs him everything. The offer is free in that a man need not give anything in exchange for his salvation. "Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (v. 1). Yet receiving salvation costs man his life. He no longer has the freedom of self-determination. "Seek the Lord while He may be found . . . Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him" (vv. 6-7). All that it costs is what everyone can give: one's self.
PRAYER
Nothing can exceed the importance of the salvation that the Lord offers us in Christ, and for it, praise Him:
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: 34, 36).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord--how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater commitment to the Lord
-- The work of specific Christian ministries
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Close with this prayer of praise 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).
:angel:
August 11
Jeremiah 31
God establishes a covenant with the children of Israel to write His Law on their hearts.
INSIGHT
The primary theme of nearly all the Prophetic Books is warning of judgment for sin. The prophets proclaim the Word of God as their basic ministry, but from time to time, the Lord reveals to them a specific message for the children of Israel. If they do not turn from their sin, a specific judgment will follow. It is comforting to see, however, that in nearly all instances the judgment is to be followed by restoration. God's judgment on His children is not for retaliation but to get His children to turn from their sin to Him.
PRAYER
Praise God that He has made Himself knowable to mankind through Christ Jesus:
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. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God (Romans 15:5-7).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written,
"The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:1-4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Growth in your knowledge of God
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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)
:angel:
August 12
Lamentations 3
God sends a message of hope and restoration to Israel.
INSIGHT
Through the prophets, God has been warning Judah for many years to turn from idolatry to serve Him only. Finally, her sin has compounded to the point that judgment is no longer avoidable if God is to be true to His Word. But although destruction overtakes Judah, there is hope on the horizon. Jeremiah writes: "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (vv. 22-23).
PRAYER
God blesses His children beyond measure. Count your blessings as you praise Him:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. . . . All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify (1 Corinthians 10:12, 23).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A humble and submissive attitude
-- The work of prison ministries
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
It is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit (1 Peter 3:17-18).
:angel:
August 13
Ezekiel 37
Ezekiel has a vision of a huge valley filled with dry bones.
INSIGHT
The apostle John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:1, 4). God is life--and not just life for today--but forever. Timothy writes that God alone possesses immortality (1 Timothy 6:16). God is life, and He is the giver of life. He can make dead things live. In Ezekiel's vision, a huge valley is filled with dead men's bones. Then God begins to move. The bones form skeletons upon which form flesh and clothes. Then God breathes into that valley of bodies the breath of life, and the bodies come alive. That is a picture of what God will do with Israel: give her life again. That is what He will do with anyone who believes in Him and asks Him for life. Have you asked God for eternal life?
PRAYER
The Lord gives us His immortality, so we praise Him:
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 (Psalm 18:1-3).
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 your sins.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
August 14
Daniel 1
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, chooses Israelite captives to be trained to serve him.
INSIGHT
Moral courage. It is the resolve to do what is right--even if no one knows. Regardless of the consequences. Even when you are weary. Even when there are extenuating circumstances and when everyone would understand if you "caved in." Daniel is a man of moral courage. The food he is offered probably violates the dietary restrictions in the Law of Moses. Note the words: "Daniel purposed in his heart" (1:8). Then God brings Daniel into favor. He gives him skill; He gives him a healthy glow. When faced with moral challenges, we must do our part--be obedient from the heart. And then trust God to do His part.
PRAYER
Because God honors our commitment to moral excellence, praise Him with the words of this psalm:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water (Psalm 63:1).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord:
And Achan answered Joshua and said,
"Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel,
and this is what I have done . . ." (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your talents
-- Your state and local leaders
-- 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).
:angel:
August 15
Daniel 2
Nebuchadnezzar requires the wise men to tell him his dream and its interpretation.
INSIGHT
One of our responsibilities as children of God is to give God credit for who He is and what He does. It is a careless Christian who stands under the showers of God's blessings without recognizing them. It is an irresponsible Christian who recognizes God's blessings and does not give God the credit. Daniel recognizes God's work and tells the king that it is God who "reveals deep and secret things" (v. 22). And through this, God is glorified. We must always be alert to the blessings of God in our lives, express our gratitude to Him, and give Him public credit.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He has warned us of the consequences of our sin, and praise Him that in Christ we can escape them:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
God encourages us to come to Him with our concerns. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Opportunities to glorify Him
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
August 16
Daniel 3
God supernaturally protects Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
INSIGHT
What courage it took to defy the king! Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden image and orders everyone to bow down to it. When the Jews are brought to him in violation of the order, they say, "God may protect us from the fire, but even if He doesn't, let it be known that we are not going to serve your gods!" Surely God gives His grace in times such as these. For those of us who are living in easier times, our total dedication to the Lord must be seen in our selfless commitment to serving Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that--though all of us sin--God's compassions are new every morning:
Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said:
"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:
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 name's 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
August 17
Daniel 4
Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's second dream.
INSIGHT
What a towering figure is Nebuchadnezzar! Sovereign over the greatest nation on earth at the time, wealthy beyond description, subject to fits of rage, and yet somehow vulnerable and teachable. Nebuchadnezzar rages in fury at the three Jews who refuse to worship his image--yet proclaims their God the only God when He saves them from the furnace. Then, warned by Daniel that unless he repents he will be stripped of his kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar lapses into convenient forgetfulness and self-adulation. True to Daniel's word, the king becomes an animal and roams the forest. Yet, when his senses are restored, the king again worships God and proclaims His praise to the ends of the earth.
PRAYER
We praise the Lord for ruling in love:
"Stand up and bless the Lord your God
Forever and ever!
"Blessed be Your glorious name. . .
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to God:
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies (Psalm 40:4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A passion for moral excellence
-- The ministry of Christian education institutions
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
August 18
Daniel 5
Handwriting appears on the wall, prophesying the king's death.
INSIGHT
It is a terrible thing to go into the presence of God in our own merit. All have sinned and fall short of His glory. Belshazzar discovers this truth. While he revels--desecrating the holy implements from the temple--the hand of God writes on the wall: "You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting" (v. 27). In the providence and grace of God, we can come before Him in the merit of Christ Jesus--holy and undefiled.
PRAYER
Jesus Christ took our place on the cross. His great sacrifice requires our praise:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen" (Matthew 6:11-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:23-24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater gratitude for Christ's sacrifice
-- Your neighbors' spiritual well being
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men! (Psalm 31:19).
:angel:
August 19
Daniel 6
God miraculously delivers Daniel from the lions' den.
INSIGHT
Daniel is a man of prayer. He loves God deeply and God in turn shows Daniel mercy. We are told several interesting things about Daniel's prayer life. Verse 13 says that he prays "three times a day." His prayers included giving thanks (v. 10) and "supplication" (v. 11)--that is, Daniel asks God for things for himself and others. If our prayers reflect the commitment and balance of Daniel, our relationship with the Lord will grow.
PRAYER
The Lord has given us the ability to communicate, and we praise Him for listening to our cries:
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.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation (Psalm 24:3-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. . . .
For Your name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great
(Psalm 25:4-5, 11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
As for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me and be merciful to me.
My foot stands in an even place;
In the congregations I will bless the Lord (Psalm 26:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A joyful spirit
-- Safety and protection for loved ones
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock
(Psalm 27:4-5).
:angel:
August 20
Hosea 14
After pronouncing judgment on Israel for sin, Hosea prophesies restoration and blessing.
INSIGHT
Hosea is instructed by the Lord to take a wife whose name is Gomer and who later becomes unfaithful to him. Though Hosea loves her steadfastly, her infidelity compounds and she finally leaves him. Sometime later--as Hosea is walking down the street--he sees his wife being sold as a slave on an auction block. In a profound gesture of unconditional love, Hosea redeems (buys back) his wife and restores her to her former position of honor and comfort as his wife. In doing so, Hosea sounds a warning to Israel and plays out a moving example of the unconditional love of God for His people. If they sin, He will judge them; but after judgment, He will restore them to His grace.
PRAYER
God loves His children unconditionally. Praise Him that He does not leave us to our own abilities in following Him:
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
Pray this confession to the Lord:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You. . ."
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to God:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- The work of missions in North America
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Now offer this closing prayer to God:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).
:angel:
August 21
Joel 2
Judgment is coming for the sins of the people, but after repentance, they will be restored.
INSIGHT
Joel predicts a locust plague to come upon the land of Judah, which is both primary and secondary as a prophetic warning. The primary meaning is a literal locust plague. But the things Joel says about the locusts gradually transcend what could be true of mere bugs and could only be true of an invading army. In this way, the locust plague becomes symbolic of an invading army swarming over the land of Judah, stripping it of everything that has life. The warning of the plague comes because Judah is failing to serve the Lord. Joel holds out an escape: "Turn to Me with all your heart . . . rend your heart and not your garments" (vv. 12-13). Judah ignores the warning and the judgment eventually falls. Sin always has its consequences.
PRAYER
Give your praise to the Lord that He always warns us of the consequences of sin and gives us a means of escape:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight--
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
August 22
Amos 9
Israel's sin must be judged, but God offers hope of restoration.
INSIGHT
God reveals a warning of judgment on Israel through visions to Amos. One vision is a plumb line which God says He will hold up against the "wall" of Jerusalem, and it will be demonstrated that the wall is leaning and will fall (Amos 7:7-9). Another vision is of summer fruit in a basket which, left unattended, will rot and be good only for throwing out (chapter 8). Famine, military conquest, and pestilence are among the consequences of judgment. Israel does not repent and judgment comes, but Amos holds out the promise of eventual restoration.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and give Him your praise for saving you by faith and clothing you in Christ's righteousness:
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).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High (Psalm 7:17).
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of friends
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus (Romans 15:5).
:angel:
August 23
Obadiah
Edom is judged because she has acted with violence toward Israel.
INSIGHT
Esau and Jacob were brothers. Esau was the father of the nation Edom, and Jacob was the father of the nation Israel. Therefore, in a sense, the nations Edom and Israel are brothers. A day comes when Assyria wages war against Jerusalem. But instead of joining Israel, their brother, in the fight against Assyria, Edom joins Assyria and fights against their brothers in Jerusalem. Because of this breach of loyalty, God pronounces judgment on Edom through the prophet Obadiah. God offers no hope for possible restoration or deliverance for Edom. Her fate is sealed. Edom is destroyed as a nation.
PRAYER
Praise God for His justice and righteousness. Thank Him for the love that He pours out on His people:
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday (Psalm 37:6).
By You I have been upheld from my birth;
You are He who took me out of my mother's womb.
My praise shall be continually of You (Psalm 71:6).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 (Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
August 24
Jonah 1
Jonah suffers the consequences of refusing to obey God's call.
INSIGHT
Jonah is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 and is very likely a strong patriot of the nation Israel. As a result, he finds it an odious task to preach repentance to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, the country which is one day to conquer Israel. Rather than go on this errand of mercy, Jonah chooses to hurry to the seaport at Joppa for the fastest transit in the opposite direction. This is a commission that will not be denied, however, and God causes him to be swallowed by a great fish in which Jonah wisely repents and subsequently carries the warning message to Nineveh. The people of Nineveh repent--as Jonah feared--and the nation is preserved as an instrument of judgment for Israel almost 100 years later.
PRAYER
God's ways are above our ways, and we praise Him for His wisdom:
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness (Psalm 48:9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me (Psalm 51:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Churches across the nation
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
August 25
Micah 7
Micah laments the degradation of his fellow men, but hopes in the Lord.
INSIGHT
Micah sets his narrative in an imaginary courtroom where he pours out scathing rebuke on the injustice he sees in the fellow men around him. The evidence is brought forth and the children of Israel are found guilty. Sins swarm from Micah's pen, filling the first third of his book. The second portion of this book addresses sin. Jerusalem will be destroyed, and the people will be banished to captivity in Babylon. Typical of the prophets of God, the third part of the book tells of hope. A divine Deliverer will appear, and once again justice and righteousness will reign.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He heals our emotional pain, and praise Him because He restores our hope and joy:
The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works. . .
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine
(Psalm 33:13-15, 18-19).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or 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. Selah (Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:10-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Sensitivity to the needs of others
-- Strength for missionaries in Brazil
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him (1 John 3:1).
:angel:
August 26
Nahum 1
Nahum warns Nineveh to turn from idolatry and to be true to her vows.
INSIGHT
Nahum is sent from God to urge repentance again. This message must seem absurd. In the ensuing years, Nineveh has grown into the most powerful city in the known world. Her walls seem impregnable. Water totally surrounds the city, and inside there is a self-sufficient agricultural system. Feeling independent, she does not repent. The Babylonian army marches through the breach in the wall--and Nineveh falls. The Word of God is sure!
PRAYER
Praise God that He can overrule what seems to be impossible:
The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
You have given him his heart's desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah (Psalm 21:1-2).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised of the people. . . .
I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother's womb
You have been My God.
Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help (Psalm 22:6, 10-11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard (Psalm 22:23-24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Compassion for the less fortunate
-- Strength for those who minister to the homeless
-- Your activities for today
Offer this closing prayer to God:
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations. . .
They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this (Psalm 22:27-28, 31).
:angel:
August 28
Zephaniah 3
Beyond impending judgment there is joy.
INSIGHT
Blue blood flows through Zephaniah's veins. He is the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah, the thirteenth king of Judah and one of the most righteous of all kings. The flame for revival and religious reform burns as hot in Zephaniah's heart as it did in his forefathers'. Zephaniah's book has been called one of the "hottest" books in the Old Testament. He portrays "the final crash of the universe." The impending Day of the Lord is his all-encompassing message. Twenty-three times in this short book he refers specifically to the day that signifies the final judgment of God on the earth. Following the time of terrible judgment is the time of restoration and peace. Beyond judgment there is joy.
PRAYER
Give thanks to the Lord, and praise Him that all events are in His control and that eventually His children will know only joy:
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).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The work of the Lord in national and world affairs
In closing, ask God to help you:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
August 29
Haggai 1
Haggai explains that God's people suffer because they neglect to finish the temple.
INSIGHT
As the children of Israel return from the Babylonian captivity, their first order of business is to rebuild the temple. Haggai, a prophet of God who is ministering at the time, encourages the people to work hard at restoring the temple. With great enthusiasm, they quickly lay the foundation. But discouragement sets in and work on the temple is soon forgotten as they begin to build their own houses. Finally, after 15 years, Haggai tells them that the afflictions they are suffering are because of their neglect of the temple. They must finish the temple first and then resume building their houses. First things first. God demands proper priorities.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you express your gratitude for His justice:
O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Your development of an eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
August 30
Zechariah 14
The day is coming when God will be the righteous King over all the earth.
INSIGHT
Haggai and Zechariah minister to the same people at the same time. Their goal is the same: to motivate the people to rebuild the temple. But their very different personalities show through the pages of Scripture. Haggai utters rebuke; Zechariah breathes encouragement. Haggai makes them feel that they ought to rebuild the temple. Zechariah makes them want to rebuild the temple. He reinforces God's love and care for Israel and the certainty of the ultimate defeat of the enemies as they continue to obey God.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that His Word can be trusted:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name"
Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Persecuted Christians worldwide
-- Your activities for the day
Now, offer this closing prayer to God:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
August 31
Malachi 3
Malachi charges the Israelites with robbing God and refusing to acknowledge it.
INSIGHT
The Israelites who returned to Jerusalem have grown comfortable, complacent, and arrogantly insensitive. Through His messenger Malachi, God confronts the Israelites with their complacency. He charges that the priests are despising His name and defiling His altar. God says He will no longer accept their offerings. He states that the Israelites have been wearisome to Him with their words. God asks them to return to Him. He reproaches them for robbing Him. The Israelites have hardened their hearts, and they no longer feel the pull of God in their lives. The result is a barren period of 400 years with no word from God. Be certain that you respond to the work of God in your heart--lest you experience spiritual barrenness.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for enriching our lives when we follow Him:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You (Jeremiah 10:6-7).
Pray this confession to the Lord 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 (Psalm 130:1-4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Growth as you pursue your full potential as a child of God
-- The fulfillment of the Great Commission
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
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).
:angel:
September 1
Acts 1
After the Ascension, the apostles meet in an upper room to choose a replacement for Judas.
INSIGHT
God is moving. For thousands of years He has worked in the world through the nation of Israel and the Law of Moses. Now He will work through the church and the gospel of Christ. God instructs the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they receive power from on high. Then when they are baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit, they are to be the Lord's witnesses in their city, the surrounding country, and the entire world.
PRAYER
Offer God this psalm of praise as you think about His power and the significance of serving Him:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. (Psalm 145:17-19, 21)
Having offered Him your praise, pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation 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)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Compassion for others
The Lord's work in national and world affairs
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!" (Revelation 5:12)
:angel:
September 2
Acts 2
The Holy Spirit comes upon the believing Jews gathered at the temple.
INSIGHT
Who would have expected the coming of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament to be like this? Rushing wind. Fire. Many languages spoken and all being understood. Those with unbelieving hearts always find a "natural" explanation, but those who believe drop to their knees and cry out to God! "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (2:37). Revelation always demands a response. Unbelievers always look for a way to get out from under the authority of Scripture. But the believing heart will cry out, "O God, what shall I do?" Search your mind. Is there some response you should make to God right now?
PRAYER
As you continue to meditate on God's Word, offer praises to the Lord as you respond to His revelation:
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, and as you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Patience in difficult circumstances
Wisdom for your church leaders
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
:angel:
September 3
Acts 7
Stephen is arrested for preaching the Gospel.
INSIGHT
The New Testament was written in times that, in many ways, seem barbaric to us. That respectable people would clamor for a crucifixion or incite a mob to riot or pick up stones and kill another man is difficult for us to imagine. Yet culture was different then. Today we do not kill a person to get rid of an unwanted message. Instead, we use other tactics. We can kill the message by making it look foolish or by discrediting the messenger. We even attack God Himself, declaring that He is dead or that He has no relevance to our era. But unless we accept the message of salvation that Stephen preached, we are as guilty before God as the ones who threw the stones.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him for offering us abundant life in Christ:
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:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for your fellow Christians
The work of missionaries in Indonesia
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing 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)
:angel:
September 4
Acts 8
The stoning of Stephen initiates a wave of persecution, led by Saul.
INSIGHT
As the Jewish believers flee Jerusalem, Philip comes upon an Ethiopian dignitary who is struggling to understand the Scriptures. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asks. "How can I, unless someone guides me?" is the reply (vv. 30-31). We are God's method to reach the world for Christ. The Lord could have resorted to skywriting, sending personal visions to all people, or sending angels. Instead, He chose men and women to reach other men and women. Our responsibility is simple: to manifest the character of Christ and proclaim His name wherever we go. The work is God´s, and He will use you if you will let Him.
PRAYER
Because the Lord led someone to give His message of salvation to you, praise Him with this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin. (Ecclesiastes 7:20)
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your
strength." (Isaiah 30:15)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater faithfulness with your time and resources
The president and national leaders
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
:angel:
September 6
Acts 13
Saul adopts a Christian name, Paul, and travels to Galatia with the message of the Gospel.
INSIGHT
Chapter 13 records a remarkable fulfillment of prophecy that is easily missed. In chapter 1, Jesus commissions the disciples to be witnesses for Him and proclaims that they will take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Now the Holy Spirit sets Paul and Barnabas apart to begin traveling to the ends of the earth, taking the message with them. You and I can extend that prophetic fulfillment, too, as we accept the Great Commission as our personal commission and help to take the message of salvation to the ends of the world.
PRAYER
Offer the following psalm of praise to the Lord for allowing you to hear the message of salvation:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . .
I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only. (Psalm 71:8, 14-16)
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me. (Jeremiah 33:8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
(John 4:23-24)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The leading of the Lord in your life
Opportunities for personal evangelism
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.
(Psalm 31:23-24)
:angel:
September 5
Acts 9
On his way to Damascus, Saul has a divine revelation of Jesus and is converted.
INSIGHT
From God's perspective, the relationship between Christ and the church is a very close and dear one. Jesus is the Son of God; the church is His bride. To harm the church is to harm Christ. Though Paul never laid a hand on Him, Jesus spoke from heaven, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (v. 4). Just as Paul did, we must strive to gain God's perspective on who we are. We are His bride, His chosen one, the delight of His life. When we see ourselves as He sees us, we can be more successful at living as we should.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord because He turns even the difficult things into good:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Surely He has borne our grief
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:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The renewing of your mind
The needs of your extended family
Your activities for the day
Close with the following prayer:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
(Psalm 23:6)
:angel:
September 7
Acts 15
Paul begins his second missionary journey.
INSIGHT
Inherent within man is a tendency to want to work his way to heaven. Accepting a gift with gratitude does not seem to be enough; human beings want to do something to earn it. While Paul and Barnabas are at Antioch, some men come down from Judea and teach: "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (v. 1). This issue grows into a major debate involving the leaders in Jerusalem, but in the final analysis, Peter's argument wins out: "Why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" (v. 10). The council in Jerusalem then sends a letter to the Gentile churches encouraging their faith and assuring them that they are not under bondage.
PRAYER
Since none of us could earn it, praise the Lord that salvation is a gift:
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. . . .
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God . . .
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. . . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1, 5, 7, 11, 20)
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:
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
(John 17:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Unity in the body of Christ
Greater commitment to the Lord
Your activities for the day
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14)
:angel:
September 8
Acts 16
Paul travels to Macedonia, Achaia, and Greece, carrying the Gospel.
INSIGHT
During World War II, many soldiers "got religion" while in their foxholes under enemy fire. Because many of those "foxhole conversions" were not genuine, some people become skeptical of anyone who professes Christianity under stressful circumstances. Yet there are many, including the Philippian jailer, who will testify that some "foxhole conversions" are genuine. Be sensitive to the Lord when you are under stress. He may use that very situation to help you get your life into perspective.
PRAYER
Praise God for the circumstances that surrounded your conversion:
Your word is very pure;
Therefore Your servant loves it.
I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.
Trouble and anguish have overtaken me,
Yet Your commandments are my delights.
The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting;
Give me understanding, and I shall live.
(Psalm 119:140-144)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:18-19)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Jeremiah 31:33).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A compassionate heart
The leaders of your church
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
Because I have hoped in Your word. (Psalm 119:74)
:angel:
September 9
Acts 17
As Paul continues his journey, he establishes churches.
INSIGHT
It is often necessary to establish common ground with others in order to win an audience for the Gospel. Paul uses a point of common ground when he begins talking to the people of Athens about the idol bearing the inscription: "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD"(17:23). Catching their interest, Paul develops his argument to present to them the living Christ (vv. 30-31). This skillful message is used by the Holy Spirit to bring men and women to Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Praise God that He has revealed Himself to you:
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:31-35).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
When we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
(Romans 5:6-8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his
work (Psalm 62:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
courage to follow God's leading,
salvation of your neighbors,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. . . . Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ(Acts 2:32-33, 36).
:angel:
September 10
Acts 18
Paul embarks on his third journey that takes him first to Ephesus.
INSIGHT
Apollos combines the eloquence of the Greek with the religious instinct of the Jew. Most likely a student from the great university at Alexandria, Apollos is a convert to the Gospel, deeply conversant with the Old Testament. Gifted with marvelous eloquence, he is a strong ally of the Christian forces of his age. But he needs to understand the death, resurrection, and ascended power of Christ. Aquila and Priscilla teach Apollos these things. How wonderful is that holy wisdom that the Spirit of God gives to humble believers so that they can become teachers of men who are intellectually their superiors! When teaching children or new believers, encourage them and have hope that some may become "mighty in the Scriptures" (v. 24).
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for the ministry that He provides in your life through other believers:
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them - the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them.
(Isaiah 59:12)
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
The work of missions in Africa
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
September 11
Acts 21
After Paul's travels, he preaches in Jerusalem and is arrested for violating the Law.
INSIGHT
When Paul preaches, either a riot or a revival usually occurs. When he goes to Jerusalem for the last time, a riot breaks out. Having been told beforehand by the Holy Spirit, Paul is aware that he will be imprisoned and handed over to the Gentiles. Even though his friends beg him to avoid Jerusalem, Paul "would not be persuaded"; and his friends give up and say, "The will of the Lord be done" (v. 14). Paul views himself as a sojourner on this earth, for his true citizenship is in heaven. He is to be simply a steward, an ambassador of Christ while his time lasts. What power and vision that outlook gives Paul to avoid the entanglements of this world! How much more completely would we realize our calling if we saw ourselves in the same way.
PRAYER
Give praise and thanks to the Lord for giving us citizenship in heaven:
Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him." (Daniel 2:20-22)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . .
As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And set me before Your face forever.
(Psalm 41:10, 12)
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:
Wisdom for your country´s leaders
Faithfulness with your talents
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
September 12
Acts 22
Upon his arrest at the temple, Paul attempts in vain to justify his message to the Jews.
INSIGHT
Even though Paul lives in complete recognition of the will of the Lord and acceptance of the sovereignty of God, he is not passive regarding his personal welfare or the welfare of his mission. Paul knows it is illegal to punish a Roman citizen without his being tried and found guilty. When he is about to be beaten, Paul brings up this issue and is spared. Acceptance of the sovereignty of God does not mean passiveness in the things of this world. Paul does what he can within the legal system and then leaves the results to the Lord.
PRAYER
Because the Lord is sovereign, we praise Him and trust in His goodness on our behalf:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
(Jeremiah 10:23-24)
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. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom in decision making
The needs of personal friends
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing 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)
:angel:
September 13
Acts 23
Because of attempts to kill Paul, he is taken to Caesarea to await trial.
INSIGHT
Jesus says, "I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16). This certainly describes Paul. As he stands before the Jewish Council, Paul knows that his life is in peril. He also knows that the Council is divided between Pharisees, who believe in the resurrection of the dead, and the Sadducees, who do not. When Paul deliberately brings up that issue, the ensuing dissension is so great that the soldiers take him away, thwarting the immediate plot against him.
PRAYER
It is by grace through faith that we can repent, turn to God, and give Him our praise:
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 4:11)
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 7:17)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
And according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Spiritual victory over temptation
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising loving-
kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
:angel:
September 14
Acts 23
Paul's first trial before Felix, the governor of the region, is not decisive.
INSIGHT
During World War II there was a popular song with the phrase: "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." This snatch of verse captures a theme that runs throughout the Bible: Assume human responsibility while relying on the sovereignty of God. Throughout the Bible, men pray and then act. Paul's arguments are clever and his logic is deft, as though he is relying on himself for his freedom. And yet under it all is a peace, a trust, a confidence that can only be explained by his rest in the Lord whom he serves. Whether his circumstances are good or bad, Paul regards wherever he is as the "world" into which the Lord wants him to go to "preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that we can rely on Him:
And Mary said:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation." (Luke 1:46-50)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm. (Joel 2:12-13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A passion for moral excellence
Christian educational institutions
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2)
:angel:
September 15
Acts 25
Felix vacates his office without resolving Paul's status.
INSIGHT
How strangely God fulfills His own word: "So you must also bear witness at Rome" (Acts 23:11). Paul knows he will have to go to Rome, but he doesn't expect to go under Roman guard and at Rome's expense. After two years the Jews still thirst for his blood! Had he been transferred to Jerusalem, his life would have been imperiled. However, God had called him to preach the Gospel in Rome. Through these circumstances, Paul is transferred.
PRAYER
Let's praise God for His wonderful ways:
Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him. (Psalm 28:6-7)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
Save, Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.
(Psalm 20:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
(Psalm 22:3-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Careful speech
Troubling current events
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard. (Psalm 22:22-24)
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September 16
Acts 26
Paul is given an audience with King Agrippa.
INSIGHT
To repent means to turn around, to go in the opposite direction, or to think opposite thoughts. If you have not received Christ, you must repent to do so. In his defense before King Agrippa and Festus, Paul says he preaches to everyone that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance (v. 20). One cannot repent without changing. Repentance toward Christ brings new birth and the power to change. Have you repented and turned to God?
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His patience and love:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1-2)
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy. (Psalm 33:1-3)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly.
I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
For all my ways are before You. (Psalm 119:166-168)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Power to become more Christ-like
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright. (Psalm 11:7)
:angel:
September 17
Acts 27
Paul exercises his right as a Roman citizen to take his case before Caesar.
INSIGHT
One of the secrets of peace is believing the promises of God. There are many things that we think we believe, but our anxiety level reveals that we do not. The Lord promises to meet all our needs, but our labor and worry reveal that we are not so sure. Paul receives a word from God that he will not perish. In relating this to the sailors, Paul says: "Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me" (v. 25). If we believe, we can be at peace; if we do not believe, we will fret. Review the promises of Scripture when you are troubled. What among them are you not believing? If you are trying to believe but still struggle, you may pray the prayer of the father regarding his son who had an evil spirit: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24).
PRAYER
Praise God that He rewards our faith, even if it is as small as a mustard seed:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 72:18-19)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
"Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips."
(Hosea 14:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world." (John 6:51)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for your family
Missions in North America
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works." (Matthew 16:27)
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September 18
Acts 28
Paul finally arrives in Rome after a harrowing journey by sea.
INSIGHT
Our lives are a constant struggle between our own wills and the will of God. The circumstances of God's will are often strange and enigmatic; they do not always make sense. However, His will is being worked out even in ways we cannot see or understand. When we relinquish control of our lives and yield to God's will, then peace, love, and joy will characterize our lives. Paul must have wondered from time to time how shipwreck and imprisonment were working into God's will; yet with historical perspective, we can see that good came of these events. In the words of the old hymn, we must: "Trust and obey, for there´s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him because He is good and can be trusted:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:1-2, 14)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye. (Psalm 32:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness with your finances
Revival in America
Whatever else is on your heart
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)
:angel:
September 19
Romans 1
Paul emphasizes the importance of the gospel message.
INSIGHT
According to Romans 1:18-20, all people have two avenues for beginning to learn about God. First, all human beings have an inner awareness of God or conscience (v. 19). Second, they can look at nature and learn several truths about God: (1) His invisible attributes—beauty, intelligence, etc.; (2) His eternal power—what awesome power it takes to put the stars in place!; (3) His divine nature—that there is a God who is higher than man and nature. Whenever anyone looks at nature and honestly searches his own heart, he can know that there is a God.
PRAYER
The righteousness of God has been imputed to you if you are a child of God, and you can praise Him in holiness and truth:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting. (Psalm 93:1-2)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The development of an eternal perspective
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
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September 20
Romans 2
The Jews have no partiality with God because they live for the Law.
INSIGHT
Without God, there is no right and wrong; there is only preference. We can say that we prefer something to be or not to be; but unless we appeal to God, we cannot use the words right and wrong. If one person says something is right and another says it is wrong, their opinions cancel each other out unless they can appeal to a higher authority. Mankind needs God not only for salvation but also for the normal functioning of society. It is sobering to ask, "If everyone were exactly like me, what kind of society would we have?"
PRAYER
Give praise and thanks to the Lord for the matchless gift of eternal life through Christ:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand. (Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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. (Psalm 103:1-2)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments. . . .
Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,
And teach me Your judgments. (Psalm 119:105-106, 108)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater personal discipline
Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
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September 21
Romans 3
The world stands guilty before God, and can only be forgiven through Christ.
INSIGHT
There are several commonly held misconceptions about how God evaluates the deeds of men. One idea is that as long as we don't do anything "terrible," God will overlook our "little" sins. Another is that God weighs all our good works on one side of a scale and all our bad works on the other. If the good outweighs the bad, we're okay. A third incorrect notion is that God lines up all the people who have ever lived from the best to the worst and then divides them in half. If you make the cut, you're okay. The truth the Bible teaches is that God demands sinlessness. And since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, all people are condemned. There is only one way out: Receive Jesus as your personal Savior. Through Him, all your sins can be forgiven.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for His grace and salvation:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
(Psalm 92:1-2, 15)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives."
(Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A stronger desire to be like Christ
Churches across the nation
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. (Romans 16:25, 27)
:angel:
September 22
Romans 4
Justification by faith is illustrated in the Old Testament through the lives of Abraham and David.
INSIGHT
To impute something means "to apply something to your account." The Bible teaches that no one can earn salvation. However, God will give it to us freely if we have faith in Him. God honors the attitude of our hearts and imputes righteousness to our accounts. To be able to impute righteousness to those living during Old Testament times, God looked ahead to the work of Christ on the cross. Now He looks back to the Cross. But in both cases, God´s people have been saved by grace through faith.
PRAYER
Offer praise to God for His righteous works:
I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
(Psalm 69:30-32)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Have we not all one Father?
Has not one God created us?
Why do we deal treacherously with one another
By profaning the covenant of the fathers?
(Malachi 2:10)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.
For the Lord will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.
(Psalm 135:13-14).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A humble spirit
Evangelism in Russia
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever
The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.
(Psalm 136:4-9)
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September 23
Romans 5
"Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 1).
INSIGHT
Paul spells out in specific terms how our salvation is accomplished. We learn that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
We also discover that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
"Sin entered the world" through Adam "and death through sin," for all sinned (5:12). But salvation is offered to all through the God-Man, Jesus Christ. We can escape death by trusting in Christ as our Redeemer.
PRAYER
Praise the Son for His glorious sacrifice on the cross:
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
Pray this confession to the Lord 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. . .
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:1, 17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
An attitude of gratefulness
Unsaved family members
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Therefore God also has highly exalted [Jesus] and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:9-11)
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September 24
Romans 6
We are to present our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness.
INSIGHT
Micky Cohen, a noted gangster of a past generation, said that after he embraced Christianity, he felt betrayed. No one had explained that God would require a change in his behavior. "There are Christian athletes and Christian businessmen. Why not Christian gangsters?" he reasoned. But when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are no longer free to continue living as we did in the world. Our affections and activities must change to reflect the God whom we serve. The term "Christian gangster" contradicts itself because the activities of a gangster generally oppose the character of Christ.
PRAYER
Use the following psalm to offer the Lord your praise for all He has done for you:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
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 to be feared above all gods. (Psalm 96:1-4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
(John 6:37)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for others
The work of missions worldwide
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
Quiet Walk
September 25
Romans 7
A civil war rages in the life of every Christian.
INSIGHT
The "inward man" (v. 22) is created in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24), wills to do good (v. 21), joyfully delights in the law of God (v. 22), and serves "the law of God" (v. 25). However, the "flesh" (v. 18) practices the thing the inward man hates (v. 15). "Nothing good" dwells in the flesh (v. 18). It wars against the law of the mind (v. 23) and serves "the law of sin" (v. 25). As a result of this civil war, our lives do not run smoothly. We do things we don't want to do, and we fail to do things we want to do. Who can deliver us from "this body of death" (v. 24)? Only Jesus. When we receive Him as our personal Savior, the spiritual forces are put into place to free us from the bondage of sin. Then we must begin the process of dying to sin on a daily basis.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord because He frees you from the bondage of sin and gives you glorious, eternal life:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness. (Psalm 96:5-8, 11)
Pause to express your praise and thankfulness.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you.
(Deuteronomy 32:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness in sharing Christ
The Lord´s work in world affairs
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
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September 26
Romans 8
What the Law cannot do in delivering us from sin, God does through Christ.
INSIGHT
In Greece, a little boy might run into the kitchen and call "Mama, Mama!" when he wants to find his mother. And late in the afternoon as he hears familiar masculine footsteps approaching the house, he may run out to his father and cry "Abba, Abba!" "Mama" and "Abba" are terms of close family endearment. God loves the whole world, but He loves His spiritual children in a different, special way. With respect and joy, we can express our love back to Him with the tender name, "Abba, Abba." It's a term of endearment in the spiritual family.
PRAYER
Because the Lord has made us a part of such a loving entity as the body of Christ, offer your praise to Him:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
(Psalm 100:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel."
(Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5)
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:
Health and strength to serve Him
His will to be done on earth
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. . . . I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You." (Job 42:2, 5)
:angel:
September 27
Romans 12
The Christian life is a life of total dedication and service to others.
INSIGHT
To better understand the implications of the first two verses of chapter 12, it is helpful to read them backwards. We all want to be a living demonstration of the fact that the will of God is "good and acceptable and perfect." In order to do that, we must have our minds transformed and renewed. In order to have our minds transformed and renewed, we must make our bodies "a living sacrifice" to God. We all want the will of God in our lives. We can experience it if we present ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the bond of love that binds us to Him and to other Christians:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works. . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer. (Isaiah 54:7-8)
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:
That others will see Christ in you
That the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
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September 28
Romans 13
The Christian is to obey the government and love his fellow man.
INSIGHT
Love is the central characteristic of the Christian. In Matthew 22:37-40, a lawyer asks Jesus which is the greatest commandment. Jesus says: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Then the Lord gives the second greatest commandment: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul writes that love is the greatest characteristic-even greater than faith or hope. Now in Romans this theme is picked up again. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the Law. God is love. If we are to be like Him, we also must love.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He loves you, and praise Him that through Him you can love others:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
(Psalm 97:10-12)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. . . .
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 53:3, 6)
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:
Greater sensitivity to sin
Your role in the ministry of your church
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
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September 29
Romans 14
Christians should not exercise personal liberty if it destroys another Christian.
INSIGHT
We are a part of others; what we say and what we do affects others. This is especially true of Christians. We are a part of the body of Christ; we are a part of one another. Not only does God not want us to live isolated lives but He has made it so that we cannot make it alone. Therefore, we must always be alert to how our actions affect others. If something we do harms another person, we must take that into account. If our freedom causes hurt to a brother or sister in Christ, then love dictates that we limit our freedom.
PRAYER
Praise your heavenly Father for your brothers and sisters in Christ:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity! . . .
It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing-
Life forevermore. (Psalm 133:1, 3)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and as you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession 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)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Kindness in your dealings with others
Encouragement for missionaries in Europe
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2)
:angel:
September 30
Romans 15
We are to conduct our lives in a way that glorifies God.
INSIGHT
When we become Christians, we exchange our citizenship on earth for citizenship in heaven. Therefore, we live according to the value system in heaven, not the value system on earth. On earth we look out for ourselves, and we satisfy our own wants and desires. In heaven we look out for the welfare of others. This does not mean that we neglect ourselves and our families. Other passages in Scripture indicate that we are to love our spouses, children, and parents and care for their needs, which brings this teaching into balance with other truths.
PRAYER
Praise God for His love that we can pass on to others:
"Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
Sing to the Lord,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!" (Isaiah 12:4-6)
Having offered Him your praise, pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The fool has said in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.
God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one. (Psalm 53:1-3)
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater peace and trust
Guidance for your church leaders
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the Lord of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever. Selah.
(Psalm 48:8)
:angel:
October 1
1 Corinthians 1
Paul appeals for unity among the Corinthian believers.
INSIGHT
It has been said: God does the work of God and man does the work of man. Man cannot do the work of God. God will not do the work of man. Paul's exhortation to the Corinthian believers certainly supports this. The Corinthian church had split into factions, following different men. Some said, "I follow Paul." Others said, "I follow Apollos." The most pious among them disdained to follow mere men and said, "I follow Christ." Using the imagery of a husbandman, Paul says, "I planted (brought the message of salvation), Apollos watered (taught you more advanced things), but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Pursue the work of man with all diligence. And rest in the work of God.
PRAYER
Praise God for caring for the things that are out of your control:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
(Psalm 105:1-3)
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. (Psalm 19:12-13)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations.
(1 Chronicles 16:14-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The fruit of the Spirit in your life
Those who minister in the inner cities
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
And let them say among the nations,
"The Lord reigns." . . .
Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
(1 Chronicles 16:31, 33)
:angel:
October 2
1 Corinthians 2
When Paul ministers to the Corinthians, he relies on the work of the Holy Spirit.
INSIGHT
When we speak, teach, or preach to the unsaved, we are not speaking to those who are merely blindfolded; we are speaking to those who are blind. It is not as though we can appeal to them to remove their blindfolds. Rather, we must appeal to the Lord to remove their blindness through the power of His Holy Spirit. "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, it is foolishness on our part to attempt to minister to others without first praying fervently for that ministry, asking the Lord to draw those hearts to Christ.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He broke through your blindness with the Light of life:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord. (Psalm 104:24, 33-34)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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. (Romans 3:23-24)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
That others might see Christ in you
That the Lord of the harvest will send laborers into His fields
Today's activities
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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)
:angel:
October 3
1 Corinthians 3
Paul says no foundation can be laid other than Jesus, and anything else is worthless in eternity.
INSIGHT
When the events of life are viewed with an eternal perspective, things that initially seemed important become unimportant, and things that seemed unimportant become important. Religious activity that is not undertaken with the right spirit or motive is worthless in view of eternity, regardless of how much weight it is given by men. And conversely the smallest cup of water given in the name of Christ receives eternal reward. Be careful how you build your life's work. Keep eternity in mind at all times.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He loved us enough to sacrifice His pleasures in heaven for our welfare:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
(Psalm 108:1, 3-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom for living
Needs of your immediate family
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen" (Revelation 7:11-12).
:angel:
October 4
1 Corinthians 6
Brothers should not go to court against brothers, especially before unbelievers.
INSIGHT
When we come to Christ, we give up our title to all earthly possessions, and we receive eternal possessions that are fabulous beyond imagination. All of the riches of Christ are ours as co-inheritors with Him; all those things that we might have viewed as possessions must now be seen as "on loan." We are now merely administrators, stewards of these things that belong to the Lord. We must hold them loosely with an open hand, not as possessions, and use them as we believe Christ would.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that Christ's passion for us went as far as the Cross:
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.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. . . .
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, 3-4, 10)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you. (Deuteronomy 32:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Patience in dealing with others
The hungry around the world
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you,
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
October 5
1 Corinthians 7
Paul instructs the Corinthians concerning marriage, divorce, and singleness.
INSIGHT
Within the bonds of marriage, spiritual, emotional, and physical dimensions exist. The relationship should be established by a spiritual bond out of which flow emotional and physical bonds. When this order is properly maintained, the relationship is balanced and satisfying. However, many marriages take the opposite direction. Out of physical attraction grow emotional bonds, and spiritual bonds may or may not follow. Strive to strengthen the spiritual bonds in your relationships in order to keep them healthy and balanced. Even in a marriage where one partner is unsaved, the relationship will be stronger and more satisfying if your spouse sees the reality of your spiritual life and love for Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that our spiritual bond with Christ can strengthen the bonds of other relationships:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise? . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-2, 48)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you pray this confession to the Lord:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater sensitivity to sin
The ministry of your church
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea,
and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13)
:angel:
October 6
1 Corinthians 8
Take care that your actions do not wound another Christian.
INSIGHT
There is an inseparable link between Christ and the church. In Acts 9:4 Jesus appears to Saul on the road to Damascus and asks, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Yet Saul had not persecuted Jesus; he had never even seen Jesus. However, because he was persecuting the church, Jesus rebuked Saul for persecuting Him. Again in 1 Corinthians 8 Paul teaches that if we sin against our brothers in Christ-wounding their consciences when they are weak-we sin against Christ. We must be cautious with our words and actions.
PRAYER
Praise Christ, the Head of the church:
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height , and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14, 17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and
the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:11-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up. (Psalm 5:1-3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Perseverance
Endurance for those who work with the homeless
Whatever else is on your heart
Close this time of worship with the following prayer:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
October 7
1 Corinthians 9
Paul limits his freedom for the sake of other Christians.
INSIGHT
Spiritual maturity is not a product of human effort. The fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit, not of self-effort. Yet God will not grant spiritual maturity to us unless we are striving for it. Paul says, "I run . . . not with uncertainty. I fight . . . not as one who beats the air. I discipline my body . . . " in pursuit of spiritual goals (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). The reality is that few of us have the spiritual passion to equal the temporal passion of the unsaved. It is a challenge to care about the same things God cares about-a challenge we must accept!
PRAYER
Praise God that His work of sanctification continues in your life:
May the Lord give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 115:14-18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother" (Zechariah 7:9-10).
As you confess your sins, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation. (Psalm 118:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Purity of mind
Your spiritual goals
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:15-16)
:angel:
October 8
1 Corinthians 13
Love is the greatest virtue that all Christians should exhibit.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, love is clearly considered the supreme virtue. Both Jesus and Paul teach that the greatest Christian virtue is love. However, it is not always easy to measure love, especially because our society has such a distorted concept of what love is. Many people think that love is simply an emotion. We may think that if we don't feel "warm and fuzzy," we don't love. While emotions certainly may be attached to biblical love, love is primarily an act of the will. And God commands us to love. If you exhibit the qualities listed in today's chapter, you are loving regardless of your emotions.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He loves us with the same love He asks from us:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens. (Psalm 113:1-4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for fellow Christians
The work of missions in Europe and Asia
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)
:angel:
October 9
1 Corinthians 15
Christ's resurrection is the basis for our resurrection, which is the final victory over sin.
INSIGHT
It is difficult for us to imagine what our resurrected bodies will be like. Yet there are snatches of information in the Scriptures that may give us some idea. In Matthew 17, for example, we read about Jesus, Moses, and Elijah who, having lost their earthly appearance, glow with a dazzling light. From this one brief example, we might conclude that our bodies will shine with dazzling light, that we will be free from gravity, that we may travel at fabulous speeds, and will be able to appear and disappear. C. S. Lewis once wrote that if we were to see our glorified selves coming down the street, we would be tempted to fall at our own feet and worship ourselves.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that each believer will have a wonderful resurrected body:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 11, 18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly"
(2 Samuel 24:10).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater faithfulness with your time
The president, national leaders, and national and world affairs
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
October 10
2 Corinthians 1
The Lord comforts us in our affliction so we may comfort others.
INSIGHT
There is a fellowship of suffering. Someone who has suffered the same things we have suffered is better able to minister to us. And if we have been comforted in our suffering, we are better able to comfort someone else who experiences the same difficulties. Suffering can make us compassionate toward others. As the sufferings of Christ overflow into our lives, so can the compassion of Christ overflow from our lives into the lives of others.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that Jesus was willing to lay down His immediate comfort for our sakes:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.
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 135:1-5, 21)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord - how long? (Psalm 6:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit . . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirsaccording to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-5, 7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The renewing of your mind
The needs of your extended family
Your activities for the day
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)
:angel:
October 11
2 Corinthians 4
Man's evident weakness presents an opportunity for God to manifest His power.
INSIGHT
When we look at Israel and the Mosaic Law, we tend to think that the Jews performed poorly. All they had to do was be obedient to some basic laws, and God would bless them beyond measure. Yet they might say the same about us. With the Holy Spirit living in us, we have only to live in love toward God and man and God will bless us spiritually beyond measure. While human frailty is glaring in both systems, the work of God is being accomplished nevertheless. God's message is carried in "jars of clay" so that in eternity the glory of the redeemed will go to God and not to man.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord as an expression of the gratefulness of your heart:
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 and in fellowship with Him:
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:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The Lord's leading in your life
Opportunities for evangelism
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14)
:angel:
October 12
2 Corinthians 5
We should live for the eternal rather than the temporal, and we will be rewarded accordingly.
INSIGHT
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine "bema" that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds "on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord as you "set your mind on things above":
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us. (Psalm 123:1-2)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him, pray this confession to the Lord:
"My God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater commitment to Him
The work of specific Christian ministries
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:23-24)
:angel:
October 13
2 Corinthians 8
We should follow Christ's example and be generous toward others.
INSIGHT
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine "bema" that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds "on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).
PRAYER
Praise God for supplying all your needs:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Indeed I have all and abound. I am full . . . And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:18-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver. (Psalm 119:71-72)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot
compare with her. (Proverbs 3:13-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Yieldedness to God's will
Missionaries in the Middle East
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
:angel:
October 14
2 Corinthians 9
Christians should give generously as God has prospered them.
INSIGHT
God asks for your money, not for His sake, but for yours. What God wants is your heart, and one measure of how much of your heart He has is how willing you are to give your money back to Him. Two of God's reasons for asking Christians to give to other Christians are to foster mutual unity and concern among believers, and to show the love of God to the unsaved. Remember, it is not the amount but the willingness that counts. Give as God has prospered you.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the many material possessions you enjoy:
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
Let Mount Zion rejoice,
Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
Because of Your judgments. (Psalm 48:9-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."
But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:21-22)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way. . .
Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy,
And teach me Your statutes.
I am Your servant;
Give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies.
(Psalm 119:103-104, 124-125)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Contentment with what you own
Health concerns of friends and family members
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
(Psalm 119:129-130)
:angel:
October 15
2 Corinthians 12
Paul was given a vision of heaven and then "a thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble.
INSIGHT
The Bible gives us a number of reasons why Christians suffer adversity. One reason is to strengthen and mature us. Another is that it is the natural consequence of our own foolishness from which God does not necessarily protect us. And another reason Paul gives us in today's chapter is to keep us humble. If things always went well for us, if life was always "coming up roses," we would tend to become conceited, to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and perhaps think less of others. Notice that Paul only prayed three times for the removal of his "thorn in the flesh" (vv. 7-8). When it was clear that God was not going to remove it, Paul accepted it.
PRAYER
Because the Lord always has a reason for allowing adversity, we can praise Him for all things:
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 and in fellowship with Him:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5)
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:
Patience in difficult circumstances
The work of missions in South America
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
October 16
Galatians 5
As Christians walk by the Spirit, they will manifest His characteristics.
INSIGHT
As Paul teaches in Romans 7, a civil war rages within every child of God. The opposing forces are the power of the flesh and the power of the Spirit. Paul refers to these as the "outer man" and the "inner man." What is at stake is the control of the child of God. As we yield ourselves to the control of the Spirit, then love, joy, peace, patience, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. As we yield ourselves to the control of our unrighteous promptings, then anger, jealousy, impurity, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. We must yield our "members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Romans 6:13) and begin to taste of the fruit of God.
PRAYER
Because we can taste the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, give thanks and praise to Him:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindness,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness sake, O Lord. (Psalm 25:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness with your talents
The ministry of Christian radio
Your activities for the day
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)
:angel:
October 17
Galatians 6
Christians are to look out for one another and bear one another's burdens.
INSIGHT
John Donne once wrote: "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main. . . . If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less." What Donne wrote generally and poetically, Paul wrote specifically hundreds of years earlier: "Restore" one another and "bear one another's burdens" (vv. 1-2); "do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (v. 10). We are part of one another, and we are to live for one another in harmony and mutual concern. We are all part of the same "continent"-the "continent" of Christ.
PRAYER
Offer praise to the Lord because the message of Christ the Savior has come to you:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. (Psalm 145:17-21)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to stay in fellowship with Him:
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
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. . . .
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You. (Psalm 25:15-18, 21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom in decision making
The needs of personal friends
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:6)
:angel:
October 18
Ephesians 1
Christians have forgiveness of sin—an eternal inheritance.
INSIGHT
Most Christians need to re-identify who they are. We still see ourselves as mere human beings, children of the age with the albatross of the world hanging around our necks. That is who we once were, but are no longer. We have been adopted by God and are now His children. We are newly created in Him in holiness and righteousness. We have been given an inheritance in heaven that includes wealth and power. We have been changed; we are no longer what we were. When that truth "sinks in," we begin to act like who we really are rather than who we were.
PRAYER
Praise God for His mighty work of regeneration in your life!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God. . . .
The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A renewed mind
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
October 19
Ephesians 2
All men are dead in sin, but by grace through faith in Christ they may be saved from sin.
INSIGHT
Two of the most wonderful words in the Bible occur in this chapter: "But God . . ." We were dead in our transgressions and sins; we followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the spirit of disobedience; we lived to gratify the cravings of our sinful natures; and we were by nature objects of wrath. BUT GOD, because of His great love for us, made us alive with Christ. We have been saved; God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms, that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He extends grace to you:
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:
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 name's 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:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Christian educational institutions
Challenges for the disabled
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)
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4)
:angel:
October 20
Ephesians 3
Paul is called to be a minister and to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.
INSIGHT
Paul calls his ministry the fulfillment of a "mystery." In the Bible, a mystery is nothing mysterious but something previously unknown. The mystery was that Jews and Gentiles would join together to form a new entity-the church. This mystery was foretold by Jesus, but the details of the doctrine, walk, and destiny of the church were communicated by Paul and his fellow apostles. Now as a new thing-the body of Christ-we are all to allow Christ to live His life through us.
PRAYER
Praise God for the mighty plan He has for the church:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord! . . .
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
(Psalm 113:1, 4-6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:16-18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Wisdom as you serve in your local church
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-10)
:angel:
October 21
Ephesians 4
Christians are to live in righteousness and holiness, worthy of their calling in Christ.
INSIGHT
On the basis of who we are in Christ - redeemed, inheritors with Christ, adopted into God's family, and destined to spend eternity with Him - we are to live a lifestyle that reflects our identity. We are no longer to live as we did before we knew the Lord - or as those who do not know Him. By putting on the "new man" we will preserve the unity of the Spirit and show the world that Christ is real. He makes a difference in the life that is dedicated to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He is molding you into His image:
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous (Psalm 112:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness
(Psalm 101:2-4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever
(Psalm 104:1-2, 5).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
sensitivity to the Holy Spirit,
unsaved friends and co-workers.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord
(Psalm 107:43)
:angel:
October 22
Ephesians 5
We are to walk in love just as Christ did.
INSIGHT
The wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience (the unsaved). Therefore, we are not to partake of their deeds. For we were formerly darkness, but now we are light in the Lord. If this is so, do you as a Christian need to alter any of your present habits? What about your television viewing habits? If it is disgraceful even to speak of the things that are done by the children of darkness, how much more disgraceful is it to sit in our living rooms and watch it? What about movies, books, magazines, or conversations with friends? Do your habits reflect the light of God?
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He has transferred us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light:
Mary said:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation"(Luke 1:46-50).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you pray this confession to the Lord:
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:
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills (Habakkuk 3:19).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for your family,
the work of missions in South America.
Finally, close with this prayer:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
(Romans 16:25-27)
:angel:
October 23
Ephesians 6
We are to put on the full armor of God to fight and win the spiritual war.
INSIGHT
Satan is a deceiver and a destroyer; he deceives in order to destroy. A part of his deception is to have us believe he is not at work opposing our pursuit of righteousness. To combat his efforts, we must do several things. First, recognize that we must "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might"(v. 10), not in our own strength. Second, we must "put on the whole armor of God" (v. 11). Each piece described in verses 14-17 must be in place daily. Third, we must pray at all times Òin the SpiritÓ (v. 18). And finally, having done all that, we must stand firm without fear, knowing we are secure (v. 13).
PRAYER
Because the Lord has promised to fight for us, we can praise Him!
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
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. . . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1-5, 11, 20).
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your finances,
revival among Christians in America,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
October 24
Philippians 1
Paul urges us to have his perspective: "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (v. 21).
INSIGHT
With Paul's perspective on life, he cannot lose. Wherever he is, Paul considers it "the world" into which the Lord wants him to go to preach the Gospel. Even prison is a positive experience for Paul, because he is able to spread the Gospel there. And if he is to die, that is even better. To live is fruitful ministry, but to die is gain. Most of us have our affections too deeply implanted in the things of this world to identify with hisperspective. We must learn to let go.
PRAYER
The Lord is worthy of our praise:
"Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after themÑthe Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings."
(Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
(Psalm 51:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
(2 Corinthians 8:9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
an eternal perspective,
your ministry in your local church,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
October 25
Philippians 2
We are exhorted to be like Christ, who practiced only selflessness.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the source of most interpersonal conflict. Someone is taking something from us (materially, emotionally, socially, etc.) that we don't want to give, and we fight to keep or gain our desires. Unselfishness is the source of most interpersonal harmony. Think about the people you really like - even famous people you don't know personally. Usually the reason you like them is because they are gracious and kind, and give of themselves. If you want to be a harmonious, likable person, you must be unselfish.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that we see God in Christ, and praise Him for the privilege of knowing Him:
Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him". (Daniel 2:20-22)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight -
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
(Colossians 1:13-14)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater personal discipline,
persecuted Christians,
your activities for the day.
Close this time of worship with the following prayer:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
:angel:
October 26
Philippians 3
Our goal in life should be to forsake temporal things for the sake of the eternal.
INSIGHT
Benjamin Franklin once decided to become morally perfect. He chose 13 qualities he felt embodied moral perfection and tried to perfect one a week - at the end of 13 weeks he would be morally perfect. He failed, yet later wrote he had become a much better man for trying and failing than if he had never tried at all. Our situation with the Lord is similar. We will never become morally perfect, as Paul writes, but we can experience maturation as we grow into the image of Christ.
PRAYER
Because the Lord knows our weaknesses and loves us anyway, we can praise Him with enthusiasm:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You,
O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You. . . .
But the Lord is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation
(Jeremiah 10:6-7, 10)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
(Romans 8:26)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
a stronger desire to be like Christ,
churches across the nation,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
(Ephesians 6:13)
:angel:
October 27
Philippians 4
We must focus on those things which are pure and good.
INSIGHT
You are what you eat." Your body reflects what you feed it. Eat well and your body rewards you with health. The same is true spiritually and mentally. We become like what we put into our minds and like what we allow our minds to dwell on. Paul encourages us to think about whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, or of good report (v. 8). If you are unsatisfied with your spiritual, mental, or emotional development, ask yourself: "What do I put into my mind - what do I think about?" You may need a radical change in your spiritual diet.
PRAYER
God's attributes include love, joy, kindness, and mercy. Praise Him for developing these characteristics in your life:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
(1 Chronicles 16:8-11)
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
(Psalm 7:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
graciousness toward others,
laborers for Christ in India,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is their strength,
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever (Psalm 28:8-9).
:angel:
October 28
Colossians 1
Christ is the image of the invisible God and the Head of the church.
INSIGHT
On the surface, it is pretty difficult to explain why you believe in God. No one has seen Him face-to-face, touched Him, or smelled Him, yet His fingerprints are everywhere. You must get beneath the surface where the intangible becomes tangible. God is made visible through Jesus Christ. Paul writes that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God" (v. 15). If you want to know about God, learn about Jesus. If you want to see God, look at Jesus. If you want to please God, follow Jesus. He is God in the flesh!
PRAYER
Praise God that He came to us in the person of Jesus Christ:
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
(John 14:10-13)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge - by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:20-21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual discipline,
strength for those ministering Gods Word in China,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
(John 1:18)
:angel:
October 29
Colossians 2
Christ is our Savior and example; the center of life for Christians.
INSIGHT
People can no more save themselves than they can fly to the moon. Both are utterly impossible. And because of our spiritual condition and the spiritual laws of God, we stand a greater assurance of making our spiritual condition worse instead of better by trying to save ourselves. Paul says that we were dead. We had decrees written against us that we were powerless to remove. God made us alive together with Christ and removed the decrees against us by nailing them Òto the crossÓ (vv. 13-14). We must gain salvation by grace through faith in Christ or not have it at all.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that in our utter helplessness He offered us salvation through Christ:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
(Ephesians 1:3)
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless 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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for others,
the work of missions in Australia and New Zealand,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
(Titus 3:5)
:angel:
October 30
Colossians 3
We have been raised up with Christ and should seek the things above.
INSIGHT
It is possible to be one place physically and another place mentally. It happens every Sunday morning in church. Bodies warm the pews while minds roam the kitchens and golf courses of the nation. In a graver example, prisoners of war survive by taking themselves mentally into another world away from the prison and there find meaning and solace. We, as Christians, are to do the same. We are to take ourselves out of the physical world, into the spiritual world, and operate according to its values, truths, and realities. "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above. . . . Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (vv. 1-2).
PRAYER
Place your mind on Christ, and give Him your praise as you seek the things above:
O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me . . .
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High (Psalm 7:1, 17).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
(Psalm 51:10-13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
(1 John 3:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in national and world affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close your time of worship by offering this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
October 31
Colossians 4
Conduct yourself with wisdom, and let your speech be filled with grace.
INSIGHT
"Out of the abundance of [a man's] heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). A man cannot claim his heart is kind if his words are unkind. He cannot claim his heart embraces heaven's values if his mouth speaks the values of the world. The heart is a reservoir and the mouth a faucet. When the faucet is turned on, whatever is in the reservoir comes out. Paul writes: "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt" (Colossians 4:6). Elsewhere he writes: "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29). Listen to your speech! Analyze your heart!
PRAYER
Out of the abundance of your heart, offer to the Lord the praise of your lips:
Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested (Revelation 15:3-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
your growth as you pursue your full potential as a child of God,
fulfillment of the Great Commission,
whatever else is on your heart.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
(Hebrews 2:9)
:angel:
November 1
1 Thessalonians 1
The Thessalonians follow Paul's life example and grow to spiritual maturity.
INSIGHT
Because the Christian life is more easily caught than taught, personal godliness is a powerful ministry tool, and imitation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth. Paul gave the Thessalonians not just the words of the Gospel, but also his very life - "you know what kind of men we were among you" (v. 5). The Thessalonian believers witnessed Paul's life and imitated him, which resulted in spiritual growth for them - "you became followers of us" (v. 6). As a result, they became an example to the Macedonians and Achaians. This pattern of "life-on-life" ministry was first demonstrated by our Lord. Jesus selected 12 men "that they might be with Him" (Mark 3:14). Take a moment to think about how you can learn from or teach someone else in a mentoring relationship.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is our perfect example:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy . . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
(2 Corinthians 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
health and strength to serve Him,
His will to be done in your life,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace . . . make you complete in every good work to do His will.
(Hebrews 13:20-21)
:angel:
November 2
1 Thessalonians 2
Paul's method of ministry is described. He communicates the Gospel with love and integrity.
INSIGHT
Whenever the message of your words and the message of your actions conflict, the message of your actions will always win out. You may speak gruffly but act kindly, and you will be known as having a hard shell but being a "softie" on the inside. Or you may speak well but act selfishly, and you will be known as a hypocrite. There is no accusation leveled at Christians more consistently than that of hypocrisy. Our lives must support the reality of the Gospel, or the Gospel will not be taken seriously and we will be resented. Paul writes: "We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives" (v. 8). Unless we are willing to impart our lives in ministry, our words will mean little.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He was willing to give us His very life:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)
"You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You,
ccording to all that we have heard with our ears." (2 Samuel 7:22)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you pray this confession to the Lord, seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affir-mation to the Lord:
There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
(1 Timothy 2:5-6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater sensitivity to sin,
the ministry of your church,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(2 Peter 3:18)
:angel:
November 3
1 Thessalonians 3
Paul is not able to visit Thessalonica so he sends Timothy instead.
INSIGHT
Affliction is part of life. Sometimes circumstances afflict us; sometimes other people afflict us; sometimes we afflict ourselves. In the midst of affliction, we need encouragement. Paul writes that he sent Timothy to visit the Thessalonians "to establish and encourage" them because of their afflictions (vv. 2-3). Paul feared for their spiritual well-being. When we see others in the midst of affliction, we should be quick to encourage them. Rebuke, exhortation, counsel, and instruction all have their time and place, but encouragement is one of the most powerful ministries on earth.
PRAYER
Praise God for His encouraging Word!
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.
(Psalm 17:6-8)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
(Psalm 9:8)
Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
Be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
joy in the midst of unpleasant circumstances,
a positive, encouraging mind-set,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8).
:angel:
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 andresurrection 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)
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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 40:8).
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)
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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. 8). 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 pain = later 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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
November 14
1 Timothy 6
The quest for godliness motivates us to "fight the good fight" of faith while we live on earth.
INSIGHT
If any of us could have three wishes, most of us would include wealth as one of those wishes. Everything else being equal, we would rather be rich than poor. Yet that very desire is a snare - so much so that Paul urges Timothy to flee the love of money and "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness" (v. 11). And he adds: "I urge you . . . that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing" (vv. 13-14). If we have wealth, we are to use it compassionately. If we do not have wealth, we are to be content.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for being free to worship Him with words and with our lives:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . . .O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).
Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the renewing of your mind,
needs of your extended family,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
November 15
2 Timothy 1
Paul exhorts Timothy to rekindle his zeal for the Christian life and ministry.
INSIGHT
A number of years have passed between the writing of 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. During that time, Timothy has faced great trial and opposition and is in danger of discontinuing his ministry. Paul writes a terse letter of exhortation, urging strength and constancy. A list of phrases used in this book include:"stir up," "do not be ashamed," "hold fast," "be strong," "endure hardship," "be diligent, "flee youthful lusts," "pursue righteousness," and "preach the word!" In the heat of battle, short and powerful commands are easy to comprehend.
PRAYER
As you consider God's love for you, praise Him that He guides your spiritual growth:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the leading of the Lord in your life,
opportunities for evangelism,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
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).
:angel:
Quiet Walk
November 16
2 Timothy 2
Paul uses the metaphors of a soldier, athlete, farmer, and worker to encourage Timothy.
INSIGHT
In our hard-driving society, gentleness is almost a lost commodity. Not only is it rarely honored, but it is also often thought of as being undesirable. Yet Paul instructs Timothy that the "servant of the Lord must . . . be gentle" (v. 24) and that our gentleness may help others repent from sin. Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek (the gentle)" (Matthew 5:5). Gentleness is not a word which suggests weakness or impotence. It is used of powerful war horses who have been skillfully trained to instantly obey their masters. It is a word which suggests power under complete control. It offers much.
PRAYER
The Lord is gentle with us, and for this we praise Him and try to be gentle toward others:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings (Psalm 33:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
(2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater passion for moral excellence,
Christian education institutions,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
"Let God be magnified!"
But I am poor and needy;
Make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay (Psalm 70:4-5).
:angel:
November 17
2 Timothy 3
As Christians, we must be on our guard to follow the truth continually.
INSIGHT
The Scriptures are designed to be the basis of truth for leading a Christian to maturity in Jesus Christ. They are accurate and trustworthy, afford adequate knowledge, and lead to a godly, biblical lifestyle. They also yield a biblical ministry: "that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (v. 17). A mature Christian is one who knows what he needs to know (knowledge), is what he needs to be (lifestyle), does what he needs to do (ministry), and is guided by the Scriptures in all of this.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His magnificent Word that contains perfect instructions on how to live:
Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
My soul breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
You rebuke the proudÑthe cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments. . . .
Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors (Psalm 119:17-21, 24).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You (Psalm 51:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater self-control,
those who minister in our inner cities,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
:angel:
November 18
2 Timothy 4
Paul charges Timothy to preach the Word of God and offset the ministry of false teachers.
INSIGHT
We think of Paul as being one of the great spiritual giants of the ages. Because of this, most of us don't expect to receive the same reward that he will. However, we need to realize that the Lord does not reward talent or results - He rewards motive and faithfulness. At the end of his life, Paul wrote: "There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (v. 8). That means you and me!
PRAYER
How wonderful it is to know that God will reward our simple faith:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world (Psalm 19:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy,
And teach me Your statutes (Psalm 119:124).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah (Psalm 3:3-4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
purity in your thoughts,
love for the unlovely,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper (Psalm 1:1-3).
:angel:
November 19
Titus 1
Paul instructs Titus to appoint spiritually qualified men to oversee the church ministry.
INSIGHT
The Bible is an enormous book that is difficult to master. It contains nearly 1,000 pages of information, none of which is insignificant. While it is true that new Christians can read and study the Scriptures on their own and gain spiritual truths through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is highly unlikely that anyone can grow to a mature understanding of the Bible without relying on teachers who know more about the Bible than they do. Herein lies a danger: We may not know enough about the Bible to determine if what is being taught to us is accurate. Therefore it is important to align ourselves with a church that believes and teaches the Bible. This type of setting will help safeguard us from being led into error.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He warns us about the danger of falling away from Him, and praise Him that He safeguards the faithful:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
(Hebrews 9:27-28)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for your family,
missionaries in North and South America,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
November 20
Titus 2
The book of Titus encourages people of all ages to live proper lives as Christians.
INSIGHT
The knowledge of Christ must effect a transformation in our lives so that our attitudes and actions will "adorn the doctrine of God" (v. 10). The words we speak will influence others only if our actions support our words. God has redeemed us from the slavery of sin, assuring us of "the blessed hope" of the coming of Christ (v. 13). Because we will one day be delivered from this world, we are to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, fixing our faith on the coming of "the blessed hope." This means we must be good stewards of the things of this world and live for the things Jesus would live for if He were in our place.
PRAYER
Because we can joyfully look ahead to a new life in another world, we praise our God:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. . . .
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
(Psalm 63:3-5, 7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
(Hebrews 11:6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your finances,
revival among Christians in America,
whatever else is on your heart.
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)
:angel:
November 21
Titus 3
Those who believe in God should be careful to maintain good works.
INSIGHT
It is difficult for us to separate our hope of heaven from our good works. We instinctively feel that we must be good to get to heaven. While God certainly wants us to live good lives, none of us can live a life good enough to get to heaven. One sin disqualifies us, and everyone has sinned more than once. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us . . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (vv. 5, 7). Salvation is a gift.
PRAYER
The Lord longs to mature us in Christ, the very thing for which we long, and so we praise Him:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer (Isaiah 54:7-8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
(Psalm 51:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater wisdom in decision-making,
needs of close friends and family members,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name! . . .
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 103:1, 21-22).
:angel:
November 22
Philemon
Paul urges Philemon to have mercy on his runaway slave, Onesimus, who has become a Christian.
INSIGHT
If anyone is a servant of Christ, he cannot be a tyrant to men. Jesus taught forgiveness, compassion, and gentlenessÑnot harshness, anger, and retribution. Paul urges Philemon to forgive, receive, and restore his runaway slave, Onesimus, as a brother in Christ, now that he has become a Christian. The fact that this letter has been preserved indicates PhilemonÕs favorable response. Although we do not have slaves today, our employees, co-workers, associates, and neighbors deserve respect from us. Service to Christ requires a forgiving spirit.
PRAYER
Thank and praise the Lord that what He requires of us is something we are able to give Him:
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain. . . .
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness (Psalm 48:1, 9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual victory over temptation,
opportunities to serve the Lord,
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).
:angel:
November 23
Hebrews 1
Because Christ is the Son of God, He is superior to angels in every way.
INSIGHT
Angels do not seem real to us. They are found in fairy tales, and we tell children about them; but we tend not to take them seriously. They are very real, however, and play an important role in ministering to us as believers. Throughout the Bible we only get glimpses of the work of angels in our lives, but one of those glimpses is found in today's chapter. We read here that they are sent forth to minister to those who will inherit salvation. Perhaps this is the passage from which the idea of a guardian angel has come. Apparently, angels can appear in human form, for some have "entertained angels" without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). They are also very active in world affairs. At present, they are much greater than men, but one day redeemed men will "judge angels" (1 Corinthians 6:3).
PRAYER
Angels are ministers who serve believers, and we can praise the Lord for them:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen (Psalm 72:18-19).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
(James 1:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
a stronger desire to be like Christ,
local churches across the nation,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
He is the living God, and steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
He delivers and rescues,
And He works signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions (Daniel 6:26-27).
:angel:
November 24
Hebrews 2
Because Christ was man as well as God, He is able to give aid to us who are human.
INSIGHT
Jesus is God, but He was also man; Jesus was man, but He is also God. It is essential that Christ be both God and man. If Christ were not man, He could not have died for our sins. If He were not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the price for the sin of mankind. Christ was the perfect sacrifice. In fact, He was the only possible sacrifice able to atone for the sins of man and appease the wrath of God. As you continue to read the book of Hebrews, you will realize that the author's main point is simply this - the superiority of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
The Lamb of God was the perfect sacrifice for our sin and so we praise Him:
"I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the Gentiles,
To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them" (Isaiah 42:6-9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
(Romans 9:20-21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (Psalm 19:9-10).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
better listening skills,
wisdom for governing authorities,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah (Psalm 3:8).
:angel:
November 25
Hebrews 4
As we labor to enter into God's rest, we may call upon Christ for mercy and grace.
INSIGHT
The Word of God is energized by the Spirit of God. Whenever Scripture goes forth, it never returns without accomplishing the work it was intended to do. This is because the written Word of God is "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword" (v. 12). As we minister to others, the Bible must be central to all that we say and do. We must always remember that it is the Word which is alive, not our own insights, clever arguments, or interesting stories.
PRAYER
Because God has provided the Bible as our source of truth, we give Him praise:
I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope. . . .
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:7-9, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. (Psalm 2:10-12).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."
(Matthew 5:44)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom in interpreting the Bible,
missionaries in India,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . My beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
(1 Corinthians 15:57-58)
:angel:
November 26
Hebrews 8
The old covenant, being imperfect, was replaced by the new covenant based on grace.
INSIGHT
All the major features of the old covenant, which existed on a literal, physical level, are found in the new covenant on a spiritual, heavenly level. The old covenant had a physical sanctuary, a human high priest, and used real animals for sacrifices. This covenant was inadequate in that it could only deal with sins temporarily; it could not remove sins permanently (v. 7). In the new covenant there is a spiritual sanctuary, a heavenly High Priest, and a celestial Lamb whose death provides permanent forgiveness of sin for an infinite number of people. It is a 'better covenant, which was established on better promises.' (v. 6).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that Jesus' sacrifice was sufficient for the sins of all humankind:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God (Psalm 90:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
"Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips." (Hosea 14:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."
(Revelation 3:20)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for others,
missionaries in the Middle East,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23)
:angel:
November 27
Hebrews 9
The old covenant of law is a picture of the new covenant of grace in Christ.
INSIGHT
Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (v. 22). We are not told why that is true, only that it is. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Wherever there is sin, someone must die. We can pay the penalty for our own sin, which is our own eternal, spiritual death, or the death which Christ suffered can be placed on our account. His death can count for ours, and we do not have to die spiritually. Faith is the vehicle by which this transaction takes place. Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but will have eternal life.
(John 3:16)
PRAYER
Because God has allowed His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place, praise Him with the words of this psalm:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him (Psalm 92:1-2, 15).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
(1 Corinthians 10:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
(John 17:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
national and world affairs,
whatever else is on your heart.
Close your worship time with this prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
:angel:
November 28
Hebrews 11
A parade of heroic figures from the Old Testament depicts what it means to live by faith.
INSIGHT
Faith is the operative ingredient in the Christian life. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (v. 6). Faith is important because without it we cannot even begin to approach God. Simply put, faith is believing God and acting accordingly. All that is accomplished in the world to further the work of God is accomplished by faith. This list of exemplary faithful people shows that when God spoke, His people listened, believed, and acted accordingly. The words of an old hymn sum it all up: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
PRAYER
Praise God that Jesus was willing and sufficient to pay the price for our sins:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name." Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings. . . .
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise (Jeremiah 17:9-10, 14).
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:
the development of an eternal perspective,
your spiritual goals,
your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
November 29
Hebrews 12
Following the example of Christ, we are to endure the chastening of God in our lives.
INSIGHT
We don't mind suffering some things as long as someone else is suffering too; we don't like to be the only one. Few things make us feel worse than when everything seems to be going well for everyone else and we are in the throes of suffering. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to endure our present sufferings as Christians in this world by reminding us that Christ suffered for us and that we ought, therefore, to be willing to suffer for Him. One of Jesus' highest points of integrity is that He never asks us to do anything for Him that He is not willing to do for us.
PRAYER
The Word of God is alive, and we can use it to worship and praise the One who gave it:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . . .
I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works (Psalm 71:8, 14-17).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me."
(Jeremiah 33:8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
(John 15:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater personal discipline,
Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
November 30
Hebrews 13
We are to live righteously before our fellow man and to offer God the sacrifice of praise.
INSIGHT
Praise is good for the soul and pleasing to God. The writer of Hebrews says," let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (v. 15). Again, in Psalm 33:1, we read: "Praise from the upright is beautiful." If you want to do something that pleases the Lord, praise Him. In addition, however, our actions must follow: "But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (v. 16). The praise of our lips must be followed with the godly pattern of our lives. Note that both praise and doing good are sacrifices with which God is well pleased.
PRAYER
Knowing that the Lord delights to hear it, offer Him your praise for who He is and what He has done for you:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting (Psalm 93:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that others will see Christ in you,
the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
your activities for the day.
Close your time of worship with this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen
(1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
December 1
James 1
Some trials come into a Christian's life to bring that individual to spiritual maturity.
INSIGHT
When we read "count it all joy when you fall into various trials" (v. 2), we can mentally assent to the wisdom of that. But in real life, when the duration and intensity of our trials goes beyond what we deem to be reasonable, we pass the point of caring. We begin to question the goodness of God. We question the rationality of the Christian life. We just want relief. By the grace of God we must accept that we are finally experiencing what James is talking about. Take courage. Be strong. God has not forgotten you. And as He is testing you, you will become spiritually mature - though you probably will perceive the growth only in retrospect.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the God of love:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods (Psalm 95:1-3).
Pause for praise and adoration.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
(Romans 8:29-30)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater wisdom for living,
needs of your immediate family,
your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen (Jude 25).
:angel:
December 2
James 2
True Christian love will not discriminate against the poor.
INSIGHT
"Birds of a feather flock together." Trite as that may sound, it's one of the fundamental laws of social interaction. We are more at home with those who are like us than with those who are not. There is nothing wrong with this tendency. It is built-in and there is little value in denying it. But if that tendency prompts us to act unlovingly, the action is wrong. A tendency cannot be avoided; unloving actions can. James specifically warns us about discriminating against the poor, though it is also wrong to discriminate against anyone because of wealth, creed, race, age, or national origin. The royal law is to love your neighbor as yourself regardless of who the neighbor is.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves us just as we are, we can praise Him that He does not discriminate against us:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness (Psalm 96:5-8, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
(Hebrews 12:11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known (Proverbs 10:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater insight into God's holy Word,
the hungry around the world,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
:angel:
December 3
James 3
The exercise of genuine Christian faith results in controlling the tongue to speak good, not evil.
INSIGHT
Through the use of metaphors, James warns us about the tongue. There is nothing good or bad, right or wrong about a tongue; it is simply a few ounces of muscle. But the tongue articulates the contents of the heart. If a flask full of acid is bumped, acid will spill out. If a flask full of water is bumped, only water will spill out. Water will never spill out of a flask of acid, and acid will never spill out of a flask of water. In that sense, the tongue merely reveals the heart. Let the heart be bumped, and the tongue will reveal what is in the heart. In controlling the tongue, you must control the heart. If you want to change the words of the tongue, you must change the condition of the heart.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord who can soften our hearts and sweeten our tongues:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name (Psalm 97:10-12).
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:8-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8).
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:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
December 4
James 4
While selfishness produces conflict, humility produces submission to God.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the foundation for all conflict. When two hearts want different things - and neither is willing to sacrifice for the sake of the other - conflict arises. Selfishness is the cause of war, crime, and interpersonal conflict. By looking out for ourselves, we think we can get what we want from life. In contrast, the Lord teaches us that humility, not selfishness, results in satisfaction in life. Promote yourself, and wars and conflict result. Even God is against you (v. 6). But live in humility and wars and conflict cease, assuming all parties participate. And the Lord will lift you up.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord because He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name (Psalm 100:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
(1 John 2:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater faithfulness with your time,
the president and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
(Hebrews 13:20-2)
:angel:
December 5
James 5
The rich of this world are warned against an uncompassionate use of their wealth.
INSIGHT
James does not condemn wealth; rather he condemns the uncompassionate use of wealth. It is not wrong to have money, but it is very wrong to have money and not use it to further the Gospel and the welfare of the needy of the world. Those in need are often utterly dependent on those with wealth. In support of James' teaching, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:17-18: "Command those who are rich . . . that they be rich in good works." Neither Paul nor James tells the rich to give up their riches; rather both encourage the rich to use their wealth compassionately and generously.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the harmony that He can bring to our relationships:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord (Psalm 104:24, 31-34).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams"(1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
(Revelation 3:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
good stewardship with your resources,
needs of your extended family,
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).
:angel:
December 6
1 Peter 1
Because of our great hope for the future, we should be steadfast in the face of present trials.
INSIGHT
One mark of maturity is the ability to put off present gratification for the sake of a future reward. A child of six is not willing to give up buying a piece of candy to save that money for college tuition; yet an older child might be willing to forego present purchases for the sake of future education. Though in the Christian life the stakes are much higher, the principle is the same. Peter urges us to consider our future inheritance and endure present trials in expectation of our eternal reward.
PRAYER
We can praise the Lord because He has promised to see us through the trials of life:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek 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 (Psalm 105:1-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly."
(2 Samuel 24:10)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the Lord's leading in your life,
opportunities for evangelism,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
December 7
1 Peter 2
Spiritual sacrifice and personal holiness should be the Christian response to trials.
INSIGHT
A pilgrim is a wanderer. A sojourner is one who lives somewhere temporarily. Peter calls us pilgrims and sojourners in this world. We are no longer at home here; we are no longer a part of this world. Whatever we do should be evaluated in light of our true citizenship in heaven. As such, we live by the rules and values of heaven, not earth. Peter writes: "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul"(v. 11). When we violate the principles of heaven, it is not only God and His honor that suffer - we suffer.
PRAYER
The Lord has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness and made us citizens of the kingdom of light for which we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works. . . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
(John 6:37)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater commitment to the Lord,
the work of specific Christian ministries,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"You are worthy . . .
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9-10).
:angel:
December 8
1 Peter 3
Husbands and wives should be sensitive to the responsibilities and needs of each other.
INSIGHT
In a Christian marriage, the wife should submit to her husband and live an exemplary life which validates her faith. The husband should love his wife unconditionally, be sensitive to her, and seek to understand her. When both spouses assume a proper role before God and each other, a harmonious and satisfying relationship will result. If not, conflict or alienation can result.
PRAYER
Praise your heavenly Father for assisting you in your human relationships:
Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments (Psalm 119:1-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:16-17).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.
(Genesis 9:16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
victims of natural disasters,
missionaries on college campuses,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
(Jude 20-21)
:angel:
December 9
1 Peter 4
In the face of suffering, we should follow Christ's example.
INSIGHT
Life is often very trying whether you are a Christian or not. Difficult circumstances fall on the righteous and unrighteous alike. However, the Christian life often adds to our difficulties. We may be discriminated against because of our faith, or our beliefs may eliminate the "easy" ways out of a problem. But Christ does not ask us to suffer anything for Him that He was not willing to suffer for us. Someday we will be rewarded for our diligence and faith.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He is completely in control of your life:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple. . . .
Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.
Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.
Rivers of water run down from my eyes,
Because men do not keep Your law (Psalm 119:129-130, 134-136).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
(1 Peter 3:13-16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom and discernment,
Christian radio ministries.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
By Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
(Hebrews 13:15)
:angel:
December 10
1 Peter 5
Elders should shepherd the church and, in turn, the church should respect their leaders.
INSIGHT
True leaders are servants. Their task is to make those under them successful. As everyone is successful, the larger goal toward which they are all contributing is achieved. This is an example of a fundamental principle which is taught throughout Scripture: The work of God is done by the people of God through mutual submission. As we submit to the needs and roles of others rather than looking out for our own efforts, His work is accomplished. Elders are to shepherd those in the church by living the kind of life that is a positive example to others. They should live in submission to the needs and characteristics of those under them and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt them in due time.
PRAYER
Rejoice that Jesus Christ was submissive to the will of the Father and died for us:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise? . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, Amen!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-2, 48).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God: I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.
(Ezra 9:6)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
(John 8:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for the lost,
missionaries in Africa,
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).
:angel:
December 11
2 Peter 1
God has given us the capacity to grow in Christian character and to develop spiritual fruit.
INSIGHT
We are children of God, subjects of the King of creation. God calls us to act accordingly, but often we do not. Our actions tend to result from our self-image which is flawed and enamored with the values and attitudes of this world. Peter writes that we have become: partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world . . . " He then adds: ". . . for this very reason," pursue holiness (vv. 4-5). Those who do not pursue holiness are shortsighted and have forgotten that they have been purged of their old sin natures.
PRAYER
We have become partakers of the divine nature through Christ, so praise Him who made it possible:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth (Psalm 108:1, 3-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord - how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your talents,
state and local leaders,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
December 12
2 Peter 2
Beware of false teachers whose lives deny their faith and who will be judged by God.
INSIGHT
False teachers are viewed gravely in the Scriptures. Perhaps the most scathing rebukes and most unthinkable punishments are articulated against these "wolves in sheep's clothing." Why are they dealt with so harshly? Because while refusing salvation themselves, they also keep others from it. It is like a drowning man who not only refuses to accept a lifesaver, but also insists on drowning someone else with him. We must take great care to accurately teach the truth and shun those who do not.
PRAYER
We can walk in fellowship with the Lord and praise Him regardless of how we feel:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 113:1-3, 5-6, 9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:22-23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom in decision making,
the needs of your friends,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
:angel:
December 13
2 Peter 3
Some people will scoff at the Day of the Lord, but we ought to purify ourselves for it.
INSIGHT
Most people agree that the world cannot last forever. Eventually the hydrogen in the sun will burn out, and the sun will grow cold, destroying the earth in the process. So how will the earth end? The Bible tells us that the day will come when the heavens and the earth will be destroyed by fire. It may not happen soon, but it will happen. Since all of us must face "the end" sometime, Peter writes that as we look forward to these things, we should accept salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Though we are not always consistent in our Christian walk, we can praise the Lord that He is always faithful to us:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 11, 18).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodnessÕ sake, O Lord (Psalm 25:6-7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
(John 14:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual victory over sin,
opportunities to serve the Lord in your home, office, or neighborhood,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:12, 14).
:angel:
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. 8). 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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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 name's 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)
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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)
:angel:
December 24
Revelation 3
Jesus gives prophetic messages to three additional churches.
INSIGHT
To the church in Sardis, Jesus offers a strong rebuke. He calls them "dead" and warns them to recall their initial response to the Gospel and repent. However, He also commends those few who have not defiled themselves. The Lord also commends the church in Philadelphia for having kept His command to persevere. Because of that, He will keep them from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole world. Perhaps the most frightening message goes to the church at Laodicea. Because their works are "neither cold nor hot" but lukewarm, Jesus says He will spew them out of His mouth. Their wealth has made them complacent and Jesus urges them to repent.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He cares enough not to let us drift and praise Him for His correction:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever (Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will meditate on Your precepts.
Let those who fear You turn to me,
Those who know Your testimonies.
Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes,
That I may not be ashamed (Psalm 119:78-80).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
love for others,
missionaries in New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific islands,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
(Romans 16:25, 27)
:angel:
December 25
Revelation 4
John describes an astounding vision of the throne of God in heaven.
INSIGHT
At Christmas our thoughts are on Jesus' birth, focusing on His humanity. By radical contrast, this Christmas Day we see the throne room of heaven and the surroundings which magnify His deity. In the center is a throne - behind which an emerald-colored rainbow arises. Dignitaries dressed in white robes and gold crowns are seated around the throne. The floor of the massive room is like crystal. Unusual looking creatures constantly give verbal praise to God and the dignitaries form a celestial choir, worshiping and praising God. This is the normal abode of God's Son. Yet we usually think of Jesus as a child in Bethlehem, a teacher on a hillside, or the One who bore our sins alone on a cross. Revelation balances that picture with a glimpse of Jesus' majesty and grandeur.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He was willing to become what we are - that we may inherit eternal salvation:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever -
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in world and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
December 26
Revelation 4
John describes an astounding vision of the throne of God in heaven.
INSIGHT
At Christmas our thoughts are on Jesus' birth, focusing on His humanity. By radical contrast, this Christmas Day we see the throne room of heaven and the surroundings which magnify His deity. In the center is a throne - behind which an emerald-colored rainbow arises. Dignitaries dressed in white robes and gold crowns are seated around the throne. The floor of the massive room is like crystal. Unusual looking creatures constantly give verbal praise to God and the dignitaries form a celestial choir, worshiping and praising God. This is the normal abode of God's Son. Yet we usually think of Jesus as a child in Bethlehem, a teacher on a hillside, or the One who bore our sins alone on a cross. Revelation balances that picture with a glimpse of Jesus' majesty and grandeur.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He was willing to become what we are - that we may inherit eternal salvation:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever -
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in world and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
December 27
Revelation 15
John begins a description of the earth's judgment that continues in the following chapters.
INSIGHT
One of the sobering realities of Scripture is the prophecy of judgment on mankind at the end of time. While theologians debate timetables and exact meanings, they generally agree on one thing: Judgment is a central feature of the end times. While the depiction of judgment in Revelation is shrouded in symbolism and mystery, it is clear that it is paralyzingly unpleasant. Accounts of judgment are accompanied by warnings to men to take heed and prepare themselves to meet the Lord.
PRAYER
We have such a glorious home and future with the Lord that we can praise Him now and throughout eternity:
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands . . . the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work.
(Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight -
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly (Proverbs 2:3-7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that the Lord deliver you from evil,
that the Lord send out laborers into His harvest,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen
(1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
December 28
Revelation 19
John describes Jesus' return to the earth as the conquering King.
INSIGHT
Apocalypse: "The revelation of a violent struggle in which evil will be destroyed" (Webster's Dictionary). The second coming of Christ will be the apocalypse fulfilled. While the symbolism of the language in Revelation makes it difficult to ascertain exactly how events will unfold, it is clear that when Jesus returns again, it will be to confront evil and destroy it. The heavens will split and Jesus will descend upon the armies of the earth which have gathered in opposition to His return. In contrast to His past role as Savior of man, He will now come as King of creation. Whereas once He made Himself subject to men, now all men will become subject to Him. History will end and eternity will begin.
PRAYER
We praise Him that we can look forward to His appearing:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6).
Pause for a time of confession 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me (Psalm 51:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
(Romans 8:18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
sensitivity to sin,
the ministries of your church,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
December 29
Revelation 20
After leading a final rebellion, Satan is confined forever.
INSIGHT
Satan is not taken seriously by our society. Yet from Genesis to Revelation, Satan is revealed as God's enemy, a force to be seriously reckoned with. As part of the culmination of the end times, he is confronted, conquered, and confined. Today, Satan deceives in order to destroy. But in the end he will be defeated and his reign of terror on earth will end. "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone" (v. 10). In the end, Satan is a defeated foe!
PRAYER
Praise God that we can share in His victory:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . . .
Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people (Psalm 9:1-2, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood? Selah
But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly;
The Lord will hear when I call to Him (Psalm 4:2-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
In the Lord I put my trust . . .
The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord's throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men. . . .
For the Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright (Psalm 11:1, 4, 7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
thoughtfulness and encouraging words,
vision for reaching the unsaved,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly."
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen
(Revelation 22:20-21).
:angel:
Quiet Walk
December 30
Revelation 21
When the old heaven and earth are transformed, we will fellowship intimately with God.
INSIGHT
In the new heaven and new earth, the distance between God and man will be removed. In the Old Testament, the glory of God was displayed as a brilliant light, but men were not able to look on it. In the New Testament, men were able to approach Jesus; but His glory was not seen, being veiled by His human form. In the new heaven and new earth, the glory of God will not be veiled, and we shall be able to behold it. The distance will be removed, and we will fellowship with God forevermore.
PRAYER
Praise God that He never ceases to care for His children:
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:11-12).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish (Psalm 1:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the renewing of your mind,
purity of leadership at your church,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
December 31
Revelation 22
Jesus reaffirms His second coming and encourages us to be ready.
INSIGHT
Looking forward to the Messiah, Isaiah writes: "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance" (55:1-2). Then John, looking back to the Messiah, picks up the same theme: "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" (v. 17).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His salvation which He offers to us freely in Christ:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. . . .
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation (Luke 1:46-47, 49-50).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
"For 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).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that others might see Christ in you,
the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
(2 Peter 3:18)
:angel:
Quiet Walk
Saturday, January 1, 2011 Email Facebook Twitter Print
Genesis 1
The first chapter of Genesis reveals God as Creator of the universe.
INSIGHT
In the beginning, God! That is the way it is throughout the Bible. "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).
"Every knee [will] bow . . . every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:10-11).
God wants to be first and foremost in your life. He is the Author of the first creation, and He is the Author of the new creation in your heart.
In the first creation, the wind and the waves obey the Lord -- they have no choice. In the new creation, there is a choice: to obey or not to obey -- the pleasures of sin for a moment or the favor of fellowship for a lifetime.
Have you chosen to put God first in your life? Not to decide is to decide.
PRAYER
Continue your time with the Lord by praising God through these psalms:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth (Psalm 115:1).
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name,
O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night (Psalm 92:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions (Psalm 51:1).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers (Colossians 1:15-16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your time,
· the president, national leaders, and national affairs,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
January 2, 2011
Genesis 2
Adam and Eve rebel against their Creator.
INSIGHT
You may have heard the old saying, "For want of a nail, the shoe is lost; for want of a shoe, the horse is lost; for want of a horse, the king is lost; and for want of a king, the kingdom is lost." It is a clever way of saying that little things matter. Little things lead to larger things--often with disastrous consequences.
We see the first example of this in Genesis 3:6. First, Eve "saw" the forbidden fruit. No transgression yet. Then she "desired." Still no transgression--but a step closer. Finally, she "took and ate." Transgression.
The "look" seemed harmless. It was a small thing, but it led to "eating." Are there things in your life that you are "looking" at? They seem harmless now, but they lead to larger things. Spare yourself--give them up now. "For want of a nail . . . the kingdom is lost."
PRAYER
• Praise God with the following psalm for His redemption in Christ:
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify
Your name?
For You alone are holy (Revelation 15:3-4).
• Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
• As you confess your sins, voice your
affirmation of God's Word:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:8).
• As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
• greater love for fellow Christians,
• the work of missions in Europe and Asia,
• the concerns of your heart.
• Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
January 3, 2011
Genesis 4
The first murder: Cain kills his brother Abel, and is condemned to wander the earth.
INSIGHT
"Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain asks. God's answer is unequivocal: Yes. God intended for His people to be social beings -- to love, care for, and protect each other.
The mark of any society is how well it cares for those who cannot care for themselves. Elevated societies do well with this; debased societies do not.The mark of a selfish society is that it cares well for those it likes and does not care well for those it does not like. This kind of thinking leads to brutality.
The Christian is called to have the mind of Christ in this matter. We are to do good to all people, regardless of race, gender, or social position. Indeed, we are our brother's keeper.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him that He wants to demonstrate His compassion through His children:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples
(Psalm 96:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word by reflecting on the words of Jesus:
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for daily living,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· the needs of the unfortunate in your community,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessed be the Lord forevermore!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 89:52).
:angel:
January 4, 2011
Genesis 6
Man rebels and faces God's judgment.
INSIGHT
Faith is believing what God has said, not merely hoping for something. It is not like wishing upon a star when, if you believe hard enough, your wish will come true. Faith is trusting God's Word.
God told Noah to build an ark and save himself from the coming deluge. Noah had never seen an ark, but he believed God and was obedient to what he knew (Genesis 6:22). He believed the Word of God and acted on it. That's faith.
PRAYER
· Praise our Lord Jesus Christ for His promise to us in His Word that He will give us His faith to endure:
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).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for my iniquities have risen higher than my head, and my guilt has grown up to the heavens (based on Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind as you voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the Scriptures,
· the hungry around the world,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen (based on 2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
January 5, 2011
Genesis 7
God causes the great Flood.
INSIGHT
God protects His righteous ones -- always. The child of God need never fear any imagined "random blows of fate," for they will never fall. Yes, we receive blows -- but they are never random, and blind fate cannot wield them.
The Lord said to Noah, "Come into the ark . . . because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation" (Genesis 7:1). Then He delivered Noah and his family from a deluge that obliterated life on this earth.
That is how far God will go to save His people from harm. When we feel the blows of adversity, we can take comfort in this: God goes to the ends of the earth to protect us from the things which would destroy us.
PRAYER
· As you consider the protection which is yours from the hand of a loving God, offer Him this psalm of praise:
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 145:8-9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in
fellowship with Him:
Though my sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool
(based on Isaiah 1:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East, Australia, and the islands,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord, rejoicing in God's protection throughout your life:
Now to Him who is able to establish us according to His gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (based on Romans 16:25, 27).
:angel:
Genesis 8
The flood waters recede.
INSIGHT
Because the physical world reflects spiritual truth, the resurrection is pictured throughout nature. Man falls asleep at night but awakens in the morning. The earth "dies" each fall, sleeps throughout the winter, but awakens in the spring.
The earth died with the Great Flood, but Noah and his family emerged from the ark to enter a resurrected earth. Death is a fact of nature, but God abundantly pictures to us His promise: He will give us new life after death (John 3:16).
Noah's response and ours? Worship.
PRAYER
· Lift up your heart to heaven as you praise the God who rules the earth.
The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace (Psalm 29:10-11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies
and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(based on Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater sense of the majesty of God in the world,
· an opportunity to share your faith today,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork (Psalm 19:1).
:angel:
Friday, January 7, 2011
Genesis 9
God covenants with Noah never to flood the earth again.
INSIGHT
A person is only as good as his word. If he is true to his word, he can be trusted; if he is not, he cannot. It is as simple as that. God promised that He would never destroy the earth with a flood again. He went even further by saying, "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease" (based on Genesis 8:22). Then God set a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise.
For thousands of years, God has been true to His Word. We sometimes get discouraged during the tough times in life, because we tend to focus on our particular circumstances rather than the promises of God.
We must remember the rainbow. God is true to His Word. He can be trusted.
PRAYER
· Along with the psalmist, praise God for His wonderful trustworthiness:
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 13:5-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me
(Psalm 27:7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
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 8:38-39).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater trust in God's Word,
· the work of missions in China and the rest of the Orient,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord, in whom you can have complete confidence:
The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters
(Psalm 24:1-2).
:angel:
Genesis 11
God responds to the construction of the Tower of Babel.
INSIGHT
To understand the Lord's response to the people building the tower of Babel, consider the command God gave Noah and his descendants in Genesis 9:1: "So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.' "
In apparent disobedience, the people stayed in one place and began to build a monument to themselves. In response, God confused their languages and scattered the people over the face of the earth.
God deals with disobedience in different ways. Sometimes He lets us go our own way and suffer the natural consequences of our sin. At other times the issue is a major part of His program, and it cannot be ignored.
Disobedience always has a price, and in the end God always has His way. Obedience, then, while not always easy, is always wise. God always acts for the ultimate benefit of His children.
PRAYER
· As you consider the love of the Lord, who disciplines us only for our good, offer Him this psalm of praise:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth (Psalm 8:1).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
The chastisement for my peace was upon You,
And by Your stripes I am healed (based on Isaiah 53:5).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (John 8:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your talents,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
January 9, 2011
Genesis 12
God establishes a unilateral covenant with Abraham.
INSIGHT
The opposite of obedience is unbelief; the essence of obedience is belief. If you truly believe God is totally good and all powerful, if you truly believe He always acts for His children's benefit, you will obey whatever He asks of you. It is when you doubt these truths that obedience to the Lord becomes difficult.
The New Testament tells us: "Abraham believed God" (James 2:23). Therefore, he obeyed when God said, "Get out of your country" (Genesis 12:1).
Are you struggling with obedience in an area of your life? Perhaps there is something in the Scriptures you do not truly believe. Search your life, and in the tradition of the disciples, ask the Lord to increase your faith (Luke 17:5).
PRAYER
· In faith and obedience, offer to the Lord the praise of your lips:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His
glory (Psalm 72:18-19).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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 53:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new
(2 Corinthians 5:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
The Lord will command His lovingkindness
in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
January 10
Genesis 15
God confirms His covenant with Abraham.
INSIGHT
"Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (James 2:23). Faith is central to the Christian experience. In fact, without faith, there is no Christian experience.
Why is faith so important? Because we cannot make ourselves righteous -- any more than a cracked window can make itself uncracked.
We have sinned and only God can make us righteous. Faith then is the only thing we can do -- and even our faith is a gracious gift of God!
PRAYER
· Celebrate your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by offering Him this psalm of praise:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together
(Psalm 34:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
I turn to You, Lord, with all my heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. I rend my heart, and not my garments (based on Joel 2:12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· renewal of your mind,
· needs of your extended family,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (based on Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
January 11
Genesis 18
The birth of Isaac is promised.
INSIGHT
Don't you love hospitality? Isn't it a pleasant experience to enter someone's home and feel welcome? Hospitality is the mark of an open and giving heart.
The secret to hospitality is love. If you love your guests and go out of your way to make them feel loved, you will be an exceptional host or hostess.
Hospitality is such an important Christian character trait that elders in the church must be "hospitable" (1 Timothy 3:2).
Abraham was a man given to hospitality. Likewise, hospitality should be a trait in our own lives.
PRAYER
· In full confidence in the character of God, offer your praise to Him through these psalms:
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful
(Psalm 33:1).
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits
(Psalm 71:14-15).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
I return to the Lord, my God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(based on Joel 2:13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries,
· today's activities.
· Offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
January 12
Genesis 21
Abraham and Sarah rejoice in the birth of the son of promise.
INSIGHT
Perhaps we do not celebrate enough -- often enough or grandly enough. Perhaps we do not make enough out of the good things God does for us.
Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. Certainly that was a cultural event.
It would seem odd to celebrate the same event today. Yet there are other things we could celebrate within our culture, but we don't.
When was the last time you made a big deal out of something important? Perhaps a high school or college graduation. A successful music recital. Climbing a mountain, or running a marathon.
God has created us with emotions that make life a richer experience for us. Perhaps we should celebrate more -- in both quantity and quality.
PRAYER
· Celebrate your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by giving Him your praise:
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous
works (Psalm 71:16-17).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Lord, You are near to those who have a
broken heart,
And save such as have a contrite spirit
(based on Psalm 34:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities to share your faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
January 13
Genesis 22
Abraham offers his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice.
INSIGHT
God tests our faith -- not to catch us failing so that He can punish us or merely to determine genuineness -- but to strengthen and increase our faith for the future.
The concept of testing includes refining or purifying. It is the same word used to describe the process of refining gold to purify it and to increase its value. The purpose of testing is to yield spiritual maturity.
We see from Abraham's life that God tests us for our good. We, then, can trust Him, even during times of testing.
PRAYER
· Give praise to God that He always acts in your interest:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes (Psalm 119:65-68).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me
(Psalm 138:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater ability to withstand temptation,
· civil leaders to act in godly ways,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above
all Your name.
In the day when I cried out,
You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my
soul (Psalm 138:2-3).
:angel:
January 14
Genesis 24
Isaac takes Rebekah as his wife.
INSIGHT
A steward is one who is commissioned to oversee the welfare and execute the affairs of another. The closer a steward is able to represent the mind of his superior, the better he fulfills his role. Therefore, when a steward is on assignment, ideally he has no personal mind or will; he strives to have the mind and will of his superior.
Eliezer, Abraham's servant, was an excellent example of a faithful steward. His complete mindset was to represent the will of Abraham as faithfully as possible. As Christians, we are stewards of Christ, and as such, we are to strive to have the mind and will of Christ. In addition, we are always on assignment (1 Corinthians 6:20). By studying Eliezer, we can gain insight into how to be a more faithful steward of Christ.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and give Him your praise for making you a steward of the precious truth of salvation in Christ:
Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You
have toward Your people;
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
That I may see the benefit of Your chosen
ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your
nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance
(Psalm 106:4-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord -- how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word: God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness to the steward-ship of sharing the Gospel,
· the work of missions in the former Communist Bloc,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great peace have those who love Your law,
And nothing causes them to stumble.
Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly
(Psalm 119:165-167).
:angel:
January 15
Genesis 27
Jacob deceives Isaac into blessing him rather than his older brother Esau.
INSIGHT
This chapter is a low point in the life of a chosen family. It is difficult to justify the behavior of anyone. Perhaps the deepest, most helpful lesson we can learn from this chapter is that since God was able to make a saint out of someone like Jacob, God can take our lives -- with all of their sin and failure -- and make something out of them for His glory.
Jacob lied; we lie. Jacob failed to trust God; we fail to trust God. Jacob became a man of God; we can become men and women of God. Jacob was used by the Lord; the Lord can use us, too.
For a child of God, there is always a future; and that future can bear fruit. If God can use Jacob, God can use us.
PRAYER
· We praise the Lord with joy because He never gives up on us, His children:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord in response to His revelation:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your finances,
· revival among Christians in America,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:8).
:angel:
January 16
Genesis 28
Jacob dreams of angels and heaven.
INSIGHT
Jacob's dream -- in which he sees the angels ascending and descending the ladder to heaven -- seems to be a turning point in his life. It appears to be the point at which he receives a personal relationship with the Lord. Jacob's life after this encounter was not flawless. But God was able to use him in a central role to fulfill ancient promises.
So, too, we must have a personal relationship with God through Jesus, His Son, and our Savior, before we can experience the work of God in us and through us. Do you know Jesus personally? If not, why not receive Him as your Savior and Lord now?
PRAYER
· Offer praise to your Savior in the words of this psalm:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations (Psalm 100:4-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So my eyes look to You, the Lord my God,
Until You have mercy on me
(based on Psalm 123:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
(based on Romans 15:13).
:angel:
January 17
Genesis 37
Jacob's son, Joseph, is sold by his brothers.
INSIGHT
Feeling loved is one of life's greatest needs. When we do not feel loved, we often will go to great lengths to try to earn love or retaliate against those who keep us from being loved.
Joseph's brothers contemplated murder but instead kidnapped Joseph to get rid of him. His brothers thought of him as a threat -- all because Jacob displayed his preference for Joseph.
Jacob's preferential treatment of Joseph in no way condones the actions of the brothers, but it points out to us as Christians that we should love all men as Christ would. When individuals feel that love, it makes it easier for them to love others in return.
PRAYER
· Praise our Lord that He can enable us to avoid showing partiality, so that we can love as He loves (James 2:1):
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him
(Psalm 34:8-9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight --
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord bless us and keep us;
The Lord make His face shine upon us,
And be gracious to us;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon us,
And give us peace
(based on Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
January 18
Genesis 39
Joseph resists the advances of Potiphar's wife.
INSIGHT
Mark Twain once wrote: "Always do right. It will gratify some and astonish the rest." While we smile at that, there are greater reasons for doing right.
Joseph is a good example. When he resisted the advances of Potiphar's wife, Joseph set himself on the road to the throne of Egypt. Had he given in, Joseph would have set himself on the road to ruin.
Always do right. There is more at stake than you might think.
PRAYER
· We praise Christ Jesus for His wonderful works:
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. . .
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well. . .
How precious also are Your thoughts to me,
O God!
How great is the sum of them!
(Psalm 139:1, 14, 17).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a passion for moral excellence,
· Christian education institutions,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12).
:angel:
January 19
Genesis 40
Joseph is confined in prison.
INSIGHT
Joseph is one of the finest examples in the Bible of faithfulness in the face of tribulation. Wherever he was, Joseph lived for the glory of God. He demonstrated that he could be trusted in the tough times, thereby making himself eligible for God to use him in other settings. Joseph was faithful over small things, so God was able to set him over large things.
Most of our failures come with the small things. It rarely occurs to us that the challenge of the moment is to demonstrate ourselves faithful at that point. Then -- and only then -- will we be trusted in the greater things. Joseph is a good reminder.
PRAYER
· Faithfulness in praise is a part of our privilege as servants of God:
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations (Psalm 145:13).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· deliverance from temptation,
· laborers for His harvest,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
January 20
Genesis 41
Joseph rises to power.
INSIGHT
God does the work of God, and man does the work of man. The work of man is faithfulness to what God has called him; the work of God is results. If we reverse the two, we can drive ourselves to an early grave. If we keep them in line, we can labor with freedom.
We need not get puffed up with pride when things go well, nor need we get distressed when things go poorly. To Pharaoh's question, Joseph answered, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace" (Genesis 41:16). Our job is faithfulness; God's job is results.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord that He always does what He desires:
His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation... He does according to His will in the army of
heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?" (Daniel 4:34-35).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
May You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray . . . hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive (2 Chronicles 6:21).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The Lord is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me (Psalm 118:6-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in your life,
· mercy on those who are suffering,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
:angel:
January 21
Genesis 42
Joseph's brothers go to Egypt.
INSIGHT
This puzzling chapter becomes more enlightening when we suggest that Joseph was testing his brothers to discover if they would treat Benjamin differently than they had treated him. The issue was whether or not they could be trusted to bring Joseph's beloved brother to him without harm. While Joseph's heart cried out for reconciliation with his family, he was being cautious for Benjamin's sake. Joseph was wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove (Matthew 10:16).
We should be the same.
PRAYER
· Give heart-felt praise to the all-wise, all-loving God:
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? (Job 9:4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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
(Psalm 32:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in dealing with the problems you face in your life on a daily basis,
· wisdom for your church's leaders,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy
(Psalm 107:1-2).
:angel:
January 22
Genesis 43
Jacob is forced to send his youngest son, Benjamin, to Egypt.
INSIGHT
In his commentary, F. B. Meyer regards Joseph as a reflection of Christ who, when his brothers come to him in fear, has only love to bestow on them. Meyer writes:
"Very often we move forward with dread into the unknown." In reality, our fears are groundless. "If only we realized that love is waiting for us there." His love requires little from us . . . just ourselves. He enables us to live a happy life when we realize the good He has for us. So, "lift up your hearts; a feast awaits you!"
PRAYER
· We are free to praise God because of what we know of Him through the Scriptures:
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name
(1 Chronicles 29:11-13).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
(Romans 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord who loves you as one of His children:
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen
(Revelation 7:12).
:angel:
January 23
Genesis 44
Joseph's older brothers are tested.
INSIGHT
Sometimes we get a second chance. When we do, it is important to seize the opportunity.
Judah did. When his brothers plotted to kill Joseph, Judah intervened. But he still fell short of rescuing Joseph.
Judah's second chance came when, from his perspective, Benjamin's life was in danger. Judah put his own life on the line. Perhaps this commitment was taken into account in the blessings he passed on to his sons, resulting in the Messiah coming through the tribe of Judah.
Throughout life we are given second chances. We should take these chances and set things right.
PRAYER
· Daily we have the second chance to offer praise to the God of grace:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints . . .
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed,
O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· health and strength to serve Him,
· His will to be done on earth,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
January 24
Genesis 45
Joseph and his brothers reconcile.
INSIGHT
Forgiveness! Where would we be without forgiveness? Without forgiving and being forgiven?
We see in this chapter a very moving example of Joseph being willing to forgive the very ones who some years earlier had plotted to kill him. Notice that Joseph's ability to forgive was rooted squarely in his theology: "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).
If we lay hold of eternal rather than earthly things, we can more easily forgive when someone robs us of earthly things. Forgive and accept forgiveness.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him that He forgives us through Christ (John 15:5):
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons . . .
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him
(Daniel 2:20-22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart --
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve Him,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness
(Psalm 84:10).
:angel:
January 25
Genesis 50
Jacob dies; then Joseph lives to be 110 years old.
INSIGHT
God's will is often fulfilled in strange ways. Joseph was given childhood dreams indicating he would rule over his brothers. Little could Joseph have imagined it would include their trying to kill him, his spending time in prison, and his ruling over the nation of Egypt.
That time and those experiences were needed to build into Joseph the character qualities and the wisdom needed to rule successfully. Never doubt in the dark what God shows you in the light.
PRAYER
· As we praise the Lord in the words of this psalm, focus on His sovereignty and goodness:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
You, my God, are wise in heart and mighty in strength,
Who has hardened himself against You and prospered? (based on Job 9:4).
I will return to the Lord;
For You have torn me, but You will heal me;
You have stricken, but You will bind me up.
After two days You will revive me;
On the third day You will raise me up,
That I may live in Your sight
(based on Hosea 6:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, affirming the truth of God's Word:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Romans 8:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
January 26
Exodus 1
The children of Israel suffer in Egypt.
INSIGHT
God's control over the world need never be questioned. God intended to bring Israel back into the Promised Land. He had spoken it, and He would do it.
When that seemed least likely, it was closest to happening. In the dark hour of Israel's enslavement, God was working to deliver them -- through the birth and miraculous preservation of Moses. Before Moses would die, Israel would be back on the doorstep of the land which had been promised to them.
To many today, the fulfillment of God's promises seems unlikely. Christ's return may be scoffed at, but God has spoken it, and God will do it.
The day is drawing nearer. We must watch -- and be ready.
PRAYER
· In the words of this psalm, praise the God of the impossible:
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings
I will rejoice (Psalm 63:6-7).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
If I say that I have no sin, I deceive myself, and the truth is not in me. If I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (based on 1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 10:9-11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· the Lord's work in national and world affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
January 27
Exodus 2
Moses is born and later flees to Midian.
INSIGHT
God is sovereign in all the earth; we must never forget that. Much inner distress in life comes from losing sight of that one fact.
The same God who cared for Moses promises to care for us -- perhaps not as dramatically, but just as certainly. The peace that God promises -- the peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7) -- is ours only if we embrace that fundamental truth.
PRAYER
· In full confidence of the sovereignty of God in your circumstances, give praise to God with this passage from the prophet Isaiah:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
(Isaiah 40:21-22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me
(Psalm 38:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· God's sovereign will to be done on earth as it is in heaven,
· greater righteousness in your community,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned
(Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
January 28
Exodus 3
God calls Moses to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.
INSIGHT
The wisdom of Egypt was not adequate to equip Moses to serve God, so God took him out of the limelight -- into solitude and obscurity. There Moses met God and learned to walk with Him.
The pattern was the same for many of God's servants: Joseph, David, Daniel, Paul, and John. Occasionally it will appear as though we have been set aside. Properly used, that time will equip the Lord's servant for the next level of ministry.
Be faithful. Without deserts, there are no deliverers.
PRAYER
· Regardless of your circumstances, lift up your heart to God in praise.
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land
(Psalm 95:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged (Isaiah 6:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a heart filled with thanksgiving for the opportunity to worship the living God,
· your pastor and worship leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand
(Isaiah 64:8).
:angel:
January 29
Exodus 4
Aaron is appointed to help Moses.
INSIGHT
God does not need any one of us. He wants us and He would like to use us, but God does not need us. Take away one person, and the work of God is not diminished -- it goes on.
When God calls us to a ministry, it is for our benefit. If we are unwilling or impure, He can get the work done through someone else. We must realize that everything God asks of us is ultimately for our benefit -- even serving Him. Moses is a good example of that fact.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord your praise for His goodness through the words of this psalm:
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!
Tremble before Him, all the earth
(1 Chronicles 16:28-30).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You, even You, are He who blots out my
transgressions for Your own sake;
And You will not remember my sins
(based on Isaiah 43:25).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your development of an eternal perspective,
· needs of work or school mates,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(based on 2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
January 30
Exodus 5
Israel's affliction increases.
INSIGHT
When troubles come upon us, instinctively the first question we ask is: "Why?" "Why me, why this, why now?" That is what Moses asked in verse 22. Yet, in retrospect, we see that the question was premature. We now know why -- since hindsight is better than foresight.
How long will it take the Lord to deliver us from our troubles? Usually just a little longer than we thought we could tolerate. We must remember the example of Moses when we are tempted to ask the Lord, "Why?"
PRAYER
· Even in the midst of trials, we can praise the Lord, who hears us and cares for us:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
In returning and rest I shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be my strength
(based on Isaiah 30:15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
(Psalm 27:13-14).
:angel:
January 31
Exodus 6
Moses is reassured by God.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, God becomes more and more intimate with His people. By His official title, El Shaddai, God made Himself known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But now He tells Moses His name: Jehovah. Then in the Gospels, God becomes even more personal -- as Jesus becomes incarnate. And in Acts and the Epistles, we discover that God comes to live in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit.
The final act of intimacy will be when God brings us home. Then we can fellowship with Him face to face and forever.
PRAYER
· Let us praise our intimate God with the words of the psalmist:
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord
(Psalm 104:33-34).
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light
(Psalm 36:9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled
(Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire for Christ to live through you,
· churches across the nation,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve us from all evil;
He shall preserve our souls.
The Lord shall preserve our going out and our coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore
(based on Psalm 121:7-8).
:angel:
February 1
Exodus 7
The plagues against Pharaoh and Egypt begin.
INSIGHT
In this chapter, as the Lord speaks to Moses, we read the remarkable words, "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh" (Exodus 7:1). To the world, God's children often stand in the place of God. We are the only Bible they will read-all of Jesus they will see.
It is vital that we represent the Lord accurately. Of course, no mortal man can do so in any complete sense, but in a representative sense we must. It does not mean we must be perfect, but it does mean we are to give those around us a glimpse of who Jesus really is.
Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Commit yourself to Christlikeness and believe that the Lord will multiply your life as others see Him in you.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of humble praise:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
And because of Your truth.
Why should the Gentiles say,
"Where now is their God?" (Psalm 115:1).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word by reflecting on Jesus' words:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works
(Psalm 73:28).
:angel:
February 2
Exodus 8
Additional plagues are inflicted upon Egypt.
INSIGHT
In the Old Testament, God makes a distinct difference between how He treats the Jewish nation and how He treats others. God lets none of the plagues that fall on Egypt fall upon Israel.
How we wish sometimes that God would do the same for us in the church! How we wish that, because we are Christians, we would have none of the unpleasant things happen to us that happen to the world!
We must recognize that in the Old Testament, God wants the recognizable difference between Israel and the world to be physical. In the New Testament, He wants that difference to be spiritual. In the Old Testament, God's blessing is the fruit of the vine. In the New Testament, it is the fruit of the Spirit. We must focus on spiritual blessings to be the difference between us and the world.
PRAYER
· Think about how you have been spiritually blessed as you offer your praise to God:
Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
For there is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin
(Ecclesiastes 7:20).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him (Ezra 8:22).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
February 3
Exodus 9
The plagues on Egypt intensify.
INSIGHT
Frogs and gnats? Boils and hail? Water into blood? What strange plagues! What reasoning went behind the selection of plagues? Were they chosen at random, or was there design behind it? Though we might not always be able to discern it, the God of omniscience does nothing without design. The Egyptians worshiped odd and debased gods. Each plague was designed to strike at the credibility of an Egyptian god and manifest the barrenness of belief in these objects.
God does the same today. Our gods are fortune, power, beauty, talent, and intelligence. There's nothing wrong with them as servants, but when we worship them, they are cruel. God shows the barrenness of worshiping them by allowing people without them to be deeply joyful while those who worship them are tortured. Again, today, God's personal mark of blessing is the fruit of the Spirit and not necessarily of the vine. Joy is found in God, not things.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord praise for the joy He gives:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain
(Psalm 104:1-2).
· Pray this confession to the Lord:
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).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living life,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
:angel:
February 4
Exodus 10
Pharaoh's will hardens.
INSIGHT
God does not compromise. Moses asks Pharaoh to let the nation of Israel go into the wilderness to worship God. Pharaoh refuses but says the men can go. But those are not God's instructions.
Pharaoh pays the price. But, while God does not compromise, He does forgive. With the hand of judgment on him, Pharaoh begs God for forgiveness. God withdraws the judgment.
Have you compromised in your walk with God? He will not accept it. But He will forgive and restore you if you ask Him.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to the God who is too holy to accept compromise:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them
(Psalm 145:17-19).
· As you contemplate the glory, majesty, and holiness of God, pray this passage of confession to Him:
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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous,
And shout for joy all you upright in heart
(Psalm 32:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· today's activities.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
February 5
Exodus 11
The final plague on Egypt is a Passover sacrifice.
INSIGHT
God's dealings with Pharaoh reveal His longsuffering attitude toward such rebellion. The plagues start out fairly minor, thus giving Pharaoh a chance to change his mind before utter calamity strikes. With each successive act of rebellion, the subsequent plague intensifies. Beginning with the unpleasant but fairly harmless plague of frogs, the process ends with the death of the firstborn of every household in Egypt. At any point, had Pharaoh repented, the plagues would have been stopped.
Analyze your own life. If you've entered into conflict with God, abandon the fight before it escalates.
PRAYER
· Rejoice in God's patience with rebellion and praise Him:
Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
· Pray this confession to the Lord:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
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
(Psalm 103:8-10).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Since I am in Christ, I am a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (based on 2 Corinthians 5:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· missions in Asia,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now to You who are able to keep me from stumbling,
And to present me 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
(based on Jude 24-25).
:angel:
February 6
Exodus 12
The Passover ends with the redemption of a promise.
INSIGHT
Exodus 12 is one of the most remarkable and important chapters in all of the Bible. In it we learn many things:
1. Only God can deliver us from sin.
2. Sin's penalty is death.
3. God is willing to allow a substitute death, so that we don't have to die.
4. Faith is the basis of our salvation. Our belief results in our obedience.
5. The Old Testament passover lamb is a foreshadowing of the New Testament Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ.
6. We are saved the same way the Israelites were saved: by faith in the substitutionary atonement of the Lamb which God provided.
7. Not to accept this avenue of escape is to suffer the wrath of God.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for His picture of salvation:
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds
(Psalm 108:3-4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
As the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us
(Psalm 103:11-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds
(Psalm 77:11-12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· opportunities for personal evangelism,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
February 7
Exodus 13
All of the firstborn, both man and beast, are consecrated to God.
INSIGHT
The spiritual truths, which God wanted to ensure were never forgotten, are memorialized in a ceremony-often involving a meal. The Passover meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are symbolic meals designed to commemorate the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, so the people of Israel would never forget what God had done for them.
The New Testament counterpart is the Lord's Supper, in which we eat a symbolic meal to memorialize the deliverance of the church from sin. When we observe communion, we celebrate a meal which has been observed in unbroken succession for 2,000 years.
PRAYER
· Give praise to the Lord for so graciously saving us from the consequences of sin:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain
(Psalm 104:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord 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).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom,
· needs of your immediate family,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
:angel:
February 8
Exodus 14
The Lord parts the Red Sea for the children of Israel.
INSIGHT
When we are obedient to God, nothing can touch us that does not come from God Himself. The armies of Egypt, symbolic of the armies of Satan, are no match for a God jealous to care for His beloved people. Resting in God's full protection in spiritual warfare, we may put on His full armor and stand firm, knowing that we will triumph in Him.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to our forgiving God:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works,
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the hungry around the world,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord will command His
lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
February 9
Exodus 19
The Israelites migrate to Mount Sinai where Moses meets with God.
INSIGHT
God's love for us is nothing less than total. And He leaves no doubt in our minds as to His commitment to us. The Lord goes so far as to establish a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai and with us at Calvary as an expression of His absolute commitment to us.
We should have two responses: we should love fully the God who first loved us. And, if we are to love our family as God loves us, we must leave no doubts in their minds as to the totality of our love for them. Communicate your love to them in certain terms.
PRAYER
· For His unconditional love, praise the Lord with this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 150:1-2, 6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· specific Christian ministries,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord who has made a covenant with you:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
(based on Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
February 10
Exodus 20
Moses meets with the Lord on top of Mount Sinai where he receives the Ten Commandments.
INSIGHT
The genius of God's moral system is that everything He asks of us is for our good. Often the Ten Commandments are seen by people as restrictive, keeping them from doing something that would make them happy. Initially, perhaps. But ultimately, nothing could be further from the truth.
Sin is self-destructive; righteousness is self-constructive. It makes no more sense to sin willfully than it does to become a drug addict. In both cases, the person is destroying himself.
Abandon yourself to the moral law of God. It is glorifying to Him, but it is also good for you. Understood in this light, we see the truth in the statement that anything less than the glory of God is anti-human.
PRAYER
· The holy God of Mount Sinai is worthy of our praise:
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
(Psalm 18:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
I return to the Lord my God,
For I have stumbled because of my iniquity,
I take words with me and return to the Lord
And say to Him, "Take away all iniquity,
Receive me graciously,
For I will offer the sacrifices of my lips"
(based on Hosea 14:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· today's activities.
· Finally, offer this closing 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).
:angel:
February 11
Exodus 32
The Israelites sin by worshiping an idol-the golden calf.
INSIGHT
Sin does not mind rubbing shoulders with righteousness. Even while Moses is on Mount Sinai communing with God, the children of Israel are fashioning a golden idol to worship in His place. Fueled by shamelessness and a short memory, the Israelites rush headlong into one of the most remarkable displays of indiscretion in the Bible.
Beware! Even when you are rubbing shoulders with righteousness, sin can trip you up. Even when you are basking in the light of Mount Sinai, evil may be lurking in the shadows.
As Peter wrote, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His truth and light:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved (Psalm 93:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You are my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
You are the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
(based on Psalm 27:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your life,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to God:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
February 12
Leviticus 16
The Day of Atonement.
INSIGHT
In spite of God's desire that we be holy, He is fully aware that we will not remain free from sin. But because God loves us and wants to be gracious to us, He provides a way for our sins to be forgiven.
In the Old Testament, the nation is cleansed from sin annually on the Day of Atonement. Since Christ has come, we may be cleansed moment by moment- whenever we ask for His cleansing mercy.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God of redemption through this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
And His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God?
(Psalm 113:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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 name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great
(Psalm 25:8-9, 11).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in the continent of Africa,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
February 13
Numbers 13
The Lord commands Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan.
INSIGHT
One of the most common mistakes we make during the tough times in life is to place our eyes on circumstances rather than on the promises of God. The Lord promises Israel that He will lead them into the Promised Land and defeat the armies that are living there. He even promises to send in swarms of hornets to drive out the armies, so Israel won't even have to fight. But one look at the giants, and every promise is forgotten. One glimpse of the armies, and "God is not enough."
The New Testament is full of promises for us. We must keep our eyes on the promises.
PRAYER
· As you focus on God's promises, praise Him with this psalm:
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
(Psalm 113:4-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
You will cleanse me from all my iniquity by which I have sinned against You, and You will pardon all my iniquities by which I have sinned and by which I have transgressed against You (based on Jeremiah 33:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
I delight to do Your will, O my God;
And Your law is within my heart
(Psalm 40:8).
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, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your talents,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
February 14
Numbers 14
The children of Israel reject God's signs.
INSIGHT
By nature, we are sight-walkers, not faith-walkers. We tend to have confidence in that which we can see, that which we have known. We fear that which we can't see and haven't known.
Not only does Israel refuse to go into the land because of the giants-the Israelites want to return to Egypt! Do they not remember that they were slaves there? Do they not remember that they cried out in tears to God for deliverance from Egypt?
You can't go back to your old life. There is nothing there but bondage. Your hope lies in following the Lord by faith. Walk forward.
PRAYER
· Give praise to the God who is powerful enough to defeat the giants in our own lives:
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 4:11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in your anger, lest You bring me to nothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater ability to walk by faith in your own life,
· courage for Christian leaders to consistently yield to God's will,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
February 15
Deuteronomy 1
Moses reminds the new generation of their parents' disobedience.
INSIGHT
Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it. Moses reviews the history of the wanderings of Israel to the new generation poised on the plains of Moab-ready to enter the Promised Land.
Moses tells them that their fathers did not believe the promises of God. Therefore, they were not obedient to Him. Their fathers condemned themselves to a life of untold hardship. Their fathers made their own destiny; they sealed their own fate.
Learn from their history. Do not repeat it.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His truth and light:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting
(Psalm 93:1-2).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies
and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
(Psalm 27:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities to share your faith,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
February 17
Deuteronomy 3
The transfer of authority from Moses to Joshua is announced.
INSIGHT
The past is a picture of the future. When trying to determine what will be, it is important to know what has been.
Throughout the wilderness journey, God reminds Israel what He has done in the past-to give them courage and hope for the future. As the reins of leadership are passed from Moses to Joshua, the Lord encourages Joshua with a review of history: "Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two [past] kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass" (Deuteronomy 3:21).
The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When we face the giants in our lives, we can take heart from the Lord's words to Joshua: "You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you" (Deuteronomy 3:22). Our giants are not flesh and blood. They are spiritual and emotional. But the Lord must still defeat them. Trust!
PRAYER
· Praise the God of the past and the future:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalm 9:1-2).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I shall not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I shall lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also (based on Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever (Psalm 28:9).
:angel:
February 18
Deuteronomy 4
Moses appeals to the Israelites to live a life of faithful obedience to God.
INSIGHT
Thomas Jefferson once said, "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance." If true politically, how much more so spiritually. "Take heed," Moses says three times in chapter 4. First, take heed and keep your soul diligently. Second, take heed that you not worship idols. Third, take heed that you not forget the covenant the Lord made with you.
These are all dangers for us today. How easily we get careless about the welfare of our souls. How easily we worship modern idols. How easily we forget the promises of the Lord. We, too, must take heed. The price of our spiritual strength is eternal vigilance.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:
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 4:11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you reflect upon His forgiveness:
You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.
I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over the temptations you experience,
· revival among Christians in America and throughout the rest of the world,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
February 19
Deuteronomy 5
Moses reviews the Ten Commandments with the children of Israel.
INSIGHT
David writes that the Law of the Lord is perfect, and in keeping it, there is great reward. Part of that great reward is spelled out in chapter 5. Moses says that if the children of Israel will keep God's commandments, it will go well with them and with their sons forever! In addition, the Lord promises that they will live and that they may prolong their days in the land.
Holiness is not expensive. In fact, all the deepest longings of a child of God are met only in holiness. Could we consistently believe this, our lives would be more holy. Like the Israelites, we think that we are missing something by serving God. We are missing no more than the Israelites missed of Egypt.
PRAYER
· Honor the holiness of God by offering Him this psalm of praise:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
(Psalm 106:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives
(Hebrews 12:5-6).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
To Him who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (based on 1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
February 20
Deuteronomy 6
Moses exhorts the Israelites to obey the greatest commandment.
INSIGHT
There are three keys to sharing your faith with someone else. First, it must be real in your life. Moses said the words must be in your "heart," not just your "head." Second, we must impart truth and information. That is, we must teach diligently. Finally, this truth must penetrate every corner of our lives. We must talk of it when we lie down and when we rise up.
We rarely fool anyone, and if one of these keys is missing in our lives, we will not make an impact on others. We must know the truth, it must be real to us, and it must permeate our daily lives.
PRAYER
· As you foster the reality of your walk with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of praise:
Praise the Lord! . . .
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
He also established them forever and ever
(Psalm 148:1-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit
(Psalm 34:18).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You so loved the world, that You gave Your only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (based on John 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· national and world leaders,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
February 21
Deuteronomy 7
God commands the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites.
INSIGHT
God instructs the Israelites to remove from their land everything that will lead them to forsake their purity and commitment to the Lord. When we allow corruption inside our walls, it seeps into our lives and destroys us. We must remove the things from our lives that would tempt us or weaken us. Paul wrote, "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:14). Are there some things you have carried over from your earlier days that ought to be removed from your life? Why not remove them right away?
PRAYER
· Use this psalm to praise the God of the past and the future:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalm 9:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys the voice of His Servant?
Who walks in darkness
And has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord
And rely upon his God
(Isaiah 50:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· wisdom in decision making,
· needs of your friends,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd us also,
And bear us up forever
(based on Psalm 28:9).
:angel:
February 22
Deuteronomy 8
Moses reminds the Israelites of the Lord's blessings on them.
INSIGHT
Following God has never been easy. God never intended for it to be. He tests us to know what is in our hearts and to teach us that we do not live by bread alone. When things are too easy, we tend to be ungrateful. We tend not to give God the recognition for His blessing. In chapter 8, we see God's love and care, along with His tests and trials. We need both to be healthy. To grow, we need sunshine and rain.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!
(Isaiah 6:3 ).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.
I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength
(Isaiah 26:3-4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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
:angel:
February 23
Deuteronomy 26
The Lord teaches the Israelites the importance of giving.
INSIGHT
We offer a portion of our income to the Lord in gratitude for what He has given us. If we know Him for who He really is, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, then we will rightly understand that everything in the world truly belongs to Him. In His goodness and compassion, He has provided us with the things that we need to survive. As we give to the church, "the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow," we are acknowledging his exuberant generosity and love.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm to our worthy God:
"For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. . .
Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me"
(Psalm 50:10-11, 14-15).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Bow down your ear, O Lord, hear me;
For I am poor and needy. . . .
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:1, 5).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You are my portion, O Lord;
I have said that I would keep Your words. . . .
The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:57, 64).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an attitude of gratefulness,
· the poor and needy,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions-
This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great
(Psalm 104:24-25).
:angel:
February 24
Deuteronomy 27
Curses from Mount Ebal dramatize disobedience.
INSIGHT
What a drama! Mount Gerazim and Mount Ebal are two masses of limestone rock rising over 2,000 feet above sea level. Between them lies a beautiful valley, about 300 yards wide. Half the children of Israel are on one mountain, and half are on the other, with the Levites in the valley between the two mountains. Curses are called from Mount Ebal and blessings are called from Mount Gerazim. All of this is to dramatize the importance of obedience and the consequences of disobedience, even down to not letting a blind man wander out of his way.
Nothing is insignificant to a holy God. Nor should it be to us. We must care about right and wrong.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to our holy God in the words of this psalm:
Oh give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Remember His marvelous works . . .
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth
(Psalm 105:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
"Whoever drinks of the water that You shall give him will never thirst. But the water that You shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (based on John 4:14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the churches across the nation,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
February 25
Deuteronomy 28
The people receive the blessings of Mount Gerazim.
INSIGHT
A sword and a plowshare are laid on the valley floor between Ebal and Gerazim. Blessings are piled upon pile-until you wonder if the blessings can be contained. The Lord outdoes Himself, searching His omniscience to find ways of blessing Israel. Obviously, He takes great pleasure in doing good to them.
But in the shadow of the plowshare lies a sword. The 14 verses of blessings are followed by 54 verses of the most heart-rending curses imaginable.
How evil, how unspeakably terrible is sin. Thank God that He has delivered us from it. Thank God that, through Christ, we may taste of His blessings forever.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His goodness in delivering us from the consequences of sin:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You are the bread of life. He who comes to You shall never hunger, and he who believes in You shall never thirst
(based on John 6:35).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an eternal perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may You, the God of patience and comfort grant us to be likeminded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (based on Romans 15:5-6).
:angel:
February 26
Deuteronomy 29
The covenant with the children of Israel is renewed in Moab.
INSIGHT
After laying out the options before the Israelites at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim, God now says, "Choose."
But by His grace, He makes clear the consequences of these choices. How terrible are the curses-and how wonderful are the blessings.
Seeing the alternative so clearly before us, what could possibly account for our choosing the curses? The only conceivable answer is that we don't believe God. We don't really believe that the blessings will be that good-or that the curses will be that bad.
The Old Testament was written for our instruction. We must learn to take God at His Word. Period.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise for giving us His blessings:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice;
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You are the light of the world. He who follows You shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (based on John 8:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· the Lord's work in national and international affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord-the God who has promised to bless those who follow Him:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
February 27
Deuteronomy 30
Restoration is promised to the Israelites.
INSIGHT
Where would we be without forgiveness? In his weakness, man is not able to sustain any relationship without eventually needing to forgive and to be forgiven. This includes his relationship with God. Unless God were willing to forgive us, we could have no relationship with Him, for we are unable to be sinless before Him.
What a warm and tender chapter comes on the heels of the curses. God says, "If you turn from Me, I will pour out on you the curses. But if you repent and return to Me, I will forgive you and restore you." What a comfort. What a wonderful God.
PRAYER
· For His grace to forgive, offer the Lord this psalm of praise:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples
(Psalm 96:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
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 53:5-6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
These things You have spoken to me, that in You I may have peace. In the world I will have tribulation; but I will be of good cheer, You have overcome the world (based on John 16:33).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
February 28
Deuteronomy 32
Moses writes in poetic form a summary of everything he has taught the Israelites.
INSIGHT
Man is more than a machine. Man is more than a combination of blood vessels and bones. There is something within man that transcends the physical. It is the image of God. When the major issues of life lie before us, the image of God within us demands that we sing a song or paint a picture or write a poem or perform a dance.
At the end of his life-as Moses is struggling to summarize all that he needs to say to his people-he bursts out in song. Surely the thumbprint of God is seen in his crowning achievement.
PRAYER
· A mark of the image of God within is revealed as you offer Him your praise:
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).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Having been justified by faith, I have peace with You through my Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also I have access by faith into this grace in which I stand; and I rejoice in hope of the glory of You (based on Romans 5:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ with others,
· your state and local leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
O, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
March 1
Matthew 1
Matthew records Jesus' miraculous conception and birth.
INSIGHT
The birth of Jesus splits time and space like a lightning bolt in a hot July sky. The stage is set for the most important event in history. It has been planned before the foundation of the world. It is promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. The prophets have heralded it, the people long for it, and the culture is ripe for it.
The Messiah is coming to establish His kingdom. More importantly, He is coming to effect a new relationship between God and man.
Jesus is not just another world leader. He is God in the flesh. God, who has previously made Himself known through a nation, and through a law, is now coming to make Himself known through a man, a God-man, Jesus.
PRAYER
· Continue your time with the Lord by offering your praise to the God of history through these words:
You are my praise and You are my God,
who has done these great and awesome
things for me which my eyes have seen
(based on Deuteronomy 10:21).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me...
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, submit yourself to His will:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
· As you make your requests known to God, pray for
· laborers for the harvest,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· As your closing prayer, pray this passage to the Lord:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night
(Psalm 92:1-2).
:angel:
March 2
Matthew 2
Mary and Joseph flee with Jesus to escape Herod's murderous attack.
INSIGHT
When Herod asks the scholars where the Messiah is to be born, they answer without hesitating: "Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet."
The odds against anyone other than Jesus being the Messiah are staggering. There are 60 major prophecies that are fulfilled in the life of Christ.
Josh McDowell writes in Evidence That Demands a Verdict that, by using the science of probability in reference to all 60 major prophecies, the chances that any man might have fulfilled all 60 is humanly impossible. Reason demands that we accept Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah.
PRAYER
· As you rest in the security that Jesus is the Messiah, offer the Lord praise:
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).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin and its awful effects, pray this confession to the Lord:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him; and to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray to the Lord this affirmation of His mercy in your life:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church in the local community,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds
(Psalm 77:11-12).
:angel:
March 3
Matthew 3
After His baptism by His forerunner, John, Jesus' ministry is validated by God the Father.
INSIGHT
No matter when, no matter where, repentance is necessary when meeting God for the first time. To repent means to change your mind.
If you have been living your life without God, you must change your mind about Him. You must stop thinking of Him as something less than Sovereign Lord of the universe. You must acknowledge His right to define what is right -- and wrong -- for you. And you must trust Him to reconcile you to Himself through His only begotten Son.
If you were transported back to John's time and heard his message, would you repent?
PRAYER
· At Jesus' baptism, God confirmed Jesus' divine sonship to all who were at the scene. Thank God that He reveals Himself in ways that all people understand:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard
(Psalm 19:1-3).
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God
(Romans 3:10-11).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· day-to-day repentance,
· the Lord to reveal Himself to others through you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).
:angel:
March 4
Luke 1
The births of John and Jesus are foretold.
INSIGHT
How do you think you would feel if you were suddenly in the presence of an angel?
If you're like the biblical characters, you would feel . . . afraid. Scripture recounts several instances of human beings coming face-to-face with supernatural beings. Most of those occasions were frightening -- even terrifying -- to the persons involved.
But God's messengers understand our fear. And they do their best to assuage it. When Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, he saw her troubled look and said, "Do not be afraid."
That's what God says to us throughout our lives. Drawing us into His holy presence, He reassures us that we need not fear. God loves us, Christ died for us, and God has a plan for our lives.
So we can approach Him with complete confidence!
PRAYER
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of Scripture:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise against me,
In this I will be confident
(Psalm 27:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, offer this prayer of confession to the Lord:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in God's love,
· evangelism in your community,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, close with this prayer:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).
:angel:
March 5
Luke 2
Luke gives his account of Jesus' birth and early life.
INSIGHT
To Jesus, nothing is more important than doing His Father's will, even at the age of 12. When His parents miss Him on the trip home from the Passover, they return and find Him in the temple. "Did you not know that I had to be about My Father's business?" He asked. "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me," He later said in John 4:34. Absolute single-mindedness!
We are to have the mind in us which was also in Christ Jesus. We are to have absolute single-mindedness about doing the will of the Father. Most of us don't feel very single-minded. We feel distracted and pulled in the direction of the world, the flesh, and the enticements of the devil.
But the goal remains unchanged: absolute single-mindedness in serving the Father. Make that your purpose and your prayer.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise in these words to the God who is worthy of unceasing devotion:
O Lord our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
(Psalm 8:1).
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works
(Psalm 9:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool"
(Isaiah 1:18).
· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the former Soviet Union,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
March 6
Luke 3
Jesus begins His own ministry after John baptizes Him.
INSIGHT
The unique contribution of each of the four Gospels is very important to our understanding of the life of Christ. In the gospel of Matthew, the genealogy takes Jesus' ancestry back to Abraham. That is because Matthew's gospel is written by a Jew to Jews and emphasizes distinctly Jewish matters. However, Luke is a Gentile, writing to Gentiles, who emphasizes matters that are of concern to a broader audience.
From Matthew we learn that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, and we see the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham. From Luke, we learn that Jesus is the Son of God, and we see the fulfillment of God's promises to those of us who are not descendants of Abraham.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is faithful to His Word:
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being
(Psalm 146:1-2).
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful
(Psalm 147:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Forgive us Lord, when we are unmindful of the Rock who begot us, and when we forget the God who fathered us (based on Deuteronomy 32:18).
Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord (Lamentations 3:40).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time and efforts,
· opportunities for sharing your faith in Christ with others,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety
(Psalm 4:8).
:angel:
March 7
Luke 4
Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and tempted by Satan.
INSIGHT
When Satan tempts Jesus, he offers Him things which God has already promised to give to Jesus. The things are not wrong in and of themselves, but they are not in God's time or in God's way. Each time Jesus rebuffs Satan, He does so with Scripture. Each time Satan offers Jesus something, Jesus' reply is, "No, because it is written . . ." To be victorious, we must know Scripture well enough to use it in our spiritual warfare, to see through the tricks of Satan.
PRAYER
· The repentant heart is one that can offer praise to the Lord:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God
(Psalm 90:1-2).
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works
(Psalm 104:24, 31).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By grace I have been saved through faith, and that not of myself; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest I should boast. For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that I should walk in them (based on Ephesians 2:8-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living as God would want you to,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
March 8
Mark 1
Jesus begins His ministry of miracles and preaching and calls His first disciples.
INSIGHT
Mark writes that after Jesus' baptism the Spirit impels Him to go out into the wilderness, where He is tempted by Satan.
The next 40 days are enormously difficult for Jesus. It is not true that if you follow God's will, you will have a life of ease. Often, the way of God involves circumstances in which we must trust in the Lord and draw on His truth and strength.
Jesus was the God-man. Yet His life on this earth was filled with trials He had to endure. And we should expect to encounter trials during our sojourning in this world, but we can endure if we draw strength from the One who has paved the way for us.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who transforms us through His Word:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me
(Psalm 51:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the teachings of Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me --
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
March 9
Mark 2
Mark tells of Jesus' early ministry in Capernaum.
INSIGHT
When a paralyzed man is brought to Jesus, He says, "Son, your sins are forgiven you" (Mark 2:5). The scribes are incensed. No one can forgive sin but God, and they do not believe that Jesus is God. In response, Jesus says, "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?" (Mark 2:9).
Of course, it is easier to say that your sins are forgiven. After all, who can verify if it is true? So, to prove that He is God and has the power to forgive sins, Jesus says to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed and go your way to your house" (Mark 2:11). Jesus' miracles are often timed strategically to demonstrate the validity of a central truth which He is teaching.
PRAYER
· Rejoice in the fact that Jesus will forgive your sins, and offer Him praise:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms, there is none like You
(Jeremiah 10:6-7).
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments
(Psalm 112:1).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight --
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4).
· As you contemplate the Lord's mercy, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I shall know the truth, and the truth shall make me free (based on John 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to walk in the ways of the Lord,
· blessings on the work of a specific Christian ministry,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works
(Psalm 73:28).
:angel:
March 10
Mark 3
Jesus chooses 12 followers to be His disciples.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. A look at the 12 men Jesus chooses to be His disciples does not reveal a "Who's Who" in Judea. Rather, the men seem to be unknown and undistinguished.
The work of God does not depend on talent or intelligence. Different people have different strengths, but God uses all of us to accomplish His purposes. The body of Christ is made up of many parts -- some highly visible, some hidden, all useful. God makes the most of the talents and spiritual gifts He has given each of us.
PRAYER
· Using the following passage, offer your praise to the Lord, who uses us to do His will in His world:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
That He may seat him with princes --
With the princes of His people
(Psalm 113:1-3, 7-8).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession:
My iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness
(Psalm 38:4-5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater comfort in God's providence,
· the needs of family members,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which You have prepared for those who love You (based on 1 Corinthians 2:9).
:angel:
March 11
Matthew 5
Jesus teaches on the Beatitudes.
INSIGHT
Love is the fundamental factor of all meaningful relationships. Love is an action -- the action of selflessness, of esteeming others above ourselves. All interpersonal problems could be solved with a faithful, mutual expression of love.
Imagine what the world would be like if everyone acted in love. No war. No divorce. No AIDS. No murder. No rape. No tears.
Though Jesus knew that sin presently prevents perfect love, He held believers to a high standard of showing His love in this world: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who loves us in spite of our sin:
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings
(Psalm 17:6-8).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 15:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But You demonstrate Your own love toward me, in that while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me (based on Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater gratitude for your salvation,
· a return to righteousness in this nation,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
March 12
MATTHEW 6
Jesus teaches His followers concerning prayer and personal treasures.
INSIGHT
We cannot fool God. It is impossible to put something over on Someone who is omniscient. We can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time. But not God. Jesus says, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them"(Matthew 6:1).
It is easy for us to fall into the trap of living our Christian lives for the sake of other Christians. We should be living it for the sake of our relationship with the Lord. We may find ourselves going to church, singing the songs, and going through the motions but spending no time cultivating a personal relationship with the Lord. Such a relationship does not come easily. It requires commitment and time.
But we must not fool ourselves, either. The Lord does not want merely our church attendance or other external actions. He wants us!
PRAYER
· Ponder the fact that the Lord wants a personal relationship with us, and offer Him your praise:
O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
And according to the fruit of his doings
(Jeremiah 17:9-10).
· As you ponder the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
March 13
Matthew 7
Jesus teaches His followers concerning the need to follow the Lord fully in everything.
INSIGHT
Love is the basis of all that God asks of us. Jesus says, "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12). This teaching goes hand in hand with what Jesus urges later in Luke 10:27, that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.
We want to be appreciated, loved, treated with dignity, and esteemed. This, then, is the way we ought to treat others. The double benefit is that when we treat others that way, they begin to treat us the same, and our relationships are characterized by depth and meaning.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because He has treated us with love and dignity:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. . . .
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
(Psalm 32:3, 5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The wages of sin is death, but Your gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (based on Romans 6:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your talents,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever
(Psalm 28:9).
:angel:
March 14
Luke 7
Jesus helps the people understand the significance of John the Baptist and his ministry.
INSIGHT
"Don't confuse me with the facts; my mind is made up!"
Sometimes unbelief can't be shown enough proof of God and His Word. No matter how much evidence is compiled, if a person refuses to believe, nothing will convince him. The scribes and Pharisees have already rejected God before Jesus or John ever came on the scene. That is why they reject John when he comes preaching a message of preparation for the Messiah and for Jesus when He comes.
We must know in order to believe, yet we must also believe in order to know. Many truths in the Bible may puzzle us. To begin mastering them, we must first rest completely in the character and power of almighty God.
PRAYER
· As you consider God's willingness to use you, offer Him your praise through this passage.
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. . . . You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:17, 19).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word (Isaiah 66:2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord:
· pray for the renewing of your mind by the power of God's Word,
· openness to be used by God,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore
(Psalm 16:11).
:angel:
March 15
Mark 4
As Jesus expands His public ministry, He teaches extensively using parables.
INSIGHT
Faith does not come to us full-blown.
It must be cultivated and nurtured. Jesus cultivates the faith of His disciples. After an extensive time of teaching, Jesus goes out into the Sea of Galilee with the Twelve, knowing that a storm will come. He calms the storm and then asks, rhetorically, "How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40). His disciples marvel and their faith grows. We, too, must go through times of testing to become strong.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God who loves you and who seeks your love in return:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
You who are mighty have done great things for me, and holy is Your name. And Your mercy is on those who fear You from generation to generation (based on Luke 1:49-50).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
· As you consider the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 2:16-17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your walk with Him,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith in Christ,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
March 16
Matthew 13
Jesus continues teaching with parables, then returns to His hometown of Nazareth.
INSIGHT
Throughout His ministry, there are periods during which Jesus teaches extensively in parables. Often the multitudes do not understand the meaning of the parables, but Jesus is careful to explain them to His disciples.
This pattern is illustrative of God's ways: to those who are the most receptive to truth, the Lord grants understanding.
However, for those who do not receive the truth, greater understanding is not given. Light received brings greater light; light rejected leaves darkness. If you hunger for greater spiritual understanding, it is vital that you strive for faithfulness in what you do understand. Then light received can bring more light in your life.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God of light in the words of this psalm:
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions
(Psalm 45:6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer
(Isaiah 54:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· the ministry of Christian educational institutions,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
March 17
Mark 5
Jesus casts demons out of a Gadarene man and raises a girl from the dead.
INSIGHT
When Jesus takes over a life, He makes a difference. The worse the life, the greater the change.
When the demoniac from Gadarene rushes at the disciples with evil intent, Jesus exercises divine power, banishing Satan's minions from their victim's soul. Later, the man who had run naked among the tombs, howling and cutting himself, is sitting beside Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.
Wherever we are in our spiritual journey, the Lord will continue the work He has begun. He will keep changing us, ever into the image of Christ.
PRAYER
· As you consider God's power to make sinners into saints, offer Him praise:
For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him
(Psalm 18:28-30).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
What I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me (Romans 7:15-17).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your continued sanctification by the power of God's Spirit,
· a greater willingness to share what Christ has done for you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever
(Psalm 30:11-12).
:angel:
March 18
Mark 6
Jesus performs two astounding miracles in His hometown of Nazareth.
INSIGHT
Jesus' miracles are often more than acts of kindness; they are also profound object lessons given to train His contemporary and future followers.
After feeding the 5,000, Jesus again sends the Twelve out onto the Sea of Galilee, knowing a storm will come. Then He walks out on the water to reveal to them more deeply the reality of who He is. By their reaction, the disciples show that their idea of Christ is too small. He is more -- much more -- than they think He is.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for the greatness of His character:
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).
· As you seek to keep your life free from the sin that so easily entangles, pray this confession to the Lord:
I long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And Your law is my delight.
Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
And let Your judgments help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments
(Psalm 119:174-176).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another -- He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:24-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of God's character through His Word,
· contentment with His will,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer:
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22).
:angel:
March 19
Mark 7
Jesus points out the hypocrisy of observing traditions yet ignoring the Scripture.
INSIGHT
Even the earnest Christian must guard against hypocrisy. How easy it is to sing, "All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give," and then go out to live with some areas of our lives not given over to Christ.
Yet, there is a difference between weakness and rebellion. All of us struggle with weaknesses which we wish we didn't have and with which we wrestle in the grace of God to overcome. Rebellion expresses itself when we could overcome a sin if we wanted to but make no attempt to do so.
The Bible expresses compassion for us in our weaknesses as we cry out to the Lord for greater strength. But God's Word pronounces a scathing rebuke for hypocrisy and rebellion. We must check our hearts to be certain that our shortcomings are weaknesses and not hypocrisy.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord accepts us in spite of our weaknesses, we can praise Him:
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only
(Psalm 71:14-16).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight (Hosea 6:1-2).
· As you confess your sins, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go;
You will guide me with Your eye
(based on Psalm 32:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· evangelism in America,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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 You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:5-6).
:angel:
March 20
Mark 8
Jesus uses the miracle feeding of the 4000 as a teaching tool for His disciples.
INSIGHT
After feeding the 4000, it is obvious that the disciples do not understand the significance of the event. Jesus says, "When I fed the 5000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" His disciples reply, "Twelve." Then again, "When I fed the 4000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" "Seven," they answer.
"Do you not yet understand?" the Lord asks them.
Then, some days later, Jesus is alone with the Twelve, and He asks them, "Who do you think I am?" Peter replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Finally, progress!
PRAYER
· Offer your praise with the following psalm to the Lord who is faithful to us when we are weak:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night. . . .
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(Joel 2:13).
· As you consider the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are the door. If anyone enters by You, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. You have come that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly (based on John 10:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· the President and national leaders and affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
March 21
Mark 9
Jesus is transfigured as a validation of His identity as the Deity and Messiah.
INSIGHT
The Transfiguration gives us an exciting glimpse into our resurrection life. From it, we may learn several things. Our physical bodies may be startlingly brilliant and beautiful, as we witness the amazing appearance of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. We may know each other automatically since the disciples seemed to recognize Moses and Elijah without instruction. We apparently will not be subject to the physical limitations of nature since Moses and Elijah appeared and disappeared. What a joy awaits us in eternity!
PRAYER
· Use this passage of Scripture to offer your praise to the Lord, who transforms us into the image of Christ:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together
(Psalm 34:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this passage of affirmation:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
There is no searching of His understanding.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might
He increases strength
(Isaiah 40:28-29).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
March 22
Luke 10
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.
INSIGHT
The harsh reality of life is that we cannot help everyone in need. From the parable of the Good Samaritan, we can learn several things which help us evaluate when we should help. We are obligated to assist a person in need when
· he or she comes across our path in the normal course of life;
· he or she has a legitimate need, not of his or her own making;
· he or she cannot help himself or herself;
· and we have the ability to meet the need.
PRAYER
· We praise the Lord because He is faithful to bring us to spiritual maturity:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9).
· As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over the temptation you face,
· reformation in America and the world at large,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer these closing prayers to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
March 23
Luke 15
Jesus tells three parables to demonstrate the quality and quantity of God's love for sinners.
INSIGHT
Many things about God are difficult to understand. But there is one thing about God which is easy to understand. He earnestly longs for the lost to be saved. In the parable of the lost sheep, we see a God who is willing to leave the multitudes to seek just one which is lost. In the parable of the lost coin, we see a God who will move heaven and earth to find a prized possession. In the parable of the prodigal son, we see a God who rejoices with great joy when a lost one comes home.
As Christians, we should not let that which we don't know cloud that which we do know. We must focus on the roses rather than the thorns. God loves the sinner, and on that, we can rest.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord your praise for His great love for you:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods
(Psalm 95:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the ministry of other churches around the nation,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
March 24
Luke 16
Through parables, Jesus gives instruction on the proper perspective of wealth.
INSIGHT
It's hard to let go of the temporal and lay hold of the eternal. And the temporal world can hold on to rich and poor alike through money. Both the greedy and the envious live as if there were no eternal realm.
Jesus often speaks about a true and good perspective on money. Perhaps His financial teaching can be summed up by this: Our faith should be in God, not money. We must be careful always to trust God who supplies the money rather than to trust the money itself.
PRAYER
· The Lord can be completely trusted with all your needs. Thank Him with praise:
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday
( Psalm 37:3-6).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
See, O Lord, that I am in distress;
My soul is troubled;
My heart is overturned within me,
For I have been very rebellious.
Outside the sword bereaves,
At home it is like death
(Lamentations 1:20).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance. . . .
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me --
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:5, 8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faith in God's providence,
· the needs of your friends,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May I learn in whatever state I am, to be content (based on Philippians 4:11).
:angel:
March 25
Luke 17
Jesus describes the circumstances surrounding His second coming.
INSIGHT
Gratitude is beautiful to witness. When a person's eyes light up as they open a gift, the giver enjoys the experience as much as the receiver.
We appreciate gratitude, and so does the Lord. He loves to see His children rejoicing at His many good gifts.
Gratitude to the Lord can be cultivated. Imagine what your life would be like without the Lord's grace. Show the Lord that you appreciate Him by nurturing an attitude of gratitude.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is so liberal with His good gifts:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalm 92:1-4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments
(Psalm 119:5-6).
· As you reflect on God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You have . . . given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
You enlarged my path under me;
So my feet did not slip
(Psalm 18:35-36).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a renewed commitment to showing gratitude for God's many blessings,
· opportunities to encourage other believers,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Close your prayer time with the Lord with this offering from the pages of Scripture:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
:angel:
March 26
Mark 10
Jesus prepares His disciples for His death.
INSIGHT
If there is anything between you and the Lord, He will pinpoint it and ask you to give it up. He wants total commitment -- nothing less.
That does not mean you cannot be committed to other things. It just means that He wants nothing to be higher on your priority list than He is.
A husband must be committed to his wife and children. A professional must be committed to his job. But all must be committed to the Lord first.
The rich young ruler learned this in a very painful lesson. We can learn from his experience: Put the Lord first.
PRAYER
· As an expression of your commitment to the Lord, offer Him this psalm of praise:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me
(Psalm 63:3-4, 6-8).
· Pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart --
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray to the Lord this affirmation of your faith in Him:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to Christ,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May You, the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To You be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
March 27
Mark 11
Jesus is perceived as an earthly king as He rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey.
INSIGHT
When Jesus rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey, why does the crowd rush out to greet Him? The answer is found in Jewish culture and history. In Old Testament times, one of the ways a king was inaugurated was to get on a donkey and have a large retinue of people walk along behind him shouting, "Long live the King!"
The crowd in the temple wants to make Jesus king. When they see Him riding toward them on a donkey, they use it as an opportunity to precipitate a coronation. That He was crucified shortly afterward indicates that they were looking only for a national leader rather than a personal Savior. How do you see Him?
PRAYER
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of this psalm:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture
(Psalm 100:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, confess this prayer to the Lord:
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 139:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
O God of peace, sanctify me completely; make my whole spirit, soul, and body to be preserved blameless at the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ (based on 1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
March 28
Mark 12
The Pharisees and Sadducees attempt to discredit Jesus through treacherous questions.
INSIGHT
In today's passage, we see one of the most marvelous teachings in the New Testament. An attorney, intrigued by the quality of the answers Jesus gives to the Pharisees who are trying to discredit Him, asks Jesus what the greatest commandment is. He only asks for one; Jesus gives him two.
The Lord says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . [and] your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these"(Mark 12:30-31). The Christian life can be very complex, but at its heart, it is very simple: love God and others.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord has promised to care for our needs, offer Him your thanks:
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
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 33:1-5).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You
(Psalm 5:4).
He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· your development of a perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (based on 2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
March 29
Mark 13
Jesus responds to His disciples' questions regarding His future coming.
INSIGHT
To the world, the idea of Jesus returning in history to judge His enemies and reward His friends is a joke.
"Come down out of the clouds," people say, "and spend your time thinking about what you can do right here and now."
Though the world doesn't take the doctrine of the Second Coming seriously, the Bible places great emphasis on the teaching. Christians, then, need to take it seriously as well. Twice in Mark 13 Jesus warns, "Be on the alert!" Properly understood, awaiting Christ's return should help us live righteously as we do God's work in this world.
PRAYER
· Express your gratitude to the Lord for His promises by offering Him praise:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things; . . .
Shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises
(Psalm 98:1, 4).
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:6-7).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater discipline in your personal Bible study,
· national and world affairs,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
March 30
Matthew 24
Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree and signs of His second coming.
INSIGHT
Matthew 24 and 25 offer some of the most comforting -- and terrifying -- verses in the Bible. They detail some of the judgments to fall on mankind at the end of history. Yet God will not be caught by surprise. He is able to protect His spiritual children.
If someone comes along and says, "I am Christ," we do not have to be confused. We know he is a false teacher, for Jesus will come in the twinkling of an eye -- there will be no time for such statements. The God of power is also the God of the future, and we can rest in His sovereign care as we trust in Him.
PRAYER
· As you rest in God's sovereignty, offer Him this psalm of trust:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalm 100:4-5).
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory (Psalm 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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 53:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation 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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· blessing in your life roles: family, work, ministry,
· the Lord to send out laborers into His harvest,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
March 31
Matthew 25
Jesus continues His teachings concerning His second coming.
INSIGHT
Christians cannot compartmentalize their lives into the secular and the sacred. All truth is God's truth, and anything done for Him whether "religious" or not is sacred.
Jesus equates loving your fellow man with loving Him. He equates serving those in need with serving Him. He equates caring for the suffering as caring for Him.
You can love your fellow man without loving Christ, but you cannot love Christ without loving your fellow man. Whether you are worshiping the Lord or washing the feet of a bum on skid row, it is sacred and holy work if it is done out of love for the Lord.
PRAYER
· The praise of the Lord's children is a sacred and holy work. Join in that praise with the psalmist:
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
(Psalm 145:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has have done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the spreading of the Gospel,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
April 1
Mark 14
Jesus spends His last two days in intimate communion with His closest friends.
INSIGHT
Prayer is one of the true mysteries in the Bible. It is inevitable, as we grow in our prayer life, that we will struggle with an inadequate understanding of how to pray.
The example of Jesus praying in Gethsemane helps us with what we can know and understand about prayer. First, we can know that prayer does not eliminate emotional struggling.
A second thing we can learn is that prayer can make us stronger spiritually and keep us from temptation. In each account of His prayer, Jesus says to His disciples, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation." (Mark 14:38). If we watch and pray, we will be strengthened against temptation.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this praise:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all
(1 Chronicles 29:11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon
(Isaiah 55:6-7).
· As you confess your sins, pray this affirmation of God's Word:
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength. . . .
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint
(Isaiah 40:29, 31).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the Scriptures,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace
(Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
April 2
Mark 15
After Jesus is crucified, Joseph of Arimathea buried Him in Joseph's own tomb.
INSIGHT
Most of us have a highly developed sense of justice. We want things to be fair, and we are incensed when they are not. From simple things like people cutting in line ahead of us to major things like prejudice and bigotry, we are angered when we see or experience injustice.
With that in mind, review what happens to Jesus. Though He is totally righteous and without sin, religious bigots manufacture charges against Him and take Him to a legal jellyfish who doesn't have the courage to execute justice. Then He is beaten, mocked, and crucified. Doesn't that inflame your sense of justice? He has the power to obliterate those who harm Him; yet He willingly endures it for us.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him for the "great and awesome" things He has done in offering you salvation:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
(Exodus 15:11).
Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot me,
I am unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered me
(based on Deuteronomy 32:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (John 14:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· the work of missions in Asia,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing 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).
:angel:
April 3
Mark 16
Mary and Mary Magdalene discover that Jesus has risen from the dead.
INSIGHT
It is a momentous morning as Mary and Mary Magdalene walk to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, intent on anointing the body of Jesus but not knowing how they will get into the tomb. They say to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us?"
Miracle number one: The stone has been rolled away. Miracle number two: An angel is sitting in the tomb to explain to them what has happened. Miracle number three: Jesus is gone; He has risen.
They have two responses. They were amazed! And they report to the disciples all that they have seen.
They expect to deal with death. But they find themselves in the middle of more life than they can imagine. Such paradox is God's way. He brings life from death.
PRAYER
· Give your praise to the Lord for offering you the gift of eternal life:
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).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president, national leaders, and national affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
April 4
Matthew 26
Jesus is betrayed and arrested.
INSIGHT
Peter is living and reassuring proof that "grace is greater than all our sin." We struggle, at one time or another, with things in our lives that ought to be corrected but aren't. We fear that our lives bring a stench to God's nostrils because we have failed Him so often. But Peter began to curse and swear and deny that he ever knew Jesus. What a colossal sin! Yet, just a few days later (in John 21), Peter is eating with the Lord in perfect fellowship and harmony.
For the Christian, there is no sin so great that God will not forgive.
PRAYER
· Because Jesus gave up His preeminence for our sake and became a servant, we praise His unselfishness:
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 ).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God: I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any personal sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
(Psalm 84:11-12).
:angel:
April 5
Matthew 27
Pilate tries Jesus then hands Him over to be crucified.
INSIGHT
Proverbs 20:17 says, "Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel." If ever a man illustrates that truth, Judas does. Some mysterious passion burns in his breast to betray Jesus.
Whether Judas seeks political ambition or mere lust for money, we do not know. But later, his remorse is so great that he throws the money away and hangs himself. We must remember Judas when illicit desire burns in our breast. Such desire always promises more than it delivers; it always turns to gravel in our mouths.
PRAYER
· The sacrifice which Jesus made for us took tremendous courage, for which we praise Him:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . .
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from the power of sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your life,
· opportunities for personal evangelism,
· your activities for the day,
· 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).
:angel:
April 6
Matthew 28
After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples.
INSIGHT
Jesus' message of salvation is the greatest news on earth. He does not leave to chance the need for His message to be taken to all earth's people.
In Matthew 28, Jesus charges His disciples with that task. If however, you begin the recital of the Great Commission with verse 19, you have the "great omission." Verse 19 begins with "Go therefore." But to fully understand the phrase, we must go to verse 18 to see what "therefore" is there for.
On the basis of His authority, we are to go, and to go in confidence that, as we are obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ's commission, He will accomplish His work through us.
PRAYER
· Because someone "came" to give the Gospel to us, thank the Lord and give Him your praise:
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!
And all the people said, "Amen!" and praised the Lord
(1 Chronicles 16:31, 34, 36).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· blessings on the work of specific Christians,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
April 7
Luke 22
Jesus shares the Passover meal with His disciples.
INSIGHT
At the beginning of human history, the first people disobeyed God. That fateful choice proved spiritually fatal-for Adam, Eve, and all their descendants.
Since the fall, we have all imitated our first parents. We have tried to usurp God's right to control His creation. We have demanded the right to control our own destinies, our own moral judgments, our own decisions.
Even those who actually walked with Jesus fell prey to this proud way of thinking. During the Last Supper, which you might think would be one of the most spiritually intimate moments in the disciples' experience, an argument broke out about who was the greatest among them. Jesus replied that the greatest among them must be a servant to all.
Beware when you find yourself striving for preeminence. Instead, your quest must be servanthood.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He has revealed His will for us in His Word:
Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it abides.
They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
For all are Your servants.
Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would then have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life
(Psalm 119:89-93).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (Romans 7:22-23).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater humility before God,
· the preaching of the Gospel,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I put on the whole armor of God, that I may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (based on Ephesians 6:11).
:angel:
April 8
Luke 23
Pilate sentences Jesus to be crucified on the hill called Golgotha, "The Skull."
INSIGHT
Without conflict, there are no heroes. The hero and coward look alike until the battle begins. Then and only then, in the face of the challenge, is each one's true character manifested.
In Jesus' time, you do not expect heroes of the Christian faith to emerge from the ranks of the Pharisees. But Joseph of Arimathea defies the expectations.
This godly man risks wealth, reputation, and perhaps personal safety, when he asks for and receives the permission to take down Jesus' body from the cross and lay it in his own tomb.
PRAYER
· Give God praise that He enables His children to do heroic deeds on His behalf:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was translated so that he did not see death . . for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased You, O God (based on Hebrews 11:1-5).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience (based on Ephesians 2:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater courage in evangelism,
· the work of missions in Europe,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Since I am surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, . . . let me run with endurance the race that is set before me (based on Hebrews 12:1).
:angel:
April 9
Luke 24
After Jesus rises from the dead, He appears to a number of His disciples.
INSIGHT
The most reasonable explanation for the empty tomb is the Resurrection. If, as some have claimed, Jesus had not been killed but only weakened by the crucifixion, the stone and the soldiers would have prevented His escape from the tomb. If Jesus' friends had tried to steal the body, the stone and the soldiers likewise would have prevented them. Jesus' enemies would not have taken the body, since a missing body would only encourage belief in His resurrection. The easiest way to quiet claims of His resurrection would have been to produce the body. This they could not do.
The angel said, "He is not here, for He is risen, as He said" (Matthew 28:6). Since Jesus predicted and experienced His own death, burial, and resurrection, we can trust Him with our lives.
PRAYER
· The Lord can be trusted with our lives because of His own life, and we praise Him:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works. . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You
(Psalm 9:1, 9-10).
· 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out (John 6:37).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
April 10
John 1
John traces the deity of Christ from "the beginning."
INSIGHT
The Scriptures are such an intimate and personal revelation of the mind of God that there is no distance between the Word and God Himself. John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This verse refers to Jesus, and yet, He is called "the Word."
In Revelation 19:13, John writes of Jesus: "He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." To know the Word is to know God; to uphold the Word is to uphold God; to believe the Word is to believe God; and to obey the Word is to obey God.
PRAYER
· The Word of the Lord is certain, and we praise Him for that trust:
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
(Psalm 18:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done . . . (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
· Confessing any sins the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Now 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, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with the gifts and talents God has given you,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
(Psalm 103:22).
:angel:
April 11
John 2
Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana to demonstrate His deity to His disciples.
INSIGHT
In John 2:24 we read, "But Jesus did not commit Himself to them." The word commit is the same word that is translated "faith" or "believe" in other places in the Bible. It gives us additional insight concerning the concept of faith in the Bible.
Faith is more than just intellectual understanding. Once someone understands the Gospel, he must make a personal commitment to it. He must entrust himself to it. In reality, to believe in Jesus Christ is to commit one's self to Him.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to Jesus, who, as God, offers us salvation:
Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power
(Psalm 21:13).
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 personal 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 name's 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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).
:angel:
April 12
John 3
Jesus explains the spiritual nature of salvation.
INSIGHT
Faith, or belief, is often misunderstood. Faith has been defined as "believing in spite of there being nothing to believe" or "believing in spite of the evidence to the contrary." It is often viewed as identical with wishful thinking. If we believe hard enough, we can make something come true (regardless of whether or not God may approve).
None of these concepts is biblical. Faith is belief based on sufficient evidence. In other words, faith is trusting what God has revealed in His Word and in the world, both of which give ample testimony to the truth.
PRAYER
· The sensitive and believing heart looks for opportunities to praise the Lord for His goodness:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
· Pause for personal 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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).
:angel:
April 13
John 4
Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman.
INSIGHT
The supreme activity of a Christian is worship. As Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman about a location of worship, He proclaims that God is spirit and that those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.
For worship, God is indifferent to places, nationalities, and methods. We may worship Him on a mound of dirt or in a cathedral. But we must worship Him in truth. When our body sits in a worship service but our mind is elsewhere, we are not worshiping.
Worship is an act of the will. You can decide to worship. Enter into the songs that are sung, the prayers that are prayed, and the Scripture that is read. Offer Him spiritual sacrifices, and you will experience worship.
PRAYER
· As an act of personal worship, offer this psalm of praise to the Lord:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings
(Psalm 33:1-2).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· the ministry of Christian education institutions,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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 ).
:angel:
April 14
John 5
Jesus infuriates the religious leaders by claiming equality with God.
INSIGHT
Many people in this world-atheists, agnostics, and those in pseudo-Christian cults-say that Jesus was merely a man, not God. What's more, these people say Jesus never claimed to be God. The Incarnation-the doctrine that Jesus was one person with two natures, one human, one divine-is an anti-biblical and absurd idea invented by the church in later centuries, these skeptics opine.
The gospel of John certainly dispels that notion. In chapter 8, John writes that the religious leaders of His day picked up stones to slay the Lord Jesus Christ because He made Himself equal with God. The Jewish leaders were men of Jesus' time and culture. They understood Jesus' meaning far better than 21st-century skeptics. And as far as they were concerned, Jesus was committing the blasphemy of claiming to be God-a capital offense.
PRAYER
· As an act of personal worship, offer the following praise to God the Son:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-4, 14).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us.
Have mercy on us,
O Lord, have mercy on us!
(Psalm 123:2-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple (Psalm 5:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater love for the God-Man-Christ Jesus,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
(Psalm 4:1).
:angel:
April 15
John 6
After feeding the 5000, Jesus teaches that He is the "Bread of Life."
INSIGHT
Throughout Jesus' ministry, He often speaks in figures of speech. Sometimes the people understand what those sayings mean; sometimes they don't.
Jesus promises living water to the woman at the well, so she will never thirst. Her reply is: "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?" (John 4:11).
And in John 6, Jesus speaks of Himself as a bread even better than the manna in the desert, for He gives eternal life to the whole world, rather than merely physical life to the Hebrews in the desert. Missing his point, his audience says hungrily, "Lord, give us this bread always" (v. 34).
He later explains to His disciples, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). Jesus reveals the truths behind the figures of speech to His followers.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God who reveals His will to you through His Word:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world
(Psalm 19:1-4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 19:12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of the Bible,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
:angel:
April 16
John 7
Jesus becomes involved in controversy with religious leaders over His true identity.
INSIGHT
When iron and aluminum shavings are mixed together, they are indistinguishable. You cannot identify them by sight; you must sweep a magnet through them. The magnet will attract all of the iron filings, but the aluminum filings will remain undisturbed.
The Lord Jesus Christ has exactly the same effect on those to whom He ministers. Those whose understanding is anchored in faith are drawn to Him like iron to a magnet. Those who choose not to believe remain undisturbed, as though nothing special has happened.
Some of the multitude were saying, "This is the Christ" while others were saying, "Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?" Understanding, combined with faith, understands even more. Unbelief blinds people.
PRAYER
· Let us praise Him, for surely, this is the Christ:
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions
(Psalm 45:6-7).
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness
(Psalm 48:9-10).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you 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).
· Now pause to 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, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
April 17
John 8
Jesus teaches on truth.
INSIGHT
By nature, we want absolute freedom. But such freedom is not possible. In fact, no such thing as absolute freedom exists. To be free to sail the seven seas, we must make ourselves a slave to the compass. This subservience irritates us.
All of life is a contrast between freedoms and corresponding bondages. We can be slaves to Jesus and free from the bondage of sin, or we can be free from Jesus and slaves to the bondage of sin. We can make ourselves slaves to truth, and the truth can set us free.
PRAYER
· The heart that has been set free by truth can offer praise to the Lord of all truth:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.
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
(Psalm 32:3, 5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with the finances God has entrusted you with,
· revival to spread among American Christians,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25, 27).
:angel:
April 18
John 9
Jesus heals a man born blind, stirring up controversy.
INSIGHT
While Jesus certainly has compassion on those to whom He ministers, His miracles are done not only to relieve human suffering but also to establish His credentials. He claims to be the Bread of Life. To validate that message, He feeds the 5000.
In chapter 9, Jesus says that the man's blindness is not because of sin but for the purpose of manifesting the work of God in him. The same was true with Lazarus. His death was not final but was for the purpose of bringing glory to the Son of God. Jesus raises Lazarus and then says that the Son is glorified.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise as you seek spiritual closeness with God:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
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 4:11).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
(Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· an eternal perspective,
· your spiritual goals,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
April 19
John 10
Using the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus teaches of salvation and His deity.
INSIGHT
Whoever comes in contact with Jesus is either blinded or enlightened. They either accept Him or begin manufacturing reasons not to believe in Him. Jesus illustrates this reality with the imagery of sheep and a shepherd. He says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (10:27). Make your heart tender and sensitive to hear and obey Jesus. Walk in His light and you will not stumble.
PRAYER
· Join your heart with the saints of the ages over the last 2,000 years in offering praise to the God of our salvation:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings
I will rejoice (Psalm 63:3-4, 6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me
(Psalm 51:1-3).
· As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
April 20
John 11
After Jesus raises his close friend, Lazarus, from the dead, many believe in Him.
INSIGHT
Jesus was ministering on the east side of the Jordan River, about a day's walk from Bethany, when Lazarus fell sick. Messengers were sent to tell Jesus, who waited two days before returning to Bethany. He found that Lazarus had been dead for four days, apparently having died the same day the messengers were dispatched. So Lazarus was dead by the time Jesus learned about his illness.
Why, then, did Jesus delay His return for two days? Jesus knew Lazarus' condition. His delay was to heighten the manifestation of the power of God. Jesus called, "Lazarus, come forth!" And Lazarus came forth. The result of this miracle? Many of the Jews believed in Him, and the Son of God was glorified.
PRAYER
· As a God, both of power and compassion, we offer Him our praise:
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;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the ministries of your church,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
April 21
John 12
After the triumphal entry, the multitudes herald Jesus as their Messiah.
INSIGHT
It is easy to get someone to talk about God, but try to talk about Jesus, and it is not so easy. People will often talk about "feeling close to God." But mention Jesus, and people start to get uncomfortable. Say that Jesus is the only way to God, and people get downright offended.
But Jesus says that if you accept Him, you accept God; and conversely, if you do not accept Him, you do not accept God. When someone talks about being close to God but wants nothing to do with Jesus, you can be sure he is not yet close to God.
Regardless of anyone's unbelief, here is the simple truth: Jesus is God the Son, and He is the only way God has provided for sinners' reconciliation with Himself.
PRAYER
· Praise God for His merciful provision of a Savior:
For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
(Job 19:25-27).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You"
(Psalm 41:4).
· As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater appreciation for Christ,
· a revival in our nation,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).
:angel:
April 22
John 13
Jesus meets with His disciples and institutes the Lord's Supper.
INSIGHT
More than 2000 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ ate a ceremonial meal with His disciples. This meal originated in the Passover and pictured Christ's death, our need to receive Him personally for our salvation, and the fact that all those who are His people are a communion of saints. During the meal, He instructed His disciples to observe this ceremony regularly and with gladness until His return.
And so, whether called the Lord's Supper, Communion, or the Lord's Table, Christians today observe a solemn but joyous ceremonial meal which looks back to the redemption of the Cross and forward to the glory of the Second Coming.
PRAYER
· Praise God that He is powerful enough to keep the promises pictured by Communion.
The Lord reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
Let them praise Your great and awesome name - He is holy
(Psalm 99:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear
(Psalm 66:18).
· As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!
(Psalm 66:19-20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of other traditions within Christianity,
· heart-felt worship at your local church,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! (Revelation 19:9).
:angel:
April 23
John 14
Jesus reassures His disciples with His promise to send the Holy Spirit.
INSIGHT
A very tender and intimate scene begins in chapter 14. The disciples do not understand clearly everything that is going on, but they know that something big is about to happen and that Jesus will be leaving them. Their Teacher, their Mentor, their Friend for the last three years is leaving, and their hearts are crushed with the burden.
In this spirit, Jesus speaks softly, kindly, tenderly to them: "Let not your heart be troubled; . . . I go to prepare a place for you (in My Father's house). And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself" (14:1-3). Again: "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (14:18).
How loving and compassionate. And He loves us just as much as the disciples.
PRAYER
· God's love for us is indeed cause for us to give Him our heart-felt praise and adoration:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God, "How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to
You (Psalm 66:1-3).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalm 103:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in Australia and the islands of the South Pacific,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
April 24
John 15
Jesus teaches that a personal relationship with Him, and others, is central to His design.
INSIGHT
There are times when our prayers are answered and we seem "in tune" with God. At other times, our prayers seem not to be answered, and we seem far from God.
Jesus gives us two directives to keep in mind as we ponder our prayer. First, we are to abide in Him. This abiding, among other things, includes fostering a conscious awareness of His presence at all times and bringing all thoughts, attitudes, and actions in line with what we understand of His teachings. Second, "and My words abide in you" must involve studying, memorizing, and meditating upon the Word so that we pray intelligently, knowing God's will ahead of time on some things. As we grow in these two areas, more and more of our prayers will be answered.
PRAYER
· The Lord is pleased when we offer Him our praise:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . . .
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only
(Psalm 71:8, 14-16).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength (Isaiah 30:15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in evangelism,
· national and world affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
April 25
John 16
The Lord teaches the disciples about prayer through His own example.
INSIGHT
We often gain by our losses. The one who has suffered no loss is still a shallow person. It was expedient for the disciples that the Lord should leave because the Spirit's presence was contingent upon His physical absence. Christ's work must be complete so the Spirit can apply it to the hearts of men. Jesus must die and be resurrected. The Holy Spirit will draw men to His offer of salvation. And the best news? We'll see Jesus again.
PRAYER
· God forgives our sin and beckons us to Himself for which we offer Him our gratitude and praise:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. . . .
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 90:1-2, 17).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You
(Isaiah 26:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the homeless in America,
· greater wisdom for living life,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
April 26
John 17
Jesus prays that the Father will make His disciples fruitful and give them future glory.
INSIGHT
The mark of a Christian should be love. In Matthew 22, we read that the two greatest commandments are love for God and love for our neighbor. In John 13:35, Jesus says, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." In John 17:21, Jesus says if Christians have unity (based on love), the world will believe that Christ was sent from God. When our badge is love, the world is convinced that we are genuine disciples of Jesus, rather than hypocrites.
PRAYER
· In the words of this psalm, offer your praise to the Lord, who is patient with us when we doubt:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4, 15).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. . . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world (John 6:51).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· laborers for the harvesting of souls,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen
(Revelation 7:12).
:angel:
April 27
John 18
After His arrest, Jesus is taken before Pilate and the religious leaders.
INSIGHT
As the power of the Creator of the universe was veiled in human flesh in Jesus of Nazareth, men came with torches and weapons to subdue Him.
He asked, "Whom are you seeking?" They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." With the force of those words from Jesus, they "drew back, and fell to the ground" (John 18:6).
It must have rattled their confidence to have to arrest Jesus. How much greater significance it lends to Jesus' words: "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself" (John 10:17-18).
For our sakes, Jesus laid down His life that we might take it up. He became what we are so that we might become what He is. Praise and glory to God!
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord your praise for His willingness to lay down His life for you:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen
(Psalm 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken me except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that I may be able to bear it (based on 1 Corinthians 10:13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation (Hebrews 9:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, . . . through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
April 28
John 19
After being cruelly mistreated, Jesus is crucified and gives up His spirit.
INSIGHT
The apostle John reveals the most detailed picture of Pilate's judgment of Jesus. At first, Pilate says, "I find no fault in Him at all" (18:38). Then, he scourges Jesus, hoping to placate the Jews. Without success, he makes efforts to release Jesus, but the Jewish leaders will not stand for it. Anxious about his political reputation in Rome, Pilate caves in, washes his hands of the affair, and releases Jesus to the Jewish leaders to be crucified.
We place much of the blame for Jesus' death on Pilate. But if at any point in time Pilate had repented of His deed, Jesus Himself would have welcomed him into the kingdom of God.
PRAYER
· Give your praise to the Lord for sending His only begotten Son to provide the way for your redemption:
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities
(Isaiah 53:10-11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:6).
· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations
(Psalm 22:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· deeper gratitude for your salvation,
· the integrity of those who represent Christ in the pulpit,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
April 29
John 20
After Jesus's resurrection, He appears to His disciples and reassures Thomas of His deity.
INSIGHT
God commands us to believe in Him, but He doesn't require us to believe in Him contrary to the evidence.
Thomas needed to be shown that the miracle of Jesus' resurrection was really true. God provided Thomas with the proof he needed. Jesus appeared to Thomas and said, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands. . . . Do not be unbelieving, but believing" (20:27). Jesus saw what Thomas needed and gave him sufficient evidence to believe.
You don't have to be afraid of sincere doubt. That doubt can be changed. Just examine the evidence of Christ's work in the New Testament. Then ask God to help you to believe according to the evidence. Like the father in Mark 9:24, your prayer can be: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He has made the truths of His existence, power, and righteousness plain for all people to see:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the
foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
(Isaiah 40:21-22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord:
When I know to do good and do not do it, to me it is sin (based on James 4:17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him
(Psalm 103: 11-13).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the glory of God's creation,
· the work of missions in Asia,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 42:10).
:angel:
April 30
John 21
Jesus appears to His disciples again to reassure them and to build their faith.
INSIGHT
Without a shepherd, the sheep scatter. After Jesus' death, His disciples scatter and the fishermen return to the sea. They simply do not know what to do next.
After an evening of unfruitful fishing, they return to shore to find Jesus there with breakfast ready. We see a picture of Peter and Jesus, eating together in perfect harmony. Bear in mind, this is the man who denied that he ever knew Jesus. This incident adds weight to Jesus' statement that the one can love greater who has been forgiven for the greater sin.
The Lord is mindful of our frame and knows that we are but dust. You must not let sin fester in your heart. Confess it and accept His forgiveness.
PRAYER
· The Lord reigns and He forgives. Praise Him for His blessings on our behalf:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting
(Psalm 93:1-2).
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
· 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).
· As you confess your sins, pause and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your spiritual growth,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
May 1
Joshua 1
The people pledge their allegiance to Joshua's leadership.
INSIGHT
The genius of God's moral code is that everything He requires of us is for our own good. When we violate His code of life, we suffer harmful consequences.
Joshua's success is dependent upon not deviating from God's Law. God instructs Joshua to meditate on the Law day and night so "that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it" (1:8). When Joshua does according "to all that is written in it," then "[he] will make your way prosperous, and then [he] will have good success."
Anything less than obedience to God is not only disappointing to Him-it is self-destructive. There is more than one reason for faithfulness to His Word.
PRAYER
· As you think of the impact of the Word of God on your life, offer the Lord this praise:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6).
· Having offered Him your praise, now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
We look for light, but there is darkness! . . .
Our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them
(Isaiah 59:9, 12).
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea
(Micah 7:19).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, come to Him with your concerns and desires:
· your spiritual growth,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your activities for the day.
· 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;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace
(Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
May 2
Joshua 2
Rahab shelters two spies and helps them escape from the city of Jericho.
INSIGHT
God will meet any person, any time, any place. There are few people who seem to be further from the Lord than a harlot. Yet, in the course of her everyday life, Rahab finds herself keeping a divine appointment with two strangers in need and, in the process, meets with God.
The kind of risks Rahab takes will not be taken without a searching heart. In her own way, she takes a step of faith; God meets her. Her reward is not only eternal life, but also the honor of being included in the messianic lineage. Wherever you are in your life, God will meet you there.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise as you remember all He has done for you:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· As you ponder the wondrous holiness of the Lord, pray this confession to Him as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool"
(Isaiah 1:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who will protect you:
When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-5).
:angel:
May 3
Joshua 3
God miraculously parts the Jordan River for the people of Israel to cross over.
INSIGHT
There are two times in history when God parts water for the Israelites-once at the Red Sea as they flee from the Egyptian army and again at the Jordan River as they enter the Promised Land.
The Red Sea experience receives more acclaim, but the Jordan River experience is just as miraculous. The water parts for a distance of almost 20 miles as the nation passes over on dry ground during the flood stage.
God is faithful to accomplish His good purposes for His people.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His goodness to all generations of those who love Him:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
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 to be feared above all gods
(Psalm 96:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord, who has been good to you:
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, pray for:
· greater insight into the meaning of Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord who is goodness in Himself, and therefore the standard of goodness for all His creatures:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
May 4
Joshua 4
The Israelites choose 12 stones to erect as a memorial to God's faithfulness.
INSIGHT
Memorials help us preserve important memories. God memorializes many important things in the Old Testament, often through feasts and ceremonies. Now He uses a monument built of stones so that in the future the Israelites can tell their children: "Here, the God of miracles was faithful."
What things has God done in your life that you ought not to forget? Think of ways to memorialize them. You might have ceremonies, anniversaries of important events, or a physical memorial. Either way, foster the memory of God's work on your behalf.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to the Lord as you remember all He has done for you:
The Lord reigns;
Let the earth rejoice;
Let the multitude of isles be glad!
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the
foundation of His throne. . . .
The mountains melt like wax at the
presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory
(Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:3-4).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who has done great things for you:
[We look] for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works (Titus 2:13-14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
May 5
Joshua 6
The Lord fells the walls of Jericho.
INSIGHT
The Word of God often goes against all reason. Consider Joshua, a military strategist so brilliant that his campaigns are still studied today. He is standing afar, looking at the city of Jericho, pondering how to conquer it. The angel of the Lord appears to him saying, "Walk around the city several times and shout. That ought to do it!"
Can you imagine the response from the standpoint of military strategy? It is sheer nonsense. Yet it is a test of faith and obedience. Joshua believes and obeys, and the fallen walls are history.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord who fights mightily for His people:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His
glory. Amen and Amen
(Psalm 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in the Lord's power,
· revival to pour down on our spiritually parched land,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord who does everything according to His plan and purpose:
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will (Ephesians 1:4-5).
:angel:
May 6
Joshua 23
Nearing his death, Joshua charges the Israelites to be faithful to the Lord.
INSIGHT
After a brilliant career as Israel's leader, Joshua bids them farewell. He urges them not to allow themselves to be corrupted by the gods or people of the nations around them. Then Joshua encourages them that if they are faithful, "all the good things" of the Lord will come upon them (23:15); if they are not faithful, "the Lord will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land" (23:15).
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His faithfulness to all generations of those who obey Him:
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 personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin: David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly" (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. . . . This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world" (John 6:47-48, 50-51).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faith in God's providence,
· ministry leaders,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
May 7
Joshua 24
Joshua reviews Israel's history, charges them to serve the Lord, then dies at the age of 110.
INSIGHT
Joshua again gathers Israel to hear a review of their history and the good things God has done for them. He states the benefits and consequences of faithfulness and unfaithfulness. "If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (v. 15). Fortunately, the Israelites accept the challenge and agree to serve the Lord.
From time to time, the Lord may challenge us through various and unpredictable ways. When we drift from Him, when we get stale, or cease growing, the Lord will often bring a circumstance into our lives which forces us to choose whom we will serve. At those times, we must learn from the nation of Israel and choose to serve the Lord.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord cares enough about us to challenge us to total commitment, we praise Him:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalm 100:1-5).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 139:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for other Christians,
· missions in Europe and Asia,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
:angel:
May 8
Judges 1
The tribes of Israel do an inadequate job of vanquishing the aliens living in the Promised Land.
INSIGHT
The book of Judges is a pathetic chronicle of a weak and willful people. Soon after Joshua's death, the Israelites begin to fall short of the directives he gave them. They fail at the most crucial point and tolerate the presence of immoral idol worshipers among them. The story which follows is one of sexual immorality, murder, idolatry, corruption, and greed. The depths to which the Israelites plunge is truly disgusting- reminding us of the warnings given by Moses and Joshua.
Turning your back on God always has tragic consequences. When we read about the Israelites, their foolishness seems so clear. Yet when we are faced with temptations today, it doesn't seem so clear. We can learn from the past, however. The consequences can be just as grave for us. A wise man walks with the Lord and is saved.
PRAYER
· Because we can be delivered from bondage to sin, offer your praise for the Lord's goodness:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord
(Psalm 104:24, 34).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He is despised and rejected by men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. . . .
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 53:3, 6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president and national leaders,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
(Psalm 84:11-12).
:angel:
May 9
Judges 2
The Israelites begin worshipping Baal, a god of Canaan.
INSIGHT
There is a distinct pattern of events that begins to unfold in Judges. The children of Israel fall into sin and begin worshiping other gods. Sin is followed by servitude. The Lord causes other nations to rise up in judgment and enslave Israel.
Israel cries out to God for deliverance, and the Lord delivers them by raising up a judge to lead them to victory. Then the land has rest until that judge dies and the cycle begins again: sin, servitude, supplication, salvation, and silence. Sin is always followed by bondage. Repentance frees.
PRAYER
· Because God always honors our obedience to Him, we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more. . . .
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength"
(Isaiah 30:15).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living,
· the needs of your family,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
May 10
Judges 6
Gideon is chosen to rule Israel.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. This is true in times of apostasy when God sometimes calls His mightiest servants from places of obscurity and gives them faith to believe Him. He works great deliverance through them.
This is certainly the case with Gideon who exclaims that he is from the weakest family in Manasseh and is the youngest in that family. Yet he is devoted to the Lord and, therefore, usable for God's purposes.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for the privilege of following Him fully:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name"
Selah
(Psalm 66:1-4).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· growth in all areas of your life,
· fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
May 11
Judges 7
God uses Gideon's 300 men to rout the entire Midianite army.
INSIGHT
"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit" is the work of the Lord accomplished (Zechariah 4:6). Few stories illustrate that principle more clearly than that of Gideon and his army of 300. God wants prepared men to fight His battles with His weapons in His way. His weapons are not earthly but spiritual. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We want to offer God our strength and our weapons and our insight but He does not need them. We need Him. Rather than trying to get God to accept our plans, strategies, and goals, we ought to strive to understand His. His way is the way of victory.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord is our victory, we praise Him and rest in His care:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord
(Psalm 105:1-3).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings. . . ."
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise
(Jeremiah 17:9-10, 14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries for which you are concerned,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
This is the day which the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it
(Psalm 118:24).
:angel:
May 12
Judges 14
Samson desires a Philistine wife.
INSIGHT
Some people are strongly gifted and seem to see results, regardless of their personal worthiness. This is true of Samson. It is difficult to imagine a more unworthy vessel for the work of God. It is a challenge to decide if he carelessly disregards wisdom and the Word of God or whether his decision-making ability is somehow impaired. Nevertheless, in spite of his exceedingly foolish escapades, God uses him to bring judgment on the Philistines who have flaunted their hostility toward Jehovah.
PRAYER
· Give God praise that He uses His people even though we are all unworthy vessels:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
(Psalm 8:1-4).
· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater appreciation of God's mercy,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom
(Psalm 90:12).
:angel:
May 13
Judges 15
Samson uses foxes to burn the Philistines' crops and kills 1,000 men.
INSIGHT
A list of the sins of Samson:
1. Fraternizing with pagans
2. Marrying an unbeliever
3. Disobeying his parents
4. Touching a dead animal
5. Murdering innocent people
6. Visiting a harlot
7. Lying
We are often tempted to disregard the truth. We weary of being good and fighting natural inclinations. But one look at Samson's life reveals the consequences of giving in to that weariness. We must wait on the Lord and have our strength renewed.
PRAYER
· Give praise to God that He forgives our sins and uses us to accomplish His purposes despite our iniquities:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works,
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater appreciation of God's mercy,
· a favorite ministry,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
As a seal upon your arm
(Song of Solomon 8:6).
:angel:
May 14
Judges 16
Samson is subdued and later dies in his final act of resistance.
INSIGHT
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7). Samson's lustful foolishness finally catches up with him, and in a profound example of bad judgment, he discloses the secret of his strength to a woman who had betrayed him repeatedly.
He violates his Nazarite vow, and all his power leaves him. His eyes are gouged out and he dies, not avenging the Lord against the Philistines but avenging the loss of his own eyes. It is a heartbreaking conclusion to a life that is tragic-tragic not only because of what it was, but even more for what it could have been.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and give Him your praise. By His grace, we can escape consequences similar to those Samson experienced by living for Him:
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:
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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· mission work in Africa,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now 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).
:angel:
May 15
Ruth 1
A Jewess, Naomi, and her two daughters-in-law lose their husbands.
INSIGHT
In Ruth, we see one of the most stirring examples of loyalty in the Bible. In spite of Naomi's urgings to the contrary, Ruth stays with her, looking not for personal fulfillment or material comfort but longing merely to maintain the relationship with one whom she loves. This loyalty comes from a pure heart, and it is not surprising that it extends not just to Naomi but also to the Lord.
In stark contrast to Samson, Ruth's selflessness leads to beauty, fulfillment, and seeking the good of others. We should take instruction for our own lives and live as Ruth, not as Samson.
PRAYER
· Because we can have the beauty of the Lord in our lives, give thanks and praise to Him:
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 113:2-3, 5-6, 9).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord;
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me
(Psalm 40:11-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your talents,
· your state and local leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25, 27).
:angel:
May 16
Ruth 2
Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem in hopes of fostering a livelihood.
INSIGHT
When Boaz, a noble and godly man, hears of Ruth's noble and godly actions, he is moved with appreciation for the kind of person she is.
When he finds her gleaning in his fields, he bestows kindnesses on her. Ruth asks why he should take notice of her since she is a foreigner. Boaz replies that it is because of all that she has done for Naomi. The way we live our everyday lives communicates a "life message" to others. When we live for the Lord, that message is a beacon of light to others.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for His sovereignty and for the fact that He works His will regardless of the failures of His children:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-3, 48).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
May 17
Ruth 3
Boaz, a close relative of Naomi, agrees to marry Ruth.
INSIGHT
The custom in the Old Testament is that when a relative dies without leaving a male heir, the next nearest relative marries the surviving spouse to preserve the family name and property rights. Naomi thinks Boaz is the next of kin; therefore, there is nothing forward in Ruth's actions. Boaz exercises admirable restraint, knowing that there is closer kin. His concern for Ruth's good name again shows his nobility of character, for he is surely attracted to Ruth already.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who renews our strength when we wait on Him:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth
(Psalm 108:1-5).
· Pause for personal 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities for evangelism,
· your activities for the day.
· 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).
:angel:
May 26
1 Samuel 16
David is anointed to be king.
INSIGHT
David is indeed an outstanding individual. As a teenager, he is known to be "skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him" (v. 18). In each of these things, David is not just lucky. David works hard at all the things for which he is known, including the fact that "the Lord is with him."
Each of us has been given talents and abilities. Like David, if we are to achieve our God-given potential, we must be slaves to the things that advance those abilities.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord that we are the objects of His tender mercies and powerful leading:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:65-68).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater trust in God's sovereignty,
· the spiritual condition of our national leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
May 27
1 Samuel 17
Goliath the Philistine challenges Israel's army.
INSIGHT
When God goes to war, there are no accidents. Just as He uses Gideon and an army of only 300 to rout the Midianite army that was "without number," so He uses a boy with a slingshot to rout the Philistine army. In 2 Chronicles 18:33, "a certain man drew a bow at random," but it "struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor." There are no accidents when God goes to war.
We can take comfort in this fact in relationship to the spiritual warfare in which we all find ourselves. The obstacles may seem insurmountable. But if we are on God's side, no foe is too great.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise as you rejoice in the power He uses in controlling the events of history:
We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
You drove out the nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.
For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand,
Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
Because You favored them
(Psalm 44:1-4).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long?
(Psalm 6:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me
(Psalm 138:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater courage in the midst of trials,
· your pastor,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands
(Psalm 138:8).
:angel:
May 28
2 Samuel 5
After many years of delay, David assumes Israel's throne.
INSIGHT
Earlier, Samuel had anointed David-then a young, inexperienced boy-to be king over Israel. Fourteen years elapsed between Samuel's anointing and the time when David actually assumes the rule over all of Israel.
Instead of luxuriating in the royal palace during these years, David runs from cave to cave, trying to escape from Saul who is bent on killing him. But it is these difficult experiences that build into David the strength of character, the convictions, the sensitivity to right and wrong, and the vision to be a great king.
Even for us today, the road to transformation always goes through the tunnel of trials.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord uses the difficult times to create Christlikeness in our lives, we can praise Him for all things:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain
(Psalm 127:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East, the islands, and Australia,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
May 29
2 Samuel 7
David prepares for building a temple, but God tells him that David's son will build it.
INSIGHT
With all his heart, David wants to build the temple of God. Yet because David is a man of war, God reserves that privilege for David's son Solomon, whose very name means "peace."
While David cannot actually build the temple, he does draw the plans and begins amassing the materials. And Solomon's job is much easier because of David's work.
In fact, the Lord commends David's deep desire to build the temple even though he is not permitted to do so (see 2 Chronicles 6:8.)
There may be things in your heart that you would like to do for God that you cannot do. Even so, it is good that it is in your heart to want to do them.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He rewards us because of our motives:
"Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify
Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested"
(Revelation 15:3-4).
One cried to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!"
(Isaiah 6:3).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· 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, pray for:
· faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· the Lord's work in world affairs,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this 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).
:angel:
May 30
2 Samuel 11
David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his loyal commanders.
INSIGHT
There is greater pain in sin than in righteousness. David clearly loves Bathsheba. Certainly, it would have pained him had he turned his heart away from her before having relations with her. But that pain is nothing compared to the pain he brings on himself and others by taking her as his own. Adultery, murder, the death of their child, the loss of respect, and the memory of the guilt were some of the results of his sin.
It is sometimes painful to do the right thing, but it is always more painful to do the wrong thing.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because He fulfills our lives by giving us talents and abilities to develop:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 150:1-3, 6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me (Jeremiah 33:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord
(Lamentations 3:25-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your development of an eternal perspective,
· your personal spiritual goals,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).
:angel:
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
2 Samuel 12
The prophet Nathan openly rebukes David and stirs him to repent.
INSIGHT
When Nathan comes to accuse David of adultery and murder, it is well within David's power to shout: "Off with his head!" But David does not issue that order. Instead, his heart breaks. The horror and magnitude of his sin is incalculable, but it is to David's credit that he immediately repents. Rather than resisting repentance because we feel we don't deserve forgiveness, we should do as David did-repent that very instant.
PRAYER
· Give praise and thanks to the Lord for giving us victory over the world:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You. . . .
The Lord is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation
(Jeremiah 10:6-7, 10).
· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· persecuted Christians worldwide,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
June 1
1 Kings 1
The prophet Nathan and Bathsheba join forces to ensure that Solomon replaces David as king.
INSIGHT
As Adonijah, David's oldest living son, takes steps to become king, only Bathsheba and Nathan know of David's desire that Solomon succeed him.
Circumstances seem grim to Bathsheba. Should Adonijah become king, she and Solomon most probably would lose their lives, being seen as threats to the throne. Yet it is God who establishes kings, and His will is that Solomon reign. Again God demonstrates that He is in control-in spite of the foreboding circumstances.
As we consider the perplexing nature of circumstances in the world, we are tempted to lose heart, perhaps to question whether God is really in control. We should be reminded from this passage that He is. Whatever comes our way, the hand of God is there to see us through. It is something we must believe.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer this praise to Him:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works. . . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You
(Psalm 9:1, 9-10).
· Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(Joel 2:12-13).
· The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace"
(Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
June 2
1 Kings 2
David charges Solomon with the urgency of living for the Lord.
INSIGHT
Parts of the Old Testament tax our understanding and our acceptance.
First, we do not understand much about Judaism, the Law, and Old Testament
culture and customs. Second, many of the events are violations of God's desires-though that is not explained to us. And finally, God deals with men differently in the Old Testament than in the New Testament.
While not all things are easily explained, in chapter 2, Solomon takes vengeance only upon all those people who had already committed acts that were punishable by death. This doesn't answer every problem we might have with this difficult chapter, but it is a beginning.
PRAYER
· The Lord will guard and care for those who want to follow Him with their whole heart:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears
(Psalm 34:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord answered Job, and said:
"Shall the one who contends with the
Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it."
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
"Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth"
(Job 40:1-4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him" (John 6:27).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a friend to believe in Christ,
· greater understanding and love for God's Word,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned (Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
June 3
1 Kings 1
God grants Solomon wisdom.
INSIGHT
Solomon's heart is manifested by the purity of his prayer. He could have asked for a long life; he could have asked for riches and honor. But instead Solomon asks simply for wisdom. What an honest and unselfish prayer.
Being honest with God is not as easy as we might think. We all tend to live life with masks on-behind which the real "us" hides-to make a better impression on people.
How foolish! God sees behind the mask-as do most people. We can learn from Solomon. God is pleased with honest, transparent prayers.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His wisdom to all generations of those who love Him:
Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord
(Jeremiah 9:23-24).
· 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.
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 19:12-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the all-wise Lord:
In you, O Christ, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (based on Colossians 2:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in your daily life,
· wisdom for political leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
June 4
1 Kings 4
Solomon's fame spreads throughout the world.
INSIGHT
To understand the significance of Solomon's wealth, power, and wisdom, we must go back to Deuteronomy 28, where God outlined the consequences for Israel's obedience and disobedience. During the latter part of David's reign and the early part of Solomon's reign, Israel follows the Lord in righteousness for a longer period of time than any other. The results are a greater blessing than at any other time in Israel's history.
It is a glaring and tragic reality that shortly after Solomon's reign, Israel follows her kings in unrighteousness, and the curses in Deuteronomy begin to come about. The welfare of Israel is always related to her righteousness.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is holy and in whose holiness we can share:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
· Pray this confession as you 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 13:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· mission work in Europe and Asia,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
June 5
1 Kings 5
Solomon forms an alliance with Hiram for help in building the temple.
INSIGHT
Known as a fair, just, and righteous man, David builds an excellent reputation with noble neighboring leaders. Hiram and David establish their friendship early in David's reign (2 Samuel 5:11), and 1 Kings 5:1 states: "Hiram had always loved David."
It is perhaps David's reputation that prompts Solomon to write in Proverbs 22:1: "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches." Each of us must take this Scripture to heart and dedicate ourselves to the development of a spotless reputation by being fair, just, and righteous and by being utterly true to our word.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord whose reputation we share when we live for Him:
Ah, Lord God! . . . There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them-the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:17-19).
· 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
"For 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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president and national leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:0
June 6
1 Kings 6
Solomon oversees the temple construction, making it a work of art glorifying God.
INSIGHT
The temple that Solomon builds for the Lord is spectacular. The stonework is magnificent; the tapestry work is glorious; and nearly everything inside is overlaid with gold.
Why such opulence? Because the temple is to be a physical representation of the beauty and glory of God. One is supposed to be able to look at the temple and be reminded of the beauty of God. It is not beauty for beauty's sake, but for the glory of the God of beauty.
PRAYER
· Offer God your praise in the words of this Scripture:
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him
(Daniel 2:20-22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater wisdom for living,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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.
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 19:13-14).
:angel:
June 7
1 Kings 7
King Hiram of Tyre supplies artisans and craftsmen to finalize the glorious temple.
INSIGHT
Not only is the work of the temple designed to reflect the splendor and glory of God, but also the layout of the temple is designed to reflect His work in atoning for our sin. The bronze laver, the candlesticks, the tables of showbread, the Holy of Holies-all are designed to picture for us the atoning work of Christ. All this is in keeping with what Paul wrote in Romans 15:4: "Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."
PRAYER
· The Lord knows us totally and loves us completely, and for this we offer Him our praise:
Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation" (Luke 1:46-50).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:9-11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
June 8
1 Kings 8
Solomon leads the people into a grand dedication ceremony for the new temple.
INSIGHT
The phenomenal blessings that God pours out on Israel have a purpose beyond merely blessing them. In fact, God wants other nations to see His favor on Israel and desire to know Him because of what they witness in the lives of His people.
This truth is reflected when Solomon prays that "the Lord our God be with us . . . [so] that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other" (vv. 57, 60). David understands this principle also when he writes in Psalm 67:7: "God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him." And today God wants to bless us spiritually that others may see Christ in us and be drawn to Him.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord who blesses us that we might draw others to Him because of His mark in our lives:
"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 4:11).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the
Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and its effects:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you
(Deuteronomy 32:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
June 9
1 Kings 9
The Lord reiterates His promise to bless Israel for faithfulness and to judge her for sin.
INSIGHT
Three things happen when Israel lives in a righteous relationship with the Lord. First, God is glorified. Second, Israel is blessed, receiving the fullness of life for which she longs. Third, the unsaved world is drawn to want to know God because of the magnificent picture they see of Him.
Because so much hinges on Israel's standing before God, the Lord makes it clear to her how serious her position is. If she will trust and obey Him, He will bless Israel forever. However, if she lives in sin, He will utterly destroy her.
PRAYER
· Give the Lord praise for His perfect and holy justice and goodness:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalm 100:4-5).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be obedient to God's commands,
· our nation's military personnel,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the waters
(Psalm 24:1-2).
:angel:
June 10
1 Kings 10
The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon.
INSIGHT
Solomon leads Israel in righteousness, and God pours out His blessing on the nation to such an extent that the reports of Israel's prosperity spread throughout the world. The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon because she cannot believe the reports she has been hearing. After Solomon meets with her and shows her around Jerusalem, she is overwhelmed.
The blessing of Israel is to draw attention to the God of Israel. Today as the Lord blesses us spiritually for our faithfulness to Him, attention will be drawn, not to us, but to the Lord.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord that He still does marvelous things through His people-things that make the world stand up and take notice:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord who blesses the work of His people:
God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faithfulness in evangelism,
· the church's impact on the world,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned (Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
June 11
1 Kings 11
Solomon takes wives from (and makes allegiances with) foreigners, and God judges him.
INSIGHT
Not long after the Lord reminds Solomon of the blessings of obedience and the cataclysmic consequences of disobedience, Solomon disobeys. After taking foreign wives who turn his heart from the Lord, Solomon begins to worship Ashtoreth and builds a "high place" of worship for Chemosh and Molech, detestable pagan gods. True to His word, the Lord raises up an adversary, Hadad, to plague Solomon. God's purpose is not to punish. He wants the adversity to turn Solomon's heart back to Him. When you suffer adversity, examine yourself to see if there is sin in your life. That is not always true, but it is something to which we must be sensitive.
PRAYER
Bless the Lord and praise Him for His goodness because He forgives our sin:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11).
You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You, according to all
that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face
to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads,
and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus,
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the Scripture says,
"Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 10:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:6).
:angel:
June 12
1 Kings 12
After Solomon's death, Rehoboam splits the kingdom.
INSIGHT
Because Solomon drifts from the Lord during the latter part of his reign, he does not leave to his successor a healthy, vibrant nation. Israel struggles for moral and political leadership. Rehoboam inherits the throne but places foolish and inordinate financial demands on the nation on the heels of what Solomon had demanded—to build the temple and his palace. The people rebel and the nation divides. The northern part of the kingdom (Israel) follows after Jeroboam while Rehoboam retains control over the southern part (Judah); neither man leads the nation in righteousness and the disintegration that began with Solomon continues. Sin is taking its toll. It always does.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that when we confess our sin, He removes the eternal penalty:
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 personal praise and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled
(Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God
(Romans 5:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your talents
-- Your state and local leaders
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
June 13
1 Kings 17
After Elijah prophesies drought, the Lord hides him and later uses him to heal a child.
INSIGHT
Drought is a devastating natural disaster, and when it comes to the children of Israel, it does not come by accident. It is always divine judgment. From the beginning of his reign, Ahab, who is king when Elijah begins his ministry, violates the Lord's name. He encourages idolatry and the worship of Baal, a pagan god. He "did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him" (1 Kings 16:30). Elijah's name means "Jehovah is my strength," and the Lord sets about to prove the significance of Elijah's name as He brings judgment on Israel and destroys the worshipers of Baal.
PRAYER
The Lord longs to bless us. Offer Him your praise for His goodness and mercy:
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).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
-- Your activities for the day
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).
:angel:
June 14
1 Kings 18
The prophet Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.
INSIGHT
The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal is one of the most exciting chapters in the Bible, with fire raining down from heaven — consuming meat, water, and stone! Then after Baal worship is defeated, it rains, signifying an end to that judgment. Elijah prays, "Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again" (v. 37). God does not punish His children for sin but rather chastens them in the hope that they will repent and return to Him.
PRAYER
Let us praise the Lord in the words of this psalm:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for personal evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
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 121:5-8).
:angel:
June 15
1 Kings 19
Elijah flees from Jezebel, and the Lord ministers to him after saving him.
INSIGHT
On the heels of the stupendous victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah falls into despair. He fears for his own life in the face of Jezebel's threat and flees to a lonely mountain for safety—to lick his wounds and mourn his fate. How shameful that this great prophet would call down fire from heaven one day and flee for his life the next. We all have feet of clay. Notice though that God does not berate him. Rather, He ministers to him quietly, restoring his spirit and strength. Then God calls Elijah back into His service again. God cares when we are hurt and discouraged and gently calls us to Himself for new strength.
PRAYER
Offer to the Lord your praise for His lovingkindness on your behalf:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name
(Psalm 63:3-4).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day
(Psalm 25:4-5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater passion for moral excellence
-- The ministry of Christian educational institutions
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).
:angel:
June 16
2 Kings 1
The Lord sends Elijah to inform Ahaziah that he will die.
INSIGHT
Ahab and Jezebel have become famous for their irreverence and disregard for the Law of the Lord. Yet Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, goes beyond them in his blatant disregard for the Lord. After an accident, he inquires of Baal-Zebub, the pagan god of Ekron, whether or not he will recover. Elijah informs the messengers that Ahaziah will die. No longer afraid, Elijah has been strengthened from his previous failure. We must always look at failure as an opportunity to grow.
PRAYER
God often uses our hard times to refine us into the people He wants us to be. Give Him your praise for His care:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:65-68).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater trust in God's leading in your life
-- The ministry of your local church
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
:angel:
June 17
2 Kings 2
The Lord takes Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind.
INSIGHT
Miracles don't permeate the entire Bible. They tend to be concentrated during the times of Moses, the prophets, and Jesus. They occur other times as well, but these are the times of greatest concentration; and Elijah and Elisha represent one of the strongest periods. In our lives today, God seems rather inactive in comparison. Yet that is not because He is unable to act-but rather because He has chosen not to act in the same way. The power is still there, and we can rest in the confidence that He still has all things under control.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord who possesses power to do all things He desires:
O Lord, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.
A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
When the wicked spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever
(Psalm 92:5-7).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy
(Habakkuk 3:2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who loves you:
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- Contentment in God's providence
-- Opportunities for watching God work
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).
:angel:
June 18
2 Kings 4
Elisha saves a Shunammite widow from economic disaster and revives her son from death.
INSIGHT
Elisha's ministry is not startling; it is redemptive and constructive. Elijah was a prophet of fire and judgment; Elisha was a prophet of mercy and compassion. Elijah was a man on the move; Elisha enjoyed a tranquil life at home. Elijah's miracles were destructive; Elisha's were constructive. It must have been tempting for Elisha to want to be like Elijah. But he resists it; that is not what the Lord has for Elisha. He is his own man before the Lord. It is often tempting for us to want to be like someone else, to be dissatisfied with who we are and what we can do. Yet God made us to be what He wanted us to be. We must be content with who we are. It is so liberating. Accept yourself. God does.
PRAYER
Because the Lord made us and cares for us as we are, we offer Him the praise of our lips:
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? . . .
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:3-4, 9).
Pause for personal 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.
Selah
(Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- The work of missions in North and South America
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
June 19
2 Kings 5
Naaman is healed of leprosy when he obeys Elisha's directives.
INSIGHT
It is God who has power to move in the realm of the spiritual and miraculous—not man. So whether God asks us to do something difficult or simple, it doesn't matter. He will do the work behind our faith. Naaman learns this the hard way. His heart is open to God, for he goes to Elisha hoping that God will heal his leprosy. But when Elisha tells him to wash in the Jordan seven times, Naaman roars: "Are not . . . the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel?" (v. 12). He misses the point. The point is not clean water or unclean. The point is: Does he believe God? The Jordan is merely a test of his faith in God. When Naaman realizes that, he washes and is healed.
PRAYER
By faith, we offer our praise to the Lord and thank Him for the power that makes us clean:
Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless 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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
June 20
2 Kings 6
When the Syrians threaten Elisha, they are struck blind.
INSIGHT
We often have no idea what is going on around us in the spiritual realm. Spiritual battles explode before our very eyes, but we neither see them nor hear them (Daniel 10:13). Guardian angels minister to our needs (Hebrews 1:14). We entertain angels "unwittingly" (Hebrews 13:2). How real and alive is the spiritual realm; yet without the Scriptures, we would know little about it. The Syrian army is camped around Dothan, but Elisha is not concerned because an army of the angels of the Lord encircles the horizon. We walk by faith and not by sight.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He can turn our failures into successes, and offer Him your praise in this psalm:
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 personal 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 name's 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world"
(John 6:51).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of personal friends
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
June 21
2 Kings 7
Israel is delivered from Aram.
INSIGHT
While we must be careful about "spiritualizing" what we read in the Old Testament and making it say something it doesn't, there is at least an excellent illustration in the defeat of the Aramean army relating to the message of the Gospel today. The lepers are lost and starving and come upon abundance adequate for their own welfare as well as the welfare of all others. They realize it is wrong to keep it to themselves, and they go out to tell others. The same is true of the Gospel of Christ. Those of us who have had our needs met by Him cannot be satisfied keeping it to ourselves — we must tell others.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord for the miracle of the "new birth," and praise Him for His grace:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings
(Psalm 33:1-2).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin and its effects:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord who protects you:
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:21).
:angel:
June 22
2 Kings 8
The king restores the Shunammite widow's land.
INSIGHT
Nothing happens in our lives or in the world apart from divine appointment or permission. Behind every event and incident, there is divine providence. The Shunammite widow, who has done so much for Elisha, is remembered and cared for years afterward. The Lord has a wonderful memory for those who feed Him when He is hungry and minister to Him when He is in need (see Matthew 25:37). The conversation between Gehazi, Elisha's servant, and the king might seem an accident, but it is providential. When we abide in the will of God, life is sown with divine coincidences.
PRAYER
For the Lord's sovereignty and goodness to us, offer this praise:
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).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You. . . ."
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen
(Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength
(Isaiah 40:28-29).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Local churches across the nation
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
June 23
2 Kings 18
Hezekiah institutes a reign of righteousness.
INSIGHT
It is wonderful that such a wicked man as Ahaz had such a righteous son as Hezekiah. It is difficult to stand against moral disintegration—especially when it is all around you and generally accepted. It is also likely the fall of the Northern Kingdom is a great incentive to root out idolatry. God richly rewards Hezekiah for his moral courage and leadership, demonstrating the validity of 2 Chronicles 16:9: "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."
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He richly blesses those who seek to follow Him with all their heart:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
I opened my mouth and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.
Look upon me and be merciful to me,
As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.
Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
(Psalm 119:129-133)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
(Psalm 138:7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- A heart more tender to the things of the Lord
-- The work of a specific ministry that has had an impact on your life
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
(Psalm 121:8)
:angel:
June 24
2 Kings 19
When Sennacherib attacks Jerusalem, Hezekiah calls upon the Lord.
INSIGHT
In spite of all the trouble that comes upon Israel and Judah, God wants to bless them. It is only as He is blessing them that His desire for the world is advanced. All that is needed is obedience. Hezekiah demonstrates just how quickly everything can turn around. He is looking into the jaws of an Assyrian military machine one minute, and the Assyrians are routed the next. God is not reluctant to bless us. But we must be sure we are eligible by being faithful to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord; for He controls the universe and does all things for our good:
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, "Glory!"
The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.
(Psalm 29:5-11)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
(Joel 2:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faith in God's goodness
-- Those who've never heard the Gospel
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this prayer to the Lord:
Jesus, You are the door. If anyone enters by You, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (based on John 10:9).
:angel:
June 25
2 Kings 20
In answer to Hezekiah's prayer, the Lord extends his life.
INSIGHT
Hezekiah's contribution to our lives is probably very great. We read of his zeal for the house of Jehovah and for the worship of Jehovah and of his strict adherence to the Davidic traditions (2 Chronicles 29:3-19; 20-27; 30). His delight is in the Word of Jehovah. In 2 Chronicles 31:21, we read of the "work" which Hezekiah began "in the law and in the commandment." Apparently he formed a guild of men for this devout literary work. These "men of Hezekiah" evidently included Isaiah (2 Kings 19:2) and also had a hand in shaping the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 25:1). What a contribution this ancient one has made to our lives today!
PRAYER
The Lord's dominion is forever, and we can praise Him that He never changes:
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 personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
(Psalm 51:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- The work of missions in Australia
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
Quiet Walk
June 26
2 Kings 25
God judges Judah by allowing Nebuchadnezzar to capture Jerusalem.
INSIGHT
Judah has a total of 20 kings after Solomon. Only eight of them give moral and spiritual leadership. And as the king goes, so goes the nation. As a result, God has to bring judgment on Israel. The ghastly succession of horrors promised for disobedience in Deuteronomy 28–and reiterated to Solomon in 1 Kings 9—begins to unfold. "I will cast (Israel) out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples" (1 Kings 9:7). Nebuchadnezzar besieges and captures Jerusalem, transports her main people to Babylonia, robs her treasury, and violates worship in the temple. Sin has a terrible price.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that we can be spared from His judgment on sin:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
(Psalm 63:1-2)
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:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases.
(Psalm 103:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The Lord's work in national and world affairs
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
June 27
1 Chronicles 17
God promises David that He will propagate David's lineage forever.
INSIGHT
David is described as a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). It is difficult for us to accept that statement when David is guilty of lying, adultery, murder, and other indiscretions. However, to be a man after God's own heart means that David wants the same things God wants. His noble desires and intentions are overruled several times by his passions; but when David's senses are restored and he repents of his sin, again his heart beats after God's desires. We may not be as bad as David in his bad moments, but are we as good as David in his good moments? Do our hearts beat after God?
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that He is eager to bless our righteous acts:
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)
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
(Psalm 7:17)
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me
(Psalm 51:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
He also has become my salvation"
(Isaiah 12:2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- An increased eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Grace, mercy, and peace [be to you] from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).
:angel:
June 28
1 Chronicles 29
Just before his death, David blesses Israel and gives his blessing to Solomon.
INSIGHT
How we spend our money is a powerful reflection of our value system. If we have strong spiritual values, we give our money generously to spiritual things. If we have primarily temporal values, we resist—and perhaps even resent—giving to spiritual things. After completing the temple, the Israelites rejoiced, "for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD" (v. 9). Where are your values?
PRAYER
Bless the Lord. Praise Him for His blessings in our lives:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.
(1 Chronicles 29:11-13)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
(Psalm 51:4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:31)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Persecuted Christians worldwide
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
June 29
2 Chronicles 34
Josiah leads Judah into righteousness.
INSIGHT
It is almost impossible to imagine the Law could have gotten lost in Jerusalem. How could that have happened? The whole nation is to worship the Lord; the dominant building in Jerusalem is the temple. Israel's entire history revolves around the giving and preservation of the Law. How can this happen? Neglect has a poor memory. How quickly we can drift from the Lord in just a short time of spiritual staleness. Consider our nation. The moral fiber we had 20 years ago is nonexistent today. People are people. Israel drifted the same way—but for a longer time. This ought to serve as a warning to us; the same can happen to us as individuals.
PRAYER
The Lord will guard and care for the heart that follows Him and is filled with praise:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by. . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
(Psalm 51:14-15)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- Others to see Christ in you
-- The Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest
-- Your activities for the day
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).
:angel:
June 30
2 Chronicles 35
The Passover, unobserved for years, is reinstated.
INSIGHT
Abraham Lincoln once said, "A man's about as happy as he makes up his mind to be." That may be an oversimplification; yet it states a basic truth: Often we must consciously decide what we want to become. Those who grow spiritually are those who have made a conscious decision to pursue spiritual things. Josiah, one of the great kings of Judah, is a strong reformer who tries to lead the nation in righteousness. In 2 Chronicles 34:31, we read: "The king . . . made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul." Have you ever made the decision to follow the Lord with your whole heart?
PRAYER
As He is a God both of power and compassion, we offer Him our praise:
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;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it, . ..
The host of heaven worships You.
(Nehemiah 9:5-6)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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.
(Psalm 34:17-18)
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- The ministry of our nation's churches
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
July 1
Ezra 1
The Lord prompts the king of Persia to rebuild the temple.
INSIGHT
The Bible says that God "removes kings and raises up kings" (Daniel 2:21) and that "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord" (Proverbs 21:1). We see a classic example of these truths in the book of Ezra. The Israelites are taken captive by the Babylonians for 70 years. During that time, the Babylonians are conquered by Persia. Then the Lord moves in the heart of the king of Persia to orchestrate the return of the Jews to Jerusalem. God is in control. Bad things will still happen; we live in a fallen world. But God is in control and history is moving toward His end. The ultimate needs of His children are met, and we have the promise of eternal life. Beyond that, we must cling to the fact that we are pilgrims, sojourners to another world—heaven, where our true citizenship lies.
PRAYER
As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this praise:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
(Psalm 106:1-3)
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.
(Psalm 130:1-4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to God:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:4-6).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- His will to be done
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
July 2
Ezra 3
The priests restore the altar and worship of the Lord.
INSIGHT
The basis of most discontent is comparison. We could be happy with our cars if the neighbors didn't have better ones. We would be satisfied with our houses if they were as nice as everyone else's. Yet, were we to have our present possessions in Africa, we would be considered rich. Once our basic needs are met, the issue is not "how are we," but rather, "how are we compared to how everyone else is." When the foundation of the new temple is laid, the new generation rejoices at the work of God; but the older generation laments that the new temple is not as impressive as the old one. We should be content with what God has chosen to give us and not make comparisons. He is rich who rejoices in his portion.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for what He has given you, and rejoice in your portion:
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
(Psalm 71:15-17)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this prayer:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous spirit.
(Psalm 51:10, 12)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- That others might see Christ in you
-- That the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers into His harvest
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing 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).
:angel:
July 3
Ezra 4
The king orders a halt to the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
There is a common misconception in the Christian world that if you are doing the Lord's will, you will not suffer hardships for it. The example of the Jews rebuilding the temple certainly does not support that supposition. The Lord clearly intends for them to rebuild the temple, yet they suffer opposition the entire time. It is not necessarily a sign of God's displeasure when work begun for Him fails. There may be other reasons for the failure, which are hidden in His sovereignty. That is why it is so important to be in fellowship with Him. If something we are doing fails, we have confidence that it is not because of our sin, but His sovereignty.
PRAYER
Because He faithfully loves you, faithfully praise Him and thank Him for your many blessings:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
(Psalm 72:18-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:13-14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
(Psalm 119:67, 71)
God yearns to hear His children's desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual growth
-- Fulfillment of the Great Commission
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
(Psalm 23:6)
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:angel:
July 4
Ezra 6
The original decree is found, and permission is given to complete the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
It is often darkest before the dawn. Just as it looks as if the work on the temple is going to be stopped, the Lord turns the situation around. Not only is permission given to complete the temple, but those who had tried to stop the work are required to finance the remainder of the restoration! Worrying does little to further the work of God; He is quite capable of accomplishing His work. Our work is trust, obedience, and faithfulness to our responsibilities.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over your circumstances, and thank Him for being in total control of your life:
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.
(Psalm 18:1-3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
God desires to hear the petitions of His people. As you make you requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment in the circumstances of your life,
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace."
(Numbers 6:24-25)
:angel:
July 6
Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah weeps as he learns of Jerusalem's deterioration.
INSIGHT
One of the essential characteristics of leadership is that the leader feels the full weight of the plight of certain people and assumes responsibility for their condition. Many people knew of Jerusalem's condition, but few felt the impact and had the vision for response. Nehemiah did and God used him in a mighty way. What in life "hits" you? What situations cause you to feel the impact of the plight of others, and for what situations do you have a vision for response? It might be as large as a nation or as small as a church nursery. But if you feel it and have a vision for it, chances are God would like to use you there.
PRAYER
Being used by the Lord is a joyful experience. Praise Him as you consider how He might use you:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:1-2, 14)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
(Proverbs 2:3-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater sensitivity to sin,
-- The ministry of your local church,
-- Your activities for the day.
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)
:angel:
Quiet Walk
July 7
Nehemiah 2
Nehemiah requests the king's help in rebuilding Jerusalem.
INSIGHT
Nehemiah comes before the king unable to conceal his agitation over the situation in Jerusalem. When we are faced with situations that need change, preparation is vital. We may not be able to do anything about it at the moment, but we can ask ourselves this question: "If it lay within our power to do anything we wanted to do, what would we do?" If we can answer that, then we will recognize opportunity when it knocks, and we can capitalize on it as Nehemiah does.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is concerned about the details of your life and is ready to fulfill your every need:
The Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
(Psalm 1:6)
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)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil (Ecclesiastes 5:1).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Boldness in sharing Christ with others
-- The innocent victims in war-torn lands
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
:angel:
July 8
Nehemiah 4
The work on the city wall is ridiculed by those opposing it.
INSIGHT
It is difficult to do any work when we are strongly opposed. We begin to doubt the validity of the task or our ability to perform it. When we are assailed for doing God's work, we must evaluate the source of opposition. We cannot assume opposition means that God is against us. While it is of little value to blame the devil for everything that goes wrong, the Bible makes it clear that spiritual opposition is a reality in the work of God. If we suspect spiritual opposition, we must oppose the enemy, remain at the task at hand, and redouble our prayers!
PRAYER
Praise God that He has given us instruction for life in the Bible and through the Holy Spirit:
"My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation."
(1 Samuel 2:1)
Pause for additional praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. . . God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. (1Thessalonians 4:1-2, 7-8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God. . . .
He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
For by strength no man shall prevail."
(1 Samuel 2:2, 9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Diligence in our work in spite of obstacles
-- Wisdom in making decisions
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
The blessings of your father
Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
(Genesis 49:25-26)
:angel:
July 9
Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah stops the internal mistreatment among the Jews by force of example.
INSIGHT
The prospects for some of the returned exiles are bleak. There are deficient rains and poor harvests. As a result, the farmers mortgage their lands to their wealthier brethren and, in extreme cases, sell their children into slavery to pay the king's taxes. The rich Jews, rather than helping out, are capitalizing on the situation to line their own pockets. This is inexcusable! Few things bring on more reproach to the cause of the Lord than the worldliness and hard-heartedness of those who claim to follow Him. Unselfish dedication to the common welfare of others in Christ is our spiritual obligation.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves each of us equally and accepts our welfare as His obligation, we praise Him:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.
(Psalm 93:1-2)
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:5)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 love for fellow Christians
-- Missions in Europe and Asia
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
July 10
Nehemiah 6
The work on the wall is completed.
INSIGHT
Nehemiah resists the efforts of the adversaries to discourage him or distract him from working on the wall. He is convinced that he is doing the right thing, and he steadfastly resists the interference. The Old Testament often has a literal illustration of a spiritual truth that is explained in the New Testament. In Ephesians 6:11, we read that we are to "put on the whole armor of God": the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Once these are in place, we "resist"—"stand firm!"
PRAYER
Praise God for victory in spiritual warfare as we use His armor:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
O come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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 53:6)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- The president and world affairs
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing 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)
:angel:
July 11
Nehemiah 8
The people gather at the square to hear Ezra, who reads the Law publicly.
INSIGHT
No one appreciates a glass of water like a man who is truly thirsty. It takes deprivation to appreciate the significance of our blessings. That is why the Christian life is not always easy—with blessings flowing unabated. We get dull and stale to it—just as we do when we have too much food and too little exercise. We are indeed blessed to have the Word of God in such abundance. The returning Jews have never heard the Word, and they are truly thirsty. They stand — from dawn till dusk — and drink it in. To appreciate the Word in your life, imagine not having it at all.
PRAYER
Give the Lord your praise, because He knows us and loves us and will never leave or forsake us:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
(Psalm 97:10-12)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
(1 Corinthians 2:9)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
July 12
Nehemiah 9
Upon hearing the Law, the people publicly confess their transgressions.
INSIGHT
Paul says in the New Testament that it was not until he heard the Law that he was conscious of sin. How true! It is not until you know the truth that the truth can set you free (John 8:32). The returning Jews experience this truth in a dramatic way. Upon hearing the Law, Israel repents of her sins and rededicates herself to serving the Lord. This repentance clears her conscience, results in rich worship, and makes her eligible for the blessings of the Lord. It sets her free! Repentance will do the same for you.
PRAYER
Because the Lord preserves us through spiritual battles, offer your praises as you read this psalm:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, God of my salvation,
I have cried out day and night before You.
Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life draws near to the grave.
(Psalm 88:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:8)
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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater insight into God's Word
-- The homeless in your country and around the world
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
July 13
Esther 1
Because Vashti refuses to dance for King Ahasuerus, she is removed as queen.
INSIGHT
In Ezra and Nehemiah, we learn how God watches over the Jews who return from captivity. Esther tells us how those who remain in exile—scattered through the East—are marvelously preserved. Though the name of God does not appear in the book, His hand is clearly manifest throughout. The significance of the "narrow escapes" cannot be dismissed as coincidental. Ahasuerus demands that his queen appear before the party. She refuses. The stage is now set for God's miraculous plan of deliverance for His people.
PRAYER
Take comfort in the sovereignty of God, and praise Him for His faithfulness:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness.
(Psalm 96:5-8, 11)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.
(Isaiah 54:7-8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
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:
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 ).
:angel:
July 14
Esther 2
Esther wins the king's favor and is chosen to become queen.
INSIGHT
Abraham, Moses, David, and Esther are all living lives of obscurity when God chooses them. He uses them for great things because they are faithful to Him in the little things. While not all of us are destined to do incredible things in the eyes of man, greatness in the eyes of God is simply being faithful to Him the best way we know how. God has not forgotten about us; His eye is on us. And He will use us—even if only in seemingly "small" ways.
PRAYER
Thank God that we do not need to be born into a wealthy family or attain a place of prestige to be used by Him. Praise God that He uses ordinary people to do His extraordinary work:
As for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.
(Psalm 5:7-8)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
(Psalm 5:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
(Psalm 5:4-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment in the place God has led you to
-- Patience in serving others
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
(Psalm 5:11-12)
:angel:
July 15
Esther 3
Haman deceives the king into signing an edict that would kill all the Jews.
INSIGHT
Man's inhumanity to man over the ages has been astounding. Some of the acts of violence and degradation have defied comprehension. In this vein, Haman hatches a savage and inhumane plot against the Jews to have them annihilated—men, women, and children. King Ahasuerus also has a monstrous mind, willing to sanction such savagery without question. When sin progresses to such extremes, we see just how repulsive it is.
PRAYER
God continually watches over His children. Thank Him for His protection:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1-2)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to God:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
(Psalm 19:7-11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The political leaders of your country
-- Graciousness in speech
-- The needs of family members
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
July 16
Esther 4
Esther learns of the plot to kill the Jews and plans to intercede.
INSIGHT
"I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" (4:16). Those are not the words of someone being melodramatic; they are the words of a realist who accurately assesses the situation. By law, no one can go into the presence of the king unless invited; to do so means execution. If the king chooses to extend grace to the person, he offers his scepter, whereupon the subject is to kneel and touch the top of the scepter. Esther has no idea what Ahasuerus will do. He deposed Vashti with a clap of his hands; he signed the edict to kill the Jews without asking a question. Though she has no other choice, Esther's decision still takes great courage.
PRAYER
Our courage comes from confidence in God who loves us, and for this, we give Him our praise:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 104:1-2, 35)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
(Isaiah 59:9)
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them.
(Psalm 41:10)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:15-16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for non-Christians
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Those who are persecuted for their faith
Now close with this prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
July 17
Esther 5
Esther plans a banquet to set the stage for the revelation of the death plot.
INSIGHT
"Pride goes before destruction" (Proverbs 16:18). One of the supreme examples of this truth in all of the Bible is Haman. His ego is on a feeding frenzy. He has power, wealth, position, family, friends, and honor. Yet all of this fails to satisfy his ego. Mordecai's unwillingness to bow down to him sticks like a bone in Haman's throat. Haman's wife reveals her character by suggesting a flamboyant display of vengeance: "Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high [75 feet], and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it," she counsels (v. 14). The same shadow is darkening both hearts. When pride is taken to this extreme, we see how exceedingly ugly it is. Beware of pride!
PRAYER
Our pride is mellowed when we see how Jesus humbled Himself for us. Praise Him for His love:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions— . . .
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
(Psalm 104:24, 33-34)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
(Jeremiah 10:23-24)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
(Psalm 77:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your talents
--State and local leaders,
-- Your activities for the day,
-- Whatever else is on your heart.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
July 18
Esther 6
Haman must honor Mordecai with acts which Haman himself suggested.
INSIGHT
Very few things in the Bible are actually funny. However, taken in isolation, chapter 6 of Esther is probably the funniest event in the Bible. The king asks Haman what he thinks is a good way to honor someone. Haman thinks to himself, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?" (6:6). Then he tells the king what he, Haman, would like to have done for himself. The king then responds by telling Haman to do that for Mordecai. The irony is overwhelming—the humor irrepressible. The wrath of man is made to praise God.
PRAYER
God is a God of power and glory, yet He loves to call us His own. Praise Him for His love for us:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
(Psalm 108:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this prayer:
"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me" (Jeremiah 33:8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of friends
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
July 19
Esther 7
Haman's plot is revealed, and he is hanged.
INSIGHT
The final irony falls. Haman hangs on the gallows which he had constructed for Mordecai. Pride has come full circle; sin has self-destructed. Satan is called the deceiver and the destroyer; he deceives in order to destroy. He gets us to commit ourselves to a course of action which we think will achieve our aims, and, in the end, it destroys us. If you are on any course of action which you feel will achieve your aims—but the course of action is wrong—give it up. Unchecked, you will eventually be destroyed by it.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that though He does not always spare us from pain, He is always with us through the pain:
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)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Assyria shall not save us,
We will not ride on horses,
Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands,
"You are our gods."
For in You the fatherless finds mercy.
(Hosea 14:3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
(Proverbs 9:10)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Your activities for the day,
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
July 20
Esther 8
Mordecai is honored and promoted.
INSIGHT
The law of the Medes and Persians cannot be revoked. Once written, no one, not even the king, can rescind it. The law to annihilate the Jews is carved in stone. Since the original plan cannot be revoked, a clever counter-plan is conceived to neutralize it. Permission is given to the Jews to arm themselves and to assemble and defend themselves. In addition, Mordecai is raised to power, replacing the position previously occupied by Haman. God's sovereign protection of His people in exile is in its final stages. The integrity of Esther and Mordecai is rewarded. Righteousness triumphs.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over the circumstances of our lives:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek 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.
(Psalm 105:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it? . . .
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise.
(Jeremiah 17:9, 14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- Greater passion for moral excellence
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
July 21
Esther 9
With the king's permission, the Jews are allowed to protect themselves.
INSIGHT
National salvation is culminated for the Jews. When the fateful day arrives, the Jews throughout the empire stand on the defense. In the provinces, 75,000 of their assailants fall—500 of them in the capital of Susa alone. Among these are the 10 sons of Haman. A divine purpose runs through all human governments and events; and as God exalted Mordecai to honor and glory, so will He work for those who love Him. And so, ultimately, will He put all enemies under His feet.
PRAYER
God is far more powerful than any earthly leader. Thank Him that His power is tempered with righteousness and compassion:
The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
(Psalm 10:16-18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,
Who have said,
"With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?"
(Psalm 12:3-4)
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)
Our heavenly Father loves to communicate with His children. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Wisdom for your church leaders
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! (2 Timothy 4:18).
:angel:
July 22
Job 1
After meeting with God, Satan receives permission to test Job.
INSIGHT
If God is all good and all powerful, then why do the righteous suffer? Throughout the book of Job, questions of the ages arise. Job is a righteous man, and while he does not curse God, he does wonder why these things have happened. These same questions form today in the minds of people who observe or experience suffering. It is not wicked to ask these questions. All people struggle with these questions sooner or later. But we learn from Job that we can struggle without sinning.
PRAYER
God is trustworthy and kind. Because we know that He loves us with an everlasting love, we can praise Him:
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.
(Psalm 17:6-9)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
(Psalm 18:4-6)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
(Psalm 18:16-18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Health and strength
-- Guidance for local political leaders
-- Your pastor and his family
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
(Psalm 18:46)
:angel:
July 23
Job 42
God blesses Job, restoring his good fortunes.
INSIGHT
Throughout life, there are things we do not understand. As we mature, we begin to understand. Likewise, we do not understand why the righteous must suffer. But someday, in heaven, we will understand. It will make sense. In the midst of Job's struggle, he makes some incisive observations that help us cope until we receive full understanding: "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (23:10). "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (13:15).
PRAYER
Though we do not always understand the Lord, we can always trust Him and give Him our praise:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 113:1-3, 5-6, 9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
(Joel 2:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
As you make your requests to the Lord include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- Missions in South America
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
:angel:
July 24
Psalm 1
The righteous prosper as they delight in the Lord, while the wicked perish.
INSIGHT
In Jerusalem, each gate is named for the destination of the road leading away from it. There is the Joppa Gate, leading to Joppa; there is the Damascus Gate, leading to Damascus. Some of these gates are very close together, but their destinations are very far apart. Life is like that. The psalmist says there are basically two gates in life: the "wicked gate" and the "righteous gate." Your destination in life depends upon which gate you choose. The "righteous gate" begins at the Word of God and leads to trees, water, and fruit. The "wicked gate" starts with man's counsel and leads to wind and chaff.
PRAYER
Thank and praise the Lord that He always leads us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
The Lord has been mindful of us;
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron. . . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 12, 18).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
O Lord, You are the portion of my
inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance (Psalm 16:5-6).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Safety for vacationing families
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
July 25
Psalm 19
The works of God are declared in the heavens, and the words of God lead to righteousness.
INSIGHT
A creator is known by his creation; an artist is known by his art; a musician by his music; and a sculptor by his sculpture. God can be known by the universe that He has created. Psalm 19:1 says: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork." Romans 1:20 says: "since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen." Judging from nature, God exists and has power, intelligence, and a flair for beauty!
PRAYER
The Lord is greater than our deep longings, and we praise Him that He satisfies our hearts:
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. . . .
I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places. . .
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 135:1, 3, 5-6, 21).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord include:
-- An eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Local prison ministries
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
July 26
Psalm 23
The Lord is pictured as David's shepherd, leading him in righteousness.
INSIGHT
Perhaps the most outstanding characteristic of sheep is that they cannot take care of themselves. The demands of life exceed their intelligence and their abilities. They must have a shepherd. Man is the same. While there is a vast and gratifying difference between men and sheep, the demands of life for men exceed their intelligence and abilities. We also need a shepherd, the Lord. He is the Great Shepherd. He will lead us. The question is: Will we follow?
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He hears and answers our prayers, and praise Him that His answers are good:
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. . .
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works (Psalm 145:1-3, 5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
July 27
Psalm 37
The righteous will receive eternal life, while the wicked ultimately will be destroyed.
INSIGHT
Serving the Lord does not always pay temporal dividends. The righteous still experience misfortune, financial reversals, physical illnesses, natural disasters, and persecution. At the same time, the unrighteous often prosper, enjoying wealth, fame, honor, and health. David realizes God's justice wins in the end. So do not be discouraged in doing right, even when the unrighteous prosper. Do not be tempted to copy them. "Depart from evil and do good" (v. 27). "Wait on the Lord, and keep His way" (v. 34). "Mark the blameless man" (v. 37). "The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord" (v. 39).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that while serving Him might cost us in "time," it will reward us in "eternity:"
Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us (Psalm 123:1-2).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Local churches across the nation
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
July 28
Psalm 63
Spiritual thirst is satisfied only by spiritual intimacy with God.
INSIGHT
There is a God-shaped vacuum in every human heart. Man was made for God, and his soul will be restless until it finds its rest in Him. Our longings for love, relationships, belonging, security, meaning, purpose, and identity are ultimately met only in the Lord Jesus Christ. We find temporary fulfillment in the pursuit of people, possessions, and circumstances; but eventually, these will pass away or we will change and they will no longer satisfy. We have been made for God, and we will find our deepest longings met only in Him. Make David's prayer your own prayer for spiritual fulfillment.
PRAYER
It is amazing to think that the Creator of the universe desires a relationship with us. Praise God for His love:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to God:
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:
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward (Psalm 19:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Peace in the midst of difficult circumstances
-- The various ministries of your church
-- Spiritual growth for family members
Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
July 29
Psalm 90
God is eternal in time past and future—while man is temporal and weak.
INSIGHT
In this psalm, Moses declares the eternality of God in verses 1-2. Then he contrasts the frailty of man in verse 3. God's displeasure with sin next occupies his attention: "We have been consumed by Your anger . . . You have set our iniquities before You" (vv. 7-8). Based on these three realities, Moses calls upon God in a series of petitions: "Teach us to number our days . . . Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy . . . Make us glad . . . and establish the work of our hands" (Psalm 90:12, 14-15, 17). You can make these petitions your own.
PRAYER
Although we are inclined to do evil, God has chosen to forgive us. For this we praise Him:
Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into singing, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And glorified Himself in Israel (Isaiah 44:23).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
We must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. . . How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him? (Hebrews 2:1, 3).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren (Hebrews 2:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Patience with others
-- Missions in Great Britain
-- Local hospital and prison chaplains
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
We also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).
:angel:
July 30
Psalm 100
All men are exhorted to praise the Lord because He made us and we are His.
INSIGHT
Psalm 100 is perhaps the finest example of a praise psalm in the Bible. The righteous heart pours forth a spontaneous stream of undefiled praise. First, he calls upon all men everywhere to praise the Lord. Then he identifies the relationship which God has with His children. We are not our own; He has made us. "We are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (v. 3). Next he calls for us to praise God again: "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise" (v. 4). Give thanks. Bless Him. Then he finishes by listing attributes of God. God is good; He loves forever. Make this psalm your personal psalm of praise.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord your praise that He is good and loves us forever:
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. . . .
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God . . .
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1, 5, 7, 11, 20).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (John 6:35).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- Missions in the Middle East
-- Elderly members of your family
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).
:angel:
July 31
Psalm 145
The Lord is extolled for the goodness of who He is and what He has done.
INSIGHT
There has never been a generation that did not praise God. Since the beginning of time, salvation and praise have been passed down in unbroken succession. David writes, "One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts" (v. 4). That praise is directed to God for who He is (His character) and what He has done. Of God's character, David writes: "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy" (v. 8). The Lord is good. Writing of God's work, he says, "The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up those who are bowed down" (v. 14); "is near to all who call upon Him" (v. 18); and "will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him" (v. 19). "The Lord preserves all who love Him" (v. 20). For these reasons, we praise Him along with David.
PRAYER
All the earth will one day praise the Lord. We can begin now in the words of this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-2, 6).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51:16-17).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The Lord's work in world affairs
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
August 1
Proverbs 1
Solomon writes a metaphorical warning from the perspective of "Wisdom."
INSIGHT
To be free to sail the seven seas, you must make yourself a slave to the compass. Every freedom has a corresponding slavery. We can be free from the toothbrush and a slave to cavities or a slave to the toothbrush and free from cavities. For everything we want, we must give up something else. Wisdom calls us to slavery. If we become a slave to wisdom, we must heed the Word of God and shun sin. If we neglect these, distress and anguish will come. We will experience the natural consequences of our actions. There is no escape from this cause-and-effect law. Rededicate yourself to becoming a "wise" person. Wisdom begins with "fearing" (respecting) the Lord. It is to His glory and also to our best interest.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you ponder your need for wisdom:
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
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 (Psalm 33:2-4).
Now pray this confession to the Lord:
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;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:10-12).
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- That His will be done on earth as it is in heaven
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
:angel:
August 2
Proverbs 2
Wisdom must be sought after with our entire being.
INSIGHT
Nothing of value is easily obtained. If it were, it would no longer be valuable. Inherent within the concept of value is the feature of scarcity. If all gravel were made of pure gold, then gold would not be valuable. The same is true with intangibles like wisdom. She is an exceedingly valuable life commodity, but she is not easy to come by. If we want wisdom, we must incline our ears, apply our hearts, cry for her, lift our voice for her, seek her as we would silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures (vv. 2-4). Then, and only then, will we understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God (v. 5).
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you consider His goodness:
Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints! . . .
All nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested (Revelation 15:3-4).
And one cried to another and said:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory! (Isaiah 6:3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- That others might see Christ in you
-- That the Lord of the harvest would send laborers into His harvest,
-- Your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful, . . .
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:23-24).
:angel:
August 3
Proverbs 3
The benefit of wisdom is better than gold.
INSIGHT
Inherent within the human heart is a longing for peace, love, and joy. Among Christians and non-Christians alike, the desire is the same. Yet peace, love, and joy do not answer just any beck and call. They will come only by certain means; they are fruits on the tree of wisdom. Wisdom will bring length of days (v. 2), peace (v. 2), favor with God and man (v. 4), strength to your bones (v. 8), honor (v. 16), pleasantness (v. 17), paths of peace (v. 17), confidence in life (v. 26), and freedom from the snares of life (v. 26). Foolishness brings harm (v. 29), oppression (v. 31), and shame (v. 35). We all long for the benefits of wisdom. We must remember that she comes with a price: submission to the will of God and the truth of Scripture.
PRAYER
As you consider the benefits of wisdom, praise the Lord that we may share in His character:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness (Exodus 15:11).
You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You, according to all that
we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater sensitivity to sin
-- The ministry of your church
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
August 4
Proverbs 31
An excellent wife cares for her home, is kind to the needy, and is an example of good character.
INSIGHT
One view of women is that they are merely caretakers of the home and have no role other than changing diapers, cooking, and cleaning house. Another view seeks to free women from the responsibilities at home. Both are wrong. Women are to care for their homes and maintain certain responsibilities—just as men should. But their role carries with it great flexibility and variety. The Proverbs 31 woman is a skillful, industrious person who models integrity and esteems her home and family highly.
PRAYER
Thank God for the women you know (mothers, grandmothers, friends) who exemplify Christ's love:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name" (Luke 1:46-49).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path (Psalm 119:103-105).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A more Christ-like character
-- Strengthening of the church in China
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11).
:angel:
August 5
Ecclesiastes 12
The pursuit of temporal things is futile.
INSIGHT
Our society tends to breed materialism. Young couples expect to own a house, two cars, and maybe a boat. We dream of the day when we can afford to take exotic vacations and own a bigger house. Game shows offer spectacular prizes, and lottery tickets are sold by the thousands. But Solomon experienced tremendous wealth and found himself unhappy. He learned that eternal things matter most. God wants His children to invest their brief lives in others—not just in material things.
PRAYER
God has promised that He will provide His children's needs. Let's praise Him:
"Why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:28-30, 33).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? . . . Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (Matthew 6:25, 27).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? . . . If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-9, 11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment with the material possessions you own
-- God's provision for the less fortunate
-- Safety of missionaries in Central America
Offer this closing prayer to God:
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
:angel:
Saturday, August 06, 2011
Quiet Walk
August 6
Song of Solomon 1
Solomon expresses the beauty of married love.
INSIGHT
Hebrews 13:4 says that the marriage bed is holy and "undefiled." In his commentary on the Song of Solomon, A Song for Lovers, Craig Glickman writes: "No artist could have fashioned two people better suited for one another. He was the king of their great nation; she, his chosen bride. Spring had seen their love blossom like the flowers in the palace gardens. Their love was destined to be a song for the world. And, in fact, so ideal was their love that the song about them was chosen as one of the books of sacred Scripture. It became the only one of the entire collection devoted exclusively to courtship and marriage." The Song of Solomon gives us God's perspective on marriage and love.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord your praise for the unconditional love He gives you as a member of the church, the "bride of Christ":
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds (Psalm 57:1, 9-10).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord as you agree with and submit yourself to the will of God, your heavenly Father:
You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A more intimate relationship with your Bridegroom
-- Greater love for fellow Christians
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:8).
:angel:
August 7
Isaiah 6
Isaiah is commissioned to become a prophet to Israel.
INSIGHT
Isaiah sees the Lord in a terrifying vision which makes him acutely aware of his sinfulness and God's holiness. The Lord takes away his sin—seeing the repentance of his heart—and then commissions Isaiah to serve Him as a prophet. This event illustrates how the Lord calls His servants. First, He reveals Himself through His Word. When the hearer receives the Scriptures, he becomes aware of his sin and asks God for forgiveness and salvation. God then sends him into the world to take the message of salvation to others.
PRAYER
God is holy, and we praise Him because He makes us holy, cleansing us spiritually with the blood of Christ:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . . . O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord (Psalm 25:7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10).
I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him" (Ezra 8:22).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- National leaders and current events
-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
August 8
Isaiah 40
The Lord gives strength to those who wait on Him.
INSIGHT
God has given us the Christian family as a picture of the relationship between Him and His children. We are given earthly fathers, that we might more fully understand our heavenly Father. Just as an earthly father takes no delight in disciplining his children, so our heavenly Father takes no delight in disciplining His children. Hear the tenderness in these words: "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" (v. 1). God tenderly loves us and takes no pleasure in our pain, although He desires our spiritual growth as a result.
PRAYER
Since the earthly family pictures the heavenly family, praise the Lord that He is your heavenly Father:
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:
David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly" (2 Samuel 24:10).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Make your requests known to God, and include:
-- Greater wisdom for living life
-- Needs of your immediate family
-- Those you know who are suffering
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
August 9
Isaiah 53
Our Savior bore the chastisement for our iniquity.
INSIGHT
When Christians suffer, they are tempted to resent God, to wonder: "Why me?!" If God is all good and all powerful, why must His children suffer? The answer to that question is difficult –and not totally satisfying to the finite mind. Jesus maintains His credibility, however, in that He readily suffered for us all—suffering more than He will ever ask of us. Why must God's children suffer? We don't know. What we do know is that God was willing to suffer for us. He asks nothing of us that He was not willing to do for us.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He is so skillful and patient in teaching us His way:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all (1 Chronicles 29:10-13).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 insight into Scripture
-- The hungry around the world
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
August 10
Isaiah 55
All that salvation costs is what everyone can afford: one's self.
INSIGHT
Coming to the Lord costs a man nothing and, at the same time, costs him everything. The offer is free in that a man need not give anything in exchange for his salvation. "Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (v. 1). Yet receiving salvation costs man his life. He no longer has the freedom of self-determination. "Seek the Lord while He may be found . . . Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him" (vv. 6-7). All that it costs is what everyone can give: one's self.
PRAYER
Nothing can exceed the importance of the salvation that the Lord offers us in Christ, and for it, praise Him:
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: 34, 36).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord—how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater commitment to the Lord
-- The work of specific Christian ministries
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Close with this prayer of praise 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).
:angel:
August 11
Jeremiah 31
God establishes a covenant with the children of Israel to write His Law on their hearts.
INSIGHT
The primary theme of nearly all the Prophetic Books is warning of judgment for sin. The prophets proclaim the Word of God as their basic ministry, but from time to time, the Lord reveals to them a specific message for the children of Israel. If they do not turn from their sin, a specific judgment will follow. It is comforting to see, however, that in nearly all instances the judgment is to be followed by restoration. God's judgment on His children is not for retaliation but to get His children to turn from their sin to Him.
PRAYER
Praise God that He has made Himself knowable to mankind through Christ Jesus:
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. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God (Romans 15:5-7).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written,
"The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:1-4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Growth in your knowledge of God
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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)
:angel:
August 12
Lamentations 3
God sends a message of hope and restoration to Israel.
INSIGHT
Through the prophets, God has been warning Judah for many years to turn from idolatry to serve Him only. Finally, her sin has compounded to the point that judgment is no longer avoidable if God is to be true to His Word. But although destruction overtakes Judah, there is hope on the horizon. Jeremiah writes: "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (vv. 22-23).
PRAYER
God blesses His children beyond measure. Count your blessings as you praise Him:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. . . . All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify (1 Corinthians 10:12, 23).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A humble and submissive attitude
-- The work of prison ministries
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
It is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit (1 Peter 3:17-18).
:angel:
August 13
Ezekiel 37
Ezekiel has a vision of a huge valley filled with dry bones.
INSIGHT
The apostle John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:1, 4). God is life—and not just life for today—but forever. Timothy writes that God alone possesses immortality (1 Timothy 6:16). God is life, and He is the giver of life. He can make dead things live. In Ezekiel's vision, a huge valley is filled with dead men's bones. Then God begins to move. The bones form skeletons upon which form flesh and clothes. Then God breathes into that valley of bodies the breath of life, and the bodies come alive. That is a picture of what God will do with Israel: give her life again. That is what He will do with anyone who believes in Him and asks Him for life. Have you asked God for eternal life?
PRAYER
The Lord gives us His immortality, so we praise Him:
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 (Psalm 18:1-3).
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 your sins.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
August 14
Daniel 1
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, chooses Israelite captives to be trained to serve him.
INSIGHT
Moral courage. It is the resolve to do what is right—even if no one knows. Regardless of the consequences. Even when you are weary. Even when there are extenuating circumstances and when everyone would understand if you "caved in." Daniel is a man of moral courage. The food he is offered probably violates the dietary restrictions in the Law of Moses. Note the words: "Daniel purposed in his heart" (1:8). Then God brings Daniel into favor. He gives him skill; He gives him a healthy glow. When faced with moral challenges, we must do our part—be obedient from the heart. And then trust God to do His part.
PRAYER
Because God honors our commitment to moral excellence, praise Him with the words of this psalm:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water (Psalm 63:1).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord:
And Achan answered Joshua and said,
"Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel,
and this is what I have done . . ." (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your talents
-- Your state and local leaders
-- 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).
:angel:
August 15
Daniel 2
Nebuchadnezzar requires the wise men to tell him his dream and its interpretation.
INSIGHT
One of our responsibilities as children of God is to give God credit for who He is and what He does. It is a careless Christian who stands under the showers of God's blessings without recognizing them. It is an irresponsible Christian who recognizes God's blessings and does not give God the credit. Daniel recognizes God's work and tells the king that it is God who "reveals deep and secret things" (v. 22). And through this, God is glorified. We must always be alert to the blessings of God in our lives, express our gratitude to Him, and give Him public credit.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He has warned us of the consequences of our sin, and praise Him that in Christ we can escape them:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
God encourages us to come to Him with our concerns. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Opportunities to glorify Him
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
August 16
Daniel 3
God supernaturally protects Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
INSIGHT
What courage it took to defy the king! Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden image and orders everyone to bow down to it. When the Jews are brought to him in violation of the order, they say, "God may protect us from the fire, but even if He doesn't, let it be known that we are not going to serve your gods!" Surely God gives His grace in times such as these. For those of us who are living in easier times, our total dedication to the Lord must be seen in our selfless commitment to serving Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that—though all of us sin—God's compassions are new every morning:
Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said:
"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:
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 name's 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
August 17
Daniel 4
Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's second dream.
INSIGHT
What a towering figure is Nebuchadnezzar! Sovereign over the greatest nation on earth at the time, wealthy beyond description, subject to fits of rage, and yet somehow vulnerable and teachable. Nebuchadnezzar rages in fury at the three Jews who refuse to worship his image—yet proclaims their God the only God when He saves them from the furnace. Then, warned by Daniel that unless he repents he will be stripped of his kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar lapses into convenient forgetfulness and self-adulation. True to Daniel's word, the king becomes an animal and roams the forest. Yet, when his senses are restored, the king again worships God and proclaims His praise to the ends of the earth.
PRAYER
We praise the Lord for ruling in love:
"Stand up and bless the Lord your God
Forever and ever!
"Blessed be Your glorious name. . .
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to God:
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies (Psalm 40:4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A passion for moral excellence
-- The ministry of Christian education institutions
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
August 18, 2011
Quiet Walk
August 18
Daniel 5
Handwriting appears on the wall, prophesying the king's death.
INSIGHT
It is a terrible thing to go into the presence of God in our own merit. All have sinned and fall short of His glory. Belshazzar discovers this truth. While he revels—desecrating the holy implements from the temple—the hand of God writes on the wall: "You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting" (v. 27). In the providence and grace of God, we can come before Him in the merit of Christ Jesus—holy and undefiled.
PRAYER
Jesus Christ took our place on the cross. His great sacrifice requires our praise:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen" (Matthew 6:11-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:23-24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater gratitude for Christ's sacrifice
-- Your neighbors' spiritual well being
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men! (Psalm 31:19).
:angel:
August 19
Daniel 6
God miraculously delivers Daniel from the lions' den.
INSIGHT
Daniel is a man of prayer. He loves God deeply and God in turn shows Daniel mercy. We are told several interesting things about Daniel's prayer life. Verse 13 says that he prays "three times a day." His prayers included giving thanks (v. 10) and "supplication" (v. 11)—that is, Daniel asks God for things for himself and others. If our prayers reflect the commitment and balance of Daniel, our relationship with the Lord will grow.
PRAYER
The Lord has given us the ability to communicate, and we praise Him for listening to our cries:
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.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation (Psalm 24:3-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. . . .
For Your name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great
(Psalm 25:4-5, 11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
As for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me and be merciful to me.
My foot stands in an even place;
In the congregations I will bless the Lord (Psalm 26:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A joyful spirit
-- Safety and protection for loved ones
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock
(Psalm 27:4-5).
:angel:
August 20
Hosea 14
After pronouncing judgment on Israel for sin, Hosea prophesies restoration and blessing.
INSIGHT
Hosea is instructed by the Lord to take a wife whose name is Gomer and who later becomes unfaithful to him. Though Hosea loves her steadfastly, her infidelity compounds and she finally leaves him. Sometime later—as Hosea is walking down the street—he sees his wife being sold as a slave on an auction block. In a profound gesture of unconditional love, Hosea redeems (buys back) his wife and restores her to her former position of honor and comfort as his wife. In doing so, Hosea sounds a warning to Israel and plays out a moving example of the unconditional love of God for His people. If they sin, He will judge them; but after judgment, He will restore them to His grace.
PRAYER
God loves His children unconditionally. Praise Him that He does not leave us to our own abilities in following Him:
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
Pray this confession to the Lord:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You. . ."
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to God:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- The work of missions in North America
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Now offer this closing prayer to God:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).
:angel:
August 21
Joel 2
Judgment is coming for the sins of the people, but after repentance, they will be restored.
INSIGHT
Joel predicts a locust plague to come upon the land of Judah, which is both primary and secondary as a prophetic warning. The primary meaning is a literal locust plague. But the things Joel says about the locusts gradually transcend what could be true of mere bugs and could only be true of an invading army. In this way, the locust plague becomes symbolic of an invading army swarming over the land of Judah, stripping it of everything that has life. The warning of the plague comes because Judah is failing to serve the Lord. Joel holds out an escape: "Turn to Me with all your heart . . . rend your heart and not your garments" (vv. 12-13). Judah ignores the warning and the judgment eventually falls. Sin always has its consequences.
PRAYER
Give your praise to the Lord that He always warns us of the consequences of sin and gives us a means of escape:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight–
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
August 22
Amos 9
Israel's sin must be judged, but God offers hope of restoration.
INSIGHT
God reveals a warning of judgment on Israel through visions to Amos. One vision is a plumb line which God says He will hold up against the "wall" of Jerusalem, and it will be demonstrated that the wall is leaning and will fall (Amos 7:7-9). Another vision is of summer fruit in a basket which, left unattended, will rot and be good only for throwing out (chapter 8). Famine, military conquest, and pestilence are among the consequences of judgment. Israel does not repent and judgment comes, but Amos holds out the promise of eventual restoration.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and give Him your praise for saving you by faith and clothing you in Christ's righteousness:
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).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High (Psalm 7:17).
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of friends
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus (Romans 15:5).
:angel:
August 23
Obadiah
Edom is judged because she has acted with violence toward Israel.
INSIGHT
Esau and Jacob were brothers. Esau was the father of the nation Edom, and Jacob was the father of the nation Israel. Therefore, in a sense, the nations Edom and Israel are brothers. A day comes when Assyria wages war against Jerusalem. But instead of joining Israel, their brother, in the fight against Assyria, Edom joins Assyria and fights against their brothers in Jerusalem. Because of this breach of loyalty, God pronounces judgment on Edom through the prophet Obadiah. God offers no hope for possible restoration or deliverance for Edom. Her fate is sealed. Edom is destroyed as a nation.
PRAYER
Praise God for His justice and righteousness. Thank Him for the love that He pours out on His people:
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday (Psalm 37:6).
By You I have been upheld from my birth;
You are He who took me out of my mother's womb.
My praise shall be continually of You (Psalm 71:6).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 (Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
August 24
Jonah 1
Jonah suffers the consequences of refusing to obey God's call.
INSIGHT
Jonah is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 and is very likely a strong patriot of the nation Israel. As a result, he finds it an odious task to preach repentance to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, the country which is one day to conquer Israel. Rather than go on this errand of mercy, Jonah chooses to hurry to the seaport at Joppa for the fastest transit in the opposite direction. This is a commission that will not be denied, however, and God causes him to be swallowed by a great fish in which Jonah wisely repents and subsequently carries the warning message to Nineveh. The people of Nineveh repent—as Jonah feared—and the nation is preserved as an instrument of judgment for Israel almost 100 years later.
PRAYER
God's ways are above our ways, and we praise Him for His wisdom:
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness (Psalm 48:9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me (Psalm 51:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Churches across the nation
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
August 25
Micah 7
Micah laments the degradation of his fellow men, but hopes in the Lord.
INSIGHT
Micah sets his narrative in an imaginary courtroom where he pours out scathing rebuke on the injustice he sees in the fellow men around him. The evidence is brought forth and the children of Israel are found guilty. Sins swarm from Micah's pen, filling the first third of his book. The second portion of this book addresses sin. Jerusalem will be destroyed, and the people will be banished to captivity in Babylon. Typical of the prophets of God, the third part of the book tells of hope. A divine Deliverer will appear, and once again justice and righteousness will reign.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He heals our emotional pain, and praise Him because He restores our hope and joy:
The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works. . .
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine
(Psalm 33:13-15, 18-19).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or 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. Selah (Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:10-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Sensitivity to the needs of others
-- Strength for missionaries in Brazil
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him (1 John 3:1).
:angel:
August 26
Nahum 1
Nahum warns Nineveh to turn from idolatry and to be true to her vows.
INSIGHT
Nahum is sent from God to urge repentance again. This message must seem absurd. In the ensuing years, Nineveh has grown into the most powerful city in the known world. Her walls seem impregnable. Water totally surrounds the city, and inside there is a self-sufficient agricultural system. Feeling independent, she does not repent. The Babylonian army marches through the breach in the wall—and Nineveh falls. The Word of God is sure!
PRAYER
Praise God that He can overrule what seems to be impossible:
The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
You have given him his heart's desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah (Psalm 21:1-2).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised of the people. . . .
I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother's womb
You have been My God.
Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help (Psalm 22:6, 10-11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard (Psalm 22:23-24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Compassion for the less fortunate
-- Strength for those who minister to the homeless
-- Your activities for today
Offer this closing prayer to God:
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations. . .
They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this (Psalm 22:27-28, 31).
:angel:
August 27
Habakkuk 3
Habakkuk exults in the God of his salvation.
INSIGHT
Habakkuk wrestles with God concerning the sinfulness of his fellow Jews: "Why does God not do something? Why does God not judge His people?" As Habakkuk puts these questions to Him, the Lord responds that He is doing something: He is raising up the Chaldeans to come and conquer Judah. Astounded by this revelation, Habakkuk cries out, "How can you use a nation that is more sinful than Judah to conquer it?" God's answer? God's people deserve judgment. The righteousness of the instrument of judgment is inconsequential. And as far as Habakkuk is concerned, "the just shall live by his faith" (2:4). Habakkuk responds in faith that, even if disaster strikes, he will rejoice because God is his strength.
PRAYER
Because the Lord can be trusted, offer Him your praise:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. . .
Your right hand upholds me (Psalm 63:3-4, 6-8).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- Mission work in the Middle East
Offer this closing prayer to God:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
August 28
Zephaniah 3
Beyond impending judgment there is joy.
INSIGHT
Blue blood flows through Zephaniah's veins. He is the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah, the thirteenth king of Judah and one of the most righteous of all kings. The flame for revival and religious reform burns as hot in Zephaniah's heart as it did in his forefathers'. Zephaniah's book has been called one of the "hottest" books in the Old Testament. He portrays "the final crash of the universe." The impending Day of the Lord is his all-encompassing message. Twenty-three times in this short book he refers specifically to the day that signifies the final judgment of God on the earth. Following the time of terrible judgment is the time of restoration and peace. Beyond judgment there is joy.
PRAYER
Give thanks to the Lord, and praise Him that all events are in His control and that eventually His children will know only joy:
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).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The work of the Lord in national and world affairs
In closing, ask God to help you:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
August 29
Haggai 1
Haggai explains that God's people suffer because they neglect to finish the temple.
INSIGHT
As the children of Israel return from the Babylonian captivity, their first order of business is to rebuild the temple. Haggai, a prophet of God who is ministering at the time, encourages the people to work hard at restoring the temple. With great enthusiasm, they quickly lay the foundation. But discouragement sets in and work on the temple is soon forgotten as they begin to build their own houses. Finally, after 15 years, Haggai tells them that the afflictions they are suffering are because of their neglect of the temple. They must finish the temple first and then resume building their houses. First things first. God demands proper priorities.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you express your gratitude for His justice:
O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Your development of an eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
August 30
Zechariah 14
The day is coming when God will be the righteous King over all the earth.
INSIGHT
Haggai and Zechariah minister to the same people at the same time. Their goal is the same: to motivate the people to rebuild the temple. But their very different personalities show through the pages of Scripture. Haggai utters rebuke; Zechariah breathes encouragement. Haggai makes them feel that they ought to rebuild the temple. Zechariah makes them want to rebuild the temple. He reinforces God's love and care for Israel and the certainty of the ultimate defeat of the enemies as they continue to obey God.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that His Word can be trusted:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name"
Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Persecuted Christians worldwide
-- Your activities for the day
Now, offer this closing prayer to God:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21
:angel:
August 31
Malachi 3
Malachi charges the Israelites with robbing God and refusing to acknowledge it.
INSIGHT
The Israelites who returned to Jerusalem have grown comfortable, complacent, and arrogantly insensitive. Through His messenger Malachi, God confronts the Israelites with their complacency. He charges that the priests are despising His name and defiling His altar. God says He will no longer accept their offerings. He states that the Israelites have been wearisome to Him with their words. God asks them to return to Him. He reproaches them for robbing Him. The Israelites have hardened their hearts, and they no longer feel the pull of God in their lives. The result is a barren period of 400 years with no word from God. Be certain that you respond to the work of God in your heart—lest you experience spiritual barrenness.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for enriching our lives when we follow Him:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You (Jeremiah 10:6-7).
Pray this confession to the Lord 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 (Psalm 130:1-4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Growth as you pursue your full potential as a child of God
-- The fulfillment of the Great Commission
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
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).
:angel:
September 1
Acts 1
After the Ascension, the apostles meet in an upper room to choose a replacement for Judas.
INSIGHT
God is moving. For thousands of years He has worked in the world through the nation of Israel and the Law of Moses. Now He will work through the church and the gospel of Christ. God instructs the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they receive power from on high. Then when they are baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit, they are to be the Lord's witnesses in their city, the surrounding country, and the entire world.
PRAYER
Offer God this psalm of praise as you think about His power and the significance of serving Him:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. (Psalm 145:17-19, 21)
Having offered Him your praise, pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation 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)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Compassion for others
The Lord's work in national and world affairs
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!" (Revelation 5:12)
:angel:
September 2
Acts 2
The Holy Spirit comes upon the believing Jews gathered at the temple.
INSIGHT
Who would have expected the coming of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament to be like this? Rushing wind. Fire. Many languages spoken and all being understood. Those with unbelieving hearts always find a "natural" explanation, but those who believe drop to their knees and cry out to God! "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (2:37). Revelation always demands a response. Unbelievers always look for a way to get out from under the authority of Scripture. But the believing heart will cry out, "O God, what shall I do?" Search your mind. Is there some response you should make to God right now?
PRAYER
As you continue to meditate on God's Word, offer praises to the Lord as you respond to His revelation:
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, and as you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Patience in difficult circumstances
Wisdom for your church leaders
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
:angel:
September 3
Acts 7
Stephen is arrested for preaching the Gospel.
INSIGHT
The New Testament was written in times that, in many ways, seem barbaric to us. That respectable people would clamor for a crucifixion or incite a mob to riot or pick up stones and kill another man is difficult for us to imagine. Yet culture was different then. Today we do not kill a person to get rid of an unwanted message. Instead, we use other tactics. We can kill the message by making it look foolish or by discrediting the messenger. We even attack God Himself, declaring that He is dead or that He has no relevance to our era. But unless we accept the message of salvation that Stephen preached, we are as guilty before God as the ones who threw the stones.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him for offering us abundant life in Christ:
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:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for your fellow Christians
The work of missionaries in Indonesia
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing 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)
:angel:
September 4
Acts 8
The stoning of Stephen initiates a wave of persecution, led by Saul.
INSIGHT
As the Jewish believers flee Jerusalem, Philip comes upon an Ethiopian dignitary who is struggling to understand the Scriptures. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asks. "How can I, unless someone guides me?" is the reply (vv. 30-31). We are God's method to reach the world for Christ. The Lord could have resorted to skywriting, sending personal visions to all people, or sending angels. Instead, He chose men and women to reach other men and women. Our responsibility is simple: to manifest the character of Christ and proclaim His name wherever we go. The work is God´s, and He will use you if you will let Him.
PRAYER
Because the Lord led someone to give His message of salvation to you, praise Him with this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin. (Ecclesiastes 7:20)
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your
strength." (Isaiah 30:15)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater faithfulness with your time and resources
The president and national leaders
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
:angel:
September 5
Acts 9
On his way to Damascus, Saul has a divine revelation of Jesus and is converted.
INSIGHT
From God's perspective, the relationship between Christ and the church is a very close and dear one. Jesus is the Son of God; the church is His bride. To harm the church is to harm Christ. Though Paul never laid a hand on Him, Jesus spoke from heaven, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (v. 4). Just as Paul did, we must strive to gain God's perspective on who we are. We are His bride, His chosen one, the delight of His life. When we see ourselves as He sees us, we can be more successful at living as we should.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord because He turns even the difficult things into good:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Surely He has borne our grief
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:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The renewing of your mind
The needs of your extended family
Your activities for the day
Close with the following prayer:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
(Psalm 23:6)
:angel:
Quiet Walk
September 6
Acts 13
Saul adopts a Christian name, Paul, and travels to Galatia with the message of the Gospel.
INSIGHT
Chapter 13 records a remarkable fulfillment of prophecy that is easily missed. In chapter 1, Jesus commissions the disciples to be witnesses for Him and proclaims that they will take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Now the Holy Spirit sets Paul and Barnabas apart to begin traveling to the ends of the earth, taking the message with them. You and I can extend that prophetic fulfillment, too, as we accept the Great Commission as our personal commission and help to take the message of salvation to the ends of the world.
PRAYER
Offer the following psalm of praise to the Lord for allowing you to hear the message of salvation:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . .
I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only. (Psalm 71:8, 14-16)
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me. (Jeremiah 33:8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
(John 4:23-24)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The leading of the Lord in your life
Opportunities for personal evangelism
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.
(Psalm 31:23-24)
:angel:
September 7
Acts 15
Paul begins his second missionary journey.
INSIGHT
Inherent within man is a tendency to want to work his way to heaven. Accepting a gift with gratitude does not seem to be enough; human beings want to do something to earn it. While Paul and Barnabas are at Antioch, some men come down from Judea and teach: "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (v. 1). This issue grows into a major debate involving the leaders in Jerusalem, but in the final analysis, Peter's argument wins out: "Why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" (v. 10). The council in Jerusalem then sends a letter to the Gentile churches encouraging their faith and assuring them that they are not under bondage.
PRAYER
Since none of us could earn it, praise the Lord that salvation is a gift:
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. . . .
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God . . .
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. . . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1, 5, 7, 11, 20)
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:
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
(John 17:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Unity in the body of Christ
Greater commitment to the Lord
Your activities for the day
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14)
:angel:
September 8
Acts 16
Paul travels to Macedonia, Achaia, and Greece, carrying the Gospel.
INSIGHT
During World War II, many soldiers "got religion" while in their foxholes under enemy fire. Because many of those "foxhole conversions" were not genuine, some people become skeptical of anyone who professes Christianity under stressful circumstances. Yet there are many, including the Philippian jailer, who will testify that some "foxhole conversions" are genuine. Be sensitive to the Lord when you are under stress. He may use that very situation to help you get your life into perspective.
PRAYER
Praise God for the circumstances that surrounded your conversion:
Your word is very pure;
Therefore Your servant loves it.
I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.
Trouble and anguish have overtaken me,
Yet Your commandments are my delights.
The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting;
Give me understanding, and I shall live.
(Psalm 119:140-144)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:18-19)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Jeremiah 31:33).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A compassionate heart
The leaders of your church
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
Because I have hoped in Your word. (Psalm 119:74)
:angel:
September 9
Acts 17
As Paul continues his journey, he establishes churches.
INSIGHT
It is often necessary to establish common ground with others in order to win an audience for the Gospel. Paul uses a point of common ground when he begins talking to the people of Athens about the idol bearing the inscription: "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD"(17:23). Catching their interest, Paul develops his argument to present to them the living Christ (vv. 30-31). This skillful message is used by the Holy Spirit to bring men and women to Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Praise God that He has revealed Himself to you:
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:31-35).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
When we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
(Romans 5:6-8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his
work (Psalm 62:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
courage to follow God's leading,
salvation of your neighbors,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. . . . Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ(Acts 2:32-33, 36).
:angel:
September 10
Acts 18
Paul embarks on his third journey that takes him first to Ephesus.
INSIGHT
Apollos combines the eloquence of the Greek with the religious instinct of the Jew. Most likely a student from the great university at Alexandria, Apollos is a convert to the Gospel, deeply conversant with the Old Testament. Gifted with marvelous eloquence, he is a strong ally of the Christian forces of his age. But he needs to understand the death, resurrection, and ascended power of Christ. Aquila and Priscilla teach Apollos these things. How wonderful is that holy wisdom that the Spirit of God gives to humble believers so that they can become teachers of men who are intellectually their superiors! When teaching children or new believers, encourage them and have hope that some may become "mighty in the Scriptures" (v. 24).
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for the ministry that He provides in your life through other believers:
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them - the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them.
(Isaiah 59:12)
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
The work of missions in Africa
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
September 11
Acts 21
After Paul's travels, he preaches in Jerusalem and is arrested for violating the Law.
INSIGHT
When Paul preaches, either a riot or a revival usually occurs. When he goes to Jerusalem for the last time, a riot breaks out. Having been told beforehand by the Holy Spirit, Paul is aware that he will be imprisoned and handed over to the Gentiles. Even though his friends beg him to avoid Jerusalem, Paul "would not be persuaded"; and his friends give up and say, "The will of the Lord be done" (v. 14). Paul views himself as a sojourner on this earth, for his true citizenship is in heaven. He is to be simply a steward, an ambassador of Christ while his time lasts. What power and vision that outlook gives Paul to avoid the entanglements of this world! How much more completely would we realize our calling if we saw ourselves in the same way.
PRAYER
Give praise and thanks to the Lord for giving us citizenship in heaven:
Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him." (Daniel 2:20-22)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . .
As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And set me before Your face forever.
(Psalm 41:10, 12)
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:
Wisdom for your country´s leaders
Faithfulness with your talents
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
September 12
Acts 22
Upon his arrest at the temple, Paul attempts in vain to justify his message to the Jews.
INSIGHT
Even though Paul lives in complete recognition of the will of the Lord and acceptance of the sovereignty of God, he is not passive regarding his personal welfare or the welfare of his mission. Paul knows it is illegal to punish a Roman citizen without his being tried and found guilty. When he is about to be beaten, Paul brings up this issue and is spared. Acceptance of the sovereignty of God does not mean passiveness in the things of this world. Paul does what he can within the legal system and then leaves the results to the Lord.
PRAYER
Because the Lord is sovereign, we praise Him and trust in His goodness on our behalf:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
(Jeremiah 10:23-24)
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. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom in decision making
The needs of personal friends
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing 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)
:angel:
September 13
Acts 23
Because of attempts to kill Paul, he is taken to Caesarea to await trial.
INSIGHT
Jesus says, "I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16). This certainly describes Paul. As he stands before the Jewish Council, Paul knows that his life is in peril. He also knows that the Council is divided between Pharisees, who believe in the resurrection of the dead, and the Sadducees, who do not. When Paul deliberately brings up that issue, the ensuing dissension is so great that the soldiers take him away, thwarting the immediate plot against him.
PRAYER
It is by grace through faith that we can repent, turn to God, and give Him our praise:
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 4:11)
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 7:17)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
And according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Spiritual victory over temptation
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising loving-
kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
:angel:
September 14
Acts 23
Paul's first trial before Felix, the governor of the region, is not decisive.
INSIGHT
During World War II there was a popular song with the phrase: "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." This snatch of verse captures a theme that runs throughout the Bible: Assume human responsibility while relying on the sovereignty of God. Throughout the Bible, men pray and then act. Paul's arguments are clever and his logic is deft, as though he is relying on himself for his freedom. And yet under it all is a peace, a trust, a confidence that can only be explained by his rest in the Lord whom he serves. Whether his circumstances are good or bad, Paul regards wherever he is as the "world" into which the Lord wants him to go to "preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that we can rely on Him:
And Mary said:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation." (Luke 1:46-50)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm. (Joel 2:12-13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A passion for moral excellence
Christian educational institutions
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2)
:angel:
September 15
Acts 25
Felix vacates his office without resolving Paul's status.
INSIGHT
How strangely God fulfills His own word: "So you must also bear witness at Rome" (Acts 23:11). Paul knows he will have to go to Rome, but he doesn't expect to go under Roman guard and at Rome's expense. After two years the Jews still thirst for his blood! Had he been transferred to Jerusalem, his life would have been imperiled. However, God had called him to preach the Gospel in Rome. Through these circumstances, Paul is transferred.
PRAYER
Let's praise God for His wonderful ways:
Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him. (Psalm 28:6-7)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
Save, Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.
(Psalm 20:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
(Psalm 22:3-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Careful speech
Troubling current events
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard. (Psalm 22:22-24)
:angel:
September 16
Acts 26
Paul is given an audience with King Agrippa.
INSIGHT
To repent means to turn around, to go in the opposite direction, or to think opposite thoughts. If you have not received Christ, you must repent to do so. In his defense before King Agrippa and Festus, Paul says he preaches to everyone that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance (v. 20). One cannot repent without changing. Repentance toward Christ brings new birth and the power to change. Have you repented and turned to God?
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His patience and love:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1-2)
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy. (Psalm 33:1-3)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly.
I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
For all my ways are before You. (Psalm 119:166-168)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Power to become more Christ-like
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright. (Psalm 11:7)
:angel:
September 17
Acts 27
Paul exercises his right as a Roman citizen to take his case before Caesar.
INSIGHT
One of the secrets of peace is believing the promises of God. There are many things that we think we believe, but our anxiety level reveals that we do not. The Lord promises to meet all our needs, but our labor and worry reveal that we are not so sure. Paul receives a word from God that he will not perish. In relating this to the sailors, Paul says: "Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me" (v. 25). If we believe, we can be at peace; if we do not believe, we will fret. Review the promises of Scripture when you are troubled. What among them are you not believing? If you are trying to believe but still struggle, you may pray the prayer of the father regarding his son who had an evil spirit: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24).
PRAYER
Praise God that He rewards our faith, even if it is as small as a mustard seed:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 72:18-19)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
"Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips."
(Hosea 14:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world." (John 6:51)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for your family
Missions in North America
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works." (Matthew 16:27)
:angel:
September 18
Acts 28
Paul finally arrives in Rome after a harrowing journey by sea.
INSIGHT
Our lives are a constant struggle between our own wills and the will of God. The circumstances of God's will are often strange and enigmatic; they do not always make sense. However, His will is being worked out even in ways we cannot see or understand. When we relinquish control of our lives and yield to God's will, then peace, love, and joy will characterize our lives. Paul must have wondered from time to time how shipwreck and imprisonment were working into God's will; yet with historical perspective, we can see that good came of these events. In the words of the old hymn, we must: "Trust and obey, for there´s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him because He is good and can be trusted:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:1-2, 14)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye. (Psalm 32:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness with your finances
Revival in America
Whatever else is on your heart
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)
:angel:
September 19
Romans 1
Paul emphasizes the importance of the gospel message.
INSIGHT
According to Romans 1:18-20, all people have two avenues for beginning to learn about God. First, all human beings have an inner awareness of God or conscience (v. 19). Second, they can look at nature and learn several truths about God: (1) His invisible attributes—beauty, intelligence, etc.; (2) His eternal power—what awesome power it takes to put the stars in place!; (3) His divine nature—that there is a God who is higher than man and nature. Whenever anyone looks at nature and honestly searches his own heart, he can know that there is a God.
PRAYER
The righteousness of God has been imputed to you if you are a child of God, and you can praise Him in holiness and truth:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting. (Psalm 93:1-2)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The development of an eternal perspective
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
September 20
Romans 2
The Jews have no partiality with God because they live for the Law.
INSIGHT
Without God, there is no right and wrong; there is only preference. We can say that we prefer something to be or not to be; but unless we appeal to God, we cannot use the words right and wrong. If one person says something is right and another says it is wrong, their opinions cancel each other out unless they can appeal to a higher authority. Mankind needs God not only for salvation but also for the normal functioning of society. It is sobering to ask, "If everyone were exactly like me, what kind of society would we have?"
PRAYER
Give praise and thanks to the Lord for the matchless gift of eternal life through Christ:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand. (Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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. (Psalm 103:1-2)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments. . . .
Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,
And teach me Your judgments. (Psalm 119:105-106, 108)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater personal discipline
Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
September 21
Romans 3
The world stands guilty before God, and can only be forgiven through Christ.
INSIGHT
There are several commonly held misconceptions about how God evaluates the deeds of men. One idea is that as long as we don't do anything "terrible," God will overlook our "little" sins. Another is that God weighs all our good works on one side of a scale and all our bad works on the other. If the good outweighs the bad, we're okay. A third incorrect notion is that God lines up all the people who have ever lived from the best to the worst and then divides them in half. If you make the cut, you're okay. The truth the Bible teaches is that God demands sinlessness. And since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, all people are condemned. There is only one way out: Receive Jesus as your personal Savior. Through Him, all your sins can be forgiven.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for His grace and salvation:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
(Psalm 92:1-2, 15)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives."
(Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A stronger desire to be like Christ
Churches across the nation
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. (Romans 16:25, 27)
:angel:
September 22
Romans 4
Justification by faith is illustrated in the Old Testament through the lives of Abraham and David.
INSIGHT
To impute something means "to apply something to your account." The Bible teaches that no one can earn salvation. However, God will give it to us freely if we have faith in Him. God honors the attitude of our hearts and imputes righteousness to our accounts. To be able to impute righteousness to those living during Old Testament times, God looked ahead to the work of Christ on the cross. Now He looks back to the Cross. But in both cases, God´s people have been saved by grace through faith.
PRAYER
Offer praise to God for His righteous works:
I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
(Psalm 69:30-32)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Have we not all one Father?
Has not one God created us?
Why do we deal treacherously with one another
By profaning the covenant of the fathers?
(Malachi 2:10)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.
For the Lord will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.
(Psalm 135:13-14).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A humble spirit
Evangelism in Russia
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever
The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.
(Psalm 136:4-9)
:angel:
September 23
Romans 5
"Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 1).
INSIGHT
Paul spells out in specific terms how our salvation is accomplished. We learn that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
We also discover that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
"Sin entered the world" through Adam "and death through sin," for all sinned (5:12). But salvation is offered to all through the God-Man, Jesus Christ. We can escape death by trusting in Christ as our Redeemer.
PRAYER
Praise the Son for His glorious sacrifice on the cross:
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
Pray this confession to the Lord 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. . .
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:1, 17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
An attitude of gratefulness
Unsaved family members
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Therefore God also has highly exalted [Jesus] and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:9-11)
:angel:
September 24
Romans 6
We are to present our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness.
INSIGHT
Micky Cohen, a noted gangster of a past generation, said that after he embraced Christianity, he felt betrayed. No one had explained that God would require a change in his behavior. "There are Christian athletes and Christian businessmen. Why not Christian gangsters?" he reasoned. But when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are no longer free to continue living as we did in the world. Our affections and activities must change to reflect the God whom we serve. The term "Christian gangster" contradicts itself because the activities of a gangster generally oppose the character of Christ.
PRAYER
Use the following psalm to offer the Lord your praise for all He has done for you:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
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 to be feared above all gods. (Psalm 96:1-4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
(John 6:37)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for others
The work of missions worldwide
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
September 25
Romans 7
A civil war rages in the life of every Christian.
INSIGHT
The "inward man" (v. 22) is created in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24), wills to do good (v. 21), joyfully delights in the law of God (v. 22), and serves "the law of God" (v. 25). However, the "flesh" (v. 18) practices the thing the inward man hates (v. 15). "Nothing good" dwells in the flesh (v. 18). It wars against the law of the mind (v. 23) and serves "the law of sin" (v. 25). As a result of this civil war, our lives do not run smoothly. We do things we don't want to do, and we fail to do things we want to do. Who can deliver us from "this body of death" (v. 24)? Only Jesus. When we receive Him as our personal Savior, the spiritual forces are put into place to free us from the bondage of sin. Then we must begin the process of dying to sin on a daily basis.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord because He frees you from the bondage of sin and gives you glorious, eternal life:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness. (Psalm 96:5-8, 11)
Pause to express your praise and thankfulness.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you.
(Deuteronomy 32:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness in sharing Christ
The Lord´s work in world affairs
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
:angel:
September 26
Romans 8
What the Law cannot do in delivering us from sin, God does through Christ.
INSIGHT
In Greece, a little boy might run into the kitchen and call "Mama, Mama!" when he wants to find his mother. And late in the afternoon as he hears familiar masculine footsteps approaching the house, he may run out to his father and cry "Abba, Abba!" "Mama" and "Abba" are terms of close family endearment. God loves the whole world, but He loves His spiritual children in a different, special way. With respect and joy, we can express our love back to Him with the tender name, "Abba, Abba." It's a term of endearment in the spiritual family.
PRAYER
Because the Lord has made us a part of such a loving entity as the body of Christ, offer your praise to Him:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
(Psalm 100:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel."
(Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5)
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:
Health and strength to serve Him
His will to be done on earth
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. . . . I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You." (Job 42:2, 5)
:angel:
September 27
Romans 12
The Christian life is a life of total dedication and service to others.
INSIGHT
To better understand the implications of the first two verses of chapter 12, it is helpful to read them backwards. We all want to be a living demonstration of the fact that the will of God is "good and acceptable and perfect." In order to do that, we must have our minds transformed and renewed. In order to have our minds transformed and renewed, we must make our bodies "a living sacrifice" to God. We all want the will of God in our lives. We can experience it if we present ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the bond of love that binds us to Him and to other Christians:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works. . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer. (Isaiah 54:7-8)
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:
That others will see Christ in you
That the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
September 28
Romans 13
The Christian is to obey the government and love his fellow man.
INSIGHT
Love is the central characteristic of the Christian. In Matthew 22:37-40, a lawyer asks Jesus which is the greatest commandment. Jesus says: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Then the Lord gives the second greatest commandment: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul writes that love is the greatest characteristic-even greater than faith or hope. Now in Romans this theme is picked up again. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the Law. God is love. If we are to be like Him, we also must love.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He loves you, and praise Him that through Him you can love others:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
(Psalm 97:10-12)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. . . .
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 53:3, 6)
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:
Greater sensitivity to sin
Your role in the ministry of your church
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
:angel:
September 29
Romans 14
Christians should not exercise personal liberty if it destroys another Christian.
INSIGHT
We are a part of others; what we say and what we do affects others. This is especially true of Christians. We are a part of the body of Christ; we are a part of one another. Not only does God not want us to live isolated lives but He has made it so that we cannot make it alone. Therefore, we must always be alert to how our actions affect others. If something we do harms another person, we must take that into account. If our freedom causes hurt to a brother or sister in Christ, then love dictates that we limit our freedom.
PRAYER
Praise your heavenly Father for your brothers and sisters in Christ:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity! . . .
It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing-
Life forevermore. (Psalm 133:1, 3)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and as you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession 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)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Kindness in your dealings with others
Encouragement for missionaries in Europe
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2)
:angel:
September 30
Romans 15
We are to conduct our lives in a way that glorifies God.
INSIGHT
When we become Christians, we exchange our citizenship on earth for citizenship in heaven. Therefore, we live according to the value system in heaven, not the value system on earth. On earth we look out for ourselves, and we satisfy our own wants and desires. In heaven we look out for the welfare of others. This does not mean that we neglect ourselves and our families. Other passages in Scripture indicate that we are to love our spouses, children, and parents and care for their needs, which brings this teaching into balance with other truths.
PRAYER
Praise God for His love that we can pass on to others:
"Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
Sing to the Lord,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!" (Isaiah 12:4-6)
Having offered Him your praise, pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The fool has said in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.
God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one. (Psalm 53:1-3)
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater peace and trust
Guidance for your church leaders
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the Lord of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever. Selah.
(Psalm 48:8)
:angel:
October 1
1 Corinthians 1
Paul appeals for unity among the Corinthian believers.
INSIGHT
It has been said: God does the work of God and man does the work of man. Man cannot do the work of God. God will not do the work of man. Paul's exhortation to the Corinthian believers certainly supports this. The Corinthian church had split into factions, following different men. Some said, "I follow Paul." Others said, "I follow Apollos." The most pious among them disdained to follow mere men and said, "I follow Christ." Using the imagery of a husbandman, Paul says, "I planted (brought the message of salvation), Apollos watered (taught you more advanced things), but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Pursue the work of man with all diligence. And rest in the work of God.
PRAYER
Praise God for caring for the things that are out of your control:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
(Psalm 105:1-3)
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. (Psalm 19:12-13)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations.
(1 Chronicles 16:14-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The fruit of the Spirit in your life
Those who minister in the inner cities
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
And let them say among the nations,
"The Lord reigns." . . .
Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
(1 Chronicles 16:31, 33)
:angel:
October 2
1 Corinthians 2
When Paul ministers to the Corinthians, he relies on the work of the Holy Spirit.
INSIGHT
When we speak, teach, or preach to the unsaved, we are not speaking to those who are merely blindfolded; we are speaking to those who are blind. It is not as though we can appeal to them to remove their blindfolds. Rather, we must appeal to the Lord to remove their blindness through the power of His Holy Spirit. "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, it is foolishness on our part to attempt to minister to others without first praying fervently for that ministry, asking the Lord to draw those hearts to Christ.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He broke through your blindness with the Light of life:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord. (Psalm 104:24, 33-34)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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. (Romans 3:23-24)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
That others might see Christ in you
That the Lord of the harvest will send laborers into His fields
Today's activities
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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)
:angel:
October 3
1 Corinthians 3
Paul says no foundation can be laid other than Jesus, and anything else is worthless in eternity.
INSIGHT
When the events of life are viewed with an eternal perspective, things that initially seemed important become unimportant, and things that seemed unimportant become important. Religious activity that is not undertaken with the right spirit or motive is worthless in view of eternity, regardless of how much weight it is given by men. And conversely the smallest cup of water given in the name of Christ receives eternal reward. Be careful how you build your life's work. Keep eternity in mind at all times.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He loved us enough to sacrifice His pleasures in heaven for our welfare:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
(Psalm 108:1, 3-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom for living
Needs of your immediate family
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen" (Revelation 7:11-12).
:angel:
October 4
1 Corinthians 6
Brothers should not go to court against brothers, especially before unbelievers.
INSIGHT
When we come to Christ, we give up our title to all earthly possessions, and we receive eternal possessions that are fabulous beyond imagination. All of the riches of Christ are ours as co-inheritors with Him; all those things that we might have viewed as possessions must now be seen as "on loan." We are now merely administrators, stewards of these things that belong to the Lord. We must hold them loosely with an open hand, not as possessions, and use them as we believe Christ would.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that Christ's passion for us went as far as the Cross:
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.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. . . .
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, 3-4, 10)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you. (Deuteronomy 32:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Patience in dealing with others
The hungry around the world
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you,
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
October 5
1 Corinthians 7
Paul instructs the Corinthians concerning marriage, divorce, and singleness.
INSIGHT
Within the bonds of marriage, spiritual, emotional, and physical dimensions exist. The relationship should be established by a spiritual bond out of which flow emotional and physical bonds. When this order is properly maintained, the relationship is balanced and satisfying. However, many marriages take the opposite direction. Out of physical attraction grow emotional bonds, and spiritual bonds may or may not follow. Strive to strengthen the spiritual bonds in your relationships in order to keep them healthy and balanced. Even in a marriage where one partner is unsaved, the relationship will be stronger and more satisfying if your spouse sees the reality of your spiritual life and love for Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that our spiritual bond with Christ can strengthen the bonds of other relationships:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise? . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-2, 48)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you pray this confession to the Lord:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater sensitivity to sin
The ministry of your church
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea,
and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13)
:angel:
October 6
1 Corinthians 8
Take care that your actions do not wound another Christian.
INSIGHT
There is an inseparable link between Christ and the church. In Acts 9:4 Jesus appears to Saul on the road to Damascus and asks, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Yet Saul had not persecuted Jesus; he had never even seen Jesus. However, because he was persecuting the church, Jesus rebuked Saul for persecuting Him. Again in 1 Corinthians 8 Paul teaches that if we sin against our brothers in Christ-wounding their consciences when they are weak-we sin against Christ. We must be cautious with our words and actions.
PRAYER
Praise Christ, the Head of the church:
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height , and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14, 17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and
the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:11-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up. (Psalm 5:1-3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Perseverance
Endurance for those who work with the homeless
Whatever else is on your heart
Close this time of worship with the following prayer:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
October 7
1 Corinthians 9
Paul limits his freedom for the sake of other Christians.
INSIGHT
Spiritual maturity is not a product of human effort. The fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit, not of self-effort. Yet God will not grant spiritual maturity to us unless we are striving for it. Paul says, "I run . . . not with uncertainty. I fight . . . not as one who beats the air. I discipline my body . . . " in pursuit of spiritual goals (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). The reality is that few of us have the spiritual passion to equal the temporal passion of the unsaved. It is a challenge to care about the same things God cares about-a challenge we must accept!
PRAYER
Praise God that His work of sanctification continues in your life:
May the Lord give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 115:14-18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother" (Zechariah 7:9-10).
As you confess your sins, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation. (Psalm 118:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Purity of mind
Your spiritual goals
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:15-16)
:angel:
October 8
1 Corinthians 13
Love is the greatest virtue that all Christians should exhibit.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, love is clearly considered the supreme virtue. Both Jesus and Paul teach that the greatest Christian virtue is love. However, it is not always easy to measure love, especially because our society has such a distorted concept of what love is. Many people think that love is simply an emotion. We may think that if we don't feel "warm and fuzzy," we don't love. While emotions certainly may be attached to biblical love, love is primarily an act of the will. And God commands us to love. If you exhibit the qualities listed in today's chapter, you are loving regardless of your emotions.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He loves us with the same love He asks from us:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens. (Psalm 113:1-4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for fellow Christians
The work of missions in Europe and Asia
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)
:angel:
October 9
1 Corinthians 15
Christ's resurrection is the basis for our resurrection, which is the final victory over sin.
INSIGHT
It is difficult for us to imagine what our resurrected bodies will be like. Yet there are snatches of information in the Scriptures that may give us some idea. In Matthew 17, for example, we read about Jesus, Moses, and Elijah who, having lost their earthly appearance, glow with a dazzling light. From this one brief example, we might conclude that our bodies will shine with dazzling light, that we will be free from gravity, that we may travel at fabulous speeds, and will be able to appear and disappear. C. S. Lewis once wrote that if we were to see our glorified selves coming down the street, we would be tempted to fall at our own feet and worship ourselves.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that each believer will have a wonderful resurrected body:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 11, 18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly"
(2 Samuel 24:10).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater faithfulness with your time
The president, national leaders, and national and world affairs
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
October 10
2 Corinthians 1
The Lord comforts us in our affliction so we may comfort others.
INSIGHT
There is a fellowship of suffering. Someone who has suffered the same things we have suffered is better able to minister to us. And if we have been comforted in our suffering, we are better able to comfort someone else who experiences the same difficulties. Suffering can make us compassionate toward others. As the sufferings of Christ overflow into our lives, so can the compassion of Christ overflow from our lives into the lives of others.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that Jesus was willing to lay down His immediate comfort for our sakes:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.
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 135:1-5, 21)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord - how long? (Psalm 6:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit . . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-5, 7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The renewing of your mind
The needs of your extended family
Your activities for the day
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)
:angel:
October 11
2 Corinthians 4
Man's evident weakness presents an opportunity for God to manifest His power.
INSIGHT
When we look at Israel and the Mosaic Law, we tend to think that the Jews performed poorly. All they had to do was be obedient to some basic laws, and God would bless them beyond measure. Yet they might say the same about us. With the Holy Spirit living in us, we have only to live in love toward God and man and God will bless us spiritually beyond measure. While human frailty is glaring in both systems, the work of God is being accomplished nevertheless. God's message is carried in "jars of clay" so that in eternity the glory of the redeemed will go to God and not to man.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord as an expression of the gratefulness of your heart:
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 and in fellowship with Him:
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:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The Lord's leading in your life
Opportunities for evangelism
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14)
:angel:
October 12
2 Corinthians 5
We should live for the eternal rather than the temporal, and we will be rewarded accordingly.
INSIGHT
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine "bema" that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds "on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord as you "set your mind on things above":
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us. (Psalm 123:1-2)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him, pray this confession to the Lord:
"My God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater commitment to Him
The work of specific Christian ministries
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:23-24)
:angel:
October 13
2 Corinthians 8
We should follow Christ's example and be generous toward others.
INSIGHT
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine "bema" that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds "on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).
PRAYER
Praise God for supplying all your needs:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Indeed I have all and abound. I am full . . . And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:18-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver. (Psalm 119:71-72)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot
compare with her. (Proverbs 3:13-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Yieldedness to God's will
Missionaries in the Middle East
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
:angel:
October 14
1 Kings 18
The prophet Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.
INSIGHT
The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal is one of the most exciting chapters in the Bible, with fire raining down from heaven — consuming meat, water, and stone! Then after Baal worship is defeated, it rains, signifying an end to that judgment. Elijah prays, "Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again" (v. 37). God does not punish His children for sin but rather chastens them in the hope that they will repent and return to Him.
PRAYER
Let us praise the Lord in the words of this psalm:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for personal evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
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 121:5-8).
:angel:
October 15
2 Corinthians 12
Paul was given a vision of heaven and then "a thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble.
INSIGHT
The Bible gives us a number of reasons why Christians suffer adversity. One reason is to strengthen and mature us. Another is that it is the natural consequence of our own foolishness from which God does not necessarily protect us. And another reason Paul gives us in today's chapter is to keep us humble. If things always went well for us, if life was always "coming up roses," we would tend to become conceited, to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and perhaps think less of others. Notice that Paul only prayed three times for the removal of his "thorn in the flesh" (vv. 7-8). When it was clear that God was not going to remove it, Paul accepted it.
PRAYER
Because the Lord always has a reason for allowing adversity, we can praise Him for all things:
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 and in fellowship with Him:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5)
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:
Patience in difficult circumstances
The work of missions in South America
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
October 16
Galatians 5
As Christians walk by the Spirit, they will manifest His characteristics.
INSIGHT
As Paul teaches in Romans 7, a civil war rages within every child of God. The opposing forces are the power of the flesh and the power of the Spirit. Paul refers to these as the "outer man" and the "inner man." What is at stake is the control of the child of God. As we yield ourselves to the control of the Spirit, then love, joy, peace, patience, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. As we yield ourselves to the control of our unrighteous promptings, then anger, jealousy, impurity, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. We must yield our "members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Romans 6:13) and begin to taste of the fruit of God.
PRAYER
Because we can taste the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, give thanks and praise to Him:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindness,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness sake, O Lord. (Psalm 25:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness with your talents
The ministry of Christian radio
Your activities for the day
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)
:angel:
October 17
Galatians 6
Christians are to look out for one another and bear one another's burdens.
INSIGHT
John Donne once wrote: "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main. . . . If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less." What Donne wrote generally and poetically, Paul wrote specifically hundreds of years earlier: "Restore" one another and "bear one another's burdens" (vv. 1-2); "do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (v. 10). We are part of one another, and we are to live for one another in harmony and mutual concern. We are all part of the same "continent"-the "continent" of Christ.
PRAYER
Offer praise to the Lord because the message of Christ the Savior has come to you:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. (Psalm 145:17-21)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to stay in fellowship with Him:
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
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. . . .
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You. (Psalm 25:15-18, 21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom in decision making
The needs of personal friends
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:6)
:angel:
October 18
Ephesians 1
Christians have forgiveness of sin—an eternal inheritance.
INSIGHT
Most Christians need to re-identify who they are. We still see ourselves as mere human beings, children of the age with the albatross of the world hanging around our necks. That is who we once were, but are no longer. We have been adopted by God and are now His children. We are newly created in Him in holiness and righteousness. We have been given an inheritance in heaven that includes wealth and power. We have been changed; we are no longer what we were. When that truth "sinks in," we begin to act like who we really are rather than who we were.
PRAYER
Praise God for His mighty work of regeneration in your life!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God. . . .
The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A renewed mind
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
October 19
Ephesians 2
All men are dead in sin, but by grace through faith in Christ they may be saved from sin.
INSIGHT
Two of the most wonderful words in the Bible occur in this chapter: "But God . . ." We were dead in our transgressions and sins; we followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the spirit of disobedience; we lived to gratify the cravings of our sinful natures; and we were by nature objects of wrath. BUT GOD, because of His great love for us, made us alive with Christ. We have been saved; God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms, that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He extends grace to you:
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:
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 name's 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:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Christian educational institutions
Challenges for the disabled
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)
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4)
:angel:
October 20
Ephesians 3
Paul is called to be a minister and to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.
INSIGHT
Paul calls his ministry the fulfillment of a "mystery." In the Bible, a mystery is nothing mysterious but something previously unknown. The mystery was that Jews and Gentiles would join together to form a new entity-the church. This mystery was foretold by Jesus, but the details of the doctrine, walk, and destiny of the church were communicated by Paul and his fellow apostles. Now as a new thing-the body of Christ-we are all to allow Christ to live His life through us.
PRAYER
Praise God for the mighty plan He has for the church:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord! . . .
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
(Psalm 113:1, 4-6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:16-18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Wisdom as you serve in your local church
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-10)
:angel:
October 21
Ephesians 4
Christians are to live in righteousness and holiness, worthy of their calling in Christ.
INSIGHT
On the basis of who we are in Christ - redeemed, inheritors with Christ, adopted into God's family, and destined to spend eternity with Him - we are to live a lifestyle that reflects our identity. We are no longer to live as we did before we knew the Lord - or as those who do not know Him. By putting on the "new man" we will preserve the unity of the Spirit and show the world that Christ is real. He makes a difference in the life that is dedicated to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He is molding you into His image:
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous (Psalm 112:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness
(Psalm 101:2-4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever
(Psalm 104:1-2, 5).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
sensitivity to the Holy Spirit,
unsaved friends and co-workers.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord
(Psalm 107:43)
:angel:
October 22
Ephesians 5
We are to walk in love just as Christ did.
INSIGHT
The wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience (the unsaved). Therefore, we are not to partake of their deeds. For we were formerly darkness, but now we are light in the Lord. If this is so, do you as a Christian need to alter any of your present habits? What about your television viewing habits? If it is disgraceful even to speak of the things that are done by the children of darkness, how much more disgraceful is it to sit in our living rooms and watch it? What about movies, books, magazines, or conversations with friends? Do your habits reflect the light of God?
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He has transferred us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light:
Mary said:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation"(Luke 1:46-50).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you pray this confession to the Lord:
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:
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills (Habakkuk 3:19).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for your family,
the work of missions in South America.
Finally, close with this prayer:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
(Romans 16:25-27)
:angel:
October 23
Ephesians 6
We are to put on the full armor of God to fight and win the spiritual war.
INSIGHT
Satan is a deceiver and a destroyer; he deceives in order to destroy. A part of his deception is to have us believe he is not at work opposing our pursuit of righteousness. To combat his efforts, we must do several things. First, recognize that we must "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might"(v. 10), not in our own strength. Second, we must "put on the whole armor of God" (v. 11). Each piece described in verses 14-17 must be in place daily. Third, we must pray at all times Òin the SpiritÓ (v. 18). And finally, having done all that, we must stand firm without fear, knowing we are secure (v. 13).
PRAYER
Because the Lord has promised to fight for us, we can praise Him!
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
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. . . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1-5, 11, 20).
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your finances,
revival among Christians in America,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
October 24
Philippians 1
Paul urges us to have his perspective: "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (v. 21).
INSIGHT
With Paul's perspective on life, he cannot lose. Wherever he is, Paul considers it "the world" into which the Lord wants him to go to preach the Gospel. Even prison is a positive experience for Paul, because he is able to spread the Gospel there. And if he is to die, that is even better. To live is fruitful ministry, but to die is gain. Most of us have our affections too deeply implanted in the things of this world to identify with his perspective. We must learn to let go.
PRAYER
The Lord is worthy of our praise:
"Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after themÑthe Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings."
(Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
(Psalm 51:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
(2 Corinthians 8:9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
an eternal perspective,
your ministry in your local church,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
October 25
Philippians 2
We are exhorted to be like Christ, who practiced only selflessness.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the source of most interpersonal conflict. Someone is taking something from us (materially, emotionally, socially, etc.) that we don't want to give, and we fight to keep or gain our desires. Unselfishness is the source of most interpersonal harmony. Think about the people you really like - even famous people you don't know personally. Usually the reason you like them is because they are gracious and kind, and give of themselves. If you want to be a harmonious, likable person, you must be unselfish.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that we see God in Christ, and praise Him for the privilege of knowing Him:
Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him". (Daniel 2:20-22)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight -
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
(Colossians 1:13-14)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater personal discipline,
persecuted Christians,
your activities for the day.
Close this time of worship with the following prayer:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
:angel:
October 26
Philippians 3
Our goal in life should be to forsake temporal things for the sake of the eternal.
INSIGHT
Benjamin Franklin once decided to become morally perfect. He chose 13 qualities he felt embodied moral perfection and tried to perfect one a week - at the end of 13 weeks he would be morally perfect. He failed, yet later wrote he had become a much better man for trying and failing than if he had never tried at all. Our situation with the Lord is similar. We will never become morally perfect, as Paul writes, but we can experience maturation as we grow into the image of Christ.
PRAYER
Because the Lord knows our weaknesses and loves us anyway, we can praise Him with enthusiasm:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You,
O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You. . . .
But the Lord is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation
(Jeremiah 10:6-7, 10)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
(Romans 8:26)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
a stronger desire to be like Christ,
churches across the nation,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
(Ephesians 6:13)
:angel:
October 27
Philippians 4
We must focus on those things which are pure and good.
INSIGHT
You are what you eat." Your body reflects what you feed it. Eat well and your body rewards you with health. The same is true spiritually and mentally. We become like what we put into our minds and like what we allow our minds to dwell on. Paul encourages us to think about whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, or of good report (v. 8). If you are unsatisfied with your spiritual, mental, or emotional development, ask yourself: "What do I put into my mind - what do I think about?" You may need a radical change in your spiritual diet.
PRAYER
God's attributes include love, joy, kindness, and mercy. Praise Him for developing these characteristics in your life:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
(1 Chronicles 16:8-11)
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
(Psalm 7:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
graciousness toward others,
laborers for Christ in India,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is their strength,
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever (Psalm 28:8-9).
:angel:
October 28
Colossians 1
Christ is the image of the invisible God and the Head of the church.
INSIGHT
On the surface, it is pretty difficult to explain why you believe in God. No one has seen Him face-to-face, touched Him, or smelled Him, yet His fingerprints are everywhere. You must get beneath the surface where the intangible becomes tangible. God is made visible through Jesus Christ. Paul writes that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God" (v. 15). If you want to know about God, learn about Jesus. If you want to see God, look at Jesus. If you want to please God, follow Jesus. He is God in the flesh!
PRAYER
Praise God that He came to us in the person of Jesus Christ:
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
(John 14:10-13)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge - by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:20-21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual discipline,
strength for those ministering Gods Word in China,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
(John 1:18)
:angel:
October 29
Colossians 2
Christ is our Savior and example; the center of life for Christians.
INSIGHT
People can no more save themselves than they can fly to the moon. Both are utterly impossible. And because of our spiritual condition and the spiritual laws of God, we stand a greater assurance of making our spiritual condition worse instead of better by trying to save ourselves. Paul says that we were dead. We had decrees written against us that we were powerless to remove. God made us alive together with Christ and removed the decrees against us by nailing them Òto the crossÓ (vv. 13-14). We must gain salvation by grace through faith in Christ or not have it at all.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that in our utter helplessness He offered us salvation through Christ:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
(Ephesians 1:3)
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless 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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for others,
the work of missions in Australia and New Zealand,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
(Titus 3:5)
:angel:
October 30
Colossians 3
We have been raised up with Christ and should seek the things above.
INSIGHT
It is possible to be one place physically and another place mentally. It happens every Sunday morning in church. Bodies warm the pews while minds roam the kitchens and golf courses of the nation. In a graver example, prisoners of war survive by taking themselves mentally into another world away from the prison and there find meaning and solace. We, as Christians, are to do the same. We are to take ourselves out of the physical world, into the spiritual world, and operate according to its values, truths, and realities. "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above. . . . Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (vv. 1-2).
PRAYER
Place your mind on Christ, and give Him your praise as you seek the things above:
O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me . . .
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High (Psalm 7:1, 17).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
(Psalm 51:10-13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
(1 John 3:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in national and world affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close your time of worship by offering this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
October 31
Colossians 4
Conduct yourself with wisdom, and let your speech be filled with grace.
INSIGHT
"Out of the abundance of [a man's] heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). A man cannot claim his heart is kind if his words are unkind. He cannot claim his heart embraces heaven's values if his mouth speaks the values of the world. The heart is a reservoir and the mouth a faucet. When the faucet is turned on, whatever is in the reservoir comes out. Paul writes: "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt" (Colossians 4:6). Elsewhere he writes: "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29). Listen to your speech! Analyze your heart!
PRAYER
Out of the abundance of your heart, offer to the Lord the praise of your lips:
Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested (Revelation 15:3-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
your growth as you pursue your full potential as a child of God,
fulfillment of the Great Commission,
whatever else is on your heart.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
(Hebrews 2:9)
:angel:
November 1
1 Thessalonians 1
The Thessalonians follow Paul's life example and grow to spiritual maturity.
INSIGHT
Because the Christian life is more easily caught than taught, personal godliness is a powerful ministry tool, and imitation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth. Paul gave the Thessalonians not just the words of the Gospel, but also his very life - "you know what kind of men we were among you" (v. 5). The Thessalonian believers witnessed Paul's life and imitated him, which resulted in spiritual growth for them - "you became followers of us" (v. 6). As a result, they became an example to the Macedonians and Achaians. This pattern of "life-on-life" ministry was first demonstrated by our Lord. Jesus selected 12 men "that they might be with Him" (Mark 3:14). Take a moment to think about how you can learn from or teach someone else in a mentoring relationship.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is our perfect example:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy . . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
(2 Corinthians 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
health and strength to serve Him,
His will to be done in your life,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace . . . make you complete in every good work to do His will.
(Hebrews 13:20-21)
:angel:
November 2
1 Thessalonians 2
Paul's method of ministry is described. He communicates the Gospel with love and integrity.
INSIGHT
Whenever the message of your words and the message of your actions conflict, the message of your actions will always win out. You may speak gruffly but act kindly, and you will be known as having a hard shell but being a "softie" on the inside. Or you may speak well but act selfishly, and you will be known as a hypocrite. There is no accusation leveled at Christians more consistently than that of hypocrisy. Our lives must support the reality of the Gospel, or the Gospel will not be taken seriously and we will be resented. Paul writes: "We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives" (v. 8). Unless we are willing to impart our lives in ministry, our words will mean little.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He was willing to give us His very life:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)
"You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You,
according to all that we have heard with our ears." (2 Samuel 7:22)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you pray this confession to the Lord, seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affir-mation to the Lord:
There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
(1 Timothy 2:5-6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater sensitivity to sin,
the ministry of your church,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(2 Peter 3:18)
:angel:
November 3
1 Thessalonians 3
Paul is not able to visit Thessalonica so he sends Timothy instead.
INSIGHT
Affliction is part of life. Sometimes circumstances afflict us; sometimes other people afflict us; sometimes we afflict ourselves. In the midst of affliction, we need encouragement. Paul writes that he sent Timothy to visit the Thessalonians "to establish and encourage" them because of their afflictions (vv. 2-3). Paul feared for their spiritual well-being. When we see others in the midst of affliction, we should be quick to encourage them. Rebuke, exhortation, counsel, and instruction all have their time and place, but encouragement is one of the most powerful ministries on earth.
PRAYER
Praise God for His encouraging Word!
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.
(Psalm 17:6-8)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
(Psalm 9:8)
Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
Be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
joy in the midst of unpleasant circumstances,
a positive, encouraging mind-set,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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 40:8).
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)
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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. 8). 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 pain = later 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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
November 14
1 Timothy 6
The quest for godliness motivates us to "fight the good fight" of faith while we live on earth.
INSIGHT
If any of us could have three wishes, most of us would include wealth as one of those wishes. Everything else being equal, we would rather be rich than poor. Yet that very desire is a snare - so much so that Paul urges Timothy to flee the love of money and "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness" (v. 11). And he adds: "I urge you . . . that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing" (vv. 13-14). If we have wealth, we are to use it compassionately. If we do not have wealth, we are to be content.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for being free to worship Him with words and with our lives:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . . .O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).
Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the renewing of your mind,
needs of your extended family,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
November 15
2 Timothy 1
Paul exhorts Timothy to rekindle his zeal for the Christian life and ministry.
INSIGHT
A number of years have passed between the writing of 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. During that time, Timothy has faced great trial and opposition and is in danger of discontinuing his ministry. Paul writes a terse letter of exhortation, urging strength and constancy. A list of phrases used in this book include:"stir up," "do not be ashamed," "hold fast," "be strong," "endure hardship," "be diligent, "flee youthful lusts," "pursue righteousness," and "preach the word!" In the heat of battle, short and powerful commands are easy to comprehend.
PRAYER
As you consider God's love for you, praise Him that He guides your spiritual growth:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the leading of the Lord in your life,
opportunities for evangelism,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
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).
:angel:
November 16
2 Timothy 2
Paul uses the metaphors of a soldier, athlete, farmer, and worker to encourage Timothy.
INSIGHT
In our hard-driving society, gentleness is almost a lost commodity. Not only is it rarely honored, but it is also often thought of as being undesirable. Yet Paul instructs Timothy that the "servant of the Lord must . . . be gentle" (v. 24) and that our gentleness may help others repent from sin. Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek (the gentle)" (Matthew 5:5). Gentleness is not a word which suggests weakness or impotence. It is used of powerful war horses who have been skillfully trained to instantly obey their masters. It is a word which suggests power under complete control. It offers much.
PRAYER
The Lord is gentle with us, and for this we praise Him and try to be gentle toward others:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings (Psalm 33:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
(2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater passion for moral excellence,
Christian education institutions,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
"Let God be magnified!"
But I am poor and needy;
Make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay (Psalm 70:4-5).
:angel:
November 17
2 Timothy 3
As Christians, we must be on our guard to follow the truth continually.
INSIGHT
The Scriptures are designed to be the basis of truth for leading a Christian to maturity in Jesus Christ. They are accurate and trustworthy, afford adequate knowledge, and lead to a godly, biblical lifestyle. They also yield a biblical ministry: "that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (v. 17). A mature Christian is one who knows what he needs to know (knowledge), is what he needs to be (lifestyle), does what he needs to do (ministry), and is guided by the Scriptures in all of this.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His magnificent Word that contains perfect instructions on how to live:
Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
My soul breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
You rebuke the proud and the cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments. . . .
Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors (Psalm 119:17-21, 24).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You (Psalm 51:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater self-control,
those who minister in our inner cities,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
:angel:
November 18
Ephesians 1
Christians have forgiveness of sin—an eternal inheritance.
INSIGHT
Most Christians need to re-identify who they are. We still see ourselves as mere human beings, children of the age with the albatross of the world hanging around our necks. That is who we once were, but are no longer. We have been adopted by God and are now His children. We are newly created in Him in holiness and righteousness. We have been given an inheritance in heaven that includes wealth and power. We have been changed; we are no longer what we were. When that truth "sinks in," we begin to act like who we really are rather than who we were.
PRAYER
Praise God for His mighty work of regeneration in your life!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God. . . .
The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A renewed mind
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
November 19
Titus 1
Paul instructs Titus to appoint spiritually qualified men to oversee the church ministry.
INSIGHT
The Bible is an enormous book that is difficult to master. It contains nearly 1,000 pages of information, none of which is insignificant. While it is true that new Christians can read and study the Scriptures on their own and gain spiritual truths through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is highly unlikely that anyone can grow to a mature understanding of the Bible without relying on teachers who know more about the Bible than they do. Herein lies a danger: We may not know enough about the Bible to determine if what is being taught to us is accurate. Therefore it is important to align ourselves with a church that believes and teaches the Bible. This type of setting will help safeguard us from being led into error.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He warns us about the danger of falling away from Him, and praise Him that He safeguards the faithful:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
(Hebrews 9:27-28)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for your family,
missionaries in North and South America,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
November 20
Titus 2
The book of Titus encourages people of all ages to live proper lives as Christians.
INSIGHT
The knowledge of Christ must effect a transformation in our lives so that our attitudes and actions will "adorn the doctrine of God" (v. 10). The words we speak will influence others only if our actions support our words. God has redeemed us from the slavery of sin, assuring us of "the blessed hope" of the coming of Christ (v. 13). Because we will one day be delivered from this world, we are to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, fixing our faith on the coming of "the blessed hope." This means we must be good stewards of the things of this world and live for the things Jesus would live for if He were in our place.
PRAYER
Because we can joyfully look ahead to a new life in another world, we praise our God:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. . . .
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
(Psalm 63:3-5, 7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
(Hebrews 11:6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your finances,
revival among Christians in America,
whatever else is on your heart.
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)
:angel:
November 21
Titus 3
Those who believe in God should be careful to maintain good works.
INSIGHT
It is difficult for us to separate our hope of heaven from our good works. We instinctively feel that we must be good to get to heaven. While God certainly wants us to live good lives, none of us can live a life good enough to get to heaven. One sin disqualifies us, and everyone has sinned more than once. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us . . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (vv. 5, 7). Salvation is a gift.
PRAYER
The Lord longs to mature us in Christ, the very thing for which we long, and so we praise Him:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer (Isaiah 54:7-8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
(Psalm 51:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater wisdom in decision-making,
needs of close friends and family members,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name! . . .
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 103:1, 21-22).
:angel:
November 22
Philemon
Paul urges Philemon to have mercy on his runaway slave, Onesimus, who has become a Christian.
INSIGHT
If anyone is a servant of Christ, he cannot be a tyrant to men. Jesus taught forgiveness, compassion, and gentlenessÑnot harshness, anger, and retribution. Paul urges Philemon to forgive, receive, and restore his runaway slave, Onesimus, as a brother in Christ, now that he has become a Christian. The fact that this letter has been preserved indicates PhilemonÕs favorable response. Although we do not have slaves today, our employees, co-workers, associates, and neighbors deserve respect from us. Service to Christ requires a forgiving spirit.
PRAYER
Thank and praise the Lord that what He requires of us is something we are able to give Him:
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain. . . .
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness (Psalm 48:1, 9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual victory over temptation,
opportunities to serve the Lord,
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).
:angel:
November 23
Hebrews 1
Because Christ is the Son of God, He is superior to angels in every way.
INSIGHT
Angels do not seem real to us. They are found in fairy tales, and we tell children about them; but we tend not to take them seriously. They are very real, however, and play an important role in ministering to us as believers. Throughout the Bible we only get glimpses of the work of angels in our lives, but one of those glimpses is found in today's chapter. We read here that they are sent forth to minister to those who will inherit salvation. Perhaps this is the passage from which the idea of a guardian angel has come. Apparently, angels can appear in human form, for some have "entertained angels" without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). They are also very active in world affairs. At present, they are much greater than men, but one day redeemed men will "judge angels" (1 Corinthians 6:3).
PRAYER
Angels are ministers who serve believers, and we can praise the Lord for them:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen (Psalm 72:18-19).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is notin himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
(James 1:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
a stronger desire to be like Christ,
local churches across the nation,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
He is the living God, and steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
He delivers and rescues,
And He works signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions (Daniel 6:26-27).
:angel:
November 24
Hebrews 2
Because Christ was man as well as God, He is able to give aid to us who are human.
INSIGHT
Jesus is God, but He was also man; Jesus was man, but He is also God. It is essential that Christ be both God and man. If Christ were not man, He could not have died for our sins. If He were not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the price for the sin of mankind. Christ was the perfect sacrifice. In fact, He was the only possible sacrifice able to atone for the sins of man and appease the wrath of God. As you continue to read the book of Hebrews, you will realize that the author's main point is simply this - the superiority of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
The Lamb of God was the perfect sacrifice for our sin and so we praise Him:
"I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the Gentiles,
To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them" (Isaiah 42:6-9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
(Romans 9:20-21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (Psalm 19:9-10).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
better listening skills,
wisdom for governing authorities,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah (Psalm 3:8).
:angel:
November 25
Hebrews 4
As we labor to enter into God's rest, we may call upon Christ for mercy and grace.
INSIGHT
The Word of God is energized by the Spirit of God. Whenever Scripture goes forth, it never returns without accomplishing the work it was intended to do. This is because the written Word of God is "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword" (v. 12). As we minister to others, the Bible must be central to all that we say and do. We must always remember that it is the Word which is alive, not our own insights, clever arguments, or interesting stories.
PRAYER
Because God has provided the Bible as our source of truth, we give Him praise:
I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope. . . .
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:7-9, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. (Psalm 2:10-12).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."
(Matthew 5:44)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom in interpreting the Bible,
missionaries in India,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . My beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
(1 Corinthians 15:57-58)
:angel:
November 26
Hebrews 8
The old covenant, being imperfect, was replaced by the new covenant based on grace.
INSIGHT
All the major features of the old covenant, which existed on a literal, physical level, are found in the new covenant on a spiritual, heavenly level. The old covenant had a physical sanctuary, a human high priest, and used real animals for sacrifices. This covenant was inadequate in that it could only deal with sins temporarily; it could not remove sins permanently (v. 7). In the new covenant there is a spiritual sanctuary, a heavenly High Priest, and a celestial Lamb whose death provides permanent forgiveness of sin for an infinite number of people. It is a 'better covenant, which was established on better promises.' (v. 6).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that Jesus' sacrifice was sufficient for the sins of all humankind:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God (Psalm 90:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
"Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips." (Hosea 14:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."
(Revelation 3:20)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for others,
missionaries in the Middle East,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23)
:angel:
November 27
Hebrews 9
The old covenant of law is a picture of the new covenant of grace in Christ.
INSIGHT
Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (v. 22). We are not told why that is true, only that it is. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Wherever there is sin, someone must die. We can pay the penalty for our own sin, which is our own eternal, spiritual death, or the death which Christ suffered can be placed on our account. His death can count for ours, and we do not have to die spiritually. Faith is the vehicle by which this transaction takes place. Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but will have eternal life.
(John 3:16)
PRAYER
Because God has allowed His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place, praise Him with the words of this psalm:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him (Psalm 92:1-2, 15).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
(1 Corinthians 10:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
(John 17:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
national and world affairs,
whatever else is on your heart.
Close your worship time with this prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
:angel:
November 28
Hebrews 11
A parade of heroic figures from the Old Testament depicts what it means to live by faith.
INSIGHT
Faith is the operative ingredient in the Christian life. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (v. 6). Faith is important because without it we cannot even begin to approach God. Simply put, faith is believing God and acting accordingly. All that is accomplished in the world to further the work of God is accomplished by faith. This list of exemplary faithful people shows that when God spoke, His people listened, believed, and acted accordingly. The words of an old hymn sum it all up: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
PRAYER
Praise God that Jesus was willing and sufficient to pay the price for our sins:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name." Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to hisways,
According to the fruit of his doings. . . .
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise (Jeremiah 17:9-10, 14).
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:
the development of an eternal perspective,
your spiritual goals,
your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
November 29
Hebrews 12
Following the example of Christ, we are to endure the chastening of God in our lives.
INSIGHT
We don't mind suffering some things as long as someone else is suffering too; we don't like to be the only one. Few things make us feel worse than when everything seems to be going well for everyone else and we are in the throes of suffering. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to endure our present sufferings as Christians in this world by reminding us that Christ suffered for us and that we ought, therefore, to be willing to suffer for Him. One of Jesus' highest points of integrity is that He never asks us to do anything for Him that He is not willing to do for us.
PRAYER
The Word of God is alive, and we can use it to worship and praise the One who gave it:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . . .
I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works (Psalm 71:8, 14-17).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me."
(Jeremiah 33:8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
(John 15:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater personal discipline,
Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
November 30
Hebrews 13
We are to live righteously before our fellow man and to offer God the sacrifice of praise.
INSIGHT
Praise is good for the soul and pleasing to God. The writer of Hebrews says," let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (v. 15). Again, in Psalm 33:1, we read: "Praise from the upright is beautiful." If you want to do something that pleases the Lord, praise Him. In addition, however, our actions must follow: "But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (v. 16). The praise of our lips must be followed with the godly pattern of our lives. Note that both praise and doing good are sacrifices with which God is well pleased.
PRAYER
Knowing that the Lord delights to hear it, offer Him your praise for who He is and what He has done for you:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting (Psalm 93:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that others will see Christ in you,
the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
your activities for the day.
Close your time of worship with this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen
(1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
December 1
James 1
Some trials come into a Christian's life to bring that individual to spiritual maturity.
INSIGHT
When we read "count it all joy when you fall into various trials" (v. 2), we can mentally assent to the wisdom of that. But in real life, when the duration and intensity of our trials goes beyond what we deem to be reasonable, we pass the point of caring. We begin to question the goodness of God. We question the rationality of the Christian life. We just want relief. By the grace of God we must accept that we are finally experiencing what James is talking about. Take courage. Be strong. God has not forgotten you. And as He is testing you, you will become spiritually mature - though you probably will perceive the growth only in retrospect.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the God of love:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods (Psalm 95:1-3).
Pause for praise and adoration.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
(Romans 8:29-30)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater wisdom for living,
needs of your immediate family,
your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen (Jude 25).
:angel:
December 2
James 2
True Christian love will not discriminate against the poor.
INSIGHT
"Birds of a feather flock together." Trite as that may sound, it's one of the fundamental laws of social interaction. We are more at home with those who are like us than with those who are not. There is nothing wrong with this tendency. It is built-in and there is little value in denying it. But if that tendency prompts us to act unlovingly, the action is wrong. A tendency cannot be avoided; unloving actions can. James specifically warns us about discriminating against the poor, though it is also wrong to discriminate against anyone because of wealth, creed, race, age, or national origin. The royal law is to love your neighbor as yourself regardless of who the neighbor is.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves us just as we are, we can praise Him that He does not discriminate against us:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earthbe glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness (Psalm 96:5-8, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
(Hebrews 12:11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known (Proverbs 10:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater insight into God's holy Word,
the hungry around the world,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
:angel:
December 3
James 3
The exercise of genuine Christian faith results in controlling the tongue to speak good, not evil.
INSIGHT
Through the use of metaphors, James warns us about the tongue. There is nothing good or bad, right or wrong about a tongue; it is simply a few ounces of muscle. But the tongue articulates the contents of the heart. If a flask full of acid is bumped, acid will spill out. If a flask full of water is bumped, only water will spill out. Water will never spill out of a flask of acid, and acid will never spill out of a flask of water. In that sense, the tongue merely reveals the heart. Let the heart be bumped, and the tongue will reveal what is in the heart. In controlling the tongue, you must control the heart. If you want to change the words of the tongue, you must change the condition of the heart.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord who can soften our hearts and sweeten our tongues:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name (Psalm 97:10-12).
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:8-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8).
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:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
December 4
James 4
While selfishness produces conflict, humility produces submission to God.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the foundation for all conflict. When two hearts want different things - and neither is willing to sacrifice for the sake of the other - conflict arises. Selfishness is the cause of war, crime, and interpersonal conflict. By looking out for ourselves, we think we can get what we want from life. In contrast, the Lord teaches us that humility, not selfishness, results in satisfaction in life. Promote yourself, and wars and conflict result. Even God is against you (v. 6). But live in humility and wars and conflict cease, assuming all parties participate. And the Lord will lift you up.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord because He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name (Psalm 100:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
(1 John 2:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater faithfulness with your time,
the president and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
(Hebrews 13:20-2)
:angel:
December 5
James 5
The rich of this world are warned against an uncompassionate use of their wealth.
INSIGHT
James does not condemn wealth; rather he condemns the uncompassionate use of wealth. It is not wrong to have money, but it is very wrong to have money and not use it to further the Gospel and the welfare of the needy of the world. Those in need are often utterly dependent on those with wealth. In support of James' teaching, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:17-18: "Command those who are rich . . . that they be rich in good works." Neither Paul nor James tells the rich to give up their riches; rather both encourage the rich to use their wealth compassionately and generously.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the harmony that He can bring to our relationships:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord (Psalm 104:24, 31-34).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams"(1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
(Revelation 3:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
good stewardship with your resources,
needs of your extended family,
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).
:angel:
December 6
1 Peter 1
Because of our great hope for the future, we should be steadfast in the face of present trials.
INSIGHT
One mark of maturity is the ability to put off present gratification for the sake of a future reward. A child of six is not willing to give up buying a piece of candy to save that money for college tuition; yet an older child might be willing to forego present purchases for the sake of future education. Though in the Christian life the stakes are much higher, the principle is the same. Peter urges us to consider our future inheritance and endure present trials in expectation of our eternal reward.
PRAYER
We can praise the Lord because He has promised to see us through the trials of life:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek 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 (Psalm 105:1-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly."
(2 Samuel 24:10)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the Lord's leading in your life,
opportunities for evangelism,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
December 7
1 Peter 2
Spiritual sacrifice and personal holiness should be the Christian response to trials.
INSIGHT
A pilgrim is a wanderer. A sojourner is one who lives somewhere temporarily. Peter calls us pilgrims and sojourners in this world. We are no longer at home here; we are no longer a part of this world. Whatever we do should be evaluated in light of our true citizenship in heaven. As such, we live by the rules and values of heaven, not earth. Peter writes: "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul"(v. 11). When we violate the principles of heaven, it is not only God and His honor that suffer - we suffer.
PRAYER
The Lord has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness and made us citizens of the kingdom of light for which we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works. . . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
(John 6:37)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater commitment to the Lord,
the work of specific Christian ministries,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"You are worthy . . .
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9-10).
:angel:
December 8
1 Peter 3
Husbands and wives should be sensitive to the responsibilities and needs of each other.
INSIGHT
In a Christian marriage, the wife should submit to her husband and live an exemplary life which validates her faith. The husband should love his wife unconditionally, be sensitive to her, and seek to understand her. When both spouses assume a proper role before God and each other, a harmonious and satisfying relationship will result. If not, conflict or alienation can result.
PRAYER
Praise your heavenly Father for assisting you in your human relationships:
Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments (Psalm 119:1-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:16-17).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.
(Genesis 9:16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
victims of natural disasters,
missionaries on college campuses,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
(Jude 20-21)
:angel:
December 9
1 Peter 4
In the face of suffering, we should follow Christ's example.
INSIGHT
Life is often very trying whether you are a Christian or not. Difficult circumstances fall on the righteous and unrighteous alike. However, the Christian life often adds to our difficulties. We may be discriminated against because of our faith, or our beliefs may eliminate the "easy" ways out of a problem. But Christ does not ask us to suffer anything for Him that He was not willing to suffer for us. Someday we will be rewarded for our diligence and faith.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He is completely in control of your life:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple. . . .
Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.
Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.
Rivers of water run down from my eyes,
Because men do not keep Your law (Psalm 119:129-130, 134-136).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
(1 Peter 3:13-16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom and discernment,
Christian radio ministries.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
By Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
(Hebrews 13:15)
:angel:
December 10
1 Peter 5
Elders should shepherd the church and, in turn, the church should respect their leaders.
INSIGHT
True leaders are servants. Their task is to make those under them successful. As everyone is successful, the larger goal toward which they are all contributing is achieved. This is an example of a fundamental principle which is taught throughout Scripture: The work of God is done by the people of God through mutual submission. As we submit to the needs and roles of others rather than looking out for our own efforts, His work is accomplished. Elders are to shepherd those in the church by living the kind of life that is a positive example to others. They should live in submission to the needs and characteristics of those under them and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt them in due time.
PRAYER
Rejoice that Jesus Christ was submissive to the will of the Father and died for us:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise? . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, Amen!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-2, 48).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God: I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.
(Ezra 9:6)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
(John 8:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for the lost,
missionaries in Africa,
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).
:angel:
December 11
2 Peter 1
God has given us the capacity to grow in Christian character and to develop spiritual fruit.
INSIGHT
We are children of God, subjects of the King of creation. God calls us to act accordingly, but often we do not. Our actions tend to result from our self-image which is flawed and enamored with the values and attitudes of this world. Peter writes that we have become: partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world . . . " He then adds: ". . . for this very reason," pursue holiness (vv. 4-5). Those who do not pursue holiness are shortsighted and have forgotten that they have been purged of their old sin natures.
PRAYER
We have become partakers of the divine nature through Christ, so praise Him who made it possible:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth (Psalm 108:1, 3-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord - how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your talents,
state and local leaders,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
December 12
2 Peter 2
Beware of false teachers whose lives deny their faith and who will be judged by God.
INSIGHT
False teachers are viewed gravely in the Scriptures. Perhaps the most scathing rebukes and most unthinkable punishments are articulated against these "wolves in sheep's clothing." Why are they dealt with so harshly? Because while refusing salvation themselves, they also keep others from it. It is like a drowning man who not only refuses to accept a lifesaver, but also insists on drowning someone else with him. We must take great care to accurately teach the truth and shun those who do not.
PRAYER
We can walk in fellowship with the Lord and praise Him regardless of how we feel:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 113:1-3, 5-6, 9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:22-23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom in decision making,
the needs of your friends,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
:angel:
December 13
2 Peter 3
Some people will scoff at the Day of the Lord, but we ought to purify ourselves for it.
INSIGHT
Most people agree that the world cannot last forever. Eventually the hydrogen in the sun will burn out, and the sun will grow cold, destroying the earth in the process. So how will the earth end? The Bible tells us that the day will come when the heavens and the earth will be destroyed by fire. It may not happen soon, but it will happen. Since all of us must face "the end" sometime, Peter writes that as we look forward to these things, we should accept salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Though we are not always consistent in our Christian walk, we can praise the Lord that He is always faithful to us:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 11, 18).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodnessÕ sake, O Lord (Psalm 25:6-7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
(John 14:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual victory over sin,
opportunities to serve the Lord in your home, office, or neighborhood,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:12, 14).
:angel:
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. 8). 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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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 name's 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)
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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).
:angel:
December 22
Job 1
After meeting with God, Satan receives permission to test Job.
INSIGHT
If God is all good and all powerful, then why do the righteous suffer? Throughout the book of Job, questions of the ages arise. Job is a righteous man, and while he does not curse God, he does wonder why these things have happened. These same questions form today in the minds of people who observe or experience suffering. It is not wicked to ask these questions. All people struggle with these questions sooner or later. But we learn from Job that we can struggle without sinning.
PRAYER
God is trustworthy and kind. Because we know that He loves us with an everlasting love, we can praise Him:
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.
(Psalm 17:6-9)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
(Psalm 18:4-6)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
(Psalm 18:16-18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Health and strength
-- Guidance for local political leaders
-- Your pastor and his family
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
(Psalm 18:46)
:angel:
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)
:angel:
December 26
Revelation 4
John describes an astounding vision of the throne of God in heaven.
INSIGHT
At Christmas our thoughts are on Jesus' birth, focusing on His humanity. By radical contrast, this Christmas Day we see the throne room of heaven and the surroundings which magnify His deity. In the center is a throne - behind which an emerald-colored rainbow arises. Dignitaries dressed in white robes and gold crowns are seated around the throne. The floor of the massive room is like crystal. Unusual looking creatures constantly give verbal praise to God and the dignitaries form a celestial choir, worshiping and praising God. This is the normal abode of God's Son. Yet we usually think of Jesus as a child in Bethlehem, a teacher on a hillside, or the One who bore our sins alone on a cross. Revelation balances that picture with a glimpse of Jesus' majesty and grandeur.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He was willing to become what we are - that we may inherit eternal salvation:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever -
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in world and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
December 27
Revelation 15
John begins a description of the earth's judgment that continues in the following chapters.
INSIGHT
One of the sobering realities of Scripture is the prophecy of judgment on mankind at the end of time. While theologians debate timetables and exact meanings, they generally agree on one thing: Judgment is a central feature of the end times. While the depiction of judgment in Revelation is shrouded in symbolism and mystery, it is clear that it is paralyzingly unpleasant. Accounts of judgment are accompanied by warnings to men to take heed and prepare themselves to meet the Lord.
PRAYER
We have such a glorious home and future with the Lord that we can praise Him now and throughout eternity:
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands . . . the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work.
(Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight -
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly (Proverbs 2:3-7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that the Lord deliver you from evil,
that the Lord send out laborers into His harvest,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen
(1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
December 28
Revelation 19
John describes Jesus' return to the earth as the conquering King.
INSIGHT
Apocalypse: "The revelation of a violent struggle in which evil will be destroyed" (Webster's Dictionary). The second coming of Christ will be the apocalypse fulfilled. While the symbolism of the language in Revelation makes it difficult to ascertain exactly how events will unfold, it is clear that when Jesus returns again, it will be to confront evil and destroy it. The heavens will split and Jesus will descend upon the armies of the earth which have gathered in opposition to His return. In contrast to His past role as Savior of man, He will now come as King of creation. Whereas once He made Himself subject to men, now all men will become subject to Him. History will end and eternity will begin.
PRAYER
We praise Him that we can look forward to His appearing:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6).
Pause for a time of confession 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me (Psalm 51:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
(Romans 8:18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
sensitivity to sin,
the ministries of your church,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
December 29
Revelation 20
After leading a final rebellion, Satan is confined forever.
INSIGHT
Satan is not taken seriously by our society. Yet from Genesis to Revelation, Satan is revealed as God's enemy, a force to be seriously reckoned with. As part of the culmination of the end times, he is confronted, conquered, and confined. Today, Satan deceives in order to destroy. But in the end he will be defeated and his reign of terror on earth will end. "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone" (v. 10). In the end, Satan is a defeated foe!
PRAYER
Praise God that we can share in His victory:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . . .
Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people (Psalm 9:1-2, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood? Selah
But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly;
The Lord will hear when I call to Him (Psalm 4:2-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
In the Lord I put my trust . . .
The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord's throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men. . . .
For the Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright (Psalm 11:1, 4, 7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
thoughtfulness and encouraging words,
vision for reaching the unsaved,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly."
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen
(Revelation 22:20-21).
:angel:
December 30
Revelation 21
When the old heaven and earth are transformed, we will fellowship intimately with God.
INSIGHT
In the new heaven and new earth, the distance between God and man will be removed. In the Old Testament, the glory of God was displayed as a brilliant light, but men were not able to look on it. In the New Testament, men were able to approach Jesus; but His glory was not seen, being veiled by His human form. In the new heaven and new earth, the glory of God will not be veiled, and we shall be able to behold it. The distance will be removed, and we will fellowship with God forevermore.
PRAYER
Praise God that He never ceases to care for His children:
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:11-12).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish (Psalm 1:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the renewing of your mind,
purity of leadership at your church,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
December 31
Revelation 22
Jesus reaffirms His second coming and encourages us to be ready.
INSIGHT
Looking forward to the Messiah, Isaiah writes: "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance" (55:1-2). Then John, looking back to the Messiah, picks up the same theme: "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" (v. 17).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His salvation which He offers to us freely in Christ:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. . . .
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation (Luke 1:46-47, 49-50).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
"For 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).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that others might see Christ in you,
the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
(2 Peter 3:18)
:angel:
1/1/2012
Quiet Walk
Genesis 1
The first chapter of Genesis reveals God as Creator of the universe.
INSIGHT
In the beginning, God! That is the way it is throughout the Bible. "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).
"Every knee [will] bow . . . every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:10-11).
God wants to be first and foremost in your life. He is the Author of the first creation, and He is the Author of the new creation in your heart.
In the first creation, the wind and the waves obey the Lord -- they have no choice. In the new creation, there is a choice: to obey or not to obey -- the pleasures of sin for a moment or the favor of fellowship for a lifetime.
Have you chosen to put God first in your life? Not to decide is to decide.
PRAYER
Continue your time with the Lord by praising God through these psalms:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth (Psalm 115:1).
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name,
O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night (Psalm 92:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions (Psalm 51:1).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers (Colossians 1:15-16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your time,
· the president, national leaders, and national affairs,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
Genesis 2
Adam and Eve rebel against their Creator.
INSIGHT
You may have heard the old saying, "For want of a nail, the shoe is lost; for want of a shoe, the horse is lost; for want of a horse, the king is lost; and for want of a king, the kingdom is lost." It is a clever way of saying that little things matter. Little things lead to larger things--often with disastrous consequences.
We see the first example of this in Genesis 3:6. First, Eve "saw" the forbidden fruit. No transgression yet. Then she "desired." Still no transgression--but a step closer. Finally, she "took and ate." Transgression.
The "look" seemed harmless. It was a small thing, but it led to "eating." Are there things in your life that you are "looking" at? They seem harmless now, but they lead to larger things. Spare yourself--give them up now. "For want of a nail . . . the kingdom is lost."
PRAYER
• Praise God with the following psalm for His redemption in Christ:
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify
Your name?
For You alone are holy (Revelation 15:3-4).
• Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
• As you confess your sins, voice your
affirmation of God's Word:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:8).
• As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
• greater love for fellow Christians,
• the work of missions in Europe and Asia,
• the concerns of your heart.
• Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
Genesis 4
The first murder: Cain kills his brother Abel, and is condemned to wander the earth.
INSIGHT
"Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain asks. God's answer is unequivocal: Yes. God intended for His people to be social beings -- to love, care for, and protect each other.
The mark of any society is how well it cares for those who cannot care for themselves. Elevated societies do well with this; debased societies do not.The mark of a selfish society is that it cares well for those it likes and does not care well for those it does not like. This kind of thinking leads to brutality.
The Christian is called to have the mind of Christ in this matter. We are to do good to all people, regardless of race, gender, or social position. Indeed, we are our brother's keeper.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him that He wants to demonstrate His compassion through His children:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples
(Psalm 96:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word by reflecting on the words of Jesus:
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for daily living,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· the needs of the unfortunate in your community,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessed be the Lord forevermore!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 89:52).
:angel:
Genesis 7
God causes the great Flood.
INSIGHT
God protects His righteous ones -- always. The child of God need never fear any imagined "random blows of fate," for they will never fall. Yes, we receive blows -- but they are never random, and blind fate cannot wield them.
The Lord said to Noah, "Come into the ark . . . because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation" (Genesis 7:1). Then He delivered Noah and his family from a deluge that obliterated life on this earth.
That is how far God will go to save His people from harm. When we feel the blows of adversity, we can take comfort in this: God goes to the ends of the earth to protect us from the things which would destroy us.
PRAYER
· As you consider the protection which is yours from the hand of a loving God, offer Him this psalm of praise:
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 145:8-9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in
fellowship with Him:
Though my sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool
(based on Isaiah 1:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East, Australia, and the islands,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord, rejoicing in God's protection throughout your life:
Now to Him who is able to establish us according to His gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (based on Romans 16:25, 27).
:angel:
Genesis 8
The flood waters recede.
INSIGHT
Because the physical world reflects spiritual truth, the resurrection is pictured throughout nature. Man falls asleep at night but awakens in the morning. The earth "dies" each fall, sleeps throughout the winter, but awakens in the spring.
The earth died with the Great Flood, but Noah and his family emerged from the ark to enter a resurrected earth. Death is a fact of nature, but God abundantly pictures to us His promise: He will give us new life after death (John 3:16).
Noah's response and ours? Worship.
PRAYER
· Lift up your heart to heaven as you praise the God who rules the earth.
The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace (Psalm 29:10-11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies
and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(based on Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater sense of the majesty of God in the world,
· an opportunity to share your faith today,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork (Psalm 19:1).
:angel:
Genesis 9
God covenants with Noah never to flood the earth again.
INSIGHT
A person is only as good as his word. If he is true to his word, he can be trusted; if he is not, he cannot. It is as simple as that. God promised that He would never destroy the earth with a flood again. He went even further by saying, "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease" (based on Genesis 8:22). Then God set a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise.
For thousands of years, God has been true to His Word. We sometimes get discouraged during the tough times in life, because we tend to focus on our particular circumstances rather than the promises of God.
We must remember the rainbow. God is true to His Word. He can be trusted.
PRAYER
· Along with the psalmist, praise God for His wonderful trustworthiness:
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 13:5-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me
(Psalm 27:7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
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 8:38-39).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater trust in God's Word,
· the work of missions in China and the rest of the Orient,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord, in whom you can have complete confidence:
The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters
(Psalm 24:1-2).
:angel:
Genesis 11
God responds to the construction of the Tower of Babel.
INSIGHT
To understand the Lord's response to the people building the tower of Babel, consider the command God gave Noah and his descendants in Genesis 9:1: "So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.' "
In apparent disobedience, the people stayed in one place and began to build a monument to themselves. In response, God confused their languages and scattered the people over the face of the earth.
God deals with disobedience in different ways. Sometimes He lets us go our own way and suffer the natural consequences of our sin. At other times the issue is a major part of His program, and it cannot be ignored.
Disobedience always has a price, and in the end God always has His way. Obedience, then, while not always easy, is always wise. God always acts for the ultimate benefit of His children.
PRAYER
· As you consider the love of the Lord, who disciplines us only for our good, offer Him this psalm of praise:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth (Psalm 8:1).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
The chastisement for my peace was upon You,
And by Your stripes I am healed (based on Isaiah 53:5).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (John 8:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your talents,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
Genesis 12
God establishes a unilateral covenant with Abraham.
INSIGHT
The opposite of obedience is unbelief; the essence of obedience is belief. If you truly believe God is totally good and all powerful, if you truly believe He always acts for His children's benefit, you will obey whatever He asks of you. It is when you doubt these truths that obedience to the Lord becomes difficult.
The New Testament tells us: "Abraham believed God" (James 2:23). Therefore, he obeyed when God said, "Get out of your country" (Genesis 12:1).
Are you struggling with obedience in an area of your life? Perhaps there is something in the Scriptures you do not truly believe. Search your life, and in the tradition of the disciples, ask the Lord to increase your faith (Luke 17:5).
PRAYER
· In faith and obedience, offer to the Lord the praise of your lips:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His
glory (Psalm 72:18-19).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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 53:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new
(2 Corinthians 5:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
The Lord will command His lovingkindness
in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
January 10
Genesis 15
God confirms His covenant with Abraham.
INSIGHT
"Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (James 2:23). Faith is central to the Christian experience. In fact, without faith, there is no Christian experience.
Why is faith so important? Because we cannot make ourselves righteous -- any more than a cracked window can make itself uncracked.
We have sinned and only God can make us righteous. Faith then is the only thing we can do -- and even our faith is a gracious gift of God!
PRAYER
· Celebrate your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by offering Him this psalm of praise:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together
(Psalm 34:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
I turn to You, Lord, with all my heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. I rend my heart, and not my garments (based on Joel 2:12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· renewal of your mind,
· needs of your extended family,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (based on Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
Genesis 18
The birth of Isaac is promised.
INSIGHT
Don't you love hospitality? Isn't it a pleasant experience to enter someone's home and feel welcome? Hospitality is the mark of an open and giving heart.
The secret to hospitality is love. If you love your guests and go out of your way to make them feel loved, you will be an exceptional host or hostess.
Hospitality is such an important Christian character trait that elders in the church must be "hospitable" (1 Timothy 3:2).
Abraham was a man given to hospitality. Likewise, hospitality should be a trait in our own lives.
PRAYER
· In full confidence in the character of God, offer your praise to Him through these psalms:
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful
(Psalm 33:1).
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits
(Psalm 71:14-15).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
I return to the Lord, my God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(based on Joel 2:13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries,
· today's activities.
· Offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
January 12
Genesis 21
Abraham and Sarah rejoice in the birth of the son of promise.
INSIGHT
Perhaps we do not celebrate enough -- often enough or grandly enough. Perhaps we do not make enough out of the good things God does for us.
Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. Certainly that was a cultural event.
It would seem odd to celebrate the same event today. Yet there are other things we could celebrate within our culture, but we don't.
When was the last time you made a big deal out of something important? Perhaps a high school or college graduation. A successful music recital. Climbing a mountain, or running a marathon.
God has created us with emotions that make life a richer experience for us. Perhaps we should celebrate more -- in both quantity and quality.
PRAYER
· Celebrate your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by giving Him your praise:
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous
works (Psalm 71:16-17).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Lord, You are near to those who have a
broken heart,
And save such as have a contrite spirit
(based on Psalm 34:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities to share your faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
January 13
Genesis 22
Abraham offers his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice.
INSIGHT
God tests our faith -- not to catch us failing so that He can punish us or merely to determine genuineness -- but to strengthen and increase our faith for the future.
The concept of testing includes refining or purifying. It is the same word used to describe the process of refining gold to purify it and to increase its value. The purpose of testing is to yield spiritual maturity.
We see from Abraham's life that God tests us for our good. We, then, can trust Him, even during times of testing.
PRAYER
· Give praise to God that He always acts in your interest:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes (Psalm 119:65-68).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me
(Psalm 138:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater ability to withstand temptation,
· civil leaders to act in godly ways,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above
all Your name.
In the day when I cried out,
You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my
soul (Psalm 138:2-3).
:angel:
January 14
Genesis 24
Isaac takes Rebekah as his wife.
INSIGHT
A steward is one who is commissioned to oversee the welfare and execute the affairs of another. The closer a steward is able to represent the mind of his superior, the better he fulfills his role. Therefore, when a steward is on assignment, ideally he has no personal mind or will; he strives to have the mind and will of his superior.
Eliezer, Abraham's servant, was an excellent example of a faithful steward. His complete mindset was to represent the will of Abraham as faithfully as possible. As Christians, we are stewards of Christ, and as such, we are to strive to have the mind and will of Christ. In addition, we are always on assignment (1 Corinthians 6:20). By studying Eliezer, we can gain insight into how to be a more faithful steward of Christ.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and give Him your praise for making you a steward of the precious truth of salvation in Christ:
Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You
have toward Your people;
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
That I may see the benefit of Your chosen
ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your
nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance
(Psalm 106:4-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord -- how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word: God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness to the steward-ship of sharing the Gospel,
· the work of missions in the former Communist Bloc,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great peace have those who love Your law,
And nothing causes them to stumble.
Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly
(Psalm 119:165-167).
:angel:
January 15
Genesis 27
Jacob deceives Isaac into blessing him rather than his older brother Esau.
INSIGHT
This chapter is a low point in the life of a chosen family. It is difficult to justify the behavior of anyone. Perhaps the deepest, most helpful lesson we can learn from this chapter is that since God was able to make a saint out of someone like Jacob, God can take our lives -- with all of their sin and failure -- and make something out of them for His glory.
Jacob lied; we lie. Jacob failed to trust God; we fail to trust God. Jacob became a man of God; we can become men and women of God. Jacob was used by the Lord; the Lord can use us, too.
For a child of God, there is always a future; and that future can bear fruit. If God can use Jacob, God can use us.
PRAYER
· We praise the Lord with joy because He never gives up on us, His children:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord in response to His revelation:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your finances,
· revival among Christians in America,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:8).
:angel:
January 16
Genesis 28
Jacob dreams of angels and heaven.
INSIGHT
Jacob's dream -- in which he sees the angels ascending and descending the ladder to heaven -- seems to be a turning point in his life. It appears to be the point at which he receives a personal relationship with the Lord. Jacob's life after this encounter was not flawless. But God was able to use him in a central role to fulfill ancient promises.
So, too, we must have a personal relationship with God through Jesus, His Son, and our Savior, before we can experience the work of God in us and through us. Do you know Jesus personally? If not, why not receive Him as your Savior and Lord now?
PRAYER
· Offer praise to your Savior in the words of this psalm:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations (Psalm 100:4-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So my eyes look to You, the Lord my God,
Until You have mercy on me
(based on Psalm 123:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
(based on Romans 15:13).
:angel:
Genesis 37
Jacob's son, Joseph, is sold by his brothers.
INSIGHT
Feeling loved is one of life's greatest needs. When we do not feel loved, we often will go to great lengths to try to earn love or retaliate against those who keep us from being loved.
Joseph's brothers contemplated murder but instead kidnapped Joseph to get rid of him. His brothers thought of him as a threat -- all because Jacob displayed his preference for Joseph.
Jacob's preferential treatment of Joseph in no way condones the actions of the brothers, but it points out to us as Christians that we should love all men as Christ would. When individuals feel that love, it makes it easier for them to love others in return.
PRAYER
· Praise our Lord that He can enable us to avoid showing partiality, so that we can love as He loves (James 2:1):
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him
(Psalm 34:8-9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight --
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord bless us and keep us;
The Lord make His face shine upon us,
And be gracious to us;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon us,
And give us peace
(based on Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
January 18
Genesis 39
Joseph resists the advances of Potiphar's wife.
INSIGHT
Mark Twain once wrote: "Always do right. It will gratify some and astonish the rest." While we smile at that, there are greater reasons for doing right.
Joseph is a good example. When he resisted the advances of Potiphar's wife, Joseph set himself on the road to the throne of Egypt. Had he given in, Joseph would have set himself on the road to ruin.
Always do right. There is more at stake than you might think.
PRAYER
· We praise Christ Jesus for His wonderful works:
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. . .
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well. . .
How precious also are Your thoughts to me,
O God!
How great is the sum of them!
(Psalm 139:1, 14, 17).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a passion for moral excellence,
· Christian education institutions,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12).
:angel:
January 19
Genesis 40
Joseph is confined in prison.
INSIGHT
Joseph is one of the finest examples in the Bible of faithfulness in the face of tribulation. Wherever he was, Joseph lived for the glory of God. He demonstrated that he could be trusted in the tough times, thereby making himself eligible for God to use him in other settings. Joseph was faithful over small things, so God was able to set him over large things.
Most of our failures come with the small things. It rarely occurs to us that the challenge of the moment is to demonstrate ourselves faithful at that point. Then -- and only then -- will we be trusted in the greater things. Joseph is a good reminder.
PRAYER
· Faithfulness in praise is a part of our privilege as servants of God:
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations (Psalm 145:13).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· deliverance from temptation,
· laborers for His harvest,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
January 20
Genesis 41
Joseph rises to power.
INSIGHT
God does the work of God, and man does the work of man. The work of man is faithfulness to what God has called him; the work of God is results. If we reverse the two, we can drive ourselves to an early grave. If we keep them in line, we can labor with freedom.
We need not get puffed up with pride when things go well, nor need we get distressed when things go poorly. To Pharaoh's question, Joseph answered, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace" (Genesis 41:16). Our job is faithfulness; God's job is results.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord that He always does what He desires:
His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation... He does according to His will in the army of
heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?" (Daniel 4:34-35).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
May You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray . . . hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive (2 Chronicles 6:21).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The Lord is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me (Psalm 118:6-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in your life,
· mercy on those who are suffering,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
:angel:
January 21
Genesis 42
Joseph's brothers go to Egypt.
INSIGHT
This puzzling chapter becomes more enlightening when we suggest that Joseph was testing his brothers to discover if they would treat Benjamin differently than they had treated him. The issue was whether or not they could be trusted to bring Joseph's beloved brother to him without harm. While Joseph's heart cried out for reconciliation with his family, he was being cautious for Benjamin's sake. Joseph was wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove (Matthew 10:16).
We should be the same.
PRAYER
· Give heart-felt praise to the all-wise, all-loving God:
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? (Job 9:4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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
(Psalm 32:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in dealing with the problems you face in your life on a daily basis,
· wisdom for your church's leaders,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy
(Psalm 107:1-2).
:angel:
January 22
Genesis 43
Jacob is forced to send his youngest son, Benjamin, to Egypt.
INSIGHT
In his commentary, F. B. Meyer regards Joseph as a reflection of Christ who, when his brothers come to him in fear, has only love to bestow on them. Meyer writes:
"Very often we move forward with dread into the unknown." In reality, our fears are groundless. "If only we realized that love is waiting for us there." His love requires little from us . . . just ourselves. He enables us to live a happy life when we realize the good He has for us. So, "lift up your hearts; a feast awaits you!"
PRAYER
· We are free to praise God because of what we know of Him through the Scriptures:
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name
(1 Chronicles 29:11-13).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
(Romans 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord who loves you as one of His children:
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen
(Revelation 7:12).
:angel:
January 23
Genesis 44
Joseph's older brothers are tested.
INSIGHT
Sometimes we get a second chance. When we do, it is important to seize the opportunity.
Judah did. When his brothers plotted to kill Joseph, Judah intervened. But he still fell short of rescuing Joseph.
Judah's second chance came when, from his perspective, Benjamin's life was in danger. Judah put his own life on the line. Perhaps this commitment was taken into account in the blessings he passed on to his sons, resulting in the Messiah coming through the tribe of Judah.
Throughout life we are given second chances. We should take these chances and set things right.
PRAYER
· Daily we have the second chance to offer praise to the God of grace:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints . . .
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed,
O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· health and strength to serve Him,
· His will to be done on earth,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
January 24
Genesis 45
Joseph and his brothers reconcile.
INSIGHT
Forgiveness! Where would we be without forgiveness? Without forgiving and being forgiven?
We see in this chapter a very moving example of Joseph being willing to forgive the very ones who some years earlier had plotted to kill him. Notice that Joseph's ability to forgive was rooted squarely in his theology: "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).
If we lay hold of eternal rather than earthly things, we can more easily forgive when someone robs us of earthly things. Forgive and accept forgiveness.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him that He forgives us through Christ (John 15:5):
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons . . .
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him
(Daniel 2:20-22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart --
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve Him,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness
(Psalm 84:10).
:angel:
January 25
Genesis 50
Jacob dies; then Joseph lives to be 110 years old.
INSIGHT
God's will is often fulfilled in strange ways. Joseph was given childhood dreams indicating he would rule over his brothers. Little could Joseph have imagined it would include their trying to kill him, his spending time in prison, and his ruling over the nation of Egypt.
That time and those experiences were needed to build into Joseph the character qualities and the wisdom needed to rule successfully. Never doubt in the dark what God shows you in the light.
PRAYER
· As we praise the Lord in the words of this psalm, focus on His sovereignty and goodness:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
You, my God, are wise in heart and mighty in strength,
Who has hardened himself against You and prospered? (based on Job 9:4).
I will return to the Lord;
For You have torn me, but You will heal me;
You have stricken, but You will bind me up.
After two days You will revive me;
On the third day You will raise me up,
That I may live in Your sight
(based on Hosea 6:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, affirming the truth of God's Word:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Romans 8:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
January 26
Exodus 1
The children of Israel suffer in Egypt.
INSIGHT
God's control over the world need never be questioned. God intended to bring Israel back into the Promised Land. He had spoken it, and He would do it.
When that seemed least likely, it was closest to happening. In the dark hour of Israel's enslavement, God was working to deliver them -- through the birth and miraculous preservation of Moses. Before Moses would die, Israel would be back on the doorstep of the land which had been promised to them.
To many today, the fulfillment of God's promises seems unlikely. Christ's return may be scoffed at, but God has spoken it, and God will do it.
The day is drawing nearer. We must watch -- and be ready.
PRAYER
· In the words of this psalm, praise the God of the impossible:
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings
I will rejoice (Psalm 63:6-7).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
If I say that I have no sin, I deceive myself, and the truth is not in me. If I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (based on 1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 10:9-11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· the Lord's work in national and world affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
January 27
Exodus 2
Moses is born and later flees to Midian.
INSIGHT
God is sovereign in all the earth; we must never forget that. Much inner distress in life comes from losing sight of that one fact.
The same God who cared for Moses promises to care for us -- perhaps not as dramatically, but just as certainly. The peace that God promises -- the peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7) -- is ours only if we embrace that fundamental truth.
PRAYER
· In full confidence of the sovereignty of God in your circumstances, give praise to God with this passage from the prophet Isaiah:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
(Isaiah 40:21-22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me
(Psalm 38:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· God's sovereign will to be done on earth as it is in heaven,
· greater righteousness in your community,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned
(Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
January 28
Exodus 3
God calls Moses to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.
INSIGHT
The wisdom of Egypt was not adequate to equip Moses to serve God, so God took him out of the limelight -- into solitude and obscurity. There Moses met God and learned to walk with Him.
The pattern was the same for many of God's servants: Joseph, David, Daniel, Paul, and John. Occasionally it will appear as though we have been set aside. Properly used, that time will equip the Lord's servant for the next level of ministry.
Be faithful. Without deserts, there are no deliverers.
PRAYER
· Regardless of your circumstances, lift up your heart to God in praise.
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land
(Psalm 95:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged (Isaiah 6:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a heart filled with thanksgiving for the opportunity to worship the living God,
· your pastor and worship leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand
(Isaiah 64:8).
:angel:
January 29
Exodus 4
Aaron is appointed to help Moses.
INSIGHT
God does not need any one of us. He wants us and He would like to use us, but God does not need us. Take away one person, and the work of God is not diminished -- it goes on.
When God calls us to a ministry, it is for our benefit. If we are unwilling or impure, He can get the work done through someone else. We must realize that everything God asks of us is ultimately for our benefit -- even serving Him. Moses is a good example of that fact.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord your praise for His goodness through the words of this psalm:
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!
Tremble before Him, all the earth
(1 Chronicles 16:28-30).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You, even You, are He who blots out my
transgressions for Your own sake;
And You will not remember my sins
(based on Isaiah 43:25).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your development of an eternal perspective,
· needs of work or school mates,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(based on 2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
January 30
Exodus 5
Israel's affliction increases.
INSIGHT
When troubles come upon us, instinctively the first question we ask is: "Why?" "Why me, why this, why now?" That is what Moses asked in verse 22. Yet, in retrospect, we see that the question was premature. We now know why -- since hindsight is better than foresight.
How long will it take the Lord to deliver us from our troubles? Usually just a little longer than we thought we could tolerate. We must remember the example of Moses when we are tempted to ask the Lord, "Why?"
PRAYER
· Even in the midst of trials, we can praise the Lord, who hears us and cares for us:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
In returning and rest I shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be my strength
(based on Isaiah 30:15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
(Psalm 27:13-14).
:angel:
January 31
Exodus 6
Moses is reassured by God.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, God becomes more and more intimate with His people. By His official title, El Shaddai, God made Himself known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But now He tells Moses His name: Jehovah. Then in the Gospels, God becomes even more personal -- as Jesus becomes incarnate. And in Acts and the Epistles, we discover that God comes to live in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit.
The final act of intimacy will be when God brings us home. Then we can fellowship with Him face to face and forever.
PRAYER
· Let us praise our intimate God with the words of the psalmist:
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord
(Psalm 104:33-34).
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light
(Psalm 36:9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled
(Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire for Christ to live through you,
· churches across the nation,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve us from all evil;
He shall preserve our souls.
The Lord shall preserve our going out and our coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore
(based on Psalm 121:7-8).
:angel:
February 1
Exodus 7
The plagues against Pharaoh and Egypt begin.
INSIGHT
In this chapter, as the Lord speaks to Moses, we read the remarkable words, "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh" (Exodus 7:1). To the world, God's children often stand in the place of God. We are the only Bible they will read-all of Jesus they will see.
It is vital that we represent the Lord accurately. Of course, no mortal man can do so in any complete sense, but in a representative sense we must. It does not mean we must be perfect, but it does mean we are to give those around us a glimpse of who Jesus really is.
Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Commit yourself to Christlikeness and believe that the Lord will multiply your life as others see Him in you.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of humble praise:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
And because of Your truth.
Why should the Gentiles say,
"Where now is their God?" (Psalm 115:1).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word by reflecting on Jesus' words:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works
:angel:
February 2
Exodus 8
Additional plagues are inflicted upon Egypt.
INSIGHT
In the Old Testament, God makes a distinct difference between how He treats the Jewish nation and how He treats others. God lets none of the plagues that fall on Egypt fall upon Israel.
How we wish sometimes that God would do the same for us in the church! How we wish that, because we are Christians, we would have none of the unpleasant things happen to us that happen to the world!
We must recognize that in the Old Testament, God wants the recognizable difference between Israel and the world to be physical. In the New Testament, He wants that difference to be spiritual. In the Old Testament, God's blessing is the fruit of the vine. In the New Testament, it is the fruit of the Spirit. We must focus on spiritual blessings to be the difference between us and the world.
PRAYER
· Think about how you have been spiritually blessed as you offer your praise to God:
Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
For there is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin
(Ecclesiastes 7:20).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him (Ezra 8:22).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
February 3
Exodus 9
The plagues on Egypt intensify.
INSIGHT
Frogs and gnats? Boils and hail? Water into blood? What strange plagues! What reasoning went behind the selection of plagues? Were they chosen at random, or was there design behind it? Though we might not always be able to discern it, the God of omniscience does nothing without design. The Egyptians worshiped odd and debased gods. Each plague was designed to strike at the credibility of an Egyptian god and manifest the barrenness of belief in these objects.
God does the same today. Our gods are fortune, power, beauty, talent, and intelligence. There's nothing wrong with them as servants, but when we worship them, they are cruel. God shows the barrenness of worshiping them by allowing people without them to be deeply joyful while those who worship them are tortured. Again, today, God's personal mark of blessing is the fruit of the Spirit and not necessarily of the vine. Joy is found in God, not things.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord praise for the joy He gives:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain
(Psalm 104:1-2).
· Pray this confession to the Lord:
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).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living life,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
:angel:
February 4
Exodus 10
Pharaoh's will hardens.
INSIGHT
God does not compromise. Moses asks Pharaoh to let the nation of Israel go into the wilderness to worship God. Pharaoh refuses but says the men can go. But those are not God's instructions.
Pharaoh pays the price. But, while God does not compromise, He does forgive. With the hand of judgment on him, Pharaoh begs God for forgiveness. God withdraws the judgment.
Have you compromised in your walk with God? He will not accept it. But He will forgive and restore you if you ask Him.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to the God who is too holy to accept compromise:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them
(Psalm 145:17-19).
· As you contemplate the glory, majesty, and holiness of God, pray this passage of confession to Him:
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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous,
And shout for joy all you upright in heart
(Psalm 32:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· today's activities.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
February 5
Exodus 11
The final plague on Egypt is a Passover sacrifice.
INSIGHT
God's dealings with Pharaoh reveal His longsuffering attitude toward such rebellion. The plagues start out fairly minor, thus giving Pharaoh a chance to change his mind before utter calamity strikes. With each successive act of rebellion, the subsequent plague intensifies. Beginning with the unpleasant but fairly harmless plague of frogs, the process ends with the death of the firstborn of every household in Egypt. At any point, had Pharaoh repented, the plagues would have been stopped.
Analyze your own life. If you've entered into conflict with God, abandon the fight before it escalates.
PRAYER
· Rejoice in God's patience with rebellion and praise Him:
Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
· Pray this confession to the Lord:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
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
(Psalm 103:8-10).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Since I am in Christ, I am a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (based on 2 Corinthians 5:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· missions in Asia,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now to You who are able to keep me from stumbling,
And to present me 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
(based on Jude 24-25).
:angel:
February 6
Exodus 12
The Passover ends with the redemption of a promise.
INSIGHT
Exodus 12 is one of the most remarkable and important chapters in all of the Bible. In it we learn many things:
1. Only God can deliver us from sin.
2. Sin's penalty is death.
3. God is willing to allow a substitute death, so that we don't have to die.
4. Faith is the basis of our salvation. Our belief results in our obedience.
5. The Old Testament passover lamb is a foreshadowing of the New Testament Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ.
6. We are saved the same way the Israelites were saved: by faith in the substitutionary atonement of the Lamb which God provided.
7. Not to accept this avenue of escape is to suffer the wrath of God.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for His picture of salvation:
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds
(Psalm 108:3-4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
As the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us
(Psalm 103:11-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds
(Psalm 77:11-12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· opportunities for personal evangelism,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
February 7
Exodus 13
All of the firstborn, both man and beast, are consecrated to God.
INSIGHT
The spiritual truths, which God wanted to ensure were never forgotten, are memorialized in a ceremony-often involving a meal. The Passover meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are symbolic meals designed to commemorate the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, so the people of Israel would never forget what God had done for them.
The New Testament counterpart is the Lord's Supper, in which we eat a symbolic meal to memorialize the deliverance of the church from sin. When we observe communion, we celebrate a meal which has been observed in unbroken succession for 2,000 years.
PRAYER
· Give praise to the Lord for so graciously saving us from the consequences of sin:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain
(Psalm 104:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord 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).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom,
· needs of your immediate family,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
:angel:
February 7
Exodus 13
All of the firstborn, both man and beast, are consecrated to God.
INSIGHT
The spiritual truths, which God wanted to ensure were never forgotten, are memorialized in a ceremony-often involving a meal. The Passover meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are symbolic meals designed to commemorate the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, so the people of Israel would never forget what God had done for them.
The New Testament counterpart is the Lord's Supper, in which we eat a symbolic meal to memorialize the deliverance of the church from sin. When we observe communion, we celebrate a meal which has been observed in unbroken succession for 2,000 years.
PRAYER
· Give praise to the Lord for so graciously saving us from the consequences of sin:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain
(Psalm 104:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord 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).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom,
· needs of your immediate family,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
:angel:
February 9
Exodus 19
The Israelites migrate to Mount Sinai where Moses meets with God.
INSIGHT
God's love for us is nothing less than total. And He leaves no doubt in our minds as to His commitment to us. The Lord goes so far as to establish a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai and with us at Calvary as an expression of His absolute commitment to us.
We should have two responses: we should love fully the God who first loved us. And, if we are to love our family as God loves us, we must leave no doubts in their minds as to the totality of our love for them. Communicate your love to them in certain terms.
PRAYER
· For His unconditional love, praise the Lord with this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 150:1-2, 6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· specific Christian ministries,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord who has made a covenant with you:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
(based on Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
February 10
Exodus 20
Moses meets with the Lord on top of Mount Sinai where he receives the Ten Commandments.
INSIGHT
The genius of God's moral system is that everything He asks of us is for our good. Often the Ten Commandments are seen by people as restrictive, keeping them from doing something that would make them happy. Initially, perhaps. But ultimately, nothing could be further from the truth.
Sin is self-destructive; righteousness is self-constructive. It makes no more sense to sin willfully than it does to become a drug addict. In both cases, the person is destroying himself.
Abandon yourself to the moral law of God. It is glorifying to Him, but it is also good for you. Understood in this light, we see the truth in the statement that anything less than the glory of God is anti-human.
PRAYER
· The holy God of Mount Sinai is worthy of our praise:
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
(Psalm 18:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
I return to the Lord my God,
For I have stumbled because of my iniquity,
I take words with me and return to the Lord
And say to Him, "Take away all iniquity,
Receive me graciously,
For I will offer the sacrifices of my lips"
(based on Hosea 14:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· today's activities.
· Finally, offer this closing 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).
:angel:
February 11
Exodus 32
The Israelites sin by worshiping an idol-the golden calf.
INSIGHT
Sin does not mind rubbing shoulders with righteousness. Even while Moses is on Mount Sinai communing with God, the children of Israel are fashioning a golden idol to worship in His place. Fueled by shamelessness and a short memory, the Israelites rush headlong into one of the most remarkable displays of indiscretion in the Bible.
Beware! Even when you are rubbing shoulders with righteousness, sin can trip you up. Even when you are basking in the light of Mount Sinai, evil may be lurking in the shadows.
As Peter wrote, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His truth and light:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved (Psalm 93:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You are my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
You are the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
(based on Psalm 27:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your life,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to God:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
February 12
Leviticus 16
The Day of Atonement.
INSIGHT
In spite of God's desire that we be holy, He is fully aware that we will not remain free from sin. But because God loves us and wants to be gracious to us, He provides a way for our sins to be forgiven.
In the Old Testament, the nation is cleansed from sin annually on the Day of Atonement. Since Christ has come, we may be cleansed moment by moment- whenever we ask for His cleansing mercy.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God of redemption through this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
And His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God?
(Psalm 113:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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 name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great
(Psalm 25:8-9, 11).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in the continent of Africa,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
Numbers 13
The Lord commands Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan.
INSIGHT
One of the most common mistakes we make during the tough times in life is to place our eyes on circumstances rather than on the promises of God. The Lord promises Israel that He will lead them into the Promised Land and defeat the armies that are living there. He even promises to send in swarms of hornets to drive out the armies, so Israel won't even have to fight. But one look at the giants, and every promise is forgotten. One glimpse of the armies, and "God is not enough."
The New Testament is full of promises for us. We must keep our eyes on the promises.
PRAYER
· As you focus on God's promises, praise Him with this psalm:
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
(Psalm 113:4-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
You will cleanse me from all my iniquity by which I have sinned against You, and You will pardon all my iniquities by which I have sinned and by which I have transgressed against You (based on Jeremiah 33:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
I delight to do Your will, O my God;
And Your law is within my heart
(Psalm 40:8).
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, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your talents,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
February 14
Numbers 14
The children of Israel reject God's signs.
INSIGHT
By nature, we are sight-walkers, not faith-walkers. We tend to have confidence in that which we can see, that which we have known. We fear that which we can't see and haven't known.
Not only does Israel refuse to go into the land because of the giants-the Israelites want to return to Egypt! Do they not remember that they were slaves there? Do they not remember that they cried out in tears to God for deliverance from Egypt?
You can't go back to your old life. There is nothing there but bondage. Your hope lies in following the Lord by faith. Walk forward.
PRAYER
· Give praise to the God who is powerful enough to defeat the giants in our own lives:
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 4:11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in your anger, lest You bring me to nothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater ability to walk by faith in your own life,
· courage for Christian leaders to consistently yield to God's will,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
February 15
Deuteronomy 1
Moses reminds the new generation of their parents' disobedience.
INSIGHT
Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it. Moses reviews the history of the wanderings of Israel to the new generation poised on the plains of Moab-ready to enter the Promised Land.
Moses tells them that their fathers did not believe the promises of God. Therefore, they were not obedient to Him. Their fathers condemned themselves to a life of untold hardship. Their fathers made their own destiny; they sealed their own fate.
Learn from their history. Do not repeat it.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His truth and light:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting
(Psalm 93:1-2).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies
and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
(Psalm 27:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities to share your faith,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
February 16
Deuteronomy 2
The Israelites wander in the desert.
INSIGHT
David writes that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly. But we see that it is possible, through rebellion,
to miss something good that God wants to give us.
God wants to give the Israelites the Promised Land. But when they refuse to enter it, they wander through the wilderness until the rebellious generation dies. Then that which God had wanted to give to them, He gives to someone else-the next generation.
When we walk in rebellion, we pay a price. God's blessings often include a test. Do we turn back? Or trust Him?
PRAYER
· We can express trust in Him with a psalm of praise:
For I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
He causes the vapors to ascend from the
ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain
(Psalm 135:5-7).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
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).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising
lovingkindness, judgment, and
righteousness in the earth
(Jeremiah 9:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral integrity,
· the ministry of Christian education institutions,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to God:
Now 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).
:angel:
February 17
Deuteronomy 3
The transfer of authority from Moses to Joshua is announced.
INSIGHT
The past is a picture of the future. When trying to determine what will be, it is important to know what has been.
Throughout the wilderness journey, God reminds Israel what He has done in the past-to give them courage and hope for the future. As the reins of leadership are passed from Moses to Joshua, the Lord encourages Joshua with a review of history: "Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two [past] kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass" (Deuteronomy 3:21).
The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When we face the giants in our lives, we can take heart from the Lord's words to Joshua: "You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you" (Deuteronomy 3:22). Our giants are not flesh and blood. They are spiritual and emotional. But the Lord must still defeat them. Trust!
PRAYER
· Praise the God of the past and the future:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalm 9:1-2).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I shall not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I shall lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also (based on Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever (Psalm 28:9).
:angel:
February 18
Deuteronomy 4
Moses appeals to the Israelites to live a life of faithful obedience to God.
INSIGHT
Thomas Jefferson once said, "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance." If true politically, how much more so spiritually. "Take heed," Moses says three times in chapter 4. First, take heed and keep your soul diligently. Second, take heed that you not worship idols. Third, take heed that you not forget the covenant the Lord made with you.
These are all dangers for us today. How easily we get careless about the welfare of our souls. How easily we worship modern idols. How easily we forget the promises of the Lord. We, too, must take heed. The price of our spiritual strength is eternal vigilance.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:
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 4:11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you reflect upon His forgiveness:
You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.
I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over the temptations you experience,
· revival among Christians in America and throughout the rest of the world,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
February 19
Deuteronomy 5
Moses reviews the Ten Commandments with the children of Israel.
INSIGHT
David writes that the Law of the Lord is perfect, and in keeping it, there is great reward. Part of that great reward is spelled out in chapter 5. Moses says that if the children of Israel will keep God's commandments, it will go well with them and with their sons forever! In addition, the Lord promises that they will live and that they may prolong their days in the land.
Holiness is not expensive. In fact, all the deepest longings of a child of God are met only in holiness. Could we consistently believe this, our lives would be more holy. Like the Israelites, we think that we are missing something by serving God. We are missing no more than the Israelites missed of Egypt.
PRAYER
· Honor the holiness of God by offering Him this psalm of praise:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
(Psalm 106:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives
(Hebrews 12:5-6).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
To Him who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (based on 1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
February 20
Deuteronomy 6
Moses exhorts the Israelites to obey the greatest commandment.
INSIGHT
There are three keys to sharing your faith with someone else. First, it must be real in your life. Moses said the words must be in your "heart," not just your "head." Second, we must impart truth and information. That is, we must teach diligently. Finally, this truth must penetrate every corner of our lives. We must talk of it when we lie down and when we rise up.
We rarely fool anyone, and if one of these keys is missing in our lives, we will not make an impact on others. We must know the truth, it must be real to us, and it must permeate our daily lives.
PRAYER
· As you foster the reality of your walk with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of praise:
Praise the Lord! . . .
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
He also established them forever and ever
(Psalm 148:1-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit
(Psalm 34:18).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You so loved the world, that You gave Your only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (based on John 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· national and world leaders,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
February 21
Deuteronomy 7
God commands the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites.
INSIGHT
God instructs the Israelites to remove from their land everything that will lead them to forsake their purity and commitment to the Lord. When we allow corruption inside our walls, it seeps into our lives and destroys us. We must remove the things from our lives that would tempt us or weaken us. Paul wrote, "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:14). Are there some things you have carried over from your earlier days that ought to be removed from your life? Why not remove them right away?
PRAYER
· Use this psalm to praise the God of the past and the future:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalm 9:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys the voice of His Servant?
Who walks in darkness
And has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord
And rely upon his God
(Isaiah 50:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· wisdom in decision making,
· needs of your friends,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd us also,
And bear us up forever
(based on Psalm 28:9).
:angel:
February 22
Deuteronomy 8
Moses reminds the Israelites of the Lord's blessings on them.
INSIGHT
Following God has never been easy. God never intended for it to be. He tests us to know what is in our hearts and to teach us that we do not live by bread alone. When things are too easy, we tend to be ungrateful. We tend not to give God the recognition for His blessing. In chapter 8, we see God's love and care, along with His tests and trials. We need both to be healthy. To grow, we need sunshine and rain.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!
(Isaiah 6:3 ).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.
I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength
(Isaiah 26:3-4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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
:angel:
February 23
Deuteronomy 26
The Lord teaches the Israelites the importance of giving.
INSIGHT
We offer a portion of our income to the Lord in gratitude for what He has given us. If we know Him for who He really is, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, then we will rightly understand that everything in the world truly belongs to Him. In His goodness and compassion, He has provided us with the things that we need to survive. As we give to the church, "the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow," we are acknowledging his exuberant generosity and love.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm to our worthy God:
"For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. . .
Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me"
(Psalm 50:10-11, 14-15).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Bow down your ear, O Lord, hear me;
For I am poor and needy. . . .
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:1, 5).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You are my portion, O Lord;
I have said that I would keep Your words. . . .
The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:57, 64).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an attitude of gratefulness,
· the poor and needy,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions-
This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great
(Psalm 104:24-25).
:angel:
Deuteronomy 27
Curses from Mount Ebal dramatize disobedience.
INSIGHT
What a drama! Mount Gerazim and Mount Ebal are two masses of limestone rock rising over 2,000 feet above sea level. Between them lies a beautiful valley, about 300 yards wide. Half the children of Israel are on one mountain, and half are on the other, with the Levites in the valley between the two mountains. Curses are called from Mount Ebal and blessings are called from Mount Gerazim. All of this is to dramatize the importance of obedience and the consequences of disobedience, even down to not letting a blind man wander out of his way.
Nothing is insignificant to a holy God. Nor should it be to us. We must care about right and wrong.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to our holy God in the words of this psalm:
Oh give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Remember His marvelous works . . .
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth
(Psalm 105:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
"Whoever drinks of the water that You shall give him will never thirst. But the water that You shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (based on John 4:14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the churches across the nation,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
February 25
Deuteronomy 28
The people receive the blessings of Mount Gerazim.
INSIGHT
A sword and a plowshare are laid on the valley floor between Ebal and Gerazim. Blessings are piled upon pile-until you wonder if the blessings can be contained. The Lord outdoes Himself, searching His omniscience to find ways of blessing Israel. Obviously, He takes great pleasure in doing good to them.
But in the shadow of the plowshare lies a sword. The 14 verses of blessings are followed by 54 verses of the most heart-rending curses imaginable.
How evil, how unspeakably terrible is sin. Thank God that He has delivered us from it. Thank God that, through Christ, we may taste of His blessings forever.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His goodness in delivering us from the consequences of sin:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You are the bread of life. He who comes to You shall never hunger, and he who believes in You shall never thirst
(based on John 6:35).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an eternal perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may You, the God of patience and comfort grant us to be likeminded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (based on Romans 15:5-6).
:angel:
February 26
Deuteronomy 29
The covenant with the children of Israel is renewed in Moab.
INSIGHT
After laying out the options before the Israelites at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim, God now says, "Choose."
But by His grace, He makes clear the consequences of these choices. How terrible are the curses-and how wonderful are the blessings.
Seeing the alternative so clearly before us, what could possibly account for our choosing the curses? The only conceivable answer is that we don't believe God. We don't really believe that the blessings will be that good-or that the curses will be that bad.
The Old Testament was written for our instruction. We must learn to take God at His Word. Period.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise for giving us His blessings:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice;
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You are the light of the world. He who follows You shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (based on John 8:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· the Lord's work in national and international affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord-the God who has promised to bless those who follow Him:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
Deuteronomy 30
Restoration is promised to the Israelites.
INSIGHT
Where would we be without forgiveness? In his weakness, man is not able to sustain any relationship without eventually needing to forgive and to be forgiven. This includes his relationship with God. Unless God were willing to forgive us, we could have no relationship with Him, for we are unable to be sinless before Him.
What a warm and tender chapter comes on the heels of the curses. God says, "If you turn from Me, I will pour out on you the curses. But if you repent and return to Me, I will forgive you and restore you." What a comfort. What a wonderful God.
PRAYER
· For His grace to forgive, offer the Lord this psalm of praise:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples
(Psalm 96:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
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 53:5-6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
These things You have spoken to me, that in You I may have peace. In the world I will have tribulation; but I will be of good cheer, You have overcome the world (based on John 16:33).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
February 28
Deuteronomy 32
Moses writes in poetic form a summary of everything he has taught the Israelites.
INSIGHT
Man is more than a machine. Man is more than a combination of blood vessels and bones. There is something within man that transcends the physical. It is the image of God. When the major issues of life lie before us, the image of God within us demands that we sing a song or paint a picture or write a poem or perform a dance.
At the end of his life-as Moses is struggling to summarize all that he needs to say to his people-he bursts out in song. Surely the thumbprint of God is seen in his crowning achievement.
PRAYER
· A mark of the image of God within is revealed as you offer Him your praise:
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).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Having been justified by faith, I have peace with You through my Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also I have access by faith into this grace in which I stand; and I rejoice in hope of the glory of You (based on Romans 5:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ with others,
· your state and local leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
O, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
February 28 & 29
Deuteronomy 32
Moses writes in poetic form a summary of everything he has taught the Israelites.
INSIGHT
Man is more than a machine. Man is more than a combination of blood vessels and bones. There is something within man that transcends the physical. It is the image of God. When the major issues of life lie before us, the image of God within us demands that we sing a song or paint a picture or write a poem or perform a dance.
At the end of his life-as Moses is struggling to summarize all that he needs to say to his people-he bursts out in song. Surely the thumbprint of God is seen in his crowning achievement.
PRAYER
· A mark of the image of God within is revealed as you offer Him your praise:
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).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Having been justified by faith, I have peace with You through my Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also I have access by faith into this grace in which I stand; and I rejoice in hope of the glory of You (based on Romans 5:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ with others,
· your state and local leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
O, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
March 1
Matthew 1
Matthew records Jesus' miraculous conception and birth.
INSIGHT
The birth of Jesus splits time and space like a lightning bolt in a hot July sky. The stage is set for the most important event in history. It has been planned before the foundation of the world. It is promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. The prophets have heralded it, the people long for it, and the culture is ripe for it.
The Messiah is coming to establish His kingdom. More importantly, He is coming to effect a new relationship between God and man.
Jesus is not just another world leader. He is God in the flesh. God, who has previously made Himself known through a nation, and through a law, is now coming to make Himself known through a man, a God-man, Jesus.
PRAYER
· Continue your time with the Lord by offering your praise to the God of history through these words:
You are my praise and You are my God,
who has done these great and awesome
things for me which my eyes have seen
(based on Deuteronomy 10:21).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me...
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, submit yourself to His will:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
· As you make your requests known to God, pray for
· laborers for the harvest,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· As your closing prayer, pray this passage to the Lord:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night
(Psalm 92:1-2).
:angel:
Matthew 2
Mary and Joseph flee with Jesus to escape Herod's murderous attack.
INSIGHT
When Herod asks the scholars where the Messiah is to be born, they answer without hesitating: "Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet."
The odds against anyone other than Jesus being the Messiah are staggering. There are 60 major prophecies that are fulfilled in the life of Christ.
Josh McDowell writes in Evidence That Demands a Verdict that, by using the science of probability in reference to all 60 major prophecies, the chances that any man might have fulfilled all 60 is humanly impossible. Reason demands that we accept Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah.
PRAYER
· As you rest in the security that Jesus is the Messiah, offer the Lord praise:
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).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin and its awful effects, pray this confession to the Lord:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him; and to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray to the Lord this affirmation of His mercy in your life:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church in the local community,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds
(Psalm 77:11-12).
:angel:
March 3
Matthew 3
After His baptism by His forerunner, John, Jesus' ministry is validated by God the Father.
INSIGHT
No matter when, no matter where, repentance is necessary when meeting God for the first time. To repent means to change your mind.
If you have been living your life without God, you must change your mind about Him. You must stop thinking of Him as something less than Sovereign Lord of the universe. You must acknowledge His right to define what is right -- and wrong -- for you. And you must trust Him to reconcile you to Himself through His only begotten Son.
If you were transported back to John's time and heard his message, would you repent?
PRAYER
· At Jesus' baptism, God confirmed Jesus' divine sonship to all who were at the scene. Thank God that He reveals Himself in ways that all people understand:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard
(Psalm 19:1-3).
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God
(Romans 3:10-11).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· day-to-day repentance,
· the Lord to reveal Himself to others through you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).
:angel:
March 4
Luke 1
The births of John and Jesus are foretold.
INSIGHT
How do you think you would feel if you were suddenly in the presence of an angel?
If you're like the biblical characters, you would feel . . . afraid. Scripture recounts several instances of human beings coming face-to-face with supernatural beings. Most of those occasions were frightening -- even terrifying -- to the persons involved.
But God's messengers understand our fear. And they do their best to assuage it. When Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, he saw her troubled look and said, "Do not be afraid."
That's what God says to us throughout our lives. Drawing us into His holy presence, He reassures us that we need not fear. God loves us, Christ died for us, and God has a plan for our lives.
So we can approach Him with complete confidence!
PRAYER
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of Scripture:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise against me,
In this I will be confident
(Psalm 27:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, offer this prayer of confession to the Lord:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in God's love,
· evangelism in your community,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, close with this prayer:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).
:angel:
March 5
Luke 2
Luke gives his account of Jesus' birth and early life.
INSIGHT
To Jesus, nothing is more important than doing His Father's will, even at the age of 12. When His parents miss Him on the trip home from the Passover, they return and find Him in the temple. "Did you not know that I had to be about My Father's business?" He asked. "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me," He later said in John 4:34. Absolute single-mindedness!
We are to have the mind in us which was also in Christ Jesus. We are to have absolute single-mindedness about doing the will of the Father. Most of us don't feel very single-minded. We feel distracted and pulled in the direction of the world, the flesh, and the enticements of the devil.
But the goal remains unchanged: absolute single-mindedness in serving the Father. Make that your purpose and your prayer.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise in these words to the God who is worthy of unceasing devotion:
O Lord our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
(Psalm 8:1).
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works
(Psalm 9:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool"
(Isaiah 1:18).
· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the former Soviet Union,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
March 6
Luke 3
Jesus begins His own ministry after John baptizes Him.
INSIGHT
The unique contribution of each of the four Gospels is very important to our understanding of the life of Christ. In the gospel of Matthew, the genealogy takes Jesus' ancestry back to Abraham. That is because Matthew's gospel is written by a Jew to Jews and emphasizes distinctly Jewish matters. However, Luke is a Gentile, writing to Gentiles, who emphasizes matters that are of concern to a broader audience.
From Matthew we learn that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, and we see the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham. From Luke, we learn that Jesus is the Son of God, and we see the fulfillment of God's promises to those of us who are not descendants of Abraham.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is faithful to His Word:
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being
(Psalm 146:1-2).
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful
(Psalm 147:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Forgive us Lord, when we are unmindful of the Rock who begot us, and when we forget the God who fathered us (based on Deuteronomy 32:18).
Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord (Lamentations 3:40).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time and efforts,
· opportunities for sharing your faith in Christ with others,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety
(Psalm 4:8).
:angel:
March 7
Luke 4
Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and tempted by Satan.
INSIGHT
When Satan tempts Jesus, he offers Him things which God has already promised to give to Jesus. The things are not wrong in and of themselves, but they are not in God's time or in God's way. Each time Jesus rebuffs Satan, He does so with Scripture. Each time Satan offers Jesus something, Jesus' reply is, "No, because it is written . . ." To be victorious, we must know Scripture well enough to use it in our spiritual warfare, to see through the tricks of Satan.
PRAYER
· The repentant heart is one that can offer praise to the Lord:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God
(Psalm 90:1-2).
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works
(Psalm 104:24, 31).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By grace I have been saved through faith, and that not of myself; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest I should boast. For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that I should walk in them (based on Ephesians 2:8-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living as God would want you to,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
March 8
Mark 1
Jesus begins His ministry of miracles and preaching and calls His first disciples.
INSIGHT
Mark writes that after Jesus' baptism the Spirit impels Him to go out into the wilderness, where He is tempted by Satan.
The next 40 days are enormously difficult for Jesus. It is not true that if you follow God's will, you will have a life of ease. Often, the way of God involves circumstances in which we must trust in the Lord and draw on His truth and strength.
Jesus was the God-man. Yet His life on this earth was filled with trials He had to endure. And we should expect to encounter trials during our sojourning in this world, but we can endure if we draw strength from the One who has paved the way for us.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who transforms us through His Word:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me
(Psalm 51:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the teachings of Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me --
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
March 9
Mark 2
Mark tells of Jesus' early ministry in Capernaum.
INSIGHT
When a paralyzed man is brought to Jesus, He says, "Son, your sins are forgiven you" (Mark 2:5). The scribes are incensed. No one can forgive sin but God, and they do not believe that Jesus is God. In response, Jesus says, "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?" (Mark 2:9).
Of course, it is easier to say that your sins are forgiven. After all, who can verify if it is true? So, to prove that He is God and has the power to forgive sins, Jesus says to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed and go your way to your house" (Mark 2:11). Jesus' miracles are often timed strategically to demonstrate the validity of a central truth which He is teaching.
PRAYER
· Rejoice in the fact that Jesus will forgive your sins, and offer Him praise:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms, there is none like You
(Jeremiah 10:6-7).
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments
(Psalm 112:1).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight --
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4).
· As you contemplate the Lord's mercy, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I shall know the truth, and the truth shall make me free (based on John 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to walk in the ways of the Lord,
· blessings on the work of a specific Christian ministry,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works
(Psalm 73:28).
:angel:
March 10
MATTHEW 6
Jesus teaches His followers concerning prayer and personal treasures.
INSIGHT
We cannot fool God. It is impossible to put something over on Someone who is omniscient. We can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time. But not God. Jesus says, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them"(Matthew 6:1).
It is easy for us to fall into the trap of living our Christian lives for the sake of other Christians. We should be living it for the sake of our relationship with the Lord. We may find ourselves going to church, singing the songs, and going through the motions but spending no time cultivating a personal relationship with the Lord. Such a relationship does not come easily. It requires commitment and time.
But we must not fool ourselves, either. The Lord does not want merely our church attendance or other external actions. He wants us!
PRAYER
· Ponder the fact that the Lord wants a personal relationship with us, and offer Him your praise:
O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
And according to the fruit of his doings
(Jeremiah 17:9-10).
· As you ponder the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
March 11
Matthew 5
Jesus teaches on the Beatitudes.
INSIGHT
Love is the fundamental factor of all meaningful relationships. Love is an action -- the action of selflessness, of esteeming others above ourselves. All interpersonal problems could be solved with a faithful, mutual expression of love.
Imagine what the world would be like if everyone acted in love. No war. No divorce. No AIDS. No murder. No rape. No tears.
Though Jesus knew that sin presently prevents perfect love, He held believers to a high standard of showing His love in this world: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who loves us in spite of our sin:
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings
(Psalm 17:6-8).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 15:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But You demonstrate Your own love toward me, in that while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me (based on Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater gratitude for your salvation,
· a return to righteousness in this nation,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
March 12
Mark 3
Jesus chooses 12 followers to be His disciples.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. A look at the 12 men Jesus chooses to be His disciples does not reveal a "Who's Who" in Judea. Rather, the men seem to be unknown and undistinguished.
The work of God does not depend on talent or intelligence. Different people have different strengths, but God uses all of us to accomplish His purposes. The body of Christ is made up of many parts -- some highly visible, some hidden, all useful. God makes the most of the talents and spiritual gifts He has given each of us.
PRAYER
· Using the following passage, offer your praise to the Lord, who uses us to do His will in His world:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
That He may seat him with princes --
With the princes of His people
(Psalm 113:1-3, 7-8).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession:
My iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness
(Psalm 38:4-5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater comfort in God's providence,
· the needs of family members,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which You have prepared for those who love You (based on 1 Corinthians 2:9).
:angel:
March 13
Matthew 7
Jesus teaches His followers concerning the need to follow the Lord fully in everything.
INSIGHT
Love is the basis of all that God asks of us. Jesus says, "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12). This teaching goes hand in hand with what Jesus urges later in Luke 10:27, that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.
We want to be appreciated, loved, treated with dignity, and esteemed. This, then, is the way we ought to treat others. The double benefit is that when we treat others that way, they begin to treat us the same, and our relationships are characterized by depth and meaning.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because He has treated us with love and dignity:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. . . .
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
(Psalm 32:3, 5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The wages of sin is death, but Your gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (based on Romans 6:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your talents,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever
(Psalm 28:9).
:angel:
March 14
Luke 7
Jesus helps the people understand the significance of John the Baptist and his ministry.
INSIGHT
"Don't confuse me with the facts; my mind is made up!"
Sometimes unbelief can't be shown enough proof of God and His Word. No matter how much evidence is compiled, if a person refuses to believe, nothing will convince him. The scribes and Pharisees have already rejected God before Jesus or John ever came on the scene. That is why they reject John when he comes preaching a message of preparation for the Messiah and for Jesus when He comes.
We must know in order to believe, yet we must also believe in order to know. Many truths in the Bible may puzzle us. To begin mastering them, we must first rest completely in the character and power of almighty God.
PRAYER
· As you consider God's willingness to use you, offer Him your praise through this passage.
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. . . . You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:17, 19).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word (Isaiah 66:2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord:
· pray for the renewing of your mind by the power of God's Word,
· openness to be used by God,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore
(Psalm 16:11).
:angel:
March 15
Mark 4
As Jesus expands His public ministry, He teaches extensively using parables.
INSIGHT
Faith does not come to us full-blown.
It must be cultivated and nurtured. Jesus cultivates the faith of His disciples. After an extensive time of teaching, Jesus goes out into the Sea of Galilee with the Twelve, knowing that a storm will come. He calms the storm and then asks, rhetorically, "How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40). His disciples marvel and their faith grows. We, too, must go through times of testing to become strong.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God who loves you and who seeks your love in return:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
You who are mighty have done great things for me, and holy is Your name. And Your mercy is on those who fear You from generation to generation (based on Luke 1:49-50).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
· As you consider the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 2:16-17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your walk with Him,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith in Christ,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
March 16
Matthew 13
Jesus continues teaching with parables, then returns to His hometown of Nazareth.
INSIGHT
Throughout His ministry, there are periods during which Jesus teaches extensively in parables. Often the multitudes do not understand the meaning of the parables, but Jesus is careful to explain them to His disciples.
This pattern is illustrative of God's ways: to those who are the most receptive to truth, the Lord grants understanding.
However, for those who do not receive the truth, greater understanding is not given. Light received brings greater light; light rejected leaves darkness. If you hunger for greater spiritual understanding, it is vital that you strive for faithfulness in what you do understand. Then light received can bring more light in your life.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God of light in the words of this psalm:
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions
(Psalm 45:6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer
(Isaiah 54:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· the ministry of Christian educational institutions,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
March 17
Mark 5
Jesus casts demons out of a Gadarene man and raises a girl from the dead.
INSIGHT
When Jesus takes over a life, He makes a difference. The worse the life, the greater the change.
When the demoniac from Gadarene rushes at the disciples with evil intent, Jesus exercises divine power, banishing Satan's minions from their victim's soul. Later, the man who had run naked among the tombs, howling and cutting himself, is sitting beside Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.
Wherever we are in our spiritual journey, the Lord will continue the work He has begun. He will keep changing us, ever into the image of Christ.
PRAYER
· As you consider God's power to make sinners into saints, offer Him praise:
For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him
(Psalm 18:28-30).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
What I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me (Romans 7:15-17).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your continued sanctification by the power of God's Spirit,
· a greater willingness to share what Christ has done for you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever
(Psalm 30:11-12).
:angel:
March 18
Mark 6
Jesus performs two astounding miracles in His hometown of Nazareth.
INSIGHT
Jesus' miracles are often more than acts of kindness; they are also profound object lessons given to train His contemporary and future followers.
After feeding the 5,000, Jesus again sends the Twelve out onto the Sea of Galilee, knowing a storm will come. Then He walks out on the water to reveal to them more deeply the reality of who He is. By their reaction, the disciples show that their idea of Christ is too small. He is more -- much more -- than they think He is.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for the greatness of His character:
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).
· As you seek to keep your life free from the sin that so easily entangles, pray this confession to the Lord:
I long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And Your law is my delight.
Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
And let Your judgments help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments
(Psalm 119:174-176).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another -- He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:24-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of God's character through His Word,
· contentment with His will,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer:
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22).
:angel:
March 19
Mark 7
Jesus points out the hypocrisy of observing traditions yet ignoring the Scripture.
INSIGHT
Even the earnest Christian must guard against hypocrisy. How easy it is to sing, "All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give," and then go out to live with some areas of our lives not given over to Christ.
Yet, there is a difference between weakness and rebellion. All of us struggle with weaknesses which we wish we didn't have and with which we wrestle in the grace of God to overcome. Rebellion expresses itself when we could overcome a sin if we wanted to but make no attempt to do so.
The Bible expresses compassion for us in our weaknesses as we cry out to the Lord for greater strength. But God's Word pronounces a scathing rebuke for hypocrisy and rebellion. We must check our hearts to be certain that our shortcomings are weaknesses and not hypocrisy.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord accepts us in spite of our weaknesses, we can praise Him:
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only
(Psalm 71:14-16).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight (Hosea 6:1-2).
· As you confess your sins, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go;
You will guide me with Your eye
(based on Psalm 32:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· evangelism in America,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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 You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:5-6).
:angel:
March 20
Mark 8
Jesus uses the miracle feeding of the 4000 as a teaching tool for His disciples.
INSIGHT
After feeding the 4000, it is obvious that the disciples do not understand the significance of the event. Jesus says, "When I fed the 5000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" His disciples reply, "Twelve." Then again, "When I fed the 4000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" "Seven," they answer.
"Do you not yet understand?" the Lord asks them.
Then, some days later, Jesus is alone with the Twelve, and He asks them, "Who do you think I am?" Peter replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Finally, progress!
PRAYER
· Offer your praise with the following psalm to the Lord who is faithful to us when we are weak:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night. . . .
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(Joel 2:13).
· As you consider the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are the door. If anyone enters by You, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. You have come that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly (based on John 10:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· the President and national leaders and affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
March 21
Mark 9
Jesus is transfigured as a validation of His identity as the Deity and Messiah.
INSIGHT
The Transfiguration gives us an exciting glimpse into our resurrection life. From it, we may learn several things. Our physical bodies may be startlingly brilliant and beautiful, as we witness the amazing appearance of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. We may know each other automatically since the disciples seemed to recognize Moses and Elijah without instruction. We apparently will not be subject to the physical limitations of nature since Moses and Elijah appeared and disappeared. What a joy awaits us in eternity!
PRAYER
· Use this passage of Scripture to offer your praise to the Lord, who transforms us into the image of Christ:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together
(Psalm 34:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this passage of affirmation:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
There is no searching of His understanding.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might
He increases strength
(Isaiah 40:28-29).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
March 22
Luke 10
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.
INSIGHT
The harsh reality of life is that we cannot help everyone in need. From the parable of the Good Samaritan, we can learn several things which help us evaluate when we should help. We are obligated to assist a person in need when
· he or she comes across our path in the normal course of life;
· he or she has a legitimate need, not of his or her own making;
· he or she cannot help himself or herself;
· and we have the ability to meet the need.
PRAYER
· We praise the Lord because He is faithful to bring us to spiritual maturity:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9).
· As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over the temptation you face,
· reformation in America and the world at large,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer these closing prayers to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
March 23
Luke 15
Jesus tells three parables to demonstrate the quality and quantity of God's love for sinners.
INSIGHT
Many things about God are difficult to understand. But there is one thing about God which is easy to understand. He earnestly longs for the lost to be saved. In the parable of the lost sheep, we see a God who is willing to leave the multitudes to seek just one which is lost. In the parable of the lost coin, we see a God who will move heaven and earth to find a prized possession. In the parable of the prodigal son, we see a God who rejoices with great joy when a lost one comes home.
As Christians, we should not let that which we don't know cloud that which we do know. We must focus on the roses rather than the thorns. God loves the sinner, and on that, we can rest.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord your praise for His great love for you:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods
(Psalm 95:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the ministry of other churches around the nation,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
March 24
Luke 16
Through parables, Jesus gives instruction on the proper perspective of wealth.
INSIGHT
It's hard to let go of the temporal and lay hold of the eternal. And the temporal world can hold on to rich and poor alike through money. Both the greedy and the envious live as if there were no eternal realm.
Jesus often speaks about a true and good perspective on money. Perhaps His financial teaching can be summed up by this: Our faith should be in God, not money. We must be careful always to trust God who supplies the money rather than to trust the money itself.
PRAYER
· The Lord can be completely trusted with all your needs. Thank Him with praise:
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday
( Psalm 37:3-6).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
See, O Lord, that I am in distress;
My soul is troubled;
My heart is overturned within me,
For I have been very rebellious.
Outside the sword bereaves,
At home it is like death
(Lamentations 1:20).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance. . . .
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me --
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:5, 8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faith in God's providence,
· the needs of your friends,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May I learn in whatever state I am, to be content (based on Philippians 4:11).
:angel:
March 25
Luke 17
Jesus describes the circumstances surrounding His second coming.
INSIGHT
Gratitude is beautiful to witness. When a person's eyes light up as they open a gift, the giver enjoys the experience as much as the receiver.
We appreciate gratitude, and so does the Lord. He loves to see His children rejoicing at His many good gifts.
Gratitude to the Lord can be cultivated. Imagine what your life would be like without the Lord's grace. Show the Lord that you appreciate Him by nurturing an attitude of gratitude.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is so liberal with His good gifts:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalm 92:1-4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments
(Psalm 119:5-6).
· As you reflect on God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You have . . . given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
You enlarged my path under me;
So my feet did not slip
(Psalm 18:35-36).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a renewed commitment to showing gratitude for God's many blessings,
· opportunities to encourage other believers,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Close your prayer time with the Lord with this offering from the pages of Scripture:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
:angel:
March 26
Mark 10
Jesus prepares His disciples for His death.
INSIGHT
If there is anything between you and the Lord, He will pinpoint it and ask you to give it up. He wants total commitment -- nothing less.
That does not mean you cannot be committed to other things. It just means that He wants nothing to be higher on your priority list than He is.
A husband must be committed to his wife and children. A professional must be committed to his job. But all must be committed to the Lord first.
The rich young ruler learned this in a very painful lesson. We can learn from his experience: Put the Lord first.
PRAYER
· As an expression of your commitment to the Lord, offer Him this psalm of praise:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me
(Psalm 63:3-4, 6-8).
· Pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart --
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray to the Lord this affirmation of your faith in Him:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to Christ,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May You, the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To You be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
March 27
Mark 11
Jesus is perceived as an earthly king as He rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey.
INSIGHT
When Jesus rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey, why does the crowd rush out to greet Him? The answer is found in Jewish culture and history. In Old Testament times, one of the ways a king was inaugurated was to get on a donkey and have a large retinue of people walk along behind him shouting, "Long live the King!"
The crowd in the temple wants to make Jesus king. When they see Him riding toward them on a donkey, they use it as an opportunity to precipitate a coronation. That He was crucified shortly afterward indicates that they were looking only for a national leader rather than a personal Savior. How do you see Him?
PRAYER
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of this psalm:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture
(Psalm 100:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, confess this prayer to the Lord:
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 139:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
O God of peace, sanctify me completely; make my whole spirit, soul, and body to be preserved blameless at the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ (based on 1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
March 28
Mark 12
The Pharisees and Sadducees attempt to discredit Jesus through treacherous questions.
INSIGHT
In today's passage, we see one of the most marvelous teachings in the New Testament. An attorney, intrigued by the quality of the answers Jesus gives to the Pharisees who are trying to discredit Him, asks Jesus what the greatest commandment is. He only asks for one; Jesus gives him two.
The Lord says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . [and] your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these"(Mark 12:30-31). The Christian life can be very complex, but at its heart, it is very simple: love God and others.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord has promised to care for our needs, offer Him your thanks:
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
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 33:1-5).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You
(Psalm 5:4).
He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· your development of a perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (based on 2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
March 29
Mark 13
Jesus responds to His disciples' questions regarding His future coming.
INSIGHT
To the world, the idea of Jesus returning in history to judge His enemies and reward His friends is a joke.
"Come down out of the clouds," people say, "and spend your time thinking about what you can do right here and now."
Though the world doesn't take the doctrine of the Second Coming seriously, the Bible places great emphasis on the teaching. Christians, then, need to take it seriously as well. Twice in Mark 13 Jesus warns, "Be on the alert!" Properly understood, awaiting Christ's return should help us live righteously as we do God's work in this world.
PRAYER
· Express your gratitude to the Lord for His promises by offering Him praise:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things; . . .
Shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises
(Psalm 98:1, 4).
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:6-7).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater discipline in your personal Bible study,
· national and world affairs,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
March 30
Matthew 24
Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree and signs of His second coming.
INSIGHT
Matthew 24 and 25 offer some of the most comforting -- and terrifying -- verses in the Bible. They detail some of the judgments to fall on mankind at the end of history. Yet God will not be caught by surprise. He is able to protect His spiritual children.
If someone comes along and says, "I am Christ," we do not have to be confused. We know he is a false teacher, for Jesus will come in the twinkling of an eye -- there will be no time for such statements. The God of power is also the God of the future, and we can rest in His sovereign care as we trust in Him.
PRAYER
· As you rest in God's sovereignty, offer Him this psalm of trust:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalm 100:4-5).
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory (Psalm 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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 53:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation 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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· blessing in your life roles: family, work, ministry,
· the Lord to send out laborers into His harvest,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
March 31
Matthew 25
Jesus continues His teachings concerning His second coming.
INSIGHT
Christians cannot compartmentalize their lives into the secular and the sacred. All truth is God's truth, and anything done for Him whether "religious" or not is sacred.
Jesus equates loving your fellow man with loving Him. He equates serving those in need with serving Him. He equates caring for the suffering as caring for Him.
You can love your fellow man without loving Christ, but you cannot love Christ without loving your fellow man. Whether you are worshiping the Lord or washing the feet of a bum on skid row, it is sacred and holy work if it is done out of love for the Lord.
PRAYER
· The praise of the Lord's children is a sacred and holy work. Join in that praise with the psalmist:
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
(Psalm 145:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has have done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the spreading of the Gospel,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
April 1
Mark 14
Jesus spends His last two days in intimate communion with His closest friends.
INSIGHT
Prayer is one of the true mysteries in the Bible. It is inevitable, as we grow in our prayer life, that we will struggle with an inadequate understanding of how to pray.
The example of Jesus praying in Gethsemane helps us with what we can know and understand about prayer. First, we can know that prayer does not eliminate emotional struggling.
A second thing we can learn is that prayer can make us stronger spiritually and keep us from temptation. In each account of His prayer, Jesus says to His disciples, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation." (Mark 14:38). If we watch and pray, we will be strengthened against temptation.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this praise:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all
(1 Chronicles 29:11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon
(Isaiah 55:6-7).
· As you confess your sins, pray this affirmation of God's Word:
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength. . . .
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint
(Isaiah 40:29, 31).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the Scriptures,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace
(Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
April 2
Mark 15
After Jesus is crucified, Joseph of Arimathea buried Him in Joseph's own tomb.
INSIGHT
Most of us have a highly developed sense of justice. We want things to be fair, and we are incensed when they are not. From simple things like people cutting in line ahead of us to major things like prejudice and bigotry, we are angered when we see or experience injustice.
With that in mind, review what happens to Jesus. Though He is totally righteous and without sin, religious bigots manufacture charges against Him and take Him to a legal jellyfish who doesn't have the courage to execute justice. Then He is beaten, mocked, and crucified. Doesn't that inflame your sense of justice? He has the power to obliterate those who harm Him; yet He willingly endures it for us.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him for the "great and awesome" things He has done in offering you salvation:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
(Exodus 15:11).
Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot me,
I am unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered me
(based on Deuteronomy 32:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (John 14:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· the work of missions in Asia,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing 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).
:angel:
April 3
Mark 16
Mary and Mary Magdalene discover that Jesus has risen from the dead.
INSIGHT
It is a momentous morning as Mary and Mary Magdalene walk to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, intent on anointing the body of Jesus but not knowing how they will get into the tomb. They say to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us?"
Miracle number one: The stone has been rolled away. Miracle number two: An angel is sitting in the tomb to explain to them what has happened. Miracle number three: Jesus is gone; He has risen.
They have two responses. They were amazed! And they report to the disciples all that they have seen.
They expect to deal with death. But they find themselves in the middle of more life than they can imagine. Such paradox is God's way. He brings life from death.
PRAYER
· Give your praise to the Lord for offering you the gift of eternal life:
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).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president, national leaders, and national affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
April 4
Matthew 26
Jesus is betrayed and arrested.
INSIGHT
Peter is living and reassuring proof that "grace is greater than all our sin." We struggle, at one time or another, with things in our lives that ought to be corrected but aren't. We fear that our lives bring a stench to God's nostrils because we have failed Him so often. But Peter began to curse and swear and deny that he ever knew Jesus. What a colossal sin! Yet, just a few days later (in John 21), Peter is eating with the Lord in perfect fellowship and harmony.
For the Christian, there is no sin so great that God will not forgive.
PRAYER
· Because Jesus gave up His preeminence for our sake and became a servant, we praise His unselfishness:
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 ).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God: I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any personal sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
(Psalm 84:11-12).
:angel:
April 5
Matthew 27
Pilate tries Jesus then hands Him over to be crucified.
INSIGHT
Proverbs 20:17 says, "Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel." If ever a man illustrates that truth, Judas does. Some mysterious passion burns in his breast to betray Jesus.
Whether Judas seeks political ambition or mere lust for money, we do not know. But later, his remorse is so great that he throws the money away and hangs himself. We must remember Judas when illicit desire burns in our breast. Such desire always promises more than it delivers; it always turns to gravel in our mouths.
PRAYER
· The sacrifice which Jesus made for us took tremendous courage, for which we praise Him:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . .
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from the power of sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your life,
· opportunities for personal evangelism,
· your activities for the day,
· 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).
:angel:
April 6
Matthew 28
After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples.
INSIGHT
Jesus' message of salvation is the greatest news on earth. He does not leave to chance the need for His message to be taken to all earth's people.
In Matthew 28, Jesus charges His disciples with that task. If however, you begin the recital of the Great Commission with verse 19, you have the "great omission." Verse 19 begins with "Go therefore." But to fully understand the phrase, we must go to verse 18 to see what "therefore" is there for.
On the basis of His authority, we are to go, and to go in confidence that, as we are obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ's commission, He will accomplish His work through us.
PRAYER
· Because someone "came" to give the Gospel to us, thank the Lord and give Him your praise:
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!
And all the people said, "Amen!" and praised the Lord
(1 Chronicles 16:31, 34, 36).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· blessings on the work of specific Christians,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
April 7
Luke 22
Jesus shares the Passover meal with His disciples.
INSIGHT
At the beginning of human history, the first people disobeyed God. That fateful choice proved spiritually fatal-for Adam, Eve, and all their descendants.
Since the fall, we have all imitated our first parents. We have tried to usurp God's right to control His creation. We have demanded the right to control our own destinies, our own moral judgments, our own decisions.
Even those who actually walked with Jesus fell prey to this proud way of thinking. During the Last Supper, which you might think would be one of the most spiritually intimate moments in the disciples' experience, an argument broke out about who was the greatest among them. Jesus replied that the greatest among them must be a servant to all.
Beware when you find yourself striving for preeminence. Instead, your quest must be servanthood.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He has revealed His will for us in His Word:
Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it abides.
They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
For all are Your servants.
Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would then have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life
(Psalm 119:89-93).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (Romans 7:22-23).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater humility before God,
· the preaching of the Gospel,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I put on the whole armor of God, that I may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (based on Ephesians 6:11).
:angel:
April 8
Luke 23
Pilate sentences Jesus to be crucified on the hill called Golgotha, "The Skull."
INSIGHT
Without conflict, there are no heroes. The hero and coward look alike until the battle begins. Then and only then, in the face of the challenge, is each one's true character manifested.
In Jesus' time, you do not expect heroes of the Christian faith to emerge from the ranks of the Pharisees. But Joseph of Arimathea defies the expectations.
This godly man risks wealth, reputation, and perhaps personal safety, when he asks for and receives the permission to take down Jesus' body from the cross and lay it in his own tomb.
PRAYER
· Give God praise that He enables His children to do heroic deeds on His behalf:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was translated so that he did not see death . . for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased You, O God (based on Hebrews 11:1-5).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience (based on Ephesians 2:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater courage in evangelism,
· the work of missions in Europe,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Since I am surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, . . . let me run with endurance the race that is set before me (based on Hebrews 12:1).
:angel:
April 9
Luke 24
After Jesus rises from the dead, He appears to a number of His disciples.
INSIGHT
The most reasonable explanation for the empty tomb is the Resurrection. If, as some have claimed, Jesus had not been killed but only weakened by the crucifixion, the stone and the soldiers would have prevented His escape from the tomb. If Jesus' friends had tried to steal the body, the stone and the soldiers likewise would have prevented them. Jesus' enemies would not have taken the body, since a missing body would only encourage belief in His resurrection. The easiest way to quiet claims of His resurrection would have been to produce the body. This they could not do.
The angel said, "He is not here, for He is risen, as He said" (Matthew 28:6). Since Jesus predicted and experienced His own death, burial, and resurrection, we can trust Him with our lives.
PRAYER
· The Lord can be trusted with our lives because of His own life, and we praise Him:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works. . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You
(Psalm 9:1, 9-10).
· 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out (John 6:37).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
April 10
John 1
John traces the deity of Christ from "the beginning."
INSIGHT
The Scriptures are such an intimate and personal revelation of the mind of God that there is no distance between the Word and God Himself. John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This verse refers to Jesus, and yet, He is called "the Word."
In Revelation 19:13, John writes of Jesus: "He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." To know the Word is to know God; to uphold the Word is to uphold God; to believe the Word is to believe God; and to obey the Word is to obey God.
PRAYER
· The Word of the Lord is certain, and we praise Him for that trust:
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
(Psalm 18:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done . . . (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
· Confessing any sins the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Now 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, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with the gifts and talents God has given you,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
(Psalm 103:22).
:angel:
April 11
John 2
Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana to demonstrate His deity to His disciples.
INSIGHT
In John 2:24 we read, "But Jesus did not commit Himself to them." The word commit is the same word that is translated "faith" or "believe" in other places in the Bible. It gives us additional insight concerning the concept of faith in the Bible.
Faith is more than just intellectual understanding. Once someone understands the Gospel, he must make a personal commitment to it. He must entrust himself to it. In reality, to believe in Jesus Christ is to commit one's self to Him.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to Jesus, who, as God, offers us salvation:
Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power
(Psalm 21:13).
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 personal 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 name's 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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).
:angel:
April 12
John 3
Jesus explains the spiritual nature of salvation.
INSIGHT
Faith, or belief, is often misunderstood. Faith has been defined as "believing in spite of there being nothing to believe" or "believing in spite of the evidence to the contrary." It is often viewed as identical with wishful thinking. If we believe hard enough, we can make something come true (regardless of whether or not God may approve).
None of these concepts is biblical. Faith is belief based on sufficient evidence. In other words, faith is trusting what God has revealed in His Word and in the world, both of which give ample testimony to the truth.
PRAYER
· The sensitive and believing heart looks for opportunities to praise the Lord for His goodness:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
· Pause for personal 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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).
:angel:
April 13
John 4
Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman.
INSIGHT
The supreme activity of a Christian is worship. As Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman about a location of worship, He proclaims that God is spirit and that those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.
For worship, God is indifferent to places, nationalities, and methods. We may worship Him on a mound of dirt or in a cathedral. But we must worship Him in truth. When our body sits in a worship service but our mind is elsewhere, we are not worshiping.
Worship is an act of the will. You can decide to worship. Enter into the songs that are sung, the prayers that are prayed, and the Scripture that is read. Offer Him spiritual sacrifices, and you will experience worship.
PRAYER
· As an act of personal worship, offer this psalm of praise to the Lord:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings
(Psalm 33:1-2).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· the ministry of Christian education institutions,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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 ).
:angel:
April 14
John 5
Jesus infuriates the religious leaders by claiming equality with God.
INSIGHT
Many people in this world-atheists, agnostics, and those in pseudo-Christian cults-say that Jesus was merely a man, not God. What's more, these people say Jesus never claimed to be God. The Incarnation-the doctrine that Jesus was one person with two natures, one human, one divine-is an anti-biblical and absurd idea invented by the church in later centuries, these skeptics opine.
The gospel of John certainly dispels that notion. In chapter 8, John writes that the religious leaders of His day picked up stones to slay the Lord Jesus Christ because He made Himself equal with God. The Jewish leaders were men of Jesus' time and culture. They understood Jesus' meaning far better than 21st-century skeptics. And as far as they were concerned, Jesus was committing the blasphemy of claiming to be God-a capital offense.
PRAYER
· As an act of personal worship, offer the following praise to God the Son:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-4, 14).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us.
Have mercy on us,
O Lord, have mercy on us!
(Psalm 123:2-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple (Psalm 5:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater love for the God-Man-Christ Jesus,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
(Psalm 4:1).
:angel:
April 15
John 6
After feeding the 5000, Jesus teaches that He is the "Bread of Life."
INSIGHT
Throughout Jesus' ministry, He often speaks in figures of speech. Sometimes the people understand what those sayings mean; sometimes they don't.
Jesus promises living water to the woman at the well, so she will never thirst. Her reply is: "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?" (John 4:11).
And in John 6, Jesus speaks of Himself as a bread even better than the manna in the desert, for He gives eternal life to the whole world, rather than merely physical life to the Hebrews in the desert. Missing his point, his audience says hungrily, "Lord, give us this bread always" (v. 34).
He later explains to His disciples, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). Jesus reveals the truths behind the figures of speech to His followers.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God who reveals His will to you through His Word:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world
(Psalm 19:1-4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 19:12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of the Bible,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
:angel:
April 16
John 7
Jesus becomes involved in controversy with religious leaders over His true identity.
INSIGHT
When iron and aluminum shavings are mixed together, they are indistinguishable. You cannot identify them by sight; you must sweep a magnet through them. The magnet will attract all of the iron filings, but the aluminum filings will remain undisturbed.
The Lord Jesus Christ has exactly the same effect on those to whom He ministers. Those whose understanding is anchored in faith are drawn to Him like iron to a magnet. Those who choose not to believe remain undisturbed, as though nothing special has happened.
Some of the multitude were saying, "This is the Christ" while others were saying, "Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?" Understanding, combined with faith, understands even more. Unbelief blinds people.
PRAYER
· Let us praise Him, for surely, this is the Christ:
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions
(Psalm 45:6-7).
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness
(Psalm 48:9-10).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you 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).
· Now pause to 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, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
April 17
John 8
Jesus teaches on truth.
INSIGHT
By nature, we want absolute freedom. But such freedom is not possible. In fact, no such thing as absolute freedom exists. To be free to sail the seven seas, we must make ourselves a slave to the compass. This subservience irritates us.
All of life is a contrast between freedoms and corresponding bondages. We can be slaves to Jesus and free from the bondage of sin, or we can be free from Jesus and slaves to the bondage of sin. We can make ourselves slaves to truth, and the truth can set us free.
PRAYER
· The heart that has been set free by truth can offer praise to the Lord of all truth:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.
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
(Psalm 32:3, 5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with the finances God has entrusted you with,
· revival to spread among American Christians,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25, 27).
:angel:
April 18
John 9
Jesus heals a man born blind, stirring up controversy.
INSIGHT
While Jesus certainly has compassion on those to whom He ministers, His miracles are done not only to relieve human suffering but also to establish His credentials. He claims to be the Bread of Life. To validate that message, He feeds the 5000.
In chapter 9, Jesus says that the man's blindness is not because of sin but for the purpose of manifesting the work of God in him. The same was true with Lazarus. His death was not final but was for the purpose of bringing glory to the Son of God. Jesus raises Lazarus and then says that the Son is glorified.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise as you seek spiritual closeness with God:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
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 4:11).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
(Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· an eternal perspective,
· your spiritual goals,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
April 19
John 10
Using the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus teaches of salvation and His deity.
INSIGHT
Whoever comes in contact with Jesus is either blinded or enlightened. They either accept Him or begin manufacturing reasons not to believe in Him. Jesus illustrates this reality with the imagery of sheep and a shepherd. He says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (10:27). Make your heart tender and sensitive to hear and obey Jesus. Walk in His light and you will not stumble.
PRAYER
· Join your heart with the saints of the ages over the last 2,000 years in offering praise to the God of our salvation:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings
I will rejoice (Psalm 63:3-4, 6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me
(Psalm 51:1-3).
· As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
April 20
John 11
After Jesus raises his close friend, Lazarus, from the dead, many believe in Him.
INSIGHT
Jesus was ministering on the east side of the Jordan River, about a day's walk from Bethany, when Lazarus fell sick. Messengers were sent to tell Jesus, who waited two days before returning to Bethany. He found that Lazarus had been dead for four days, apparently having died the same day the messengers were dispatched. So Lazarus was dead by the time Jesus learned about his illness.
Why, then, did Jesus delay His return for two days? Jesus knew Lazarus' condition. His delay was to heighten the manifestation of the power of God. Jesus called, "Lazarus, come forth!" And Lazarus came forth. The result of this miracle? Many of the Jews believed in Him, and the Son of God was glorified.
PRAYER
· As a God, both of power and compassion, we offer Him our praise:
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;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the ministries of your church,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
April 21
John 12
After the triumphal entry, the multitudes herald Jesus as their Messiah.
INSIGHT
It is easy to get someone to talk about God, but try to talk about Jesus, and it is not so easy. People will often talk about "feeling close to God." But mention Jesus, and people start to get uncomfortable. Say that Jesus is the only way to God, and people get downright offended.
But Jesus says that if you accept Him, you accept God; and conversely, if you do not accept Him, you do not accept God. When someone talks about being close to God but wants nothing to do with Jesus, you can be sure he is not yet close to God.
Regardless of anyone's unbelief, here is the simple truth: Jesus is God the Son, and He is the only way God has provided for sinners' reconciliation with Himself.
PRAYER
· Praise God for His merciful provision of a Savior:
For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
(Job 19:25-27).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You"
(Psalm 41:4).
· As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater appreciation for Christ,
· a revival in our nation,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).
:angel:
April 22
John 13
Jesus meets with His disciples and institutes the Lord's Supper.
INSIGHT
More than 2000 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ ate a ceremonial meal with His disciples. This meal originated in the Passover and pictured Christ's death, our need to receive Him personally for our salvation, and the fact that all those who are His people are a communion of saints. During the meal, He instructed His disciples to observe this ceremony regularly and with gladness until His return.
And so, whether called the Lord's Supper, Communion, or the Lord's Table, Christians today observe a solemn but joyous ceremonial meal which looks back to the redemption of the Cross and forward to the glory of the Second Coming.
PRAYER
· Praise God that He is powerful enough to keep the promises pictured by Communion.
The Lord reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
Let them praise Your great and awesome name - He is holy
(Psalm 99:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear
(Psalm 66:18).
· As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!
(Psalm 66:19-20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of other traditions within Christianity,
· heart-felt worship at your local church,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! (Revelation 19:9).
:angel:
April 23
John 14
Jesus reassures His disciples with His promise to send the Holy Spirit.
INSIGHT
A very tender and intimate scene begins in chapter 14. The disciples do not understand clearly everything that is going on, but they know that something big is about to happen and that Jesus will be leaving them. Their Teacher, their Mentor, their Friend for the last three years is leaving, and their hearts are crushed with the burden.
In this spirit, Jesus speaks softly, kindly, tenderly to them: "Let not your heart be troubled; . . . I go to prepare a place for you (in My Father's house). And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself" (14:1-3). Again: "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (14:18).
How loving and compassionate. And He loves us just as much as the disciples.
PRAYER
· God's love for us is indeed cause for us to give Him our heart-felt praise and adoration:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God, "How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to
You (Psalm 66:1-3).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalm 103:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in Australia and the islands of the South Pacific,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
April 24
John 15
Jesus teaches that a personal relationship with Him, and others, is central to His design.
INSIGHT
There are times when our prayers are answered and we seem "in tune" with God. At other times, our prayers seem not to be answered, and we seem far from God.
Jesus gives us two directives to keep in mind as we ponder our prayer. First, we are to abide in Him. This abiding, among other things, includes fostering a conscious awareness of His presence at all times and bringing all thoughts, attitudes, and actions in line with what we understand of His teachings. Second, "and My words abide in you" must involve studying, memorizing, and meditating upon the Word so that we pray intelligently, knowing God's will ahead of time on some things. As we grow in these two areas, more and more of our prayers will be answered.
PRAYER
· The Lord is pleased when we offer Him our praise:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . . .
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only
(Psalm 71:8, 14-16).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength (Isaiah 30:15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in evangelism,
· national and world affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
April 25
John 16
The Lord teaches the disciples about prayer through His own example.
INSIGHT
We often gain by our losses. The one who has suffered no loss is still a shallow person. It was expedient for the disciples that the Lord should leave because the Spirit's presence was contingent upon His physical absence. Christ's work must be complete so the Spirit can apply it to the hearts of men. Jesus must die and be resurrected. The Holy Spirit will draw men to His offer of salvation. And the best news? We'll see Jesus again.
PRAYER
· God forgives our sin and beckons us to Himself for which we offer Him our gratitude and praise:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. . . .
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 90:1-2, 17).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You
(Isaiah 26:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the homeless in America,
· greater wisdom for living life,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
April 26
John 17
Jesus prays that the Father will make His disciples fruitful and give them future glory.
INSIGHT
The mark of a Christian should be love. In Matthew 22, we read that the two greatest commandments are love for God and love for our neighbor. In John 13:35, Jesus says, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." In John 17:21, Jesus says if Christians have unity (based on love), the world will believe that Christ was sent from God. When our badge is love, the world is convinced that we are genuine disciples of Jesus, rather than hypocrites.
PRAYER
· In the words of this psalm, offer your praise to the Lord, who is patient with us when we doubt:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4, 15).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. . . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world (John 6:51).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· laborers for the harvesting of souls,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen
(Revelation 7:12).
:angel:
April 27
John 18
After His arrest, Jesus is taken before Pilate and the religious leaders.
INSIGHT
As the power of the Creator of the universe was veiled in human flesh in Jesus of Nazareth, men came with torches and weapons to subdue Him.
He asked, "Whom are you seeking?" They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." With the force of those words from Jesus, they "drew back, and fell to the ground" (John 18:6).
It must have rattled their confidence to have to arrest Jesus. How much greater significance it lends to Jesus' words: "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself" (John 10:17-18).
For our sakes, Jesus laid down His life that we might take it up. He became what we are so that we might become what He is. Praise and glory to God!
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord your praise for His willingness to lay down His life for you:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen
(Psalm 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken me except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that I may be able to bear it (based on 1 Corinthians 10:13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation (Hebrews 9:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, . . . through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
April 28
John 19
After being cruelly mistreated, Jesus is crucified and gives up His spirit.
INSIGHT
The apostle John reveals the most detailed picture of Pilate's judgment of Jesus. At first, Pilate says, "I find no fault in Him at all" (18:38). Then, he scourges Jesus, hoping to placate the Jews. Without success, he makes efforts to release Jesus, but the Jewish leaders will not stand for it. Anxious about his political reputation in Rome, Pilate caves in, washes his hands of the affair, and releases Jesus to the Jewish leaders to be crucified.
We place much of the blame for Jesus' death on Pilate. But if at any point in time Pilate had repented of His deed, Jesus Himself would have welcomed him into the kingdom of God.
PRAYER
· Give your praise to the Lord for sending His only begotten Son to provide the way for your redemption:
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities
(Isaiah 53:10-11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:6).
· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations
(Psalm 22:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· deeper gratitude for your salvation,
· the integrity of those who represent Christ in the pulpit,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
April 29
John 20
After Jesus's resurrection, He appears to His disciples and reassures Thomas of His deity.
INSIGHT
God commands us to believe in Him, but He doesn't require us to believe in Him contrary to the evidence.
Thomas needed to be shown that the miracle of Jesus' resurrection was really true. God provided Thomas with the proof he needed. Jesus appeared to Thomas and said, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands. . . . Do not be unbelieving, but believing" (20:27). Jesus saw what Thomas needed and gave him sufficient evidence to believe.
You don't have to be afraid of sincere doubt. That doubt can be changed. Just examine the evidence of Christ's work in the New Testament. Then ask God to help you to believe according to the evidence. Like the father in Mark 9:24, your prayer can be: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He has made the truths of His existence, power, and righteousness plain for all people to see:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the
foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
(Isaiah 40:21-22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord:
When I know to do good and do not do it, to me it is sin (based on James 4:17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him
(Psalm 103: 11-13).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the glory of God's creation,
· the work of missions in Asia,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 42:10).
:angel:
April 30
John 21
Jesus appears to His disciples again to reassure them and to build their faith.
INSIGHT
Without a shepherd, the sheep scatter. After Jesus' death, His disciples scatter and the fishermen return to the sea. They simply do not know what to do next.
After an evening of unfruitful fishing, they return to shore to find Jesus there with breakfast ready. We see a picture of Peter and Jesus, eating together in perfect harmony. Bear in mind, this is the man who denied that he ever knew Jesus. This incident adds weight to Jesus' statement that the one can love greater who has been forgiven for the greater sin.
The Lord is mindful of our frame and knows that we are but dust. You must not let sin fester in your heart. Confess it and accept His forgiveness.
PRAYER
· The Lord reigns and He forgives. Praise Him for His blessings on our behalf:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting
(Psalm 93:1-2).
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
· 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).
· As you confess your sins, pause and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your spiritual growth,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
May 1
Joshua 1
The people pledge their allegiance to Joshua's leadership.
INSIGHT
The genius of God's moral code is that everything He requires of us is for our own good. When we violate His code of life, we suffer harmful consequences.
Joshua's success is dependent upon not deviating from God's Law. God instructs Joshua to meditate on the Law day and night so "that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it" (1:8). When Joshua does according "to all that is written in it," then "[he] will make your way prosperous, and then [he] will have good success."
Anything less than obedience to God is not only disappointing to Him-it is self-destructive. There is more than one reason for faithfulness to His Word.
PRAYER
· As you think of the impact of the Word of God on your life, offer the Lord this praise:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6).
· Having offered Him your praise, now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
We look for light, but there is darkness! . . .
Our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them
(Isaiah 59:9, 12).
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea
(Micah 7:19).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, come to Him with your concerns and desires:
· your spiritual growth,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your activities for the day.
· 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;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace
(Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
May 2
Joshua 2
Rahab shelters two spies and helps them escape from the city of Jericho.
INSIGHT
God will meet any person, any time, any place. There are few people who seem to be further from the Lord than a harlot. Yet, in the course of her everyday life, Rahab finds herself keeping a divine appointment with two strangers in need and, in the process, meets with God.
The kind of risks Rahab takes will not be taken without a searching heart. In her own way, she takes a step of faith; God meets her. Her reward is not only eternal life, but also the honor of being included in the messianic lineage. Wherever you are in your life, God will meet you there.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise as you remember all He has done for you:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· As you ponder the wondrous holiness of the Lord, pray this confession to Him as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool"
(Isaiah 1:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who will protect you:
When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-5).
:angel:
May 3
Joshua 3
God miraculously parts the Jordan River for the people of Israel to cross over.
INSIGHT
There are two times in history when God parts water for the Israelites-once at the Red Sea as they flee from the Egyptian army and again at the Jordan River as they enter the Promised Land.
The Red Sea experience receives more acclaim, but the Jordan River experience is just as miraculous. The water parts for a distance of almost 20 miles as the nation passes over on dry ground during the flood stage.
God is faithful to accomplish His good purposes for His people.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His goodness to all generations of those who love Him:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
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 to be feared above all gods
(Psalm 96:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord, who has been good to you:
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, pray for:
· greater insight into the meaning of Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord who is goodness in Himself, and therefore the standard of goodness for all His creatures:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
May 4
Joshua 4
The Israelites choose 12 stones to erect as a memorial to God's faithfulness.
INSIGHT
Memorials help us preserve important memories. God memorializes many important things in the Old Testament, often through feasts and ceremonies. Now He uses a monument built of stones so that in the future the Israelites can tell their children: "Here, the God of miracles was faithful."
What things has God done in your life that you ought not to forget? Think of ways to memorialize them. You might have ceremonies, anniversaries of important events, or a physical memorial. Either way, foster the memory of God's work on your behalf.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to the Lord as you remember all He has done for you:
The Lord reigns;
Let the earth rejoice;
Let the multitude of isles be glad!
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the
foundation of His throne. . . .
The mountains melt like wax at the
presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory
(Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:3-4).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who has done great things for you:
[We look] for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works (Titus 2:13-14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
May 5
Joshua 6
The Lord fells the walls of Jericho.
INSIGHT
The Word of God often goes against all reason. Consider Joshua, a military strategist so brilliant that his campaigns are still studied today. He is standing afar, looking at the city of Jericho, pondering how to conquer it. The angel of the Lord appears to him saying, "Walk around the city several times and shout. That ought to do it!"
Can you imagine the response from the standpoint of military strategy? It is sheer nonsense. Yet it is a test of faith and obedience. Joshua believes and obeys, and the fallen walls are history.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord who fights mightily for His people:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His
glory. Amen and Amen
(Psalm 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in the Lord's power,
· revival to pour down on our spiritually parched land,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord who does everything according to His plan and purpose:
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will (Ephesians 1:4-5).
:angel:
May 6
Joshua 23
Nearing his death, Joshua charges the Israelites to be faithful to the Lord.
INSIGHT
After a brilliant career as Israel's leader, Joshua bids them farewell. He urges them not to allow themselves to be corrupted by the gods or people of the nations around them. Then Joshua encourages them that if they are faithful, "all the good things" of the Lord will come upon them (23:15); if they are not faithful, "the Lord will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land" (23:15).
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His faithfulness to all generations of those who obey Him:
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 personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin: David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly" (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. . . . This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world" (John 6:47-48, 50-51).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faith in God's providence,
· ministry leaders,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
May 7
Joshua 24
Joshua reviews Israel's history, charges them to serve the Lord, then dies at the age of 110.
INSIGHT
Joshua again gathers Israel to hear a review of their history and the good things God has done for them. He states the benefits and consequences of faithfulness and unfaithfulness. "If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (v. 15). Fortunately, the Israelites accept the challenge and agree to serve the Lord.
From time to time, the Lord may challenge us through various and unpredictable ways. When we drift from Him, when we get stale, or cease growing, the Lord will often bring a circumstance into our lives which forces us to choose whom we will serve. At those times, we must learn from the nation of Israel and choose to serve the Lord.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord cares enough about us to challenge us to total commitment, we praise Him:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalm 100:1-5).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 139:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for other Christians,
· missions in Europe and Asia,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
:angel:
May 8
Judges 1
The tribes of Israel do an inadequate job of vanquishing the aliens living in the Promised Land.
INSIGHT
The book of Judges is a pathetic chronicle of a weak and willful people. Soon after Joshua's death, the Israelites begin to fall short of the directives he gave them. They fail at the most crucial point and tolerate the presence of immoral idol worshipers among them. The story which follows is one of sexual immorality, murder, idolatry, corruption, and greed. The depths to which the Israelites plunge is truly disgusting- reminding us of the warnings given by Moses and Joshua.
Turning your back on God always has tragic consequences. When we read about the Israelites, their foolishness seems so clear. Yet when we are faced with temptations today, it doesn't seem so clear. We can learn from the past, however. The consequences can be just as grave for us. A wise man walks with the Lord and is saved.
PRAYER
· Because we can be delivered from bondage to sin, offer your praise for the Lord's goodness:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord
(Psalm 104:24, 34).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He is despised and rejected by men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. . . .
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 53:3, 6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president and national leaders,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
(Psalm 84:11-12).
:angel:
May 9
Judges 2
The Israelites begin worshipping Baal, a god of Canaan.
INSIGHT
There is a distinct pattern of events that begins to unfold in Judges. The children of Israel fall into sin and begin worshiping other gods. Sin is followed by servitude. The Lord causes other nations to rise up in judgment and enslave Israel.
Israel cries out to God for deliverance, and the Lord delivers them by raising up a judge to lead them to victory. Then the land has rest until that judge dies and the cycle begins again: sin, servitude, supplication, salvation, and silence. Sin is always followed by bondage. Repentance frees.
PRAYER
· Because God always honors our obedience to Him, we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more. . . .
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength"
(Isaiah 30:15).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living,
· the needs of your family,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
May 10
Judges 6
Gideon is chosen to rule Israel.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. This is true in times of apostasy when God sometimes calls His mightiest servants from places of obscurity and gives them faith to believe Him. He works great deliverance through them.
This is certainly the case with Gideon who exclaims that he is from the weakest family in Manasseh and is the youngest in that family. Yet he is devoted to the Lord and, therefore, usable for God's purposes.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for the privilege of following Him fully:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name"
Selah
(Psalm 66:1-4).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· growth in all areas of your life,
· fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
May 11
Judges 7
God uses Gideon's 300 men to rout the entire Midianite army.
INSIGHT
"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit" is the work of the Lord accomplished (Zechariah 4:6). Few stories illustrate that principle more clearly than that of Gideon and his army of 300. God wants prepared men to fight His battles with His weapons in His way. His weapons are not earthly but spiritual. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We want to offer God our strength and our weapons and our insight but He does not need them. We need Him. Rather than trying to get God to accept our plans, strategies, and goals, we ought to strive to understand His. His way is the way of victory.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord is our victory, we praise Him and rest in His care:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord
(Psalm 105:1-3).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings. . . ."
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise
(Jeremiah 17:9-10, 14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries for which you are concerned,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
This is the day which the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it
(Psalm 118:24).
:angel:
May 12
Judges 14
Samson desires a Philistine wife.
INSIGHT
Some people are strongly gifted and seem to see results, regardless of their personal worthiness. This is true of Samson. It is difficult to imagine a more unworthy vessel for the work of God. It is a challenge to decide if he carelessly disregards wisdom and the Word of God or whether his decision-making ability is somehow impaired. Nevertheless, in spite of his exceedingly foolish escapades, God uses him to bring judgment on the Philistines who have flaunted their hostility toward Jehovah.
PRAYER
· Give God praise that He uses His people even though we are all unworthy vessels:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
(Psalm 8:1-4).
· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater appreciation of God's mercy,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom
(Psalm 90:12).
:angel:
May 13
Judges 15
Samson uses foxes to burn the Philistines' crops and kills 1,000 men.
INSIGHT
A list of the sins of Samson:
1. Fraternizing with pagans
2. Marrying an unbeliever
3. Disobeying his parents
4. Touching a dead animal
5. Murdering innocent people
6. Visiting a harlot
7. Lying
We are often tempted to disregard the truth. We weary of being good and fighting natural inclinations. But one look at Samson's life reveals the consequences of giving in to that weariness. We must wait on the Lord and have our strength renewed.
PRAYER
· Give praise to God that He forgives our sins and uses us to accomplish His purposes despite our iniquities:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works,
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater appreciation of God's mercy,
· a favorite ministry,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
As a seal upon your arm
(Song of Solomon 8:6).
:angel:
May 14
Judges 16
Samson is subdued and later dies in his final act of resistance.
INSIGHT
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7). Samson's lustful foolishness finally catches up with him, and in a profound example of bad judgment, he discloses the secret of his strength to a woman who had betrayed him repeatedly.
He violates his Nazarite vow, and all his power leaves him. His eyes are gouged out and he dies, not avenging the Lord against the Philistines but avenging the loss of his own eyes. It is a heartbreaking conclusion to a life that is tragic-tragic not only because of what it was, but even more for what it could have been.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and give Him your praise. By His grace, we can escape consequences similar to those Samson experienced by living for Him:
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:
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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· mission work in Africa,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now 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).
:angel:
May 15
Ruth 1
A Jewess, Naomi, and her two daughters-in-law lose their husbands.
INSIGHT
In Ruth, we see one of the most stirring examples of loyalty in the Bible. In spite of Naomi's urgings to the contrary, Ruth stays with her, looking not for personal fulfillment or material comfort but longing merely to maintain the relationship with one whom she loves. This loyalty comes from a pure heart, and it is not surprising that it extends not just to Naomi but also to the Lord.
In stark contrast to Samson, Ruth's selflessness leads to beauty, fulfillment, and seeking the good of others. We should take instruction for our own lives and live as Ruth, not as Samson.
PRAYER
· Because we can have the beauty of the Lord in our lives, give thanks and praise to Him:
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 113:2-3, 5-6, 9).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord;
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me
(Psalm 40:11-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your talents,
· your state and local leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25, 27).
:angel:
May 16
Ruth 2
Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem in hopes of fostering a livelihood.
INSIGHT
When Boaz, a noble and godly man, hears of Ruth's noble and godly actions, he is moved with appreciation for the kind of person she is.
When he finds her gleaning in his fields, he bestows kindnesses on her. Ruth asks why he should take notice of her since she is a foreigner. Boaz replies that it is because of all that she has done for Naomi. The way we live our everyday lives communicates a "life message" to others. When we live for the Lord, that message is a beacon of light to others.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for His sovereignty and for the fact that He works His will regardless of the failures of His children:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-3, 48).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
May 17
Ruth 3
Boaz, a close relative of Naomi, agrees to marry Ruth.
INSIGHT
The custom in the Old Testament is that when a relative dies without leaving a male heir, the next nearest relative marries the surviving spouse to preserve the family name and property rights. Naomi thinks Boaz is the next of kin; therefore, there is nothing forward in Ruth's actions. Boaz exercises admirable restraint, knowing that there is closer kin. His concern for Ruth's good name again shows his nobility of character, for he is surely attracted to Ruth already.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who renews our strength when we wait on Him:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth
(Psalm 108:1-5).
· Pause for personal 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities for evangelism,
· your activities for the day.
· 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).
:angel:
May 18
Ruth 4
Boaz marries Ruth and restores the fortunes of both Ruth and Naomi.
INSIGHT
What a happy ending. Because of Ruth's faithfulness and circumspection, all the broad acres in which she once gleaned as a destitute alien are now hers, for she has become one with the owner.
When we are one with Christ, we are no longer aliens in another's fields; and being one with Christ, all that is His is now also ours. As Ruth is translated from isolation and poverty to union and wealth in Boaz, so we become fellow heirs of the riches of Christ and the grace of God. It is likely that the story of Ruth is intended by God to picture our redemption in Christ. And our story is even greater than Ruth's story.
PRAYER
· Ruth is such a beautiful story of redemption. Praise the Lord for His redemption for us:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . . .
We will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 115:1, 11, 18).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us
(Psalm 103:10-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
(Isaiah 9:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· Christian education institutions,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
May 19
1 Samuel 1
God gives a child to Hannah and Elkanah, after Hannah's years of praying for a son.
INSIGHT
The grief of being childless drives Hannah to God. In Him, she finds her only resource for consolation.
Even though children may cry when they are taken to a doctor by their parents, they still trust their parents in spite of fear and pain. Similarly we must still trust and cling to the Lord even though we do not understand why He does not deliver us from our pain. Just as children will someday understand about the doctor, we will someday understand about the pain.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who will one day make all things in heaven and on earth right:
With righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat. . . .
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea
(Isaiah 11:4-6, 9).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession 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
(Psalm 51:1).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faith in the Lord,
· a world-wide revival,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
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).
:angel:
May 20
1 Samuel 2
Hannah dedicates Samuel to the service of the Lord.
INSIGHT
We rarely give God sufficient thanks and praise for the things He does for us, and we rarely give Him adequate worship for who He is and for His significant answers to prayer.
By contrast, notice Hannah's song of thanksgiving. She prays earnestly for a child, and when the Lord gives her one, she expresses her gratitude in full-blown poetic praise. Her response is fitting for the gift.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord is so merciful to us, we give Him heartfelt praise and thanksgiving with the psalmist:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The Lord has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God
(Psalm 98:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater thankfulness to the Lord,
· unsaved family members,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
A day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness
(Psalm 84:10).
:angel:
May 21
1 Samuel 3
The Lord speaks directly to Samuel, and all Israel recognizes Samuel as a prophet.
INSIGHT
For all the glory of speaking directly with the Lord, Samuel is given a very difficult task: He must deliver to Eli a troubling message from the Lord. With a pure heart and nothing to gain or lose by the encounter, Samuel tells Eli the truth.
We too must sometimes confront people with truth, knowing that the truth will hurt. Ephesians 4:15 instructs us to speak the truth in love. Speaking the truth without love is destructive.
Samuel's example is a difficult one but a good one. Like Samuel, we can only fulfill such a task if our hearts are pure and we do not manipulate the situation for our own benefit.
PRAYER
· Because we can know the truth and the truth can set us free, offer your praise to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 145:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer
(Isaiah 54:7-8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
May 22
1 Samuel 8
Israel demands a king from the Lord.
INSIGHT
The Lord intends to rule Israel by theocracy, which means that God will rule through a man who will be His spokesman. In rejecting this method, the Israelites are not rejecting Samuel but God. To be sure there is a problem with Samuel's sons not walking after the Lord, but rather than ask God for another theocratic administrator, they demand a monarchy. In seeking to correct a legitimate problem, they make matters worse because their motives are wrong. They have a selfish desire for a king like the nations around them.
When we see legitimate problems, we must be careful that we do not demand wrong solutions. There is no substitute for pure motives when it comes to problem solving.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because we need not fear His solutions to problems:
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness. . . .
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 personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart-
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· revival among Christians in America,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
May 23
1 Samuel 9
God instructs Samuel to anoint Saul as the first king over Israel.
INSIGHT
The sovereignty of God is a difficult concept to keep in balance. Often we find ourselves making too much or too little of it.
It is true, however, that many of the events in our lives, which seem to come at random with no significance, are actually events that the Lord is using to orchestrate His purpose in our lives.
For example, Saul goes looking for donkeys and ends up discovering that he will be king of Israel. We should always bathe our daily activities in prayer, for we never know what the Lord might be preparing for us.
PRAYER
· Even though you may be in pain, praise the Lord that He loves you and cares for you:
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments
(Psalm 112:1).
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him, "Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips"
(Hosea 14:1-2).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of personal friends,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered
(Psalm 40:5).
:angel:
May 24
1 Samuel 10
Samuel publicly introduces Saul to the nation of Israel.
INSIGHT
Leadership is at the same time a blessing and a curse. Leaders like to have the allegiance and esteem of their followers, but such is rarely the case. Inherent in humanity are differences of opinion, and those differences cause some to be for certain leadership and against other leadership.
The day Saul is presented as king over Israel, a faction of "worthless men" grumble against him. If you are in a position of leadership, you should not be insensitive to dissension, but you must also realize that you will never make all the people happy all the time.
PRAYER
· Use the following psalm to express your gratitude and praise to the Lord for all He has done for you:
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. . . .
I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places. . . .
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 135:1, 3, 5-6, 21).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels" (Revelation 3:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
May 25
1 Samuel 15
Saul breaks the Law of the Lord then offers sacrifices to the Lord.
INSIGHT
Saul's fall is fast and far. His spiritual leadership is destroyed before he really gets a good start. Such a profound disparity between how he starts and how he ends is difficult to explain.
It stands as a warning, however. None of us is above falling, no matter where we are in our spiritual walk.
Our regular prayers ought to include what Jesus teaches us to pray: "Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13). Again, Jesus says, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation" (Matthew 26:41).
The price of our spiritual welfare is eternal vigilance.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His protection from evil:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness
(Psalm 96:5-8, 11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· local churches around the nation,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
May 26
1 Samuel 16
David is anointed to be king.
INSIGHT
David is indeed an outstanding individual. As a teenager, he is known to be "skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him" (v. 18). In each of these things, David is not just lucky. David works hard at all the things for which he is known, including the fact that "the Lord is with him."
Each of us has been given talents and abilities. Like David, if we are to achieve our God-given potential, we must be slaves to the things that advance those abilities.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord that we are the objects of His tender mercies and powerful leading:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:65-68).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater trust in God's sovereignty,
· the spiritual condition of our national leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
May 27
1 Samuel 17
Goliath the Philistine challenges Israel's army.
INSIGHT
When God goes to war, there are no accidents. Just as He uses Gideon and an army of only 300 to rout the Midianite army that was "without number," so He uses a boy with a slingshot to rout the Philistine army. In 2 Chronicles 18:33, "a certain man drew a bow at random," but it "struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor." There are no accidents when God goes to war.
We can take comfort in this fact in relationship to the spiritual warfare in which we all find ourselves. The obstacles may seem insurmountable. But if we are on God's side, no foe is too great.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise as you rejoice in the power He uses in controlling the events of history:
We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
You drove out the nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.
For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand,
Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
Because You favored them
(Psalm 44:1-4).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long?
(Psalm 6:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me
(Psalm 138:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater courage in the midst of trials,
· your pastor,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands
(Psalm 138:8).
:angel:
May 28
2 Samuel 5
After many years of delay, David assumes Israel's throne.
INSIGHT
Earlier, Samuel had anointed David-then a young, inexperienced boy-to be king over Israel. Fourteen years elapsed between Samuel's anointing and the time when David actually assumes the rule over all of Israel.
Instead of luxuriating in the royal palace during these years, David runs from cave to cave, trying to escape from Saul who is bent on killing him. But it is these difficult experiences that build into David the strength of character, the convictions, the sensitivity to right and wrong, and the vision to be a great king.
Even for us today, the road to transformation always goes through the tunnel of trials.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord uses the difficult times to create Christlikeness in our lives, we can praise Him for all things:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain
(Psalm 127:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East, the islands, and Australia,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
May 29
2 Samuel 7
David prepares for building a temple, but God tells him that David's son will build it.
INSIGHT
With all his heart, David wants to build the temple of God. Yet because David is a man of war, God reserves that privilege for David's son Solomon, whose very name means "peace."
While David cannot actually build the temple, he does draw the plans and begins amassing the materials. And Solomon's job is much easier because of David's work.
In fact, the Lord commends David's deep desire to build the temple even though he is not permitted to do so (see 2 Chronicles 6:8.)
There may be things in your heart that you would like to do for God that you cannot do. Even so, it is good that it is in your heart to want to do them.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He rewards us because of our motives:
"Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify
Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested"
(Revelation 15:3-4).
One cried to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!"
(Isaiah 6:3).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· 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, pray for:
· faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· the Lord's work in world affairs,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this 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).
:angel:
May 30
2 Samuel 11
David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his loyal commanders.
INSIGHT
There is greater pain in sin than in righteousness. David clearly loves Bathsheba. Certainly, it would have pained him had he turned his heart away from her before having relations with her. But that pain is nothing compared to the pain he brings on himself and others by taking her as his own. Adultery, murder, the death of their child, the loss of respect, and the memory of the guilt were some of the results of his sin.
It is sometimes painful to do the right thing, but it is always more painful to do the wrong thing.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because He fulfills our lives by giving us talents and abilities to develop:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 150:1-3, 6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me (Jeremiah 33:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord
(Lamentations 3:25-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your development of an eternal perspective,
· your personal spiritual goals,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).
:angel:
May 31
2 Samuel 12
The prophet Nathan openly rebukes David and stirs him to repent.
INSIGHT
When Nathan comes to accuse David of adultery and murder, it is well within David's power to shout: "Off with his head!" But David does not issue that order. Instead, his heart breaks. The horror and magnitude of his sin is incalculable, but it is to David's credit that he immediately repents. Rather than resisting repentance because we feel we don't deserve forgiveness, we should do as David did-repent that very instant.
PRAYER
· Give praise and thanks to the Lord for giving us victory over the world:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You. . . .
The Lord is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation
(Jeremiah 10:6-7, 10).
· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· persecuted Christians worldwide,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
June 1
1 Kings 1
The prophet Nathan and Bathsheba join forces to ensure that Solomon replaces David as king.
INSIGHT
As Adonijah, David's oldest living son, takes steps to become king, only Bathsheba and Nathan know of David's desire that Solomon succeed him.
Circumstances seem grim to Bathsheba. Should Adonijah become king, she and Solomon most probably would lose their lives, being seen as threats to the throne. Yet it is God who establishes kings, and His will is that Solomon reign. Again God demonstrates that He is in control-in spite of the foreboding circumstances.
As we consider the perplexing nature of circumstances in the world, we are tempted to lose heart, perhaps to question whether God is really in control. We should be reminded from this passage that He is. Whatever comes our way, the hand of God is there to see us through. It is something we must believe.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer this praise to Him:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works. . . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You
(Psalm 9:1, 9-10).
· Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(Joel 2:12-13).
· The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace"
(Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
June 2
1 Kings 2
David charges Solomon with the urgency of living for the Lord.
INSIGHT
Parts of the Old Testament tax our understanding and our acceptance.
First, we do not understand much about Judaism, the Law, and Old Testament
culture and customs. Second, many of the events are violations of God's desires-though that is not explained to us. And finally, God deals with men differently in the Old Testament than in the New Testament.
While not all things are easily explained, in chapter 2, Solomon takes vengeance only upon all those people who had already committed acts that were punishable by death. This doesn't answer every problem we might have with this difficult chapter, but it is a beginning.
PRAYER
· The Lord will guard and care for those who want to follow Him with their whole heart:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears
(Psalm 34:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord answered Job, and said:
"Shall the one who contends with the
Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it."
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
"Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth"
(Job 40:1-4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him" (John 6:27).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a friend to believe in Christ,
· greater understanding and love for God's Word,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned (Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
June 3
1 Kings 1
God grants Solomon wisdom.
INSIGHT
Solomon's heart is manifested by the purity of his prayer. He could have asked for a long life; he could have asked for riches and honor. But instead Solomon asks simply for wisdom. What an honest and unselfish prayer.
Being honest with God is not as easy as we might think. We all tend to live life with masks on-behind which the real "us" hides-to make a better impression on people.
How foolish! God sees behind the mask-as do most people. We can learn from Solomon. God is pleased with honest, transparent prayers.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His wisdom to all generations of those who love Him:
Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord
(Jeremiah 9:23-24).
· 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.
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 19:12-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the all-wise Lord:
In you, O Christ, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (based on Colossians 2:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in your daily life,
· wisdom for political leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
June 4
1 Kings 4
Solomon's fame spreads throughout the world.
INSIGHT
To understand the significance of Solomon's wealth, power, and wisdom, we must go back to Deuteronomy 28, where God outlined the consequences for Israel's obedience and disobedience. During the latter part of David's reign and the early part of Solomon's reign, Israel follows the Lord in righteousness for a longer period of time than any other. The results are a greater blessing than at any other time in Israel's history.
It is a glaring and tragic reality that shortly after Solomon's reign, Israel follows her kings in unrighteousness, and the curses in Deuteronomy begin to come about. The welfare of Israel is always related to her righteousness.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is holy and in whose holiness we can share:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
· Pray this confession as you 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 13:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· mission work in Europe and Asia,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
June 5
1 Kings 5
Solomon forms an alliance with Hiram for help in building the temple.
INSIGHT
Known as a fair, just, and righteous man, David builds an excellent reputation with noble neighboring leaders. Hiram and David establish their friendship early in David's reign (2 Samuel 5:11), and 1 Kings 5:1 states: "Hiram had always loved David."
It is perhaps David's reputation that prompts Solomon to write in Proverbs 22:1: "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches." Each of us must take this Scripture to heart and dedicate ourselves to the development of a spotless reputation by being fair, just, and righteous and by being utterly true to our word.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord whose reputation we share when we live for Him:
Ah, Lord God! . . . There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them-the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:17-19).
· 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
"For 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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president and national leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
June 6
1 Kings 6
Solomon oversees the temple construction, making it a work of art glorifying God.
INSIGHT
The temple that Solomon builds for the Lord is spectacular. The stonework is magnificent; the tapestry work is glorious; and nearly everything inside is overlaid with gold.
Why such opulence? Because the temple is to be a physical representation of the beauty and glory of God. One is supposed to be able to look at the temple and be reminded of the beauty of God. It is not beauty for beauty's sake, but for the glory of the God of beauty.
PRAYER
· Offer God your praise in the words of this Scripture:
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him
(Daniel 2:20-22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater wisdom for living,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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.
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 19:13-14).
:angel:
June 7
1 Kings 7
King Hiram of Tyre supplies artisans and craftsmen to finalize the glorious temple.
INSIGHT
Not only is the work of the temple designed to reflect the splendor and glory of God, but also the layout of the temple is designed to reflect His work in atoning for our sin. The bronze laver, the candlesticks, the tables of showbread, the Holy of Holies-all are designed to picture for us the atoning work of Christ. All this is in keeping with what Paul wrote in Romans 15:4: "Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."
PRAYER
· The Lord knows us totally and loves us completely, and for this we offer Him our praise:
Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation" (Luke 1:46-50).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:9-11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
June 8
1 Kings 8
Solomon leads the people into a grand dedication ceremony for the new temple.
INSIGHT
The phenomenal blessings that God pours out on Israel have a purpose beyond merely blessing them. In fact, God wants other nations to see His favor on Israel and desire to know Him because of what they witness in the lives of His people.
This truth is reflected when Solomon prays that "the Lord our God be with us . . . [so] that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other" (vv. 57, 60). David understands this principle also when he writes in Psalm 67:7: "God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him." And today God wants to bless us spiritually that others may see Christ in us and be drawn to Him.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord who blesses us that we might draw others to Him because of His mark in our lives:
"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 4:11).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the
Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and its effects:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you
(Deuteronomy 32:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
June 9
1 Kings 9
The Lord reiterates His promise to bless Israel for faithfulness and to judge her for sin.
INSIGHT
Three things happen when Israel lives in a righteous relationship with the Lord. First, God is glorified. Second, Israel is blessed, receiving the fullness of life for which she longs. Third, the unsaved world is drawn to want to know God because of the magnificent picture they see of Him.
Because so much hinges on Israel's standing before God, the Lord makes it clear to her how serious her position is. If she will trust and obey Him, He will bless Israel forever. However, if she lives in sin, He will utterly destroy her.
PRAYER
· Give the Lord praise for His perfect and holy justice and goodness:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalm 100:4-5).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be obedient to God's commands,
· our nation's military personnel,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the waters
(Psalm 24:1-2).
:angel:
June 10
1 Kings 10
The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon.
INSIGHT
Solomon leads Israel in righteousness, and God pours out His blessing on the nation to such an extent that the reports of Israel's prosperity spread throughout the world. The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon because she cannot believe the reports she has been hearing. After Solomon meets with her and shows her around Jerusalem, she is overwhelmed.
The blessing of Israel is to draw attention to the God of Israel. Today as the Lord blesses us spiritually for our faithfulness to Him, attention will be drawn, not to us, but to the Lord.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord that He still does marvelous things through His people-things that make the world stand up and take notice:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord who blesses the work of His people:
God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faithfulness in evangelism,
· the church's impact on the world,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned (Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
June 11
1 Kings 11
Solomon takes wives from (and makes allegiances with) foreigners, and God judges him.
INSIGHT
Not long after the Lord reminds Solomon of the blessings of obedience and the cataclysmic consequences of disobedience, Solomon disobeys. After taking foreign wives who turn his heart from the Lord, Solomon begins to worship Ashtoreth and builds a "high place" of worship for Chemosh and Molech, detestable pagan gods. True to His word, the Lord raises up an adversary, Hadad, to plague Solomon. God's purpose is not to punish. He wants the adversity to turn Solomon's heart back to Him. When you suffer adversity, examine yourself to see if there is sin in your life. That is not always true, but it is something to which we must be sensitive.
PRAYER
Bless the Lord and praise Him for His goodness because He forgives our sin:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11).
You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You, according to all
that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face
to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads,
and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus,
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the Scripture says,
"Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 10:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:6).
:angel:
June 12
1 Kings 12
After Solomon's death, Rehoboam splits the kingdom.
INSIGHT
Because Solomon drifts from the Lord during the latter part of his reign, he does not leave to his successor a healthy, vibrant nation. Israel struggles for moral and political leadership. Rehoboam inherits the throne but places foolish and inordinate financial demands on the nation on the heels of what Solomon had demanded—to build the temple and his palace. The people rebel and the nation divides. The northern part of the kingdom (Israel) follows after Jeroboam while Rehoboam retains control over the southern part (Judah); neither man leads the nation in righteousness and the disintegration that began with Solomon continues. Sin is taking its toll. It always does.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that when we confess our sin, He removes the eternal penalty:
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 personal praise and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled
(Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God
(Romans 5:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your talents
-- Your state and local leaders
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
June 19
2 Kings 5
Naaman is healed of leprosy when he obeys Elisha's directives.
INSIGHT
It is God who has power to move in the realm of the spiritual and miraculous—not man. So whether God asks us to do something difficult or simple, it doesn't matter. He will do the work behind our faith. Naaman learns this the hard way. His heart is open to God, for he goes to Elisha hoping that God will heal his leprosy. But when Elisha tells him to wash in the Jordan seven times, Naaman roars: "Are not . . . the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel?" (v. 12). He misses the point. The point is not clean water or unclean. The point is: Does he believe God? The Jordan is merely a test of his faith in God. When Naaman realizes that, he washes and is healed.
PRAYER
By faith, we offer our praise to the Lord and thank Him for the power that makes us clean:
Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless 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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
June 20
2 Kings 6
When the Syrians threaten Elisha, they are struck blind.
INSIGHT
We often have no idea what is going on around us in the spiritual realm. Spiritual battles explode before our very eyes, but we neither see them nor hear them (Daniel 10:13). Guardian angels minister to our needs (Hebrews 1:14). We entertain angels "unwittingly" (Hebrews 13:2). How real and alive is the spiritual realm; yet without the Scriptures, we would know little about it. The Syrian army is camped around Dothan, but Elisha is not concerned because an army of the angels of the Lord encircles the horizon. We walk by faith and not by sight.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He can turn our failures into successes, and offer Him your praise in this psalm:
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 personal 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 name's 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world"
(John 6:51).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of personal friends
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
June 21
2 Kings 7
Israel is delivered from Aram.
INSIGHT
While we must be careful about "spiritualizing" what we read in the Old Testament and making it say something it doesn't, there is at least an excellent illustration in the defeat of the Aramean army relating to the message of the Gospel today. The lepers are lost and starving and come upon abundance adequate for their own welfare as well as the welfare of all others. They realize it is wrong to keep it to themselves, and they go out to tell others. The same is true of the Gospel of Christ. Those of us who have had our needs met by Him cannot be satisfied keeping it to ourselves — we must tell others.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord for the miracle of the "new birth," and praise Him for His grace:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings
(Psalm 33:1-2).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin and its effects:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord who protects you:
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:21).
:angel:
June 22
2 Kings 8
The king restores the Shunammite widow's land.
INSIGHT
Nothing happens in our lives or in the world apart from divine appointment or permission. Behind every event and incident, there is divine providence. The Shunammite widow, who has done so much for Elisha, is remembered and cared for years afterward. The Lord has a wonderful memory for those who feed Him when He is hungry and minister to Him when He is in need (see Matthew 25:37). The conversation between Gehazi, Elisha's servant, and the king might seem an accident, but it is providential. When we abide in the will of God, life is sown with divine coincidences.
PRAYER
For the Lord's sovereignty and goodness to us, offer this praise:
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).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You. . . ."
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen
(Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength
(Isaiah 40:28-29).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Local churches across the nation
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
June 23
2 Kings 18
Hezekiah institutes a reign of righteousness.
INSIGHT
It is wonderful that such a wicked man as Ahaz had such a righteous son as Hezekiah. It is difficult to stand against moral disintegration—especially when it is all around you and generally accepted. It is also likely the fall of the Northern Kingdom is a great incentive to root out idolatry. God richly rewards Hezekiah for his moral courage and leadership, demonstrating the validity of 2 Chronicles 16:9: "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."
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He richly blesses those who seek to follow Him with all their heart:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
I opened my mouth and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.
Look upon me and be merciful to me,
As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.
Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
(Psalm 119:129-133)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
(Psalm 138:7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- A heart more tender to the things of the Lord
-- The work of a specific ministry that has had an impact on your life
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
(Psalm 121:8)
:angel:
June 24
2 Kings 19
When Sennacherib attacks Jerusalem, Hezekiah calls upon the Lord.
INSIGHT
In spite of all the trouble that comes upon Israel and Judah, God wants to bless them. It is only as He is blessing them that His desire for the world is advanced. All that is needed is obedience. Hezekiah demonstrates just how quickly everything can turn around. He is looking into the jaws of an Assyrian military machine one minute, and the Assyrians are routed the next. God is not reluctant to bless us. But we must be sure we are eligible by being faithful to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord; for He controls the universe and does all things for our good:
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, "Glory!"
The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.
(Psalm 29:5-11)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
(Joel 2:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faith in God's goodness
-- Those who've never heard the Gospel
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this prayer to the Lord:
Jesus, You are the door. If anyone enters by You, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (based on John 10:9).
:angel:
June 25
2 Kings 20
In answer to Hezekiah's prayer, the Lord extends his life.
INSIGHT
Hezekiah's contribution to our lives is probably very great. We read of his zeal for the house of Jehovah and for the worship of Jehovah and of his strict adherence to the Davidic traditions (2 Chronicles 29:3-19; 20-27; 30). His delight is in the Word of Jehovah. In 2 Chronicles 31:21, we read of the "work" which Hezekiah began "in the law and in the commandment." Apparently he formed a guild of men for this devout literary work. These "men of Hezekiah" evidently included Isaiah (2 Kings 19:2) and also had a hand in shaping the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 25:1). What a contribution this ancient one has made to our lives today!
PRAYER
The Lord's dominion is forever, and we can praise Him that He never changes:
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 personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
(Psalm 51:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- The work of missions in Australia
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
June 26
2 Kings 25
God judges Judah by allowing Nebuchadnezzar to capture Jerusalem.
INSIGHT
Judah has a total of 20 kings after Solomon. Only eight of them give moral and spiritual leadership. And as the king goes, so goes the nation. As a result, God has to bring judgment on Israel. The ghastly succession of horrors promised for disobedience in Deuteronomy 28–and reiterated to Solomon in 1 Kings 9—begins to unfold. "I will cast (Israel) out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples" (1 Kings 9:7). Nebuchadnezzar besieges and captures Jerusalem, transports her main people to Babylonia, robs her treasury, and violates worship in the temple. Sin has a terrible price.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that we can be spared from His judgment on sin:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
(Psalm 63:1-2)
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:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases.
(Psalm 103:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The Lord's work in national and world affairs
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
June 27
1 Chronicles 17
God promises David that He will propagate David's lineage forever.
INSIGHT
David is described as a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). It is difficult for us to accept that statement when David is guilty of lying, adultery, murder, and other indiscretions. However, to be a man after God's own heart means that David wants the same things God wants. His noble desires and intentions are overruled several times by his passions; but when David's senses are restored and he repents of his sin, again his heart beats after God's desires. We may not be as bad as David in his bad moments, but are we as good as David in his good moments? Do our hearts beat after God?
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that He is eager to bless our righteous acts:
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)
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
(Psalm 7:17)
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me
(Psalm 51:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
He also has become my salvation"
(Isaiah 12:2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- An increased eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Grace, mercy, and peace [be to you] from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).
:angel:
June 28
1 Chronicles 29
Just before his death, David blesses Israel and gives his blessing to Solomon.
INSIGHT
How we spend our money is a powerful reflection of our value system. If we have strong spiritual values, we give our money generously to spiritual things. If we have primarily temporal values, we resist—and perhaps even resent—giving to spiritual things. After completing the temple, the Israelites rejoiced, "for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD" (v. 9). Where are your values?
PRAYER
Bless the Lord. Praise Him for His blessings in our lives:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.
(1 Chronicles 29:11-13)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
(Psalm 51:4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:31)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Persecuted Christians worldwide
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
June 29
2 Chronicles 34
Josiah leads Judah into righteousness.
INSIGHT
It is almost impossible to imagine the Law could have gotten lost in Jerusalem. How could that have happened? The whole nation is to worship the Lord; the dominant building in Jerusalem is the temple. Israel's entire history revolves around the giving and preservation of the Law. How can this happen? Neglect has a poor memory. How quickly we can drift from the Lord in just a short time of spiritual staleness. Consider our nation. The moral fiber we had 20 years ago is nonexistent today. People are people. Israel drifted the same way—but for a longer time. This ought to serve as a warning to us; the same can happen to us as individuals.
PRAYER
The Lord will guard and care for the heart that follows Him and is filled with praise:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by. . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
(Psalm 51:14-15)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- Others to see Christ in you
-- The Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest
-- Your activities for the day
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).
:angel:
June 30
2 Chronicles 35
The Passover, unobserved for years, is reinstated.
INSIGHT
Abraham Lincoln once said, "A man's about as happy as he makes up his mind to be." That may be an oversimplification; yet it states a basic truth: Often we must consciously decide what we want to become. Those who grow spiritually are those who have made a conscious decision to pursue spiritual things. Josiah, one of the great kings of Judah, is a strong reformer who tries to lead the nation in righteousness. In 2 Chronicles 34:31, we read: "The king . . . made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul." Have you ever made the decision to follow the Lord with your whole heart?
PRAYER
As He is a God both of power and compassion, we offer Him our praise:
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;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it, . ..
The host of heaven worships You.
(Nehemiah 9:5-6)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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.
(Psalm 34:17-18)
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- The ministry of our nation's churches
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
July 1
Ezra 1
The Lord prompts the king of Persia to rebuild the temple.
INSIGHT
The Bible says that God "removes kings and raises up kings" (Daniel 2:21) and that "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord" (Proverbs 21:1). We see a classic example of these truths in the book of Ezra. The Israelites are taken captive by the Babylonians for 70 years. During that time, the Babylonians are conquered by Persia. Then the Lord moves in the heart of the king of Persia to orchestrate the return of the Jews to Jerusalem. God is in control. Bad things will still happen; we live in a fallen world. But God is in control and history is moving toward His end. The ultimate needs of His children are met, and we have the promise of eternal life. Beyond that, we must cling to the fact that we are pilgrims, sojourners to another world—heaven, where our true citizenship lies.
PRAYER
As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this praise:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
(Psalm 106:1-3)
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.
(Psalm 130:1-4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to God:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:4-6).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- His will to be done
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
July 2
Ezra 3
The priests restore the altar and worship of the Lord.
INSIGHT
The basis of most discontent is comparison. We could be happy with our cars if the neighbors didn't have better ones. We would be satisfied with our houses if they were as nice as everyone else's. Yet, were we to have our present possessions in Africa, we would be considered rich. Once our basic needs are met, the issue is not "how are we," but rather, "how are we compared to how everyone else is." When the foundation of the new temple is laid, the new generation rejoices at the work of God; but the older generation laments that the new temple is not as impressive as the old one. We should be content with what God has chosen to give us and not make comparisons. He is rich who rejoices in his portion.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for what He has given you, and rejoice in your portion:
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
(Psalm 71:15-17)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this prayer:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous spirit.
(Psalm 51:10, 12)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- That others might see Christ in you
-- That the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers into His harvest
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing 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).
:angel:
July 3
Ezra 4
The king orders a halt to the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
There is a common misconception in the Christian world that if you are doing the Lord's will, you will not suffer hardships for it. The example of the Jews rebuilding the temple certainly does not support that supposition. The Lord clearly intends for them to rebuild the temple, yet they suffer opposition the entire time. It is not necessarily a sign of God's displeasure when work begun for Him fails. There may be other reasons for the failure, which are hidden in His sovereignty. That is why it is so important to be in fellowship with Him. If something we are doing fails, we have confidence that it is not because of our sin, but His sovereignty.
PRAYER
Because He faithfully loves you, faithfully praise Him and thank Him for your many blessings:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
(Psalm 72:18-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:13-14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
(Psalm 119:67, 71)
God yearns to hear His children's desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual growth
-- Fulfillment of the Great Commission
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
(Psalm 23:6)
:angel:
July 4
Ezra 6
The original decree is found, and permission is given to complete the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
It is often darkest before the dawn. Just as it looks as if the work on the temple is going to be stopped, the Lord turns the situation around. Not only is permission given to complete the temple, but those who had tried to stop the work are required to finance the remainder of the restoration! Worrying does little to further the work of God; He is quite capable of accomplishing His work. Our work is trust, obedience, and faithfulness to our responsibilities.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over your circumstances, and thank Him for being in total control of your life:
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.
(Psalm 18:1-3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
God desires to hear the petitions of His people. As you make you requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment in the circumstances of your life,
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace."
(Numbers 6:24-25)
:angel:
July 5
Ezra 6
The original decree is found, and permission is given to complete the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
It is often darkest before the dawn. Just as it looks as if the work on the temple is going to be stopped, the Lord turns the situation around. Not only is permission given to complete the temple, but those who had tried to stop the work are required to finance the remainder of the restoration! Worrying does little to further the work of God; He is quite capable of accomplishing His work. Our work is trust, obedience, and faithfulness to our responsibilities.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over your circumstances, and thank Him for being in total control of your life:
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.
(Psalm 18:1-3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin,
but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
God desires to hear the petitions of His people.
As you make you requests known to the Lord, include:
contentment in the circumstances of your life,
greater love for the lost,
the work of missions in Africa,
whatever else is on your heart.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-25).
:angel:
July 6
Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah weeps as he learns of Jerusalem's deterioration.
INSIGHT
One of the essential characteristics of leadership is that the leader feels the full weight of the plight of certain people and assumes responsibility for their condition. Many people knew of Jerusalem's condition, but few felt the impact and had the vision for response. Nehemiah did and God used him in a mighty way. What in life "hits" you? What situations cause you to feel the impact of the plight of others, and for what situations do you have a vision for response? It might be as large as a nation or as small as a church nursery. But if you feel it and have a vision for it, chances are God would like to use you there.
PRAYER
Being used by the Lord is a joyful experience. Praise Him as you consider how He might use you:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:1-2, 14)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
(Proverbs 2:3-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater sensitivity to sin,
-- The ministry of your local church,
-- Your activities for the day.
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)
:angel:
July 7
Nehemiah 2
Nehemiah requests the king's help in rebuilding Jerusalem.
INSIGHT
Nehemiah comes before the king unable to conceal his agitation over the situation in Jerusalem. When we are faced with situations that need change, preparation is vital. We may not be able to do anything about it at the moment, but we can ask ourselves this question: "If it lay within our power to do anything we wanted to do, what would we do?" If we can answer that, then we will recognize opportunity when it knocks, and we can capitalize on it as Nehemiah does.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is concerned about the details of your life and is ready to fulfill your every need:
The Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
(Psalm 1:6)
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)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil (Ecclesiastes 5:1).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Boldness in sharing Christ with others
-- The innocent victims in war-torn lands
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
:angel:
July 8
Nehemiah 4
The work on the city wall is ridiculed by those opposing it.
INSIGHT
It is difficult to do any work when we are strongly opposed. We begin to doubt the validity of the task or our ability to perform it. When we are assailed for doing God's work, we must evaluate the source of opposition. We cannot assume opposition means that God is against us. While it is of little value to blame the devil for everything that goes wrong, the Bible makes it clear that spiritual opposition is a reality in the work of God. If we suspect spiritual opposition, we must oppose the enemy, remain at the task at hand, and redouble our prayers!
PRAYER
Praise God that He has given us instruction for life in the Bible and through the Holy Spirit:
"My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation."
(1 Samuel 2:1)
Pause for additional praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. . . God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. (1Thessalonians 4:1-2, 7-8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God. . . .
He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
For by strength no man shall prevail."
(1 Samuel 2:2, 9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Diligence in our work in spite of obstacles
-- Wisdom in making decisions
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
The blessings of your father
Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
(Genesis 49:25-26)
:angel:
July 9
Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah stops the internal mistreatment among the Jews by force of example.
INSIGHT
The prospects for some of the returned exiles are bleak. There are deficient rains and poor harvests. As a result, the farmers mortgage their lands to their wealthier brethren and, in extreme cases, sell their children into slavery to pay the king's taxes. The rich Jews, rather than helping out, are capitalizing on the situation to line their own pockets. This is inexcusable! Few things bring on more reproach to the cause of the Lord than the worldliness and hard-heartedness of those who claim to follow Him. Unselfish dedication to the common welfare of others in Christ is our spiritual obligation.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves each of us equally and accepts our welfare as His obligation, we praise Him:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.
(Psalm 93:1-2)
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:5)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 love for fellow Christians
-- Missions in Europe and Asia
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
July 10
Nehemiah 6
The work on the wall is completed.
INSIGHT
Nehemiah resists the efforts of the adversaries to discourage him or distract him from working on the wall. He is convinced that he is doing the right thing, and he steadfastly resists the interference. The Old Testament often has a literal illustration of a spiritual truth that is explained in the New Testament. In Ephesians 6:11, we read that we are to "put on the whole armor of God": the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Once these are in place, we "resist"—"stand firm!"
PRAYER
Praise God for victory in spiritual warfare as we use His armor:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
O come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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 53:6)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- The president and world affairs
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing 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)
:angel:
July 11
Nehemiah 8
The people gather at the square to hear Ezra, who reads the Law publicly.
INSIGHT
No one appreciates a glass of water like a man who is truly thirsty. It takes deprivation to appreciate the significance of our blessings. That is why the Christian life is not always easy—with blessings flowing unabated. We get dull and stale to it—just as we do when we have too much food and too little exercise. We are indeed blessed to have the Word of God in such abundance. The returning Jews have never heard the Word, and they are truly thirsty. They stand — from dawn till dusk — and drink it in. To appreciate the Word in your life, imagine not having it at all.
PRAYER
Give the Lord your praise, because He knows us and loves us and will never leave or forsake us:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
(Psalm 97:10-12)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
(1 Corinthians 2:9)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
July 12
Nehemiah 9
Upon hearing the Law, the people publicly confess their transgressions.
INSIGHT
Paul says in the New Testament that it was not until he heard the Law that he was conscious of sin. How true! It is not until you know the truth that the truth can set you free (John 8:32). The returning Jews experience this truth in a dramatic way. Upon hearing the Law, Israel repents of her sins and rededicates herself to serving the Lord. This repentance clears her conscience, results in rich worship, and makes her eligible for the blessings of the Lord. It sets her free! Repentance will do the same for you.
PRAYER
Because the Lord preserves us through spiritual battles, offer your praises as you read this psalm:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, God of my salvation,
I have cried out day and night before You.
Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life draws near to the grave.
(Psalm 88:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:8)
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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater insight into God's Word
-- The homeless in your country and around the world
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
July 13
Esther 1
Because Vashti refuses to dance for King Ahasuerus, she is removed as queen.
INSIGHT
In Ezra and Nehemiah, we learn how God watches over the Jews who return from captivity. Esther tells us how those who remain in exile—scattered through the East—are marvelously preserved. Though the name of God does not appear in the book, His hand is clearly manifest throughout. The significance of the "narrow escapes" cannot be dismissed as coincidental. Ahasuerus demands that his queen appear before the party. She refuses. The stage is now set for God's miraculous plan of deliverance for His people.
PRAYER
Take comfort in the sovereignty of God, and praise Him for His faithfulness:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness.
(Psalm 96:5-8, 11)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.
(Isaiah 54:7-8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
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:
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 ).
:angel:
July 14
Esther 2
Esther wins the king's favor and is chosen to become queen.
INSIGHT
Abraham, Moses, David, and Esther are all living lives of obscurity when God chooses them. He uses them for great things because they are faithful to Him in the little things. While not all of us are destined to do incredible things in the eyes of man, greatness in the eyes of God is simply being faithful to Him the best way we know how. God has not forgotten about us; His eye is on us. And He will use us—even if only in seemingly "small" ways.
PRAYER
Thank God that we do not need to be born into a wealthy family or attain a place of prestige to be used by Him. Praise God that He uses ordinary people to do His extraordinary work:
As for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.
(Psalm 5:7-8)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
(Psalm 5:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
(Psalm 5:4-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment in the place God has led you to
-- Patience in serving others
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
(Psalm 5:11-12)
:angel:
July 15
Esther 3
Haman deceives the king into signing an edict that would kill all the Jews.
INSIGHT
Man's inhumanity to man over the ages has been astounding. Some of the acts of violence and degradation have defied comprehension. In this vein, Haman hatches a savage and inhumane plot against the Jews to have them annihilated—men, women, and children. King Ahasuerus also has a monstrous mind, willing to sanction such savagery without question. When sin progresses to such extremes, we see just how repulsive it is.
PRAYER
God continually watches over His children. Thank Him for His protection:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1-2)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to God:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
(Psalm 19:7-11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The political leaders of your country
-- Graciousness in speech
-- The needs of family members
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
July 16
Esther 4
Esther learns of the plot to kill the Jews and plans to intercede.
INSIGHT
"I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" (4:16). Those are not the words of someone being melodramatic; they are the words of a realist who accurately assesses the situation. By law, no one can go into the presence of the king unless invited; to do so means execution. If the king chooses to extend grace to the person, he offers his scepter, whereupon the subject is to kneel and touch the top of the scepter. Esther has no idea what Ahasuerus will do. He deposed Vashti with a clap of his hands; he signed the edict to kill the Jews without asking a question. Though she has no other choice, Esther's decision still takes great courage.
PRAYER
Our courage comes from confidence in God who loves us, and for this, we give Him our praise:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 104:1-2, 35)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
(Isaiah 59:9)
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them.
(Psalm 41:10)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:15-16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for non-Christians
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Those who are persecuted for their faith
Now close with this prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
July 17
Esther 5
Esther plans a banquet to set the stage for the revelation of the death plot.
INSIGHT
"Pride goes before destruction" (Proverbs 16:18). One of the supreme examples of this truth in all of the Bible is Haman. His ego is on a feeding frenzy. He has power, wealth, position, family, friends, and honor. Yet all of this fails to satisfy his ego. Mordecai's unwillingness to bow down to him sticks like a bone in Haman's throat. Haman's wife reveals her character by suggesting a flamboyant display of vengeance: "Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high [75 feet], and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it," she counsels (v. 14). The same shadow is darkening both hearts. When pride is taken to this extreme, we see how exceedingly ugly it is. Beware of pride!
PRAYER
Our pride is mellowed when we see how Jesus humbled Himself for us. Praise Him for His love:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions— . . .
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
(Psalm 104:24, 33-34)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
(Jeremiah 10:23-24)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
(Psalm 77:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your talents
--State and local leaders,
-- Your activities for the day,
-- Whatever else is on your heart.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
July 18
Esther 6
Haman must honor Mordecai with acts which Haman himself suggested.
INSIGHT
Very few things in the Bible are actually funny. However, taken in isolation, chapter 6 of Esther is probably the funniest event in the Bible. The king asks Haman what he thinks is a good way to honor someone. Haman thinks to himself, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?" (6:6). Then he tells the king what he, Haman, would like to have done for himself. The king then responds by telling Haman to do that for Mordecai. The irony is overwhelming—the humor irrepressible. The wrath of man is made to praise God.
PRAYER
God is a God of power and glory, yet He loves to call us His own. Praise Him for His love for us:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
(Psalm 108:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this prayer:
"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me" (Jeremiah 33:8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of friends
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
July 19
Esther 7
Haman's plot is revealed, and he is hanged.
INSIGHT
The final irony falls. Haman hangs on the gallows which he had constructed for Mordecai. Pride has come full circle; sin has self-destructed. Satan is called the deceiver and the destroyer; he deceives in order to destroy. He gets us to commit ourselves to a course of action which we think will achieve our aims, and, in the end, it destroys us. If you are on any course of action which you feel will achieve your aims—but the course of action is wrong—give it up. Unchecked, you will eventually be destroyed by it.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that though He does not always spare us from pain, He is always with us through the pain:
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)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Assyria shall not save us,
We will not ride on horses,
Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands,
"You are our gods."
For in You the fatherless finds mercy.
(Hosea 14:3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
(Proverbs 9:10)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Your activities for the day,
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
July 20
Esther 8
Mordecai is honored and promoted.
INSIGHT
The law of the Medes and Persians cannot be revoked. Once written, no one, not even the king, can rescind it. The law to annihilate the Jews is carved in stone. Since the original plan cannot be revoked, a clever counter-plan is conceived to neutralize it. Permission is given to the Jews to arm themselves and to assemble and defend themselves. In addition, Mordecai is raised to power, replacing the position previously occupied by Haman. God's sovereign protection of His people in exile is in its final stages. The integrity of Esther and Mordecai is rewarded. Righteousness triumphs.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over the circumstances of our lives:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek 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.
(Psalm 105:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it? . . .
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise.
(Jeremiah 17:9, 14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- Greater passion for moral excellence
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
July 21
Esther 9
With the king's permission, the Jews are allowed to protect themselves.
INSIGHT
National salvation is culminated for the Jews. When the fateful day arrives, the Jews throughout the empire stand on the defense. In the provinces, 75,000 of their assailants fall—500 of them in the capital of Susa alone. Among these are the 10 sons of Haman. A divine purpose runs through all human governments and events; and as God exalted Mordecai to honor and glory, so will He work for those who love Him. And so, ultimately, will He put all enemies under His feet.
PRAYER
God is far more powerful than any earthly leader. Thank Him that His power is tempered with righteousness and compassion:
The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
(Psalm 10:16-18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,
Who have said,
"With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?"
(Psalm 12:3-4)
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)
Our heavenly Father loves to communicate with His children. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Wisdom for your church leaders
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! (2 Timothy 4:18).
:angel:
July 23
Job 42
God blesses Job, restoring his good fortunes.
INSIGHT
Throughout life, there are things we do not understand. As we mature, we begin to understand. Likewise, we do not understand why the righteous must suffer. But someday, in heaven, we will understand. It will make sense. In the midst of Job's struggle, he makes some incisive observations that help us cope until we receive full understanding: "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (23:10). "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (13:15).
PRAYER
Though we do not always understand the Lord, we can always trust Him and give Him our praise:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 113:1-3, 5-6, 9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
(Joel 2:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
As you make your requests to the Lord include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- Missions in South America
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
:angel:
July 24
Psalm 1
The righteous prosper as they delight in the Lord, while the wicked perish.
INSIGHT
In Jerusalem, each gate is named for the destination of the road leading away from it. There is the Joppa Gate, leading to Joppa; there is the Damascus Gate, leading to Damascus. Some of these gates are very close together, but their destinations are very far apart. Life is like that. The psalmist says there are basically two gates in life: the "wicked gate" and the "righteous gate." Your destination in life depends upon which gate you choose. The "righteous gate" begins at the Word of God and leads to trees, water, and fruit. The "wicked gate" starts with man's counsel and leads to wind and chaff.
PRAYER
Thank and praise the Lord that He always leads us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
The Lord has been mindful of us;
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron. . . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 12, 18).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
O Lord, You are the portion of my
inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance (Psalm 16:5-6).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Safety for vacationing families
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
July 25
Psalm 19
The works of God are declared in the heavens, and the words of God lead to righteousness.
INSIGHT
A creator is known by his creation; an artist is known by his art; a musician by his music; and a sculptor by his sculpture. God can be known by the universe that He has created. Psalm 19:1 says: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork." Romans 1:20 says: "since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen." Judging from nature, God exists and has power, intelligence, and a flair for beauty!
PRAYER
The Lord is greater than our deep longings, and we praise Him that He satisfies our hearts:
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. . . .
I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places. . .
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 135:1, 3, 5-6, 21).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord include:
-- An eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Local prison ministries
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
July 26
Psalm 23
The Lord is pictured as David's shepherd, leading him in righteousness.
INSIGHT
Perhaps the most outstanding characteristic of sheep is that they cannot take care of themselves. The demands of life exceed their intelligence and their abilities. They must have a shepherd. Man is the same. While there is a vast and gratifying difference between men and sheep, the demands of life for men exceed their intelligence and abilities. We also need a shepherd, the Lord. He is the Great Shepherd. He will lead us. The question is: Will we follow?
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He hears and answers our prayers, and praise Him that His answers are good:
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. . .
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works (Psalm 145:1-3, 5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
July 27
Psalm 37
The righteous will receive eternal life, while the wicked ultimately will be destroyed.
INSIGHT
Serving the Lord does not always pay temporal dividends. The righteous still experience misfortune, financial reversals, physical illnesses, natural disasters, and persecution. At the same time, the unrighteous often prosper, enjoying wealth, fame, honor, and health. David realizes God's justice wins in the end. So do not be discouraged in doing right, even when the unrighteous prosper. Do not be tempted to copy them. "Depart from evil and do good" (v. 27). "Wait on the Lord, and keep His way" (v. 34). "Mark the blameless man" (v. 37). "The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord" (v. 39).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that while serving Him might cost us in "time," it will reward us in "eternity:"
Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us (Psalm 123:1-2).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Local churches across the nation
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
July 28
Psalm 63
Spiritual thirst is satisfied only by spiritual intimacy with God.
INSIGHT
There is a God-shaped vacuum in every human heart. Man was made for God, and his soul will be restless until it finds its rest in Him. Our longings for love, relationships, belonging, security, meaning, purpose, and identity are ultimately met only in the Lord Jesus Christ. We find temporary fulfillment in the pursuit of people, possessions, and circumstances; but eventually, these will pass away or we will change and they will no longer satisfy. We have been made for God, and we will find our deepest longings met only in Him. Make David's prayer your own prayer for spiritual fulfillment.
PRAYER
It is amazing to think that the Creator of the universe desires a relationship with us. Praise God for His love:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to God:
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:
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward (Psalm 19:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Peace in the midst of difficult circumstances
-- The various ministries of your church
-- Spiritual growth for family members
Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
July 29
Psalm 90
God is eternal in time past and future—while man is temporal and weak.
INSIGHT
In this psalm, Moses declares the eternality of God in verses 1-2. Then he contrasts the frailty of man in verse 3. God's displeasure with sin next occupies his attention: "We have been consumed by Your anger . . . You have set our iniquities before You" (vv. 7-8). Based on these three realities, Moses calls upon God in a series of petitions: "Teach us to number our days . . . Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy . . . Make us glad . . . and establish the work of our hands" (Psalm 90:12, 14-15, 17). You can make these petitions your own.
PRAYER
Although we are inclined to do evil, God has chosen to forgive us. For this we praise Him:
Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into singing, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And glorified Himself in Israel (Isaiah 44:23).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
We must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. . . How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him? (Hebrews 2:1, 3).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren (Hebrews 2:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Patience with others
-- Missions in Great Britain
-- Local hospital and prison chaplains
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
We also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).
:angel:
July 30
Psalm 100
All men are exhorted to praise the Lord because He made us and we are His.
INSIGHT
Psalm 100 is perhaps the finest example of a praise psalm in the Bible. The righteous heart pours forth a spontaneous stream of undefiled praise. First, he calls upon all men everywhere to praise the Lord. Then he identifies the relationship which God has with His children. We are not our own; He has made us. "We are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (v. 3). Next he calls for us to praise God again: "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise" (v. 4). Give thanks. Bless Him. Then he finishes by listing attributes of God. God is good; He loves forever. Make this psalm your personal psalm of praise.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord your praise that He is good and loves us forever:
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. . . .
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God . . .
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1, 5, 7, 11, 20).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (John 6:35).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- Missions in the Middle East
-- Elderly members of your family
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).
:angel:
July 31
Psalm 145
The Lord is extolled for the goodness of who He is and what He has done.
INSIGHT
There has never been a generation that did not praise God. Since the beginning of time, salvation and praise have been passed down in unbroken succession. David writes, "One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts" (v. 4). That praise is directed to God for who He is (His character) and what He has done. Of God's character, David writes: "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy" (v. 8). The Lord is good. Writing of God's work, he says, "The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up those who are bowed down" (v. 14); "is near to all who call upon Him" (v. 18); and "will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him" (v. 19). "The Lord preserves all who love Him" (v. 20). For these reasons, we praise Him along with David.
PRAYER
All the earth will one day praise the Lord. We can begin now in the words of this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-2, 6).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51:16-17).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The Lord's work in world affairs
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
August 1
Proverbs 1
Solomon writes a metaphorical warning from the perspective of "Wisdom."
INSIGHT
To be free to sail the seven seas, you must make yourself a slave to the compass. Every freedom has a corresponding slavery. We can be free from the toothbrush and a slave to cavities or a slave to the toothbrush and free from cavities. For everything we want, we must give up something else. Wisdom calls us to slavery. If we become a slave to wisdom, we must heed the Word of God and shun sin. If we neglect these, distress and anguish will come. We will experience the natural consequences of our actions. There is no escape from this cause-and-effect law. Rededicate yourself to becoming a "wise" person. Wisdom begins with "fearing" (respecting) the Lord. It is to His glory and also to our best interest.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you ponder your need for wisdom:
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
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 (Psalm 33:2-4).
Now pray this confession to the Lord:
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;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:10-12).
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- That His will be done on earth as it is in heaven
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
:angel:
August 2
Proverbs 2
Wisdom must be sought after with our entire being.
INSIGHT
Nothing of value is easily obtained. If it were, it would no longer be valuable. Inherent within the concept of value is the feature of scarcity. If all gravel were made of pure gold, then gold would not be valuable. The same is true with intangibles like wisdom. She is an exceedingly valuable life commodity, but she is not easy to come by. If we want wisdom, we must incline our ears, apply our hearts, cry for her, lift our voice for her, seek her as we would silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures (vv. 2-4). Then, and only then, will we understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God (v. 5).
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you consider His goodness:
Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints! . . .
All nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested (Revelation 15:3-4).
And one cried to another and said:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory! (Isaiah 6:3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- That others might see Christ in you
-- That the Lord of the harvest would send laborers into His harvest,
-- Your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful, . . .
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:23-24).
:angel:
August 3
Proverbs 3
The benefit of wisdom is better than gold.
INSIGHT
Inherent within the human heart is a longing for peace, love, and joy. Among Christians and non-Christians alike, the desire is the same. Yet peace, love, and joy do not answer just any beck and call. They will come only by certain means; they are fruits on the tree of wisdom. Wisdom will bring length of days (v. 2), peace (v. 2), favor with God and man (v. 4), strength to your bones (v. 8), honor (v. 16), pleasantness (v. 17), paths of peace (v. 17), confidence in life (v. 26), and freedom from the snares of life (v. 26). Foolishness brings harm (v. 29), oppression (v. 31), and shame (v. 35). We all long for the benefits of wisdom. We must remember that she comes with a price: submission to the will of God and the truth of Scripture.
PRAYER
As you consider the benefits of wisdom, praise the Lord that we may share in His character:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness (Exodus 15:11).
You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You, according to all that
we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater sensitivity to sin
-- The ministry of your church
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
August 4
Proverbs 31
An excellent wife cares for her home, is kind to the needy, and is an example of good character.
INSIGHT
One view of women is that they are merely caretakers of the home and have no role other than changing diapers, cooking, and cleaning house. Another view seeks to free women from the responsibilities at home. Both are wrong. Women are to care for their homes and maintain certain responsibilities—just as men should. But their role carries with it great flexibility and variety. The Proverbs 31 woman is a skillful, industrious person who models integrity and esteems her home and family highly.
PRAYER
Thank God for the women you know (mothers, grandmothers, friends) who exemplify Christ's love:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name" (Luke 1:46-49).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path (Psalm 119:103-105).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A more Christ-like character
-- Strengthening of the church in China
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11).
:angel:
August 5
Ecclesiastes 12
The pursuit of temporal things is futile.
INSIGHT
Our society tends to breed materialism. Young couples expect to own a house, two cars, and maybe a boat. We dream of the day when we can afford to take exotic vacations and own a bigger house. Game shows offer spectacular prizes, and lottery tickets are sold by the thousands. But Solomon experienced tremendous wealth and found himself unhappy. He learned that eternal things matter most. God wants His children to invest their brief lives in others—not just in material things.
PRAYER
God has promised that He will provide His children's needs. Let's praise Him:
"Why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:28-30, 33).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? . . . Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (Matthew 6:25, 27).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? . . . If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-9, 11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment with the material possessions you own
-- God's provision for the less fortunate
-- Safety of missionaries in Central America
Offer this closing prayer to God:
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
:angel:
August 6
Song of Solomon 1
Solomon expresses the beauty of married love.
INSIGHT
Hebrews 13:4 says that the marriage bed is holy and "undefiled." In his commentary on the Song of Solomon, A Song for Lovers, Craig Glickman writes: "No artist could have fashioned two people better suited for one another. He was the king of their great nation; she, his chosen bride. Spring had seen their love blossom like the flowers in the palace gardens. Their love was destined to be a song for the world. And, in fact, so ideal was their love that the song about them was chosen as one of the books of sacred Scripture. It became the only one of the entire collection devoted exclusively to courtship and marriage." The Song of Solomon gives us God's perspective on marriage and love.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord your praise for the unconditional love He gives you as a member of the church, the "bride of Christ":
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds (Psalm 57:1, 9-10).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord as you agree with and submit yourself to the will of God, your heavenly Father:
You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A more intimate relationship with your Bridegroom
-- Greater love for fellow Christians
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:8).
:angel:
August 7
Isaiah 6
Isaiah is commissioned to become a prophet to Israel.
INSIGHT
Isaiah sees the Lord in a terrifying vision which makes him acutely aware of his sinfulness and God's holiness. The Lord takes away his sin—seeing the repentance of his heart—and then commissions Isaiah to serve Him as a prophet. This event illustrates how the Lord calls His servants. First, He reveals Himself through His Word. When the hearer receives the Scriptures, he becomes aware of his sin and asks God for forgiveness and salvation. God then sends him into the world to take the message of salvation to others.
PRAYER
God is holy, and we praise Him because He makes us holy, cleansing us spiritually with the blood of Christ:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . . . O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord (Psalm 25:7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10).
I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him" (Ezra 8:22).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- National leaders and current events
-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
August 8
Isaiah 40
The Lord gives strength to those who wait on Him.
INSIGHT
God has given us the Christian family as a picture of the relationship between Him and His children. We are given earthly fathers, that we might more fully understand our heavenly Father. Just as an earthly father takes no delight in disciplining his children, so our heavenly Father takes no delight in disciplining His children. Hear the tenderness in these words: "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" (v. 1). God tenderly loves us and takes no pleasure in our pain, although He desires our spiritual growth as a result.
PRAYER
Since the earthly family pictures the heavenly family, praise the Lord that He is your heavenly Father:
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:
David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly" (2 Samuel 24:10).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Make your requests known to God, and include:
-- Greater wisdom for living life
-- Needs of your immediate family
-- Those you know who are suffering
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
August 9
Isaiah 53
Our Savior bore the chastisement for our iniquity.
INSIGHT
When Christians suffer, they are tempted to resent God, to wonder: "Why me?!" If God is all good and all powerful, why must His children suffer? The answer to that question is difficult –and not totally satisfying to the finite mind. Jesus maintains His credibility, however, in that He readily suffered for us all—suffering more than He will ever ask of us. Why must God's children suffer? We don't know. What we do know is that God was willing to suffer for us. He asks nothing of us that He was not willing to do for us.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He is so skillful and patient in teaching us His way:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all (1 Chronicles 29:10-13).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 insight into Scripture
-- The hungry around the world
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
August 10
Isaiah 55
All that salvation costs is what everyone can afford: one's self.
INSIGHT
Coming to the Lord costs a man nothing and, at the same time, costs him everything. The offer is free in that a man need not give anything in exchange for his salvation. "Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (v. 1). Yet receiving salvation costs man his life. He no longer has the freedom of self-determination. "Seek the Lord while He may be found . . . Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him" (vv. 6-7). All that it costs is what everyone can give: one's self.
PRAYER
Nothing can exceed the importance of the salvation that the Lord offers us in Christ, and for it, praise Him:
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: 34, 36).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord—how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater commitment to the Lord
-- The work of specific Christian ministries
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Close with this prayer of praise 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).
:angel:
August 11
Jeremiah 31
God establishes a covenant with the children of Israel to write His Law on their hearts.
INSIGHT
The primary theme of nearly all the Prophetic Books is warning of judgment for sin. The prophets proclaim the Word of God as their basic ministry, but from time to time, the Lord reveals to them a specific message for the children of Israel. If they do not turn from their sin, a specific judgment will follow. It is comforting to see, however, that in nearly all instances the judgment is to be followed by restoration. God's judgment on His children is not for retaliation but to get His children to turn from their sin to Him.
PRAYER
Praise God that He has made Himself knowable to mankind through Christ Jesus:
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. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God (Romans 15:5-7).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written,
"The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:1-4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Growth in your knowledge of God
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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)
:angel:†
August 12
Lamentations 3
God sends a message of hope and restoration to Israel.
INSIGHT
Through the prophets, God has been warning Judah for many years to turn from idolatry to serve Him only. Finally, her sin has compounded to the point that judgment is no longer avoidable if God is to be true to His Word. But although destruction overtakes Judah, there is hope on the horizon. Jeremiah writes: "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (vv. 22-23).
PRAYER
God blesses His children beyond measure. Count your blessings as you praise Him:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. . . . All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify (1 Corinthians 10:12, 23).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A humble and submissive attitude
-- The work of prison ministries
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
It is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit (1 Peter 3:17-18).
:angel:
August 13
Ezekiel 37
Ezekiel has a vision of a huge valley filled with dry bones.
INSIGHT
The apostle John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:1, 4). God is life—and not just life for today—but forever. Timothy writes that God alone possesses immortality (1 Timothy 6:16). God is life, and He is the giver of life. He can make dead things live. In Ezekiel's vision, a huge valley is filled with dead men's bones. Then God begins to move. The bones form skeletons upon which form flesh and clothes. Then God breathes into that valley of bodies the breath of life, and the bodies come alive. That is a picture of what God will do with Israel: give her life again. That is what He will do with anyone who believes in Him and asks Him for life. Have you asked God for eternal life?
PRAYER
The Lord gives us His immortality, so we praise Him:
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 (Psalm 18:1-3).
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 your sins.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
August 14
Daniel 1
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, chooses Israelite captives to be trained to serve him.
INSIGHT
Moral courage. It is the resolve to do what is right—even if no one knows. Regardless of the consequences. Even when you are weary. Even when there are extenuating circumstances and when everyone would understand if you "caved in." Daniel is a man of moral courage. The food he is offered probably violates the dietary restrictions in the Law of Moses. Note the words: "Daniel purposed in his heart" (1:8). Then God brings Daniel into favor. He gives him skill; He gives him a healthy glow. When faced with moral challenges, we must do our part—be obedient from the heart. And then trust God to do His part.
PRAYER
Because God honors our commitment to moral excellence, praise Him with the words of this psalm:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water (Psalm 63:1).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord:
And Achan answered Joshua and said,
"Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel,
and this is what I have done . . ." (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your talents
-- Your state and local leaders
-- 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).
:angel:
August 15
Daniel 2
Nebuchadnezzar requires the wise men to tell him his dream and its interpretation.
INSIGHT
One of our responsibilities as children of God is to give God credit for who He is and what He does. It is a careless Christian who stands under the showers of God's blessings without recognizing them. It is an irresponsible Christian who recognizes God's blessings and does not give God the credit. Daniel recognizes God's work and tells the king that it is God who "reveals deep and secret things" (v. 22). And through this, God is glorified. We must always be alert to the blessings of God in our lives, express our gratitude to Him, and give Him public credit.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He has warned us of the consequences of our sin, and praise Him that in Christ we can escape them:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
God encourages us to come to Him with our concerns. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Opportunities to glorify Him
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
August 16
Daniel 3
God supernaturally protects Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
INSIGHT
What courage it took to defy the king! Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden image and orders everyone to bow down to it. When the Jews are brought to him in violation of the order, they say, "God may protect us from the fire, but even if He doesn't, let it be known that we are not going to serve your gods!" Surely God gives His grace in times such as these. For those of us who are living in easier times, our total dedication to the Lord must be seen in our selfless commitment to serving Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that—though all of us sin—God's compassions are new every morning:
Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said:
"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:
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 name's 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
August 17
Daniel 4
Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's second dream.
INSIGHT
What a towering figure is Nebuchadnezzar! Sovereign over the greatest nation on earth at the time, wealthy beyond description, subject to fits of rage, and yet somehow vulnerable and teachable. Nebuchadnezzar rages in fury at the three Jews who refuse to worship his image—yet proclaims their God the only God when He saves them from the furnace. Then, warned by Daniel that unless he repents he will be stripped of his kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar lapses into convenient forgetfulness and self-adulation. True to Daniel's word, the king becomes an animal and roams the forest. Yet, when his senses are restored, the king again worships God and proclaims His praise to the ends of the earth.
PRAYER
We praise the Lord for ruling in love:
"Stand up and bless the Lord your God
Forever and ever!
"Blessed be Your glorious name. . .
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to God:
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies (Psalm 40:4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A passion for moral excellence
-- The ministry of Christian education institutions
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
August 18
Daniel 5
Handwriting appears on the wall, prophesying the king's death.
INSIGHT
It is a terrible thing to go into the presence of God in our own merit. All have sinned and fall short of His glory. Belshazzar discovers this truth. While he revels—desecrating the holy implements from the temple—the hand of God writes on the wall: "You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting" (v. 27). In the providence and grace of God, we can come before Him in the merit of Christ Jesus—holy and undefiled.
PRAYER
Jesus Christ took our place on the cross. His great sacrifice requires our praise:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen" (Matthew 6:11-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:23-24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater gratitude for Christ's sacrifice
-- Your neighbors' spiritual well being
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men! (Psalm 31:19).
:angel:
August 19
Daniel 6
God miraculously delivers Daniel from the lions' den.
INSIGHT
Daniel is a man of prayer. He loves God deeply and God in turn shows Daniel mercy. We are told several interesting things about Daniel's prayer life. Verse 13 says that he prays "three times a day." His prayers included giving thanks (v. 10) and "supplication" (v. 11)—that is, Daniel asks God for things for himself and others. If our prayers reflect the commitment and balance of Daniel, our relationship with the Lord will grow.
PRAYER
The Lord has given us the ability to communicate, and we praise Him for listening to our cries:
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.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation (Psalm 24:3-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. . . .
For Your name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great
(Psalm 25:4-5, 11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
As for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me and be merciful to me.
My foot stands in an even place;
In the congregations I will bless the Lord (Psalm 26:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A joyful spirit
-- Safety and protection for loved ones
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock
(Psalm 27:4-5).
:angel:
August 20
Hosea 14
After pronouncing judgment on Israel for sin, Hosea prophesies restoration and blessing.
INSIGHT
Hosea is instructed by the Lord to take a wife whose name is Gomer and who later becomes unfaithful to him. Though Hosea loves her steadfastly, her infidelity compounds and she finally leaves him. Sometime later—as Hosea is walking down the street—he sees his wife being sold as a slave on an auction block. In a profound gesture of unconditional love, Hosea redeems (buys back) his wife and restores her to her former position of honor and comfort as his wife. In doing so, Hosea sounds a warning to Israel and plays out a moving example of the unconditional love of God for His people. If they sin, He will judge them; but after judgment, He will restore them to His grace.
PRAYER
God loves His children unconditionally. Praise Him that He does not leave us to our own abilities in following Him:
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
Pray this confession to the Lord:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You. . ."
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to God:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- The work of missions in North America
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Now offer this closing prayer to God:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).
:angel:
August 21
Joel 2
Judgment is coming for the sins of the people, but after repentance, they will be restored.
INSIGHT
Joel predicts a locust plague to come upon the land of Judah, which is both primary and secondary as a prophetic warning. The primary meaning is a literal locust plague. But the things Joel says about the locusts gradually transcend what could be true of mere bugs and could only be true of an invading army. In this way, the locust plague becomes symbolic of an invading army swarming over the land of Judah, stripping it of everything that has life. The warning of the plague comes because Judah is failing to serve the Lord. Joel holds out an escape: "Turn to Me with all your heart . . . rend your heart and not your garments" (vv. 12-13). Judah ignores the warning and the judgment eventually falls. Sin always has its consequences.
PRAYER
Give your praise to the Lord that He always warns us of the consequences of sin and gives us a means of escape:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight–
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
August 22
Amos 9
Israel's sin must be judged, but God offers hope of restoration.
INSIGHT
God reveals a warning of judgment on Israel through visions to Amos. One vision is a plumb line which God says He will hold up against the "wall" of Jerusalem, and it will be demonstrated that the wall is leaning and will fall (Amos 7:7-9). Another vision is of summer fruit in a basket which, left unattended, will rot and be good only for throwing out (chapter 8). Famine, military conquest, and pestilence are among the consequences of judgment. Israel does not repent and judgment comes, but Amos holds out the promise of eventual restoration.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and give Him your praise for saving you by faith and clothing you in Christ's righteousness:
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).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High (Psalm 7:17).
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of friends
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus (Romans 15:5).
:angel:
August 23
Obadiah
Edom is judged because she has acted with violence toward Israel.
INSIGHT
Esau and Jacob were brothers. Esau was the father of the nation Edom, and Jacob was the father of the nation Israel. Therefore, in a sense, the nations Edom and Israel are brothers. A day comes when Assyria wages war against Jerusalem. But instead of joining Israel, their brother, in the fight against Assyria, Edom joins Assyria and fights against their brothers in Jerusalem. Because of this breach of loyalty, God pronounces judgment on Edom through the prophet Obadiah. God offers no hope for possible restoration or deliverance for Edom. Her fate is sealed. Edom is destroyed as a nation.
PRAYER
Praise God for His justice and righteousness. Thank Him for the love that He pours out on His people:
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday (Psalm 37:6).
By You I have been upheld from my birth;
You are He who took me out of my mother's womb.
My praise shall be continually of You (Psalm 71:6).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 (Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
August 24
Jonah 1
Jonah suffers the consequences of refusing to obey God's call.
INSIGHT
Jonah is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 and is very likely a strong patriot of the nation Israel. As a result, he finds it an odious task to preach repentance to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, the country which is one day to conquer Israel. Rather than go on this errand of mercy, Jonah chooses to hurry to the seaport at Joppa for the fastest transit in the opposite direction. This is a commission that will not be denied, however, and God causes him to be swallowed by a great fish in which Jonah wisely repents and subsequently carries the warning message to Nineveh. The people of Nineveh repent—as Jonah feared—and the nation is preserved as an instrument of judgment for Israel almost 100 years later.
PRAYER
God's ways are above our ways, and we praise Him for His wisdom:
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness (Psalm 48:9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me (Psalm 51:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Churches across the nation
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
August 24
Jonah 1
Jonah suffers the consequences of refusing to obey God's call.
INSIGHT
Jonah is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 and is very likely a strong patriot of the nation Israel. As a result, he finds it an odious task to preach repentance to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, the country which is one day to conquer Israel. Rather than go on this errand of mercy, Jonah chooses to hurry to the seaport at Joppa for the fastest transit in the opposite direction. This is a commission that will not be denied, however, and God causes him to be swallowed by a great fish in which Jonah wisely repents and subsequently carries the warning message to Nineveh. The people of Nineveh repent—as Jonah feared—and the nation is preserved as an instrument of judgment for Israel almost 100 years later.
PRAYER
God's ways are above our ways, and we praise Him for His wisdom:
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness (Psalm 48:9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me (Psalm 51:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Churches across the nation
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
August 27
Habakkuk 3
Habakkuk exults in the God of his salvation.
INSIGHT
Habakkuk wrestles with God concerning the sinfulness of his fellow Jews: "Why does God not do something? Why does God not judge His people?" As Habakkuk puts these questions to Him, the Lord responds that He is doing something: He is raising up the Chaldeans to come and conquer Judah. Astounded by this revelation, Habakkuk cries out, "How can you use a nation that is more sinful than Judah to conquer it?" God's answer? God's people deserve judgment. The righteousness of the instrument of judgment is inconsequential. And as far as Habakkuk is concerned, "the just shall live by his faith" (2:4). Habakkuk responds in faith that, even if disaster strikes, he will rejoice because God is his strength.
PRAYER
Because the Lord can be trusted, offer Him your praise:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. . .
Your right hand upholds me (Psalm 63:3-4, 6-8).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- Mission work in the Middle East
Offer this closing prayer to God:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
August 28
Zephaniah 3
Beyond impending judgment there is joy.
INSIGHT
Blue blood flows through Zephaniah's veins. He is the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah, the thirteenth king of Judah and one of the most righteous of all kings. The flame for revival and religious reform burns as hot in Zephaniah's heart as it did in his forefathers'. Zephaniah's book has been called one of the "hottest" books in the Old Testament. He portrays "the final crash of the universe." The impending Day of the Lord is his all-encompassing message. Twenty-three times in this short book he refers specifically to the day that signifies the final judgment of God on the earth. Following the time of terrible judgment is the time of restoration and peace. Beyond judgment there is joy.
PRAYER
Give thanks to the Lord, and praise Him that all events are in His control and that eventually His children will know only joy:
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).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The work of the Lord in national and world affairs
In closing, ask God to help you:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
August 29
Haggai 1
Haggai explains that God's people suffer because they neglect to finish the temple.
INSIGHT
As the children of Israel return from the Babylonian captivity, their first order of business is to rebuild the temple. Haggai, a prophet of God who is ministering at the time, encourages the people to work hard at restoring the temple. With great enthusiasm, they quickly lay the foundation. But discouragement sets in and work on the temple is soon forgotten as they begin to build their own houses. Finally, after 15 years, Haggai tells them that the afflictions they are suffering are because of their neglect of the temple. They must finish the temple first and then resume building their houses. First things first. God demands proper priorities.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you express your gratitude for His justice:
O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Your development of an eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
August 30
Zechariah 14
The day is coming when God will be the righteous King over all the earth.
INSIGHT
Haggai and Zechariah minister to the same people at the same time. Their goal is the same: to motivate the people to rebuild the temple. But their very different personalities show through the pages of Scripture. Haggai utters rebuke; Zechariah breathes encouragement. Haggai makes them feel that they ought to rebuild the temple. Zechariah makes them want to rebuild the temple. He reinforces God's love and care for Israel and the certainty of the ultimate defeat of the enemies as they continue to obey God.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that His Word can be trusted:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name"
Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Persecuted Christians worldwide
-- Your activities for the day
Now, offer this closing prayer to God:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
August 31
Malachi 3
Malachi charges the Israelites with robbing God and refusing to acknowledge it.
INSIGHT
The Israelites who returned to Jerusalem have grown comfortable, complacent, and arrogantly insensitive. Through His messenger Malachi, God confronts the Israelites with their complacency. He charges that the priests are despising His name and defiling His altar. God says He will no longer accept their offerings. He states that the Israelites have been wearisome to Him with their words. God asks them to return to Him. He reproaches them for robbing Him. The Israelites have hardened their hearts, and they no longer feel the pull of God in their lives. The result is a barren period of 400 years with no word from God. Be certain that you respond to the work of God in your heart—lest you experience spiritual barrenness.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for enriching our lives when we follow Him:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You (Jeremiah 10:6-7).
Pray this confession to the Lord 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 (Psalm 130:1-4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Growth as you pursue your full potential as a child of God
-- The fulfillment of the Great Commission
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
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).
:angel:
September 1
Acts 1
After the Ascension, the apostles meet in an upper room to choose a replacement for Judas.
INSIGHT
God is moving. For thousands of years He has worked in the world through the nation of Israel and the Law of Moses. Now He will work through the church and the gospel of Christ. God instructs the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they receive power from on high. Then when they are baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit, they are to be the Lord's witnesses in their city, the surrounding country, and the entire world.
PRAYER
Offer God this psalm of praise as you think about His power and the significance of serving Him:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. (Psalm 145:17-19, 21)
Having offered Him your praise, pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation 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)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Compassion for others
The Lord's work in national and world affairs
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!" (Revelation 5:12)
:angel:
September 2
Acts 2
The Holy Spirit comes upon the believing Jews gathered at the temple.
INSIGHT
Who would have expected the coming of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament to be like this? Rushing wind. Fire. Many languages spoken and all being understood. Those with unbelieving hearts always find a "natural" explanation, but those who believe drop to their knees and cry out to God! "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (2:37). Revelation always demands a response. Unbelievers always look for a way to get out from under the authority of Scripture. But the believing heart will cry out, "O God, what shall I do?" Search your mind. Is there some response you should make to God right now?
PRAYER
As you continue to meditate on God's Word, offer praises to the Lord as you respond to His revelation:
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, and as you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Patience in difficult circumstances
Wisdom for your church leaders
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
:angel:
September 3
Acts 7
Stephen is arrested for preaching the Gospel.
INSIGHT
The New Testament was written in times that, in many ways, seem barbaric to us. That respectable people would clamor for a crucifixion or incite a mob to riot or pick up stones and kill another man is difficult for us to imagine. Yet culture was different then. Today we do not kill a person to get rid of an unwanted message. Instead, we use other tactics. We can kill the message by making it look foolish or by discrediting the messenger. We even attack God Himself, declaring that He is dead or that He has no relevance to our era. But unless we accept the message of salvation that Stephen preached, we are as guilty before God as the ones who threw the stones.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him for offering us abundant life in Christ:
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:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for your fellow Christians
The work of missionaries in Indonesia
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing 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)
:angel:
September 4
Acts 8
The stoning of Stephen initiates a wave of persecution, led by Saul.
INSIGHT
As the Jewish believers flee Jerusalem, Philip comes upon an Ethiopian dignitary who is struggling to understand the Scriptures. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asks. "How can I, unless someone guides me?" is the reply (vv. 30-31). We are God's method to reach the world for Christ. The Lord could have resorted to skywriting, sending personal visions to all people, or sending angels. Instead, He chose men and women to reach other men and women. Our responsibility is simple: to manifest the character of Christ and proclaim His name wherever we go. The work is God´s, and He will use you if you will let Him.
PRAYER
Because the Lord led someone to give His message of salvation to you, praise Him with this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin. (Ecclesiastes 7:20)
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your
strength." (Isaiah 30:15)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater faithfulness with your time and resources
The president and national leaders
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
:angel:
September 5
Acts 9
On his way to Damascus, Saul has a divine revelation of Jesus and is converted.
INSIGHT
From God's perspective, the relationship between Christ and the church is a very close and dear one. Jesus is the Son of God; the church is His bride. To harm the church is to harm Christ. Though Paul never laid a hand on Him, Jesus spoke from heaven, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (v. 4). Just as Paul did, we must strive to gain God's perspective on who we are. We are His bride, His chosen one, the delight of His life. When we see ourselves as He sees us, we can be more successful at living as we should.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord because He turns even the difficult things into good:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Surely He has borne our grief
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:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The renewing of your mind
The needs of your extended family
Your activities for the day
Close with the following prayer:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
(Psalm 23:6)
:angel:
September 6
Acts 13
Saul adopts a Christian name, Paul, and travels to Galatia with the message of the Gospel.
INSIGHT
Chapter 13 records a remarkable fulfillment of prophecy that is easily missed. In chapter 1, Jesus commissions the disciples to be witnesses for Him and proclaims that they will take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Now the Holy Spirit sets Paul and Barnabas apart to begin traveling to the ends of the earth, taking the message with them. You and I can extend that prophetic fulfillment, too, as we accept the Great Commission as our personal commission and help to take the message of salvation to the ends of the world.
PRAYER
Offer the following psalm of praise to the Lord for allowing you to hear the message of salvation:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . .
I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only. (Psalm 71:8, 14-16)
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me. (Jeremiah 33:8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
(John 4:23-24)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The leading of the Lord in your life
Opportunities for personal evangelism
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.
(Psalm 31:23-24)
:angel:
September 7
Acts 15
Paul begins his second missionary journey.
INSIGHT
Inherent within man is a tendency to want to work his way to heaven. Accepting a gift with gratitude does not seem to be enough; human beings want to do something to earn it. While Paul and Barnabas are at Antioch, some men come down from Judea and teach: "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (v. 1). This issue grows into a major debate involving the leaders in Jerusalem, but in the final analysis, Peter's argument wins out: "Why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" (v. 10). The council in Jerusalem then sends a letter to the Gentile churches encouraging their faith and assuring them that they are not under bondage.
PRAYER
Since none of us could earn it, praise the Lord that salvation is a gift:
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. . . .
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God . . .
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. . . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1, 5, 7, 11, 20)
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:
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
(John 17:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Unity in the body of Christ
Greater commitment to the Lord
Your activities for the day
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14)
:angel:
September 8
Acts 16
Paul travels to Macedonia, Achaia, and Greece, carrying the Gospel.
INSIGHT
During World War II, many soldiers "got religion" while in their foxholes under enemy fire. Because many of those "foxhole conversions" were not genuine, some people become skeptical of anyone who professes Christianity under stressful circumstances. Yet there are many, including the Philippian jailer, who will testify that some "foxhole conversions" are genuine. Be sensitive to the Lord when you are under stress. He may use that very situation to help you get your life into perspective.
PRAYER
Praise God for the circumstances that surrounded your conversion:
Your word is very pure;
Therefore Your servant loves it.
I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.
Trouble and anguish have overtaken me,
Yet Your commandments are my delights.
The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting;
Give me understanding, and I shall live.
(Psalm 119:140-144)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:18-19)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Jeremiah 31:33).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A compassionate heart
The leaders of your church
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
Because I have hoped in Your word. (Psalm 119:74)
:angel:
September 9
Acts 17
As Paul continues his journey, he establishes churches.
INSIGHT
It is often necessary to establish common ground with others in order to win an audience for the Gospel. Paul uses a point of common ground when he begins talking to the people of Athens about the idol bearing the inscription: "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD"(17:23). Catching their interest, Paul develops his argument to present to them the living Christ (vv. 30-31). This skillful message is used by the Holy Spirit to bring men and women to Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Praise God that He has revealed Himself to you:
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I havemy being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:31-35).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
When we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
(Romans 5:6-8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his
work (Psalm 62:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
courage to follow God's leading,
salvation of your neighbors,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. . . . Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ(Acts 2:32-33, 36).
:angel:
September 10
Acts 18
Paul embarks on his third journey that takes him first to Ephesus.
INSIGHT
Apollos combines the eloquence of the Greek with the religious instinct of the Jew. Most likely a student from the great university at Alexandria, Apollos is a convert to the Gospel, deeply conversant with the Old Testament. Gifted with marvelous eloquence, he is a strong ally of the Christian forces of his age. But he needs to understand the death, resurrection, and ascended power of Christ. Aquila and Priscilla teach Apollos these things. How wonderful is that holy wisdom that the Spirit of God gives to humble believers so that they can become teachers of men who are intellectually their superiors! When teaching children or new believers, encourage them and have hope that some may become "mighty in the Scriptures" (v. 24).
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for the ministry that He provides in your life through other believers:
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them - the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them.
(Isaiah 59:12)
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
The work of missions in Africa
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
September 11
Acts 21
After Paul's travels, he preaches in Jerusalem and is arrested for violating the Law.
INSIGHT
When Paul preaches, either a riot or a revival usually occurs. When he goes to Jerusalem for the last time, a riot breaks out. Having been told beforehand by the Holy Spirit, Paul is aware that he will be imprisoned and handed over to the Gentiles. Even though his friends beg him to avoid Jerusalem, Paul "would not be persuaded"; and his friends give up and say, "The will of the Lord be done" (v. 14). Paul views himself as a sojourner on this earth, for his true citizenship is in heaven. He is to be simply a steward, an ambassador of Christ while his time lasts. What power and vision that outlook gives Paul to avoid the entanglements of this world! How much more completely would we realize our calling if we saw ourselves in the same way.
PRAYER
Give praise and thanks to the Lord for giving us citizenship in heaven:
Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him." (Daniel 2:20-22)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . .
As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And set me before Your face forever.
(Psalm 41:10, 12)
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:
Wisdom for your country´s leaders
Faithfulness with your talents
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
September 12
Acts 22
Upon his arrest at the temple, Paul attempts in vain to justify his message to the Jews.
INSIGHT
Even though Paul lives in complete recognition of the will of the Lord and acceptance of the sovereignty of God, he is not passive regarding his personal welfare or the welfare of his mission. Paul knows it is illegal to punish a Roman citizen without his being tried and found guilty. When he is about to be beaten, Paul brings up this issue and is spared. Acceptance of the sovereignty of God does not mean passiveness in the things of this world. Paul does what he can within the legal system and then leaves the results to the Lord.
PRAYER
Because the Lord is sovereign, we praise Him and trust in His goodness on our behalf:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
(Jeremiah 10:23-24)
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. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom in decision making
The needs of personal friends
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing 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)
:angel:
September 13
Acts 23
Because of attempts to kill Paul, he is taken to Caesarea to await trial.
INSIGHT
Jesus says, "I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16). This certainly describes Paul. As he stands before the Jewish Council, Paul knows that his life is in peril. He also knows that the Council is divided between Pharisees, who believe in the resurrection of the dead, and the Sadducees, who do not. When Paul deliberately brings up that issue, the ensuing dissension is so great that the soldiers take him away, thwarting the immediate plot against him.
PRAYER
It is by grace through faith that we can repent, turn to God, and give Him our praise:
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 4:11)
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 7:17)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
And according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Spiritual victory over temptation
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising loving-
kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
:angel:
September 14
Acts 23
Paul's first trial before Felix, the governor of the region, is not decisive.
INSIGHT
During World War II there was a popular song with the phrase: "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." This snatch of verse captures a theme that runs throughout the Bible: Assume human responsibility while relying on the sovereignty of God. Throughout the Bible, men pray and then act. Paul's arguments are clever and his logic is deft, as though he is relying on himself for his freedom. And yet under it all is a peace, a trust, a confidence that can only be explained by his rest in the Lord whom he serves. Whether his circumstances are good or bad, Paul regards wherever he is as the "world" into which the Lord wants him to go to "preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that we can rely on Him:
And Mary said:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation." (Luke 1:46-50)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm. (Joel 2:12-13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A passion for moral excellence
Christian educational institutions
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2)
:angel:
September 15
Acts 25
Felix vacates his office without resolving Paul's status.
INSIGHT
How strangely God fulfills His own word: "So you must also bear witness at Rome" (Acts 23:11). Paul knows he will have to go to Rome, but he doesn't expect to go under Roman guard and at Rome's expense. After two years the Jews still thirst for his blood! Had he been transferred to Jerusalem, his life would have been imperiled. However, God had called him to preach the Gospel in Rome. Through these circumstances, Paul is transferred.
PRAYER
Let's praise God for His wonderful ways:
Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him. (Psalm 28:6-7)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
Save, Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.
(Psalm 20:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
(Psalm 22:3-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Careful speech
Troubling current events
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard. (Psalm 22:22-24)
:angel:
September 16
Acts 26
Paul is given an audience with King Agrippa.
INSIGHT
To repent means to turn around, to go in the opposite direction, or to think opposite thoughts. If you have not received Christ, you must repent to do so. In his defense before King Agrippa and Festus, Paul says he preaches to everyone that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance (v. 20). One cannot repent without changing. Repentance toward Christ brings new birth and the power to change. Have you repented and turned to God?
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His patience and love:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1-2)
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy. (Psalm 33:1-3)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly.
I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
For all my ways are before You. (Psalm 119:166-168)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Power to become more Christ-like
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright. (Psalm 11:7)
:angel:
September 17
Acts 27
Paul exercises his right as a Roman citizen to take his case before Caesar.
INSIGHT
One of the secrets of peace is believing the promises of God. There are many things that we think we believe, but our anxiety level reveals that we do not. The Lord promises to meet all our needs, but our labor and worry reveal that we are not so sure. Paul receives a word from God that he will not perish. In relating this to the sailors, Paul says: "Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me" (v. 25). If we believe, we can be at peace; if we do not believe, we will fret. Review the promises of Scripture when you are troubled. What among them are you not believing? If you are trying to believe but still struggle, you may pray the prayer of the father regarding his son who had an evil spirit: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24).
PRAYER
Praise God that He rewards our faith, even if it is as small as a mustard seed:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 72:18-19)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
"Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips."
(Hosea 14:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world." (John 6:51)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for your family
Missions in North America
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works." (Matthew 16:27)
:angel:
September 18
Acts 28
Paul finally arrives in Rome after a harrowing journey by sea.
INSIGHT
Our lives are a constant struggle between our own wills and the will of God. The circumstances of God's will are often strange and enigmatic; they do not always make sense. However, His will is being worked out even in ways we cannot see or understand. When we relinquish control of our lives and yield to God's will, then peace, love, and joy will characterize our lives. Paul must have wondered from time to time how shipwreck and imprisonment were working into God's will; yet with historical perspective, we can see that good came of these events. In the words of the old hymn, we must: "Trust and obey, for there´s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him because He is good and can be trusted:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:1-2, 14)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye. (Psalm 32:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness with your finances
Revival in America
Whatever else is on your heart
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)
:angel:
September 19
Romans 1
Paul emphasizes the importance of the gospel message.
INSIGHT
According to Romans 1:18-20, all people have two avenues for beginning to learn about God. First, all human beings have an inner awareness of God or conscience (v. 19). Second, they can look at nature and learn several truths about God: (1) His invisible attributes—beauty, intelligence, etc.; (2) His eternal power—what awesome power it takes to put the stars in place!; (3) His divine nature—that there is a God who is higher than man and nature. Whenever anyone looks at nature and honestly searches his own heart, he can know that there is a God.
PRAYER
The righteousness of God has been imputed to you if you are a child of God, and you can praise Him in holiness and truth:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting. (Psalm 93:1-2)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The development of an eternal perspective
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
September 20
Romans 2
The Jews have no partiality with God because they live for the Law.
INSIGHT
Without God, there is no right and wrong; there is only preference. We can say that we prefer something to be or not to be; but unless we appeal to God, we cannot use the words right and wrong. If one person says something is right and another says it is wrong, their opinions cancel each other out unless they can appeal to a higher authority. Mankind needs God not only for salvation but also for the normal functioning of society. It is sobering to ask, "If everyone were exactly like me, what kind of society would we have?"
PRAYER
Give praise and thanks to the Lord for the matchless gift of eternal life through Christ:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand. (Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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. (Psalm 103:1-2)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments. . . .
Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,
And teach me Your judgments. (Psalm 119:105-106, 108)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater personal discipline
Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
September 21
Romans 3
The world stands guilty before God, and can only be forgiven through Christ.
INSIGHT
There are several commonly held misconceptions about how God evaluates the deeds of men. One idea is that as long as we don't do anything "terrible," God will overlook our "little" sins. Another is that God weighs all our good works on one side of a scale and all our bad works on the other. If the good outweighs the bad, we're okay. A third incorrect notion is that God lines up all the people who have ever lived from the best to the worst and then divides them in half. If you make the cut, you're okay. The truth the Bible teaches is that God demands sinlessness. And since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, all people are condemned. There is only one way out: Receive Jesus as your personal Savior. Through Him, all your sins can be forgiven.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for His grace and salvation:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
(Psalm 92:1-2, 15)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives."
(Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A stronger desire to be like Christ
Churches across the nation
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. (Romans 16:25, 27)
:angel:
September 22
Romans 4
Justification by faith is illustrated in the Old Testament through the lives of Abraham and David.
INSIGHT
To impute something means "to apply something to your account." The Bible teaches that no one can earn salvation. However, God will give it to us freely if we have faith in Him. God honors the attitude of our hearts and imputes righteousness to our accounts. To be able to impute righteousness to those living during Old Testament times, God looked ahead to the work of Christ on the cross. Now He looks back to the Cross. But in both cases, God´s people have been saved by grace through faith.
PRAYER
Offer praise to God for His righteous works:
I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
(Psalm 69:30-32)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Have we not all one Father?
Has not one God created us?
Why do we deal treacherously with one another
By profaning the covenant of the fathers?
(Malachi 2:10)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.
For the Lord will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.
(Psalm 135:13-14).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A humble spirit
Evangelism in Russia
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever
The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.
(Psalm 136:4-9)
:angel:
September 23
Romans 5
"Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 1).
INSIGHT
Paul spells out in specific terms how our salvation is accomplished. We learn that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
We also discover that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
"Sin entered the world" through Adam "and death through sin," for all sinned (5:12). But salvation is offered to all through the God-Man, Jesus Christ. We can escape death by trusting in Christ as our Redeemer.
PRAYER
Praise the Son for His glorious sacrifice on the cross:
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
Pray this confession to the Lord 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. . .
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:1, 17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
An attitude of gratefulness
Unsaved family members
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Therefore God also has highly exalted [Jesus] and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:9-11)
:angel:
September 24
Romans 6
We are to present our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness.
INSIGHT
Micky Cohen, a noted gangster of a past generation, said that after he embraced Christianity, he felt betrayed. No one had explained that God would require a change in his behavior. "There are Christian athletes and Christian businessmen. Why not Christian gangsters?" he reasoned. But when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are no longer free to continue living as we did in the world. Our affections and activities must change to reflect the God whom we serve. The term "Christian gangster" contradicts itself because the activities of a gangster generally oppose the character of Christ.
PRAYER
Use the following psalm to offer the Lord your praise for all He has done for you:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
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 to be feared above all gods. (Psalm 96:1-4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
(John 6:37)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for others
The work of missions worldwide
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
September 25
Romans 7
A civil war rages in the life of every Christian.
INSIGHT
The "inward man" (v. 22) is created in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24), wills to do good (v. 21), joyfully delights in the law of God (v. 22), and serves "the law of God" (v. 25). However, the "flesh" (v. 18) practices the thing the inward man hates (v. 15). "Nothing good" dwells in the flesh (v. 18). It wars against the law of the mind (v. 23) and serves "the law of sin" (v. 25). As a result of this civil war, our lives do not run smoothly. We do things we don't want to do, and we fail to do things we want to do. Who can deliver us from "this body of death" (v. 24)? Only Jesus. When we receive Him as our personal Savior, the spiritual forces are put into place to free us from the bondage of sin. Then we must begin the process of dying to sin on a daily basis.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord because He frees you from the bondage of sin and gives you glorious, eternal life:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness. (Psalm 96:5-8, 11)
Pause to express your praise and thankfulness.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you.
(Deuteronomy 32:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness in sharing Christ
The Lord´s work in world affairs
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
:angel:
September 26
Romans 8
What the Law cannot do in delivering us from sin, God does through Christ.
INSIGHT
In Greece, a little boy might run into the kitchen and call "Mama, Mama!" when he wants to find his mother. And late in the afternoon as he hears familiar masculine footsteps approaching the house, he may run out to his father and cry "Abba, Abba!" "Mama" and "Abba" are terms of close family endearment. God loves the whole world, but He loves His spiritual children in a different, special way. With respect and joy, we can express our love back to Him with the tender name, "Abba, Abba." It's a term of endearment in the spiritual family.
PRAYER
Because the Lord has made us a part of such a loving entity as the body of Christ, offer your praise to Him:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
(Psalm 100:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel."
(Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5)
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:
Health and strength to serve Him
His will to be done on earth
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. . . . I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You." (Job 42:2, 5)
:angel:
September 27
Romans 12
The Christian life is a life of total dedication and service to others.
INSIGHT
To better understand the implications of the first two verses of chapter 12, it is helpful to read them backwards. We all want to be a living demonstration of the fact that the will of God is "good and acceptable and perfect." In order to do that, we must have our minds transformed and renewed. In order to have our minds transformed and renewed, we must make our bodies "a living sacrifice" to God. We all want the will of God in our lives. We can experience it if we present ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the bond of love that binds us to Him and to other Christians:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works. . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer. (Isaiah 54:7-8)
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:
That others will see Christ in you
That the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
September 28
Romans 13
The Christian is to obey the government and love his fellow man.
INSIGHT
Love is the central characteristic of the Christian. In Matthew 22:37-40, a lawyer asks Jesus which is the greatest commandment. Jesus says: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Then the Lord gives the second greatest commandment: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul writes that love is the greatest characteristic-even greater than faith or hope. Now in Romans this theme is picked up again. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the Law. God is love. If we are to be like Him, we also must love.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He loves you, and praise Him that through Him you can love others:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
(Psalm 97:10-12)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. . . .
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 53:3, 6)
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:
Greater sensitivity to sin
Your role in the ministry of your church
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
:angel:
September 29
Romans 14
Christians should not exercise personal liberty if it destroys another Christian.
INSIGHT
We are a part of others; what we say and what we do affects others. This is especially true of Christians. We are a part of the body of Christ; we are a part of one another. Not only does God not want us to live isolated lives but He has made it so that we cannot make it alone. Therefore, we must always be alert to how our actions affect others. If something we do harms another person, we must take that into account. If our freedom causes hurt to a brother or sister in Christ, then love dictates that we limit our freedom.
PRAYER
Praise your heavenly Father for your brothers and sisters in Christ:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity! . . .
It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing-
Life forevermore. (Psalm 133:1, 3)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and as you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession 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)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Kindness in your dealings with others
Encouragement for missionaries in Europe
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2)
:angel:
September 30
Romans 15
We are to conduct our lives in a way that glorifies God.
INSIGHT
When we become Christians, we exchange our citizenship on earth for citizenship in heaven. Therefore, we live according to the value system in heaven, not the value system on earth. On earth we look out for ourselves, and we satisfy our own wants and desires. In heaven we look out for the welfare of others. This does not mean that we neglect ourselves and our families. Other passages in Scripture indicate that we are to love our spouses, children, and parents and care for their needs, which brings this teaching into balance with other truths.
PRAYER
Praise God for His love that we can pass on to others:
"Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
Sing to the Lord,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!" (Isaiah 12:4-6)
Having offered Him your praise, pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The fool has said in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.
God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one. (Psalm 53:1-3)
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater peace and trust
Guidance for your church leaders
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the Lord of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever. Selah.
(Psalm 48:8)
:angel:
October 1
1 Corinthians 1
Paul appeals for unity among the Corinthian believers.
INSIGHT
It has been said: God does the work of God and man does the work of man. Man cannot do the work of God. God will not do the work of man. Paul's exhortation to the Corinthian believers certainly supports this. The Corinthian church had split into factions, following different men. Some said, "I follow Paul." Others said, "I follow Apollos." The most pious among them disdained to follow mere men and said, "I follow Christ." Using the imagery of a husbandman, Paul says, "I planted (brought the message of salvation), Apollos watered (taught you more advanced things), but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Pursue the work of man with all diligence. And rest in the work of God.
PRAYER
Praise God for caring for the things that are out of your control:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
(Psalm 105:1-3)
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. (Psalm 19:12-13)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations.
(1 Chronicles 16:14-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The fruit of the Spirit in your life
Those who minister in the inner cities
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
And let them say among the nations,
"The Lord reigns." . . .
Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
(1 Chronicles 16:31, 33)
:angel:
October 2
1 Corinthians 2
When Paul ministers to the Corinthians, he relies on the work of the Holy Spirit.
INSIGHT
When we speak, teach, or preach to the unsaved, we are not speaking to those who are merely blindfolded; we are speaking to those who are blind. It is not as though we can appeal to them to remove their blindfolds. Rather, we must appeal to the Lord to remove their blindness through the power of His Holy Spirit. "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, it is foolishness on our part to attempt to minister to others without first praying fervently for that ministry, asking the Lord to draw those hearts to Christ.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He broke through your blindness with the Light of life:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord. (Psalm 104:24, 33-34)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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. (Romans 3:23-24)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
That others might see Christ in you
That the Lord of the harvest will send laborers into His fields
Today's activities
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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)
:angel:
October 3
1 Corinthians 3
Paul says no foundation can be laid other than Jesus, and anything else is worthless in eternity.
INSIGHT
When the events of life are viewed with an eternal perspective, things that initially seemed important become unimportant, and things that seemed unimportant become important. Religious activity that is not undertaken with the right spirit or motive is worthless in view of eternity, regardless of how much weight it is given by men. And conversely the smallest cup of water given in the name of Christ receives eternal reward. Be careful how you build your life's work. Keep eternity in mind at all times.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He loved us enough to sacrifice His pleasures in heaven for our welfare:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
(Psalm 108:1, 3-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom for living
Needs of your immediate family
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen" (Revelation 7:11-12).
:angel:
October 4
1 Corinthians 6
Brothers should not go to court against brothers, especially before unbelievers.
INSIGHT
When we come to Christ, we give up our title to all earthly possessions, and we receive eternal possessions that are fabulous beyond imagination. All of the riches of Christ are ours as co-inheritors with Him; all those things that we might have viewed as possessions must now be seen as "on loan." We are now merely administrators, stewards of these things that belong to the Lord. We must hold them loosely with an open hand, not as possessions, and use them as we believe Christ would.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that Christ's passion for us went as far as the Cross:
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.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. . . .
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, 3-4, 10)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you. (Deuteronomy 32:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Patience in dealing with others
The hungry around the world
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you,
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
October 5
1 Corinthians 7
Paul instructs the Corinthians concerning marriage, divorce, and singleness.
INSIGHT
Within the bonds of marriage, spiritual, emotional, and physical dimensions exist. The relationship should be established by a spiritual bond out of which flow emotional and physical bonds. When this order is properly maintained, the relationship is balanced and satisfying. However, many marriages take the opposite direction. Out of physical attraction grow emotional bonds, and spiritual bonds may or may not follow. Strive to strengthen the spiritual bonds in your relationships in order to keep them healthy and balanced. Even in a marriage where one partner is unsaved, the relationship will be stronger and more satisfying if your spouse sees the reality of your spiritual life and love for Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that our spiritual bond with Christ can strengthen the bonds of other relationships:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise? . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-2, 48)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you pray this confession to the Lord:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater sensitivity to sin
The ministry of your church
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea,
and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13)
:angel:
October 6
1 Corinthians 8
Take care that your actions do not wound another Christian.
INSIGHT
There is an inseparable link between Christ and the church. In Acts 9:4 Jesus appears to Saul on the road to Damascus and asks, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Yet Saul had not persecuted Jesus; he had never even seen Jesus. However, because he was persecuting the church, Jesus rebuked Saul for persecuting Him. Again in 1 Corinthians 8 Paul teaches that if we sin against our brothers in Christ-wounding their consciences when they are weak-we sin against Christ. We must be cautious with our words and actions.
PRAYER
Praise Christ, the Head of the church:
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height , and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14, 17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and
the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:11-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up. (Psalm 5:1-3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Perseverance
Endurance for those who work with the homeless
Whatever else is on your heart
Close this time of worship with the following prayer:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
October 7
1 Corinthians 9
Paul limits his freedom for the sake of other Christians.
INSIGHT
Spiritual maturity is not a product of human effort. The fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit, not of self-effort. Yet God will not grant spiritual maturity to us unless we are striving for it. Paul says, "I run . . . not with uncertainty. I fight . . . not as one who beats the air. I discipline my body . . . " in pursuit of spiritual goals (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). The reality is that few of us have the spiritual passion to equal the temporal passion of the unsaved. It is a challenge to care about the same things God cares about-a challenge we must accept!
PRAYER
Praise God that His work of sanctification continues in your life:
May the Lord give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 115:14-18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother" (Zechariah 7:9-10).
As you confess your sins, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation. (Psalm 118:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Purity of mind
Your spiritual goals
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:15-16)
:angel:
October 8
1 Corinthians 13
Love is the greatest virtue that all Christians should exhibit.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, love is clearly considered the supreme virtue. Both Jesus and Paul teach that the greatest Christian virtue is love. However, it is not always easy to measure love, especially because our society has such a distorted concept of what love is. Many people think that love is simply an emotion. We may think that if we don't feel "warm and fuzzy," we don't love. While emotions certainly may be attached to biblical love, love is primarily an act of the will. And God commands us to love. If you exhibit the qualities listed in today's chapter, you are loving regardless of your emotions.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He loves us with the same love He asks from us:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens. (Psalm 113:1-4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for fellow Christians
The work of missions in Europe and Asia
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)
:angel:
October 9
1 Corinthians 15
Christ's resurrection is the basis for our resurrection, which is the final victory over sin.
INSIGHT
It is difficult for us to imagine what our resurrected bodies will be like. Yet there are snatches of information in the Scriptures that may give us some idea. In Matthew 17, for example, we read about Jesus, Moses, and Elijah who, having lost their earthly appearance, glow with a dazzling light. From this one brief example, we might conclude that our bodies will shine with dazzling light, that we will be free from gravity, that we may travel at fabulous speeds, and will be able to appear and disappear. C. S. Lewis once wrote that if we were to see our glorified selves coming down the street, we would be tempted to fall at our own feet and worship ourselves.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that each believer will have a wonderful resurrected body:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 11, 18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly"
(2 Samuel 24:10).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater faithfulness with your time
The president, national leaders, and national and world affairs
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
October 10
2 Corinthians 1
The Lord comforts us in our affliction so we may comfort others.
INSIGHT
There is a fellowship of suffering. Someone who has suffered the same things we have suffered is better able to minister to us. And if we have been comforted in our suffering, we are better able to comfort someone else who experiences the same difficulties. Suffering can make us compassionate toward others. As the sufferings of Christ overflow into our lives, so can the compassion of Christ overflow from our lives into the lives of others.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that Jesus was willing to lay down His immediate comfort for our sakes:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.
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 135:1-5, 21)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord - how long? (Psalm 6:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit . . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirsaccording to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-5, 7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The renewing of your mind
The needs of your extended family
Your activities for the day
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)
:angel:
October 11
2 Corinthians 4
Man's evident weakness presents an opportunity for God to manifest His power.
INSIGHT
When we look at Israel and the Mosaic Law, we tend to think that the Jews performed poorly. All they had to do was be obedient to some basic laws, and God would bless them beyond measure. Yet they might say the same about us. With the Holy Spirit living in us, we have only to live in love toward God and man and God will bless us spiritually beyond measure. While human frailty is glaring in both systems, the work of God is being accomplished nevertheless. God's message is carried in "jars of clay" so that in eternity the glory of the redeemed will go to God and not to man.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord as an expression of the gratefulness of your heart:
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 and in fellowship with Him:
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:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The Lord's leading in your life
Opportunities for evangelism
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14)
:angel:
October 12
2 Corinthians 5
We should live for the eternal rather than the temporal, and we will be rewarded accordingly.
INSIGHT
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine "bema" that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds "on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord as you "set your mind on things above":
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us. (Psalm 123:1-2)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him, pray this confession to the Lord:
"My God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater commitment to Him
The work of specific Christian ministries
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:23-24)
:angel:
October 14
1 Kings 18
The prophet Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.
INSIGHT
The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal is one of the most exciting chapters in the Bible, with fire raining down from heaven — consuming meat, water, and stone! Then after Baal worship is defeated, it rains, signifying an end to that judgment. Elijah prays, "Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again" (v. 37). God does not punish His children for sin but rather chastens them in the hope that they will repent and return to Him.
PRAYER
Let us praise the Lord in the words of this psalm:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for personal evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
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 121:5-8).
:angel:
October 15
2 Corinthians 12
Paul was given a vision of heaven and then "a thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble.
INSIGHT
The Bible gives us a number of reasons why Christians suffer adversity. One reason is to strengthen and mature us. Another is that it is the natural consequence of our own foolishness from which God does not necessarily protect us. And another reason Paul gives us in today's chapter is to keep us humble. If things always went well for us, if life was always "coming up roses," we would tend to become conceited, to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and perhaps think less of others. Notice that Paul only prayed three times for the removal of his "thorn in the flesh" (vv. 7-8). When it was clear that God was not going to remove it, Paul accepted it.
PRAYER
Because the Lord always has a reason for allowing adversity, we can praise Him for all things:
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 and in fellowship with Him:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5)
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:
Patience in difficult circumstances
The work of missions in South America
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
October 16
Galatians 5
As Christians walk by the Spirit, they will manifest His characteristics.
INSIGHT
As Paul teaches in Romans 7, a civil war rages within every child of God. The opposing forces are the power of the flesh and the power of the Spirit. Paul refers to these as the "outer man" and the "inner man." What is at stake is the control of the child of God. As we yield ourselves to the control of the Spirit, then love, joy, peace, patience, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. As we yield ourselves to the control of our unrighteous promptings, then anger, jealousy, impurity, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. We must yield our "members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Romans 6:13) and begin to taste of the fruit of God.
PRAYER
Because we can taste the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, give thanks and praise to Him:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindness,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness sake, O Lord. (Psalm 25:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness with your talents
The ministry of Christian radio
Your activities for the day
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)
:angel:
October 17
Galatians 6
Christians are to look out for one another and bear one another's burdens.
INSIGHT
John Donne once wrote: "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main. . . . If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less." What Donne wrote generally and poetically, Paul wrote specifically hundreds of years earlier: "Restore" one another and "bear one another's burdens" (vv. 1-2); "do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (v. 10). We are part of one another, and we are to live for one another in harmony and mutual concern. We are all part of the same "continent"-the "continent" of Christ.
PRAYER
Offer praise to the Lord because the message of Christ the Savior has come to you:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. (Psalm 145:17-21)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to stay in fellowship with Him:
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
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. . . .
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You. (Psalm 25:15-18, 21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom in decision making
The needs of personal friends
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:6)
:angel:
October 19
Ephesians 2
All men are dead in sin, but by grace through faith in Christ they may be saved from sin.
INSIGHT
Two of the most wonderful words in the Bible occur in this chapter: "But God . . ." We were dead in our transgressions and sins; we followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the spirit of disobedience; we lived to gratify the cravings of our sinful natures; and we were by nature objects of wrath. BUT GOD, because of His great love for us, made us alive with Christ. We have been saved; God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms, that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He extends grace to you:
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:
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 name's 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:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Christian educational institutions
Challenges for the disabled
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)
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4)
:angel:
October 20
Ephesians 3
Paul is called to be a minister and to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.
INSIGHT
Paul calls his ministry the fulfillment of a "mystery." In the Bible, a mystery is nothing mysterious but something previously unknown. The mystery was that Jews and Gentiles would join together to form a new entity-the church. This mystery was foretold by Jesus, but the details of the doctrine, walk, and destiny of the church were communicated by Paul and his fellow apostles. Now as a new thing-the body of Christ-we are all to allow Christ to live His life through us.
PRAYER
Praise God for the mighty plan He has for the church:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord! . . .
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
(Psalm 113:1, 4-6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:16-18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Wisdom as you serve in your local church
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-10)
:angel:
October 21
Ephesians 4
Christians are to live in righteousness and holiness, worthy of their calling in Christ.
INSIGHT
On the basis of who we are in Christ - redeemed, inheritors with Christ, adopted into God's family, and destined to spend eternity with Him - we are to live a lifestyle that reflects our identity. We are no longer to live as we did before we knew the Lord - or as those who do not know Him. By putting on the "new man" we will preserve the unity of the Spirit and show the world that Christ is real. He makes a difference in the life that is dedicated to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He is molding you into His image:
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous (Psalm 112:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness
(Psalm 101:2-4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever
(Psalm 104:1-2, 5).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
sensitivity to the Holy Spirit,
unsaved friends and co-workers.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord
(Psalm 107:43)
:angel:
October 22
Ephesians 5
We are to walk in love just as Christ did.
INSIGHT
The wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience (the unsaved). Therefore, we are not to partake of their deeds. For we were formerly darkness, but now we are light in the Lord. If this is so, do you as a Christian need to alter any of your present habits? What about your television viewing habits? If it is disgraceful even to speak of the things that are done by the children of darkness, how much more disgraceful is it to sit in our living rooms and watch it? What about movies, books, magazines, or conversations with friends? Do your habits reflect the light of God?
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He has transferred us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light:
Mary said:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation"(Luke 1:46-50).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you pray this confession to the Lord:
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:
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills (Habakkuk 3:19).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for your family,
the work of missions in South America.
Finally, close with this prayer:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
(Romans 16:25-27)
:angel:
October 23
Ephesians 6
We are to put on the full armor of God to fight and win the spiritual war.
INSIGHT
Satan is a deceiver and a destroyer; he deceives in order to destroy. A part of his deception is to have us believe he is not at work opposing our pursuit of righteousness. To combat his efforts, we must do several things. First, recognize that we must "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might"(v. 10), not in our own strength. Second, we must "put on the whole armor of God" (v. 11). Each piece described in verses 14-17 must be in place daily. Third, we must pray at all times Òin the SpiritÓ (v. 18). And finally, having done all that, we must stand firm without fear, knowing we are secure (v. 13).
PRAYER
Because the Lord has promised to fight for us, we can praise Him!
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
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. . . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1-5, 11, 20).
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your finances,
revival among Christians in America,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
October 24
Philippians 1
Paul urges us to have his perspective: "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (v. 21).
INSIGHT
With Paul's perspective on life, he cannot lose. Wherever he is, Paul considers it "the world" into which the Lord wants him to go to preach the Gospel. Even prison is a positive experience for Paul, because he is able to spread the Gospel there. And if he is to die, that is even better. To live is fruitful ministry, but to die is gain. Most of us have our affections too deeply implanted in the things of this world to identify with hisperspective. We must learn to let go.
PRAYER
The Lord is worthy of our praise:
"Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after themÑthe Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings."
(Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
(Psalm 51:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
(2 Corinthians 8:9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
an eternal perspective,
your ministry in your local church,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
October 25
Philippians 2
We are exhorted to be like Christ, who practiced only selflessness.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the source of most interpersonal conflict. Someone is taking something from us (materially, emotionally, socially, etc.) that we don't want to give, and we fight to keep or gain our desires. Unselfishness is the source of most interpersonal harmony. Think about the people you really like - even famous people you don't know personally. Usually the reason you like them is because they are gracious and kind, and give of themselves. If you want to be a harmonious, likable person, you must be unselfish.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that we see God in Christ, and praise Him for the privilege of knowing Him:
Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him". (Daniel 2:20-22)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight -
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
(Colossians 1:13-14)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater personal discipline,
persecuted Christians,
your activities for the day.
Close this time of worship with the following prayer:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
:angel:
October 26
Philippians 3
Our goal in life should be to forsake temporal things for the sake of the eternal.
INSIGHT
Benjamin Franklin once decided to become morally perfect. He chose 13 qualities he felt embodied moral perfection and tried to perfect one a week - at the end of 13 weeks he would be morally perfect. He failed, yet later wrote he had become a much better man for trying and failing than if he had never tried at all. Our situation with the Lord is similar. We will never become morally perfect, as Paul writes, but we can experience maturation as we grow into the image of Christ.
PRAYER
Because the Lord knows our weaknesses and loves us anyway, we can praise Him with enthusiasm:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You,
O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You. . . .
But the Lord is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation
(Jeremiah 10:6-7, 10)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
(Romans 8:26)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
a stronger desire to be like Christ,
churches across the nation,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
(Ephesians 6:13)
:angel:
October 27
Philippians 4
We must focus on those things which are pure and good.
INSIGHT
You are what you eat." Your body reflects what you feed it. Eat well and your body rewards you with health. The same is true spiritually and mentally. We become like what we put into our minds and like what we allow our minds to dwell on. Paul encourages us to think about whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, or of good report (v. 8). If you are unsatisfied with your spiritual, mental, or emotional development, ask yourself: "What do I put into my mind - what do I think about?" You may need a radical change in your spiritual diet.
PRAYER
God's attributes include love, joy, kindness, and mercy. Praise Him for developing these characteristics in your life:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
(1 Chronicles 16:8-11)
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
(Psalm 7:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
graciousness toward others,
laborers for Christ in India,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is their strength,
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever (Psalm 28:8-9).
:angel:
October 28
Colossians 1
Christ is the image of the invisible God and the Head of the church.
INSIGHT
On the surface, it is pretty difficult to explain why you believe in God. No one has seen Him face-to-face, touched Him, or smelled Him, yet His fingerprints are everywhere. You must get beneath the surface where the intangible becomes tangible. God is made visible through Jesus Christ. Paul writes that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God" (v. 15). If you want to know about God, learn about Jesus. If you want to see God, look at Jesus. If you want to please God, follow Jesus. He is God in the flesh!
PRAYER
Praise God that He came to us in the person of Jesus Christ:
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
(John 14:10-13)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge - by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:20-21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual discipline,
strength for those ministering Gods Word in China,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
(John 1:18)
:angel:
October 29
Colossians 2
Christ is our Savior and example; the center of life for Christians.
INSIGHT
People can no more save themselves than they can fly to the moon. Both are utterly impossible. And because of our spiritual condition and the spiritual laws of God, we stand a greater assurance of making our spiritual condition worse instead of better by trying to save ourselves. Paul says that we were dead. We had decrees written against us that we were powerless to remove. God made us alive together with Christ and removed the decrees against us by nailing them Òto the crossÓ (vv. 13-14). We must gain salvation by grace through faith in Christ or not have it at all.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that in our utter helplessness He offered us salvation through Christ:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
(Ephesians 1:3)
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless 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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for others,
the work of missions in Australia and New Zealand,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
(Titus 3:5)
:angel:
October 30
Colossians 3
We have been raised up with Christ and should seek the things above.
INSIGHT
It is possible to be one place physically and another place mentally. It happens every Sunday morning in church. Bodies warm the pews while minds roam the kitchens and golf courses of the nation. In a graver example, prisoners of war survive by taking themselves mentally into another world away from the prison and there find meaning and solace. We, as Christians, are to do the same. We are to take ourselves out of the physical world, into the spiritual world, and operate according to its values, truths, and realities. "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above. . . . Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (vv. 1-2).
PRAYER
Place your mind on Christ, and give Him your praise as you seek the things above:
O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me . . .
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High (Psalm 7:1, 17).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
(Psalm 51:10-13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
(1 John 3:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in national and world affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close your time of worship by offering this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
October 31
Colossians 4
Conduct yourself with wisdom, and let your speech be filled with grace.
INSIGHT
"Out of the abundance of [a man's] heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). A man cannot claim his heart is kind if his words are unkind. He cannot claim his heart embraces heaven's values if his mouth speaks the values of the world. The heart is a reservoir and the mouth a faucet. When the faucet is turned on, whatever is in the reservoir comes out. Paul writes: "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt" (Colossians 4:6). Elsewhere he writes: "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29). Listen to your speech! Analyze your heart!
PRAYER
Out of the abundance of your heart, offer to the Lord the praise of your lips:
Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested (Revelation 15:3-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
your growth as you pursue your full potential as a child of God,
fulfillment of the Great Commission,
whatever else is on your heart.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
(Hebrews 2:9)
:angel:
November 1
1 Thessalonians 1
The Thessalonians follow Paul's life example and grow to spiritual maturity.
INSIGHT
Because the Christian life is more easily caught than taught, personal godliness is a powerful ministry tool, and imitation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth. Paul gave the Thessalonians not just the words of the Gospel, but also his very life - "you know what kind of men we were among you" (v. 5). The Thessalonian believers witnessed Paul's life and imitated him, which resulted in spiritual growth for them - "you became followers of us" (v. 6). As a result, they became an example to the Macedonians and Achaians. This pattern of "life-on-life" ministry was first demonstrated by our Lord. Jesus selected 12 men "that they might be with Him" (Mark 3:14). Take a moment to think about how you can learn from or teach someone else in a mentoring relationship.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is our perfect example:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy . . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
(2 Corinthians 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
health and strength to serve Him,
His will to be done in your life,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace . . . make you complete in every good work to do His will.
(Hebrews 13:20-21)
:angel:
November 2
1 Thessalonians 2
Paul's method of ministry is described. He communicates the Gospel with love and integrity.
INSIGHT
Whenever the message of your words and the message of your actions conflict, the message of your actions will always win out. You may speak gruffly but act kindly, and you will be known as having a hard shell but being a "softie" on the inside. Or you may speak well but act selfishly, and you will be known as a hypocrite. There is no accusation leveled at Christians more consistently than that of hypocrisy. Our lives must support the reality of the Gospel, or the Gospel will not be taken seriously and we will be resented. Paul writes: "We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives" (v. 8). Unless we are willing to impart our lives in ministry, our words will mean little.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He was willing to give us His very life:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)
"You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You,
ccording to all that we have heard with our ears." (2 Samuel 7:22)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you pray this confession to the Lord, seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affir-mation to the Lord:
There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
(1 Timothy 2:5-6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater sensitivity to sin,
the ministry of your church,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(2 Peter 3:18)
:angel:
November 3
1 Thessalonians 3
Paul is not able to visit Thessalonica so he sends Timothy instead.
INSIGHT
Affliction is part of life. Sometimes circumstances afflict us; sometimes other people afflict us; sometimes we afflict ourselves. In the midst of affliction, we need encouragement. Paul writes that he sent Timothy to visit the Thessalonians "to establish and encourage" them because of their afflictions (vv. 2-3). Paul feared for their spiritual well-being. When we see others in the midst of affliction, we should be quick to encourage them. Rebuke, exhortation, counsel, and instruction all have their time and place, but encouragement is one of the most powerful ministries on earth.
PRAYER
Praise God for His encouraging Word!
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.
(Psalm 17:6-8)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
(Psalm 9:8)
Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
Be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
joy in the midst of unpleasant circumstances,
a positive, encouraging mind-set,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8).
:angel:
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 andresurrection 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)
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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 40:8).
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)
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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)
:angel: :angel:
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. 8). 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 pain = later 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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
November 14
1 Timothy 6
The quest for godliness motivates us to "fight the good fight" of faith while we live on earth.
INSIGHT
If any of us could have three wishes, most of us would include wealth as one of those wishes. Everything else being equal, we would rather be rich than poor. Yet that very desire is a snare - so much so that Paul urges Timothy to flee the love of money and "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness" (v. 11). And he adds: "I urge you . . . that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing" (vv. 13-14). If we have wealth, we are to use it compassionately. If we do not have wealth, we are to be content.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for being free to worship Him with words and with our lives:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . . .O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).
Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the renewing of your mind,
needs of your extended family,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
November 15
2 Timothy 1
Paul exhorts Timothy to rekindle his zeal for the Christian life and ministry.
INSIGHT
A number of years have passed between the writing of 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. During that time, Timothy has faced great trial and opposition and is in danger of discontinuing his ministry. Paul writes a terse letter of exhortation, urging strength and constancy. A list of phrases used in this book include:"stir up," "do not be ashamed," "hold fast," "be strong," "endure hardship," "be diligent, "flee youthful lusts," "pursue righteousness," and "preach the word!" In the heat of battle, short and powerful commands are easy to comprehend.
PRAYER
As you consider God's love for you, praise Him that He guides your spiritual growth:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the leading of the Lord in your life,
opportunities for evangelism,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
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).
:angel:
November 16
2 Timothy 2
Paul uses the metaphors of a soldier, athlete, farmer, and worker to encourage Timothy.
INSIGHT
In our hard-driving society, gentleness is almost a lost commodity. Not only is it rarely honored, but it is also often thought of as being undesirable. Yet Paul instructs Timothy that the "servant of the Lord must . . . be gentle" (v. 24) and that our gentleness may help others repent from sin. Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek (the gentle)" (Matthew 5:5). Gentleness is not a word which suggests weakness or impotence. It is used of powerful war horses who have been skillfully trained to instantly obey their masters. It is a word which suggests power under complete control. It offers much.
PRAYER
The Lord is gentle with us, and for this we praise Him and try to be gentle toward others:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings (Psalm 33:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
(2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater passion for moral excellence,
Christian education institutions,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
"Let God be magnified!"
But I am poor and needy;
Make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay (Psalm 70:4-5).
:angel:
November 17
2 Timothy 3
As Christians, we must be on our guard to follow the truth continually.
INSIGHT
The Scriptures are designed to be the basis of truth for leading a Christian to maturity in Jesus Christ. They are accurate and trustworthy, afford adequate knowledge, and lead to a godly, biblical lifestyle. They also yield a biblical ministry: "that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (v. 17). A mature Christian is one who knows what he needs to know (knowledge), is what he needs to be (lifestyle), does what he needs to do (ministry), and is guided by the Scriptures in all of this.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His magnificent Word that contains perfect instructions on how to live:
Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
My soul breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
You rebuke the proud and the cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments. . . .
Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors (Psalm 119:17-21, 24).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You (Psalm 51:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater self-control,
those who minister in our inner cities,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
:angel:
November 18
Ephesians 1
Christians have forgiveness of sin—an eternal inheritance.
INSIGHT
Most Christians need to re-identify who they are. We still see ourselves as mere human beings, children of the age with the albatross of the world hanging around our necks. That is who we once were, but are no longer. We have been adopted by God and are now His children. We are newly created in Him in holiness and righteousness. We have been given an inheritance in heaven that includes wealth and power. We have been changed; we are no longer what we were. When that truth "sinks in," we begin to act like who we really are rather than who we were.
PRAYER
Praise God for His mighty work of regeneration in your life!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God. . . .
The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A renewed mind
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
November 19
Titus 1
Paul instructs Titus to appoint spiritually qualified men to oversee the church ministry.
INSIGHT
The Bible is an enormous book that is difficult to master. It contains nearly 1,000 pages of information, none of which is insignificant. While it is true that new Christians can read and study the Scriptures on their own and gain spiritual truths through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is highly unlikely that anyone can grow to a mature understanding of the Bible without relying on teachers who know more about the Bible than they do. Herein lies a danger: We may not know enough about the Bible to determine if what is being taught to us is accurate. Therefore it is important to align ourselves with a church that believes and teaches the Bible. This type of setting will help safeguard us from being led into error.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He warns us about the danger of falling away from Him, and praise Him that He safeguards the faithful:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
(Hebrews 9:27-28)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for your family,
missionaries in North and South America,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
November 20
Titus 2
The book of Titus encourages people of all ages to live proper lives as Christians.
INSIGHT
The knowledge of Christ must effect a transformation in our lives so that our attitudes and actions will "adorn the doctrine of God" (v. 10). The words we speak will influence others only if our actions support our words. God has redeemed us from the slavery of sin, assuring us of "the blessed hope" of the coming of Christ (v. 13). Because we will one day be delivered from this world, we are to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, fixing our faith on the coming of "the blessed hope." This means we must be good stewards of the things of this world and live for the things Jesus would live for if He were in our place.
PRAYER
Because we can joyfully look ahead to a new life in another world, we praise our God:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. . . .
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
(Psalm 63:3-5, 7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
(Hebrews 11:6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your finances,
revival among Christians in America,
whatever else is on your heart.
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)
:angel:
November 21
Titus 3
Those who believe in God should be careful to maintain good works.
INSIGHT
It is difficult for us to separate our hope of heaven from our good works. We instinctively feel that we must be good to get to heaven. While God certainly wants us to live good lives, none of us can live a life good enough to get to heaven. One sin disqualifies us, and everyone has sinned more than once. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us . . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (vv. 5, 7). Salvation is a gift.
PRAYER
The Lord longs to mature us in Christ, the very thing for which we long, and so we praise Him:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer (Isaiah 54:7-8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
(Psalm 51:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater wisdom in decision-making,
needs of close friends and family members,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name! . . .
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 103:1, 21-22).
:angel:
November 24
Hebrews 2
Because Christ was man as well as God, He is able to give aid to us who are human.
INSIGHT
Jesus is God, but He was also man; Jesus was man, but He is also God. It is essential that Christ be both God and man. If Christ were not man, He could not have died for our sins. If He were not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the price for the sin of mankind. Christ was the perfect sacrifice. In fact, He was the only possible sacrifice able to atone for the sins of man and appease the wrath of God. As you continue to read the book of Hebrews, you will realize that the author's main point is simply this - the superiority of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
The Lamb of God was the perfect sacrifice for our sin and so we praise Him:
"I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the Gentiles,
To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them" (Isaiah 42:6-9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
(Romans 9:20-21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (Psalm 19:9-10).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
better listening skills,
wisdom for governing authorities,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah (Psalm 3:8).
:angel:
November 25
Hebrews 4
As we labor to enter into God's rest, we may call upon Christ for mercy and grace.
INSIGHT
The Word of God is energized by the Spirit of God. Whenever Scripture goes forth, it never returns without accomplishing the work it was intended to do. This is because the written Word of God is "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword" (v. 12). As we minister to others, the Bible must be central to all that we say and do. We must always remember that it is the Word which is alive, not our own insights, clever arguments, or interesting stories.
PRAYER
Because God has provided the Bible as our source of truth, we give Him praise:
I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope. . . .
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:7-9, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. (Psalm 2:10-12).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."
(Matthew 5:44)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom in interpreting the Bible,
missionaries in India,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . My beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
(1 Corinthians 15:57-58)
:angel:
November 26
Hebrews 8
The old covenant, being imperfect, was replaced by the new covenant based on grace.
INSIGHT
All the major features of the old covenant, which existed on a literal, physical level, are found in the new covenant on a spiritual, heavenly level. The old covenant had a physical sanctuary, a human high priest, and used real animals for sacrifices. This covenant was inadequate in that it could only deal with sins temporarily; it could not remove sins permanently (v. 7). In the new covenant there is a spiritual sanctuary, a heavenly High Priest, and a celestial Lamb whose death provides permanent forgiveness of sin for an infinite number of people. It is a 'better covenant, which was established on better promises.' (v. 6).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that Jesus' sacrifice was sufficient for the sins of all humankind:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God (Psalm 90:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
"Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips." (Hosea 14:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."
(Revelation 3:20)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for others,
missionaries in the Middle East,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23)
:angel:
November 27
Hebrews 9
The old covenant of law is a picture of the new covenant of grace in Christ.
INSIGHT
Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (v. 22). We are not told why that is true, only that it is. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Wherever there is sin, someone must die. We can pay the penalty for our own sin, which is our own eternal, spiritual death, or the death which Christ suffered can be placed on our account. His death can count for ours, and we do not have to die spiritually. Faith is the vehicle by which this transaction takes place. Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but will have eternal life.
(John 3:16)
PRAYER
Because God has allowed His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place, praise Him with the words of this psalm:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him (Psalm 92:1-2, 15).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
(1 Corinthians 10:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
(John 17:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
national and world affairs,
whatever else is on your heart.
Close your worship time with this prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
:angel:
November 28
Hebrews 11
A parade of heroic figures from the Old Testament depicts what it means to live by faith.
INSIGHT
Faith is the operative ingredient in the Christian life. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (v. 6). Faith is important because without it we cannot even begin to approach God. Simply put, faith is believing God and acting accordingly. All that is accomplished in the world to further the work of God is accomplished by faith. This list of exemplary faithful people shows that when God spoke, His people listened, believed, and acted accordingly. The words of an old hymn sum it all up: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
PRAYER
Praise God that Jesus was willing and sufficient to pay the price for our sins:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name." Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to hisways,
According to the fruit of his doings. . . .
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise (Jeremiah 17:9-10, 14).
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:
the development of an eternal perspective,
your spiritual goals,
your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
November 29
Hebrews 12
Following the example of Christ, we are to endure the chastening of God in our lives.
INSIGHT
We don't mind suffering some things as long as someone else is suffering too; we don't like to be the only one. Few things make us feel worse than when everything seems to be going well for everyone else and we are in the throes of suffering. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to endure our present sufferings as Christians in this world by reminding us that Christ suffered for us and that we ought, therefore, to be willing to suffer for Him. One of Jesus' highest points of integrity is that He never asks us to do anything for Him that He is not willing to do for us.
PRAYER
The Word of God is alive, and we can use it to worship and praise the One who gave it:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . . .
I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works (Psalm 71:8, 14-17).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me."
(Jeremiah 33:8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
(John 15:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater personal discipline,
Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
November 30
Hebrews 13
We are to live righteously before our fellow man and to offer God the sacrifice of praise.
INSIGHT
Praise is good for the soul and pleasing to God. The writer of Hebrews says," let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (v. 15). Again, in Psalm 33:1, we read: "Praise from the upright is beautiful." If you want to do something that pleases the Lord, praise Him. In addition, however, our actions must follow: "But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (v. 16). The praise of our lips must be followed with the godly pattern of our lives. Note that both praise and doing good are sacrifices with which God is well pleased.
PRAYER
Knowing that the Lord delights to hear it, offer Him your praise for who He is and what He has done for you:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting (Psalm 93:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that others will see Christ in you,
the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
your activities for the day.
Close your time of worship with this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen
(1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
December 1
James 1
Some trials come into a Christian's life to bring that individual to spiritual maturity.
INSIGHT
When we read "count it all joy when you fall into various trials" (v. 2), we can mentally assent to the wisdom of that. But in real life, when the duration and intensity of our trials goes beyond what we deem to be reasonable, we pass the point of caring. We begin to question the goodness of God. We question the rationality of the Christian life. We just want relief. By the grace of God we must accept that we are finally experiencing what James is talking about. Take courage. Be strong. God has not forgotten you. And as He is testing you, you will become spiritually mature - though you probably will perceive the growth only in retrospect.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the God of love:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods (Psalm 95:1-3).
Pause for praise and adoration.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
(Romans 8:29-30)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater wisdom for living,
needs of your immediate family,
your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen (Jude 25).
:angel:
December 2
James 2
True Christian love will not discriminate against the poor.
INSIGHT
"Birds of a feather flock together." Trite as that may sound, it's one of the fundamental laws of social interaction. We are more at home with those who are like us than with those who are not. There is nothing wrong with this tendency. It is built-in and there is little value in denying it. But if that tendency prompts us to act unlovingly, the action is wrong. A tendency cannot be avoided; unloving actions can. James specifically warns us about discriminating against the poor, though it is also wrong to discriminate against anyone because of wealth, creed, race, age, or national origin. The royal law is to love your neighbor as yourself regardless of who the neighbor is.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves us just as we are, we can praise Him that He does not discriminate against us:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness (Psalm 96:5-8, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
(Hebrews 12:11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known (Proverbs 10:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater insight into God's holy Word,
the hungry around the world,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
:angel:
December 3
James 3
The exercise of genuine Christian faith results in controlling the tongue to speak good, not evil.
INSIGHT
Through the use of metaphors, James warns us about the tongue. There is nothing good or bad, right or wrong about a tongue; it is simply a few ounces of muscle. But the tongue articulates the contents of the heart. If a flask full of acid is bumped, acid will spill out. If a flask full of water is bumped, only water will spill out. Water will never spill out of a flask of acid, and acid will never spill out of a flask of water. In that sense, the tongue merely reveals the heart. Let the heart be bumped, and the tongue will reveal what is in the heart. In controlling the tongue, you must control the heart. If you want to change the words of the tongue, you must change the condition of the heart.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord who can soften our hearts and sweeten our tongues:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name (Psalm 97:10-12).
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:8-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8).
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:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
December 4
James 4
While selfishness produces conflict, humility produces submission to God.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the foundation for all conflict. When two hearts want different things - and neither is willing to sacrifice for the sake of the other - conflict arises. Selfishness is the cause of war, crime, and interpersonal conflict. By looking out for ourselves, we think we can get what we want from life. In contrast, the Lord teaches us that humility, not selfishness, results in satisfaction in life. Promote yourself, and wars and conflict result. Even God is against you (v. 6). But live in humility and wars and conflict cease, assuming all parties participate. And the Lord will lift you up.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord because He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name (Psalm 100:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
(1 John 2:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater faithfulness with your time,
the president and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
(Hebrews 13:20-2)
:angel:
December 5
James 5
The rich of this world are warned against an uncompassionate use of their wealth.
INSIGHT
James does not condemn wealth; rather he condemns the uncompassionate use of wealth. It is not wrong to have money, but it is very wrong to have money and not use it to further the Gospel and the welfare of the needy of the world. Those in need are often utterly dependent on those with wealth. In support of James' teaching, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:17-18: "Command those who are rich . . . that they be rich in good works." Neither Paul nor James tells the rich to give up their riches; rather both encourage the rich to use their wealth compassionately and generously.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the harmony that He can bring to our relationships:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord (Psalm 104:24, 31-34).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams"(1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
(Revelation 3:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
good stewardship with your resources,
needs of your extended family,
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).
:angel:
December 6
1 Peter 1
Because of our great hope for the future, we should be steadfast in the face of present trials.
INSIGHT
One mark of maturity is the ability to put off present gratification for the sake of a future reward. A child of six is not willing to give up buying a piece of candy to save that money for college tuition; yet an older child might be willing to forego present purchases for the sake of future education. Though in the Christian life the stakes are much higher, the principle is the same. Peter urges us to consider our future inheritance and endure present trials in expectation of our eternal reward.
PRAYER
We can praise the Lord because He has promised to see us through the trials of life:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek 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 (Psalm 105:1-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly."
(2 Samuel 24:10)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the Lord's leading in your life,
opportunities for evangelism,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
December 7
1 Peter 2
Spiritual sacrifice and personal holiness should be the Christian response to trials.
INSIGHT
A pilgrim is a wanderer. A sojourner is one who lives somewhere temporarily. Peter calls us pilgrims and sojourners in this world. We are no longer at home here; we are no longer a part of this world. Whatever we do should be evaluated in light of our true citizenship in heaven. As such, we live by the rules and values of heaven, not earth. Peter writes: "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul"(v. 11). When we violate the principles of heaven, it is not only God and His honor that suffer - we suffer.
PRAYER
The Lord has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness and made us citizens of the kingdom of light for which we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works. . . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
(John 6:37)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater commitment to the Lord,
the work of specific Christian ministries,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"You are worthy . . .
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9-10).
:angel:
December 8
1 Peter 3
Husbands and wives should be sensitive to the responsibilities and needs of each other.
INSIGHT
In a Christian marriage, the wife should submit to her husband and live an exemplary life which validates her faith. The husband should love his wife unconditionally, be sensitive to her, and seek to understand her. When both spouses assume a proper role before God and each other, a harmonious and satisfying relationship will result. If not, conflict or alienation can result.
PRAYER
Praise your heavenly Father for assisting you in your human relationships:
Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments (Psalm 119:1-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:16-17).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.
(Genesis 9:16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
victims of natural disasters,
missionaries on college campuses,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
(Jude 20-21)
:angel:
December 9
1 Peter 4
In the face of suffering, we should follow Christ's example.
INSIGHT
Life is often very trying whether you are a Christian or not. Difficult circumstances fall on the righteous and unrighteous alike. However, the Christian life often adds to our difficulties. We may be discriminated against because of our faith, or our beliefs may eliminate the "easy" ways out of a problem. But Christ does not ask us to suffer anything for Him that He was not willing to suffer for us. Someday we will be rewarded for our diligence and faith.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He is completely in control of your life:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple. . . .
Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.
Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.
Rivers of water run down from my eyes,
Because men do not keep Your law (Psalm 119:129-130, 134-136).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
(1 Peter 3:13-16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom and discernment,
Christian radio ministries.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
By Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
(Hebrews 13:15)
:angel:
December 10
1 Peter 5
Elders should shepherd the church and, in turn, the church should respect their leaders.
INSIGHT
True leaders are servants. Their task is to make those under them successful. As everyone is successful, the larger goal toward which they are all contributing is achieved. This is an example of a fundamental principle which is taught throughout Scripture: The work of God is done by the people of God through mutual submission. As we submit to the needs and roles of others rather than looking out for our own efforts, His work is accomplished. Elders are to shepherd those in the church by living the kind of life that is a positive example to others. They should live in submission to the needs and characteristics of those under them and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt them in due time.
PRAYER
Rejoice that Jesus Christ was submissive to the will of the Father and died for us:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise? . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, Amen!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-2, 48).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God: I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.
(Ezra 9:6)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
(John 8:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for the lost,
missionaries in Africa,
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).
:angel:
December 11
2 Peter 1
God has given us the capacity to grow in Christian character and to develop spiritual fruit.
INSIGHT
We are children of God, subjects of the King of creation. God calls us to act accordingly, but often we do not. Our actions tend to result from our self-image which is flawed and enamored with the values and attitudes of this world. Peter writes that we have become: partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world . . . " He then adds: ". . . for this very reason," pursue holiness (vv. 4-5). Those who do not pursue holiness are shortsighted and have forgotten that they have been purged of their old sin natures.
PRAYER
We have become partakers of the divine nature through Christ, so praise Him who made it possible:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth (Psalm 108:1, 3-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord - how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your talents,
state and local leaders,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
12
2 Peter 2
Beware of false teachers whose lives deny their faith and who will be judged by God.
INSIGHT
False teachers are viewed gravely in the Scriptures. Perhaps the most scathing rebukes and most unthinkable punishments are articulated against these "wolves in sheep's clothing." Why are they dealt with so harshly? Because while refusing salvation themselves, they also keep others from it. It is like a drowning man who not only refuses to accept a lifesaver, but also insists on drowning someone else with him. We must take great care to accurately teach the truth and shun those who do not.
PRAYER
We can walk in fellowship with the Lord and praise Him regardless of how we feel:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 113:1-3, 5-6, 9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:22-23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom in decision making,
the needs of your friends,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
:angel:
December 13
2 Peter 3
Some people will scoff at the Day of the Lord, but we ought to purify ourselves for it.
INSIGHT
Most people agree that the world cannot last forever. Eventually the hydrogen in the sun will burn out, and the sun will grow cold, destroying the earth in the process. So how will the earth end? The Bible tells us that the day will come when the heavens and the earth will be destroyed by fire. It may not happen soon, but it will happen. Since all of us must face "the end" sometime, Peter writes that as we look forward to these things, we should accept salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Though we are not always consistent in our Christian walk, we can praise the Lord that He is always faithful to us:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 11, 18).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodnessÕ sake, O Lord (Psalm 25:6-7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
(John 14:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual victory over sin,
opportunities to serve the Lord in your home, office, or neighborhood,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:12, 14).
:angel:
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. 8). 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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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 name's 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)
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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).
:angel:
December 22
Job 1
After meeting with God, Satan receives permission to test Job.
INSIGHT
If God is all good and all powerful, then why do the righteous suffer? Throughout the book of Job, questions of the ages arise. Job is a righteous man, and while he does not curse God, he does wonder why these things have happened. These same questions form today in the minds of people who observe or experience suffering. It is not wicked to ask these questions. All people struggle with these questions sooner or later. But we learn from Job that we can struggle without sinning.
PRAYER
God is trustworthy and kind. Because we know that He loves us with an everlasting love, we can praise Him:
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.
(Psalm 17:6-9)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
(Psalm 18:4-6)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
(Psalm 18:16-18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Health and strength
-- Guidance for local political leaders
-- Your pastor and his family
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
(Psalm 18:46)
:angel:
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)
:angel:
December 24
Revelation 3
Jesus gives prophetic messages to three additional churches.
INSIGHT
To the church in Sardis, Jesus offers a strong rebuke. He calls them "dead" and warns them to recall their initial response to the Gospel and repent. However, He also commends those few who have not defiled themselves. The Lord also commends the church in Philadelphia for having kept His command to persevere. Because of that, He will keep them from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole world. Perhaps the most frightening message goes to the church at Laodicea. Because their works are "neither cold nor hot" but lukewarm, Jesus says He will spew them out of His mouth. Their wealth has made them complacent and Jesus urges them to repent.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He cares enough not to let us drift and praise Him for His correction:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever (Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will meditate on Your precepts.
Let those who fear You turn to me,
Those who know Your testimonies.
Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes,
That I may not be ashamed (Psalm 119:78-80).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
love for others,
missionaries in New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific islands,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
(Romans 16:25, 27)
:angel:
December 25
Revelation 4
John describes an astounding vision of the throne of God in heaven.
INSIGHT
At Christmas our thoughts are on Jesus' birth, focusing on His humanity. By radical contrast, this Christmas Day we see the throne room of heaven and the surroundings which magnify His deity. In the center is a throne - behind which an emerald-colored rainbow arises. Dignitaries dressed in white robes and gold crowns are seated around the throne. The floor of the massive room is like crystal. Unusual looking creatures constantly give verbal praise to God and the dignitaries form a celestial choir, worshiping and praising God. This is the normal abode of God's Son. Yet we usually think of Jesus as a child in Bethlehem, a teacher on a hillside, or the One who bore our sins alone on a cross. Revelation balances that picture with a glimpse of Jesus' majesty and grandeur.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He was willing to become what we are - that we may inherit eternal salvation:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever -
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in world and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
December 26
Revelation 4
John describes an astounding vision of the throne of God in heaven.
INSIGHT
At Christmas our thoughts are on Jesus' birth, focusing on His humanity. By radical contrast, this Christmas Day we see the throne room of heaven and the surroundings which magnify His deity. In the center is a throne - behind which an emerald-colored rainbow arises. Dignitaries dressed in white robes and gold crowns are seated around the throne. The floor of the massive room is like crystal. Unusual looking creatures constantly give verbal praise to God and the dignitaries form a celestial choir, worshiping and praising God. This is the normal abode of God's Son. Yet we usually think of Jesus as a child in Bethlehem, a teacher on a hillside, or the One who bore our sins alone on a cross. Revelation balances that picture with a glimpse of Jesus' majesty and grandeur.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He was willing to become what we are - that we may inherit eternal salvation:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever -
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in world and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
December 27
Revelation 15
John begins a description of the earth's judgment that continues in the following chapters.
INSIGHT
One of the sobering realities of Scripture is the prophecy of judgment on mankind at the end of time. While theologians debate timetables and exact meanings, they generally agree on one thing: Judgment is a central feature of the end times. While the depiction of judgment in Revelation is shrouded in symbolism and mystery, it is clear that it is paralyzingly unpleasant. Accounts of judgment are accompanied by warnings to men to take heed and prepare themselves to meet the Lord.
PRAYER
We have such a glorious home and future with the Lord that we can praise Him now and throughout eternity:
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands . . . the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work.
(Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight -
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly (Proverbs 2:3-7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that the Lord deliver you from evil,
that the Lord send out laborers into His harvest,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen
(1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
December 28
Revelation 19
John describes Jesus' return to the earth as the conquering King.
INSIGHT
Apocalypse: "The revelation of a violent struggle in which evil will be destroyed" (Webster's Dictionary). The second coming of Christ will be the apocalypse fulfilled. While the symbolism of the language in Revelation makes it difficult to ascertain exactly how events will unfold, it is clear that when Jesus returns again, it will be to confront evil and destroy it. The heavens will split and Jesus will descend upon the armies of the earth which have gathered in opposition to His return. In contrast to His past role as Savior of man, He will now come as King of creation. Whereas once He made Himself subject to men, now all men will become subject to Him. History will end and eternity will begin.
PRAYER
We praise Him that we can look forward to His appearing:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6).
Pause for a time of confession 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me (Psalm 51:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
(Romans 8:18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
sensitivity to sin,
the ministries of your church,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
December 29
Revelation 20
After leading a final rebellion, Satan is confined forever.
INSIGHT
Satan is not taken seriously by our society. Yet from Genesis to Revelation, Satan is revealed as God's enemy, a force to be seriously reckoned with. As part of the culmination of the end times, he is confronted, conquered, and confined. Today, Satan deceives in order to destroy. But in the end he will be defeated and his reign of terror on earth will end. "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone" (v. 10). In the end, Satan is a defeated foe!
PRAYER
Praise God that we can share in His victory:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . . .
Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people (Psalm 9:1-2, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood? Selah
But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly;
The Lord will hear when I call to Him (Psalm 4:2-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
In the Lord I put my trust . . .
The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord's throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men. . . .
For the Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright (Psalm 11:1, 4, 7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
thoughtfulness and encouraging words,
vision for reaching the unsaved,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly."
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen
(Revelation 22:20-21).
:angel:
December 30
Revelation 21
When the old heaven and earth are transformed, we will fellowship intimately with God.
INSIGHT
In the new heaven and new earth, the distance between God and man will be removed. In the Old Testament, the glory of God was displayed as a brilliant light, but men were not able to look on it. In the New Testament, men were able to approach Jesus; but His glory was not seen, being veiled by His human form. In the new heaven and new earth, the glory of God will not be veiled, and we shall be able to behold it. The distance will be removed, and we will fellowship with God forevermore.
PRAYER
Praise God that He never ceases to care for His children:
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:11-12).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish (Psalm 1:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the renewing of your mind,
purity of leadership at your church,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
December 31
Revelation 22
Jesus reaffirms His second coming and encourages us to be ready.
INSIGHT
Looking forward to the Messiah, Isaiah writes: "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance" (55:1-2). Then John, looking back to the Messiah, picks up the same theme: "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" (v. 17).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His salvation which He offers to us freely in Christ:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. . . .
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation (Luke 1:46-47, 49-50).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
"For 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).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that others might see Christ in you,
the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
(2 Peter 3:18)
:angel:
Genesis 1
The first chapter of Genesis reveals God as Creator of the universe.
INSIGHT
In the beginning, God! That is the way it is throughout the Bible. "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).
"Every knee [will] bow . . . every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:10-11).
God wants to be first and foremost in your life. He is the Author of the first creation, and He is the Author of the new creation in your heart.
In the first creation, the wind and the waves obey the Lord -- they have no choice. In the new creation, there is a choice: to obey or not to obey -- the pleasures of sin for a moment or the favor of fellowship for a lifetime.
Have you chosen to put God first in your life? Not to decide is to decide.
PRAYER
Continue your time with the Lord by praising God through these psalms:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth (Psalm 115:1).
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name,
O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night (Psalm 92:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions (Psalm 51:1).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers (Colossians 1:15-16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your time,
· the president, national leaders, and national affairs,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
Genesis 2
Adam and Eve rebel against their Creator.
INSIGHT
You may have heard the old saying, "For want of a nail, the shoe is lost; for want of a shoe, the horse is lost; for want of a horse, the king is lost; and for want of a king, the kingdom is lost." It is a clever way of saying that little things matter. Little things lead to larger things--often with disastrous consequences.
We see the first example of this in Genesis 3:6. First, Eve "saw" the forbidden fruit. No transgression yet. Then she "desired." Still no transgression--but a step closer. Finally, she "took and ate." Transgression.
The "look" seemed harmless. It was a small thing, but it led to "eating." Are there things in your life that you are "looking" at? They seem harmless now, but they lead to larger things. Spare yourself--give them up now. "For want of a nail . . . the kingdom is lost."
PRAYER
• Praise God with the following psalm for His redemption in Christ:
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify
Your name?
For You alone are holy (Revelation 15:3-4).
• Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
• As you confess your sins, voice your
affirmation of God's Word:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:8).
• As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
• greater love for fellow Christians,
• the work of missions in Europe and Asia,
• the concerns of your heart.
• Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
Genesis 4
The first murder: Cain kills his brother Abel, and is condemned to wander the earth.
INSIGHT
"Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain asks. God's answer is unequivocal: Yes. God intended for His people to be social beings -- to love, care for, and protect each other.
The mark of any society is how well it cares for those who cannot care for themselves. Elevated societies do well with this; debased societies do not.The mark of a selfish society is that it cares well for those it likes and does not care well for those it does not like. This kind of thinking leads to brutality.
The Christian is called to have the mind of Christ in this matter. We are to do good to all people, regardless of race, gender, or social position. Indeed, we are our brother's keeper.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him that He wants to demonstrate His compassion through His children:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples
(Psalm 96:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word by reflecting on the words of Jesus:
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for daily living,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· the needs of the unfortunate in your community,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessed be the Lord forevermore!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 89:52).
:angel:
Genesis 6
Man rebels and faces God's judgment.
INSIGHT
Faith is believing what God has said, not merely hoping for something. It is not like wishing upon a star when, if you believe hard enough, your wish will come true. Faith is trusting God's Word.
God told Noah to build an ark and save himself from the coming deluge. Noah had never seen an ark, but he believed God and was obedient to what he knew (Genesis 6:22). He believed the Word of God and acted on it. That's faith.
PRAYER
· Praise our Lord Jesus Christ for His promise to us in His Word that He will give us His faith to endure:
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).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for my iniquities have risen higher than my head, and my guilt has grown up to the heavens (based on Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind as you voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the Scriptures,
· the hungry around the world,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen (based on 2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
Genesis 7
God causes the great Flood.
INSIGHT
God protects His righteous ones -- always. The child of God need never fear any imagined "random blows of fate," for they will never fall. Yes, we receive blows -- but they are never random, and blind fate cannot wield them.
The Lord said to Noah, "Come into the ark . . . because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation" (Genesis 7:1). Then He delivered Noah and his family from a deluge that obliterated life on this earth.
That is how far God will go to save His people from harm. When we feel the blows of adversity, we can take comfort in this: God goes to the ends of the earth to protect us from the things which would destroy us.
PRAYER
· As you consider the protection which is yours from the hand of a loving God, offer Him this psalm of praise:
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 145:8-9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in
fellowship with Him:
Though my sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool
(based on Isaiah 1:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East, Australia, and the islands,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord, rejoicing in God's protection throughout your life:
Now to Him who is able to establish us according to His gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (based on Romans 16:25, 27).
:angel:
Genesis 8
The flood waters recede.
INSIGHT
Because the physical world reflects spiritual truth, the resurrection is pictured throughout nature. Man falls asleep at night but awakens in the morning. The earth "dies" each fall, sleeps throughout the winter, but awakens in the spring.
The earth died with the Great Flood, but Noah and his family emerged from the ark to enter a resurrected earth. Death is a fact of nature, but God abundantly pictures to us His promise: He will give us new life after death (John 3:16).
Noah's response and ours? Worship.
PRAYER
· Lift up your heart to heaven as you praise the God who rules the earth.
The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace (Psalm 29:10-11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies
and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(based on Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater sense of the majesty of God in the world,
· an opportunity to share your faith today,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork (Psalm 19:1).
:angel:
Genesis 9
God covenants with Noah never to flood the earth again.
INSIGHT
A person is only as good as his word. If he is true to his word, he can be trusted; if he is not, he cannot. It is as simple as that. God promised that He would never destroy the earth with a flood again. He went even further by saying, "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease" (based on Genesis 8:22). Then God set a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise.
For thousands of years, God has been true to His Word. We sometimes get discouraged during the tough times in life, because we tend to focus on our particular circumstances rather than the promises of God.
We must remember the rainbow. God is true to His Word. He can be trusted.
PRAYER
· Along with the psalmist, praise God for His wonderful trustworthiness:
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 13:5-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me
(Psalm 27:7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
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 8:38-39).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater trust in God's Word,
· the work of missions in China and the rest of the Orient,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord, in whom you can have complete confidence:
The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters
(Psalm 24:1-2).
:angel:
Genesis 11
God responds to the construction of the Tower of Babel.
INSIGHT
To understand the Lord's response to the people building the tower of Babel, consider the command God gave Noah and his descendants in Genesis 9:1: "So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.' "
In apparent disobedience, the people stayed in one place and began to build a monument to themselves. In response, God confused their languages and scattered the people over the face of the earth.
God deals with disobedience in different ways. Sometimes He lets us go our own way and suffer the natural consequences of our sin. At other times the issue is a major part of His program, and it cannot be ignored.
Disobedience always has a price, and in the end God always has His way. Obedience, then, while not always easy, is always wise. God always acts for the ultimate benefit of His children.
PRAYER
· As you consider the love of the Lord, who disciplines us only for our good, offer Him this psalm of praise:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth (Psalm 8:1).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
The chastisement for my peace was upon You,
And by Your stripes I am healed (based on Isaiah 53:5).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (John 8:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your talents,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
Genesis 12
God establishes a unilateral covenant with Abraham.
INSIGHT
The opposite of obedience is unbelief; the essence of obedience is belief. If you truly believe God is totally good and all powerful, if you truly believe He always acts for His children's benefit, you will obey whatever He asks of you. It is when you doubt these truths that obedience to the Lord becomes difficult.
The New Testament tells us: "Abraham believed God" (James 2:23). Therefore, he obeyed when God said, "Get out of your country" (Genesis 12:1).
Are you struggling with obedience in an area of your life? Perhaps there is something in the Scriptures you do not truly believe. Search your life, and in the tradition of the disciples, ask the Lord to increase your faith (Luke 17:5).
PRAYER
· In faith and obedience, offer to the Lord the praise of your lips:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His
glory (Psalm 72:18-19).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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 53:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new
(2 Corinthians 5:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
The Lord will command His lovingkindness
in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
January 10
Genesis 15
God confirms His covenant with Abraham.
INSIGHT
"Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (James 2:23). Faith is central to the Christian experience. In fact, without faith, there is no Christian experience.
Why is faith so important? Because we cannot make ourselves righteous -- any more than a cracked window can make itself uncracked.
We have sinned and only God can make us righteous. Faith then is the only thing we can do -- and even our faith is a gracious gift of God!
PRAYER
· Celebrate your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by offering Him this psalm of praise:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together
(Psalm 34:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
I turn to You, Lord, with all my heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. I rend my heart, and not my garments (based on Joel 2:12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· renewal of your mind,
· needs of your extended family,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (based on Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
January 11
Genesis 18
The birth of Isaac is promised.
INSIGHT
Don't you love hospitality? Isn't it a pleasant experience to enter someone's home and feel welcome? Hospitality is the mark of an open and giving heart.
The secret to hospitality is love. If you love your guests and go out of your way to make them feel loved, you will be an exceptional host or hostess.
Hospitality is such an important Christian character trait that elders in the church must be "hospitable" (1 Timothy 3:2).
Abraham was a man given to hospitality. Likewise, hospitality should be a trait in our own lives.
PRAYER
· In full confidence in the character of God, offer your praise to Him through these psalms:
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful
(Psalm 33:1).
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits
(Psalm 71:14-15).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
I return to the Lord, my God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(based on Joel 2:13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries,
· today's activities.
· Offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
January 12
Genesis 21
Abraham and Sarah rejoice in the birth of the son of promise.
INSIGHT
Perhaps we do not celebrate enough -- often enough or grandly enough. Perhaps we do not make enough out of the good things God does for us.
Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. Certainly that was a cultural event.
It would seem odd to celebrate the same event today. Yet there are other things we could celebrate within our culture, but we don't.
When was the last time you made a big deal out of something important? Perhaps a high school or college graduation. A successful music recital. Climbing a mountain, or running a marathon.
God has created us with emotions that make life a richer experience for us. Perhaps we should celebrate more -- in both quantity and quality.
PRAYER
· Celebrate your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by giving Him your praise:
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous
works (Psalm 71:16-17).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Lord, You are near to those who have a
broken heart,
And save such as have a contrite spirit
(based on Psalm 34:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities to share your faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
January 13
Genesis 22
Abraham offers his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice.
INSIGHT
God tests our faith -- not to catch us failing so that He can punish us or merely to determine genuineness -- but to strengthen and increase our faith for the future.
The concept of testing includes refining or purifying. It is the same word used to describe the process of refining gold to purify it and to increase its value. The purpose of testing is to yield spiritual maturity.
We see from Abraham's life that God tests us for our good. We, then, can trust Him, even during times of testing.
PRAYER
· Give praise to God that He always acts in your interest:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes (Psalm 119:65-68).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me
(Psalm 138:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater ability to withstand temptation,
· civil leaders to act in godly ways,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above
all Your name.
In the day when I cried out,
You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my
soul (Psalm 138:2-3).
:angel:
January 14
Genesis 24
Isaac takes Rebekah as his wife.
INSIGHT
A steward is one who is commissioned to oversee the welfare and execute the affairs of another. The closer a steward is able to represent the mind of his superior, the better he fulfills his role. Therefore, when a steward is on assignment, ideally he has no personal mind or will; he strives to have the mind and will of his superior.
Eliezer, Abraham's servant, was an excellent example of a faithful steward. His complete mindset was to represent the will of Abraham as faithfully as possible. As Christians, we are stewards of Christ, and as such, we are to strive to have the mind and will of Christ. In addition, we are always on assignment (1 Corinthians 6:20). By studying Eliezer, we can gain insight into how to be a more faithful steward of Christ.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and give Him your praise for making you a steward of the precious truth of salvation in Christ:
Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You
have toward Your people;
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
That I may see the benefit of Your chosen
ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your
nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance
(Psalm 106:4-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord -- how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word: God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness to the steward-ship of sharing the Gospel,
· the work of missions in the former Communist Bloc,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great peace have those who love Your law,
And nothing causes them to stumble.
Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly
(Psalm 119:165-167).
:angel:
January 15
Genesis 27
Jacob deceives Isaac into blessing him rather than his older brother Esau.
INSIGHT
This chapter is a low point in the life of a chosen family. It is difficult to justify the behavior of anyone. Perhaps the deepest, most helpful lesson we can learn from this chapter is that since God was able to make a saint out of someone like Jacob, God can take our lives -- with all of their sin and failure -- and make something out of them for His glory.
Jacob lied; we lie. Jacob failed to trust God; we fail to trust God. Jacob became a man of God; we can become men and women of God. Jacob was used by the Lord; the Lord can use us, too.
For a child of God, there is always a future; and that future can bear fruit. If God can use Jacob, God can use us.
PRAYER
· We praise the Lord with joy because He never gives up on us, His children:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord in response to His revelation:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your finances,
· revival among Christians in America,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:8).
:angel:
January 16
Genesis 28
Jacob dreams of angels and heaven.
INSIGHT
Jacob's dream -- in which he sees the angels ascending and descending the ladder to heaven -- seems to be a turning point in his life. It appears to be the point at which he receives a personal relationship with the Lord. Jacob's life after this encounter was not flawless. But God was able to use him in a central role to fulfill ancient promises.
So, too, we must have a personal relationship with God through Jesus, His Son, and our Savior, before we can experience the work of God in us and through us. Do you know Jesus personally? If not, why not receive Him as your Savior and Lord now?
PRAYER
· Offer praise to your Savior in the words of this psalm:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations (Psalm 100:4-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So my eyes look to You, the Lord my God,
Until You have mercy on me
(based on Psalm 123:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
(based on Romans 15:13).
:angel:
January 17
Genesis 37
Jacob's son, Joseph, is sold by his brothers.
INSIGHT
Feeling loved is one of life's greatest needs. When we do not feel loved, we often will go to great lengths to try to earn love or retaliate against those who keep us from being loved.
Joseph's brothers contemplated murder but instead kidnapped Joseph to get rid of him. His brothers thought of him as a threat -- all because Jacob displayed his preference for Joseph.
Jacob's preferential treatment of Joseph in no way condones the actions of the brothers, but it points out to us as Christians that we should love all men as Christ would. When individuals feel that love, it makes it easier for them to love others in return.
PRAYER
· Praise our Lord that He can enable us to avoid showing partiality, so that we can love as He loves (James 2:1):
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him
(Psalm 34:8-9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight --
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord bless us and keep us;
The Lord make His face shine upon us,
And be gracious to us;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon us,
And give us peace
(based on Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
January 18
Genesis 39
Joseph resists the advances of Potiphar's wife.
INSIGHT
Mark Twain once wrote: "Always do right. It will gratify some and astonish the rest." While we smile at that, there are greater reasons for doing right.
Joseph is a good example. When he resisted the advances of Potiphar's wife, Joseph set himself on the road to the throne of Egypt. Had he given in, Joseph would have set himself on the road to ruin.
Always do right. There is more at stake than you might think.
PRAYER
· We praise Christ Jesus for His wonderful works:
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. . .
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well. . .
How precious also are Your thoughts to me,
O God!
How great is the sum of them!
(Psalm 139:1, 14, 17).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a passion for moral excellence,
· Christian education institutions,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12).
:angel:
January 19
Genesis 40
Joseph is confined in prison.
INSIGHT
Joseph is one of the finest examples in the Bible of faithfulness in the face of tribulation. Wherever he was, Joseph lived for the glory of God. He demonstrated that he could be trusted in the tough times, thereby making himself eligible for God to use him in other settings. Joseph was faithful over small things, so God was able to set him over large things.
Most of our failures come with the small things. It rarely occurs to us that the challenge of the moment is to demonstrate ourselves faithful at that point. Then -- and only then -- will we be trusted in the greater things. Joseph is a good reminder.
PRAYER
· Faithfulness in praise is a part of our privilege as servants of God:
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations (Psalm 145:13).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· deliverance from temptation,
· laborers for His harvest,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
January 20
Genesis 41
Joseph rises to power.
INSIGHT
God does the work of God, and man does the work of man. The work of man is faithfulness to what God has called him; the work of God is results. If we reverse the two, we can drive ourselves to an early grave. If we keep them in line, we can labor with freedom.
We need not get puffed up with pride when things go well, nor need we get distressed when things go poorly. To Pharaoh's question, Joseph answered, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace" (Genesis 41:16). Our job is faithfulness; God's job is results.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord that He always does what He desires:
His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation... He does according to His will in the army of
heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?" (Daniel 4:34-35).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
May You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray . . . hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive (2 Chronicles 6:21).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The Lord is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me (Psalm 118:6-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in your life,
· mercy on those who are suffering,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
:angel:
January 21
Genesis 42
Joseph's brothers go to Egypt.
INSIGHT
This puzzling chapter becomes more enlightening when we suggest that Joseph was testing his brothers to discover if they would treat Benjamin differently than they had treated him. The issue was whether or not they could be trusted to bring Joseph's beloved brother to him without harm. While Joseph's heart cried out for reconciliation with his family, he was being cautious for Benjamin's sake. Joseph was wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove (Matthew 10:16).
We should be the same.
PRAYER
· Give heart-felt praise to the all-wise, all-loving God:
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? (Job 9:4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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
(Psalm 32:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in dealing with the problems you face in your life on a daily basis,
· wisdom for your church's leaders,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy
(Psalm 107:1-2).
:angel:
January 22
Genesis 43
Jacob is forced to send his youngest son, Benjamin, to Egypt.
INSIGHT
In his commentary, F. B. Meyer regards Joseph as a reflection of Christ who, when his brothers come to him in fear, has only love to bestow on them. Meyer writes:
"Very often we move forward with dread into the unknown." In reality, our fears are groundless. "If only we realized that love is waiting for us there." His love requires little from us . . . just ourselves. He enables us to live a happy life when we realize the good He has for us. So, "lift up your hearts; a feast awaits you!"
PRAYER
· We are free to praise God because of what we know of Him through the Scriptures:
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name
(1 Chronicles 29:11-13).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
(Romans 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord who loves you as one of His children:
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen
(Revelation 7:12).
:angel:
January 23
Genesis 44
Joseph's older brothers are tested.
INSIGHT
Sometimes we get a second chance. When we do, it is important to seize the opportunity.
Judah did. When his brothers plotted to kill Joseph, Judah intervened. But he still fell short of rescuing Joseph.
Judah's second chance came when, from his perspective, Benjamin's life was in danger. Judah put his own life on the line. Perhaps this commitment was taken into account in the blessings he passed on to his sons, resulting in the Messiah coming through the tribe of Judah.
Throughout life we are given second chances. We should take these chances and set things right.
PRAYER
· Daily we have the second chance to offer praise to the God of grace:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints . . .
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed,
O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· health and strength to serve Him,
· His will to be done on earth,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
January 24
Genesis 45
Joseph and his brothers reconcile.
INSIGHT
Forgiveness! Where would we be without forgiveness? Without forgiving and being forgiven?
We see in this chapter a very moving example of Joseph being willing to forgive the very ones who some years earlier had plotted to kill him. Notice that Joseph's ability to forgive was rooted squarely in his theology: "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).
If we lay hold of eternal rather than earthly things, we can more easily forgive when someone robs us of earthly things. Forgive and accept forgiveness.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him that He forgives us through Christ (John 15:5):
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons . . .
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him
(Daniel 2:20-22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart --
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve Him,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness
(Psalm 84:10).
:angel:
January 25
Genesis 50
Jacob dies; then Joseph lives to be 110 years old.
INSIGHT
God's will is often fulfilled in strange ways. Joseph was given childhood dreams indicating he would rule over his brothers. Little could Joseph have imagined it would include their trying to kill him, his spending time in prison, and his ruling over the nation of Egypt.
That time and those experiences were needed to build into Joseph the character qualities and the wisdom needed to rule successfully. Never doubt in the dark what God shows you in the light.
PRAYER
· As we praise the Lord in the words of this psalm, focus on His sovereignty and goodness:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
You, my God, are wise in heart and mighty in strength,
Who has hardened himself against You and prospered? (based on Job 9:4).
I will return to the Lord;
For You have torn me, but You will heal me;
You have stricken, but You will bind me up.
After two days You will revive me;
On the third day You will raise me up,
That I may live in Your sight
(based on Hosea 6:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, affirming the truth of God's Word:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Romans 8:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
January 26
Exodus 1
The children of Israel suffer in Egypt.
INSIGHT
God's control over the world need never be questioned. God intended to bring Israel back into the Promised Land. He had spoken it, and He would do it.
When that seemed least likely, it was closest to happening. In the dark hour of Israel's enslavement, God was working to deliver them -- through the birth and miraculous preservation of Moses. Before Moses would die, Israel would be back on the doorstep of the land which had been promised to them.
To many today, the fulfillment of God's promises seems unlikely. Christ's return may be scoffed at, but God has spoken it, and God will do it.
The day is drawing nearer. We must watch -- and be ready.
PRAYER
· In the words of this psalm, praise the God of the impossible:
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings
I will rejoice (Psalm 63:6-7).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
If I say that I have no sin, I deceive myself, and the truth is not in me. If I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (based on 1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 10:9-11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· the Lord's work in national and world affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
January 27
Exodus 2
Moses is born and later flees to Midian.
INSIGHT
God is sovereign in all the earth; we must never forget that. Much inner distress in life comes from losing sight of that one fact.
The same God who cared for Moses promises to care for us -- perhaps not as dramatically, but just as certainly. The peace that God promises -- the peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7) -- is ours only if we embrace that fundamental truth.
PRAYER
· In full confidence of the sovereignty of God in your circumstances, give praise to God with this passage from the prophet Isaiah:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
(Isaiah 40:21-22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me
(Psalm 38:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· God's sovereign will to be done on earth as it is in heaven,
· greater righteousness in your community,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned
(Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
January 28
Exodus 3
God calls Moses to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.
INSIGHT
The wisdom of Egypt was not adequate to equip Moses to serve God, so God took him out of the limelight -- into solitude and obscurity. There Moses met God and learned to walk with Him.
The pattern was the same for many of God's servants: Joseph, David, Daniel, Paul, and John. Occasionally it will appear as though we have been set aside. Properly used, that time will equip the Lord's servant for the next level of ministry.
Be faithful. Without deserts, there are no deliverers.
PRAYER
· Regardless of your circumstances, lift up your heart to God in praise.
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land
(Psalm 95:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged (Isaiah 6:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a heart filled with thanksgiving for the opportunity to worship the living God,
· your pastor and worship leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand
(Isaiah 64:8).
:angel:
January 29
Exodus 4
Aaron is appointed to help Moses.
INSIGHT
God does not need any one of us. He wants us and He would like to use us, but God does not need us. Take away one person, and the work of God is not diminished -- it goes on.
When God calls us to a ministry, it is for our benefit. If we are unwilling or impure, He can get the work done through someone else. We must realize that everything God asks of us is ultimately for our benefit -- even serving Him. Moses is a good example of that fact.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord your praise for His goodness through the words of this psalm:
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!
Tremble before Him, all the earth
(1 Chronicles 16:28-30).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You, even You, are He who blots out my
transgressions for Your own sake;
And You will not remember my sins
(based on Isaiah 43:25).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your development of an eternal perspective,
· needs of work or school mates,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(based on 2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
January 30
Exodus 5
Israel's affliction increases.
INSIGHT
When troubles come upon us, instinctively the first question we ask is: "Why?" "Why me, why this, why now?" That is what Moses asked in verse 22. Yet, in retrospect, we see that the question was premature. We now know why -- since hindsight is better than foresight.
How long will it take the Lord to deliver us from our troubles? Usually just a little longer than we thought we could tolerate. We must remember the example of Moses when we are tempted to ask the Lord, "Why?"
PRAYER
· Even in the midst of trials, we can praise the Lord, who hears us and cares for us:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
In returning and rest I shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be my strength
(based on Isaiah 30:15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
(Psalm 27:13-14).
:angel:
January 31
Exodus 6
Moses is reassured by God.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, God becomes more and more intimate with His people. By His official title, El Shaddai, God made Himself known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But now He tells Moses His name: Jehovah. Then in the Gospels, God becomes even more personal -- as Jesus becomes incarnate. And in Acts and the Epistles, we discover that God comes to live in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit.
The final act of intimacy will be when God brings us home. Then we can fellowship with Him face to face and forever.
PRAYER
· Let us praise our intimate God with the words of the psalmist:
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord
(Psalm 104:33-34).
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light
(Psalm 36:9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled
(Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire for Christ to live through you,
· churches across the nation,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve us from all evil;
He shall preserve our souls.
The Lord shall preserve our going out and our coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore
(based on Psalm 121:7-8).
:angel:
February 1
Exodus 7
The plagues against Pharaoh and Egypt begin.
INSIGHT
In this chapter, as the Lord speaks to Moses, we read the remarkable words, "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh" (Exodus 7:1). To the world, God's children often stand in the place of God. We are the only Bible they will read-all of Jesus they will see.
It is vital that we represent the Lord accurately. Of course, no mortal man can do so in any complete sense, but in a representative sense we must. It does not mean we must be perfect, but it does mean we are to give those around us a glimpse of who Jesus really is.
Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Commit yourself to Christlikeness and believe that the Lord will multiply your life as others see Him in you.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of humble praise:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
And because of Your truth.
Why should the Gentiles say,
"Where now is their God?" (Psalm 115:1).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word by reflecting on Jesus' words:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works
(Psalm 73:28).
:angel:
February 2
Exodus 8
Additional plagues are inflicted upon Egypt.
INSIGHT
In the Old Testament, God makes a distinct difference between how He treats the Jewish nation and how He treats others. God lets none of the plagues that fall on Egypt fall upon Israel.
How we wish sometimes that God would do the same for us in the church! How we wish that, because we are Christians, we would have none of the unpleasant things happen to us that happen to the world!
We must recognize that in the Old Testament, God wants the recognizable difference between Israel and the world to be physical. In the New Testament, He wants that difference to be spiritual. In the Old Testament, God's blessing is the fruit of the vine. In the New Testament, it is the fruit of the Spirit. We must focus on spiritual blessings to be the difference between us and the world.
PRAYER
· Think about how you have been spiritually blessed as you offer your praise to God:
Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
For there is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin
(Ecclesiastes 7:20).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him (Ezra 8:22).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
February 3
Exodus 9
The plagues on Egypt intensify.
INSIGHT
Frogs and gnats? Boils and hail? Water into blood? What strange plagues! What reasoning went behind the selection of plagues? Were they chosen at random, or was there design behind it? Though we might not always be able to discern it, the God of omniscience does nothing without design. The Egyptians worshiped odd and debased gods. Each plague was designed to strike at the credibility of an Egyptian god and manifest the barrenness of belief in these objects.
God does the same today. Our gods are fortune, power, beauty, talent, and intelligence. There's nothing wrong with them as servants, but when we worship them, they are cruel. God shows the barrenness of worshiping them by allowing people without them to be deeply joyful while those who worship them are tortured. Again, today, God's personal mark of blessing is the fruit of the Spirit and not necessarily of the vine. Joy is found in God, not things.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord praise for the joy He gives:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain
(Psalm 104:1-2).
· Pray this confession to the Lord:
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).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living life,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
February 4
Exodus 10
Pharaoh's will hardens.
INSIGHT
God does not compromise. Moses asks Pharaoh to let the nation of Israel go into the wilderness to worship God. Pharaoh refuses but says the men can go. But those are not God's instructions.
Pharaoh pays the price. But, while God does not compromise, He does forgive. With the hand of judgment on him, Pharaoh begs God for forgiveness. God withdraws the judgment.
Have you compromised in your walk with God? He will not accept it. But He will forgive and restore you if you ask Him.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to the God who is too holy to accept compromise:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them
(Psalm 145:17-19).
· As you contemplate the glory, majesty, and holiness of God, pray this passage of confession to Him:
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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous,
And shout for joy all you upright in heart
(Psalm 32:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· today's activities.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
February 5
Exodus 11
The final plague on Egypt is a Passover sacrifice.
INSIGHT
God's dealings with Pharaoh reveal His longsuffering attitude toward such rebellion. The plagues start out fairly minor, thus giving Pharaoh a chance to change his mind before utter calamity strikes. With each successive act of rebellion, the subsequent plague intensifies. Beginning with the unpleasant but fairly harmless plague of frogs, the process ends with the death of the firstborn of every household in Egypt. At any point, had Pharaoh repented, the plagues would have been stopped.
Analyze your own life. If you've entered into conflict with God, abandon the fight before it escalates.
PRAYER
· Rejoice in God's patience with rebellion and praise Him:
Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
· Pray this confession to the Lord:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
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
(Psalm 103:8-10).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Since I am in Christ, I am a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (based on 2 Corinthians 5:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· missions in Asia,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now to You who are able to keep me from stumbling,
And to present me 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
(based on Jude 24-25).
:angel:
February 6
Exodus 12
The Passover ends with the redemption of a promise.
INSIGHT
Exodus 12 is one of the most remarkable and important chapters in all of the Bible. In it we learn many things:
1. Only God can deliver us from sin.
2. Sin's penalty is death.
3. God is willing to allow a substitute death, so that we don't have to die.
4. Faith is the basis of our salvation. Our belief results in our obedience.
5. The Old Testament passover lamb is a foreshadowing of the New Testament Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ.
6. We are saved the same way the Israelites were saved: by faith in the substitutionary atonement of the Lamb which God provided.
7. Not to accept this avenue of escape is to suffer the wrath of God.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for His picture of salvation:
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds
(Psalm 108:3-4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
As the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us
(Psalm 103:11-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds
(Psalm 77:11-12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· opportunities for personal evangelism,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
February 7
Exodus 13
All of the firstborn, both man and beast, are consecrated to God.
INSIGHT
The spiritual truths, which God wanted to ensure were never forgotten, are memorialized in a ceremony-often involving a meal. The Passover meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are symbolic meals designed to commemorate the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, so the people of Israel would never forget what God had done for them.
The New Testament counterpart is the Lord's Supper, in which we eat a symbolic meal to memorialize the deliverance of the church from sin. When we observe communion, we celebrate a meal which has been observed in unbroken succession for 2,000 years.
PRAYER
· Give praise to the Lord for so graciously saving us from the consequences of sin:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain
(Psalm 104:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord 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).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance
(Psalm 16:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom,
· needs of your immediate family,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalm 147:5-6).
:angel:
February 8
Exodus 14
The Lord parts the Red Sea for the children of Israel.
INSIGHT
When we are obedient to God, nothing can touch us that does not come from God Himself. The armies of Egypt, symbolic of the armies of Satan, are no match for a God jealous to care for His beloved people. Resting in God's full protection in spiritual warfare, we may put on His full armor and stand firm, knowing that we will triumph in Him.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to our forgiving God:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works,
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the hungry around the world,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord will command His
lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
February 9
Exodus 19
The Israelites migrate to Mount Sinai where Moses meets with God.
INSIGHT
God's love for us is nothing less than total. And He leaves no doubt in our minds as to His commitment to us. The Lord goes so far as to establish a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai and with us at Calvary as an expression of His absolute commitment to us.
We should have two responses: we should love fully the God who first loved us. And, if we are to love our family as God loves us, we must leave no doubts in their minds as to the totality of our love for them. Communicate your love to them in certain terms.
PRAYER
· For His unconditional love, praise the Lord with this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 150:1-2, 6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· specific Christian ministries,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord who has made a covenant with you:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
(based on Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
February 10
Exodus 20
Moses meets with the Lord on top of Mount Sinai where he receives the Ten Commandments.
INSIGHT
The genius of God's moral system is that everything He asks of us is for our good. Often the Ten Commandments are seen by people as restrictive, keeping them from doing something that would make them happy. Initially, perhaps. But ultimately, nothing could be further from the truth.
Sin is self-destructive; righteousness is self-constructive. It makes no more sense to sin willfully than it does to become a drug addict. In both cases, the person is destroying himself.
Abandon yourself to the moral law of God. It is glorifying to Him, but it is also good for you. Understood in this light, we see the truth in the statement that anything less than the glory of God is anti-human.
PRAYER
· The holy God of Mount Sinai is worthy of our praise:
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
(Psalm 18:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
I return to the Lord my God,
For I have stumbled because of my iniquity,
I take words with me and return to the Lord
And say to Him, "Take away all iniquity,
Receive me graciously,
For I will offer the sacrifices of my lips"
(based on Hosea 14:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· today's activities.
· Finally, offer this closing 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).
:angel:
February 11
Exodus 32
The Israelites sin by worshiping an idol-the golden calf.
INSIGHT
Sin does not mind rubbing shoulders with righteousness. Even while Moses is on Mount Sinai communing with God, the children of Israel are fashioning a golden idol to worship in His place. Fueled by shamelessness and a short memory, the Israelites rush headlong into one of the most remarkable displays of indiscretion in the Bible.
Beware! Even when you are rubbing shoulders with righteousness, sin can trip you up. Even when you are basking in the light of Mount Sinai, evil may be lurking in the shadows.
As Peter wrote, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His truth and light:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved (Psalm 93:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You are my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
You are the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
(based on Psalm 27:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your life,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to God:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
February 12
Leviticus 16
The Day of Atonement.
INSIGHT
In spite of God's desire that we be holy, He is fully aware that we will not remain free from sin. But because God loves us and wants to be gracious to us, He provides a way for our sins to be forgiven.
In the Old Testament, the nation is cleansed from sin annually on the Day of Atonement. Since Christ has come, we may be cleansed moment by moment- whenever we ask for His cleansing mercy.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God of redemption through this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
And His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God?
(Psalm 113:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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 name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great
(Psalm 25:8-9, 11).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in the continent of Africa,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
February 13
Numbers 13
The Lord commands Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan.
INSIGHT
One of the most common mistakes we make during the tough times in life is to place our eyes on circumstances rather than on the promises of God. The Lord promises Israel that He will lead them into the Promised Land and defeat the armies that are living there. He even promises to send in swarms of hornets to drive out the armies, so Israel won't even have to fight. But one look at the giants, and every promise is forgotten. One glimpse of the armies, and "God is not enough."
The New Testament is full of promises for us. We must keep our eyes on the promises.
PRAYER
· As you focus on God's promises, praise Him with this psalm:
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
(Psalm 113:4-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
You will cleanse me from all my iniquity by which I have sinned against You, and You will pardon all my iniquities by which I have sinned and by which I have transgressed against You (based on Jeremiah 33:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
I delight to do Your will, O my God;
And Your law is within my heart
(Psalm 40:8).
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, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your talents,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
February 14
Numbers 14
The children of Israel reject God's signs.
INSIGHT
By nature, we are sight-walkers, not faith-walkers. We tend to have confidence in that which we can see, that which we have known. We fear that which we can't see and haven't known.
Not only does Israel refuse to go into the land because of the giants-the Israelites want to return to Egypt! Do they not remember that they were slaves there? Do they not remember that they cried out in tears to God for deliverance from Egypt?
You can't go back to your old life. There is nothing there but bondage. Your hope lies in following the Lord by faith. Walk forward.
PRAYER
· Give praise to the God who is powerful enough to defeat the giants in our own lives:
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 4:11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in your anger, lest You bring me to nothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater ability to walk by faith in your own life,
· courage for Christian leaders to consistently yield to God's will,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
February 15
Deuteronomy 1
Moses reminds the new generation of their parents' disobedience.
INSIGHT
Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it. Moses reviews the history of the wanderings of Israel to the new generation poised on the plains of Moab-ready to enter the Promised Land.
Moses tells them that their fathers did not believe the promises of God. Therefore, they were not obedient to Him. Their fathers condemned themselves to a life of untold hardship. Their fathers made their own destiny; they sealed their own fate.
Learn from their history. Do not repeat it.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His truth and light:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting
(Psalm 93:1-2).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies
and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
(Psalm 27:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities to share your faith,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
February 16
Deuteronomy 2
The Israelites wander in the desert.
INSIGHT
David writes that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly. But we see that it is possible, through rebellion,
to miss something good that God wants to give us.
God wants to give the Israelites the Promised Land. But when they refuse to enter it, they wander through the wilderness until the rebellious generation dies. Then that which God had wanted to give to them, He gives to someone else-the next generation.
When we walk in rebellion, we pay a price. God's blessings often include a test. Do we turn back? Or trust Him?
PRAYER
· We can express trust in Him with a psalm of praise:
For I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
He causes the vapors to ascend from the
ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain
(Psalm 135:5-7).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
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).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising
lovingkindness, judgment, and
righteousness in the earth
(Jeremiah 9:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral integrity,
· the ministry of Christian education institutions,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to God:
Now 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).
:angel:
February 17
Deuteronomy 3
The transfer of authority from Moses to Joshua is announced.
INSIGHT
The past is a picture of the future. When trying to determine what will be, it is important to know what has been.
Throughout the wilderness journey, God reminds Israel what He has done in the past-to give them courage and hope for the future. As the reins of leadership are passed from Moses to Joshua, the Lord encourages Joshua with a review of history: "Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two [past] kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass" (Deuteronomy 3:21).
The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When we face the giants in our lives, we can take heart from the Lord's words to Joshua: "You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you" (Deuteronomy 3:22). Our giants are not flesh and blood. They are spiritual and emotional. But the Lord must still defeat them. Trust!
PRAYER
· Praise the God of the past and the future:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalm 9:1-2).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I shall not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I shall lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also (based on Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever (Psalm 28:9).
:angel:
February 18
Deuteronomy 4
Moses appeals to the Israelites to live a life of faithful obedience to God.
INSIGHT
Thomas Jefferson once said, "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance." If true politically, how much more so spiritually. "Take heed," Moses says three times in chapter 4. First, take heed and keep your soul diligently. Second, take heed that you not worship idols. Third, take heed that you not forget the covenant the Lord made with you.
These are all dangers for us today. How easily we get careless about the welfare of our souls. How easily we worship modern idols. How easily we forget the promises of the Lord. We, too, must take heed. The price of our spiritual strength is eternal vigilance.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:
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 4:11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you reflect upon His forgiveness:
You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.
I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over the temptations you experience,
· revival among Christians in America and throughout the rest of the world,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
February 19
Deuteronomy 5
Moses reviews the Ten Commandments with the children of Israel.
INSIGHT
David writes that the Law of the Lord is perfect, and in keeping it, there is great reward. Part of that great reward is spelled out in chapter 5. Moses says that if the children of Israel will keep God's commandments, it will go well with them and with their sons forever! In addition, the Lord promises that they will live and that they may prolong their days in the land.
Holiness is not expensive. In fact, all the deepest longings of a child of God are met only in holiness. Could we consistently believe this, our lives would be more holy. Like the Israelites, we think that we are missing something by serving God. We are missing no more than the Israelites missed of Egypt.
PRAYER
· Honor the holiness of God by offering Him this psalm of praise:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
(Psalm 106:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives
(Hebrews 12:5-6).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
To Him who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (based on 1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
February 20
Deuteronomy 6
Moses exhorts the Israelites to obey the greatest commandment.
INSIGHT
There are three keys to sharing your faith with someone else. First, it must be real in your life. Moses said the words must be in your "heart," not just your "head." Second, we must impart truth and information. That is, we must teach diligently. Finally, this truth must penetrate every corner of our lives. We must talk of it when we lie down and when we rise up.
We rarely fool anyone, and if one of these keys is missing in our lives, we will not make an impact on others. We must know the truth, it must be real to us, and it must permeate our daily lives.
PRAYER
· As you foster the reality of your walk with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of praise:
Praise the Lord! . . .
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
He also established them forever and ever
(Psalm 148:1-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit
(Psalm 34:18).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You so loved the world, that You gave Your only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (based on John 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· national and world leaders,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
February 21
Deuteronomy 7
God commands the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites.
INSIGHT
God instructs the Israelites to remove from their land everything that will lead them to forsake their purity and commitment to the Lord. When we allow corruption inside our walls, it seeps into our lives and destroys us. We must remove the things from our lives that would tempt us or weaken us. Paul wrote, "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:14). Are there some things you have carried over from your earlier days that ought to be removed from your life? Why not remove them right away?
PRAYER
· Use this psalm to praise the God of the past and the future:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalm 9:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys the voice of His Servant?
Who walks in darkness
And has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord
And rely upon his God
(Isaiah 50:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· wisdom in decision making,
· needs of your friends,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd us also,
And bear us up forever
(based on Psalm 28:9).
:angel:
February 22
Deuteronomy 8
Moses reminds the Israelites of the Lord's blessings on them.
INSIGHT
Following God has never been easy. God never intended for it to be. He tests us to know what is in our hearts and to teach us that we do not live by bread alone. When things are too easy, we tend to be ungrateful. We tend not to give God the recognition for His blessing. In chapter 8, we see God's love and care, along with His tests and trials. We need both to be healthy. To grow, we need sunshine and rain.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!
(Isaiah 6:3 ).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.
I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength
(Isaiah 26:3-4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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
:angel:
February 23
Deuteronomy 26
The Lord teaches the Israelites the importance of giving.
INSIGHT
We offer a portion of our income to the Lord in gratitude for what He has given us. If we know Him for who He really is, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, then we will rightly understand that everything in the world truly belongs to Him. In His goodness and compassion, He has provided us with the things that we need to survive. As we give to the church, "the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow," we are acknowledging his exuberant generosity and love.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm to our worthy God:
"For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. . .
Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me"
(Psalm 50:10-11, 14-15).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Bow down your ear, O Lord, hear me;
For I am poor and needy. . . .
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalm 86:1, 5).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You are my portion, O Lord;
I have said that I would keep Your words. . . .
The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:57, 64).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an attitude of gratefulness,
· the poor and needy,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions-
This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great
(Psalm 104:24-25).
:angel:
February 24
Deuteronomy 27
Curses from Mount Ebal dramatize disobedience.
INSIGHT
What a drama! Mount Gerazim and Mount Ebal are two masses of limestone rock rising over 2,000 feet above sea level. Between them lies a beautiful valley, about 300 yards wide. Half the children of Israel are on one mountain, and half are on the other, with the Levites in the valley between the two mountains. Curses are called from Mount Ebal and blessings are called from Mount Gerazim. All of this is to dramatize the importance of obedience and the consequences of disobedience, even down to not letting a blind man wander out of his way.
Nothing is insignificant to a holy God. Nor should it be to us. We must care about right and wrong.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to our holy God in the words of this psalm:
Oh give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Remember His marvelous works . . .
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth
(Psalm 105:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
"Whoever drinks of the water that You shall give him will never thirst. But the water that You shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (based on John 4:14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the churches across the nation,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
February 25
Deuteronomy 28
The people receive the blessings of Mount Gerazim.
INSIGHT
A sword and a plowshare are laid on the valley floor between Ebal and Gerazim. Blessings are piled upon pile-until you wonder if the blessings can be contained. The Lord outdoes Himself, searching His omniscience to find ways of blessing Israel. Obviously, He takes great pleasure in doing good to them.
But in the shadow of the plowshare lies a sword. The 14 verses of blessings are followed by 54 verses of the most heart-rending curses imaginable.
How evil, how unspeakably terrible is sin. Thank God that He has delivered us from it. Thank God that, through Christ, we may taste of His blessings forever.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His goodness in delivering us from the consequences of sin:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You are the bread of life. He who comes to You shall never hunger, and he who believes in You shall never thirst
(based on John 6:35).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an eternal perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may You, the God of patience and comfort grant us to be likeminded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (based on Romans 15:5-6).
:angel:
February 26
Deuteronomy 29
The covenant with the children of Israel is renewed in Moab.
INSIGHT
After laying out the options before the Israelites at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim, God now says, "Choose."
But by His grace, He makes clear the consequences of these choices. How terrible are the curses-and how wonderful are the blessings.
Seeing the alternative so clearly before us, what could possibly account for our choosing the curses? The only conceivable answer is that we don't believe God. We don't really believe that the blessings will be that good-or that the curses will be that bad.
The Old Testament was written for our instruction. We must learn to take God at His Word. Period.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise for giving us His blessings:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice;
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You are the light of the world. He who follows You shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (based on John 8:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· the Lord's work in national and international affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord-the God who has promised to bless those who follow Him:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
February 27
Deuteronomy 30
Restoration is promised to the Israelites.
INSIGHT
Where would we be without forgiveness? In his weakness, man is not able to sustain any relationship without eventually needing to forgive and to be forgiven. This includes his relationship with God. Unless God were willing to forgive us, we could have no relationship with Him, for we are unable to be sinless before Him.
What a warm and tender chapter comes on the heels of the curses. God says, "If you turn from Me, I will pour out on you the curses. But if you repent and return to Me, I will forgive you and restore you." What a comfort. What a wonderful God.
PRAYER
· For His grace to forgive, offer the Lord this psalm of praise:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples
(Psalm 96:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
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 53:5-6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
These things You have spoken to me, that in You I may have peace. In the world I will have tribulation; but I will be of good cheer, You have overcome the world (based on John 16:33).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
February 28 & 29
Deuteronomy 32
Moses writes in poetic form a summary of everything he has taught the Israelites.
INSIGHT
Man is more than a machine. Man is more than a combination of blood vessels and bones. There is something within man that transcends the physical. It is the image of God. When the major issues of life lie before us, the image of God within us demands that we sing a song or paint a picture or write a poem or perform a dance.
At the end of his life-as Moses is struggling to summarize all that he needs to say to his people-he bursts out in song. Surely the thumbprint of God is seen in his crowning achievement.
PRAYER
· A mark of the image of God within is revealed as you offer Him your praise:
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).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Having been justified by faith, I have peace with You through my Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also I have access by faith into this grace in which I stand; and I rejoice in hope of the glory of You (based on Romans 5:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ with others,
· your state and local leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
O, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
March 1
Matthew 1
Matthew records Jesus' miraculous conception and birth.
INSIGHT
The birth of Jesus splits time and space like a lightning bolt in a hot July sky. The stage is set for the most important event in history. It has been planned before the foundation of the world. It is promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. The prophets have heralded it, the people long for it, and the culture is ripe for it.
The Messiah is coming to establish His kingdom. More importantly, He is coming to effect a new relationship between God and man.
Jesus is not just another world leader. He is God in the flesh. God, who has previously made Himself known through a nation, and through a law, is now coming to make Himself known through a man, a God-man, Jesus.
PRAYER
· Continue your time with the Lord by offering your praise to the God of history through these words:
You are my praise and You are my God,
who has done these great and awesome
things for me which my eyes have seen
(based on Deuteronomy 10:21).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me...
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, submit yourself to His will:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
· As you make your requests known to God, pray for
· laborers for the harvest,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· As your closing prayer, pray this passage to the Lord:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night
(Psalm 92:1-2).
:angel:
March 2
Matthew 2
Mary and Joseph flee with Jesus to escape Herod's murderous attack.
INSIGHT
When Herod asks the scholars where the Messiah is to be born, they answer without hesitating: "Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet."
The odds against anyone other than Jesus being the Messiah are staggering. There are 60 major prophecies that are fulfilled in the life of Christ.
Josh McDowell writes in Evidence That Demands a Verdict that, by using the science of probability in reference to all 60 major prophecies, the chances that any man might have fulfilled all 60 is humanly impossible. Reason demands that we accept Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah.
PRAYER
· As you rest in the security that Jesus is the Messiah, offer the Lord praise:
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).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin and its awful effects, pray this confession to the Lord:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him; and to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray to the Lord this affirmation of His mercy in your life:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church in the local community,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds
(Psalm 77:11-12).
:angel:
March 3
Matthew 3
After His baptism by His forerunner, John, Jesus' ministry is validated by God the Father.
INSIGHT
No matter when, no matter where, repentance is necessary when meeting God for the first time. To repent means to change your mind.
If you have been living your life without God, you must change your mind about Him. You must stop thinking of Him as something less than Sovereign Lord of the universe. You must acknowledge His right to define what is right -- and wrong -- for you. And you must trust Him to reconcile you to Himself through His only begotten Son.
If you were transported back to John's time and heard his message, would you repent?
PRAYER
· At Jesus' baptism, God confirmed Jesus' divine sonship to all who were at the scene. Thank God that He reveals Himself in ways that all people understand:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard
(Psalm 19:1-3).
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God
(Romans 3:10-11).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· day-to-day repentance,
· the Lord to reveal Himself to others through you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).
:angel:
March 4
Luke 1
The births of John and Jesus are foretold.
INSIGHT
How do you think you would feel if you were suddenly in the presence of an angel?
If you're like the biblical characters, you would feel . . . afraid. Scripture recounts several instances of human beings coming face-to-face with supernatural beings. Most of those occasions were frightening -- even terrifying -- to the persons involved.
But God's messengers understand our fear. And they do their best to assuage it. When Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, he saw her troubled look and said, "Do not be afraid."
That's what God says to us throughout our lives. Drawing us into His holy presence, He reassures us that we need not fear. God loves us, Christ died for us, and God has a plan for our lives.
So we can approach Him with complete confidence!
PRAYER
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of Scripture:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise against me,
In this I will be confident
(Psalm 27:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, offer this prayer of confession to the Lord:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in God's love,
· evangelism in your community,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, close with this prayer:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).
:angel:
March 5
Luke 2
Luke gives his account of Jesus' birth and early life.
INSIGHT
To Jesus, nothing is more important than doing His Father's will, even at the age of 12. When His parents miss Him on the trip home from the Passover, they return and find Him in the temple. "Did you not know that I had to be about My Father's business?" He asked. "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me," He later said in John 4:34. Absolute single-mindedness!
We are to have the mind in us which was also in Christ Jesus. We are to have absolute single-mindedness about doing the will of the Father. Most of us don't feel very single-minded. We feel distracted and pulled in the direction of the world, the flesh, and the enticements of the devil.
But the goal remains unchanged: absolute single-mindedness in serving the Father. Make that your purpose and your prayer.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise in these words to the God who is worthy of unceasing devotion:
O Lord our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
(Psalm 8:1).
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works
(Psalm 9:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool"
(Isaiah 1:18).
· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the former Soviet Union,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
March 6
Luke 3
Jesus begins His own ministry after John baptizes Him.
INSIGHT
The unique contribution of each of the four Gospels is very important to our understanding of the life of Christ. In the gospel of Matthew, the genealogy takes Jesus' ancestry back to Abraham. That is because Matthew's gospel is written by a Jew to Jews and emphasizes distinctly Jewish matters. However, Luke is a Gentile, writing to Gentiles, who emphasizes matters that are of concern to a broader audience.
From Matthew we learn that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, and we see the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham. From Luke, we learn that Jesus is the Son of God, and we see the fulfillment of God's promises to those of us who are not descendants of Abraham.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is faithful to His Word:
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being
(Psalm 146:1-2).
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful
(Psalm 147:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Forgive us Lord, when we are unmindful of the Rock who begot us, and when we forget the God who fathered us (based on Deuteronomy 32:18).
Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord (Lamentations 3:40).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time and efforts,
· opportunities for sharing your faith in Christ with others,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety
(Psalm 4:8).
:angel:
March 7
Luke 4
Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and tempted by Satan.
INSIGHT
When Satan tempts Jesus, he offers Him things which God has already promised to give to Jesus. The things are not wrong in and of themselves, but they are not in God's time or in God's way. Each time Jesus rebuffs Satan, He does so with Scripture. Each time Satan offers Jesus something, Jesus' reply is, "No, because it is written . . ." To be victorious, we must know Scripture well enough to use it in our spiritual warfare, to see through the tricks of Satan.
PRAYER
· The repentant heart is one that can offer praise to the Lord:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God
(Psalm 90:1-2).
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works
(Psalm 104:24, 31).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By grace I have been saved through faith, and that not of myself; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest I should boast. For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that I should walk in them (based on Ephesians 2:8-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living as God would want you to,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
March 8
Mark 1
Jesus begins His ministry of miracles and preaching and calls His first disciples.
INSIGHT
Mark writes that after Jesus' baptism the Spirit impels Him to go out into the wilderness, where He is tempted by Satan.
The next 40 days are enormously difficult for Jesus. It is not true that if you follow God's will, you will have a life of ease. Often, the way of God involves circumstances in which we must trust in the Lord and draw on His truth and strength.
Jesus was the God-man. Yet His life on this earth was filled with trials He had to endure. And we should expect to encounter trials during our sojourning in this world, but we can endure if we draw strength from the One who has paved the way for us.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who transforms us through His Word:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me
(Psalm 51:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the teachings of Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me --
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:8).
:angel:
March 9
Mark 2
Mark tells of Jesus' early ministry in Capernaum.
INSIGHT
When a paralyzed man is brought to Jesus, He says, "Son, your sins are forgiven you" (Mark 2:5). The scribes are incensed. No one can forgive sin but God, and they do not believe that Jesus is God. In response, Jesus says, "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?" (Mark 2:9).
Of course, it is easier to say that your sins are forgiven. After all, who can verify if it is true? So, to prove that He is God and has the power to forgive sins, Jesus says to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed and go your way to your house" (Mark 2:11). Jesus' miracles are often timed strategically to demonstrate the validity of a central truth which He is teaching.
PRAYER
· Rejoice in the fact that Jesus will forgive your sins, and offer Him praise:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms, there is none like You
(Jeremiah 10:6-7).
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments
(Psalm 112:1).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight --
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4).
· As you contemplate the Lord's mercy, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I shall know the truth, and the truth shall make me free (based on John 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to walk in the ways of the Lord,
· blessings on the work of a specific Christian ministry,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works
(Psalm 73:28).
:angel:
March 10
MATTHEW 6
Jesus teaches His followers concerning prayer and personal treasures.
INSIGHT
We cannot fool God. It is impossible to put something over on Someone who is omniscient. We can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time. But not God. Jesus says, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them"(Matthew 6:1).
It is easy for us to fall into the trap of living our Christian lives for the sake of other Christians. We should be living it for the sake of our relationship with the Lord. We may find ourselves going to church, singing the songs, and going through the motions but spending no time cultivating a personal relationship with the Lord. Such a relationship does not come easily. It requires commitment and time.
But we must not fool ourselves, either. The Lord does not want merely our church attendance or other external actions. He wants us!
PRAYER
· Ponder the fact that the Lord wants a personal relationship with us, and offer Him your praise:
O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
And according to the fruit of his doings
(Jeremiah 17:9-10).
· As you ponder the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
March 11
Matthew 5
Jesus teaches on the Beatitudes.
INSIGHT
Love is the fundamental factor of all meaningful relationships. Love is an action -- the action of selflessness, of esteeming others above ourselves. All interpersonal problems could be solved with a faithful, mutual expression of love.
Imagine what the world would be like if everyone acted in love. No war. No divorce. No AIDS. No murder. No rape. No tears.
Though Jesus knew that sin presently prevents perfect love, He held believers to a high standard of showing His love in this world: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who loves us in spite of our sin:
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings
(Psalm 17:6-8).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 15:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But You demonstrate Your own love toward me, in that while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me (based on Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater gratitude for your salvation,
· a return to righteousness in this nation,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
March 12
Mark 3
Jesus chooses 12 followers to be His disciples.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. A look at the 12 men Jesus chooses to be His disciples does not reveal a "Who's Who" in Judea. Rather, the men seem to be unknown and undistinguished.
The work of God does not depend on talent or intelligence. Different people have different strengths, but God uses all of us to accomplish His purposes. The body of Christ is made up of many parts -- some highly visible, some hidden, all useful. God makes the most of the talents and spiritual gifts He has given each of us.
PRAYER
· Using the following passage, offer your praise to the Lord, who uses us to do His will in His world:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
That He may seat him with princes --
With the princes of His people
(Psalm 113:1-3, 7-8).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession:
My iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness
(Psalm 38:4-5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater comfort in God's providence,
· the needs of family members,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which You have prepared for those who love You (based on 1 Corinthians 2:9).
:angel:
March 13
Matthew 7
Jesus teaches His followers concerning the need to follow the Lord fully in everything.
INSIGHT
Love is the basis of all that God asks of us. Jesus says, "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12). This teaching goes hand in hand with what Jesus urges later in Luke 10:27, that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.
We want to be appreciated, loved, treated with dignity, and esteemed. This, then, is the way we ought to treat others. The double benefit is that when we treat others that way, they begin to treat us the same, and our relationships are characterized by depth and meaning.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because He has treated us with love and dignity:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. . . .
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
(Psalm 32:3, 5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The wages of sin is death, but Your gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (based on Romans 6:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your talents,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever
(Psalm 28:9).
:angel:
March 14
Luke 7
Jesus helps the people understand the significance of John the Baptist and his ministry.
INSIGHT
"Don't confuse me with the facts; my mind is made up!"
Sometimes unbelief can't be shown enough proof of God and His Word. No matter how much evidence is compiled, if a person refuses to believe, nothing will convince him. The scribes and Pharisees have already rejected God before Jesus or John ever came on the scene. That is why they reject John when he comes preaching a message of preparation for the Messiah and for Jesus when He comes.
We must know in order to believe, yet we must also believe in order to know. Many truths in the Bible may puzzle us. To begin mastering them, we must first rest completely in the character and power of almighty God.
PRAYER
· As you consider God's willingness to use you, offer Him your praise through this passage.
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. . . . You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:17, 19).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word (Isaiah 66:2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord:
· pray for the renewing of your mind by the power of God's Word,
· openness to be used by God,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore
(Psalm 16:11).
:angel:
March 15
Mark 4
As Jesus expands His public ministry, He teaches extensively using parables.
INSIGHT
Faith does not come to us full-blown.
It must be cultivated and nurtured. Jesus cultivates the faith of His disciples. After an extensive time of teaching, Jesus goes out into the Sea of Galilee with the Twelve, knowing that a storm will come. He calms the storm and then asks, rhetorically, "How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40). His disciples marvel and their faith grows. We, too, must go through times of testing to become strong.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God who loves you and who seeks your love in return:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
You who are mighty have done great things for me, and holy is Your name. And Your mercy is on those who fear You from generation to generation (based on Luke 1:49-50).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
· As you consider the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 2:16-17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your walk with Him,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith in Christ,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
March 16
Matthew 13
Jesus continues teaching with parables, then returns to His hometown of Nazareth.
INSIGHT
Throughout His ministry, there are periods during which Jesus teaches extensively in parables. Often the multitudes do not understand the meaning of the parables, but Jesus is careful to explain them to His disciples.
This pattern is illustrative of God's ways: to those who are the most receptive to truth, the Lord grants understanding.
However, for those who do not receive the truth, greater understanding is not given. Light received brings greater light; light rejected leaves darkness. If you hunger for greater spiritual understanding, it is vital that you strive for faithfulness in what you do understand. Then light received can bring more light in your life.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God of light in the words of this psalm:
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions
(Psalm 45:6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer
(Isaiah 54:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· the ministry of Christian educational institutions,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
March 17
Mark 5
Jesus casts demons out of a Gadarene man and raises a girl from the dead.
INSIGHT
When Jesus takes over a life, He makes a difference. The worse the life, the greater the change.
When the demoniac from Gadarene rushes at the disciples with evil intent, Jesus exercises divine power, banishing Satan's minions from their victim's soul. Later, the man who had run naked among the tombs, howling and cutting himself, is sitting beside Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.
Wherever we are in our spiritual journey, the Lord will continue the work He has begun. He will keep changing us, ever into the image of Christ.
PRAYER
· As you consider God's power to make sinners into saints, offer Him praise:
For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him
(Psalm 18:28-30).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
What I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me (Romans 7:15-17).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your continued sanctification by the power of God's Spirit,
· a greater willingness to share what Christ has done for you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever
(Psalm 30:11-12).
:angel:
March 18
Mark 6
Jesus performs two astounding miracles in His hometown of Nazareth.
INSIGHT
Jesus' miracles are often more than acts of kindness; they are also profound object lessons given to train His contemporary and future followers.
After feeding the 5,000, Jesus again sends the Twelve out onto the Sea of Galilee, knowing a storm will come. Then He walks out on the water to reveal to them more deeply the reality of who He is. By their reaction, the disciples show that their idea of Christ is too small. He is more -- much more -- than they think He is.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for the greatness of His character:
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).
· As you seek to keep your life free from the sin that so easily entangles, pray this confession to the Lord:
I long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And Your law is my delight.
Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
And let Your judgments help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments
(Psalm 119:174-176).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another -- He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:24-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of God's character through His Word,
· contentment with His will,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer:
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22).
:angel:
March 19
Mark 7
Jesus points out the hypocrisy of observing traditions yet ignoring the Scripture.
INSIGHT
Even the earnest Christian must guard against hypocrisy. How easy it is to sing, "All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give," and then go out to live with some areas of our lives not given over to Christ.
Yet, there is a difference between weakness and rebellion. All of us struggle with weaknesses which we wish we didn't have and with which we wrestle in the grace of God to overcome. Rebellion expresses itself when we could overcome a sin if we wanted to but make no attempt to do so.
The Bible expresses compassion for us in our weaknesses as we cry out to the Lord for greater strength. But God's Word pronounces a scathing rebuke for hypocrisy and rebellion. We must check our hearts to be certain that our shortcomings are weaknesses and not hypocrisy.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord accepts us in spite of our weaknesses, we can praise Him:
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only
(Psalm 71:14-16).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight (Hosea 6:1-2).
· As you confess your sins, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go;
You will guide me with Your eye
(based on Psalm 32:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· evangelism in America,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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 You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:5-6).
:angel:
March 20
Mark 8
Jesus uses the miracle feeding of the 4000 as a teaching tool for His disciples.
INSIGHT
After feeding the 4000, it is obvious that the disciples do not understand the significance of the event. Jesus says, "When I fed the 5000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" His disciples reply, "Twelve." Then again, "When I fed the 4000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" "Seven," they answer.
"Do you not yet understand?" the Lord asks them.
Then, some days later, Jesus is alone with the Twelve, and He asks them, "Who do you think I am?" Peter replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Finally, progress!
PRAYER
· Offer your praise with the following psalm to the Lord who is faithful to us when we are weak:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night. . . .
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(Joel 2:13).
· As you consider the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are the door. If anyone enters by You, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. You have come that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly (based on John 10:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· the President and national leaders and affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
March 21
Mark 9
Jesus is transfigured as a validation of His identity as the Deity and Messiah.
INSIGHT
The Transfiguration gives us an exciting glimpse into our resurrection life. From it, we may learn several things. Our physical bodies may be startlingly brilliant and beautiful, as we witness the amazing appearance of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. We may know each other automatically since the disciples seemed to recognize Moses and Elijah without instruction. We apparently will not be subject to the physical limitations of nature since Moses and Elijah appeared and disappeared. What a joy awaits us in eternity!
PRAYER
· Use this passage of Scripture to offer your praise to the Lord, who transforms us into the image of Christ:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together
(Psalm 34:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this passage of affirmation:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
There is no searching of His understanding.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might
He increases strength
(Isaiah 40:28-29).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
March 22
Luke 10
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.
INSIGHT
The harsh reality of life is that we cannot help everyone in need. From the parable of the Good Samaritan, we can learn several things which help us evaluate when we should help. We are obligated to assist a person in need when
· he or she comes across our path in the normal course of life;
· he or she has a legitimate need, not of his or her own making;
· he or she cannot help himself or herself;
· and we have the ability to meet the need.
PRAYER
· We praise the Lord because He is faithful to bring us to spiritual maturity:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9).
· As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over the temptation you face,
· reformation in America and the world at large,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer these closing prayers to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
March 23
Luke 15
Jesus tells three parables to demonstrate the quality and quantity of God's love for sinners.
INSIGHT
Many things about God are difficult to understand. But there is one thing about God which is easy to understand. He earnestly longs for the lost to be saved. In the parable of the lost sheep, we see a God who is willing to leave the multitudes to seek just one which is lost. In the parable of the lost coin, we see a God who will move heaven and earth to find a prized possession. In the parable of the prodigal son, we see a God who rejoices with great joy when a lost one comes home.
As Christians, we should not let that which we don't know cloud that which we do know. We must focus on the roses rather than the thorns. God loves the sinner, and on that, we can rest.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord your praise for His great love for you:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods
(Psalm 95:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the ministry of other churches around the nation,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
March 24
Luke 16
Through parables, Jesus gives instruction on the proper perspective of wealth.
INSIGHT
It's hard to let go of the temporal and lay hold of the eternal. And the temporal world can hold on to rich and poor alike through money. Both the greedy and the envious live as if there were no eternal realm.
Jesus often speaks about a true and good perspective on money. Perhaps His financial teaching can be summed up by this: Our faith should be in God, not money. We must be careful always to trust God who supplies the money rather than to trust the money itself.
PRAYER
· The Lord can be completely trusted with all your needs. Thank Him with praise:
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday
( Psalm 37:3-6).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
See, O Lord, that I am in distress;
My soul is troubled;
My heart is overturned within me,
For I have been very rebellious.
Outside the sword bereaves,
At home it is like death
(Lamentations 1:20).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance. . . .
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me --
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalm 42:5, 8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faith in God's providence,
· the needs of your friends,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May I learn in whatever state I am, to be content (based on Philippians 4:11).
:angel:
March 25
Luke 17
Jesus describes the circumstances surrounding His second coming.
INSIGHT
Gratitude is beautiful to witness. When a person's eyes light up as they open a gift, the giver enjoys the experience as much as the receiver.
We appreciate gratitude, and so does the Lord. He loves to see His children rejoicing at His many good gifts.
Gratitude to the Lord can be cultivated. Imagine what your life would be like without the Lord's grace. Show the Lord that you appreciate Him by nurturing an attitude of gratitude.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is so liberal with His good gifts:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalm 92:1-4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments
(Psalm 119:5-6).
· As you reflect on God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You have . . . given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
You enlarged my path under me;
So my feet did not slip
(Psalm 18:35-36).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a renewed commitment to showing gratitude for God's many blessings,
· opportunities to encourage other believers,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Close your prayer time with the Lord with this offering from the pages of Scripture:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
:angel:
March 26
Mark 10
Jesus prepares His disciples for His death.
INSIGHT
If there is anything between you and the Lord, He will pinpoint it and ask you to give it up. He wants total commitment -- nothing less.
That does not mean you cannot be committed to other things. It just means that He wants nothing to be higher on your priority list than He is.
A husband must be committed to his wife and children. A professional must be committed to his job. But all must be committed to the Lord first.
The rich young ruler learned this in a very painful lesson. We can learn from his experience: Put the Lord first.
PRAYER
· As an expression of your commitment to the Lord, offer Him this psalm of praise:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me
(Psalm 63:3-4, 6-8).
· Pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart --
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray to the Lord this affirmation of your faith in Him:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to Christ,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May You, the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To You be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
March 27
Mark 11
Jesus is perceived as an earthly king as He rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey.
INSIGHT
When Jesus rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey, why does the crowd rush out to greet Him? The answer is found in Jewish culture and history. In Old Testament times, one of the ways a king was inaugurated was to get on a donkey and have a large retinue of people walk along behind him shouting, "Long live the King!"
The crowd in the temple wants to make Jesus king. When they see Him riding toward them on a donkey, they use it as an opportunity to precipitate a coronation. That He was crucified shortly afterward indicates that they were looking only for a national leader rather than a personal Savior. How do you see Him?
PRAYER
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of this psalm:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture
(Psalm 100:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, confess this prayer to the Lord:
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 139:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
O God of peace, sanctify me completely; make my whole spirit, soul, and body to be preserved blameless at the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ (based on 1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
March 28
Mark 12
The Pharisees and Sadducees attempt to discredit Jesus through treacherous questions.
INSIGHT
In today's passage, we see one of the most marvelous teachings in the New Testament. An attorney, intrigued by the quality of the answers Jesus gives to the Pharisees who are trying to discredit Him, asks Jesus what the greatest commandment is. He only asks for one; Jesus gives him two.
The Lord says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . [and] your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these"(Mark 12:30-31). The Christian life can be very complex, but at its heart, it is very simple: love God and others.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord has promised to care for our needs, offer Him your thanks:
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
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 33:1-5).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You
(Psalm 5:4).
He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· your development of a perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (based on 2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
March 29
Mark 13
Jesus responds to His disciples' questions regarding His future coming.
INSIGHT
To the world, the idea of Jesus returning in history to judge His enemies and reward His friends is a joke.
"Come down out of the clouds," people say, "and spend your time thinking about what you can do right here and now."
Though the world doesn't take the doctrine of the Second Coming seriously, the Bible places great emphasis on the teaching. Christians, then, need to take it seriously as well. Twice in Mark 13 Jesus warns, "Be on the alert!" Properly understood, awaiting Christ's return should help us live righteously as we do God's work in this world.
PRAYER
· Express your gratitude to the Lord for His promises by offering Him praise:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things; . . .
Shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises
(Psalm 98:1, 4).
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:6-7).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater discipline in your personal Bible study,
· national and world affairs,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
March 30
Matthew 24
Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree and signs of His second coming.
INSIGHT
Matthew 24 and 25 offer some of the most comforting -- and terrifying -- verses in the Bible. They detail some of the judgments to fall on mankind at the end of history. Yet God will not be caught by surprise. He is able to protect His spiritual children.
If someone comes along and says, "I am Christ," we do not have to be confused. We know he is a false teacher, for Jesus will come in the twinkling of an eye -- there will be no time for such statements. The God of power is also the God of the future, and we can rest in His sovereign care as we trust in Him.
PRAYER
· As you rest in God's sovereignty, offer Him this psalm of trust:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalm 100:4-5).
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory (Psalm 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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 53:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation 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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· blessing in your life roles: family, work, ministry,
· the Lord to send out laborers into His harvest,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
March 31
Matthew 25
Jesus continues His teachings concerning His second coming.
INSIGHT
Christians cannot compartmentalize their lives into the secular and the sacred. All truth is God's truth, and anything done for Him whether "religious" or not is sacred.
Jesus equates loving your fellow man with loving Him. He equates serving those in need with serving Him. He equates caring for the suffering as caring for Him.
You can love your fellow man without loving Christ, but you cannot love Christ without loving your fellow man. Whether you are worshiping the Lord or washing the feet of a bum on skid row, it is sacred and holy work if it is done out of love for the Lord.
PRAYER
· The praise of the Lord's children is a sacred and holy work. Join in that praise with the psalmist:
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
(Psalm 145:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has have done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the spreading of the Gospel,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
April 1
Mark 14
Jesus spends His last two days in intimate communion with His closest friends.
INSIGHT
Prayer is one of the true mysteries in the Bible. It is inevitable, as we grow in our prayer life, that we will struggle with an inadequate understanding of how to pray.
The example of Jesus praying in Gethsemane helps us with what we can know and understand about prayer. First, we can know that prayer does not eliminate emotional struggling.
A second thing we can learn is that prayer can make us stronger spiritually and keep us from temptation. In each account of His prayer, Jesus says to His disciples, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation." (Mark 14:38). If we watch and pray, we will be strengthened against temptation.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this praise:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all
(1 Chronicles 29:11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon
(Isaiah 55:6-7).
· As you confess your sins, pray this affirmation of God's Word:
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength. . . .
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint
(Isaiah 40:29, 31).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the Scriptures,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace
(Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
April 2
Mark 15
After Jesus is crucified, Joseph of Arimathea buried Him in Joseph's own tomb.
INSIGHT
Most of us have a highly developed sense of justice. We want things to be fair, and we are incensed when they are not. From simple things like people cutting in line ahead of us to major things like prejudice and bigotry, we are angered when we see or experience injustice.
With that in mind, review what happens to Jesus. Though He is totally righteous and without sin, religious bigots manufacture charges against Him and take Him to a legal jellyfish who doesn't have the courage to execute justice. Then He is beaten, mocked, and crucified. Doesn't that inflame your sense of justice? He has the power to obliterate those who harm Him; yet He willingly endures it for us.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him for the "great and awesome" things He has done in offering you salvation:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
(Exodus 15:11).
Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot me,
I am unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered me
(based on Deuteronomy 32:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (John 14:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· the work of missions in Asia,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing 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).
:angel:
April 3
Mark 16
Mary and Mary Magdalene discover that Jesus has risen from the dead.
INSIGHT
It is a momentous morning as Mary and Mary Magdalene walk to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, intent on anointing the body of Jesus but not knowing how they will get into the tomb. They say to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us?"
Miracle number one: The stone has been rolled away. Miracle number two: An angel is sitting in the tomb to explain to them what has happened. Miracle number three: Jesus is gone; He has risen.
They have two responses. They were amazed! And they report to the disciples all that they have seen.
They expect to deal with death. But they find themselves in the middle of more life than they can imagine. Such paradox is God's way. He brings life from death.
PRAYER
· Give your praise to the Lord for offering you the gift of eternal life:
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).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president, national leaders, and national affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
April 4
Matthew 26
Jesus is betrayed and arrested.
INSIGHT
Peter is living and reassuring proof that "grace is greater than all our sin." We struggle, at one time or another, with things in our lives that ought to be corrected but aren't. We fear that our lives bring a stench to God's nostrils because we have failed Him so often. But Peter began to curse and swear and deny that he ever knew Jesus. What a colossal sin! Yet, just a few days later (in John 21), Peter is eating with the Lord in perfect fellowship and harmony.
For the Christian, there is no sin so great that God will not forgive.
PRAYER
· Because Jesus gave up His preeminence for our sake and became a servant, we praise His unselfishness:
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 ).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God: I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any personal sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
(Psalm 84:11-12).
:angel:
April 5
Matthew 27
Pilate tries Jesus then hands Him over to be crucified.
INSIGHT
Proverbs 20:17 says, "Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel." If ever a man illustrates that truth, Judas does. Some mysterious passion burns in his breast to betray Jesus.
Whether Judas seeks political ambition or mere lust for money, we do not know. But later, his remorse is so great that he throws the money away and hangs himself. We must remember Judas when illicit desire burns in our breast. Such desire always promises more than it delivers; it always turns to gravel in our mouths.
PRAYER
· The sacrifice which Jesus made for us took tremendous courage, for which we praise Him:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . .
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from the power of sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your life,
· opportunities for personal evangelism,
· your activities for the day,
· 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).
:angel:
April 9
Luke 24
After Jesus rises from the dead, He appears to a number of His disciples.
INSIGHT
The most reasonable explanation for the empty tomb is the Resurrection. If, as some have claimed, Jesus had not been killed but only weakened by the crucifixion, the stone and the soldiers would have prevented His escape from the tomb. If Jesus' friends had tried to steal the body, the stone and the soldiers likewise would have prevented them. Jesus' enemies would not have taken the body, since a missing body would only encourage belief in His resurrection. The easiest way to quiet claims of His resurrection would have been to produce the body. This they could not do.
The angel said, "He is not here, for He is risen, as He said" (Matthew 28:6). Since Jesus predicted and experienced His own death, burial, and resurrection, we can trust Him with our lives.
PRAYER
· The Lord can be trusted with our lives because of His own life, and we praise Him:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works. . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You
(Psalm 9:1, 9-10).
· 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out (John 6:37).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
April 10
John 1
John traces the deity of Christ from "the beginning."
INSIGHT
The Scriptures are such an intimate and personal revelation of the mind of God that there is no distance between the Word and God Himself. John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This verse refers to Jesus, and yet, He is called "the Word."
In Revelation 19:13, John writes of Jesus: "He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." To know the Word is to know God; to uphold the Word is to uphold God; to believe the Word is to believe God; and to obey the Word is to obey God.
PRAYER
· The Word of the Lord is certain, and we praise Him for that trust:
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
(Psalm 18:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done . . . (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
· Confessing any sins the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Now 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, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with the gifts and talents God has given you,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
(Psalm 103:22).
:angel:
April 11
John 2
Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana to demonstrate His deity to His disciples.
INSIGHT
In John 2:24 we read, "But Jesus did not commit Himself to them." The word commit is the same word that is translated "faith" or "believe" in other places in the Bible. It gives us additional insight concerning the concept of faith in the Bible.
Faith is more than just intellectual understanding. Once someone understands the Gospel, he must make a personal commitment to it. He must entrust himself to it. In reality, to believe in Jesus Christ is to commit one's self to Him.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to Jesus, who, as God, offers us salvation:
Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power
(Psalm 21:13).
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 personal 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 name's 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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).
:angel:
April 12
John 3
Jesus explains the spiritual nature of salvation.
INSIGHT
Faith, or belief, is often misunderstood. Faith has been defined as "believing in spite of there being nothing to believe" or "believing in spite of the evidence to the contrary." It is often viewed as identical with wishful thinking. If we believe hard enough, we can make something come true (regardless of whether or not God may approve).
None of these concepts is biblical. Faith is belief based on sufficient evidence. In other words, faith is trusting what God has revealed in His Word and in the world, both of which give ample testimony to the truth.
PRAYER
· The sensitive and believing heart looks for opportunities to praise the Lord for His goodness:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
· Pause for personal 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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).
:angel:
April 13
John 4
Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman.
INSIGHT
The supreme activity of a Christian is worship. As Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman about a location of worship, He proclaims that God is spirit and that those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.
For worship, God is indifferent to places, nationalities, and methods. We may worship Him on a mound of dirt or in a cathedral. But we must worship Him in truth. When our body sits in a worship service but our mind is elsewhere, we are not worshiping.
Worship is an act of the will. You can decide to worship. Enter into the songs that are sung, the prayers that are prayed, and the Scripture that is read. Offer Him spiritual sacrifices, and you will experience worship.
PRAYER
· As an act of personal worship, offer this psalm of praise to the Lord:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings
(Psalm 33:1-2).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· the ministry of Christian education institutions,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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 ).
:angel:
April 14
John 5
Jesus infuriates the religious leaders by claiming equality with God.
INSIGHT
Many people in this world-atheists, agnostics, and those in pseudo-Christian cults-say that Jesus was merely a man, not God. What's more, these people say Jesus never claimed to be God. The Incarnation-the doctrine that Jesus was one person with two natures, one human, one divine-is an anti-biblical and absurd idea invented by the church in later centuries, these skeptics opine.
The gospel of John certainly dispels that notion. In chapter 8, John writes that the religious leaders of His day picked up stones to slay the Lord Jesus Christ because He made Himself equal with God. The Jewish leaders were men of Jesus' time and culture. They understood Jesus' meaning far better than 21st-century skeptics. And as far as they were concerned, Jesus was committing the blasphemy of claiming to be God-a capital offense.
PRAYER
· As an act of personal worship, offer the following praise to God the Son:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-4, 14).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us.
Have mercy on us,
O Lord, have mercy on us!
(Psalm 123:2-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple (Psalm 5:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater love for the God-Man-Christ Jesus,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
(Psalm 4:1).
:angel:
April 15
John 6
After feeding the 5000, Jesus teaches that He is the "Bread of Life."
INSIGHT
Throughout Jesus' ministry, He often speaks in figures of speech. Sometimes the people understand what those sayings mean; sometimes they don't.
Jesus promises living water to the woman at the well, so she will never thirst. Her reply is: "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?" (John 4:11).
And in John 6, Jesus speaks of Himself as a bread even better than the manna in the desert, for He gives eternal life to the whole world, rather than merely physical life to the Hebrews in the desert. Missing his point, his audience says hungrily, "Lord, give us this bread always" (v. 34).
He later explains to His disciples, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). Jesus reveals the truths behind the figures of speech to His followers.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God who reveals His will to you through His Word:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world
(Psalm 19:1-4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 19:12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of the Bible,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalm 7:17).
:angel:
April 16
John 7
Jesus becomes involved in controversy with religious leaders over His true identity.
INSIGHT
When iron and aluminum shavings are mixed together, they are indistinguishable. You cannot identify them by sight; you must sweep a magnet through them. The magnet will attract all of the iron filings, but the aluminum filings will remain undisturbed.
The Lord Jesus Christ has exactly the same effect on those to whom He ministers. Those whose understanding is anchored in faith are drawn to Him like iron to a magnet. Those who choose not to believe remain undisturbed, as though nothing special has happened.
Some of the multitude were saying, "This is the Christ" while others were saying, "Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?" Understanding, combined with faith, understands even more. Unbelief blinds people.
PRAYER
· Let us praise Him, for surely, this is the Christ:
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions
(Psalm 45:6-7).
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness
(Psalm 48:9-10).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you 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).
· Now pause to 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, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
April 17
John 8
Jesus teaches on truth.
INSIGHT
By nature, we want absolute freedom. But such freedom is not possible. In fact, no such thing as absolute freedom exists. To be free to sail the seven seas, we must make ourselves a slave to the compass. This subservience irritates us.
All of life is a contrast between freedoms and corresponding bondages. We can be slaves to Jesus and free from the bondage of sin, or we can be free from Jesus and slaves to the bondage of sin. We can make ourselves slaves to truth, and the truth can set us free.
PRAYER
· The heart that has been set free by truth can offer praise to the Lord of all truth:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.
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
(Psalm 32:3, 5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with the finances God has entrusted you with,
· revival to spread among American Christians,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25, 27).
:angel:
April 18
John 9
Jesus heals a man born blind, stirring up controversy.
INSIGHT
While Jesus certainly has compassion on those to whom He ministers, His miracles are done not only to relieve human suffering but also to establish His credentials. He claims to be the Bread of Life. To validate that message, He feeds the 5000.
In chapter 9, Jesus says that the man's blindness is not because of sin but for the purpose of manifesting the work of God in him. The same was true with Lazarus. His death was not final but was for the purpose of bringing glory to the Son of God. Jesus raises Lazarus and then says that the Son is glorified.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise as you seek spiritual closeness with God:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
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 4:11).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
(Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· an eternal perspective,
· your spiritual goals,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
April 19
John 10
Using the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus teaches of salvation and His deity.
INSIGHT
Whoever comes in contact with Jesus is either blinded or enlightened. They either accept Him or begin manufacturing reasons not to believe in Him. Jesus illustrates this reality with the imagery of sheep and a shepherd. He says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (10:27). Make your heart tender and sensitive to hear and obey Jesus. Walk in His light and you will not stumble.
PRAYER
· Join your heart with the saints of the ages over the last 2,000 years in offering praise to the God of our salvation:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings
I will rejoice (Psalm 63:3-4, 6-7).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me
(Psalm 51:1-3).
· As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
April 20
John 11
After Jesus raises his close friend, Lazarus, from the dead, many believe in Him.
INSIGHT
Jesus was ministering on the east side of the Jordan River, about a day's walk from Bethany, when Lazarus fell sick. Messengers were sent to tell Jesus, who waited two days before returning to Bethany. He found that Lazarus had been dead for four days, apparently having died the same day the messengers were dispatched. So Lazarus was dead by the time Jesus learned about his illness.
Why, then, did Jesus delay His return for two days? Jesus knew Lazarus' condition. His delay was to heighten the manifestation of the power of God. Jesus called, "Lazarus, come forth!" And Lazarus came forth. The result of this miracle? Many of the Jews believed in Him, and the Son of God was glorified.
PRAYER
· As a God, both of power and compassion, we offer Him our praise:
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;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the ministries of your church,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
April 21
John 12
After the triumphal entry, the multitudes herald Jesus as their Messiah.
INSIGHT
It is easy to get someone to talk about God, but try to talk about Jesus, and it is not so easy. People will often talk about "feeling close to God." But mention Jesus, and people start to get uncomfortable. Say that Jesus is the only way to God, and people get downright offended.
But Jesus says that if you accept Him, you accept God; and conversely, if you do not accept Him, you do not accept God. When someone talks about being close to God but wants nothing to do with Jesus, you can be sure he is not yet close to God.
Regardless of anyone's unbelief, here is the simple truth: Jesus is God the Son, and He is the only way God has provided for sinners' reconciliation with Himself.
PRAYER
· Praise God for His merciful provision of a Savior:
For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
(Job 19:25-27).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You"
(Psalm 41:4).
· As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater appreciation for Christ,
· a revival in our nation,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).
:angel:
April 22
John 13
Jesus meets with His disciples and institutes the Lord's Supper.
INSIGHT
More than 2000 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ ate a ceremonial meal with His disciples. This meal originated in the Passover and pictured Christ's death, our need to receive Him personally for our salvation, and the fact that all those who are His people are a communion of saints. During the meal, He instructed His disciples to observe this ceremony regularly and with gladness until His return.
And so, whether called the Lord's Supper, Communion, or the Lord's Table, Christians today observe a solemn but joyous ceremonial meal which looks back to the redemption of the Cross and forward to the glory of the Second Coming.
PRAYER
· Praise God that He is powerful enough to keep the promises pictured by Communion.
The Lord reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
Let them praise Your great and awesome name - He is holy
(Psalm 99:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear
(Psalm 66:18).
· As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!
(Psalm 66:19-20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of other traditions within Christianity,
· heart-felt worship at your local church,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! (Revelation 19:9).
:angel:
April 23
John 14
Jesus reassures His disciples with His promise to send the Holy Spirit.
INSIGHT
A very tender and intimate scene begins in chapter 14. The disciples do not understand clearly everything that is going on, but they know that something big is about to happen and that Jesus will be leaving them. Their Teacher, their Mentor, their Friend for the last three years is leaving, and their hearts are crushed with the burden.
In this spirit, Jesus speaks softly, kindly, tenderly to them: "Let not your heart be troubled; . . . I go to prepare a place for you (in My Father's house). And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself" (14:1-3). Again: "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (14:18).
How loving and compassionate. And He loves us just as much as the disciples.
PRAYER
· God's love for us is indeed cause for us to give Him our heart-felt praise and adoration:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God, "How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to
You (Psalm 66:1-3).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalm 103:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in Australia and the islands of the South Pacific,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
April 24
John 15
Jesus teaches that a personal relationship with Him, and others, is central to His design.
INSIGHT
There are times when our prayers are answered and we seem "in tune" with God. At other times, our prayers seem not to be answered, and we seem far from God.
Jesus gives us two directives to keep in mind as we ponder our prayer. First, we are to abide in Him. This abiding, among other things, includes fostering a conscious awareness of His presence at all times and bringing all thoughts, attitudes, and actions in line with what we understand of His teachings. Second, "and My words abide in you" must involve studying, memorizing, and meditating upon the Word so that we pray intelligently, knowing God's will ahead of time on some things. As we grow in these two areas, more and more of our prayers will be answered.
PRAYER
· The Lord is pleased when we offer Him our praise:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . . .
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only
(Psalm 71:8, 14-16).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength (Isaiah 30:15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in evangelism,
· national and world affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
April 25
John 16
The Lord teaches the disciples about prayer through His own example.
INSIGHT
We often gain by our losses. The one who has suffered no loss is still a shallow person. It was expedient for the disciples that the Lord should leave because the Spirit's presence was contingent upon His physical absence. Christ's work must be complete so the Spirit can apply it to the hearts of men. Jesus must die and be resurrected. The Holy Spirit will draw men to His offer of salvation. And the best news? We'll see Jesus again.
PRAYER
· God forgives our sin and beckons us to Himself for which we offer Him our gratitude and praise:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. . . .
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 90:1-2, 17).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You
(Isaiah 26:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the homeless in America,
· greater wisdom for living life,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
April 26
John 17
Jesus prays that the Father will make His disciples fruitful and give them future glory.
INSIGHT
The mark of a Christian should be love. In Matthew 22, we read that the two greatest commandments are love for God and love for our neighbor. In John 13:35, Jesus says, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." In John 17:21, Jesus says if Christians have unity (based on love), the world will believe that Christ was sent from God. When our badge is love, the world is convinced that we are genuine disciples of Jesus, rather than hypocrites.
PRAYER
· In the words of this psalm, offer your praise to the Lord, who is patient with us when we doubt:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4, 15).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. . . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world (John 6:51).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· laborers for the harvesting of souls,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen
(Revelation 7:12).
:angel:
April 27
John 18
After His arrest, Jesus is taken before Pilate and the religious leaders.
INSIGHT
As the power of the Creator of the universe was veiled in human flesh in Jesus of Nazareth, men came with torches and weapons to subdue Him.
He asked, "Whom are you seeking?" They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." With the force of those words from Jesus, they "drew back, and fell to the ground" (John 18:6).
It must have rattled their confidence to have to arrest Jesus. How much greater significance it lends to Jesus' words: "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself" (John 10:17-18).
For our sakes, Jesus laid down His life that we might take it up. He became what we are so that we might become what He is. Praise and glory to God!
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord your praise for His willingness to lay down His life for you:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen
(Psalm 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken me except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that I may be able to bear it (based on 1 Corinthians 10:13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation (Hebrews 9:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, . . . through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
April 28
John 19
After being cruelly mistreated, Jesus is crucified and gives up His spirit.
INSIGHT
The apostle John reveals the most detailed picture of Pilate's judgment of Jesus. At first, Pilate says, "I find no fault in Him at all" (18:38). Then, he scourges Jesus, hoping to placate the Jews. Without success, he makes efforts to release Jesus, but the Jewish leaders will not stand for it. Anxious about his political reputation in Rome, Pilate caves in, washes his hands of the affair, and releases Jesus to the Jewish leaders to be crucified.
We place much of the blame for Jesus' death on Pilate. But if at any point in time Pilate had repented of His deed, Jesus Himself would have welcomed him into the kingdom of God.
PRAYER
· Give your praise to the Lord for sending His only begotten Son to provide the way for your redemption:
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities
(Isaiah 53:10-11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:6).
· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations
(Psalm 22:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· deeper gratitude for your salvation,
· the integrity of those who represent Christ in the pulpit,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
April 29
John 20
After Jesus's resurrection, He appears to His disciples and reassures Thomas of His deity.
INSIGHT
God commands us to believe in Him, but He doesn't require us to believe in Him contrary to the evidence.
Thomas needed to be shown that the miracle of Jesus' resurrection was really true. God provided Thomas with the proof he needed. Jesus appeared to Thomas and said, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands. . . . Do not be unbelieving, but believing" (20:27). Jesus saw what Thomas needed and gave him sufficient evidence to believe.
You don't have to be afraid of sincere doubt. That doubt can be changed. Just examine the evidence of Christ's work in the New Testament. Then ask God to help you to believe according to the evidence. Like the father in Mark 9:24, your prayer can be: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He has made the truths of His existence, power, and righteousness plain for all people to see:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the
foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
(Isaiah 40:21-22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord:
When I know to do good and do not do it, to me it is sin (based on James 4:17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him
(Psalm 103: 11-13).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the glory of God's creation,
· the work of missions in Asia,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 42:10).
:angel:
April 30
John 21
Jesus appears to His disciples again to reassure them and to build their faith.
INSIGHT
Without a shepherd, the sheep scatter. After Jesus' death, His disciples scatter and the fishermen return to the sea. They simply do not know what to do next.
After an evening of unfruitful fishing, they return to shore to find Jesus there with breakfast ready. We see a picture of Peter and Jesus, eating together in perfect harmony. Bear in mind, this is the man who denied that he ever knew Jesus. This incident adds weight to Jesus' statement that the one can love greater who has been forgiven for the greater sin.
The Lord is mindful of our frame and knows that we are but dust. You must not let sin fester in your heart. Confess it and accept His forgiveness.
PRAYER
· The Lord reigns and He forgives. Praise Him for His blessings on our behalf:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting
(Psalm 93:1-2).
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
· 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).
· As you confess your sins, pause and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your spiritual growth,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
May 1
Joshua 1
The people pledge their allegiance to Joshua's leadership.
INSIGHT
The genius of God's moral code is that everything He requires of us is for our own good. When we violate His code of life, we suffer harmful consequences.
Joshua's success is dependent upon not deviating from God's Law. God instructs Joshua to meditate on the Law day and night so "that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it" (1:8). When Joshua does according "to all that is written in it," then "[he] will make your way prosperous, and then [he] will have good success."
Anything less than obedience to God is not only disappointing to Him-it is self-destructive. There is more than one reason for faithfulness to His Word.
PRAYER
· As you think of the impact of the Word of God on your life, offer the Lord this praise:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6).
· Having offered Him your praise, now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
We look for light, but there is darkness! . . .
Our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them
(Isaiah 59:9, 12).
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea
(Micah 7:19).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, come to Him with your concerns and desires:
· your spiritual growth,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your activities for the day.
· 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;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace
(Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
May 2
Joshua 2
Rahab shelters two spies and helps them escape from the city of Jericho.
INSIGHT
God will meet any person, any time, any place. There are few people who seem to be further from the Lord than a harlot. Yet, in the course of her everyday life, Rahab finds herself keeping a divine appointment with two strangers in need and, in the process, meets with God.
The kind of risks Rahab takes will not be taken without a searching heart. In her own way, she takes a step of faith; God meets her. Her reward is not only eternal life, but also the honor of being included in the messianic lineage. Wherever you are in your life, God will meet you there.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise as you remember all He has done for you:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalm 97:10-12).
· As you ponder the wondrous holiness of the Lord, pray this confession to Him as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool"
(Isaiah 1:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who will protect you:
When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-5).
:angel:
May 3
Joshua 3
God miraculously parts the Jordan River for the people of Israel to cross over.
INSIGHT
There are two times in history when God parts water for the Israelites-once at the Red Sea as they flee from the Egyptian army and again at the Jordan River as they enter the Promised Land.
The Red Sea experience receives more acclaim, but the Jordan River experience is just as miraculous. The water parts for a distance of almost 20 miles as the nation passes over on dry ground during the flood stage.
God is faithful to accomplish His good purposes for His people.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His goodness to all generations of those who love Him:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
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 to be feared above all gods
(Psalm 96:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalm 51:10, 12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord, who has been good to you:
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, pray for:
· greater insight into the meaning of Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord who is goodness in Himself, and therefore the standard of goodness for all His creatures:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
May 4
Joshua 4
The Israelites choose 12 stones to erect as a memorial to God's faithfulness.
INSIGHT
Memorials help us preserve important memories. God memorializes many important things in the Old Testament, often through feasts and ceremonies. Now He uses a monument built of stones so that in the future the Israelites can tell their children: "Here, the God of miracles was faithful."
What things has God done in your life that you ought not to forget? Think of ways to memorialize them. You might have ceremonies, anniversaries of important events, or a physical memorial. Either way, foster the memory of God's work on your behalf.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to the Lord as you remember all He has done for you:
The Lord reigns;
Let the earth rejoice;
Let the multitude of isles be glad!
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the
foundation of His throne. . . .
The mountains melt like wax at the
presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory
(Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:3-4).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who has done great things for you:
[We look] for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works (Titus 2:13-14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
May 5
Joshua 6
The Lord fells the walls of Jericho.
INSIGHT
The Word of God often goes against all reason. Consider Joshua, a military strategist so brilliant that his campaigns are still studied today. He is standing afar, looking at the city of Jericho, pondering how to conquer it. The angel of the Lord appears to him saying, "Walk around the city several times and shout. That ought to do it!"
Can you imagine the response from the standpoint of military strategy? It is sheer nonsense. Yet it is a test of faith and obedience. Joshua believes and obeys, and the fallen walls are history.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord who fights mightily for His people:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His
glory. Amen and Amen
(Psalm 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in the Lord's power,
· revival to pour down on our spiritually parched land,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord who does everything according to His plan and purpose:
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will (Ephesians 1:4-5).
:angel:
May 6
Joshua 23
Nearing his death, Joshua charges the Israelites to be faithful to the Lord.
INSIGHT
After a brilliant career as Israel's leader, Joshua bids them farewell. He urges them not to allow themselves to be corrupted by the gods or people of the nations around them. Then Joshua encourages them that if they are faithful, "all the good things" of the Lord will come upon them (23:15); if they are not faithful, "the Lord will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land" (23:15).
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His faithfulness to all generations of those who obey Him:
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 personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin: David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly" (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. . . . This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world" (John 6:47-48, 50-51).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faith in God's providence,
· ministry leaders,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
May 7
Joshua 24
Joshua reviews Israel's history, charges them to serve the Lord, then dies at the age of 110.
INSIGHT
Joshua again gathers Israel to hear a review of their history and the good things God has done for them. He states the benefits and consequences of faithfulness and unfaithfulness. "If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (v. 15). Fortunately, the Israelites accept the challenge and agree to serve the Lord.
From time to time, the Lord may challenge us through various and unpredictable ways. When we drift from Him, when we get stale, or cease growing, the Lord will often bring a circumstance into our lives which forces us to choose whom we will serve. At those times, we must learn from the nation of Israel and choose to serve the Lord.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord cares enough about us to challenge us to total commitment, we praise Him:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalm 100:1-5).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 139:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for other Christians,
· missions in Europe and Asia,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:24).
:angel:
May 8
Judges 1
The tribes of Israel do an inadequate job of vanquishing the aliens living in the Promised Land.
INSIGHT
The book of Judges is a pathetic chronicle of a weak and willful people. Soon after Joshua's death, the Israelites begin to fall short of the directives he gave them. They fail at the most crucial point and tolerate the presence of immoral idol worshipers among them. The story which follows is one of sexual immorality, murder, idolatry, corruption, and greed. The depths to which the Israelites plunge is truly disgusting- reminding us of the warnings given by Moses and Joshua.
Turning your back on God always has tragic consequences. When we read about the Israelites, their foolishness seems so clear. Yet when we are faced with temptations today, it doesn't seem so clear. We can learn from the past, however. The consequences can be just as grave for us. A wise man walks with the Lord and is saved.
PRAYER
· Because we can be delivered from bondage to sin, offer your praise for the Lord's goodness:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord
(Psalm 104:24, 34).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He is despised and rejected by men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. . . .
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 53:3, 6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president and national leaders,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
(Psalm 84:11-12).
:angel:
May 9
Judges 2
The Israelites begin worshipping Baal, a god of Canaan.
INSIGHT
There is a distinct pattern of events that begins to unfold in Judges. The children of Israel fall into sin and begin worshiping other gods. Sin is followed by servitude. The Lord causes other nations to rise up in judgment and enslave Israel.
Israel cries out to God for deliverance, and the Lord delivers them by raising up a judge to lead them to victory. Then the land has rest until that judge dies and the cycle begins again: sin, servitude, supplication, salvation, and silence. Sin is always followed by bondage. Repentance frees.
PRAYER
· Because God always honors our obedience to Him, we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more. . . .
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength"
(Isaiah 30:15).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living,
· the needs of your family,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
May 10
Judges 6
Gideon is chosen to rule Israel.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. This is true in times of apostasy when God sometimes calls His mightiest servants from places of obscurity and gives them faith to believe Him. He works great deliverance through them.
This is certainly the case with Gideon who exclaims that he is from the weakest family in Manasseh and is the youngest in that family. Yet he is devoted to the Lord and, therefore, usable for God's purposes.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for the privilege of following Him fully:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name"
Selah
(Psalm 66:1-4).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· growth in all areas of your life,
· fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
May 11
Judges 7
God uses Gideon's 300 men to rout the entire Midianite army.
INSIGHT
"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit" is the work of the Lord accomplished (Zechariah 4:6). Few stories illustrate that principle more clearly than that of Gideon and his army of 300. God wants prepared men to fight His battles with His weapons in His way. His weapons are not earthly but spiritual. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We want to offer God our strength and our weapons and our insight but He does not need them. We need Him. Rather than trying to get God to accept our plans, strategies, and goals, we ought to strive to understand His. His way is the way of victory.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord is our victory, we praise Him and rest in His care:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord
(Psalm 105:1-3).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings. . . ."
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise
(Jeremiah 17:9-10, 14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries for which you are concerned,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
This is the day which the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it
(Psalm 118:24).
:angel:
May 12
Judges 14
Samson desires a Philistine wife.
INSIGHT
Some people are strongly gifted and seem to see results, regardless of their personal worthiness. This is true of Samson. It is difficult to imagine a more unworthy vessel for the work of God. It is a challenge to decide if he carelessly disregards wisdom and the Word of God or whether his decision-making ability is somehow impaired. Nevertheless, in spite of his exceedingly foolish escapades, God uses him to bring judgment on the Philistines who have flaunted their hostility toward Jehovah.
PRAYER
· Give God praise that He uses His people even though we are all unworthy vessels:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
(Psalm 8:1-4).
· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater appreciation of God's mercy,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom
(Psalm 90:12).
:angel:
May 13
Judges 15
Samson uses foxes to burn the Philistines' crops and kills 1,000 men.
INSIGHT
A list of the sins of Samson:
1. Fraternizing with pagans
2. Marrying an unbeliever
3. Disobeying his parents
4. Touching a dead animal
5. Murdering innocent people
6. Visiting a harlot
7. Lying
We are often tempted to disregard the truth. We weary of being good and fighting natural inclinations. But one look at Samson's life reveals the consequences of giving in to that weariness. We must wait on the Lord and have our strength renewed.
PRAYER
· Give praise to God that He forgives our sins and uses us to accomplish His purposes despite our iniquities:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works,
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalm 130:1-4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater appreciation of God's mercy,
· a favorite ministry,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
As a seal upon your arm
(Song of Solomon 8:6).
:angel:
May 14
Judges 16
Samson is subdued and later dies in his final act of resistance.
INSIGHT
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7). Samson's lustful foolishness finally catches up with him, and in a profound example of bad judgment, he discloses the secret of his strength to a woman who had betrayed him repeatedly.
He violates his Nazarite vow, and all his power leaves him. His eyes are gouged out and he dies, not avenging the Lord against the Philistines but avenging the loss of his own eyes. It is a heartbreaking conclusion to a life that is tragic-tragic not only because of what it was, but even more for what it could have been.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and give Him your praise. By His grace, we can escape consequences similar to those Samson experienced by living for Him:
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:
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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· mission work in Africa,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now 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).
:angel:
May 15
Ruth 1
A Jewess, Naomi, and her two daughters-in-law lose their husbands.
INSIGHT
In Ruth, we see one of the most stirring examples of loyalty in the Bible. In spite of Naomi's urgings to the contrary, Ruth stays with her, looking not for personal fulfillment or material comfort but longing merely to maintain the relationship with one whom she loves. This loyalty comes from a pure heart, and it is not surprising that it extends not just to Naomi but also to the Lord.
In stark contrast to Samson, Ruth's selflessness leads to beauty, fulfillment, and seeking the good of others. We should take instruction for our own lives and live as Ruth, not as Samson.
PRAYER
· Because we can have the beauty of the Lord in our lives, give thanks and praise to Him:
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 113:2-3, 5-6, 9).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord;
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me
(Psalm 40:11-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your talents,
· your state and local leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25, 27).
:angel:
May 16
Ruth 2
Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem in hopes of fostering a livelihood.
INSIGHT
When Boaz, a noble and godly man, hears of Ruth's noble and godly actions, he is moved with appreciation for the kind of person she is.
When he finds her gleaning in his fields, he bestows kindnesses on her. Ruth asks why he should take notice of her since she is a foreigner. Boaz replies that it is because of all that she has done for Naomi. The way we live our everyday lives communicates a "life message" to others. When we live for the Lord, that message is a beacon of light to others.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for His sovereignty and for the fact that He works His will regardless of the failures of His children:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-3, 48).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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).
:angel:
May 18
Ruth 4
Boaz marries Ruth and restores the fortunes of both Ruth and Naomi.
INSIGHT
What a happy ending. Because of Ruth's faithfulness and circumspection, all the broad acres in which she once gleaned as a destitute alien are now hers, for she has become one with the owner.
When we are one with Christ, we are no longer aliens in another's fields; and being one with Christ, all that is His is now also ours. As Ruth is translated from isolation and poverty to union and wealth in Boaz, so we become fellow heirs of the riches of Christ and the grace of God. It is likely that the story of Ruth is intended by God to picture our redemption in Christ. And our story is even greater than Ruth's story.
PRAYER
· Ruth is such a beautiful story of redemption. Praise the Lord for His redemption for us:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . . .
We will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 115:1, 11, 18).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us
(Psalm 103:10-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
(Isaiah 9:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral excellence,
· Christian education institutions,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel: :angel:
May 19
1 Samuel 1
God gives a child to Hannah and Elkanah, after Hannah's years of praying for a son.
INSIGHT
The grief of being childless drives Hannah to God. In Him, she finds her only resource for consolation.
Even though children may cry when they are taken to a doctor by their parents, they still trust their parents in spite of fear and pain. Similarly we must still trust and cling to the Lord even though we do not understand why He does not deliver us from our pain. Just as children will someday understand about the doctor, we will someday understand about the pain.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who will one day make all things in heaven and on earth right:
With righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat. . . .
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea
(Isaiah 11:4-6, 9).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession 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
(Psalm 51:1).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faith in the Lord,
· a world-wide revival,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
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).
:angel:
May 20
1 Samuel 2
Hannah dedicates Samuel to the service of the Lord.
INSIGHT
We rarely give God sufficient thanks and praise for the things He does for us, and we rarely give Him adequate worship for who He is and for His significant answers to prayer.
By contrast, notice Hannah's song of thanksgiving. She prays earnestly for a child, and when the Lord gives her one, she expresses her gratitude in full-blown poetic praise. Her response is fitting for the gift.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord is so merciful to us, we give Him heartfelt praise and thanksgiving with the psalmist:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The Lord has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God
(Psalm 98:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater thankfulness to the Lord,
· unsaved family members,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
A day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness
(Psalm 84:10).
:angel:
May 21
1 Samuel 3
The Lord speaks directly to Samuel, and all Israel recognizes Samuel as a prophet.
INSIGHT
For all the glory of speaking directly with the Lord, Samuel is given a very difficult task: He must deliver to Eli a troubling message from the Lord. With a pure heart and nothing to gain or lose by the encounter, Samuel tells Eli the truth.
We too must sometimes confront people with truth, knowing that the truth will hurt. Ephesians 4:15 instructs us to speak the truth in love. Speaking the truth without love is destructive.
Samuel's example is a difficult one but a good one. Like Samuel, we can only fulfill such a task if our hearts are pure and we do not manipulate the situation for our own benefit.
PRAYER
· Because we can know the truth and the truth can set us free, offer your praise to the Lord:
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
(Psalm 145:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer
(Isaiah 54:7-8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
May 22
1 Samuel 8
Israel demands a king from the Lord.
INSIGHT
The Lord intends to rule Israel by theocracy, which means that God will rule through a man who will be His spokesman. In rejecting this method, the Israelites are not rejecting Samuel but God. To be sure there is a problem with Samuel's sons not walking after the Lord, but rather than ask God for another theocratic administrator, they demand a monarchy. In seeking to correct a legitimate problem, they make matters worse because their motives are wrong. They have a selfish desire for a king like the nations around them.
When we see legitimate problems, we must be careful that we do not demand wrong solutions. There is no substitute for pure motives when it comes to problem solving.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because we need not fear His solutions to problems:
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness. . . .
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 personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart-
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalm 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· revival among Christians in America,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
May 23
1 Samuel 9
God instructs Samuel to anoint Saul as the first king over Israel.
INSIGHT
The sovereignty of God is a difficult concept to keep in balance. Often we find ourselves making too much or too little of it.
It is true, however, that many of the events in our lives, which seem to come at random with no significance, are actually events that the Lord is using to orchestrate His purpose in our lives.
For example, Saul goes looking for donkeys and ends up discovering that he will be king of Israel. We should always bathe our daily activities in prayer, for we never know what the Lord might be preparing for us.
PRAYER
· Even though you may be in pain, praise the Lord that He loves you and cares for you:
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments
(Psalm 112:1).
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him, "Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips"
(Hosea 14:1-2).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of personal friends,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered
(Psalm 40:5).
:angel:
May 24
1 Samuel 10
Samuel publicly introduces Saul to the nation of Israel.
INSIGHT
Leadership is at the same time a blessing and a curse. Leaders like to have the allegiance and esteem of their followers, but such is rarely the case. Inherent in humanity are differences of opinion, and those differences cause some to be for certain leadership and against other leadership.
The day Saul is presented as king over Israel, a faction of "worthless men" grumble against him. If you are in a position of leadership, you should not be insensitive to dissension, but you must also realize that you will never make all the people happy all the time.
PRAYER
· Use the following psalm to express your gratitude and praise to the Lord for all He has done for you:
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. . . .
I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places. . . .
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 135:1, 3, 5-6, 21).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalm 51:14-15).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels" (Revelation 3:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
May 25
1 Samuel 15
Saul breaks the Law of the Lord then offers sacrifices to the Lord.
INSIGHT
Saul's fall is fast and far. His spiritual leadership is destroyed before he really gets a good start. Such a profound disparity between how he starts and how he ends is difficult to explain.
It stands as a warning, however. None of us is above falling, no matter where we are in our spiritual walk.
Our regular prayers ought to include what Jesus teaches us to pray: "Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13). Again, Jesus says, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation" (Matthew 26:41).
The price of our spiritual welfare is eternal vigilance.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His protection from evil:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness
(Psalm 96:5-8, 11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· local churches around the nation,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
May 26
1 Samuel 16
David is anointed to be king.
INSIGHT
David is indeed an outstanding individual. As a teenager, he is known to be "skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him" (v. 18). In each of these things, David is not just lucky. David works hard at all the things for which he is known, including the fact that "the Lord is with him."
Each of us has been given talents and abilities. Like David, if we are to achieve our God-given potential, we must be slaves to the things that advance those abilities.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord that we are the objects of His tender mercies and powerful leading:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:65-68).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalm 123:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater trust in God's sovereignty,
· the spiritual condition of our national leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14).
:angel:
May 27
1 Samuel 17
Goliath the Philistine challenges Israel's army.
INSIGHT
When God goes to war, there are no accidents. Just as He uses Gideon and an army of only 300 to rout the Midianite army that was "without number," so He uses a boy with a slingshot to rout the Philistine army. In 2 Chronicles 18:33, "a certain man drew a bow at random," but it "struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor." There are no accidents when God goes to war.
We can take comfort in this fact in relationship to the spiritual warfare in which we all find ourselves. The obstacles may seem insurmountable. But if we are on God's side, no foe is too great.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise as you rejoice in the power He uses in controlling the events of history:
We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
You drove out the nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.
For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand,
Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
Because You favored them
(Psalm 44:1-4).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long?
(Psalm 6:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me
(Psalm 138:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater courage in the midst of trials,
· your pastor,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands
(Psalm 138:8).
:angel:
May 28
2 Samuel 5
After many years of delay, David assumes Israel's throne.
INSIGHT
Earlier, Samuel had anointed David-then a young, inexperienced boy-to be king over Israel. Fourteen years elapsed between Samuel's anointing and the time when David actually assumes the rule over all of Israel.
Instead of luxuriating in the royal palace during these years, David runs from cave to cave, trying to escape from Saul who is bent on killing him. But it is these difficult experiences that build into David the strength of character, the convictions, the sensitivity to right and wrong, and the vision to be a great king.
Even for us today, the road to transformation always goes through the tunnel of trials.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord uses the difficult times to create Christlikeness in our lives, we can praise Him for all things:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain
(Psalm 127:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East, the islands, and Australia,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
May 29
2 Samuel 7
2 Samuel 7 David prepares for building a temple, but God tells him that David's son will build it.
INSIGHT
With all his heart, David wants to build the temple of God. Yet because David is a man of war, God reserves that privilege for David's son Solomon, whose very name means "peace."
While David cannot actually build the temple, he does draw the plans and begins amassing the materials. And Solomon's job is much easier because of David's work.
In fact, the Lord commends David's deep desire to build the temple even though he is not permitted to do so (see 2 Chronicles 6:8.)
There may be things in your heart that you would like to do for God that you cannot do. Even so, it is good that it is in your heart to want to do them.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He rewards us because of our motives:
"Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify
Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested"
(Revelation 15:3-4).
One cried to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!"
(Isaiah 6:3).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· 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, pray for:
· faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· the Lord's work in world affairs,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this 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).
:angel:
May 30
2 Samuel 11
2 Samuel 11David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his loyal commanders.
INSIGHT
There is greater pain in sin than in righteousness. David clearly loves Bathsheba. Certainly, it would have pained him had he turned his heart away from her before having relations with her. But that pain is nothing compared to the pain he brings on himself and others by taking her as his own. Adultery, murder, the death of their child, the loss of respect, and the memory of the guilt were some of the results of his sin.
It is sometimes painful to do the right thing, but it is always more painful to do the wrong thing.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because He fulfills our lives by giving us talents and abilities to develop:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalms 150:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me (Jeremiah 33:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord
(Lamentations 3:25-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your development of an eternal perspective,
· your personal spiritual goals,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).
:angel:
May 31
2 Samuel 12
2 Samuel 12The prophet Nathan openly rebukes David and stirs him to repent.
INSIGHT
When Nathan comes to accuse David of adultery and murder, it is well within David's power to shout: "Off with his head!" But David does not issue that order. Instead, his heart breaks. The horror and magnitude of his sin is incalculable, but it is to David's credit that he immediately repents. Rather than resisting repentance because we feel we don't deserve forgiveness, we should do as David did-repent that very instant.
PRAYER
· Give praise and thanks to the Lord for giving us victory over the world:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You. . . .
The Lord is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation
(Jeremiah 10:6-7).
· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· persecuted Christians worldwide,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
June 2
1 Kings 2
David charges Solomon with the urgency of living for the Lord.
INSIGHT
Parts of the Old Testament tax our understanding and our acceptance.
First, we do not understand much about Judaism, the Law, and Old Testament
culture and customs. Second, many of the events are violations of God's desires-though that is not explained to us. And finally, God deals with men differently in the Old Testament than in the New Testament.
While not all things are easily explained, in chapter 2, Solomon takes vengeance only upon all those people who had already committed acts that were punishable by death. This doesn't answer every problem we might have with this difficult chapter, but it is a beginning.
PRAYER
· The Lord will guard and care for those who want to follow Him with their whole heart:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears
(Psalms 34:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord answered Job, and said:
"Shall the one who contends with the
Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it."
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
"Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth"
(Job 40:1-4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him" (John 6:27).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a friend to believe in Christ,
· greater understanding and love for God's Word,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned (Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
June 3
1 Kings 1
God grants Solomon wisdom.
INSIGHT
Solomon's heart is manifested by the purity of his prayer. He could have asked for a long life; he could have asked for riches and honor. But instead Solomon asks simply for wisdom. What an honest and unselfish prayer.
Being honest with God is not as easy as we might think. We all tend to live life with masks on-behind which the real "us" hides-to make a better impression on people.
How foolish! God sees behind the mask-as do most people. We can learn from Solomon. God is pleased with honest, transparent prayers.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His wisdom to all generations of those who love Him:
Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord
(Jeremiah 9:23-24).
· 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.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer
(Psalms 19:12-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the all-wise Lord:
In you, O Christ, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (based on Colossians 2:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in your daily life,
· wisdom for political leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
June 6
1 Kings 6
Solomon oversees the temple construction, making it a work of art glorifying God.
INSIGHT
The temple that Solomon builds for the Lord is spectacular. The stonework is magnificent; the tapestry work is glorious; and nearly everything inside is overlaid with gold.
Why such opulence? Because the temple is to be a physical representation of the beauty and glory of God. One is supposed to be able to look at the temple and be reminded of the beauty of God. It is not beauty for beauty's sake, but for the glory of the God of beauty.
PRAYER
· Offer God your praise in the words of this Scripture:
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him
(Daniel 2:20-22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater wisdom for living,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer
(Psalms 19:13-14).
:angel:
June 7
1 Kings 7
King Hiram of Tyre supplies artisans and craftsmen to finalize the glorious temple.
INSIGHT
Not only is the work of the temple designed to reflect the splendor and glory of God, but also the layout of the temple is designed to reflect His work in atoning for our sin. The bronze laver, the candlesticks, the tables of showbread, the Holy of Holies-all are designed to picture for us the atoning work of Christ. All this is in keeping with what Paul wrote in Romans 15:4: "Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."
PRAYER
· The Lord knows us totally and loves us completely, and for this we offer Him our praise:
Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation" (Luke 1:46-50).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalms 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:9-11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalms 23:6).
:angel:
June 8
1 Kings 8
Solomon leads the people into a grand dedication ceremony for the new temple.
INSIGHT
The phenomenal blessings that God pours out on Israel have a purpose beyond merely blessing them. In fact, God wants other nations to see His favor on Israel and desire to know Him because of what they witness in the lives of His people.
This truth is reflected when Solomon prays that "the Lord our God be with us . . . [so] that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other" (vv. 57, 60). David understands this principle also when he writes in Psalms 67:7: "God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him." And today God wants to bless us spiritually that others may see Christ in us and be drawn to Him.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord who blesses us that we might draw others to Him because of His mark in our lives:
"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 4:11).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the
Lord Most High
(Psalms 7:17).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and its effects:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you
(Deuteronomy 32:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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
(Psalms 90:17).
:angel:
June 9
1 Kings 9
The Lord reiterates His promise to bless Israel for faithfulness and to judge her for sin.
INSIGHT
Three things happen when Israel lives in a righteous relationship with the Lord. First, God is glorified. Second, Israel is blessed, receiving the fullness of life for which she longs. Third, the unsaved world is drawn to want to know God because of the magnificent picture they see of Him.
Because so much hinges on Israel's standing before God, the Lord makes it clear to her how serious her position is. If she will trust and obey Him, He will bless Israel forever. However, if she lives in sin, He will utterly destroy her.
PRAYER
· Give the Lord praise for His perfect and holy justice and goodness:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalms 100:4-5).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be obedient to God's commands,
· our nation's military personnel,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the waters
(Psalms 24:1-2).
:angel:
June 10
1 Kings 10
The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon.
INSIGHT
Solomon leads Israel in righteousness, and God pours out His blessing on the nation to such an extent that the reports of Israel's prosperity spread throughout the world. The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon because she cannot believe the reports she has been hearing. After Solomon meets with her and shows her around Jerusalem, she is overwhelmed.
The blessing of Israel is to draw attention to the God of Israel. Today as the Lord blesses us spiritually for our faithfulness to Him, attention will be drawn, not to us, but to the Lord.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord that He still does marvelous things through His people-things that make the world stand up and take notice:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalms 95:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord who blesses the work of His people:
God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faithfulness in evangelism,
· the church's impact on the world,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned (Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
June 11
1 Kings 11
Solomon takes wives from (and makes allegiances with) foreigners, and God judges him.
INSIGHT
Not long after the Lord reminds Solomon of the blessings of obedience and the cataclysmic consequences of disobedience, Solomon disobeys. After taking foreign wives who turn his heart from the Lord, Solomon begins to worship Ashtoreth and builds a "high place" of worship for Chemosh and Molech, detestable pagan gods. True to His word, the Lord raises up an adversary, Hadad, to plague Solomon. God's purpose is not to punish. He wants the adversity to turn Solomon's heart back to Him. When you suffer adversity, examine yourself to see if there is sin in your life. That is not always true, but it is something to which we must be sensitive.
PRAYER
Bless the Lord and praise Him for His goodness because He forgives our sin:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11).
You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You, according to all
that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face
to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads,
and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus,
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the Scripture says,
"Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 10:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:6).
:angel:
June 12
1 Kings 12
After Solomon's death, Rehoboam splits the kingdom.
INSIGHT
Because Solomon drifts from the Lord during the latter part of his reign, he does not leave to his successor a healthy, vibrant nation. Israel struggles for moral and political leadership. Rehoboam inherits the throne but places foolish and inordinate financial demands on the nation on the heels of what Solomon had demanded—to build the temple and his palace. The people rebel and the nation divides. The northern part of the kingdom (Israel) follows after Jeroboam while Rehoboam retains control over the southern part (Judah); neither man leads the nation in righteousness and the disintegration that began with Solomon continues. Sin is taking its toll. It always does.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that when we confess our sin, He removes the eternal penalty:
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 personal praise and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled
(Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God
(Romans 5:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your talents
-- Your state and local leaders
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
June 13
1 Kings 17
After Elijah prophesies drought, the Lord hides him and later uses him to heal a child.
INSIGHT
Drought is a devastating natural disaster, and when it comes to the children of Israel, it does not come by accident. It is always divine judgment. From the beginning of his reign, Ahab, who is king when Elijah begins his ministry, violates the Lord's name. He encourages idolatry and the worship of Baal, a pagan god. He "did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him" (1 Kings 16:30). Elijah's name means "Jehovah is my strength," and the Lord sets about to prove the significance of Elijah's name as He brings judgment on Israel and destroys the worshipers of Baal.
PRAYER
The Lord longs to bless us. Offer Him your praise for His goodness and mercy:
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).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
-- Your activities for the day
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).
:angel:
June 14
1 Kings 19
Elijah flees from Jezebel, and the Lord ministers to him after saving him.
INSIGHT
On the heels of the stupendous victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah falls into despair. He fears for his own life in the face of Jezebel's threat and flees to a lonely mountain for safety—to lick his wounds and mourn his fate. How shameful that this great prophet would call down fire from heaven one day and flee for his life the next. We all have feet of clay. Notice though that God does not berate him. Rather, He ministers to him quietly, restoring his spirit and strength. Then God calls Elijah back into His service again. God cares when we are hurt and discouraged and gently calls us to Himself for new strength.
PRAYER
Offer to the Lord your praise for His lovingkindness on your behalf:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name
(Psalm 63:3-4).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day
(Psalm 25:4-5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater passion for moral excellence
-- The ministry of Christian educational institutions
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).
:angel:
June 16
2 Kings 1
The Lord sends Elijah to inform Ahaziah that he will die.
INSIGHT
Ahab and Jezebel have become famous for their irreverence and disregard for the Law of the Lord. Yet Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, goes beyond them in his blatant disregard for the Lord. After an accident, he inquires of Baal-Zebub, the pagan god of Ekron, whether or not he will recover. Elijah informs the messengers that Ahaziah will die. No longer afraid, Elijah has been strengthened from his previous failure. We must always look at failure as an opportunity to grow.
PRAYER
God often uses our hard times to refine us into the people He wants us to be. Give Him your praise for His care:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:65-68).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater trust in God's leading in your life
-- The ministry of your local church
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
:angel:
June 17
2 Kings 2
The Lord takes Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind.
INSIGHT
Miracles don't permeate the entire Bible. They tend to be concentrated during the times of Moses, the prophets, and Jesus. They occur other times as well, but these are the times of greatest concentration; and Elijah and Elisha represent one of the strongest periods. In our lives today, God seems rather inactive in comparison. Yet that is not because He is unable to act-but rather because He has chosen not to act in the same way. The power is still there, and we can rest in the confidence that He still has all things under control.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord who possesses power to do all things He desires:
O Lord, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.
A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
When the wicked spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever
(Psalm 92:5-7).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy
(Habakkuk 3:2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who loves you:
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- Contentment in God's providence
-- Opportunities for watching God work
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).
:angel:
June 18
2 Kings 4
Elisha saves a Shunammite widow from economic disaster and revives her son from death.
INSIGHT
Elisha's ministry is not startling; it is redemptive and constructive. Elijah was a prophet of fire and judgment; Elisha was a prophet of mercy and compassion. Elijah was a man on the move; Elisha enjoyed a tranquil life at home. Elijah's miracles were destructive; Elisha's were constructive. It must have been tempting for Elisha to want to be like Elijah. But he resists it; that is not what the Lord has for Elisha. He is his own man before the Lord. It is often tempting for us to want to be like someone else, to be dissatisfied with who we are and what we can do. Yet God made us to be what He wanted us to be. We must be content with who we are. It is so liberating. Accept yourself. God does.
PRAYER
Because the Lord made us and cares for us as we are, we offer Him the praise of our lips:
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? . . .
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:3-4, 9).
Pause for personal 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.
Selah
(Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- The work of missions in North and South America
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
June 19
2 Kings 5
Naaman is healed of leprosy when he obeys Elisha's directives.
INSIGHT
It is God who has power to move in the realm of the spiritual and miraculous—not man. So whether God asks us to do something difficult or simple, it doesn't matter. He will do the work behind our faith. Naaman learns this the hard way. His heart is open to God, for he goes to Elisha hoping that God will heal his leprosy. But when Elisha tells him to wash in the Jordan seven times, Naaman roars: "Are not . . . the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel?" (v. 12). He misses the point. The point is not clean water or unclean. The point is: Does he believe God? The Jordan is merely a test of his faith in God. When Naaman realizes that, he washes and is healed.
PRAYER
By faith, we offer our praise to the Lord and thank Him for the power that makes us clean:
Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless 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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
June 20
2 Kings 6
When the Syrians threaten Elisha, they are struck blind.
INSIGHT
We often have no idea what is going on around us in the spiritual realm. Spiritual battles explode before our very eyes, but we neither see them nor hear them (Daniel 10:13). Guardian angels minister to our needs (Hebrews 1:14). We entertain angels "unwittingly" (Hebrews 13:2). How real and alive is the spiritual realm; yet without the Scriptures, we would know little about it. The Syrian army is camped around Dothan, but Elisha is not concerned because an army of the angels of the Lord encircles the horizon. We walk by faith and not by sight.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He can turn our failures into successes, and offer Him your praise in this psalm:
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 personal 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 name's 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world"
(John 6:51).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of personal friends
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
June 21
2 Kings 7
Israel is delivered from Aram.
INSIGHT
While we must be careful about "spiritualizing" what we read in the Old Testament and making it say something it doesn't, there is at least an excellent illustration in the defeat of the Aramean army relating to the message of the Gospel today. The lepers are lost and starving and come upon abundance adequate for their own welfare as well as the welfare of all others. They realize it is wrong to keep it to themselves, and they go out to tell others. The same is true of the Gospel of Christ. Those of us who have had our needs met by Him cannot be satisfied keeping it to ourselves — we must tell others.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord for the miracle of the "new birth," and praise Him for His grace:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings
(Psalm 33:1-2).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin and its effects:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord who protects you:
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:21).
:angel:
June 22
2 Kings 8
The king restores the Shunammite widow's land.
INSIGHT
Nothing happens in our lives or in the world apart from divine appointment or permission. Behind every event and incident, there is divine providence. The Shunammite widow, who has done so much for Elisha, is remembered and cared for years afterward. The Lord has a wonderful memory for those who feed Him when He is hungry and minister to Him when He is in need (see Matthew 25:37). The conversation between Gehazi, Elisha's servant, and the king might seem an accident, but it is providential. When we abide in the will of God, life is sown with divine coincidences.
PRAYER
For the Lord's sovereignty and goodness to us, offer this praise:
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).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You. . . ."
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen
(Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength
(Isaiah 40:28-29).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Local churches across the nation
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
June 23
2 Kings 18
Hezekiah institutes a reign of righteousness.
INSIGHT
It is wonderful that such a wicked man as Ahaz had such a righteous son as Hezekiah. It is difficult to stand against moral disintegration—especially when it is all around you and generally accepted. It is also likely the fall of the Northern Kingdom is a great incentive to root out idolatry. God richly rewards Hezekiah for his moral courage and leadership, demonstrating the validity of 2 Chronicles 16:9: "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."
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He richly blesses those who seek to follow Him with all their heart:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
I opened my mouth and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.
Look upon me and be merciful to me,
As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.
Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
(Psalm 119:129-133)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
(Psalm 138:7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- A heart more tender to the things of the Lord
-- The work of a specific ministry that has had an impact on your life
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
(Psalm 121:8)
:angel:
June 24
2 Kings 19
When Sennacherib attacks Jerusalem, Hezekiah calls upon the Lord.
INSIGHT
In spite of all the trouble that comes upon Israel and Judah, God wants to bless them. It is only as He is blessing them that His desire for the world is advanced. All that is needed is obedience. Hezekiah demonstrates just how quickly everything can turn around. He is looking into the jaws of an Assyrian military machine one minute, and the Assyrians are routed the next. God is not reluctant to bless us. But we must be sure we are eligible by being faithful to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord; for He controls the universe and does all things for our good:
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, "Glory!"
The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.
(Psalm 29:5-11)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
(Joel 2:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faith in God's goodness
-- Those who've never heard the Gospel
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this prayer to the Lord:
Jesus, You are the door. If anyone enters by You, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (based on John 10:9).
:angel:
June 25
2 Kings 20
In answer to Hezekiah's prayer, the Lord extends his life.
INSIGHT
Hezekiah's contribution to our lives is probably very great. We read of his zeal for the house of Jehovah and for the worship of Jehovah and of his strict adherence to the Davidic traditions (2 Chronicles 29:3-19; 20-27; 30). His delight is in the Word of Jehovah. In 2 Chronicles 31:21, we read of the "work" which Hezekiah began "in the law and in the commandment." Apparently he formed a guild of men for this devout literary work. These "men of Hezekiah" evidently included Isaiah (2 Kings 19:2) and also had a hand in shaping the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 25:1). What a contribution this ancient one has made to our lives today!
PRAYER
The Lord's dominion is forever, and we can praise Him that He never changes:
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 personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
(Psalm 51:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- The work of missions in Australia
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
June 26
2 Kings 25
God judges Judah by allowing Nebuchadnezzar to capture Jerusalem.
INSIGHT
Judah has a total of 20 kings after Solomon. Only eight of them give moral and spiritual leadership. And as the king goes, so goes the nation. As a result, God has to bring judgment on Israel. The ghastly succession of horrors promised for disobedience in Deuteronomy 28–and reiterated to Solomon in 1 Kings 9—begins to unfold. "I will cast (Israel) out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples" (1 Kings 9:7). Nebuchadnezzar besieges and captures Jerusalem, transports her main people to Babylonia, robs her treasury, and violates worship in the temple. Sin has a terrible price.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that we can be spared from His judgment on sin:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
(Psalm 63:1-2)
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:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases.
(Psalm 103:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The Lord's work in national and world affairs
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
June 27
1 Chronicles 17
God promises David that He will propagate David's lineage forever.
INSIGHT
David is described as a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). It is difficult for us to accept that statement when David is guilty of lying, adultery, murder, and other indiscretions. However, to be a man after God's own heart means that David wants the same things God wants. His noble desires and intentions are overruled several times by his passions; but when David's senses are restored and he repents of his sin, again his heart beats after God's desires. We may not be as bad as David in his bad moments, but are we as good as David in his good moments? Do our hearts beat after God?
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that He is eager to bless our righteous acts:
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)
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
(Psalm 7:17)
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me
(Psalm 51:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
He also has become my salvation"
(Isaiah 12:2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- An increased eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Grace, mercy, and peace [be to you] from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).
:angel:
June 28
1 Chronicles 29
Just before his death, David blesses Israel and gives his blessing to Solomon.
INSIGHT
How we spend our money is a powerful reflection of our value system. If we have strong spiritual values, we give our money generously to spiritual things. If we have primarily temporal values, we resist—and perhaps even resent—giving to spiritual things. After completing the temple, the Israelites rejoiced, "for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD" (v. 9). Where are your values?
PRAYER
Bless the Lord. Praise Him for His blessings in our lives:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.
(1 Chronicles 29:11-13)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
(Psalm 51:4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:31)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Persecuted Christians worldwide
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
June 29
2 Chronicles 34
Josiah leads Judah into righteousness.
INSIGHT
It is almost impossible to imagine the Law could have gotten lost in Jerusalem. How could that have happened? The whole nation is to worship the Lord; the dominant building in Jerusalem is the temple. Israel's entire history revolves around the giving and preservation of the Law. How can this happen? Neglect has a poor memory. How quickly we can drift from the Lord in just a short time of spiritual staleness. Consider our nation. The moral fiber we had 20 years ago is nonexistent today. People are people. Israel drifted the same way—but for a longer time. This ought to serve as a warning to us; the same can happen to us as individuals.
PRAYER
The Lord will guard and care for the heart that follows Him and is filled with praise:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by. . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
(Psalm 57:1, 9-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
(Psalm 51:14-15)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- Others to see Christ in you
-- The Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest
-- Your activities for the day
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).
:angel:
June 30
2 Chronicles 35
The Passover, unobserved for years, is reinstated.
INSIGHT
Abraham Lincoln once said, "A man's about as happy as he makes up his mind to be." That may be an oversimplification; yet it states a basic truth: Often we must consciously decide what we want to become. Those who grow spiritually are those who have made a conscious decision to pursue spiritual things. Josiah, one of the great kings of Judah, is a strong reformer who tries to lead the nation in righteousness. In 2 Chronicles 34:31, we read: "The king . . . made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul." Have you ever made the decision to follow the Lord with your whole heart?
PRAYER
As He is a God both of power and compassion, we offer Him our praise:
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;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it, . ..
The host of heaven worships You.
(Nehemiah 9:5-6)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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.
(Psalm 34:17-18)
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- The ministry of our nation's churches
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
July 1
Ezra 1
The Lord prompts the king of Persia to rebuild the temple.
INSIGHT
The Bible says that God "removes kings and raises up kings" (Daniel 2:21) and that "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord" (Proverbs 21:1). We see a classic example of these truths in the book of Ezra. The Israelites are taken captive by the Babylonians for 70 years. During that time, the Babylonians are conquered by Persia. Then the Lord moves in the heart of the king of Persia to orchestrate the return of the Jews to Jerusalem. God is in control. Bad things will still happen; we live in a fallen world. But God is in control and history is moving toward His end. The ultimate needs of His children are met, and we have the promise of eternal life. Beyond that, we must cling to the fact that we are pilgrims, sojourners to another world—heaven, where our true citizenship lies.
PRAYER
As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this praise:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
(Psalm 106:1-3)
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.
(Psalm 130:1-4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to God:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:4-6).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- His will to be done
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
July 2
Ezra 3
The priests restore the altar and worship of the Lord.
INSIGHT
The basis of most discontent is comparison. We could be happy with our cars if the neighbors didn't have better ones. We would be satisfied with our houses if they were as nice as everyone else's. Yet, were we to have our present possessions in Africa, we would be considered rich. Once our basic needs are met, the issue is not "how are we," but rather, "how are we compared to how everyone else is." When the foundation of the new temple is laid, the new generation rejoices at the work of God; but the older generation laments that the new temple is not as impressive as the old one. We should be content with what God has chosen to give us and not make comparisons. He is rich who rejoices in his portion.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for what He has given you, and rejoice in your portion:
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
(Psalm 71:15-17)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this prayer:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous spirit.
(Psalm 51:10, 12)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- That others might see Christ in you
-- That the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers into His harvest
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing 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).
:angel:
July 3
Ezra 4
The king orders a halt to the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
There is a common misconception in the Christian world that if you are doing the Lord's will, you will not suffer hardships for it. The example of the Jews rebuilding the temple certainly does not support that supposition. The Lord clearly intends for them to rebuild the temple, yet they suffer opposition the entire time. It is not necessarily a sign of God's displeasure when work begun for Him fails. There may be other reasons for the failure, which are hidden in His sovereignty. That is why it is so important to be in fellowship with Him. If something we are doing fails, we have confidence that it is not because of our sin, but His sovereignty.
PRAYER
Because He faithfully loves you, faithfully praise Him and thank Him for your many blessings:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
(Psalm 72:18-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:13-14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
(Psalm 119:67, 71)
God yearns to hear His children's desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual growth
-- Fulfillment of the Great Commission
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
(Psalm 23:6)
:angel:
July 4
Ezra 6
The original decree is found, and permission is given to complete the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
It is often darkest before the dawn. Just as it looks as if the work on the temple is going to be stopped, the Lord turns the situation around. Not only is permission given to complete the temple, but those who had tried to stop the work are required to finance the remainder of the restoration! Worrying does little to further the work of God; He is quite capable of accomplishing His work. Our work is trust, obedience, and faithfulness to our responsibilities.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over your circumstances, and thank Him for being in total control of your life:
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.
(Psalm 18:1-3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
God desires to hear the petitions of His people. As you make you requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment in the circumstances of your life,
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace."
(Numbers 6:24-25)
:angel:
July 6
Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah weeps as he learns of Jerusalem's deterioration.
INSIGHT
One of the essential characteristics of leadership is that the leader feels the full weight of the plight of certain people and assumes responsibility for their condition. Many people knew of Jerusalem's condition, but few felt the impact and had the vision for response. Nehemiah did and God used him in a mighty way. What in life "hits" you? What situations cause you to feel the impact of the plight of others, and for what situations do you have a vision for response? It might be as large as a nation or as small as a church nursery. But if you feel it and have a vision for it, chances are God would like to use you there.
PRAYER
Being used by the Lord is a joyful experience. Praise Him as you consider how He might use you:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:1-2, 14)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
(Proverbs 2:3-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater sensitivity to sin,
-- The ministry of your local church,
-- Your activities for the day.
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)
:angel:
July 7
Nehemiah 2
Nehemiah requests the king's help in rebuilding Jerusalem.
INSIGHT
Nehemiah comes before the king unable to conceal his agitation over the situation in Jerusalem. When we are faced with situations that need change, preparation is vital. We may not be able to do anything about it at the moment, but we can ask ourselves this question: "If it lay within our power to do anything we wanted to do, what would we do?" If we can answer that, then we will recognize opportunity when it knocks, and we can capitalize on it as Nehemiah does.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is concerned about the details of your life and is ready to fulfill your every need:
The Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
(Psalm 1:6)
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)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil (Ecclesiastes 5:1).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Boldness in sharing Christ with others
-- The innocent victims in war-torn lands
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
:angel:
July 8
Nehemiah 4
The work on the city wall is ridiculed by those opposing it.
INSIGHT
It is difficult to do any work when we are strongly opposed. We begin to doubt the validity of the task or our ability to perform it. When we are assailed for doing God's work, we must evaluate the source of opposition. We cannot assume opposition means that God is against us. While it is of little value to blame the devil for everything that goes wrong, the Bible makes it clear that spiritual opposition is a reality in the work of God. If we suspect spiritual opposition, we must oppose the enemy, remain at the task at hand, and redouble our prayers!
PRAYER
Praise God that He has given us instruction for life in the Bible and through the Holy Spirit:
"My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation."
(1 Samuel 2:1)
Pause for additional praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. . . God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. (1Thessalonians 4:1-2, 7-8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God. . . .
He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
For by strength no man shall prevail."
(1 Samuel 2:2, 9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Diligence in our work in spite of obstacles
-- Wisdom in making decisions
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
The blessings of your father
Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
(Genesis 49:25-26)
:angel:
July 9
Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah stops the internal mistreatment among the Jews by force of example.
INSIGHT
The prospects for some of the returned exiles are bleak. There are deficient rains and poor harvests. As a result, the farmers mortgage their lands to their wealthier brethren and, in extreme cases, sell their children into slavery to pay the king's taxes. The rich Jews, rather than helping out, are capitalizing on the situation to line their own pockets. This is inexcusable! Few things bring on more reproach to the cause of the Lord than the worldliness and hard-heartedness of those who claim to follow Him. Unselfish dedication to the common welfare of others in Christ is our spiritual obligation.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves each of us equally and accepts our welfare as His obligation, we praise Him:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.
(Psalm 93:1-2)
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:5)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 love for fellow Christians
-- Missions in Europe and Asia
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
July 10
Nehemiah 6
The work on the wall is completed.
INSIGHT
Nehemiah resists the efforts of the adversaries to discourage him or distract him from working on the wall. He is convinced that he is doing the right thing, and he steadfastly resists the interference. The Old Testament often has a literal illustration of a spiritual truth that is explained in the New Testament. In Ephesians 6:11, we read that we are to "put on the whole armor of God": the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Once these are in place, we "resist"—"stand firm!"
PRAYER
Praise God for victory in spiritual warfare as we use His armor:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
O come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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 53:6)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- The president and world affairs
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing 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)
:angel:
July 11
Nehemiah 8
The people gather at the square to hear Ezra, who reads the Law publicly.
INSIGHT
No one appreciates a glass of water like a man who is truly thirsty. It takes deprivation to appreciate the significance of our blessings. That is why the Christian life is not always easy—with blessings flowing unabated. We get dull and stale to it—just as we do when we have too much food and too little exercise. We are indeed blessed to have the Word of God in such abundance. The returning Jews have never heard the Word, and they are truly thirsty. They stand — from dawn till dusk — and drink it in. To appreciate the Word in your life, imagine not having it at all.
PRAYER
Give the Lord your praise, because He knows us and loves us and will never leave or forsake us:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
(Psalm 97:10-12)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
(1 Corinthians 2:9)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
July 12
Nehemiah 9
Upon hearing the Law, the people publicly confess their transgressions.
INSIGHT
Paul says in the New Testament that it was not until he heard the Law that he was conscious of sin. How true! It is not until you know the truth that the truth can set you free (John 8:32). The returning Jews experience this truth in a dramatic way. Upon hearing the Law, Israel repents of her sins and rededicates herself to serving the Lord. This repentance clears her conscience, results in rich worship, and makes her eligible for the blessings of the Lord. It sets her free! Repentance will do the same for you.
PRAYER
Because the Lord preserves us through spiritual battles, offer your praises as you read this psalm:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
(Psalm 92:1-2, 4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, God of my salvation,
I have cried out day and night before You.
Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life draws near to the grave.
(Psalm 88:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:8)
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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater insight into God's Word
-- The homeless in your country and around the world
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
July 13
Esther 1
Because Vashti refuses to dance for King Ahasuerus, she is removed as queen.
INSIGHT
In Ezra and Nehemiah, we learn how God watches over the Jews who return from captivity. Esther tells us how those who remain in exile—scattered through the East—are marvelously preserved. Though the name of God does not appear in the book, His hand is clearly manifest throughout. The significance of the "narrow escapes" cannot be dismissed as coincidental. Ahasuerus demands that his queen appear before the party. She refuses. The stage is now set for God's miraculous plan of deliverance for His people.
PRAYER
Take comfort in the sovereignty of God, and praise Him for His faithfulness:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness.
(Psalm 96:5-8, 11)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.
(Isaiah 54:7-8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
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:
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 ).
July 14
Esther 2
Esther wins the king's favor and is chosen to become queen.
INSIGHT
Abraham, Moses, David, and Esther are all living lives of obscurity when God chooses them. He uses them for great things because they are faithful to Him in the little things. While not all of us are destined to do incredible things in the eyes of man, greatness in the eyes of God is simply being faithful to Him the best way we know how. God has not forgotten about us; His eye is on us. And He will use us—even if only in seemingly "small" ways.
PRAYER
Thank God that we do not need to be born into a wealthy family or attain a place of prestige to be used by Him. Praise God that He uses ordinary people to do His extraordinary work:
As for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.
(Psalm 5:7-8)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
(Psalm 5:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
(Psalm 5:4-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment in the place God has led you to
-- Patience in serving others
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
(Psalm 5:11-12)
:angel:
July 15
Esther 3
Haman deceives the king into signing an edict that would kill all the Jews.
INSIGHT
Man's inhumanity to man over the ages has been astounding. Some of the acts of violence and degradation have defied comprehension. In this vein, Haman hatches a savage and inhumane plot against the Jews to have them annihilated—men, women, and children. King Ahasuerus also has a monstrous mind, willing to sanction such savagery without question. When sin progresses to such extremes, we see just how repulsive it is.
PRAYER
God continually watches over His children. Thank Him for His protection:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1-2)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to God:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
(Psalm 19:7-11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The political leaders of your country
-- Graciousness in speech
-- The needs of family members
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
July 16
Esther 4
Esther learns of the plot to kill the Jews and plans to intercede.
INSIGHT
"I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" (4:16). Those are not the words of someone being melodramatic; they are the words of a realist who accurately assesses the situation. By law, no one can go into the presence of the king unless invited; to do so means execution. If the king chooses to extend grace to the person, he offers his scepter, whereupon the subject is to kneel and touch the top of the scepter. Esther has no idea what Ahasuerus will do. He deposed Vashti with a clap of his hands; he signed the edict to kill the Jews without asking a question. Though she has no other choice, Esther's decision still takes great courage.
PRAYER
Our courage comes from confidence in God who loves us, and for this, we give Him our praise:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 104:1-2, 35)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
(Isaiah 59:9)
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them.
(Psalm 41:10)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:15-16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for non-Christians
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Those who are persecuted for their faith
Now close with this prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
July 17
Esther 5
Esther plans a banquet to set the stage for the revelation of the death plot.
INSIGHT
"Pride goes before destruction" (Proverbs 16:18). One of the supreme examples of this truth in all of the Bible is Haman. His ego is on a feeding frenzy. He has power, wealth, position, family, friends, and honor. Yet all of this fails to satisfy his ego. Mordecai's unwillingness to bow down to him sticks like a bone in Haman's throat. Haman's wife reveals her character by suggesting a flamboyant display of vengeance: "Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high [75 feet], and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it," she counsels (v. 14). The same shadow is darkening both hearts. When pride is taken to this extreme, we see how exceedingly ugly it is. Beware of pride!
PRAYER
Our pride is mellowed when we see how Jesus humbled Himself for us. Praise Him for His love:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions— . . .
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
(Psalm 104:24, 33-34)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
(Jeremiah 10:23-24)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
(Psalm 77:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your talents
--State and local leaders,
-- Your activities for the day,
-- Whatever else is on your heart.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
July 19
Esther 7
Haman's plot is revealed, and he is hanged.
INSIGHT
The final irony falls. Haman hangs on the gallows which he had constructed for Mordecai. Pride has come full circle; sin has self-destructed. Satan is called the deceiver and the destroyer; he deceives in order to destroy. He gets us to commit ourselves to a course of action which we think will achieve our aims, and, in the end, it destroys us. If you are on any course of action which you feel will achieve your aims—but the course of action is wrong—give it up. Unchecked, you will eventually be destroyed by it.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that though He does not always spare us from pain, He is always with us through the pain:
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)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Assyria shall not save us,
We will not ride on horses,
Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands,
"You are our gods."
For in You the fatherless finds mercy.
(Hosea 14:3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
(Proverbs 9:10)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Your activities for the day,
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
July 20
Esther 8
Mordecai is honored and promoted.
INSIGHT
The law of the Medes and Persians cannot be revoked. Once written, no one, not even the king, can rescind it. The law to annihilate the Jews is carved in stone. Since the original plan cannot be revoked, a clever counter-plan is conceived to neutralize it. Permission is given to the Jews to arm themselves and to assemble and defend themselves. In addition, Mordecai is raised to power, replacing the position previously occupied by Haman. God's sovereign protection of His people in exile is in its final stages. The integrity of Esther and Mordecai is rewarded. Righteousness triumphs.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over the circumstances of our lives:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek 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.
(Psalm 105:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it? . . .
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise.
(Jeremiah 17:9, 14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- Greater passion for moral excellence
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
July 21
Esther 9
With the king's permission, the Jews are allowed to protect themselves.
INSIGHT
National salvation is culminated for the Jews. When the fateful day arrives, the Jews throughout the empire stand on the defense. In the provinces, 75,000 of their assailants fall—500 of them in the capital of Susa alone. Among these are the 10 sons of Haman. A divine purpose runs through all human governments and events; and as God exalted Mordecai to honor and glory, so will He work for those who love Him. And so, ultimately, will He put all enemies under His feet.
PRAYER
God is far more powerful than any earthly leader. Thank Him that His power is tempered with righteousness and compassion:
The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
(Psalm 10:16-18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,
Who have said,
"With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?"
(Psalm 12:3-4)
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)
Our heavenly Father loves to communicate with His children. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Wisdom for your church leaders
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! (2 Timothy 4:18).
:angel:
Mark 9
Jesus is transfigured as a validation of His identity as the Deity and Messiah.
INSIGHT
The Transfiguration gives us an exciting glimpse into our resurrection life. From it, we may learn several things. Our physical bodies may be startlingly brilliant and beautiful, as we witness the amazing appearance of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. We may know each other automatically since the disciples seemed to recognize Moses and Elijah without instruction. We apparently will not be subject to the physical limitations of nature since Moses and Elijah appeared and disappeared. What a joy awaits us in eternity!
PRAYER
· Use this passage of Scripture to offer your praise to the Lord, who transforms us into the image of Christ:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together
(Psalms 34:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this passage of affirmation:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
There is no searching of His understanding.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might
He increases strength
(Isaiah 40:28-29).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
July 23
Job 42
God blesses Job, restoring his good fortunes.
INSIGHT
Throughout life, there are things we do not understand. As we mature, we begin to understand. Likewise, we do not understand why the righteous must suffer. But someday, in heaven, we will understand. It will make sense. In the midst of Job's struggle, he makes some incisive observations that help us cope until we receive full understanding: "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (23:10). "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (13:15).
PRAYER
Though we do not always understand the Lord, we can always trust Him and give Him our praise:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 113:1-3, 5-6, 9).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
(Joel 2:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
As you make your requests to the Lord include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- Missions in South America
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
:angel:
July 24
Psalms 1
The righteous prosper as they delight in the Lord, while the wicked perish.
INSIGHT
In Jerusalem, each gate is named for the destination of the road leading away from it. There is the Joppa Gate, leading to Joppa; there is the Damascus Gate, leading to Damascus. Some of these gates are very close together, but their destinations are very far apart. Life is like that. The psalmist says there are basically two gates in life: the "wicked gate" and the "righteous gate." Your destination in life depends upon which gate you choose. The "righteous gate" begins at the Word of God and leads to trees, water, and fruit. The "wicked gate" starts with man's counsel and leads to wind and chaff.
PRAYER
Thank and praise the Lord that He always leads us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
The Lord has been mindful of us;
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron. . . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 12, 18).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
O Lord, You are the portion of my
inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance (Psalm 16:5-6).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Safety for vacationing families
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
July 25
Psalms 19
The works of God are declared in the heavens, and the words of God lead to righteousness.
INSIGHT
A creator is known by his creation; an artist is known by his art; a musician by his music; and a sculptor by his sculpture. God can be known by the universe that He has created. Psalm 19:1 says: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork." Romans 1:20 says: "since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen." Judging from nature, God exists and has power, intelligence, and a flair for beauty!
PRAYER
The Lord is greater than our deep longings, and we praise Him that He satisfies our hearts:
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. . . .
I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places. . .
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 135:1, 3, 5-6, 21).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord include:
-- An eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Local prison ministries
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
July 26
Psalms 23
The Lord is pictured as David's shepherd, leading him in righteousness.
INSIGHT
Perhaps the most outstanding characteristic of sheep is that they cannot take care of themselves. The demands of life exceed their intelligence and their abilities. They must have a shepherd. Man is the same. While there is a vast and gratifying difference between men and sheep, the demands of life for men exceed their intelligence and abilities. We also need a shepherd, the Lord. He is the Great Shepherd. He will lead us. The question is: Will we follow?
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He hears and answers our prayers, and praise Him that His answers are good:
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. . .
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works (Psalm 145:1-3, 5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
July 27
Psalms 37
The righteous will receive eternal life, while the wicked ultimately will be destroyed.
INSIGHT
Serving the Lord does not always pay temporal dividends. The righteous still experience misfortune, financial reversals, physical illnesses, natural disasters, and persecution. At the same time, the unrighteous often prosper, enjoying wealth, fame, honor, and health. David realizes God's justice wins in the end. So do not be discouraged in doing right, even when the unrighteous prosper. Do not be tempted to copy them. "Depart from evil and do good" (v. 27). "Wait on the Lord, and keep His way" (v. 34). "Mark the blameless man" (v. 37). "The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord" (v. 39).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that while serving Him might cost us in "time," it will reward us in "eternity:"
Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us (Psalm 123:1-2).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Local churches across the nation
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
July 28
Psalms 63
Spiritual thirst is satisfied only by spiritual intimacy with God.
INSIGHT
There is a God-shaped vacuum in every human heart. Man was made for God, and his soul will be restless until it finds its rest in Him. Our longings for love, relationships, belonging, security, meaning, purpose, and identity are ultimately met only in the Lord Jesus Christ. We find temporary fulfillment in the pursuit of people, possessions, and circumstances; but eventually, these will pass away or we will change and they will no longer satisfy. We have been made for God, and we will find our deepest longings met only in Him. Make David's prayer your own prayer for spiritual fulfillment.
PRAYER
It is amazing to think that the Creator of the universe desires a relationship with us. Praise God for His love:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to God:
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:
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward (Psalm 19:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Peace in the midst of difficult circumstances
-- The various ministries of your church
-- Spiritual growth for family members
Offer this closing 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).
:angel:
July 29
Psalms 90
God is eternal in time past and future—while man is temporal and weak.
INSIGHT
In this psalm, Moses declares the eternality of God in verses 1-2. Then he contrasts the frailty of man in verse 3. God's displeasure with sin next occupies his attention: "We have been consumed by Your anger . . . You have set our iniquities before You" (vv. 7-8). Based on these three realities, Moses calls upon God in a series of petitions: "Teach us to number our days . . . Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy . . . Make us glad . . . and establish the work of our hands" (Psalm 90:12, 14-15, 17). You can make these petitions your own.
PRAYER
Although we are inclined to do evil, God has chosen to forgive us. For this we praise Him:
Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into singing, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And glorified Himself in Israel (Isaiah 44:23).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
We must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. . . How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him? (Hebrews 2:1, 3).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren (Hebrews 2:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Patience with others
-- Missions in Great Britain
-- Local hospital and prison chaplains
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
We also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).
:angel:
July 30
Psalms 100
All men are exhorted to praise the Lord because He made us and we are His.
INSIGHT
Psalm 100 is perhaps the finest example of a praise psalm in the Bible. The righteous heart pours forth a spontaneous stream of undefiled praise. First, he calls upon all men everywhere to praise the Lord. Then he identifies the relationship which God has with His children. We are not our own; He has made us. "We are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (v. 3). Next he calls for us to praise God again: "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise" (v. 4). Give thanks. Bless Him. Then he finishes by listing attributes of God. God is good; He loves forever. Make this psalm your personal psalm of praise.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord your praise that He is good and loves us forever:
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. . . .
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God . . .
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1, 5, 7, 11, 20).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (John 6:35).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- Missions in the Middle East
-- Elderly members of your family
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).
:angel:
July 31
Psalms 145
The Lord is extolled for the goodness of who He is and what He has done.
INSIGHT
There has never been a generation that did not praise God. Since the beginning of time, salvation and praise have been passed down in unbroken succession. David writes, "One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts" (v. 4). That praise is directed to God for who He is (His character) and what He has done. Of God's character, David writes: "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy" (v. 8). The Lord is good. Writing of God's work, he says, "The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up those who are bowed down" (v. 14); "is near to all who call upon Him" (v. 18); and "will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him" (v. 19). "The Lord preserves all who love Him" (v. 20). For these reasons, we praise Him along with David.
PRAYER
All the earth will one day praise the Lord. We can begin now in the words of this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-2, 6).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51:16-17).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The Lord's work in world affairs
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
August 1
Proverbs 1
Solomon writes a metaphorical warning from the perspective of "Wisdom."
INSIGHT
To be free to sail the seven seas, you must make yourself a slave to the compass. Every freedom has a corresponding slavery. We can be free from the toothbrush and a slave to cavities or a slave to the toothbrush and free from cavities. For everything we want, we must give up something else. Wisdom calls us to slavery. If we become a slave to wisdom, we must heed the Word of God and shun sin. If we neglect these, distress and anguish will come. We will experience the natural consequences of our actions. There is no escape from this cause-and-effect law. Rededicate yourself to becoming a "wise" person. Wisdom begins with "fearing" (respecting) the Lord. It is to His glory and also to our best interest.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you ponder your need for wisdom:
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
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 (Psalm 33:2-4).
Now pray this confession to the Lord:
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;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:10-12).
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- That His will be done on earth as it is in heaven
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
:angel:
August 2
Proverbs 2
Wisdom must be sought after with our entire being.
INSIGHT
Nothing of value is easily obtained. If it were, it would no longer be valuable. Inherent within the concept of value is the feature of scarcity. If all gravel were made of pure gold, then gold would not be valuable. The same is true with intangibles like wisdom. She is an exceedingly valuable life commodity, but she is not easy to come by. If we want wisdom, we must incline our ears, apply our hearts, cry for her, lift our voice for her, seek her as we would silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures (vv. 2-4). Then, and only then, will we understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God (v. 5).
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you consider His goodness:
Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints! . . .
All nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested (Revelation 15:3-4).
And one cried to another and said:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory! (Isaiah 6:3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- That others might see Christ in you
-- That the Lord of the harvest would send laborers into His harvest,
-- Your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful, . . .
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:23-24).
:angel:
August 3
Proverbs 3
The benefit of wisdom is better than gold.
INSIGHT
Inherent within the human heart is a longing for peace, love, and joy. Among Christians and non-Christians alike, the desire is the same. Yet peace, love, and joy do not answer just any beck and call. They will come only by certain means; they are fruits on the tree of wisdom. Wisdom will bring length of days (v. 2), peace (v. 2), favor with God and man (v. 4), strength to your bones (v. 8), honor (v. 16), pleasantness (v. 17), paths of peace (v. 17), confidence in life (v. 26), and freedom from the snares of life (v. 26). Foolishness brings harm (v. 29), oppression (v. 31), and shame (v. 35). We all long for the benefits of wisdom. We must remember that she comes with a price: submission to the will of God and the truth of Scripture.
PRAYER
As you consider the benefits of wisdom, praise the Lord that we may share in His character:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness (Exodus 15:11).
You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You, according to all that
we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater sensitivity to sin
-- The ministry of your church
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
August 4
Proverbs 31
An excellent wife cares for her home, is kind to the needy, and is an example of good character.
INSIGHT
One view of women is that they are merely caretakers of the home and have no role other than changing diapers, cooking, and cleaning house. Another view seeks to free women from the responsibilities at home. Both are wrong. Women are to care for their homes and maintain certain responsibilities—just as men should. But their role carries with it great flexibility and variety. The Proverbs 31 woman is a skillful, industrious person who models integrity and esteems her home and family highly.
PRAYER
Thank God for the women you know (mothers, grandmothers, friends) who exemplify Christ's love:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name" (Luke 1:46-49).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path (Psalm 119:103-105).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A more Christ-like character
-- Strengthening of the church in China
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11).
:angel:
August 5
Ecclesiastes 12
The pursuit of temporal things is futile.
INSIGHT
Our society tends to breed materialism. Young couples expect to own a house, two cars, and maybe a boat. We dream of the day when we can afford to take exotic vacations and own a bigger house. Game shows offer spectacular prizes, and lottery tickets are sold by the thousands. But Solomon experienced tremendous wealth and found himself unhappy. He learned that eternal things matter most. God wants His children to invest their brief lives in others—not just in material things.
PRAYER
God has promised that He will provide His children's needs. Let's praise Him:
"Why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:28-30, 33).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? . . . Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (Matthew 6:25, 27).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? . . . If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-9, 11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment with the material possessions you own
-- God's provision for the less fortunate
-- Safety of missionaries in Central America
Offer this closing prayer to God:
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
:angel:
August 6
Song of Solomon 1
Solomon expresses the beauty of married love.
INSIGHT
Hebrews 13:4 says that the marriage bed is holy and "undefiled." In his commentary on the Song of Solomon, A Song for Lovers, Craig Glickman writes: "No artist could have fashioned two people better suited for one another. He was the king of their great nation; she, his chosen bride. Spring had seen their love blossom like the flowers in the palace gardens. Their love was destined to be a song for the world. And, in fact, so ideal was their love that the song about them was chosen as one of the books of sacred Scripture. It became the only one of the entire collection devoted exclusively to courtship and marriage." The Song of Solomon gives us God's perspective on marriage and love.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord your praise for the unconditional love He gives you as a member of the church, the "bride of Christ":
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds (Psalm 57:1, 9-10).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord as you agree with and submit yourself to the will of God, your heavenly Father:
You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A more intimate relationship with your Bridegroom
-- Greater love for fellow Christians
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:8).
:angel:
August 7
Isaiah 6
Isaiah is commissioned to become a prophet to Israel.
INSIGHT
Isaiah sees the Lord in a terrifying vision which makes him acutely aware of his sinfulness and God's holiness. The Lord takes away his sin—seeing the repentance of his heart—and then commissions Isaiah to serve Him as a prophet. This event illustrates how the Lord calls His servants. First, He reveals Himself through His Word. When the hearer receives the Scriptures, he becomes aware of his sin and asks God for forgiveness and salvation. God then sends him into the world to take the message of salvation to others.
PRAYER
God is holy, and we praise Him because He makes us holy, cleansing us spiritually with the blood of Christ:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . . . O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord (Psalm 25:7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10).
I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him" (Ezra 8:22).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- National leaders and current events
-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
August 8
Isaiah 40
The Lord gives strength to those who wait on Him.
INSIGHT
God has given us the Christian family as a picture of the relationship between Him and His children. We are given earthly fathers, that we might more fully understand our heavenly Father. Just as an earthly father takes no delight in disciplining his children, so our heavenly Father takes no delight in disciplining His children. Hear the tenderness in these words: "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" (v. 1). God tenderly loves us and takes no pleasure in our pain, although He desires our spiritual growth as a result.
PRAYER
Since the earthly family pictures the heavenly family, praise the Lord that He is your heavenly Father:
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:
David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly" (2 Samuel 24:10).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Make your requests known to God, and include:
-- Greater wisdom for living life
-- Needs of your immediate family
-- Those you know who are suffering
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
August 9
Isaiah 53
Our Savior bore the chastisement for our iniquity.
INSIGHT
When Christians suffer, they are tempted to resent God, to wonder: "Why me?!" If God is all good and all powerful, why must His children suffer? The answer to that question is difficult –and not totally satisfying to the finite mind. Jesus maintains His credibility, however, in that He readily suffered for us all—suffering more than He will ever ask of us. Why must God's children suffer? We don't know. What we do know is that God was willing to suffer for us. He asks nothing of us that He was not willing to do for us.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He is so skillful and patient in teaching us His way:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all (1 Chronicles 29:10-13).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 insight into Scripture
-- The hungry around the world
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
August 10
Isaiah 55
All that salvation costs is what everyone can afford: one's self.
INSIGHT
Coming to the Lord costs a man nothing and, at the same time, costs him everything. The offer is free in that a man need not give anything in exchange for his salvation. "Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (v. 1). Yet receiving salvation costs man his life. He no longer has the freedom of self-determination. "Seek the Lord while He may be found . . . Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him" (vv. 6-7). All that it costs is what everyone can give: one's self.
PRAYER
Nothing can exceed the importance of the salvation that the Lord offers us in Christ, and for it, praise Him:
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: 34, 36).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord—how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater commitment to the Lord
-- The work of specific Christian ministries
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Close with this prayer of praise 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).
:angel:
August 11
Jeremiah 31
God establishes a covenant with the children of Israel to write His Law on their hearts.
INSIGHT
The primary theme of nearly all the Prophetic Books is warning of judgment for sin. The prophets proclaim the Word of God as their basic ministry, but from time to time, the Lord reveals to them a specific message for the children of Israel. If they do not turn from their sin, a specific judgment will follow. It is comforting to see, however, that in nearly all instances the judgment is to be followed by restoration. God's judgment on His children is not for retaliation but to get His children to turn from their sin to Him.
PRAYER
Praise God that He has made Himself knowable to mankind through Christ Jesus:
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. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God (Romans 15:5-7).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written,
"The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:1-4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Growth in your knowledge of God
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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)
:angel:
August 12
Lamentations 3
God sends a message of hope and restoration to Israel.
INSIGHT
Through the prophets, God has been warning Judah for many years to turn from idolatry to serve Him only. Finally, her sin has compounded to the point that judgment is no longer avoidable if God is to be true to His Word. But although destruction overtakes Judah, there is hope on the horizon. Jeremiah writes: "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (vv. 22-23).
PRAYER
God blesses His children beyond measure. Count your blessings as you praise Him:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. . . . All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify (1 Corinthians 10:12, 23).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A humble and submissive attitude
-- The work of prison ministries
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
It is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit (1 Peter 3:17-18).
:angel:
August 13
Ezekiel 37
Ezekiel has a vision of a huge valley filled with dry bones.
INSIGHT
The apostle John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:1, 4). God is life—and not just life for today—but forever. Timothy writes that God alone possesses immortality (1 Timothy 6:16). God is life, and He is the giver of life. He can make dead things live. In Ezekiel's vision, a huge valley is filled with dead men's bones. Then God begins to move. The bones form skeletons upon which form flesh and clothes. Then God breathes into that valley of bodies the breath of life, and the bodies come alive. That is a picture of what God will do with Israel: give her life again. That is what He will do with anyone who believes in Him and asks Him for life. Have you asked God for eternal life?
PRAYER
The Lord gives us His immortality, so we praise Him:
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 (Psalm 18:1-3).
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 your sins.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
August 14
Daniel 1
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, chooses Israelite captives to be trained to serve him.
INSIGHT
Moral courage. It is the resolve to do what is right—even if no one knows. Regardless of the consequences. Even when you are weary. Even when there are extenuating circumstances and when everyone would understand if you "caved in." Daniel is a man of moral courage. The food he is offered probably violates the dietary restrictions in the Law of Moses. Note the words: "Daniel purposed in his heart" (1:8). Then God brings Daniel into favor. He gives him skill; He gives him a healthy glow. When faced with moral challenges, we must do our part—be obedient from the heart. And then trust God to do His part.
PRAYER
Because God honors our commitment to moral excellence, praise Him with the words of this psalm:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water (Psalm 63:1).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord:
And Achan answered Joshua and said,
"Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel,
and this is what I have done . . ." (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your talents
-- Your state and local leaders
-- 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).
:angel:
August 15
Daniel 2
Nebuchadnezzar requires the wise men to tell him his dream and its interpretation.
INSIGHT
One of our responsibilities as children of God is to give God credit for who He is and what He does. It is a careless Christian who stands under the showers of God's blessings without recognizing them. It is an irresponsible Christian who recognizes God's blessings and does not give God the credit. Daniel recognizes God's work and tells the king that it is God who "reveals deep and secret things" (v. 22). And through this, God is glorified. We must always be alert to the blessings of God in our lives, express our gratitude to Him, and give Him public credit.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He has warned us of the consequences of our sin, and praise Him that in Christ we can escape them:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
God encourages us to come to Him with our concerns. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Opportunities to glorify Him
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
August 16
Daniel 3
God supernaturally protects Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
INSIGHT
What courage it took to defy the king! Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden image and orders everyone to bow down to it. When the Jews are brought to him in violation of the order, they say, "God may protect us from the fire, but even if He doesn't, let it be known that we are not going to serve your gods!" Surely God gives His grace in times such as these. For those of us who are living in easier times, our total dedication to the Lord must be seen in our selfless commitment to serving Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that—though all of us sin—God's compassions are new every morning:
Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said:
"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:
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 name's 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
August 17
Daniel 4
Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's second dream.
INSIGHT
What a towering figure is Nebuchadnezzar! Sovereign over the greatest nation on earth at the time, wealthy beyond description, subject to fits of rage, and yet somehow vulnerable and teachable. Nebuchadnezzar rages in fury at the three Jews who refuse to worship his image—yet proclaims their God the only God when He saves them from the furnace. Then, warned by Daniel that unless he repents he will be stripped of his kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar lapses into convenient forgetfulness and self-adulation. True to Daniel's word, the king becomes an animal and roams the forest. Yet, when his senses are restored, the king again worships God and proclaims His praise to the ends of the earth.
PRAYER
We praise the Lord for ruling in love:
"Stand up and bless the Lord your God
Forever and ever!
"Blessed be Your glorious name. . .
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to God:
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies (Psalm 40:4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A passion for moral excellence
-- The ministry of Christian education institutions
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
August 18
Daniel 5
Handwriting appears on the wall, prophesying the king's death.
INSIGHT
It is a terrible thing to go into the presence of God in our own merit. All have sinned and fall short of His glory. Belshazzar discovers this truth. While he revels—desecrating the holy implements from the temple—the hand of God writes on the wall: "You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting" (v. 27). In the providence and grace of God, we can come before Him in the merit of Christ Jesus—holy and undefiled.
PRAYER
Jesus Christ took our place on the cross. His great sacrifice requires our praise:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen" (Matthew 6:11-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:23-24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater gratitude for Christ's sacrifice
-- Your neighbors' spiritual well being
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men! (Psalm 31:19).
:angel:
August 19
Daniel 6
God miraculously delivers Daniel from the lions' den.
INSIGHT
Daniel is a man of prayer. He loves God deeply and God in turn shows Daniel mercy. We are told several interesting things about Daniel's prayer life. Verse 13 says that he prays "three times a day." His prayers included giving thanks (v. 10) and "supplication" (v. 11)—that is, Daniel asks God for things for himself and others. If our prayers reflect the commitment and balance of Daniel, our relationship with the Lord will grow.
PRAYER
The Lord has given us the ability to communicate, and we praise Him for listening to our cries:
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.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation (Psalm 24:3-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. . . .
For Your name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great
(Psalm 25:4-5, 11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
As for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me and be merciful to me.
My foot stands in an even place;
In the congregations I will bless the Lord (Psalm 26:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A joyful spirit
-- Safety and protection for loved ones
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock
(Psalm 27:4-5).
:angel:
August 20
Hosea 14
After pronouncing judgment on Israel for sin, Hosea prophesies restoration and blessing.
INSIGHT
Hosea is instructed by the Lord to take a wife whose name is Gomer and who later becomes unfaithful to him. Though Hosea loves her steadfastly, her infidelity compounds and she finally leaves him. Sometime later—as Hosea is walking down the street—he sees his wife being sold as a slave on an auction block. In a profound gesture of unconditional love, Hosea redeems (buys back) his wife and restores her to her former position of honor and comfort as his wife. In doing so, Hosea sounds a warning to Israel and plays out a moving example of the unconditional love of God for His people. If they sin, He will judge them; but after judgment, He will restore them to His grace.
PRAYER
God loves His children unconditionally. Praise Him that He does not leave us to our own abilities in following Him:
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
Pray this confession to the Lord:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You. . ."
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to God:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- The work of missions in North America
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Now offer this closing prayer to God:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).
:angel:
August 21
Joel 2
Judgment is coming for the sins of the people, but after repentance, they will be restored.
INSIGHT
Joel predicts a locust plague to come upon the land of Judah, which is both primary and secondary as a prophetic warning. The primary meaning is a literal locust plague. But the things Joel says about the locusts gradually transcend what could be true of mere bugs and could only be true of an invading army. In this way, the locust plague becomes symbolic of an invading army swarming over the land of Judah, stripping it of everything that has life. The warning of the plague comes because Judah is failing to serve the Lord. Joel holds out an escape: "Turn to Me with all your heart . . . rend your heart and not your garments" (vv. 12-13). Judah ignores the warning and the judgment eventually falls. Sin always has its consequences.
PRAYER
Give your praise to the Lord that He always warns us of the consequences of sin and gives us a means of escape:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight–
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
August 22
Amos 9
Israel's sin must be judged, but God offers hope of restoration.
INSIGHT
God reveals a warning of judgment on Israel through visions to Amos. One vision is a plumb line which God says He will hold up against the "wall" of Jerusalem, and it will be demonstrated that the wall is leaning and will fall (Amos 7:7-9). Another vision is of summer fruit in a basket which, left unattended, will rot and be good only for throwing out (chapter 8). Famine, military conquest, and pestilence are among the consequences of judgment. Israel does not repent and judgment comes, but Amos holds out the promise of eventual restoration.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and give Him your praise for saving you by faith and clothing you in Christ's righteousness:
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).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High (Psalm 7:17).
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of friends
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus (Romans 15:5).
:angel:
August 23
Obadiah 1
Edom is judged because she has acted with violence toward Israel.
INSIGHT
Esau and Jacob were brothers. Esau was the father of the nation Edom, and Jacob was the father of the nation Israel. Therefore, in a sense, the nations Edom and Israel are brothers. A day comes when Assyria wages war against Jerusalem. But instead of joining Israel, their brother, in the fight against Assyria, Edom joins Assyria and fights against their brothers in Jerusalem. Because of this breach of loyalty, God pronounces judgment on Edom through the prophet Obadiah. God offers no hope for possible restoration or deliverance for Edom. Her fate is sealed. Edom is destroyed as a nation.
PRAYER
Praise God for His justice and righteousness. Thank Him for the love that He pours out on His people:
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday (Psalm 37:6).
By You I have been upheld from my birth;
You are He who took me out of my mother's womb.
My praise shall be continually of You (Psalm 71:6).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 (Psalm 34:17-18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual victory over temptation
-- Opportunities to serve the Lord
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
August 24
Jonah 1
Jonah suffers the consequences of refusing to obey God's call.
INSIGHT
Jonah is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 and is very likely a strong patriot of the nation Israel. As a result, he finds it an odious task to preach repentance to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, the country which is one day to conquer Israel. Rather than go on this errand of mercy, Jonah chooses to hurry to the seaport at Joppa for the fastest transit in the opposite direction. This is a commission that will not be denied, however, and God causes him to be swallowed by a great fish in which Jonah wisely repents and subsequently carries the warning message to Nineveh. The people of Nineveh repent—as Jonah feared—and the nation is preserved as an instrument of judgment for Israel almost 100 years later.
PRAYER
God's ways are above our ways, and we praise Him for His wisdom:
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness (Psalm 48:9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me (Psalm 51:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- Churches across the nation
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
August 25
Micah 7
Micah laments the degradation of his fellow men, but hopes in the Lord.
INSIGHT
Micah sets his narrative in an imaginary courtroom where he pours out scathing rebuke on the injustice he sees in the fellow men around him. The evidence is brought forth and the children of Israel are found guilty. Sins swarm from Micah's pen, filling the first third of his book. The second portion of this book addresses sin. Jerusalem will be destroyed, and the people will be banished to captivity in Babylon. Typical of the prophets of God, the third part of the book tells of hope. A divine Deliverer will appear, and once again justice and righteousness will reign.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He heals our emotional pain, and praise Him because He restores our hope and joy:
The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works. . .
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine
(Psalm 33:13-15, 18-19).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or 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. Selah (Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:10-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Sensitivity to the needs of others
-- Strength for missionaries in Brazil
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him (1 John 3:1).
:angel:
August 26
Nahum 1
Nahum warns Nineveh to turn from idolatry and to be true to her vows.
INSIGHT
Nahum is sent from God to urge repentance again. This message must seem absurd. In the ensuing years, Nineveh has grown into the most powerful city in the known world. Her walls seem impregnable. Water totally surrounds the city, and inside there is a self-sufficient agricultural system. Feeling independent, she does not repent. The Babylonian army marches through the breach in the wall—and Nineveh falls. The Word of God is sure!
PRAYER
Praise God that He can overrule what seems to be impossible:
The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
You have given him his heart's desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah (Psalm 21:1-2).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised of the people. . . .
I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother's womb
You have been My God.
Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help (Psalm 22:6, 10-11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard (Psalm 22:23-24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Compassion for the less fortunate
-- Strength for those who minister to the homeless
-- Your activities for today
Offer this closing prayer to God:
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations. . .
They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this (Psalm 22:27-28, 31).
:angel:
August 27
Habakkuk 3
Habakkuk exults in the God of his salvation.
INSIGHT
Habakkuk wrestles with God concerning the sinfulness of his fellow Jews: "Why does God not do something? Why does God not judge His people?" As Habakkuk puts these questions to Him, the Lord responds that He is doing something: He is raising up the Chaldeans to come and conquer Judah. Astounded by this revelation, Habakkuk cries out, "How can you use a nation that is more sinful than Judah to conquer it?" God's answer? God's people deserve judgment. The righteousness of the instrument of judgment is inconsequential. And as far as Habakkuk is concerned, "the just shall live by his faith" (2:4). Habakkuk responds in faith that, even if disaster strikes, he will rejoice because God is his strength.
PRAYER
Because the Lord can be trusted, offer Him your praise:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. . .
Your right hand upholds me (Psalm 63:3-4, 6-8).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- Mission work in the Middle East
Offer this closing prayer to God:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
August 28
Zephaniah 3
Beyond impending judgment there is joy.
INSIGHT
Blue blood flows through Zephaniah's veins. He is the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah, the thirteenth king of Judah and one of the most righteous of all kings. The flame for revival and religious reform burns as hot in Zephaniah's heart as it did in his forefathers'. Zephaniah's book has been called one of the "hottest" books in the Old Testament. He portrays "the final crash of the universe." The impending Day of the Lord is his all-encompassing message. Twenty-three times in this short book he refers specifically to the day that signifies the final judgment of God on the earth. Following the time of terrible judgment is the time of restoration and peace. Beyond judgment there is joy.
PRAYER
Give thanks to the Lord, and praise Him that all events are in His control and that eventually His children will know only joy:
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).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The work of the Lord in national and world affairs
In closing, ask God to help you:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
August 29
Haggai 1
Haggai explains that God's people suffer because they neglect to finish the temple.
INSIGHT
As the children of Israel return from the Babylonian captivity, their first order of business is to rebuild the temple. Haggai, a prophet of God who is ministering at the time, encourages the people to work hard at restoring the temple. With great enthusiasm, they quickly lay the foundation. But discouragement sets in and work on the temple is soon forgotten as they begin to build their own houses. Finally, after 15 years, Haggai tells them that the afflictions they are suffering are because of their neglect of the temple. They must finish the temple first and then resume building their houses. First things first. God demands proper priorities.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you express your gratitude for His justice:
O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Your development of an eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
August 30
Zechariah 14
The day is coming when God will be the righteous King over all the earth.
INSIGHT
Haggai and Zechariah minister to the same people at the same time. Their goal is the same: to motivate the people to rebuild the temple. But their very different personalities show through the pages of Scripture. Haggai utters rebuke; Zechariah breathes encouragement. Haggai makes them feel that they ought to rebuild the temple. Zechariah makes them want to rebuild the temple. He reinforces God's love and care for Israel and the certainty of the ultimate defeat of the enemies as they continue to obey God.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that His Word can be trusted:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name"
Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Persecuted Christians worldwide
-- Your activities for the day
Now, offer this closing prayer to God:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
August 31
Malachi 3
Malachi charges the Israelites with robbing God and refusing to acknowledge it.
INSIGHT
The Israelites who returned to Jerusalem have grown comfortable, complacent, and arrogantly insensitive. Through His messenger Malachi, God confronts the Israelites with their complacency. He charges that the priests are despising His name and defiling His altar. God says He will no longer accept their offerings. He states that the Israelites have been wearisome to Him with their words. God asks them to return to Him. He reproaches them for robbing Him. The Israelites have hardened their hearts, and they no longer feel the pull of God in their lives. The result is a barren period of 400 years with no word from God. Be certain that you respond to the work of God in your heart—lest you experience spiritual barrenness.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for enriching our lives when we follow Him:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You (Jeremiah 10:6-7).
Pray this confession to the Lord 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 (Psalm 130:1-4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Growth as you pursue your full potential as a child of God
-- The fulfillment of the Great Commission
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
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).
:angel:
September 1
Acts 1
After the Ascension, the apostles meet in an upper room to choose a replacement for Judas.
INSIGHT
God is moving. For thousands of years He has worked in the world through the nation of Israel and the Law of Moses. Now He will work through the church and the gospel of Christ. God instructs the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they receive power from on high. Then when they are baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit, they are to be the Lord's witnesses in their city, the surrounding country, and the entire world.
PRAYER
Offer God this psalm of praise as you think about His power and the significance of serving Him:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. (Psalm 145:17-19, 21)
Having offered Him your praise, pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation 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)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Compassion for others
The Lord's work in national and world affairs
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!" (Revelation 5:12)
:angel:
September 2
Acts 2
The Holy Spirit comes upon the believing Jews gathered at the temple.
INSIGHT
Who would have expected the coming of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament to be like this? Rushing wind. Fire. Many languages spoken and all being understood. Those with unbelieving hearts always find a "natural" explanation, but those who believe drop to their knees and cry out to God! "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (2:37). Revelation always demands a response. Unbelievers always look for a way to get out from under the authority of Scripture. But the believing heart will cry out, "O God, what shall I do?" Search your mind. Is there some response you should make to God right now?
PRAYER
As you continue to meditate on God's Word, offer praises to the Lord as you respond to His revelation:
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, and as you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Patience in difficult circumstances
Wisdom for your church leaders
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
:angel:
September 3
Acts 7
Stephen is arrested for preaching the Gospel.
INSIGHT
The New Testament was written in times that, in many ways, seem barbaric to us. That respectable people would clamor for a crucifixion or incite a mob to riot or pick up stones and kill another man is difficult for us to imagine. Yet culture was different then. Today we do not kill a person to get rid of an unwanted message. Instead, we use other tactics. We can kill the message by making it look foolish or by discrediting the messenger. We even attack God Himself, declaring that He is dead or that He has no relevance to our era. But unless we accept the message of salvation that Stephen preached, we are as guilty before God as the ones who threw the stones.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him for offering us abundant life in Christ:
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:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for your fellow Christians
The work of missionaries in Indonesia
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing 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)
:angel:
September 5
Acts 9
On his way to Damascus, Saul has a divine revelation of Jesus and is converted.
INSIGHT
From God's perspective, the relationship between Christ and the church is a very close and dear one. Jesus is the Son of God; the church is His bride. To harm the church is to harm Christ. Though Paul never laid a hand on Him, Jesus spoke from heaven, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (v. 4). Just as Paul did, we must strive to gain God's perspective on who we are. We are His bride, His chosen one, the delight of His life. When we see ourselves as He sees us, we can be more successful at living as we should.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord because He turns even the difficult things into good:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Surely He has borne our grief
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:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The renewing of your mind
The needs of your extended family
Your activities for the day
Close with the following prayer:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
(Psalm 23:6)
:angel:
September 6
Acts 13
Saul adopts a Christian name, Paul, and travels to Galatia with the message of the Gospel.
INSIGHT
Chapter 13 records a remarkable fulfillment of prophecy that is easily missed. In chapter 1, Jesus commissions the disciples to be witnesses for Him and proclaims that they will take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Now the Holy Spirit sets Paul and Barnabas apart to begin traveling to the ends of the earth, taking the message with them. You and I can extend that prophetic fulfillment, too, as we accept the Great Commission as our personal commission and help to take the message of salvation to the ends of the world.
PRAYER
Offer the following psalm of praise to the Lord for allowing you to hear the message of salvation:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . .
I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only. (Psalm 71:8, 14-16)
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me. (Jeremiah 33:8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
(John 4:23-24)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The leading of the Lord in your life
Opportunities for personal evangelism
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.
(Psalm 31:23-24)
:angel:
September 7
Acts 15
Paul begins his second missionary journey.
INSIGHT
Inherent within man is a tendency to want to work his way to heaven. Accepting a gift with gratitude does not seem to be enough; human beings want to do something to earn it. While Paul and Barnabas are at Antioch, some men come down from Judea and teach: "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (v. 1). This issue grows into a major debate involving the leaders in Jerusalem, but in the final analysis, Peter's argument wins out: "Why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" (v. 10). The council in Jerusalem then sends a letter to the Gentile churches encouraging their faith and assuring them that they are not under bondage.
PRAYER
Since none of us could earn it, praise the Lord that salvation is a gift:
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. . . .
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God . . .
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. . . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1, 5, 7, 11, 20)
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:
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
(John 17:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Unity in the body of Christ
Greater commitment to the Lord
Your activities for the day
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:14)
:angel:
September 8
Acts 16
Paul travels to Macedonia, Achaia, and Greece, carrying the Gospel.
INSIGHT
During World War II, many soldiers "got religion" while in their foxholes under enemy fire. Because many of those "foxhole conversions" were not genuine, some people become skeptical of anyone who professes Christianity under stressful circumstances. Yet there are many, including the Philippian jailer, who will testify that some "foxhole conversions" are genuine. Be sensitive to the Lord when you are under stress. He may use that very situation to help you get your life into perspective.
PRAYER
Praise God for the circumstances that surrounded your conversion:
Your word is very pure;
Therefore Your servant loves it.
I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.
Trouble and anguish have overtaken me,
Yet Your commandments are my delights.
The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting;
Give me understanding, and I shall live.
(Psalm 119:140-144)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:18-19)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Jeremiah 31:33).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A compassionate heart
The leaders of your church
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
Because I have hoped in Your word. (Psalm 119:74)
:angel:
September 9
Acts 17
As Paul continues his journey, he establishes churches.
INSIGHT
It is often necessary to establish common ground with others in order to win an audience for the Gospel. Paul uses a point of common ground when he begins talking to the people of Athens about the idol bearing the inscription: "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD"(17:23). Catching their interest, Paul develops his argument to present to them the living Christ (vv. 30-31). This skillful message is used by the Holy Spirit to bring men and women to Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Praise God that He has revealed Himself to you:
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:31-35).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
When we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
(Romans 5:6-8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his
work (Psalm 62:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
courage to follow God's leading,
salvation of your neighbors,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. . . . Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ(Acts 2:32-33, 36).
:angel:
September 10
Acts 18
Paul embarks on his third journey that takes him first to Ephesus.
INSIGHT
Apollos combines the eloquence of the Greek with the religious instinct of the Jew. Most likely a student from the great university at Alexandria, Apollos is a convert to the Gospel, deeply conversant with the Old Testament. Gifted with marvelous eloquence, he is a strong ally of the Christian forces of his age. But he needs to understand the death, resurrection, and ascended power of Christ. Aquila and Priscilla teach Apollos these things. How wonderful is that holy wisdom that the Spirit of God gives to humble believers so that they can become teachers of men who are intellectually their superiors! When teaching children or new believers, encourage them and have hope that some may become "mighty in the Scriptures" (v. 24).
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for the ministry that He provides in your life through other believers:
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them - the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them.
(Isaiah 59:12)
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
The work of missions in Africa
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
September 11
Acts 21
After Paul's travels, he preaches in Jerusalem and is arrested for violating the Law.
INSIGHT
When Paul preaches, either a riot or a revival usually occurs. When he goes to Jerusalem for the last time, a riot breaks out. Having been told beforehand by the Holy Spirit, Paul is aware that he will be imprisoned and handed over to the Gentiles. Even though his friends beg him to avoid Jerusalem, Paul "would not be persuaded"; and his friends give up and say, "The will of the Lord be done" (v. 14). Paul views himself as a sojourner on this earth, for his true citizenship is in heaven. He is to be simply a steward, an ambassador of Christ while his time lasts. What power and vision that outlook gives Paul to avoid the entanglements of this world! How much more completely would we realize our calling if we saw ourselves in the same way.
PRAYER
Give praise and thanks to the Lord for giving us citizenship in heaven:
Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him." (Daniel 2:20-22)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . .
As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And set me before Your face forever.
(Psalm 41:10, 12)
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:
Wisdom for your country´s leaders
Faithfulness with your talents
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
September 12
Acts 22
Upon his arrest at the temple, Paul attempts in vain to justify his message to the Jews.
INSIGHT
Even though Paul lives in complete recognition of the will of the Lord and acceptance of the sovereignty of God, he is not passive regarding his personal welfare or the welfare of his mission. Paul knows it is illegal to punish a Roman citizen without his being tried and found guilty. When he is about to be beaten, Paul brings up this issue and is spared. Acceptance of the sovereignty of God does not mean passiveness in the things of this world. Paul does what he can within the legal system and then leaves the results to the Lord.
PRAYER
Because the Lord is sovereign, we praise Him and trust in His goodness on our behalf:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
(Jeremiah 10:23-24)
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. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom in decision making
The needs of personal friends
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing 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)
:angel:
September 13
Acts 23
Because of attempts to kill Paul, he is taken to Caesarea to await trial.
INSIGHT
Jesus says, "I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16). This certainly describes Paul. As he stands before the Jewish Council, Paul knows that his life is in peril. He also knows that the Council is divided between Pharisees, who believe in the resurrection of the dead, and the Sadducees, who do not. When Paul deliberately brings up that issue, the ensuing dissension is so great that the soldiers take him away, thwarting the immediate plot against him.
PRAYER
It is by grace through faith that we can repent, turn to God, and give Him our praise:
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 4:11)
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 7:17)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
And according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Spiritual victory over temptation
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising loving-
kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
:angel:
September 14
Acts 23
Paul's first trial before Felix, the governor of the region, is not decisive.
INSIGHT
During World War II there was a popular song with the phrase: "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." This snatch of verse captures a theme that runs throughout the Bible: Assume human responsibility while relying on the sovereignty of God. Throughout the Bible, men pray and then act. Paul's arguments are clever and his logic is deft, as though he is relying on himself for his freedom. And yet under it all is a peace, a trust, a confidence that can only be explained by his rest in the Lord whom he serves. Whether his circumstances are good or bad, Paul regards wherever he is as the "world" into which the Lord wants him to go to "preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that we can rely on Him:
And Mary said:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation." (Luke 1:46-50)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm. (Joel 2:12-13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A passion for moral excellence
Christian educational institutions
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2)
:angel:
September 15
Acts 25
Felix vacates his office without resolving Paul's status.
INSIGHT
How strangely God fulfills His own word: "So you must also bear witness at Rome" (Acts 23:11). Paul knows he will have to go to Rome, but he doesn't expect to go under Roman guard and at Rome's expense. After two years the Jews still thirst for his blood! Had he been transferred to Jerusalem, his life would have been imperiled. However, God had called him to preach the Gospel in Rome. Through these circumstances, Paul is transferred.
PRAYER
Let's praise God for His wonderful ways:
Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him. (Psalm 28:6-7)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
Save, Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.
(Psalm 20:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
(Psalm 22:3-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Careful speech
Troubling current events
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard. (Psalm 22:22-24)
:angel:
September 16
Acts 26
Paul is given an audience with King Agrippa.
INSIGHT
To repent means to turn around, to go in the opposite direction, or to think opposite thoughts. If you have not received Christ, you must repent to do so. In his defense before King Agrippa and Festus, Paul says he preaches to everyone that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance (v. 20). One cannot repent without changing. Repentance toward Christ brings new birth and the power to change. Have you repented and turned to God?
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His patience and love:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1-2)
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy. (Psalm 33:1-3)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly.
I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
For all my ways are before You. (Psalm 119:166-168)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Power to become more Christ-like
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright. (Psalm 11:7)
:angel:
September 17
Acts 27
Paul exercises his right as a Roman citizen to take his case before Caesar.
INSIGHT
One of the secrets of peace is believing the promises of God. There are many things that we think we believe, but our anxiety level reveals that we do not. The Lord promises to meet all our needs, but our labor and worry reveal that we are not so sure. Paul receives a word from God that he will not perish. In relating this to the sailors, Paul says: "Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me" (v. 25). If we believe, we can be at peace; if we do not believe, we will fret. Review the promises of Scripture when you are troubled. What among them are you not believing? If you are trying to believe but still struggle, you may pray the prayer of the father regarding his son who had an evil spirit: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24).
PRAYER
Praise God that He rewards our faith, even if it is as small as a mustard seed:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 72:18-19)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
"Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips."
(Hosea 14:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world." (John 6:51)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for your family
Missions in North America
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works." (Matthew 16:27)
:angel:
September 18
Acts 28
Paul finally arrives in Rome after a harrowing journey by sea.
INSIGHT
Our lives are a constant struggle between our own wills and the will of God. The circumstances of God's will are often strange and enigmatic; they do not always make sense. However, His will is being worked out even in ways we cannot see or understand. When we relinquish control of our lives and yield to God's will, then peace, love, and joy will characterize our lives. Paul must have wondered from time to time how shipwreck and imprisonment were working into God's will; yet with historical perspective, we can see that good came of these events. In the words of the old hymn, we must: "Trust and obey, for there´s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him because He is good and can be trusted:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:1-2, 14)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye. (Psalm 32:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness with your finances
Revival in America
Whatever else is on your heart
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)
:angel:
September 19
Romans 1
Paul emphasizes the importance of the gospel message.
INSIGHT
According to Romans 1:18-20, all people have two avenues for beginning to learn about God. First, all human beings have an inner awareness of God or conscience (v. 19). Second, they can look at nature and learn several truths about God: (1) His invisible attributes—beauty, intelligence, etc.; (2) His eternal power—what awesome power it takes to put the stars in place!; (3) His divine nature—that there is a God who is higher than man and nature. Whenever anyone looks at nature and honestly searches his own heart, he can know that there is a God.
PRAYER
The righteousness of God has been imputed to you if you are a child of God, and you can praise Him in holiness and truth:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting. (Psalm 93:1-2)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The development of an eternal perspective
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
September 20
Romans 2
The Jews have no partiality with God because they live for the Law.
INSIGHT
Without God, there is no right and wrong; there is only preference. We can say that we prefer something to be or not to be; but unless we appeal to God, we cannot use the words right and wrong. If one person says something is right and another says it is wrong, their opinions cancel each other out unless they can appeal to a higher authority. Mankind needs God not only for salvation but also for the normal functioning of society. It is sobering to ask, "If everyone were exactly like me, what kind of society would we have?"
PRAYER
Give praise and thanks to the Lord for the matchless gift of eternal life through Christ:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand. (Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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. (Psalm 103:1-2)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments. . . .
Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,
And teach me Your judgments. (Psalm 119:105-106, 108)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater personal discipline
Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
September 21
Romans 3
The world stands guilty before God, and can only be forgiven through Christ.
INSIGHT
There are several commonly held misconceptions about how God evaluates the deeds of men. One idea is that as long as we don't do anything "terrible," God will overlook our "little" sins. Another is that God weighs all our good works on one side of a scale and all our bad works on the other. If the good outweighs the bad, we're okay. A third incorrect notion is that God lines up all the people who have ever lived from the best to the worst and then divides them in half. If you make the cut, you're okay. The truth the Bible teaches is that God demands sinlessness. And since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, all people are condemned. There is only one way out: Receive Jesus as your personal Savior. Through Him, all your sins can be forgiven.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for His grace and salvation:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
(Psalm 92:1-2, 15)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives."
(Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A stronger desire to be like Christ
Churches across the nation
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. (Romans 16:25, 27)
:angel:
September 22
Romans 4
Justification by faith is illustrated in the Old Testament through the lives of Abraham and David.
INSIGHT
To impute something means "to apply something to your account." The Bible teaches that no one can earn salvation. However, God will give it to us freely if we have faith in Him. God honors the attitude of our hearts and imputes righteousness to our accounts. To be able to impute righteousness to those living during Old Testament times, God looked ahead to the work of Christ on the cross. Now He looks back to the Cross. But in both cases, God´s people have been saved by grace through faith.
PRAYER
Offer praise to God for His righteous works:
I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
(Psalm 69:30-32)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Have we not all one Father?
Has not one God created us?
Why do we deal treacherously with one another
By profaning the covenant of the fathers?
(Malachi 2:10)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.
For the Lord will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.
(Psalm 135:13-14).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A humble spirit
Evangelism in Russia
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever
The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.
(Psalm 136:4-9)
:angel:
September 23
Romans 5
"Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 1).
INSIGHT
Paul spells out in specific terms how our salvation is accomplished. We learn that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
We also discover that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
"Sin entered the world" through Adam "and death through sin," for all sinned (5:12). But salvation is offered to all through the God-Man, Jesus Christ. We can escape death by trusting in Christ as our Redeemer.
PRAYER
Praise the Son for His glorious sacrifice on the cross:
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
Pray this confession to the Lord 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. . .
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:1, 17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
An attitude of gratefulness
Unsaved family members
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Therefore God also has highly exalted [Jesus] and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:9-11)
:angel:
September 24
Romans 6
We are to present our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness.
INSIGHT
Micky Cohen, a noted gangster of a past generation, said that after he embraced Christianity, he felt betrayed. No one had explained that God would require a change in his behavior. "There are Christian athletes and Christian businessmen. Why not Christian gangsters?" he reasoned. But when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are no longer free to continue living as we did in the world. Our affections and activities must change to reflect the God whom we serve. The term "Christian gangster" contradicts itself because the activities of a gangster generally oppose the character of Christ.
PRAYER
Use the following psalm to offer the Lord your praise for all He has done for you:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
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 to be feared above all gods. (Psalm 96:1-4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
(John 6:37)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for others
The work of missions worldwide
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
September 25
Romans 7
A civil war rages in the life of every Christian.
INSIGHT
The "inward man" (v. 22) is created in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24), wills to do good (v. 21), joyfully delights in the law of God (v. 22), and serves "the law of God" (v. 25). However, the "flesh" (v. 18) practices the thing the inward man hates (v. 15). "Nothing good" dwells in the flesh (v. 18). It wars against the law of the mind (v. 23) and serves "the law of sin" (v. 25). As a result of this civil war, our lives do not run smoothly. We do things we don't want to do, and we fail to do things we want to do. Who can deliver us from "this body of death" (v. 24)? Only Jesus. When we receive Him as our personal Savior, the spiritual forces are put into place to free us from the bondage of sin. Then we must begin the process of dying to sin on a daily basis.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord because He frees you from the bondage of sin and gives you glorious, eternal life:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness. (Psalm 96:5-8, 11)
Pause to express your praise and thankfulness.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you.
(Deuteronomy 32:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness in sharing Christ
The Lord´s work in world affairs
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
:angel:
September 26
Romans 8
What the Law cannot do in delivering us from sin, God does through Christ.
INSIGHT
In Greece, a little boy might run into the kitchen and call "Mama, Mama!" when he wants to find his mother. And late in the afternoon as he hears familiar masculine footsteps approaching the house, he may run out to his father and cry "Abba, Abba!" "Mama" and "Abba" are terms of close family endearment. God loves the whole world, but He loves His spiritual children in a different, special way. With respect and joy, we can express our love back to Him with the tender name, "Abba, Abba." It's a term of endearment in the spiritual family.
PRAYER
Because the Lord has made us a part of such a loving entity as the body of Christ, offer your praise to Him:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
(Psalm 100:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel."
(Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5)
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:
Health and strength to serve Him
His will to be done on earth
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. . . . I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You." (Job 42:2, 5)
:angel:
September 27
Romans 12
The Christian life is a life of total dedication and service to others.
INSIGHT
To better understand the implications of the first two verses of chapter 12, it is helpful to read them backwards. We all want to be a living demonstration of the fact that the will of God is "good and acceptable and perfect." In order to do that, we must have our minds transformed and renewed. In order to have our minds transformed and renewed, we must make our bodies "a living sacrifice" to God. We all want the will of God in our lives. We can experience it if we present ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the bond of love that binds us to Him and to other Christians:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works. . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer. (Isaiah 54:7-8)
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:
That others will see Christ in you
That the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
September 28
Romans 13
The Christian is to obey the government and love his fellow man.
INSIGHT
Love is the central characteristic of the Christian. In Matthew 22:37-40, a lawyer asks Jesus which is the greatest commandment. Jesus says: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Then the Lord gives the second greatest commandment: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul writes that love is the greatest characteristic-even greater than faith or hope. Now in Romans this theme is picked up again. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the Law. God is love. If we are to be like Him, we also must love.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He loves you, and praise Him that through Him you can love others:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
(Psalm 97:10-12)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. . . .
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 53:3, 6)
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:
Greater sensitivity to sin
Your role in the ministry of your church
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
:angel:
September 29
Romans 14
Christians should not exercise personal liberty if it destroys another Christian.
INSIGHT
We are a part of others; what we say and what we do affects others. This is especially true of Christians. We are a part of the body of Christ; we are a part of one another. Not only does God not want us to live isolated lives but He has made it so that we cannot make it alone. Therefore, we must always be alert to how our actions affect others. If something we do harms another person, we must take that into account. If our freedom causes hurt to a brother or sister in Christ, then love dictates that we limit our freedom.
PRAYER
Praise your heavenly Father for your brothers and sisters in Christ:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity! . . .
It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing-
Life forevermore. (Psalm 133:1, 3)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and as you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession 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)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Kindness in your dealings with others
Encouragement for missionaries in Europe
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2)
:angel:
September 30
Romans 15
We are to conduct our lives in a way that glorifies God.
INSIGHT
When we become Christians, we exchange our citizenship on earth for citizenship in heaven. Therefore, we live according to the value system in heaven, not the value system on earth. On earth we look out for ourselves, and we satisfy our own wants and desires. In heaven we look out for the welfare of others. This does not mean that we neglect ourselves and our families. Other passages in Scripture indicate that we are to love our spouses, children, and parents and care for their needs, which brings this teaching into balance with other truths.
PRAYER
Praise God for His love that we can pass on to others:
"Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
Sing to the Lord,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!" (Isaiah 12:4-6)
Having offered Him your praise, pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The fool has said in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.
God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one. (Psalm 53:1-3)
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater peace and trust
Guidance for your church leaders
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the Lord of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever. Selah.
(Psalm 48:8)
:angel:
October 1
1 Corinthians 1
Paul appeals for unity among the Corinthian believers.
INSIGHT
It has been said: God does the work of God and man does the work of man. Man cannot do the work of God. God will not do the work of man. Paul's exhortation to the Corinthian believers certainly supports this. The Corinthian church had split into factions, following different men. Some said, "I follow Paul." Others said, "I follow Apollos." The most pious among them disdained to follow mere men and said, "I follow Christ." Using the imagery of a husbandman, Paul says, "I planted (brought the message of salvation), Apollos watered (taught you more advanced things), but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Pursue the work of man with all diligence. And rest in the work of God.
PRAYER
Praise God for caring for the things that are out of your control:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
(Psalm 105:1-3)
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. (Psalm 19:12-13)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations.
(1 Chronicles 16:14-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The fruit of the Spirit in your life
Those who minister in the inner cities
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
And let them say among the nations,
"The Lord reigns." . . .
Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
(1 Chronicles 16:31, 33)
:angel:
October 2
1 Corinthians 2
When Paul ministers to the Corinthians, he relies on the work of the Holy Spirit.
INSIGHT
When we speak, teach, or preach to the unsaved, we are not speaking to those who are merely blindfolded; we are speaking to those who are blind. It is not as though we can appeal to them to remove their blindfolds. Rather, we must appeal to the Lord to remove their blindness through the power of His Holy Spirit. "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, it is foolishness on our part to attempt to minister to others without first praying fervently for that ministry, asking the Lord to draw those hearts to Christ.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He broke through your blindness with the Light of life:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord. (Psalm 104:24, 33-34)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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. (Romans 3:23-24)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
That others might see Christ in you
That the Lord of the harvest will send laborers into His fields
Today's activities
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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)
:angel:
October 3
1 Corinthians 3
Paul says no foundation can be laid other than Jesus, and anything else is worthless in eternity.
INSIGHT
When the events of life are viewed with an eternal perspective, things that initially seemed important become unimportant, and things that seemed unimportant become important. Religious activity that is not undertaken with the right spirit or motive is worthless in view of eternity, regardless of how much weight it is given by men. And conversely the smallest cup of water given in the name of Christ receives eternal reward. Be careful how you build your life's work. Keep eternity in mind at all times.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He loved us enough to sacrifice His pleasures in heaven for our welfare:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
(Psalm 108:1, 3-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom for living
Needs of your immediate family
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen" (Revelation 7:11-12).
:angel:
October 4
1 Corinthians 6
Brothers should not go to court against brothers, especially before unbelievers.
INSIGHT
When we come to Christ, we give up our title to all earthly possessions, and we receive eternal possessions that are fabulous beyond imagination. All of the riches of Christ are ours as co-inheritors with Him; all those things that we might have viewed as possessions must now be seen as "on loan." We are now merely administrators, stewards of these things that belong to the Lord. We must hold them loosely with an open hand, not as possessions, and use them as we believe Christ would.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that Christ's passion for us went as far as the Cross:
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.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. . . .
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, 3-4, 10)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you. (Deuteronomy 32:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Patience in dealing with others
The hungry around the world
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you,
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
October 5
1 Corinthians 7
Paul instructs the Corinthians concerning marriage, divorce, and singleness.
INSIGHT
Within the bonds of marriage, spiritual, emotional, and physical dimensions exist. The relationship should be established by a spiritual bond out of which flow emotional and physical bonds. When this order is properly maintained, the relationship is balanced and satisfying. However, many marriages take the opposite direction. Out of physical attraction grow emotional bonds, and spiritual bonds may or may not follow. Strive to strengthen the spiritual bonds in your relationships in order to keep them healthy and balanced. Even in a marriage where one partner is unsaved, the relationship will be stronger and more satisfying if your spouse sees the reality of your spiritual life and love for Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that our spiritual bond with Christ can strengthen the bonds of other relationships:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise? . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-2, 48)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you pray this confession to the Lord:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater sensitivity to sin
The ministry of your church
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea,
and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13)
:angel:
October 6
1 Corinthians 8
Take care that your actions do not wound another Christian.
INSIGHT
There is an inseparable link between Christ and the church. In Acts 9:4 Jesus appears to Saul on the road to Damascus and asks, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Yet Saul had not persecuted Jesus; he had never even seen Jesus. However, because he was persecuting the church, Jesus rebuked Saul for persecuting Him. Again in 1 Corinthians 8 Paul teaches that if we sin against our brothers in Christ-wounding their consciences when they are weak-we sin against Christ. We must be cautious with our words and actions.
PRAYER
Praise Christ, the Head of the church:
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height , and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14, 17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and
the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:11-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up. (Psalm 5:1-3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Perseverance
Endurance for those who work with the homeless
Whatever else is on your heart
Close this time of worship with the following prayer:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
October 7
1 Corinthians 9
Paul limits his freedom for the sake of other Christians.
INSIGHT
Spiritual maturity is not a product of human effort. The fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit, not of self-effort. Yet God will not grant spiritual maturity to us unless we are striving for it. Paul says, "I run . . . not with uncertainty. I fight . . . not as one who beats the air. I discipline my body . . . " in pursuit of spiritual goals (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). The reality is that few of us have the spiritual passion to equal the temporal passion of the unsaved. It is a challenge to care about the same things God cares about-a challenge we must accept!
PRAYER
Praise God that His work of sanctification continues in your life:
May the Lord give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 115:14-18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother" (Zechariah 7:9-10).
As you confess your sins, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation. (Psalm 118:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Purity of mind
Your spiritual goals
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:15-16)
:angel:
October 8
1 Corinthians 13
Love is the greatest virtue that all Christians should exhibit.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, love is clearly considered the supreme virtue. Both Jesus and Paul teach that the greatest Christian virtue is love. However, it is not always easy to measure love, especially because our society has such a distorted concept of what love is. Many people think that love is simply an emotion. We may think that if we don't feel "warm and fuzzy," we don't love. While emotions certainly may be attached to biblical love, love is primarily an act of the will. And God commands us to love. If you exhibit the qualities listed in today's chapter, you are loving regardless of your emotions.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He loves us with the same love He asks from us:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens. (Psalm 113:1-4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for fellow Christians
The work of missions in Europe and Asia
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)
:angel:
October 9
1 Corinthians 15
Christ's resurrection is the basis for our resurrection, which is the final victory over sin.
INSIGHT
It is difficult for us to imagine what our resurrected bodies will be like. Yet there are snatches of information in the Scriptures that may give us some idea. In Matthew 17, for example, we read about Jesus, Moses, and Elijah who, having lost their earthly appearance, glow with a dazzling light. From this one brief example, we might conclude that our bodies will shine with dazzling light, that we will be free from gravity, that we may travel at fabulous speeds, and will be able to appear and disappear. C. S. Lewis once wrote that if we were to see our glorified selves coming down the street, we would be tempted to fall at our own feet and worship ourselves.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that each believer will have a wonderful resurrected body:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 11, 18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly"
(2 Samuel 24:10).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater faithfulness with your time
The president, national leaders, and national and world affairs
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
October 10
2 Corinthians 1
The Lord comforts us in our affliction so we may comfort others.
INSIGHT
There is a fellowship of suffering. Someone who has suffered the same things we have suffered is better able to minister to us. And if we have been comforted in our suffering, we are better able to comfort someone else who experiences the same difficulties. Suffering can make us compassionate toward others. As the sufferings of Christ overflow into our lives, so can the compassion of Christ overflow from our lives into the lives of others.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that Jesus was willing to lay down His immediate comfort for our sakes:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.
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 135:1-5, 21)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord - how long? (Psalm 6:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit . . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirsaccording to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-5, 7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The renewing of your mind
The needs of your extended family
Your activities for the day
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)
:angel:
October 11
2 Corinthians 4
Man's evident weakness presents an opportunity for God to manifest His power.
INSIGHT
When we look at Israel and the Mosaic Law, we tend to think that the Jews performed poorly. All they had to do was be obedient to some basic laws, and God would bless them beyond measure. Yet they might say the same about us. With the Holy Spirit living in us, we have only to live in love toward God and man and God will bless us spiritually beyond measure. While human frailty is glaring in both systems, the work of God is being accomplished nevertheless. God's message is carried in "jars of clay" so that in eternity the glory of the redeemed will go to God and not to man.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord as an expression of the gratefulness of your heart:
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 and in fellowship with Him:
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:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The Lord's leading in your life
Opportunities for evangelism
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14)
:angel:
October 12
2 Corinthians 5
We should live for the eternal rather than the temporal, and we will be rewarded accordingly.
INSIGHT
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine "bema" that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds "on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord as you "set your mind on things above":
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us. (Psalm 123:1-2)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him, pray this confession to the Lord:
"My God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater commitment to Him
The work of specific Christian ministries
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:23-24)
:angel:
October 13
2 Corinthians 8
We should follow Christ's example and be generous toward others.
INSIGHT
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine "bema" that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds "on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).
PRAYER
Praise God for supplying all your needs:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Indeed I have all and abound. I am full . . . And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:18-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver. (Psalm 119:71-72)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot
compare with her. (Proverbs 3:13-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Yieldedness to God's will
Missionaries in the Middle East
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
:angel:
October 14
2 Corinthians 9
Christians should give generously as God has prospered them.
INSIGHT
God asks for your money, not for His sake, but for yours. What God wants is your heart, and one measure of how much of your heart He has is how willing you are to give your money back to Him. Two of God's reasons for asking Christians to give to other Christians are to foster mutual unity and concern among believers, and to show the love of God to the unsaved. Remember, it is not the amount but the willingness that counts. Give as God has prospered you.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the many material possessions you enjoy:
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
Let Mount Zion rejoice,
Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
Because of Your judgments. (Psalm 48:9-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."
But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:21-22)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way. . .
Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy,
And teach me Your statutes.
I am Your servant;
Give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies.
(Psalm 119:103-104, 124-125)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Contentment with what you own
Health concerns of friends and family members
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
(Psalm 119:129-130)
:angel:
October 15
2 Corinthians 12
Paul was given a vision of heaven and then "a thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble.
INSIGHT
The Bible gives us a number of reasons why Christians suffer adversity. One reason is to strengthen and mature us. Another is that it is the natural consequence of our own foolishness from which God does not necessarily protect us. And another reason Paul gives us in today's chapter is to keep us humble. If things always went well for us, if life was always "coming up roses," we would tend to become conceited, to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and perhaps think less of others. Notice that Paul only prayed three times for the removal of his "thorn in the flesh" (vv. 7-8). When it was clear that God was not going to remove it, Paul accepted it.
PRAYER
Because the Lord always has a reason for allowing adversity, we can praise Him for all things:
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 and in fellowship with Him:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5)
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:
Patience in difficult circumstances
The work of missions in South America
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
October 16
Galatians 5
As Christians walk by the Spirit, they will manifest His characteristics.
INSIGHT
As Paul teaches in Romans 7, a civil war rages within every child of God. The opposing forces are the power of the flesh and the power of the Spirit. Paul refers to these as the "outer man" and the "inner man." What is at stake is the control of the child of God. As we yield ourselves to the control of the Spirit, then love, joy, peace, patience, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. As we yield ourselves to the control of our unrighteous promptings, then anger, jealousy, impurity, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. We must yield our "members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Romans 6:13) and begin to taste of the fruit of God.
PRAYER
Because we can taste the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, give thanks and praise to Him:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindness,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness sake, O Lord. (Psalm 25:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness with your talents
The ministry of Christian radio
Your activities for the day
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)
:angel:
October 17
Galatians 6
Christians are to look out for one another and bear one another's burdens.
INSIGHT
John Donne once wrote: "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main. . . . If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less." What Donne wrote generally and poetically, Paul wrote specifically hundreds of years earlier: "Restore" one another and "bear one another's burdens" (vv. 1-2); "do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (v. 10). We are part of one another, and we are to live for one another in harmony and mutual concern. We are all part of the same "continent"-the "continent" of Christ.
PRAYER
Offer praise to the Lord because the message of Christ the Savior has come to you:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. (Psalm 145:17-21)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to stay in fellowship with Him:
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
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. . . .
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You. (Psalm 25:15-18, 21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom in decision making
The needs of personal friends
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:6)
:angel:
October 19
Ephesians 2
All men are dead in sin, but by grace through faith in Christ they may be saved from sin.
INSIGHT
Two of the most wonderful words in the Bible occur in this chapter: "But God . . ." We were dead in our transgressions and sins; we followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the spirit of disobedience; we lived to gratify the cravings of our sinful natures; and we were by nature objects of wrath. BUT GOD, because of His great love for us, made us alive with Christ. We have been saved; God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms, that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He extends grace to you:
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:
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 name's 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:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Christian educational institutions
Challenges for the disabled
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)
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4)
:angel:
October 14
1 Kings 18
The prophet Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.
INSIGHT
The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal is one of the most exciting chapters in the Bible, with fire raining down from heaven — consuming meat, water, and stone! Then after Baal worship is defeated, it rains, signifying an end to that judgment. Elijah prays, "Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again" (v. 37). God does not punish His children for sin but rather chastens them in the hope that they will repent and return to Him.
PRAYER
Let us praise the Lord in the words of this psalm:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for personal evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
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 121:5-8).
:angel:
October 20
Ephesians 3
Paul is called to be a minister and to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.
INSIGHT
Paul calls his ministry the fulfillment of a "mystery." In the Bible, a mystery is nothing mysterious but something previously unknown. The mystery was that Jews and Gentiles would join together to form a new entity-the church. This mystery was foretold by Jesus, but the details of the doctrine, walk, and destiny of the church were communicated by Paul and his fellow apostles. Now as a new thing-the body of Christ-we are all to allow Christ to live His life through us.
PRAYER
Praise God for the mighty plan He has for the church:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord! . . .
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
(Psalm 113:1, 4-6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:16-18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Wisdom as you serve in your local church
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-10)
:angel:
October 21
Ephesians 4
Christians are to live in righteousness and holiness, worthy of their calling in Christ.
INSIGHT
On the basis of who we are in Christ - redeemed, inheritors with Christ, adopted into God's family, and destined to spend eternity with Him - we are to live a lifestyle that reflects our identity. We are no longer to live as we did before we knew the Lord - or as those who do not know Him. By putting on the "new man" we will preserve the unity of the Spirit and show the world that Christ is real. He makes a difference in the life that is dedicated to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He is molding you into His image:
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous (Psalm 112:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness
(Psalm 101:2-4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever
(Psalm 104:1-2, 5).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
sensitivity to the Holy Spirit,
unsaved friends and co-workers.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord
(Psalm 107:43)
:angel:
October 22
Ephesians 5
We are to walk in love just as Christ did.
INSIGHT
The wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience (the unsaved). Therefore, we are not to partake of their deeds. For we were formerly darkness, but now we are light in the Lord. If this is so, do you as a Christian need to alter any of your present habits? What about your television viewing habits? If it is disgraceful even to speak of the things that are done by the children of darkness, how much more disgraceful is it to sit in our living rooms and watch it? What about movies, books, magazines, or conversations with friends? Do your habits reflect the light of God?
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He has transferred us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light:
Mary said:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation"(Luke 1:46-50).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you pray this confession to the Lord:
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:
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills (Habakkuk 3:19).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for your family,
the work of missions in South America.
Finally, close with this prayer:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
(Romans 16:25-27)
:angel:
October 23
Ephesians 6
We are to put on the full armor of God to fight and win the spiritual war.
INSIGHT
Satan is a deceiver and a destroyer; he deceives in order to destroy. A part of his deception is to have us believe he is not at work opposing our pursuit of righteousness. To combat his efforts, we must do several things. First, recognize that we must "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might"(v. 10), not in our own strength. Second, we must "put on the whole armor of God" (v. 11). Each piece described in verses 14-17 must be in place daily. Third, we must pray at all times Òin the SpiritÓ (v. 18). And finally, having done all that, we must stand firm without fear, knowing we are secure (v. 13).
PRAYER
Because the Lord has promised to fight for us, we can praise Him!
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
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. . . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1-5, 11, 20).
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your finances,
revival among Christians in America,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
October 28
Colossians 1
Christ is the image of the invisible God and the Head of the church.
INSIGHT
On the surface, it is pretty difficult to explain why you believe in God. No one has seen Him face-to-face, touched Him, or smelled Him, yet His fingerprints are everywhere. You must get beneath the surface where the intangible becomes tangible. God is made visible through Jesus Christ. Paul writes that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God" (v. 15). If you want to know about God, learn about Jesus. If you want to see God, look at Jesus. If you want to please God, follow Jesus. He is God in the flesh!
PRAYER
Praise God that He came to us in the person of Jesus Christ:
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
(John 14:10-13)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge - by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:20-21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual discipline,
strength for those ministering Gods Word in China,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
(John 1:18)
:angel:
October 29
Colossians 2
Christ is our Savior and example; the center of life for Christians.
INSIGHT
People can no more save themselves than they can fly to the moon. Both are utterly impossible. And because of our spiritual condition and the spiritual laws of God, we stand a greater assurance of making our spiritual condition worse instead of better by trying to save ourselves. Paul says that we were dead. We had decrees written against us that we were powerless to remove. God made us alive together with Christ and removed the decrees against us by nailing them Òto the crossÓ (vv. 13-14). We must gain salvation by grace through faith in Christ or not have it at all.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that in our utter helplessness He offered us salvation through Christ:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
(Ephesians 1:3)
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless 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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for others,
the work of missions in Australia and New Zealand,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
(Titus 3:5)
:angel:
October 30
Colossians 3
We have been raised up with Christ and should seek the things above.
INSIGHT
It is possible to be one place physically and another place mentally. It happens every Sunday morning in church. Bodies warm the pews while minds roam the kitchens and golf courses of the nation. In a graver example, prisoners of war survive by taking themselves mentally into another world away from the prison and there find meaning and solace. We, as Christians, are to do the same. We are to take ourselves out of the physical world, into the spiritual world, and operate according to its values, truths, and realities. "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above. . . . Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (vv. 1-2).
PRAYER
Place your mind on Christ, and give Him your praise as you seek the things above:
O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me . . .
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High (Psalm 7:1, 17).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
(Psalm 51:10-13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
(1 John 3:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in national and world affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close your time of worship by offering this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
October 31
Colossians 4
Conduct yourself with wisdom, and let your speech be filled with grace.
INSIGHT
"Out of the abundance of [a man's] heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). A man cannot claim his heart is kind if his words are unkind. He cannot claim his heart embraces heaven's values if his mouth speaks the values of the world. The heart is a reservoir and the mouth a faucet. When the faucet is turned on, whatever is in the reservoir comes out. Paul writes: "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt" (Colossians 4:6). Elsewhere he writes: "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29). Listen to your speech! Analyze your heart!
PRAYER
Out of the abundance of your heart, offer to the Lord the praise of your lips:
Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested (Revelation 15:3-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
your growth as you pursue your full potential as a child of God,
fulfillment of the Great Commission,
whatever else is on your heart.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
(Hebrews 2:9)
:angel:
November 1
1 Thessalonians 1
The Thessalonians follow Paul's life example and grow to spiritual maturity.
INSIGHT
Because the Christian life is more easily caught than taught, personal godliness is a powerful ministry tool, and imitation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth. Paul gave the Thessalonians not just the words of the Gospel, but also his very life - "you know what kind of men we were among you" (v. 5). The Thessalonian believers witnessed Paul's life and imitated him, which resulted in spiritual growth for them - "you became followers of us" (v. 6). As a result, they became an example to the Macedonians and Achaians. This pattern of "life-on-life" ministry was first demonstrated by our Lord. Jesus selected 12 men "that they might be with Him" (Mark 3:14). Take a moment to think about how you can learn from or teach someone else in a mentoring relationship.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is our perfect example:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy . . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
(2 Corinthians 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
health and strength to serve Him,
His will to be done in your life,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace . . . make you complete in every good work to do His will.
(Hebrews 13:20-21)
:angel:
November 2
1 Thessalonians 2
Paul's method of ministry is described. He communicates the Gospel with love and integrity.
INSIGHT
Whenever the message of your words and the message of your actions conflict, the message of your actions will always win out. You may speak gruffly but act kindly, and you will be known as having a hard shell but being a "softie" on the inside. Or you may speak well but act selfishly, and you will be known as a hypocrite. There is no accusation leveled at Christians more consistently than that of hypocrisy. Our lives must support the reality of the Gospel, or the Gospel will not be taken seriously and we will be resented. Paul writes: "We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives" (v. 8). Unless we are willing to impart our lives in ministry, our words will mean little.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He was willing to give us His very life:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)
"You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You,
ccording to all that we have heard with our ears." (2 Samuel 7:22)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you pray this confession to the Lord, seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affir-mation to the Lord:
There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
(1 Timothy 2:5-6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater sensitivity to sin,
the ministry of your church,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(2 Peter 3:18)
:angel:
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 andresurrection 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)
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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 40:8).
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)
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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. 8). 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 pain = later 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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
November 14
1 Timothy 6
The quest for godliness motivates us to "fight the good fight" of faith while we live on earth.
INSIGHT
If any of us could have three wishes, most of us would include wealth as one of those wishes. Everything else being equal, we would rather be rich than poor. Yet that very desire is a snare - so much so that Paul urges Timothy to flee the love of money and "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness" (v. 11). And he adds: "I urge you . . . that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing" (vv. 13-14). If we have wealth, we are to use it compassionately. If we do not have wealth, we are to be content.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for being free to worship Him with words and with our lives:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . . .O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).
Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the renewing of your mind,
needs of your extended family,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
November 15
2 Timothy 1
Paul exhorts Timothy to rekindle his zeal for the Christian life and ministry.
INSIGHT
A number of years have passed between the writing of 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. During that time, Timothy has faced great trial and opposition and is in danger of discontinuing his ministry. Paul writes a terse letter of exhortation, urging strength and constancy. A list of phrases used in this book include:"stir up," "do not be ashamed," "hold fast," "be strong," "endure hardship," "be diligent, "flee youthful lusts," "pursue righteousness," and "preach the word!" In the heat of battle, short and powerful commands are easy to comprehend.
PRAYER
As you consider God's love for you, praise Him that He guides your spiritual growth:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the leading of the Lord in your life,
opportunities for evangelism,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
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).
:angel:
November 16
2 Timothy 2
Paul uses the metaphors of a soldier, athlete, farmer, and worker to encourage Timothy.
INSIGHT
In our hard-driving society, gentleness is almost a lost commodity. Not only is it rarely honored, but it is also often thought of as being undesirable. Yet Paul instructs Timothy that the "servant of the Lord must . . . be gentle" (v. 24) and that our gentleness may help others repent from sin. Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek (the gentle)" (Matthew 5:5). Gentleness is not a word which suggests weakness or impotence. It is used of powerful war horses who have been skillfully trained to instantly obey their masters. It is a word which suggests power under complete control. It offers much.
PRAYER
The Lord is gentle with us, and for this we praise Him and try to be gentle toward others:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:11).
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings (Psalm 33:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
(2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater passion for moral excellence,
Christian education institutions,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
"Let God be magnified!"
But I am poor and needy;
Make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay (Psalm 70:4-5).
:angel:
November 17
2 Timothy 3
As Christians, we must be on our guard to follow the truth continually.
INSIGHT
The Scriptures are designed to be the basis of truth for leading a Christian to maturity in Jesus Christ. They are accurate and trustworthy, afford adequate knowledge, and lead to a godly, biblical lifestyle. They also yield a biblical ministry: "that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (v. 17). A mature Christian is one who knows what he needs to know (knowledge), is what he needs to be (lifestyle), does what he needs to do (ministry), and is guided by the Scriptures in all of this.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His magnificent Word that contains perfect instructions on how to live:
Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
My soul breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
You rebuke the proud and the cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments. . . .
Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors (Psalm 119:17-21, 24).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You (Psalm 51:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater self-control,
those who minister in our inner cities,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
:angel:
November 18
Ephesians 1
Christians have forgiveness of sin—an eternal inheritance.
INSIGHT
Most Christians need to re-identify who they are. We still see ourselves as mere human beings, children of the age with the albatross of the world hanging around our necks. That is who we once were, but are no longer. We have been adopted by God and are now His children. We are newly created in Him in holiness and righteousness. We have been given an inheritance in heaven that includes wealth and power. We have been changed; we are no longer what we were. When that truth "sinks in," we begin to act like who we really are rather than who we were.
PRAYER
Praise God for His mighty work of regeneration in your life!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God. . . .
The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A renewed mind
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
November 19
Titus 1
Paul instructs Titus to appoint spiritually qualified men to oversee the church ministry.
INSIGHT
The Bible is an enormous book that is difficult to master. It contains nearly 1,000 pages of information, none of which is insignificant. While it is true that new Christians can read and study the Scriptures on their own and gain spiritual truths through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is highly unlikely that anyone can grow to a mature understanding of the Bible without relying on teachers who know more about the Bible than they do. Herein lies a danger: We may not know enough about the Bible to determine if what is being taught to us is accurate. Therefore it is important to align ourselves with a church that believes and teaches the Bible. This type of setting will help safeguard us from being led into error.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He warns us about the danger of falling away from Him, and praise Him that He safeguards the faithful:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalm 63:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
(Hebrews 9:27-28)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for your family,
missionaries in North and South America,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
November 20
Titus 2
The book of Titus encourages people of all ages to live proper lives as Christians.
INSIGHT
The knowledge of Christ must effect a transformation in our lives so that our attitudes and actions will "adorn the doctrine of God" (v. 10). The words we speak will influence others only if our actions support our words. God has redeemed us from the slavery of sin, assuring us of "the blessed hope" of the coming of Christ (v. 13). Because we will one day be delivered from this world, we are to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, fixing our faith on the coming of "the blessed hope." This means we must be good stewards of the things of this world and live for the things Jesus would live for if He were in our place.
PRAYER
Because we can joyfully look ahead to a new life in another world, we praise our God:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. . . .
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
(Psalm 63:3-5, 7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
(Hebrews 11:6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your finances,
revival among Christians in America,
whatever else is on your heart.
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)
:angel:
November 21
Titus 3
Those who believe in God should be careful to maintain good works.
INSIGHT
It is difficult for us to separate our hope of heaven from our good works. We instinctively feel that we must be good to get to heaven. While God certainly wants us to live good lives, none of us can live a life good enough to get to heaven. One sin disqualifies us, and everyone has sinned more than once. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us . . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (vv. 5, 7). Salvation is a gift.
PRAYER
The Lord longs to mature us in Christ, the very thing for which we long, and so we praise Him:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer (Isaiah 54:7-8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
(Psalm 51:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater wisdom in decision-making,
needs of close friends and family members,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name! . . .
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 103:1, 21-22).
:angel:
November 22
Philemon 1
Paul urges Philemon to have mercy on his runaway slave, Onesimus, who has become a Christian.
INSIGHT
If anyone is a servant of Christ, he cannot be a tyrant to men. Jesus taught forgiveness, compassion, and gentlenessÑnot harshness, anger, and retribution. Paul urges Philemon to forgive, receive, and restore his runaway slave, Onesimus, as a brother in Christ, now that he has become a Christian. The fact that this letter has been preserved indicates PhilemonÕs favorable response. Although we do not have slaves today, our employees, co-workers, associates, and neighbors deserve respect from us. Service to Christ requires a forgiving spirit.
PRAYER
Thank and praise the Lord that what He requires of us is something we are able to give Him:
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain. . . .
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness (Psalm 48:1, 9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual victory over temptation,
opportunities to serve the Lord,
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).
:angel:
November 23
Hebrews 1
Because Christ is the Son of God, He is superior to angels in every way.
INSIGHT
Angels do not seem real to us. They are found in fairy tales, and we tell children about them; but we tend not to take them seriously. They are very real, however, and play an important role in ministering to us as believers. Throughout the Bible we only get glimpses of the work of angels in our lives, but one of those glimpses is found in today's chapter. We read here that they are sent forth to minister to those who will inherit salvation. Perhaps this is the passage from which the idea of a guardian angel has come. Apparently, angels can appear in human form, for some have "entertained angels" without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). They are also very active in world affairs. At present, they are much greater than men, but one day redeemed men will "judge angels" (1 Corinthians 6:3).
PRAYER
Angels are ministers who serve believers, and we can praise the Lord for them:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen (Psalm 72:18-19).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is notin himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
(James 1:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
a stronger desire to be like Christ,
local churches across the nation,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
He is the living God, and steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
He delivers and rescues,
And He works signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions (Daniel 6:26-27).
:angel:
November 25
Hebrews 4
As we labor to enter into God's rest, we may call upon Christ for mercy and grace.
INSIGHT
The Word of God is energized by the Spirit of God. Whenever Scripture goes forth, it never returns without accomplishing the work it was intended to do. This is because the written Word of God is "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword" (v. 12). As we minister to others, the Bible must be central to all that we say and do. We must always remember that it is the Word which is alive, not our own insights, clever arguments, or interesting stories.
PRAYER
Because God has provided the Bible as our source of truth, we give Him praise:
I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope. . . .
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:7-9, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. (Psalm 2:10-12).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."
(Matthew 5:44)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom in interpreting the Bible,
missionaries in India,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . My beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
(1 Corinthians 15:57-58)
:angel:
November 26
Hebrews 8
The old covenant, being imperfect, was replaced by the new covenant based on grace.
INSIGHT
All the major features of the old covenant, which existed on a literal, physical level, are found in the new covenant on a spiritual, heavenly level. The old covenant had a physical sanctuary, a human high priest, and used real animals for sacrifices. This covenant was inadequate in that it could only deal with sins temporarily; it could not remove sins permanently (v. 7). In the new covenant there is a spiritual sanctuary, a heavenly High Priest, and a celestial Lamb whose death provides permanent forgiveness of sin for an infinite number of people. It is a 'better covenant, which was established on better promises.' (v. 6).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that Jesus' sacrifice was sufficient for the sins of all humankind:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God (Psalm 90:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
"Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips." (Hosea 14:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."
(Revelation 3:20)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for others,
missionaries in the Middle East,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23)
:angel:
November 27
Hebrews 9
The old covenant of law is a picture of the new covenant of grace in Christ.
INSIGHT
Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (v. 22). We are not told why that is true, only that it is. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Wherever there is sin, someone must die. We can pay the penalty for our own sin, which is our own eternal, spiritual death, or the death which Christ suffered can be placed on our account. His death can count for ours, and we do not have to die spiritually. Faith is the vehicle by which this transaction takes place. Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but will have eternal life.
(John 3:16)
PRAYER
Because God has allowed His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place, praise Him with the words of this psalm:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him (Psalm 92:1-2, 15).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
(1 Corinthians 10:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
(John 17:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
national and world affairs,
whatever else is on your heart.
Close your worship time with this prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
:angel:
November 28
Hebrews 11
A parade of heroic figures from the Old Testament depicts what it means to live by faith.
INSIGHT
Faith is the operative ingredient in the Christian life. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (v. 6). Faith is important because without it we cannot even begin to approach God. Simply put, faith is believing God and acting accordingly. All that is accomplished in the world to further the work of God is accomplished by faith. This list of exemplary faithful people shows that when God spoke, His people listened, believed, and acted accordingly. The words of an old hymn sum it all up: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
PRAYER
Praise God that Jesus was willing and sufficient to pay the price for our sins:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name." Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to hisways,
According to the fruit of his doings. . . .
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise (Jeremiah 17:9-10, 14).
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:
the development of an eternal perspective,
your spiritual goals,
your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
November 29
Hebrews 12
Following the example of Christ, we are to endure the chastening of God in our lives.
INSIGHT
We don't mind suffering some things as long as someone else is suffering too; we don't like to be the only one. Few things make us feel worse than when everything seems to be going well for everyone else and we are in the throes of suffering. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to endure our present sufferings as Christians in this world by reminding us that Christ suffered for us and that we ought, therefore, to be willing to suffer for Him. One of Jesus' highest points of integrity is that He never asks us to do anything for Him that He is not willing to do for us.
PRAYER
The Word of God is alive, and we can use it to worship and praise the One who gave it:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . . .
I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works (Psalm 71:8, 14-17).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me."
(Jeremiah 33:8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
(John 15:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater personal discipline,
Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
November 30
Hebrews 13
We are to live righteously before our fellow man and to offer God the sacrifice of praise.
INSIGHT
Praise is good for the soul and pleasing to God. The writer of Hebrews says," let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (v. 15). Again, in Psalm 33:1, we read: "Praise from the upright is beautiful." If you want to do something that pleases the Lord, praise Him. In addition, however, our actions must follow: "But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (v. 16). The praise of our lips must be followed with the godly pattern of our lives. Note that both praise and doing good are sacrifices with which God is well pleased.
PRAYER
Knowing that the Lord delights to hear it, offer Him your praise for who He is and what He has done for you:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting (Psalm 93:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that others will see Christ in you,
the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
your activities for the day.
Close your time of worship with this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen
(1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
December 1
James 1
Some trials come into a Christian's life to bring that individual to spiritual maturity.
INSIGHT
When we read "count it all joy when you fall into various trials" (v. 2), we can mentally assent to the wisdom of that. But in real life, when the duration and intensity of our trials goes beyond what we deem to be reasonable, we pass the point of caring. We begin to question the goodness of God. We question the rationality of the Christian life. We just want relief. By the grace of God we must accept that we are finally experiencing what James is talking about. Take courage. Be strong. God has not forgotten you. And as He is testing you, you will become spiritually mature - though you probably will perceive the growth only in retrospect.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the God of love:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods (Psalm 95:1-3).
Pause for praise and adoration.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
(Romans 8:29-30)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater wisdom for living,
needs of your immediate family,
your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen (Jude 25).
:angel:
December 2
James 2
True Christian love will not discriminate against the poor.
INSIGHT
"Birds of a feather flock together." Trite as that may sound, it's one of the fundamental laws of social interaction. We are more at home with those who are like us than with those who are not. There is nothing wrong with this tendency. It is built-in and there is little value in denying it. But if that tendency prompts us to act unlovingly, the action is wrong. A tendency cannot be avoided; unloving actions can. James specifically warns us about discriminating against the poor, though it is also wrong to discriminate against anyone because of wealth, creed, race, age, or national origin. The royal law is to love your neighbor as yourself regardless of who the neighbor is.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves us just as we are, we can praise Him that He does not discriminate against us:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earthbe glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness (Psalm 96:5-8, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
(Hebrews 12:11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known (Proverbs 10:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater insight into God's holy Word,
the hungry around the world,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
:angel:
December 3
James 3
The exercise of genuine Christian faith results in controlling the tongue to speak good, not evil.
INSIGHT
Through the use of metaphors, James warns us about the tongue. There is nothing good or bad, right or wrong about a tongue; it is simply a few ounces of muscle. But the tongue articulates the contents of the heart. If a flask full of acid is bumped, acid will spill out. If a flask full of water is bumped, only water will spill out. Water will never spill out of a flask of acid, and acid will never spill out of a flask of water. In that sense, the tongue merely reveals the heart. Let the heart be bumped, and the tongue will reveal what is in the heart. In controlling the tongue, you must control the heart. If you want to change the words of the tongue, you must change the condition of the heart.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord who can soften our hearts and sweeten our tongues:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name (Psalm 97:10-12).
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:8-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8).
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:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
December 4
James 4
While selfishness produces conflict, humility produces submission to God.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the foundation for all conflict. When two hearts want different things - and neither is willing to sacrifice for the sake of the other - conflict arises. Selfishness is the cause of war, crime, and interpersonal conflict. By looking out for ourselves, we think we can get what we want from life. In contrast, the Lord teaches us that humility, not selfishness, results in satisfaction in life. Promote yourself, and wars and conflict result. Even God is against you (v. 6). But live in humility and wars and conflict cease, assuming all parties participate. And the Lord will lift you up.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord because He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name (Psalm 100:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
(1 John 2:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater faithfulness with your time,
the president and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
(Hebrews 13:20-2)
:angel:
December 5
James 5
The rich of this world are warned against an uncompassionate use of their wealth.
INSIGHT
James does not condemn wealth; rather he condemns the uncompassionate use of wealth. It is not wrong to have money, but it is very wrong to have money and not use it to further the Gospel and the welfare of the needy of the world. Those in need are often utterly dependent on those with wealth. In support of James' teaching, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:17-18: "Command those who are rich . . . that they be rich in good works." Neither Paul nor James tells the rich to give up their riches; rather both encourage the rich to use their wealth compassionately and generously.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the harmony that He can bring to our relationships:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord (Psalm 104:24, 31-34).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams"(1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
(Revelation 3:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
good stewardship with your resources,
needs of your extended family,
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).
:angel:
December 6
1 Peter 1
Because of our great hope for the future, we should be steadfast in the face of present trials.
INSIGHT
One mark of maturity is the ability to put off present gratification for the sake of a future reward. A child of six is not willing to give up buying a piece of candy to save that money for college tuition; yet an older child might be willing to forego present purchases for the sake of future education. Though in the Christian life the stakes are much higher, the principle is the same. Peter urges us to consider our future inheritance and endure present trials in expectation of our eternal reward.
PRAYER
We can praise the Lord because He has promised to see us through the trials of life:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek 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 (Psalm 105:1-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly."
(2 Samuel 24:10)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the Lord's leading in your life,
opportunities for evangelism,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
December 7
1 Peter 2
Spiritual sacrifice and personal holiness should be the Christian response to trials.
INSIGHT
A pilgrim is a wanderer. A sojourner is one who lives somewhere temporarily. Peter calls us pilgrims and sojourners in this world. We are no longer at home here; we are no longer a part of this world. Whatever we do should be evaluated in light of our true citizenship in heaven. As such, we live by the rules and values of heaven, not earth. Peter writes: "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul"(v. 11). When we violate the principles of heaven, it is not only God and His honor that suffer - we suffer.
PRAYER
The Lord has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness and made us citizens of the kingdom of light for which we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works. . . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
(John 6:37)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater commitment to the Lord,
the work of specific Christian ministries,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"You are worthy . . .
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9-10).
:angel:
December 8
1 Peter 3
Husbands and wives should be sensitive to the responsibilities and needs of each other.
INSIGHT
In a Christian marriage, the wife should submit to her husband and live an exemplary life which validates her faith. The husband should love his wife unconditionally, be sensitive to her, and seek to understand her. When both spouses assume a proper role before God and each other, a harmonious and satisfying relationship will result. If not, conflict or alienation can result.
PRAYER
Praise your heavenly Father for assisting you in your human relationships:
Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments (Psalm 119:1-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:16-17).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.
(Genesis 9:16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
victims of natural disasters,
missionaries on college campuses,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
(Jude 20-21)
:angel:
December 9
1 Peter 4
In the face of suffering, we should follow Christ's example.
INSIGHT
Life is often very trying whether you are a Christian or not. Difficult circumstances fall on the righteous and unrighteous alike. However, the Christian life often adds to our difficulties. We may be discriminated against because of our faith, or our beliefs may eliminate the "easy" ways out of a problem. But Christ does not ask us to suffer anything for Him that He was not willing to suffer for us. Someday we will be rewarded for our diligence and faith.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He is completely in control of your life:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple. . . .
Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.
Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.
Rivers of water run down from my eyes,
Because men do not keep Your law (Psalm 119:129-130, 134-136).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
(1 Peter 3:13-16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
wisdom and discernment,
Christian radio ministries.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
By Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
(Hebrews 13:15)
:angel:
December 10
1 Peter 5
Elders should shepherd the church and, in turn, the church should respect their leaders.
INSIGHT
True leaders are servants. Their task is to make those under them successful. As everyone is successful, the larger goal toward which they are all contributing is achieved. This is an example of a fundamental principle which is taught throughout Scripture: The work of God is done by the people of God through mutual submission. As we submit to the needs and roles of others rather than looking out for our own efforts, His work is accomplished. Elders are to shepherd those in the church by living the kind of life that is a positive example to others. They should live in submission to the needs and characteristics of those under them and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt them in due time.
PRAYER
Rejoice that Jesus Christ was submissive to the will of the Father and died for us:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise? . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, Amen!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:1-2, 48).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God: I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.
(Ezra 9:6)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
(John 8:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for the lost,
missionaries in Africa,
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).
:angel:
December 11
2 Peter 1
God has given us the capacity to grow in Christian character and to develop spiritual fruit.
INSIGHT
We are children of God, subjects of the King of creation. God calls us to act accordingly, but often we do not. Our actions tend to result from our self-image which is flawed and enamored with the values and attitudes of this world. Peter writes that we have become: partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world . . . " He then adds: ". . . for this very reason," pursue holiness (vv. 4-5). Those who do not pursue holiness are shortsighted and have forgotten that they have been purged of their old sin natures.
PRAYER
We have become partakers of the divine nature through Christ, so praise Him who made it possible:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth (Psalm 108:1, 3-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord - how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your talents,
state and local leaders,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
December 13
2 Peter 3
Some people will scoff at the Day of the Lord, but we ought to purify ourselves for it.
INSIGHT
Most people agree that the world cannot last forever. Eventually the hydrogen in the sun will burn out, and the sun will grow cold, destroying the earth in the process. So how will the earth end? The Bible tells us that the day will come when the heavens and the earth will be destroyed by fire. It may not happen soon, but it will happen. Since all of us must face "the end" sometime, Peter writes that as we look forward to these things, we should accept salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Though we are not always consistent in our Christian walk, we can praise the Lord that He is always faithful to us:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 11, 18).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodnessÕ sake, O Lord (Psalm 25:6-7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
(John 14:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual victory over sin,
opportunities to serve the Lord in your home, office, or neighborhood,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:12, 14).
:angel:
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. 8). 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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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 name's 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)
:angel:
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).
:angel:
December 19
2 John 1
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)
:angel:
December 20
3 John 1
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)
:angel:
December 21
Jude 1
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).
:angel:
December 22
Job 1
After meeting with God, Satan receives permission to test Job.
INSIGHT
If God is all good and all powerful, then why do the righteous suffer? Throughout the book of Job, questions of the ages arise. Job is a righteous man, and while he does not curse God, he does wonder why these things have happened. These same questions form today in the minds of people who observe or experience suffering. It is not wicked to ask these questions. All people struggle with these questions sooner or later. But we learn from Job that we can struggle without sinning.
PRAYER
God is trustworthy and kind. Because we know that He loves us with an everlasting love, we can praise Him:
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.
(Psalm 17:6-9)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
(Psalm 18:4-6)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
(Psalm 18:16-18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Health and strength
-- Guidance for local political leaders
-- Your pastor and his family
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
(Psalm 18:46)
:angel:
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)
:angel:
December 24
Revelation 3
Jesus gives prophetic messages to three additional churches.
INSIGHT
To the church in Sardis, Jesus offers a strong rebuke. He calls them "dead" and warns them to recall their initial response to the Gospel and repent. However, He also commends those few who have not defiled themselves. The Lord also commends the church in Philadelphia for having kept His command to persevere. Because of that, He will keep them from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole world. Perhaps the most frightening message goes to the church at Laodicea. Because their works are "neither cold nor hot" but lukewarm, Jesus says He will spew them out of His mouth. Their wealth has made them complacent and Jesus urges them to repent.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He cares enough not to let us drift and praise Him for His correction:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever (Psalm 145:17-19, 21).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will meditate on Your precepts.
Let those who fear You turn to me,
Those who know Your testimonies.
Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes,
That I may not be ashamed (Psalm 119:78-80).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
love for others,
missionaries in New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific islands,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
(Romans 16:25, 27)
:angel:
December 25
Revelation 4
John describes an astounding vision of the throne of God in heaven.
INSIGHT
At Christmas our thoughts are on Jesus' birth, focusing on His humanity. By radical contrast, this Christmas Day we see the throne room of heaven and the surroundings which magnify His deity. In the center is a throne - behind which an emerald-colored rainbow arises. Dignitaries dressed in white robes and gold crowns are seated around the throne. The floor of the massive room is like crystal. Unusual looking creatures constantly give verbal praise to God and the dignitaries form a celestial choir, worshiping and praising God. This is the normal abode of God's Son. Yet we usually think of Jesus as a child in Bethlehem, a teacher on a hillside, or the One who bore our sins alone on a cross. Revelation balances that picture with a glimpse of Jesus' majesty and grandeur.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He was willing to become what we are - that we may inherit eternal salvation:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever -
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in world and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
December 26
Revelation 4
John describes an astounding vision of the throne of God in heaven.
INSIGHT
At Christmas our thoughts are on Jesus' birth, focusing on His humanity. By radical contrast, this Christmas Day we see the throne room of heaven and the surroundings which magnify His deity. In the center is a throne - behind which an emerald-colored rainbow arises. Dignitaries dressed in white robes and gold crowns are seated around the throne. The floor of the massive room is like crystal. Unusual looking creatures constantly give verbal praise to God and the dignitaries form a celestial choir, worshiping and praising God. This is the normal abode of God's Son. Yet we usually think of Jesus as a child in Bethlehem, a teacher on a hillside, or the One who bore our sins alone on a cross. Revelation balances that picture with a glimpse of Jesus' majesty and grandeur.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He was willing to become what we are - that we may inherit eternal salvation:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever -
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in world and national affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
December 28
Revelation 19
John describes Jesus' return to the earth as the conquering King.
INSIGHT
Apocalypse: "The revelation of a violent struggle in which evil will be destroyed" (Webster's Dictionary). The second coming of Christ will be the apocalypse fulfilled. While the symbolism of the language in Revelation makes it difficult to ascertain exactly how events will unfold, it is clear that when Jesus returns again, it will be to confront evil and destroy it. The heavens will split and Jesus will descend upon the armies of the earth which have gathered in opposition to His return. In contrast to His past role as Savior of man, He will now come as King of creation. Whereas once He made Himself subject to men, now all men will become subject to Him. History will end and eternity will begin.
PRAYER
We praise Him that we can look forward to His appearing:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6).
Pause for a time of confession 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me (Psalm 51:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
(Romans 8:18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
sensitivity to sin,
the ministries of your church,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
December 29
Revelation 20
After leading a final rebellion, Satan is confined forever.
INSIGHT
Satan is not taken seriously by our society. Yet from Genesis to Revelation, Satan is revealed as God's enemy, a force to be seriously reckoned with. As part of the culmination of the end times, he is confronted, conquered, and confined. Today, Satan deceives in order to destroy. But in the end he will be defeated and his reign of terror on earth will end. "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone" (v. 10). In the end, Satan is a defeated foe!
PRAYER
Praise God that we can share in His victory:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . . .
Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people (Psalm 9:1-2, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood? Selah
But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly;
The Lord will hear when I call to Him (Psalm 4:2-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
In the Lord I put my trust . . .
The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord's throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men. . . .
For the Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright (Psalm 11:1, 4, 7).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
thoughtfulness and encouraging words,
vision for reaching the unsaved,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly."
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen
(Revelation 22:20-21).
:angel:
December 30
Revelation 21
When the old heaven and earth are transformed, we will fellowship intimately with God.
INSIGHT
In the new heaven and new earth, the distance between God and man will be removed. In the Old Testament, the glory of God was displayed as a brilliant light, but men were not able to look on it. In the New Testament, men were able to approach Jesus; but His glory was not seen, being veiled by His human form. In the new heaven and new earth, the glory of God will not be veiled, and we shall be able to behold it. The distance will be removed, and we will fellowship with God forevermore.
PRAYER
Praise God that He never ceases to care for His children:
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:11-12).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish (Psalm 1:5-6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the renewing of your mind,
purity of leadership at your church,
your activities for the day.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
December 31
Revelation 22
Jesus reaffirms His second coming and encourages us to be ready.
INSIGHT
Looking forward to the Messiah, Isaiah writes: "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance" (55:1-2). Then John, looking back to the Messiah, picks up the same theme: "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" (v. 17).
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His salvation which He offers to us freely in Christ:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. . . .
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation (Luke 1:46-47, 49-50).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
"For 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).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
that others might see Christ in you,
the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
(2 Peter 3:18)
:angel:
Genesis 1
Genesis 1The first chapter of Genesis reveals God as Creator of the universe.
INSIGHT
In the beginning, God! That is the way it is throughout the Bible. "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).
"Every knee [will] bow . . . every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:10-11).
God wants to be first and foremost in your life. He is the Author of the first creation, and He is the Author of the new creation in your heart.
In the first creation, the wind and the waves obey the Lord -- they have no choice. In the new creation, there is a choice: to obey or not to obey -- the pleasures of sin for a moment or the favor of fellowship for a lifetime.
Have you chosen to put God first in your life? Not to decide is to decide.
PRAYER
Continue your time with the Lord by praising God through these psalms:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth (Psalms 115:1).
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name,
O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night (Psalms 92:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions (Psalms 51:1).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers (Colossians 1:15-16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your time,
· the president, national leaders, and national affairs,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalms 90:14).
:angel:
Genesis 2
Adam and Eve rebel against their Creator.
INSIGHT
You may have heard the old saying, "For want of a nail, the shoe is lost; for want of a shoe, the horse is lost; for want of a horse, the king is lost; and for want of a king, the kingdom is lost." It is a clever way of saying that little things matter. Little things lead to larger things--often with disastrous consequences.
We see the first example of this in Genesis 3:6. First, Eve "saw" the forbidden fruit. No transgression yet. Then she "desired." Still no transgression--but a step closer. Finally, she "took and ate." Transgression.
The "look" seemed harmless. It was a small thing, but it led to "eating." Are there things in your life that you are "looking" at? They seem harmless now, but they lead to larger things. Spare yourself--give them up now. "For want of a nail . . . the kingdom is lost."
PRAYER
• Praise God with the following psalm for His redemption in Christ:
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify
Your name?
For You alone are holy (Revelation 15:3-4).
• Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
• As you confess your sins, voice your
affirmation of God's Word:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:8).
• As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
• greater love for fellow Christians,
• the work of missions in Europe and Asia,
• the concerns of your heart.
• Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
Genesis 4
The first murder: Cain kills his brother Abel, and is condemned to wander the earth.
INSIGHT
"Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain asks. God's answer is unequivocal: Yes. God intended for His people to be social beings -- to love, care for, and protect each other.
The mark of any society is how well it cares for those who cannot care for themselves. Elevated societies do well with this; debased societies do not.The mark of a selfish society is that it cares well for those it likes and does not care well for those it does not like. This kind of thinking leads to brutality.
The Christian is called to have the mind of Christ in this matter. We are to do good to all people, regardless of race, gender, or social position. Indeed, we are our brother's keeper.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him that He wants to demonstrate His compassion through His children:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples
(Psalms 96:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word by reflecting on the words of Jesus:
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for daily living,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· the needs of the unfortunate in your community,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessed be the Lord forevermore!
Amen and Amen (Psalms 89:52).
:angel:
Genesis 6
Man rebels and faces God's judgment.
INSIGHT
Faith is believing what God has said, not merely hoping for something. It is not like wishing upon a star when, if you believe hard enough, your wish will come true. Faith is trusting God's Word.
God told Noah to build an ark and save himself from the coming deluge. Noah had never seen an ark, but he believed God and was obedient to what he knew (Genesis 6:22). He believed the Word of God and acted on it. That's faith.
PRAYER
· Praise our Lord Jesus Christ for His promise to us in His Word that He will give us His faith to endure:
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
(Psalms 145:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for my iniquities have risen higher than my head, and my guilt has grown up to the heavens (based on Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind as you voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the Scriptures,
· the hungry around the world,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen (based on 2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
Genesis 7
God causes the great Flood.
INSIGHT
God protects His righteous ones -- always. The child of God need never fear any imagined "random blows of fate," for they will never fall. Yes, we receive blows -- but they are never random, and blind fate cannot wield them.
The Lord said to Noah, "Come into the ark . . . because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation" (Genesis 7:1). Then He delivered Noah and his family from a deluge that obliterated life on this earth.
That is how far God will go to save His people from harm. When we feel the blows of adversity, we can take comfort in this: God goes to the ends of the earth to protect us from the things which would destroy us.
PRAYER
· As you consider the protection which is yours from the hand of a loving God, offer Him this psalm of praise:
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 (Psalms 145:8-9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in
fellowship with Him:
Though my sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool
(based on Isaiah 1:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East, Australia, and the islands,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord, rejoicing in God's protection throughout your life:
Now to Him who is able to establish us according to His gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (based on Romans 16:25).
:angel:
Genesis 8
The flood waters recede.
INSIGHT
Because the physical world reflects spiritual truth, the resurrection is pictured throughout nature. Man falls asleep at night but awakens in the morning. The earth "dies" each fall, sleeps throughout the winter, but awakens in the spring.
The earth died with the Great Flood, but Noah and his family emerged from the ark to enter a resurrected earth. Death is a fact of nature, but God abundantly pictures to us His promise: He will give us new life after death (John 3:16).
Noah's response and ours? Worship.
PRAYER
· Lift up your heart to heaven as you praise the God who rules the earth.
The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace (Psalms 29:10-11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies
and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(based on Psalms 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater sense of the majesty of God in the world,
· an opportunity to share your faith today,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork (Psalms 19:1).
:angel:
Genesis 9
God covenants with Noah never to flood the earth again.
INSIGHT
A person is only as good as his word. If he is true to his word, he can be trusted; if he is not, he cannot. It is as simple as that. God promised that He would never destroy the earth with a flood again. He went even further by saying, "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease" (based on Genesis 8:22). Then God set a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise.
For thousands of years, God has been true to His Word. We sometimes get discouraged during the tough times in life, because we tend to focus on our particular circumstances rather than the promises of God.
We must remember the rainbow. God is true to His Word. He can be trusted.
PRAYER
· Along with the psalmist, praise God for His wonderful trustworthiness:
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
(Psalms 13:5-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me
(Psalms 27:7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
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 8:38-39).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater trust in God's Word,
· the work of missions in China and the rest of the Orient,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord, in whom you can have complete confidence:
The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters
(Psalms 24:1-2).
:angel:
Genesis 11
God responds to the construction of the Tower of Babel.
INSIGHT
To understand the Lord's response to the people building the tower of Babel, consider the command God gave Noah and his descendants in Genesis 9:1: "So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.' "
In apparent disobedience, the people stayed in one place and began to build a monument to themselves. In response, God confused their languages and scattered the people over the face of the earth.
God deals with disobedience in different ways. Sometimes He lets us go our own way and suffer the natural consequences of our sin. At other times the issue is a major part of His program, and it cannot be ignored.
Disobedience always has a price, and in the end God always has His way. Obedience, then, while not always easy, is always wise. God always acts for the ultimate benefit of His children.
PRAYER
· As you consider the love of the Lord, who disciplines us only for our good, offer Him this psalm of praise:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth (Psalms 8:1).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
The chastisement for my peace was upon You,
And by Your stripes I am healed (based on Isaiah 53:5).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (John 8:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your talents,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever (Psalms 23:6).
:angel:
Genesis 12
God establishes a unilateral covenant with Abraham.
INSIGHT
The opposite of obedience is unbelief; the essence of obedience is belief. If you truly believe God is totally good and all powerful, if you truly believe He always acts for His children's benefit, you will obey whatever He asks of you. It is when you doubt these truths that obedience to the Lord becomes difficult.
The New Testament tells us: "Abraham believed God" (James 2:23). Therefore, he obeyed when God said, "Get out of your country" (Genesis 12:1).
Are you struggling with obedience in an area of your life? Perhaps there is something in the Scriptures you do not truly believe. Search your life, and in the tradition of the disciples, ask the Lord to increase your faith (Luke 17:5).
PRAYER
· In faith and obedience, offer to the Lord the praise of your lips:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His
glory (Psalms 72:18-19).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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 53:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new
(2 Corinthians 5:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalms 147:5-6).
The Lord will command His lovingkindness
in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me
(Psalms 42:8).
:angel:
January 10
Genesis 15
God confirms His covenant with Abraham.
INSIGHT
"Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (James 2:23). Faith is central to the Christian experience. In fact, without faith, there is no Christian experience.
Why is faith so important? Because we cannot make ourselves righteous -- any more than a cracked window can make itself uncracked.
We have sinned and only God can make us righteous. Faith then is the only thing we can do -- and even our faith is a gracious gift of God!
PRAYER
· Celebrate your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by offering Him this psalm of praise:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together
(Psalms 34:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
I turn to You, Lord, with all my heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. I rend my heart, and not my garments (based on Joel 2:12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· renewal of your mind,
· needs of your extended family,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (based on Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
January 11
Genesis 18
The birth of Isaac is promised.
INSIGHT
Don't you love hospitality? Isn't it a pleasant experience to enter someone's home and feel welcome? Hospitality is the mark of an open and giving heart.
The secret to hospitality is love. If you love your guests and go out of your way to make them feel loved, you will be an exceptional host or hostess.
Hospitality is such an important Christian character trait that elders in the church must be "hospitable" (1 Timothy 3:2).
Abraham was a man given to hospitality. Likewise, hospitality should be a trait in our own lives.
PRAYER
· In full confidence in the character of God, offer your praise to Him through these psalms:
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful
(Psalms 33:1).
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits
(Psalms 71:14-15).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
I return to the Lord, my God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(based on Joel 2:13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the work of specific Christian ministries,
· today's activities.
· Offer this prayer of worship 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
(Psalms 19:14).
:angel:
January 12
Genesis 21
Abraham and Sarah rejoice in the birth of the son of promise.
INSIGHT
Perhaps we do not celebrate enough -- often enough or grandly enough. Perhaps we do not make enough out of the good things God does for us.
Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. Certainly that was a cultural event.
It would seem odd to celebrate the same event today. Yet there are other things we could celebrate within our culture, but we don't.
When was the last time you made a big deal out of something important? Perhaps a high school or college graduation. A successful music recital. Climbing a mountain, or running a marathon.
God has created us with emotions that make life a richer experience for us. Perhaps we should celebrate more -- in both quantity and quality.
PRAYER
· Celebrate your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by giving Him your praise:
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous
works (Psalms 71:16-17).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Lord, You are near to those who have a
broken heart,
And save such as have a contrite spirit
(based on Psalms 34:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities to share your faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
January 13
Genesis 22
Abraham offers his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice.
INSIGHT
God tests our faith -- not to catch us failing so that He can punish us or merely to determine genuineness -- but to strengthen and increase our faith for the future.
The concept of testing includes refining or purifying. It is the same word used to describe the process of refining gold to purify it and to increase its value. The purpose of testing is to yield spiritual maturity.
We see from Abraham's life that God tests us for our good. We, then, can trust Him, even during times of testing.
PRAYER
· Give praise to God that He always acts in your interest:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes (Psalms 119:65-68).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me
(Psalms 138:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater ability to withstand temptation,
· civil leaders to act in godly ways,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above
all Your name.
In the day when I cried out,
You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my
soul (Psalms 138:2-3).
:angel:
January 14
Genesis 24
Isaac takes Rebekah as his wife.
INSIGHT
A steward is one who is commissioned to oversee the welfare and execute the affairs of another. The closer a steward is able to represent the mind of his superior, the better he fulfills his role. Therefore, when a steward is on assignment, ideally he has no personal mind or will; he strives to have the mind and will of his superior.
Eliezer, Abraham's servant, was an excellent example of a faithful steward. His complete mindset was to represent the will of Abraham as faithfully as possible. As Christians, we are stewards of Christ, and as such, we are to strive to have the mind and will of Christ. In addition, we are always on assignment (1 Corinthians 6:20). By studying Eliezer, we can gain insight into how to be a more faithful steward of Christ.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and give Him your praise for making you a steward of the precious truth of salvation in Christ:
Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You
have toward Your people;
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
That I may see the benefit of Your chosen
ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your
nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance
(Psalms 106:4-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord -- how long? (Psalms 6:1-3).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word: God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness to the steward-ship of sharing the Gospel,
· the work of missions in the former Communist Bloc,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great peace have those who love Your law,
And nothing causes them to stumble.
Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly
(Psalms 119:165-167).
:angel:
January 15
Genesis 27
Jacob deceives Isaac into blessing him rather than his older brother Esau.
INSIGHT
This chapter is a low point in the life of a chosen family. It is difficult to justify the behavior of anyone. Perhaps the deepest, most helpful lesson we can learn from this chapter is that since God was able to make a saint out of someone like Jacob, God can take our lives -- with all of their sin and failure -- and make something out of them for His glory.
Jacob lied; we lie. Jacob failed to trust God; we fail to trust God. Jacob became a man of God; we can become men and women of God. Jacob was used by the Lord; the Lord can use us, too.
For a child of God, there is always a future; and that future can bear fruit. If God can use Jacob, God can use us.
PRAYER
· We praise the Lord with joy because He never gives up on us, His children:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalms 100:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord in response to His revelation:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your finances,
· revival among Christians in America,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalms 121:8).
:angel:
January 16
Genesis 28
Jacob dreams of angels and heaven.
INSIGHT
Jacob's dream -- in which he sees the angels ascending and descending the ladder to heaven -- seems to be a turning point in his life. It appears to be the point at which he receives a personal relationship with the Lord. Jacob's life after this encounter was not flawless. But God was able to use him in a central role to fulfill ancient promises.
So, too, we must have a personal relationship with God through Jesus, His Son, and our Savior, before we can experience the work of God in us and through us. Do you know Jesus personally? If not, why not receive Him as your Savior and Lord now?
PRAYER
· Offer praise to your Savior in the words of this psalm:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations (Psalms 100:4-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So my eyes look to You, the Lord my God,
Until You have mercy on me
(based on Psalms 123:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
(based on Romans 15:13).
:angel:
January 17
Genesis 37
Jacob's son, Joseph, is sold by his brothers.
INSIGHT
Feeling loved is one of life's greatest needs. When we do not feel loved, we often will go to great lengths to try to earn love or retaliate against those who keep us from being loved.
Joseph's brothers contemplated murder but instead kidnapped Joseph to get rid of him. His brothers thought of him as a threat -- all because Jacob displayed his preference for Joseph.
Jacob's preferential treatment of Joseph in no way condones the actions of the brothers, but it points out to us as Christians that we should love all men as Christ would. When individuals feel that love, it makes it easier for them to love others in return.
PRAYER
· Praise our Lord that He can enable us to avoid showing partiality, so that we can love as He loves (James 2:1):
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him
(Psalms 34:8-9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight --
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalms 51:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord bless us and keep us;
The Lord make His face shine upon us,
And be gracious to us;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon us,
And give us peace
(based on Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
January 18
Genesis 39
Joseph resists the advances of Potiphar's wife.
INSIGHT
Mark Twain once wrote: "Always do right. It will gratify some and astonish the rest." While we smile at that, there are greater reasons for doing right.
Joseph is a good example. When he resisted the advances of Potiphar's wife, Joseph set himself on the road to the throne of Egypt. Had he given in, Joseph would have set himself on the road to ruin.
Always do right. There is more at stake than you might think.
PRAYER
· We praise Christ Jesus for His wonderful works:
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. . .
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well. . .
How precious also are Your thoughts to me,
O God!
How great is the sum of them!
(Psalms 139:1).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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 (Psalms 19:12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a passion for moral excellence,
· Christian education institutions,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalms 90:12).
:angel:
January 19
Genesis 40
Joseph is confined in prison.
INSIGHT
Joseph is one of the finest examples in the Bible of faithfulness in the face of tribulation. Wherever he was, Joseph lived for the glory of God. He demonstrated that he could be trusted in the tough times, thereby making himself eligible for God to use him in other settings. Joseph was faithful over small things, so God was able to set him over large things.
Most of our failures come with the small things. It rarely occurs to us that the challenge of the moment is to demonstrate ourselves faithful at that point. Then -- and only then -- will we be trusted in the greater things. Joseph is a good reminder.
PRAYER
· Faithfulness in praise is a part of our privilege as servants of God:
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations (Psalms 145:13).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalms 51:7-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· deliverance from temptation,
· laborers for His harvest,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
January 20
Genesis 41
Joseph rises to power.
INSIGHT
God does the work of God, and man does the work of man. The work of man is faithfulness to what God has called him; the work of God is results. If we reverse the two, we can drive ourselves to an early grave. If we keep them in line, we can labor with freedom.
We need not get puffed up with pride when things go well, nor need we get distressed when things go poorly. To Pharaoh's question, Joseph answered, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace" (Genesis 41:16). Our job is faithfulness; God's job is results.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord that He always does what He desires:
His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation... He does according to His will in the army of
heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?" (Daniel 4:34-35).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
May You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray . . . hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive (2 Chronicles 6:21).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The Lord is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me (Psalms 118:6-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in your life,
· mercy on those who are suffering,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
:angel:
January 21
Genesis 42
Joseph's brothers go to Egypt.
INSIGHT
This puzzling chapter becomes more enlightening when we suggest that Joseph was testing his brothers to discover if they would treat Benjamin differently than they had treated him. The issue was whether or not they could be trusted to bring Joseph's beloved brother to him without harm. While Joseph's heart cried out for reconciliation with his family, he was being cautious for Benjamin's sake. Joseph was wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove (Matthew 10:16).
We should be the same.
PRAYER
· Give heart-felt praise to the all-wise, all-loving God:
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? (Job 9:4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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
(Psalms 32:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalms 86:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in dealing with the problems you face in your life on a daily basis,
· wisdom for your church's leaders,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy
(Psalms 107:1-2).
:angel:
January 22
Genesis 43
Jacob is forced to send his youngest son, Benjamin, to Egypt.
INSIGHT
In his commentary, F. B. Meyer regards Joseph as a reflection of Christ who, when his brothers come to him in fear, has only love to bestow on them. Meyer writes:
"Very often we move forward with dread into the unknown." In reality, our fears are groundless. "If only we realized that [God's] love is waiting for us there." His love requires little from us . . . just ourselves. He enables us to live a happy life when we realize the good He has for us. So, "lift up your hearts; a feast awaits you!"
PRAYER
· We are free to praise God because of what we know of Him through the Scriptures:
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name
(1 Chronicles 29:11-13).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalms 51:10).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
(Romans 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord who loves you as one of His children:
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen
(Revelation 7:12).
:angel:
January 23
Genesis 44
Joseph's older brothers are tested.
INSIGHT
Sometimes we get a second chance. When we do, it is important to seize the opportunity.
Judah did. When his brothers plotted to kill Joseph, Judah intervened. But he still fell short of rescuing Joseph.
Judah's second chance came when, from his perspective, Benjamin's life was in danger. Judah put his own life on the line. Perhaps this commitment was taken into account in the blessings he passed on to his sons, resulting in the Messiah coming through the tribe of Judah.
Throughout life we are given second chances. We should take these chances and set things right.
PRAYER
· Daily we have the second chance to offer praise to the God of grace:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints . . .
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalms 97:10-12).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed,
O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalms 51:14-15).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
For 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· health and strength to serve Him,
· His will to be done on earth,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
January 24
Genesis 45
Joseph and his brothers reconcile.
INSIGHT
Forgiveness! Where would we be without forgiveness? Without forgiving and being forgiven?
We see in this chapter a very moving example of Joseph being willing to forgive the very ones who some years earlier had plotted to kill him. Notice that Joseph's ability to forgive was rooted squarely in his theology: "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).
If we lay hold of eternal rather than earthly things, we can more easily forgive when someone robs us of earthly things. Forgive and accept forgiveness.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him that He forgives us through Christ (John 15:5):
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons . . .
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him
(Daniel 2:20-22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart --
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalms 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve Him,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness
(Psalms 84:10).
:angel:
January 25
Genesis 50
Jacob dies; then Joseph lives to be 110 years old.
INSIGHT
God's will is often fulfilled in strange ways. Joseph was given childhood dreams indicating he would rule over his brothers. Little could Joseph have imagined it would include their trying to kill him, his spending time in prison, and his ruling over the nation of Egypt.
That time and those experiences were needed to build into Joseph the character qualities and the wisdom needed to rule successfully. Never doubt in the dark what God shows you in the light.
PRAYER
· As we praise the Lord in the words of this psalm, focus on His sovereignty and goodness:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory
(Psalms 63:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
You, my God, are wise in heart and mighty in strength,
Who has hardened himself against You and prospered? (based on Job 9:4).
I will return to the Lord;
For You have torn me, but You will heal me;
You have stricken, but You will bind me up.
After two days You will revive me;
On the third day You will raise me up,
That I may live in Your sight
(based on Hosea 6:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, affirming the truth of God's Word:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Romans 8:16-17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
January 26
Exodus 1
The children of Israel suffer in Egypt.
INSIGHT
God's control over the world need never be questioned. God intended to bring Israel back into the Promised Land. He had spoken it, and He would do it.
When that seemed least likely, it was closest to happening. In the dark hour of Israel's enslavement, God was working to deliver them -- through the birth and miraculous preservation of Moses. Before Moses would die, Israel would be back on the doorstep of the land which had been promised to them.
To many today, the fulfillment of God's promises seems unlikely. Christ's return may be scoffed at, but God has spoken it, and God will do it.
The day is drawing nearer. We must watch -- and be ready.
PRAYER
· In the words of this psalm, praise the God of the impossible:
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings
I will rejoice (Psalms 63:6-7).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
If I say that I have no sin, I deceive myself, and the truth is not in me. If I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (based on 1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 10:9-11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· the Lord's work in national and world affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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!
(Psalms 103:21-22).
:angel:
January 27
Exodus 2
Moses is born and later flees to Midian.
INSIGHT
God is sovereign in all the earth; we must never forget that. Much inner distress in life comes from losing sight of that one fact.
The same God who cared for Moses promises to care for us -- perhaps not as dramatically, but just as certainly. The peace that God promises -- the peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7) -- is ours only if we embrace that fundamental truth.
PRAYER
· In full confidence of the sovereignty of God in your circumstances, give praise to God with this passage from the prophet Isaiah:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
(Isaiah 40:21-22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me
(Psalms 38:4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· God's sovereign will to be done on earth as it is in heaven,
· greater righteousness in your community,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned
(Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
January 28
Exodus 3
God calls Moses to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.
INSIGHT
The wisdom of Egypt was not adequate to equip Moses to serve God, so God took him out of the limelight -- into solitude and obscurity. There Moses met God and learned to walk with Him.
The pattern was the same for many of God's servants: Joseph, David, Daniel, Paul, and John. Occasionally it will appear as though we have been set aside. Properly used, that time will equip the Lord's servant for the next level of ministry.
Be faithful. Without deserts, there are no deliverers.
PRAYER
· Regardless of your circumstances, lift up your heart to God in praise.
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land
(Psalms 95:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you come into His special presence:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged (Isaiah 6:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a heart filled with thanksgiving for the opportunity to worship the living God,
· your pastor and worship leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand
(Isaiah 64:8).
:angel:
January 29
Exodus 4
Aaron is appointed to help Moses.
INSIGHT
God does not need any one of us. He wants us and He would like to use us, but God does not need us. Take away one person, and the work of God is not diminished -- it goes on.
When God calls us to a ministry, it is for our benefit. If we are unwilling or impure, He can get the work done through someone else. We must realize that everything God asks of us is ultimately for our benefit -- even serving Him. Moses is a good example of that fact.
PRAYER
· Offer the Lord your praise for His goodness through the words of this psalm:
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!
Tremble before Him, all the earth
(1 Chronicles 16:28-30).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You, even You, are He who blots out my
transgressions for Your own sake;
And You will not remember my sins
(based on Isaiah 43:25).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your development of an eternal perspective,
· needs of work or school mates,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen
(based on 2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
January 30
Exodus 5
Israel's affliction increases.
INSIGHT
When troubles come upon us, instinctively the first question we ask is: "Why?" "Why me, why this, why now?" That is what Moses asked in verse 22. Yet, in retrospect, we see that the question was premature. We now know why -- since hindsight is better than foresight.
How long will it take the Lord to deliver us from our troubles? Usually just a little longer than we thought we could tolerate. We must remember the example of Moses when we are tempted to ask the Lord, "Why?"
PRAYER
· Even in the midst of trials, we can praise the Lord, who hears us and cares for us:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalms 95:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
In returning and rest I shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be my strength
(based on Isaiah 30:15).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
(Psalms 27:13-14).
:angel:
January 31
Exodus 6
Moses is reassured by God.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, God becomes more and more intimate with His people. By His official title, El Shaddai, God made Himself known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But now He tells Moses His name: Jehovah. Then in the Gospels, God becomes even more personal -- as Jesus becomes incarnate. And in Acts and the Epistles, we discover that God comes to live in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit.
The final act of intimacy will be when God brings us home. Then we can fellowship with Him face to face and forever.
PRAYER
· Let us praise our intimate God with the words of the psalmist:
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord
(Psalms 104:33-34).
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light
(Psalms 36:9).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled
(Psalms 6:1-3).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire for Christ to live through you,
· churches across the nation,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve us from all evil;
He shall preserve our souls.
The Lord shall preserve our going out and our coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore
(based on Psalms 121:7-8).
:angel:
February 1
Exodus 7
The plagues against Pharaoh and Egypt begin.
INSIGHT
In this chapter, as the Lord speaks to Moses, we read the remarkable words, "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh" (Exodus 7:1). To the world, God's children often stand in the place of God. We are the only Bible they will read-all of Jesus they will see.
It is vital that we represent the Lord accurately. Of course, no mortal man can do so in any complete sense, but in a representative sense we must. It does not mean we must be perfect, but it does mean we are to give those around us a glimpse of who Jesus really is.
Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Commit yourself to Christlikeness and believe that the Lord will multiply your life as others see Him in you.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of humble praise:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
And because of Your truth.
Why should the Gentiles say,
"Where now is their God?" (Psalms 115:1).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalms 6:1-3).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word by reflecting on Jesus' words:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works
(Psalms 73:28).
:angel:
February 2
Exodus 8
Additional plagues are inflicted upon Egypt.
INSIGHT
In the Old Testament, God makes a distinct difference between how He treats the Jewish nation and how He treats others. God lets none of the plagues that fall on Egypt fall upon Israel.
How we wish sometimes that God would do the same for us in the church! How we wish that, because we are Christians, we would have none of the unpleasant things happen to us that happen to the world!
We must recognize that in the Old Testament, God wants the recognizable difference between Israel and the world to be physical. In the New Testament, He wants that difference to be spiritual. In the Old Testament, God's blessing is the fruit of the vine. In the New Testament, it is the fruit of the Spirit. We must focus on spiritual blessings to be the difference between us and the world.
PRAYER
· Think about how you have been spiritually blessed as you offer your praise to God:
Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
For there is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin
(Ecclesiastes 7:20).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him (Ezra 8:22).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your church,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalms 23:6).
:angel:
February 4
Exodus 10
Pharaoh's will hardens.
INSIGHT
God does not compromise. Moses asks Pharaoh to let the nation of Israel go into the wilderness to worship God. Pharaoh refuses but says the men can go. But those are not God's instructions.
Pharaoh pays the price. But, while God does not compromise, He does forgive. With the hand of judgment on him, Pharaoh begs God for forgiveness. God withdraws the judgment.
Have you compromised in your walk with God? He will not accept it. But He will forgive and restore you if you ask Him.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to the God who is too holy to accept compromise:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them
(Psalms 145:17-19).
· As you contemplate the glory, majesty, and holiness of God, pray this passage of confession to Him:
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
(Psalms 130:1-4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalms 31:24).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous,
And shout for joy all you upright in heart
(Psalms 32:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· today's activities.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalms 42:8).
:angel:
February 5
Exodus 11
The final plague on Egypt is a Passover sacrifice.
INSIGHT
God's dealings with Pharaoh reveal His longsuffering attitude toward such rebellion. The plagues start out fairly minor, thus giving Pharaoh a chance to change his mind before utter calamity strikes. With each successive act of rebellion, the subsequent plague intensifies. Beginning with the unpleasant but fairly harmless plague of frogs, the process ends with the death of the firstborn of every household in Egypt. At any point, had Pharaoh repented, the plagues would have been stopped.
Analyze your own life. If you've entered into conflict with God, abandon the fight before it escalates.
PRAYER
· Rejoice in God's patience with rebellion and praise Him:
Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
· Pray this confession to the Lord:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
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
(Psalms 103:8-10).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Since I am in Christ, I am a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (based on 2 Corinthians 5:17).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· missions in Asia,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now to You who are able to keep me from stumbling,
And to present me 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
(based on Jude 24-25).
:angel:
February 6
Exodus 12
The Passover ends with the redemption of a promise.
INSIGHT
Exodus 12 is one of the most remarkable and important chapters in all of the Bible. In it we learn many things:
1. Only God can deliver us from sin.
2. Sin's penalty is death.
3. God is willing to allow a substitute death, so that we don't have to die.
4. Faith is the basis of our salvation. Our belief results in our obedience.
5. The Old Testament passover lamb is a foreshadowing of the New Testament Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ.
6. We are saved the same way the Israelites were saved: by faith in the substitutionary atonement of the Lamb which God provided.
7. Not to accept this avenue of escape is to suffer the wrath of God.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for His picture of salvation:
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds
(Psalms 108:3-4).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
As the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us
(Psalms 103:11-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds
(Psalms 77:11-12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· opportunities for personal evangelism,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalms 90:14).
:angel:
February 7
Exodus 13
All of the firstborn, both man and beast, are consecrated to God.
INSIGHT
The spiritual truths, which God wanted to ensure were never forgotten, are memorialized in a ceremony-often involving a meal. The Passover meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are symbolic meals designed to commemorate the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, so the people of Israel would never forget what God had done for them.
The New Testament counterpart is the Lord's Supper, in which we eat a symbolic meal to memorialize the deliverance of the church from sin. When we observe communion, we celebrate a meal which has been observed in unbroken succession for 2,000 years.
PRAYER
· Give praise to the Lord for so graciously saving us from the consequences of sin:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain
(Psalms 104:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord 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
(Psalms 30:4-5).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance
(Psalms 16:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom,
· needs of your immediate family,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground
(Psalms 147:5-6).
:angel:
February 8
Exodus 14
The Lord parts the Red Sea for the children of Israel.
INSIGHT
When we are obedient to God, nothing can touch us that does not come from God Himself. The armies of Egypt, symbolic of the armies of Satan, are no match for a God jealous to care for His beloved people. Resting in God's full protection in spiritual warfare, we may put on His full armor and stand firm, knowing that we will triumph in Him.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm of praise to our forgiving God:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works,
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalms 145:17-19).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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
(Psalms 130:1-4).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalms 31:24).
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalms 32:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· the hungry around the world,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord will command His
lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me-
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalms 42:8).
:angel:
February 9
Exodus 19
The Israelites migrate to Mount Sinai where Moses meets with God.
INSIGHT
God's love for us is nothing less than total. And He leaves no doubt in our minds as to His commitment to us. The Lord goes so far as to establish a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai and with us at Calvary as an expression of His absolute commitment to us.
We should have two responses: we should love fully the God who first loved us. And, if we are to love our family as God loves us, we must leave no doubts in their minds as to the totality of our love for them. Communicate your love to them in certain terms.
PRAYER
· For His unconditional love, praise the Lord with this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalms 150:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalms 103:13-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
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
(Psalms 121:7-8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to the Lord,
· specific Christian ministries,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord who has made a covenant with you:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
(based on Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
February 10
Exodus 20
Moses meets with the Lord on top of Mount Sinai where he receives the Ten Commandments.
INSIGHT
The genius of God's moral system is that everything He asks of us is for our good. Often the Ten Commandments are seen by people as restrictive, keeping them from doing something that would make them happy. Initially, perhaps. But ultimately, nothing could be further from the truth.
Sin is self-destructive; righteousness is self-constructive. It makes no more sense to sin willfully than it does to become a drug addict. In both cases, the person is destroying himself.
Abandon yourself to the moral law of God. It is glorifying to Him, but it is also good for you. Understood in this light, we see the truth in the statement that anything less than the glory of God is anti-human.
PRAYER
· The holy God of Mount Sinai is worthy of our praise:
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
(Psalms 18:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
I return to the Lord my God,
For I have stumbled because of my iniquity,
I take words with me and return to the Lord
And say to Him, "Take away all iniquity,
Receive me graciously,
For I will offer the sacrifices of my lips"
(based on Hosea 14:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· today's activities.
· Finally, offer this closing 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
(Psalms 19:14).
:angel:
February 11
Exodus 32
The Israelites sin by worshiping an idol-the golden calf.
INSIGHT
Sin does not mind rubbing shoulders with righteousness. Even while Moses is on Mount Sinai communing with God, the children of Israel are fashioning a golden idol to worship in His place. Fueled by shamelessness and a short memory, the Israelites rush headlong into one of the most remarkable displays of indiscretion in the Bible.
Beware! Even when you are rubbing shoulders with righteousness, sin can trip you up. Even when you are basking in the light of Mount Sinai, evil may be lurking in the shadows.
As Peter wrote, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His truth and light:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved (Psalms 93:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalms 25:6-7).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You are my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
You are the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
(based on Psalms 27:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your life,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to God:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
February 12
Leviticus 16
The Day of Atonement.
INSIGHT
In spite of God's desire that we be holy, He is fully aware that we will not remain free from sin. But because God loves us and wants to be gracious to us, He provides a way for our sins to be forgiven.
In the Old Testament, the nation is cleansed from sin annually on the Day of Atonement. Since Christ has come, we may be cleansed moment by moment- whenever we ask for His cleansing mercy.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God of redemption through this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
And His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God?
(Psalms 113:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
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 name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great
(Psalms 25:8-9).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in the continent of Africa,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
February 13
Numbers 13
The Lord commands Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan.
INSIGHT
One of the most common mistakes we make during the tough times in life is to place our eyes on circumstances rather than on the promises of God. The Lord promises Israel that He will lead them into the Promised Land and defeat the armies that are living there. He even promises to send in swarms of hornets to drive out the armies, so Israel won't even have to fight. But one look at the giants, and every promise is forgotten. One glimpse of the armies, and "God is not enough."
The New Testament is full of promises for us. We must keep our eyes on the promises.
PRAYER
· As you focus on God's promises, praise Him with this psalm:
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
(Psalms 113:4-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
You will cleanse me from all my iniquity by which I have sinned against You, and You will pardon all my iniquities by which I have sinned and by which I have transgressed against You (based on Jeremiah 33:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
I delight to do Your will, O my God;
And Your law is within my heart
(Psalms 40:8).
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path
(Psalms 119:105).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your talents,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
February 14
Numbers 14
The children of Israel reject God's signs.
INSIGHT
By nature, we are sight-walkers, not faith-walkers. We tend to have confidence in that which we can see, that which we have known. We fear that which we can't see and haven't known.
Not only does Israel refuse to go into the land because of the giants-the Israelites want to return to Egypt! Do they not remember that they were slaves there? Do they not remember that they cried out in tears to God for deliverance from Egypt?
You can't go back to your old life. There is nothing there but bondage. Your hope lies in following the Lord by faith. Walk forward.
PRAYER
· Give praise to the God who is powerful enough to defeat the giants in our own lives:
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 4:11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in your anger, lest You bring me to nothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalms 86:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater ability to walk by faith in your own life,
· courage for Christian leaders to consistently yield to God's will,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
February 15
Deuteronomy 1
Moses reminds the new generation of their parents' disobedience.
INSIGHT
Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it. Moses reviews the history of the wanderings of Israel to the new generation poised on the plains of Moab-ready to enter the Promised Land.
Moses tells them that their fathers did not believe the promises of God. Therefore, they were not obedient to Him. Their fathers condemned themselves to a life of untold hardship. Their fathers made their own destiny; they sealed their own fate.
Learn from their history. Do not repeat it.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His truth and light:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting
(Psalms 93:1-2).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies
and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalms 25:6-7).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
(Psalms 27:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities to share your faith,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
February 16
Deuteronomy 2
The Israelites wander in the desert.
INSIGHT
David writes that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly. But we see that it is possible, through rebellion,
to miss something good that God wants to give us.
God wants to give the Israelites the Promised Land. But when they refuse to enter it, they wander through the wilderness until the rebellious generation dies. Then that which God had wanted to give to them, He gives to someone else-the next generation.
When we walk in rebellion, we pay a price. God's blessings often include a test. Do we turn back? Or trust Him?
PRAYER
· We can express trust in Him with a psalm of praise:
For I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
He causes the vapors to ascend from the
ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain
(Psalms 135:5-7).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
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
(Psalms 69:5-6).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising
lovingkindness, judgment, and
righteousness in the earth
(Jeremiah 9:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater passion for moral integrity,
· the ministry of Christian education institutions,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Offer this prayer of worship to God:
Now 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).
:angel:
ebruary 17
Deuteronomy 3
The transfer of authority from Moses to Joshua is announced.
INSIGHT
The past is a picture of the future. When trying to determine what will be, it is important to know what has been.
Throughout the wilderness journey, God reminds Israel what He has done in the past-to give them courage and hope for the future. As the reins of leadership are passed from Moses to Joshua, the Lord encourages Joshua with a review of history: "Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two [past] kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass" (Deuteronomy 3:21).
The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When we face the giants in our lives, we can take heart from the Lord's words to Joshua: "You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you" (Deuteronomy 3:22). Our giants are not flesh and blood. They are spiritual and emotional. But the Lord must still defeat them. Trust!
PRAYER
· Praise the God of the past and the future:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalms 9:1-2).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
I shall not lay up for myself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But I shall lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where my treasure is, there my heart will be also (based on Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever (Psalms 28:9).
:angel:
February 18
Deuteronomy 4
Moses appeals to the Israelites to live a life of faithful obedience to God.
INSIGHT
Thomas Jefferson once said, "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance." If true politically, how much more so spiritually. "Take heed," Moses says three times in chapter 4. First, take heed and keep your soul diligently. Second, take heed that you not worship idols. Third, take heed that you not forget the covenant the Lord made with you.
These are all dangers for us today. How easily we get careless about the welfare of our souls. How easily we worship modern idols. How easily we forget the promises of the Lord. We, too, must take heed. The price of our spiritual strength is eternal vigilance.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:
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 4:11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord as you reflect upon His forgiveness:
You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.
I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over the temptations you experience,
· revival among Christians in America and throughout the rest of the world,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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
(Psalms 90:17).
:angel:
February 19
Deuteronomy 5
Moses reviews the Ten Commandments with the children of Israel.
INSIGHT
David writes that the Law of the Lord is perfect, and in keeping it, there is great reward. Part of that great reward is spelled out in chapter 5. Moses says that if the children of Israel will keep God's commandments, it will go well with them and with their sons forever! In addition, the Lord promises that they will live and that they may prolong their days in the land.
Holiness is not expensive. In fact, all the deepest longings of a child of God are met only in holiness. Could we consistently believe this, our lives would be more holy. Like the Israelites, we think that we are missing something by serving God. We are missing no more than the Israelites missed of Egypt.
PRAYER
· Honor the holiness of God by offering Him this psalm of praise:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
(Psalms 106:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives
(Hebrews 12:5-6).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
To Him who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (based on 1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
February 20
Deuteronomy 6
Moses exhorts the Israelites to obey the greatest commandment.
INSIGHT
There are three keys to sharing your faith with someone else. First, it must be real in your life. Moses said the words must be in your "heart," not just your "head." Second, we must impart truth and information. That is, we must teach diligently. Finally, this truth must penetrate every corner of our lives. We must talk of it when we lie down and when we rise up.
We rarely fool anyone, and if one of these keys is missing in our lives, we will not make an impact on others. We must know the truth, it must be real to us, and it must permeate our daily lives.
PRAYER
· As you foster the reality of your walk with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of praise:
Praise the Lord! . . .
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
He also established them forever and ever
(Psalms 148:1-6).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit
(Psalms 34:18).
· As you confess your sins, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You so loved the world, that You gave Your only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (based on John 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· national and world leaders,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
February 21
Deuteronomy 7
God commands the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites.
INSIGHT
God instructs the Israelites to remove from their land everything that will lead them to forsake their purity and commitment to the Lord. When we allow corruption inside our walls, it seeps into our lives and destroys us. We must remove the things from our lives that would tempt us or weaken us. Paul wrote, "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:14). Are there some things you have carried over from your earlier days that ought to be removed from your life? Why not remove them right away?
PRAYER
· Use this psalm to praise the God of the past and the future:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High
(Psalms 9:1-2).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys the voice of His Servant?
Who walks in darkness
And has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord
And rely upon his God
(Isaiah 50:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· wisdom in decision making,
· needs of your friends,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd us also,
And bear us up forever
(based on Psalms 28:9).
:angel:
February 22
Deuteronomy 8
Moses reminds the Israelites of the Lord's blessings on them.
INSIGHT
Following God has never been easy. God never intended for it to be. He tests us to know what is in our hearts and to teach us that we do not live by bread alone. When things are too easy, we tend to be ungrateful. We tend not to give God the recognition for His blessing. In chapter 8, we see God's love and care, along with His tests and trials. We need both to be healthy. To grow, we need sunshine and rain.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord for His concern for our well-being:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!
(Isaiah 6:3 ).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You have blotted out, like a thick cloud, my transgressions,
And like a cloud, my sins.
I return to You, for You have redeemed me
(based on Isaiah 44:22).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
He also has become my salvation
(Isaiah 12:2).
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength
(Isaiah 26:3-4).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
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
:angel:
February 23
Deuteronomy 26
The Lord teaches the Israelites the importance of giving.
INSIGHT
We offer a portion of our income to the Lord in gratitude for what He has given us. If we know Him for who He really is, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, then we will rightly understand that everything in the world truly belongs to Him. In His goodness and compassion, He has provided us with the things that we need to survive. As we give to the church, "the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow," we are acknowledging his exuberant generosity and love.
PRAYER
· Offer this psalm to our worthy God:
"For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. . .
Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me"
(Psalms 50:10-11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Bow down your ear, O Lord, hear me;
For I am poor and needy. . . .
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You
(Psalms 86:1).
· Voice your affirmation of God's Word:
You are my portion, O Lord;
I have said that I would keep Your words. . . .
The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalms 119:57).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an attitude of gratefulness,
· the poor and needy,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions-
This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great
(Psalms 104:24-25).
:angel:
February 24
Deuteronomy 27
Curses from Mount Ebal dramatize disobedience.
INSIGHT
What a drama! Mount Gerazim and Mount Ebal are two masses of limestone rock rising over 2,000 feet above sea level. Between them lies a beautiful valley, about 300 yards wide. Half the children of Israel are on one mountain, and half are on the other, with the Levites in the valley between the two mountains. Curses are called from Mount Ebal and blessings are called from Mount Gerazim. All of this is to dramatize the importance of obedience and the consequences of disobedience, even down to not letting a blind man wander out of his way.
Nothing is insignificant to a holy God. Nor should it be to us. We must care about right and wrong.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to our holy God in the words of this psalm:
Oh give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Remember His marvelous works . . .
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth
(Psalms 105:1-5).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
"Whoever drinks of the water that You shall give him will never thirst. But the water that You shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (based on John 4:14).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be like Christ,
· the churches across the nation,
· your prayer list.
· Now offer this prayer of worship 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).
:angel:
February 25
Deuteronomy 28
The people receive the blessings of Mount Gerazim.
INSIGHT
A sword and a plowshare are laid on the valley floor between Ebal and Gerazim. Blessings are piled upon pile-until you wonder if the blessings can be contained. The Lord outdoes Himself, searching His omniscience to find ways of blessing Israel. Obviously, He takes great pleasure in doing good to them.
But in the shadow of the plowshare lies a sword. The 14 verses of blessings are followed by 54 verses of the most heart-rending curses imaginable.
How evil, how unspeakably terrible is sin. Thank God that He has delivered us from it. Thank God that, through Christ, we may taste of His blessings forever.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His goodness in delivering us from the consequences of sin:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalms 97:10-12).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).
· As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You are the bread of life. He who comes to You shall never hunger, and he who believes in You shall never thirst
(based on John 6:35).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· an eternal perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may You, the God of patience and comfort grant us to be likeminded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (based on Romans 15:5-6).
:angel:
February 26
Deuteronomy 29
The covenant with the children of Israel is renewed in Moab.
INSIGHT
After laying out the options before the Israelites at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim, God now says, "Choose."
But by His grace, He makes clear the consequences of these choices. How terrible are the curses-and how wonderful are the blessings.
Seeing the alternative so clearly before us, what could possibly account for our choosing the curses? The only conceivable answer is that we don't believe God. We don't really believe that the blessings will be that good-or that the curses will be that bad.
The Old Testament was written for our instruction. We must learn to take God at His Word. Period.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise for giving us His blessings:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice;
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
You are the light of the world. He who follows You shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (based on John 8:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· the Lord's work in national and international affairs,
· today's activities.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord-the God who has promised to bless those who follow Him:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
February 27
Deuteronomy 30
Restoration is promised to the Israelites.
INSIGHT
Where would we be without forgiveness? In his weakness, man is not able to sustain any relationship without eventually needing to forgive and to be forgiven. This includes his relationship with God. Unless God were willing to forgive us, we could have no relationship with Him, for we are unable to be sinless before Him.
What a warm and tender chapter comes on the heels of the curses. God says, "If you turn from Me, I will pour out on you the curses. But if you repent and return to Me, I will forgive you and restore you." What a comfort. What a wonderful God.
PRAYER
· For His grace to forgive, offer the Lord this psalm of praise:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples
(Psalms 96:1-3).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
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 53:5-6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God's will, voice your affirmation of His Word:
These things You have spoken to me, that in You I may have peace. In the world I will have tribulation; but I will be of good cheer, You have overcome the world (based on John 16:33).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your prayer list.
· Offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
February 28
Deuteronomy 32
Moses writes in poetic form a summary of everything he has taught the Israelites.
INSIGHT
Man is more than a machine. Man is more than a combination of blood vessels and bones. There is something within man that transcends the physical. It is the image of God. When the major issues of life lie before us, the image of God within us demands that we sing a song or paint a picture or write a poem or perform a dance.
At the end of his life-as Moses is struggling to summarize all that he needs to say to his people-he bursts out in song. Surely the thumbprint of God is seen in his crowning achievement.
PRAYER
· A mark of the image of God within is revealed as you offer Him your praise:
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).
· Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:12-13).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
Having been justified by faith, I have peace with You through my Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also I have access by faith into this grace in which I stand; and I rejoice in hope of the glory of You (based on Romans 5:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ with others,
· your state and local leaders,
· the concerns of your heart.
· Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
O, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalms 90:14).
:angel:
March 1
Matthew 1
Matthew records Jesus' miraculous conception and birth.
INSIGHT
The birth of Jesus splits time and space like a lightning bolt in a hot July sky. The stage is set for the most important event in history. It has been planned before the foundation of the world. It is promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. The prophets have heralded it, the people long for it, and the culture is ripe for it.
The Messiah is coming to establish His kingdom. More importantly, He is coming to effect a new relationship between God and man.
Jesus is not just another world leader. He is God in the flesh. God, who has previously made Himself known through a nation, and through a law, is now coming to make Himself known through a man, a God-man, Jesus.
PRAYER
· Continue your time with the Lord by offering your praise to the God of history through these words:
You are my praise and You are my God,
who has done these great and awesome
things for me which my eyes have seen
(based on Deuteronomy 10:21).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me...
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalms 51:10).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, submit yourself to His will:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
· As you make your requests known to God, pray for
· laborers for the harvest,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· As your closing prayer, pray this passage to the Lord:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night
(Psalms 92:1-2).
:angel:
March 3
Matthew 3
After His baptism by His forerunner, John, Jesus' ministry is validated by God the Father.
INSIGHT
No matter when, no matter where, repentance is necessary when meeting God for the first time. To repent means to change your mind.
If you have been living your life without God, you must change your mind about Him. You must stop thinking of Him as something less than Sovereign Lord of the universe. You must acknowledge His right to define what is right -- and wrong -- for you. And you must trust Him to reconcile you to Himself through His only begotten Son.
If you were transported back to John's time and heard his message, would you repent?
PRAYER
· At Jesus' baptism, God confirmed Jesus' divine sonship to all who were at the scene. Thank God that He reveals Himself in ways that all people understand:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard
(Psalms 19:1-3).
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God
(Romans 3:10-11).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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
(Psalms 32:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· day-to-day repentance,
· the Lord to reveal Himself to others through you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).
:angel:
March 4
Luke 1
The births of John and Jesus are foretold.
INSIGHT
How do you think you would feel if you were suddenly in the presence of an angel?
If you're like the biblical characters, you would feel . . . afraid. Scripture recounts several instances of human beings coming face-to-face with supernatural beings. Most of those occasions were frightening -- even terrifying -- to the persons involved.
But God's messengers understand our fear. And they do their best to assuage it. When Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, he saw her troubled look and said, "Do not be afraid."
That's what God says to us throughout our lives. Drawing us into His holy presence, He reassures us that we need not fear. God loves us, Christ died for us, and God has a plan for our lives.
So we can approach Him with complete confidence!
PRAYER
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of Scripture:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise against me,
In this I will be confident
(Psalms 27:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, offer this prayer of confession to the Lord:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in God's love,
· evangelism in your community,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, close with this prayer:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).
:angel:
March 5
Luke 2
Luke gives his account of Jesus' birth and early life.
INSIGHT
To Jesus, nothing is more important than doing His Father's will, even at the age of 12. When His parents miss Him on the trip home from the Passover, they return and find Him in the temple. "Did you not know that I had to be about My Father's business?" He asked. "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me," He later said in John 4:34. Absolute single-mindedness!
We are to have the mind in us which was also in Christ Jesus. We are to have absolute single-mindedness about doing the will of the Father. Most of us don't feel very single-minded. We feel distracted and pulled in the direction of the world, the flesh, and the enticements of the devil.
But the goal remains unchanged: absolute single-mindedness in serving the Father. Make that your purpose and your prayer.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise in these words to the God who is worthy of unceasing devotion:
O Lord our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
(Psalms 8:1).
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works
(Psalms 9:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool"
(Isaiah 1:18).
· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the former Soviet Union,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
March 7
Luke 4
Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and tempted by Satan.
INSIGHT
When Satan tempts Jesus, he offers Him things which God has already promised to give to Jesus. The things are not wrong in and of themselves, but they are not in God's time or in God's way. Each time Jesus rebuffs Satan, He does so with Scripture. Each time Satan offers Jesus something, Jesus' reply is, "No, because it is written . . ." To be victorious, we must know Scripture well enough to use it in our spiritual warfare, to see through the tricks of Satan.
PRAYER
· The repentant heart is one that can offer praise to the Lord:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God
(Psalms 90:1-2).
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works
(Psalms 104:24).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By grace I have been saved through faith, and that not of myself; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest I should boast. For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that I should walk in them (based on Ephesians 2:8-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living as God would want you to,
· the needs of your immediate family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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!
(Psalms 103:21-22).
:angel:
March 8
Mark 1
Jesus begins His ministry of miracles and preaching and calls His first disciples.
INSIGHT
Mark writes that after Jesus' baptism the Spirit impels Him to go out into the wilderness, where He is tempted by Satan.
The next 40 days are enormously difficult for Jesus. It is not true that if you follow God's will, you will have a life of ease. Often, the way of God involves circumstances in which we must trust in the Lord and draw on His truth and strength.
Jesus was the God-man. Yet His life on this earth was filled with trials He had to endure. And we should expect to encounter trials during our sojourning in this world, but we can endure if we draw strength from the One who has paved the way for us.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who transforms us through His Word:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalms 123:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me
(Psalms 51:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the teachings of Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me --
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalms 42:8).
:angel:
March 10
Matthew 6
Jesus teaches His followers concerning prayer and personal treasures.
INSIGHT
We cannot fool God. It is impossible to put something over on Someone who is omniscient. We can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time. But not God. Jesus says, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them"(Matthew 6:1).
It is easy for us to fall into the trap of living our Christian lives for the sake of other Christians. We should be living it for the sake of our relationship with the Lord. We may find ourselves going to church, singing the songs, and going through the motions but spending no time cultivating a personal relationship with the Lord. Such a relationship does not come easily. It requires commitment and time.
But we must not fool ourselves, either. The Lord does not want merely our church attendance or other external actions. He wants us!
PRAYER
· Ponder the fact that the Lord wants a personal relationship with us, and offer Him your praise:
O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
And according to the fruit of his doings
(Jeremiah 17:9-10).
· As you ponder the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever
(Psalms 23:6).
:angel:
March 11
Matthew 5
Jesus teaches on the Beatitudes.
INSIGHT
Love is the fundamental factor of all meaningful relationships. Love is an action -- the action of selflessness, of esteeming others above ourselves. All interpersonal problems could be solved with a faithful, mutual expression of love.
Imagine what the world would be like if everyone acted in love. No war. No divorce. No AIDS. No murder. No rape. No tears.
Though Jesus knew that sin presently prevents perfect love, He held believers to a high standard of showing His love in this world: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who loves us in spite of our sin:
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings
(Psalms 17:6-8).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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
(Psalms 15:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But You demonstrate Your own love toward me, in that while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me (based on Romans 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater gratitude for your salvation,
· a return to righteousness in this nation,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing 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
(Psalms 19:14).
:angel:
March 12
Mark 3
Jesus chooses 12 followers to be His disciples.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. A look at the 12 men Jesus chooses to be His disciples does not reveal a "Who's Who" in Judea. Rather, the men seem to be unknown and undistinguished.
The work of God does not depend on talent or intelligence. Different people have different strengths, but God uses all of us to accomplish His purposes. The body of Christ is made up of many parts -- some highly visible, some hidden, all useful. God makes the most of the talents and spiritual gifts He has given each of us.
PRAYER
· Using the following passage, offer your praise to the Lord, who uses us to do His will in His world:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
That He may seat him with princes --
With the princes of His people
(Psalms 113:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this passage of confession:
My iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness
(Psalms 38:4-5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater comfort in God's providence,
· the needs of family members,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which You have prepared for those who love You (based on 1 Corinthians 2:9).
:angel:
March 13
Matthew 7
Jesus teaches His followers concerning the need to follow the Lord fully in everything.
INSIGHT
Love is the basis of all that God asks of us. Jesus says, "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12). This teaching goes hand in hand with what Jesus urges later in Luke 10:27, that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.
We want to be appreciated, loved, treated with dignity, and esteemed. This, then, is the way we ought to treat others. The double benefit is that when we treat others that way, they begin to treat us the same, and our relationships are characterized by depth and meaning.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because He has treated us with love and dignity:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
(Psalms 57:1).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. . . .
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
(Psalms 32:3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The wages of sin is death, but Your gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (based on Romans 6:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your talents,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever
(Psalms 28:9).
:angel:
March 14
Luke 7
Jesus helps the people understand the significance of John the Baptist and his ministry.
INSIGHT
"Don't confuse me with the facts; my mind is made up!"
Sometimes unbelief can't be shown enough proof of God and His Word. No matter how much evidence is compiled, if a person refuses to believe, nothing will convince him. The scribes and Pharisees have already rejected God before Jesus or John ever came on the scene. That is why they reject John when he comes preaching a message of preparation for the Messiah and for Jesus when He comes.
We must know in order to believe, yet we must also believe in order to know. Many truths in the Bible may puzzle us. To begin mastering them, we must first rest completely in the character and power of almighty God.
PRAYER
· As you consider God's willingness to use you, offer Him your praise through this passage.
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. . . . You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 32:17).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word (Isaiah 66:2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord:
· pray for the renewing of your mind by the power of God's Word,
· openness to be used by God,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore
(Psalms 16:11).
:angel:
March 15
Mark 4
As Jesus expands His public ministry, He teaches extensively using parables.
INSIGHT
Faith does not come to us full-blown.
It must be cultivated and nurtured. Jesus cultivates the faith of His disciples. After an extensive time of teaching, Jesus goes out into the Sea of Galilee with the Twelve, knowing that a storm will come. He calms the storm and then asks, rhetorically, "How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40). His disciples marvel and their faith grows. We, too, must go through times of testing to become strong.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God who loves you and who seeks your love in return:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
You who are mighty have done great things for me, and holy is Your name. And Your mercy is on those who fear You from generation to generation (based on Luke 1:49-50).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
· As you consider the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 2:16-17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your walk with Him,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith in Christ,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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
(Psalms 19:14).
:angel:
March 17
Mark 5
Jesus casts demons out of a Gadarene man and raises a girl from the dead.
INSIGHT
When Jesus takes over a life, He makes a difference. The worse the life, the greater the change.
When the demoniac from Gadarene rushes at the disciples with evil intent, Jesus exercises divine power, banishing Satan's minions from their victim's soul. Later, the man who had run naked among the tombs, howling and cutting himself, is sitting beside Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.
Wherever we are in our spiritual journey, the Lord will continue the work He has begun. He will keep changing us, ever into the image of Christ.
PRAYER
· As you consider God's power to make sinners into saints, offer Him praise:
For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him
(Psalms 18:28-30).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
What I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me (Romans 7:15-17).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your continued sanctification by the power of God's Spirit,
· a greater willingness to share what Christ has done for you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever
(Psalms 30:11-12).
:angel:
March 18
Mark 6
Jesus performs two astounding miracles in His hometown of Nazareth.
INSIGHT
Jesus' miracles are often more than acts of kindness; they are also profound object lessons given to train His contemporary and future followers.
After feeding the 5,000, Jesus again sends the Twelve out onto the Sea of Galilee, knowing a storm will come. Then He walks out on the water to reveal to them more deeply the reality of who He is. By their reaction, the disciples show that their idea of Christ is too small. He is more -- much more -- than they think He is.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for the greatness of His character:
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).
· As you seek to keep your life free from the sin that so easily entangles, pray this confession to the Lord:
I long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And Your law is my delight.
Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
And let Your judgments help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments
(Psalms 119:174-176).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another -- He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:24-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of God's character through His Word,
· contentment with His will,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer:
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22).
:angel:
March 19
Mark 7
Jesus points out the hypocrisy of observing traditions yet ignoring the Scripture.
INSIGHT
Even the earnest Christian must guard against hypocrisy. How easy it is to sing, "All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give," and then go out to live with some areas of our lives not given over to Christ.
Yet, there is a difference between weakness and rebellion. All of us struggle with weaknesses which we wish we didn't have and with which we wrestle in the grace of God to overcome. Rebellion expresses itself when we could overcome a sin if we wanted to but make no attempt to do so.
The Bible expresses compassion for us in our weaknesses as we cry out to the Lord for greater strength. But God's Word pronounces a scathing rebuke for hypocrisy and rebellion. We must check our hearts to be certain that our shortcomings are weaknesses and not hypocrisy.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord accepts us in spite of our weaknesses, we can praise Him:
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only
(Psalms 71:14-16).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight (Hosea 6:1-2).
· As you confess your sins, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go;
You will guide me with Your eye
(based on Psalms 32:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· evangelism in America,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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 You, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:5-6).
:angel:
March 20
Mark 8
Mark 8 Jesus uses the miracle feeding of the 4000 as a teaching tool for His disciples.
INSIGHT
After feeding the 4000, it is obvious that the disciples do not understand the significance of the event. Jesus says, "When I fed the 5000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" His disciples reply, "Twelve." Then again, "When I fed the 4000, how many loaves did you pick up afterward?" "Seven," they answer.
"Do you not yet understand?" the Lord asks them.
Then, some days later, Jesus is alone with the Twelve, and He asks them, "Who do you think I am?" Peter replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Finally, progress!
PRAYER
· Offer your praise with the following psalm to the Lord who is faithful to us when we are weak:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night. . . .
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalms 92:1-2).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm
(Joel 2:13).
· As you consider the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are the door. If anyone enters by You, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. You have come that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly (based on John 10:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· the President and national leaders and affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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
(Psalms 90:17).
:angel:
Ephesians 1
Christians have forgiveness of sin—an eternal inheritance.
INSIGHT
Most Christians need to re-identify who they are. We still see ourselves as mere human beings, children of the age with the albatross of the world hanging around our necks. That is who we once were, but are no longer. We have been adopted by God and are now His children. We are newly created in Him in holiness and righteousness. We have been given an inheritance in heaven that includes wealth and power. We have been changed; we are no longer what we were. When that truth "sinks in," we begin to act like who we really are rather than who we were.
PRAYER
Praise God for His mighty work of regeneration in your life!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God. . . .
The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." . . .
But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A renewed mind
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
March 24
Luke 16
Through parables, Jesus gives instruction on the proper perspective of wealth.
INSIGHT
It's hard to let go of the temporal and lay hold of the eternal. And the temporal world can hold on to rich and poor alike through money. Both the greedy and the envious live as if there were no eternal realm.
Jesus often speaks about a true and good perspective on money. Perhaps His financial teaching can be summed up by this: Our faith should be in God, not money. We must be careful always to trust God who supplies the money rather than to trust the money itself.
PRAYER
· The Lord can be completely trusted with all your needs. Thank Him with praise:
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday
( Psalms 37:3-6).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
See, O Lord, that I am in distress;
My soul is troubled;
My heart is overturned within me,
For I have been very rebellious.
Outside the sword bereaves,
At home it is like death
(Lamentations 1:20).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance. . . .
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me --
A prayer to the God of my life
(Psalms 42:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faith in God's providence,
· the needs of your friends,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May I learn in whatever state I am, to be content (based on Philippians 4:11).
:angel:
March 25
Luke 17
Jesus describes the circumstances surrounding His second coming.
INSIGHT
Gratitude is beautiful to witness. When a person's eyes light up as they open a gift, the giver enjoys the experience as much as the receiver.
We appreciate gratitude, and so does the Lord. He loves to see His children rejoicing at His many good gifts.
Gratitude to the Lord can be cultivated. Imagine what your life would be like without the Lord's grace. Show the Lord that you appreciate Him by nurturing an attitude of gratitude.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is so liberal with His good gifts:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands
(Psalms 92:1-4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments
(Psalms 119:5-6).
· As you reflect on God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You have . . . given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
You enlarged my path under me;
So my feet did not slip
(Psalms 18:35-36).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a renewed commitment to showing gratitude for God's many blessings,
· opportunities to encourage other believers,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Close your prayer time with the Lord with this offering from the pages of Scripture:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
:angel:
March 26
Mark 10
Jesus prepares His disciples for His death.
INSIGHT
If there is anything between you and the Lord, He will pinpoint it and ask you to give it up. He wants total commitment -- nothing less.
That does not mean you cannot be committed to other things. It just means that He wants nothing to be higher on your priority list than He is.
A husband must be committed to his wife and children. A professional must be committed to his job. But all must be committed to the Lord first.
The rich young ruler learned this in a very painful lesson. We can learn from his experience: Put the Lord first.
PRAYER
· As an expression of your commitment to the Lord, offer Him this psalm of praise:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me
(Psalms 63:3-4).
· Pray this passage of confession to the Lord:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart --
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalms 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray to the Lord this affirmation of your faith in Him:
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).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater commitment to Christ,
· the work of missions in the Middle East,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May You, the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To You be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (based on 1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
March 27
Mark 11
Jesus is perceived as an earthly king as He rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey.
INSIGHT
When Jesus rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey, why does the crowd rush out to greet Him? The answer is found in Jewish culture and history. In Old Testament times, one of the ways a king was inaugurated was to get on a donkey and have a large retinue of people walk along behind him shouting, "Long live the King!"
The crowd in the temple wants to make Jesus king. When they see Him riding toward them on a donkey, they use it as an opportunity to precipitate a coronation. That He was crucified shortly afterward indicates that they were looking only for a national leader rather than a personal Savior. How do you see Him?
PRAYER
· Express your praise to the Lord in the words of this psalm:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture
(Psalms 100:1-3).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, confess this prayer to the Lord:
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
(Psalms 139:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Pause to pray this passage of affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
O God of peace, sanctify me completely; make my whole spirit, soul, and body to be preserved blameless at the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ (based on 1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
March 28
Mark 12
The Pharisees and Sadducees attempt to discredit Jesus through treacherous questions.
INSIGHT
In today's passage, we see one of the most marvelous teachings in the New Testament. An attorney, intrigued by the quality of the answers Jesus gives to the Pharisees who are trying to discredit Him, asks Jesus what the greatest commandment is. He only asks for one; Jesus gives him two.
The Lord says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . [and] your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these"(Mark 12:30-31). The Christian life can be very complex, but at its heart, it is very simple: love God and others.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord has promised to care for our needs, offer Him your thanks:
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
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
(Psalms 33:1-5).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You
(Psalms 5:4).
He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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, pray for:
· your development of a perspective on life,
· your own personal goals and spiritual growth,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (based on 2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
March 29
Mark 13
Jesus responds to His disciples' questions regarding His future coming.
INSIGHT
To the world, the idea of Jesus returning in history to judge His enemies and reward His friends is a joke.
"Come down out of the clouds," people say, "and spend your time thinking about what you can do right here and now."
Though the world doesn't take the doctrine of the Second Coming seriously, the Bible places great emphasis on the teaching. Christians, then, need to take it seriously as well. Twice in Mark 13 Jesus warns, "Be on the alert!" Properly understood, awaiting Christ's return should help us live righteously as we do God's work in this world.
PRAYER
· Express your gratitude to the Lord for His promises by offering Him praise:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things; . . .
Shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises
(Psalms 98:1).
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalms 95:6-7).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater discipline in your personal Bible study,
· national and world affairs,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
March 31
Matthew 25
Jesus continues His teachings concerning His second coming.
INSIGHT
Christians cannot compartmentalize their lives into the secular and the sacred. All truth is God's truth, and anything done for Him whether "religious" or not is sacred.
Jesus equates loving your fellow man with loving Him. He equates serving those in need with serving Him. He equates caring for the suffering as caring for Him.
You can love your fellow man without loving Christ, but you cannot love Christ without loving your fellow man. Whether you are worshiping the Lord or washing the feet of a bum on skid row, it is sacred and holy work if it is done out of love for the Lord.
PRAYER
· The praise of the Lord's children is a sacred and holy work. Join in that praise with the psalmist:
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
(Psalms 145:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has have done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· the spreading of the Gospel,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
April 1
Mark 14
Jesus spends His last two days in intimate communion with His closest friends.
INSIGHT
Prayer is one of the true mysteries in the Bible. It is inevitable, as we grow in our prayer life, that we will struggle with an inadequate understanding of how to pray.
The example of Jesus praying in Gethsemane helps us with what we can know and understand about prayer. First, we can know that prayer does not eliminate emotional struggling.
A second thing we can learn is that prayer can make us stronger spiritually and keep us from temptation. In each account of His prayer, Jesus says to His disciples, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation." (Mark 14:38). If we watch and pray, we will be strengthened against temptation.
PRAYER
· As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this praise:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all
(1 Chronicles 29:11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon
(Isaiah 55:6-7).
· As you confess your sins, pray this affirmation of God's Word:
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength. . . .
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint
(Isaiah 40:29).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater insight into the Scriptures,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace
(Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
April 2
Mark 15
After Jesus is crucified, Joseph of Arimathea buried Him in Joseph's own tomb.
INSIGHT
Most of us have a highly developed sense of justice. We want things to be fair, and we are incensed when they are not. From simple things like people cutting in line ahead of us to major things like prejudice and bigotry, we are angered when we see or experience injustice.
With that in mind, review what happens to Jesus. Though He is totally righteous and without sin, religious bigots manufacture charges against Him and take Him to a legal jellyfish who doesn't have the courage to execute justice. Then He is beaten, mocked, and crucified. Doesn't that inflame your sense of justice? He has the power to obliterate those who harm Him; yet He willingly endures it for us.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and praise Him for the "great and awesome" things He has done in offering you salvation:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
(Exodus 15:11).
Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot me,
I am unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered me
(based on Deuteronomy 32:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (John 14:21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· the work of missions in Asia,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing 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
(Psalms 19:14).
:angel:
April 3
Mark 16
Mary and Mary Magdalene discover that Jesus has risen from the dead.
INSIGHT
It is a momentous morning as Mary and Mary Magdalene walk to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, intent on anointing the body of Jesus but not knowing how they will get into the tomb. They say to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us?"
Miracle number one: The stone has been rolled away. Miracle number two: An angel is sitting in the tomb to explain to them what has happened. Miracle number three: Jesus is gone; He has risen.
They have two responses. They were amazed! And they report to the disciples all that they have seen.
They expect to deal with death. But they find themselves in the middle of more life than they can imagine. Such paradox is God's way. He brings life from death.
PRAYER
· Give your praise to the Lord for offering you the gift of eternal life:
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).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams
(1 Samuel 15:22).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president, national leaders, and national affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalms 23:6).
:angel:
April 4
Matthew 26
Jesus is betrayed and arrested.
INSIGHT
Peter is living and reassuring proof that "grace is greater than all our sin." We struggle, at one time or another, with things in our lives that ought to be corrected but aren't. We fear that our lives bring a stench to God's nostrils because we have failed Him so often. But Peter began to curse and swear and deny that he ever knew Jesus. What a colossal sin! Yet, just a few days later (in John 21), Peter is eating with the Lord in perfect fellowship and harmony.
For the Christian, there is no sin so great that God will not forgive.
PRAYER
· Because Jesus gave up His preeminence for our sake and became a servant, we praise His unselfishness:
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 ).
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalms 7:17).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God: I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any personal sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
(Psalms 84:11-12).
:angel:
April 5
Matthew 27
Pilate tries Jesus then hands Him over to be crucified.
INSIGHT
Proverbs 20:17 says, "Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel." If ever a man illustrates that truth, Judas does. Some mysterious passion burns in his breast to betray Jesus.
Whether Judas seeks political ambition or mere lust for money, we do not know. But later, his remorse is so great that he throws the money away and hangs himself. We must remember Judas when illicit desire burns in our breast. Such desire always promises more than it delivers; it always turns to gravel in our mouths.
PRAYER
· The sacrifice which Jesus made for us took tremendous courage, for which we praise Him:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . .
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalms 8:1).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from the power of sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalms 6:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the leading of the Lord in your life,
· opportunities for personal evangelism,
· your activities for the day,
· 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
(Psalms 118:24).
:angel:
April 7
Luke 22
Jesus shares the Passover meal with His disciples.
INSIGHT
At the beginning of human history, the first people disobeyed God. That fateful choice proved spiritually fatal-for Adam, Eve, and all their descendants.
Since the fall, we have all imitated our first parents. We have tried to usurp God's right to control His creation. We have demanded the right to control our own destinies, our own moral judgments, our own decisions.
Even those who actually walked with Jesus fell prey to this proud way of thinking. During the Last Supper, which you might think would be one of the most spiritually intimate moments in the disciples' experience, an argument broke out about who was the greatest among them. Jesus replied that the greatest among them must be a servant to all.
Beware when you find yourself striving for preeminence. Instead, your quest must be servanthood.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He has revealed His will for us in His Word:
Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it abides.
They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
For all are Your servants.
Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would then have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life
(Psalms 119:89-93).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (Romans 7:22-23).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater humility before God,
· the preaching of the Gospel,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I put on the whole armor of God, that I may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (based on Ephesians 6:11).
:angel:
April 8
Luke 23
Pilate sentences Jesus to be crucified on the hill called Golgotha, "The Skull."
INSIGHT
Without conflict, there are no heroes. The hero and coward look alike until the battle begins. Then and only then, in the face of the challenge, is each one's true character manifested.
In Jesus' time, you do not expect heroes of the Christian faith to emerge from the ranks of the Pharisees. But Joseph of Arimathea defies the expectations.
This godly man risks wealth, reputation, and perhaps personal safety, when he asks for and receives the permission to take down Jesus' body from the cross and lay it in his own tomb.
PRAYER
· Give God praise that He enables His children to do heroic deeds on His behalf:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was translated so that he did not see death . . for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased You, O God (based on Hebrews 11:1-5).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience (based on Ephesians 2:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater courage in evangelism,
· the work of missions in Europe,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Since I am surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, . . . let me run with endurance the race that is set before me (based on Hebrews 12:1).
:angel:
April 9
Luke 24
After Jesus rises from the dead, He appears to a number of His disciples.
INSIGHT
The most reasonable explanation for the empty tomb is the Resurrection. If, as some have claimed, Jesus had not been killed but only weakened by the crucifixion, the stone and the soldiers would have prevented His escape from the tomb. If Jesus' friends had tried to steal the body, the stone and the soldiers likewise would have prevented them. Jesus' enemies would not have taken the body, since a missing body would only encourage belief in His resurrection. The easiest way to quiet claims of His resurrection would have been to produce the body. This they could not do.
The angel said, "He is not here, for He is risen, as He said" (Matthew 28:6). Since Jesus predicted and experienced His own death, burial, and resurrection, we can trust Him with our lives.
PRAYER
· The Lord can be trusted with our lives because of His own life, and we praise Him:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works. . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You
(Psalms 9:1).
· 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
(Psalms 19:12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out (John 6:37).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· the work of missions in Africa,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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
(Psalms 90:17).
:angel:
April 10
John 1
John traces the deity of Christ from "the beginning."
INSIGHT
The Scriptures are such an intimate and personal revelation of the mind of God that there is no distance between the Word and God Himself. John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This verse refers to Jesus, and yet, He is called "the Word."
In Revelation 19:13, John writes of Jesus: "He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." To know the Word is to know God; to uphold the Word is to uphold God; to believe the Word is to believe God; and to obey the Word is to obey God.
PRAYER
· The Word of the Lord is certain, and we praise Him for that trust:
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
(Psalms 18:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done . . . (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalms 25:4-5).
· Confessing any sins the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Now 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, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with the gifts and talents God has given you,
· your state and local leaders and civic affairs,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
(Psalms 103:22).
:angel:
April 11
John 2
Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana to demonstrate His deity to His disciples.
INSIGHT
In John 2:24 we read, "But Jesus did not commit Himself to them." The word commit is the same word that is translated "faith" or "believe" in other places in the Bible. It gives us additional insight concerning the concept of faith in the Bible.
Faith is more than just intellectual understanding. Once someone understands the Gospel, he must make a personal commitment to it. He must entrust himself to it. In reality, to believe in Jesus Christ is to commit one's self to Him.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to Jesus, who, as God, offers us salvation:
Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power
(Psalms 21:13).
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
(Psalms 33:3-5).
· Pause for personal 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 name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great
(Psalms 25:8-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of your friends,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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).
:angel:
April 12
John 3
Jesus explains the spiritual nature of salvation.
INSIGHT
Faith, or belief, is often misunderstood. Faith has been defined as "believing in spite of there being nothing to believe" or "believing in spite of the evidence to the contrary." It is often viewed as identical with wishful thinking. If we believe hard enough, we can make something come true (regardless of whether or not God may approve).
None of these concepts is biblical. Faith is belief based on sufficient evidence. In other words, faith is trusting what God has revealed in His Word and in the world, both of which give ample testimony to the truth.
PRAYER
· The sensitive and believing heart looks for opportunities to praise the Lord for His goodness:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalms 34:1-3).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalms 30:4-5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye (Psalms 32:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now 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).
:angel:
April 14
John 5
Jesus infuriates the religious leaders by claiming equality with God.
INSIGHT
Many people in this world-atheists, agnostics, and those in pseudo-Christian cults-say that Jesus was merely a man, not God. What's more, these people say Jesus never claimed to be God. The Incarnation-the doctrine that Jesus was one person with two natures, one human, one divine-is an anti-biblical and absurd idea invented by the church in later centuries, these skeptics opine.
The gospel of John certainly dispels that notion. In chapter 8, John writes that the religious leaders of His day picked up stones to slay the Lord Jesus Christ because He made Himself equal with God. The Jewish leaders were men of Jesus' time and culture. They understood Jesus' meaning far better than 21st-century skeptics. And as far as they were concerned, Jesus was committing the blasphemy of claiming to be God-a capital offense.
PRAYER
· As an act of personal worship, offer the following praise to God the Son:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-4).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us.
Have mercy on us,
O Lord, have mercy on us!
(Psalms 123:2-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple (Psalms 5:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a greater love for the God-Man-Christ Jesus,
· the needs of your extended family,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
(Psalms 4:1).
:angel:
April 15
John 6
After feeding the 5000, Jesus teaches that He is the "Bread of Life."
INSIGHT
Throughout Jesus' ministry, He often speaks in figures of speech. Sometimes the people understand what those sayings mean; sometimes they don't. Jesus promises living water to the woman at the well, so she will never thirst. Her reply is: "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?" (John 4:11).
And in John 6, Jesus speaks of Himself as a bread even better than the manna in the desert, for He gives eternal life to the whole world, rather than merely physical life to the Hebrews in the desert. Missing his point, his audience says hungrily, "Lord, give us this bread always" (v. 34).
He later explains to His disciples, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). Jesus reveals the truths behind the figures of speech to His followers.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the God who reveals His will to you through His Word:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world
(Psalms 19:1-4).
· As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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
(Psalms 19:12-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of the Bible,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High
(Psalms 7:17).
:angel:
April 16
John 7
Jesus becomes involved in controversy with religious leaders over His true identity.
INSIGHT
When iron and aluminum shavings are mixed together, they are indistinguishable. You cannot identify them by sight; you must sweep a magnet through them. The magnet will attract all of the iron filings, but the aluminum filings will remain undisturbed.
The Lord Jesus Christ has exactly the same effect on those to whom He ministers. Those whose understanding is anchored in faith are drawn to Him like iron to a magnet. Those who choose not to believe remain undisturbed, as though nothing special has happened.
Some of the multitude were saying, "This is the Christ" while others were saying, "Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?" Understanding, combined with faith, understands even more. Unbelief blinds people.
PRAYER
· Let us praise Him, for surely, this is the Christ:
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions
(Psalms 45:6-7).
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness
(Psalms 48:9-10).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you 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
(Psalms 32:1-2).
· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your word is a lamp to my feet,
And a light to my path (Psalms 119:105).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
April 17
John 8
Jesus teaches on truth.
INSIGHT
By nature, we want absolute freedom. But such freedom is not possible. In fact, no such thing as absolute freedom exists. To be free to sail the seven seas, we must make ourselves a slave to the compass. This subservience irritates us.
All of life is a contrast between freedoms and corresponding bondages. We can be slaves to Jesus and free from the bondage of sin, or we can be free from Jesus and slaves to the bondage of sin. We can make ourselves slaves to truth, and the truth can set us free.
PRAYER
· The heart that has been set free by truth can offer praise to the Lord of all truth:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
(Psalms 57:1).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.
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
(Psalms 32:3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with the finances God has entrusted you with,
· revival to spread among American Christians,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25).
:angel:
April 19
John 10
Using the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus teaches of salvation and His deity.
INSIGHT
Whoever comes in contact with Jesus is either blinded or enlightened. They either accept Him or begin manufacturing reasons not to believe in Him. Jesus illustrates this reality with the imagery of sheep and a shepherd. He says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (10:27). Make your heart tender and sensitive to hear and obey Jesus. Walk in His light and you will not stumble.
PRAYER
· Join your heart with the saints of the ages over the last 2,000 years in offering praise to the God of our salvation:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. . . .
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings
I will rejoice (Psalms 63:3-4).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me
(Psalms 51:1-3).
· As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
April 21
John 12
After the triumphal entry, the multitudes herald Jesus as their Messiah.
INSIGHT
It is easy to get someone to talk about God, but try to talk about Jesus, and it is not so easy. People will often talk about "feeling close to God." But mention Jesus, and people start to get uncomfortable. Say that Jesus is the only way to God, and people get downright offended.
But Jesus says that if you accept Him, you accept God; and conversely, if you do not accept Him, you do not accept God. When someone talks about being close to God but wants nothing to do with Jesus, you can be sure he is not yet close to God.
Regardless of anyone's unbelief, here is the simple truth: Jesus is God the Son, and He is the only way God has provided for sinners' reconciliation with Himself.
PRAYER
· Praise God for His merciful provision of a Savior:
For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
(Job 19:25-27).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You"
(Psalms 41:4).
· As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand (John 10:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater appreciation for Christ,
· a revival in our nation,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).
:angel:
April 22
John 13
Jesus meets with His disciples and institutes the Lord's Supper.
INSIGHT
More than 2000 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ ate a ceremonial meal with His disciples. This meal originated in the Passover and pictured Christ's death, our need to receive Him personally for our salvation, and the fact that all those who are His people are a communion of saints. During the meal, He instructed His disciples to observe this ceremony regularly and with gladness until His return.
And so, whether called the Lord's Supper, Communion, or the Lord's Table, Christians today observe a solemn but joyous ceremonial meal which looks back to the redemption of the Cross and forward to the glory of the Second Coming.
PRAYER
· Praise God that He is powerful enough to keep the promises pictured by Communion.
The Lord reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
Let them praise Your great and awesome name - He is holy
(Psalms 99:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear
(Psalms 66:18).
· As you contemplate the mercy of God, confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!
(Psalms 66:19-20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater understanding of other traditions within Christianity,
· heart-felt worship at your local church,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! (Revelation 19:9).
:angel:
April 23
John 14
Jesus reassures His disciples with His promise to send the Holy Spirit.
INSIGHT
A very tender and intimate scene begins in chapter 14. The disciples do not understand clearly everything that is going on, but they know that something big is about to happen and that Jesus will be leaving them. Their Teacher, their Mentor, their Friend for the last three years is leaving, and their hearts are crushed with the burden.
In this spirit, Jesus speaks softly, kindly, tenderly to them: "Let not your heart be troubled; . . . I go to prepare a place for you (in My Father's house). And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself" (14:1-3). Again: "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (14:18).
How loving and compassionate. And He loves us just as much as the disciples.
PRAYER
· God's love for us is indeed cause for us to give Him our heart-felt praise and adoration:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God, "How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to
You (Psalms 66:1-3).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalms 103:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in Australia and the islands of the South Pacific,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
April 26
John 17
Jesus prays that the Father will make His disciples fruitful and give them future glory.
INSIGHT
The mark of a Christian should be love. In Matthew 22, we read that the two greatest commandments are love for God and love for our neighbor. In John 13:35, Jesus says, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." In John 17:21, Jesus says if Christians have unity (based on love), the world will believe that Christ was sent from God. When our badge is love, the world is convinced that we are genuine disciples of Jesus, rather than hypocrites.
PRAYER
· In the words of this psalm, offer your praise to the Lord, who is patient with us when we doubt:
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night . . .
For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands . . .
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him
(Psalms 92:1-2).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. . . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalms 103:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world (John 6:51).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· others to see Christ in you,
· laborers for the harvesting of souls,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen
(Revelation 7:12).
:angel:
April 27
John 18
After His arrest, Jesus is taken before Pilate and the religious leaders.
INSIGHT
As the power of the Creator of the universe was veiled in human flesh in Jesus of Nazareth, men came with torches and weapons to subdue Him.
He asked, "Whom are you seeking?" They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." With the force of those words from Jesus, they "drew back, and fell to the ground" (John 18:6).
It must have rattled their confidence to have to arrest Jesus. How much greater significance it lends to Jesus' words: "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself" (John 10:17-18).
For our sakes, Jesus laid down His life that we might take it up. He became what we are so that we might become what He is. Praise and glory to God!
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord your praise for His willingness to lay down His life for you:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen
(Psalms 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No temptation has overtaken me except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that I may be able to bear it (based on 1 Corinthians 10:13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation (Hebrews 9:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater sensitivity to sin,
· the ministry of your local church,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, . . . through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
April 28
John 19
After being cruelly mistreated, Jesus is crucified and gives up His spirit.
INSIGHT
The apostle John reveals the most detailed picture of Pilate's judgment of Jesus. At first, Pilate says, "I find no fault in Him at all" (18:38). Then, he scourges Jesus, hoping to placate the Jews. Without success, he makes efforts to release Jesus, but the Jewish leaders will not stand for it. Anxious about his political reputation in Rome, Pilate caves in, washes his hands of the affair, and releases Jesus to the Jewish leaders to be crucified.
We place much of the blame for Jesus' death on Pilate. But if at any point in time Pilate had repented of His deed, Jesus Himself would have welcomed him into the kingdom of God.
PRAYER
· Give your praise to the Lord for sending His only begotten Son to provide the way for your redemption:
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities
(Isaiah 53:10-11).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:6).
· Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations
(Psalms 22:27-28).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· deeper gratitude for your salvation,
· the integrity of those who represent Christ in the pulpit,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalms 23:6).
:angel:
April 29
John 20
After Jesus's resurrection, He appears to His disciples and reassures Thomas of His deity.
INSIGHT
God commands us to believe in Him, but He doesn't require us to believe in Him contrary to the evidence.
Thomas needed to be shown that the miracle of Jesus' resurrection was really true. God provided Thomas with the proof he needed. Jesus appeared to Thomas and said, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands. . . . Do not be unbelieving, but believing" (20:27). Jesus saw what Thomas needed and gave him sufficient evidence to believe.
You don't have to be afraid of sincere doubt. That doubt can be changed. Just examine the evidence of Christ's work in the New Testament. Then ask God to help you to believe according to the evidence. Like the father in Mark 9:24, your prayer can be: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He has made the truths of His existence, power, and righteousness plain for all people to see:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the
foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in
(Isaiah 40:21-22).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord:
When I know to do good and do not do it, to me it is sin (based on James 4:17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him
(Psalms 103:11-13).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the glory of God's creation,
· the work of missions in Asia,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 42:10).
:angel:
April 30
John 21
Jesus appears to His disciples again to reassure them and to build their faith.
INSIGHT
Without a shepherd, the sheep scatter. After Jesus' death, His disciples scatter and the fishermen return to the sea. They simply do not know what to do next.
After an evening of unfruitful fishing, they return to shore to find Jesus there with breakfast ready. We see a picture of Peter and Jesus, eating together in perfect harmony. Bear in mind, this is the man who denied that he ever knew Jesus. This incident adds weight to Jesus' statement that the one can love greater who has been forgiven for the greater sin.
The Lord is mindful of our frame and knows that we are but dust. You must not let sin fester in your heart. Confess it and accept His forgiveness.
PRAYER
· The Lord reigns and He forgives. Praise Him for His blessings on our behalf:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting
(Psalms 93:1-2).
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
· 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).
· As you confess your sins, pause and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your spiritual growth,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
May 1
Joshua 1
The people pledge their allegiance to Joshua's leadership.
INSIGHT
The genius of God's moral code is that everything He requires of us is for our own good. When we violate His code of life, we suffer harmful consequences.
Joshua's success is dependent upon not deviating from God's Law. God instructs Joshua to meditate on the Law day and night so "that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it" (1:8). When Joshua does according "to all that is written in it," then "[he] will make your way prosperous, and then [he] will have good success."
Anything less than obedience to God is not only disappointing to Him-it is self-destructive. There is more than one reason for faithfulness to His Word.
PRAYER
· As you think of the impact of the Word of God on your life, offer the Lord this praise:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker
(Psalms 95:1-3).
· Having offered Him your praise, now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
We look for light, but there is darkness! . . .
Our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them
(Isaiah 59:9).
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea
(Micah 7:19).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, come to Him with your concerns and desires:
· your spiritual growth,
· the fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· your activities for the day.
· 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;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace
(Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
May 2
Joshua 2
Rahab shelters two spies and helps them escape from the city of Jericho.
INSIGHT
God will meet any person, any time, any place. There are few people who seem to be further from the Lord than a harlot. Yet, in the course of her everyday life, Rahab finds herself keeping a divine appointment with two strangers in need and, in the process, meets with God.
The kind of risks Rahab takes will not be taken without a searching heart. In her own way, she takes a step of faith; God meets her. Her reward is not only eternal life, but also the honor of being included in the messianic lineage. Wherever you are in your life, God will meet you there.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise as you remember all He has done for you:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name
(Psalms 97:10-12).
· As you ponder the wondrous holiness of the Lord, pray this confession to Him as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool"
(Isaiah 1:18).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who will protect you:
When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-5).
:angel:
May 3
Joshua 3
God miraculously parts the Jordan River for the people of Israel to cross over.
INSIGHT
There are two times in history when God parts water for the Israelites-once at the Red Sea as they flee from the Egyptian army and again at the Jordan River as they enter the Promised Land.
The Red Sea experience receives more acclaim, but the Jordan River experience is just as miraculous. The water parts for a distance of almost 20 miles as the nation passes over on dry ground during the flood stage.
God is faithful to accomplish His good purposes for His people.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His goodness to all generations of those who love Him:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
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 to be feared above all gods
(Psalms 96:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You
(Psalms 51:10).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord, who has been good to you:
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, pray for:
· greater insight into the meaning of Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord who is goodness in Himself, and therefore the standard of goodness for all His creatures:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever
(Psalms 23:6).
:angel:
May 5
Joshua 6
The Lord fells the walls of Jericho.
INSIGHT
The Word of God often goes against all reason. Consider Joshua, a military strategist so brilliant that his campaigns are still studied today. He is standing afar, looking at the city of Jericho, pondering how to conquer it. The angel of the Lord appears to him saying, "Walk around the city several times and shout. That ought to do it!"
Can you imagine the response from the standpoint of military strategy? It is sheer nonsense. Yet it is a test of faith and obedience. Joshua believes and obeys, and the fallen walls are history.
PRAYER
· Offer praise to the Lord who fights mightily for His people:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His
glory. Amen and Amen
(Psalms 72:18-19).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater confidence in the Lord's power,
· revival to pour down on our spiritually parched land,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord who does everything according to His plan and purpose:
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will (Ephesians 1:4-5).
:angel:
May 6
Joshua 23
Nearing his death, Joshua charges the Israelites to be faithful to the Lord.
INSIGHT
After a brilliant career as Israel's leader, Joshua bids them farewell. He urges them not to allow themselves to be corrupted by the gods or people of the nations around them. Then Joshua encourages them that if they are faithful, "all the good things" of the Lord will come upon them (23:15); if they are not faithful, "the Lord will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land" (23:15).
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His faithfulness to all generations of those who obey Him:
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
(Psalms 145:1-5).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin: David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly" (2 Samuel 24:10).
· Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. . . . This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world" (John 6:47-48).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faith in God's providence,
· ministry leaders,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
May 7
Joshua 24
Joshua reviews Israel's history, charges them to serve the Lord, then dies at the age of 110.
INSIGHT
Joshua again gathers Israel to hear a review of their history and the good things God has done for them. He states the benefits and consequences of faithfulness and unfaithfulness. "If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (v. 15). Fortunately, the Israelites accept the challenge and agree to serve the Lord.
From time to time, the Lord may challenge us through various and unpredictable ways. When we drift from Him, when we get stale, or cease growing, the Lord will often bring a circumstance into our lives which forces us to choose whom we will serve. At those times, we must learn from the nation of Israel and choose to serve the Lord.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord cares enough about us to challenge us to total commitment, we praise Him:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalms 100:1-5).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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
(Psalms 139:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for other Christians,
· missions in Europe and Asia,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalms 31:24).
:angel:
May 8
Judges 1
The tribes of Israel do an inadequate job of vanquishing the aliens living in the Promised Land.
INSIGHT
The book of Judges is a pathetic chronicle of a weak and willful people. Soon after Joshua's death, the Israelites begin to fall short of the directives he gave them. They fail at the most crucial point and tolerate the presence of immoral idol worshipers among them. The story which follows is one of sexual immorality, murder, idolatry, corruption, and greed. The depths to which the Israelites plunge is truly disgusting- reminding us of the warnings given by Moses and Joshua.
Turning your back on God always has tragic consequences. When we read about the Israelites, their foolishness seems so clear. Yet when we are faced with temptations today, it doesn't seem so clear. We can learn from the past, however. The consequences can be just as grave for us. A wise man walks with the Lord and is saved.
PRAYER
· Because we can be delivered from bondage to sin, offer your praise for the Lord's goodness:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord
(Psalms 104:24).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He is despised and rejected by men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. . . .
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 53:3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your time,
· the president and national leaders,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
(Psalms 84:11-12).
:angel:
May 9
Judges 2
The Israelites begin worshipping Baal, a god of Canaan.
INSIGHT
There is a distinct pattern of events that begins to unfold in Judges. The children of Israel fall into sin and begin worshiping other gods. Sin is followed by servitude. The Lord causes other nations to rise up in judgment and enslave Israel.
Israel cries out to God for deliverance, and the Lord delivers them by raising up a judge to lead them to victory. Then the land has rest until that judge dies and the cycle begins again: sin, servitude, supplication, salvation, and silence. Sin is always followed by bondage. Repentance frees.
PRAYER
· Because God always honors our obedience to Him, we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more. . . .
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
(Psalms 104:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength"
(Isaiah 30:15).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom for living,
· the needs of your family,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing 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
(Psalms 19:14).
:angel:
May 10
Judges 6
Gideon is chosen to rule Israel.
INSIGHT
God takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them because of their devotion to Him. This is true in times of apostasy when God sometimes calls His mightiest servants from places of obscurity and gives them faith to believe Him. He works great deliverance through them.
This is certainly the case with Gideon who exclaims that he is from the weakest family in Manasseh and is the youngest in that family. Yet he is devoted to the Lord and, therefore, usable for God's purposes.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for the privilege of following Him fully:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name"
Selah
(Psalms 66:1-4).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalms 103:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now 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 (Romans 3:23-24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· growth in all areas of your life,
· fulfillment of the Great Commission,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
(Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
May 12
Judges 14
Samson desires a Philistine wife.
INSIGHT
Some people are strongly gifted and seem to see results, regardless of their personal worthiness. This is true of Samson. It is difficult to imagine a more unworthy vessel for the work of God. It is a challenge to decide if he carelessly disregards wisdom and the Word of God or whether his decision-making ability is somehow impaired. Nevertheless, in spite of his exceedingly foolish escapades, God uses him to bring judgment on the Philistines who have flaunted their hostility toward Jehovah.
PRAYER
· Give God praise that He uses His people even though we are all unworthy vessels:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
(Psalms 8:1-4).
· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing
(Jeremiah 10:23-24).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater appreciation of God's mercy,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom
(Psalms 90:12).
:angel:
May 13
Judges 15
Samson uses foxes to burn the Philistines' crops and kills 1,000 men.
INSIGHT
A list of the sins of Samson:
1. Fraternizing with pagans
2. Marrying an unbeliever
3. Disobeying his parents
4. Touching a dead animal
5. Murdering innocent people
6. Visiting a harlot
7. Lying
We are often tempted to disregard the truth. We weary of being good and fighting natural inclinations. But one look at Samson's life reveals the consequences of giving in to that weariness. We must wait on the Lord and have our strength renewed.
PRAYER
· Give praise to God that He forgives our sins and uses us to accomplish His purposes despite our iniquities:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works,
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalms 145:17-19).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalms 130:1-4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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
(Psalms 30:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater appreciation of God's mercy,
· a favorite ministry,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
As a seal upon your arm
(Song of Solomon 8:6).
:angel:
May 14
Judges 16
Samson is subdued and later dies in his final act of resistance.
INSIGHT
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7). Samson's lustful foolishness finally catches up with him, and in a profound example of bad judgment, he discloses the secret of his strength to a woman who had betrayed him repeatedly.
He violates his Nazarite vow, and all his power leaves him. His eyes are gouged out and he dies, not avenging the Lord against the Philistines but avenging the loss of his own eyes. It is a heartbreaking conclusion to a life that is tragic-tragic not only because of what it was, but even more for what it could have been.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord and give Him your praise. By His grace, we can escape consequences similar to those Samson experienced by living for Him:
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
(Psalms 111:1).
· 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. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for the lost,
· mission work in Africa,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now 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).
:angel:
May 15
Ruth 1
A Jewess, Naomi, and her two daughters-in-law lose their husbands.
INSIGHT
In Ruth, we see one of the most stirring examples of loyalty in the Bible. In spite of Naomi's urgings to the contrary, Ruth stays with her, looking not for personal fulfillment or material comfort but longing merely to maintain the relationship with one whom she loves. This loyalty comes from a pure heart, and it is not surprising that it extends not just to Naomi but also to the Lord.
In stark contrast to Samson, Ruth's selflessness leads to beauty, fulfillment, and seeking the good of others. We should take instruction for our own lives and live as Ruth, not as Samson.
PRAYER
· Because we can have the beauty of the Lord in our lives, give thanks and praise to Him:
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised. . . .
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? . . .
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalms 113:2-3).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord;
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me
(Psalms 40:11-12).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· faithfulness with your talents,
· your state and local leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25).
:angel:
May 16
Ruth 2
Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem in hopes of fostering a livelihood.
INSIGHT
When Boaz, a noble and godly man, hears of Ruth's noble and godly actions, he is moved with appreciation for the kind of person she is.
When he finds her gleaning in his fields, he bestows kindnesses on her. Ruth asks why he should take notice of her since she is a foreigner. Boaz replies that it is because of all that she has done for Naomi. The way we live our everyday lives communicates a "life message" to others. When we live for the Lord, that message is a beacon of light to others.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord for His sovereignty and for the fact that He works His will regardless of the failures of His children:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord! (Psalms 106:1-3).
· Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalms 51:7-9).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the renewing of your mind,
· the needs of your extended family,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· 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!
(Psalms 103:21-22).
:angel:
May 17
Ruth 3
Boaz, a close relative of Naomi, agrees to marry Ruth.
INSIGHT
The custom in the Old Testament is that when a relative dies without leaving a male heir, the next nearest relative marries the surviving spouse to preserve the family name and property rights. Naomi thinks Boaz is the next of kin; therefore, there is nothing forward in Ruth's actions. Boaz exercises admirable restraint, knowing that there is closer kin. His concern for Ruth's good name again shows his nobility of character, for he is surely attracted to Ruth already.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who renews our strength when we wait on Him:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth
(Psalms 108:1-5).
· Pause for personal 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
(Psalms 69:5-6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· the Lord's leading in your life,
· opportunities for evangelism,
· your activities for the day.
· 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).
:angel:
May 19
1 Samuel 1
God gives a child to Hannah and Elkanah, after Hannah's years of praying for a son.
INSIGHT
The grief of being childless drives Hannah to God. In Him, she finds her only resource for consolation.
Even though children may cry when they are taken to a doctor by their parents, they still trust their parents in spite of fear and pain. Similarly we must still trust and cling to the Lord even though we do not understand why He does not deliver us from our pain. Just as children will someday understand about the doctor, we will someday understand about the pain.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who will one day make all things in heaven and on earth right:
With righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat. . . .
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea
(Isaiah 11:4-6).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession 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
(Psalms 51:1).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faith in the Lord,
· a world-wide revival,
· your activities for the day,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
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).
:angel:
May 20
1 Samuel 2
Hannah dedicates Samuel to the service of the Lord.
INSIGHT
We rarely give God sufficient thanks and praise for the things He does for us, and we rarely give Him adequate worship for who He is and for His significant answers to prayer.
By contrast, notice Hannah's song of thanksgiving. She prays earnestly for a child, and when the Lord gives her one, she expresses her gratitude in full-blown poetic praise. Her response is fitting for the gift.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord is so merciful to us, we give Him heartfelt praise and thanksgiving with the psalmist:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The Lord has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God
(Psalms 98:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:11-13).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater thankfulness to the Lord,
· unsaved family members,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
A day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness
(Psalms 84:10).
:angel:
May 21
1 Samuel 3
The Lord speaks directly to Samuel, and all Israel recognizes Samuel as a prophet.
INSIGHT
For all the glory of speaking directly with the Lord, Samuel is given a very difficult task: He must deliver to Eli a troubling message from the Lord. With a pure heart and nothing to gain or lose by the encounter, Samuel tells Eli the truth.
We too must sometimes confront people with truth, knowing that the truth will hurt. Ephesians 4:15 instructs us to speak the truth in love. Speaking the truth without love is destructive.
Samuel's example is a difficult one but a good one. Like Samuel, we can only fulfill such a task if our hearts are pure and we do not manipulate the situation for our own benefit.
PRAYER
· Because we can know the truth and the truth can set us free, offer your praise to the Lord:
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
(Psalms 145:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer
(Isaiah 54:7-8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for your family,
· the work of missions in North and South America,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
May 22
1 Samuel 8
Israel demands a king from the Lord.
INSIGHT
The Lord intends to rule Israel by theocracy, which means that God will rule through a man who will be His spokesman. In rejecting this method, the Israelites are not rejecting Samuel but God. To be sure there is a problem with Samuel's sons not walking after the Lord, but rather than ask God for another theocratic administrator, they demand a monarchy. In seeking to correct a legitimate problem, they make matters worse because their motives are wrong. They have a selfish desire for a king like the nations around them.
When we see legitimate problems, we must be careful that we do not demand wrong solutions. There is no substitute for pure motives when it comes to problem solving.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because we need not fear His solutions to problems:
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness. . . .
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
(Psalms 145:6-9).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart-
These, O God, You will not despise
(Psalms 51:16-17).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater faithfulness with your finances,
· revival among Christians in America,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
May 23
1 Samuel 9
God instructs Samuel to anoint Saul as the first king over Israel.
INSIGHT
The sovereignty of God is a difficult concept to keep in balance. Often we find ourselves making too much or too little of it.
It is true, however, that many of the events in our lives, which seem to come at random with no significance, are actually events that the Lord is using to orchestrate His purpose in our lives.
For example, Saul goes looking for donkeys and ends up discovering that he will be king of Israel. We should always bathe our daily activities in prayer, for we never know what the Lord might be preparing for us.
PRAYER
· Even though you may be in pain, praise the Lord that He loves you and cares for you:
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments
(Psalms 112:1).
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalms 123:1-2).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him, "Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips"
(Hosea 14:1-2).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in decision making,
· the needs of personal friends,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered
(Psalms 40:5).
:angel:
May 24
1 Samuel 10
Samuel publicly introduces Saul to the nation of Israel.
INSIGHT
Leadership is at the same time a blessing and a curse. Leaders like to have the allegiance and esteem of their followers, but such is rarely the case. Inherent in humanity are differences of opinion, and those differences cause some to be for certain leadership and against other leadership.
The day Saul is presented as king over Israel, a faction of "worthless men" grumble against him. If you are in a position of leadership, you should not be insensitive to dissension, but you must also realize that you will never make all the people happy all the time.
PRAYER
· Use the following psalm to express your gratitude and praise to the Lord for all He has done for you:
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. . . .
I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places. . . .
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord!
(Psalms 135:1).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise
(Psalms 51:14-15).
· Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels" (Revelation 3:5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· spiritual victory over temptation,
· opportunities to serve the Lord,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
:angel:
May 26
1 Samuel 16
David is anointed to be king.
INSIGHT
David is indeed an outstanding individual. As a teenager, he is known to be "skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him" (v. 18). In each of these things, David is not just lucky. David works hard at all the things for which he is known, including the fact that "the Lord is with him."
Each of us has been given talents and abilities. Like David, if we are to achieve our God-given potential, we must be slaves to the things that advance those abilities.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord that we are the objects of His tender mercies and powerful leading:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalms 119:65-68).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us
(Psalms 123:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater trust in God's sovereignty,
· the spiritual condition of our national leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalms 90:14).
:angel:
May 27
1 Samuel 17
Goliath the Philistine challenges Israel's army.
INSIGHT
When God goes to war, there are no accidents. Just as He uses Gideon and an army of only 300 to rout the Midianite army that was "without number," so He uses a boy with a slingshot to rout the Philistine army. In 2 Chronicles 18:33, "a certain man drew a bow at random," but it "struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor." There are no accidents when God goes to war.
We can take comfort in this fact in relationship to the spiritual warfare in which we all find ourselves. The obstacles may seem insurmountable. But if we are on God's side, no foe is too great.
PRAYER
· Offer to the Lord this psalm of praise as you rejoice in the power He uses in controlling the events of history:
We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
You drove out the nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.
For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand,
Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
Because You favored them
(Psalms 44:1-4).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long?
(Psalms 6:1-3).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me
(Psalms 138:7).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater courage in the midst of trials,
· your pastor,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands
(Psalms 138:8).
:angel:
May 28
2 Samuel 5
After many years of delay, David assumes Israel's throne.
INSIGHT
Earlier, Samuel had anointed David-then a young, inexperienced boy-to be king over Israel. Fourteen years elapsed between Samuel's anointing and the time when David actually assumes the rule over all of Israel.
Instead of luxuriating in the royal palace during these years, David runs from cave to cave, trying to escape from Saul who is bent on killing him. But it is these difficult experiences that build into David the strength of character, the convictions, the sensitivity to right and wrong, and the vision to be a great king.
Even for us today, the road to transformation always goes through the tunnel of trials.
PRAYER
· Because the Lord uses the difficult times to create Christlikeness in our lives, we can praise Him for all things:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever
(Psalms 145:17-19).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain
(Psalms 127:1).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater love for others,
· the work of missions in the Middle East, the islands, and Australia,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11).
:angel:
May 29
2 Samuel 7
David prepares for building a temple, but God tells him that David's son will build it.
INSIGHT
With all his heart, David wants to build the temple of God. Yet because David is a man of war, God reserves that privilege for David's son Solomon, whose very name means "peace."
While David cannot actually build the temple, he does draw the plans and begins amassing the materials. And Solomon's job is much easier because of David's work.
In fact, the Lord commends David's deep desire to build the temple even though he is not permitted to do so (see 2 Chronicles 6:8.)
There may be things in your heart that you would like to do for God that you cannot do. Even so, it is good that it is in your heart to want to do them.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord that He rewards us because of our motives:
"Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify
Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested"
(Revelation 15:3-4).
One cried to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!"
(Isaiah 6:3).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
· 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, pray for:
· faithfulness in sharing Christ,
· the Lord's work in world affairs,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this 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).
:angel:
May 30
2 Samuel 11
David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his loyal commanders.
INSIGHT
There is greater pain in sin than in righteousness. David clearly loves Bathsheba. Certainly, it would have pained him had he turned his heart away from her before having relations with her. But that pain is nothing compared to the pain he brings on himself and others by taking her as his own. Adultery, murder, the death of their child, the loss of respect, and the memory of the guilt were some of the results of his sin.
It is sometimes painful to do the right thing, but it is always more painful to do the wrong thing.
PRAYER
· Praise the Lord because He fulfills our lives by giving us talents and abilities to develop:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalms 150:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me (Jeremiah 33:8).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord
(Lamentations 3:25-26).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· your development of an eternal perspective,
· your personal spiritual goals,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).
:angel:
May 31
2 Samuel 12
The prophet Nathan openly rebukes David and stirs him to repent.
INSIGHT
When Nathan comes to accuse David of adultery and murder, it is well within David's power to shout: "Off with his head!" But David does not issue that order. Instead, his heart breaks. The horror and magnitude of his sin is incalculable, but it is to David's credit that he immediately repents. Rather than resisting repentance because we feel we don't deserve forgiveness, we should do as David did-repent that very instant.
PRAYER
· Give praise and thanks to the Lord for giving us victory over the world:
Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due,
For among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You. . . .
The Lord is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation
(Jeremiah 10:6-7).
· Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater personal discipline,
· persecuted Christians worldwide,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
June 2
1 Kings 2
David charges Solomon with the urgency of living for the Lord.
INSIGHT
Parts of the Old Testament tax our understanding and our acceptance.
First, we do not understand much about Judaism, the Law, and Old Testament
culture and customs. Second, many of the events are violations of God's desires-though that is not explained to us. And finally, God deals with men differently in the Old Testament than in the New Testament.
While not all things are easily explained, in chapter 2, Solomon takes vengeance only upon all those people who had already committed acts that were punishable by death. This doesn't answer every problem we might have with this difficult chapter, but it is a beginning.
PRAYER
· The Lord will guard and care for those who want to follow Him with their whole heart:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears
(Psalms 34:1-4).
· Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord answered Job, and said:
"Shall the one who contends with the
Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it."
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
"Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth"
(Job 40:1-4).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him" (John 6:27).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a friend to believe in Christ,
· greater understanding and love for God's Word,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned (Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
June 3
1 Kings 1
God grants Solomon wisdom.
INSIGHT
Solomon's heart is manifested by the purity of his prayer. He could have asked for a long life; he could have asked for riches and honor. But instead Solomon asks simply for wisdom. What an honest and unselfish prayer.
Being honest with God is not as easy as we might think. We all tend to live life with masks on-behind which the real "us" hides-to make a better impression on people.
How foolish! God sees behind the mask-as do most people. We can learn from Solomon. God is pleased with honest, transparent prayers.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord for His wisdom to all generations of those who love Him:
Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord
(Jeremiah 9:23-24).
· 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.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer
(Psalms 19:12-14).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the all-wise Lord:
In you, O Christ, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (based on Colossians 2:3).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· greater wisdom in your daily life,
· wisdom for political leaders,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
:angel:
June 4
1 Kings 4
Solomon's fame spreads throughout the world.
INSIGHT
To understand the significance of Solomon's wealth, power, and wisdom, we must go back to Deuteronomy 28, where God outlined the consequences for Israel's obedience and disobedience. During the latter part of David's reign and the early part of Solomon's reign, Israel follows the Lord in righteousness for a longer period of time than any other. The results are a greater blessing than at any other time in Israel's history.
It is a glaring and tragic reality that shortly after Solomon's reign, Israel follows her kings in unrighteousness, and the curses in Deuteronomy begin to come about. The welfare of Israel is always related to her righteousness.
PRAYER
· Offer your praise to the Lord who is holy and in whose holiness we can share:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
· Pray this confession as you 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
(Psalms 32:1-2).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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
(Psalms 13:5-6).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater love for fellow Christians,
· mission work in Europe and Asia,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord :
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord
(Psalms 31:24).
:angel:
June 7
1 Kings 7
King Hiram of Tyre supplies artisans and craftsmen to finalize the glorious temple.
INSIGHT
Not only is the work of the temple designed to reflect the splendor and glory of God, but also the layout of the temple is designed to reflect His work in atoning for our sin. The bronze laver, the candlesticks, the tables of showbread, the Holy of Holies-all are designed to picture for us the atoning work of Christ. All this is in keeping with what Paul wrote in Romans 15:4: "Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."
PRAYER
· The Lord knows us totally and loves us completely, and for this we offer Him our praise:
Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation" (Luke 1:46-50).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalms 25:6-7).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:9-11).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater insight into Scripture,
· the hungry around the world,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever (Psalms 23:6).
:angel:
June 9
1 Kings 9
The Lord reiterates His promise to bless Israel for faithfulness and to judge her for sin.
INSIGHT
Three things happen when Israel lives in a righteous relationship with the Lord. First, God is glorified. Second, Israel is blessed, receiving the fullness of life for which she longs. Third, the unsaved world is drawn to want to know God because of the magnificent picture they see of Him.
Because so much hinges on Israel's standing before God, the Lord makes it clear to her how serious her position is. If she will trust and obey Him, He will bless Israel forever. However, if she lives in sin, He will utterly destroy her.
PRAYER
· Give the Lord praise for His perfect and holy justice and goodness:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
(Psalms 100:4-5).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· a stronger desire to be obedient to God's commands,
· our nation's military personnel,
· your activities for the day.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the waters
(Psalms 24:1-2).
:angel:
June 10
1 Kings 10
The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon.
INSIGHT
Solomon leads Israel in righteousness, and God pours out His blessing on the nation to such an extent that the reports of Israel's prosperity spread throughout the world. The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon because she cannot believe the reports she has been hearing. After Solomon meets with her and shows her around Jerusalem, she is overwhelmed.
The blessing of Israel is to draw attention to the God of Israel. Today as the Lord blesses us spiritually for our faithfulness to Him, attention will be drawn, not to us, but to the Lord.
PRAYER
· Thank the Lord that He still does marvelous things through His people-things that make the world stand up and take notice:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalms 95:1-3).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips
(Isaiah 6:5).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord who blesses the work of His people:
God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
· greater faithfulness in evangelism,
· the church's impact on the world,
· whatever else is on your heart.
· Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned (Revelation 11:17).
:angel:
June 11
1 Kings 11
Solomon takes wives from (and makes allegiances with) foreigners, and God judges him.
INSIGHT
Not long after the Lord reminds Solomon of the blessings of obedience and the cataclysmic consequences of disobedience, Solomon disobeys. After taking foreign wives who turn his heart from the Lord, Solomon begins to worship Ashtoreth and builds a "high place" of worship for Chemosh and Molech, detestable pagan gods. True to His word, the Lord raises up an adversary, Hadad, to plague Solomon. God's purpose is not to punish. He wants the adversity to turn Solomon's heart back to Him. When you suffer adversity, examine yourself to see if there is sin in your life. That is not always true, but it is something to which we must be sensitive.
PRAYER
Bless the Lord and praise Him for His goodness because He forgives our sin:
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11).
You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You,
nor is there any God besides You, according to all
that we have heard with our ears (2 Samuel 7:22).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face
to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads,
and our guilt has grown up to the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus,
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the Scripture says,
"Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 10:9-11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:6).
:angel:
June 12
1 Kings 12
After Solomon's death, Rehoboam splits the kingdom.
INSIGHT
Because Solomon drifts from the Lord during the latter part of his reign, he does not leave to his successor a healthy, vibrant nation. Israel struggles for moral and political leadership. Rehoboam inherits the throne but places foolish and inordinate financial demands on the nation on the heels of what Solomon had demanded—to build the temple and his palace. The people rebel and the nation divides. The northern part of the kingdom (Israel) follows after Jeroboam while Rehoboam retains control over the southern part (Judah); neither man leads the nation in righteousness and the disintegration that began with Solomon continues. Sin is taking its toll. It always does.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that when we confess our sin, He removes the eternal penalty:
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 personal praise and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled
(Psalm 6:1-3).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God
(Romans 5:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your talents
-- Your state and local leaders
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
June 13
1 Kings 17
After Elijah prophesies drought, the Lord hides him and later uses him to heal a child.
INSIGHT
Drought is a devastating natural disaster, and when it comes to the children of Israel, it does not come by accident. It is always divine judgment. From the beginning of his reign, Ahab, who is king when Elijah begins his ministry, violates the Lord's name. He encourages idolatry and the worship of Baal, a pagan god. He "did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him" (1 Kings 16:30). Elijah's name means "Jehovah is my strength," and the Lord sets about to prove the significance of Elijah's name as He brings judgment on Israel and destroys the worshipers of Baal.
PRAYER
The Lord longs to bless us. Offer Him your praise for His goodness and mercy:
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).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
-- Your activities for the day
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).
:angel:
June 14
1 Kings 19
Elijah flees from Jezebel, and the Lord ministers to him after saving him.
INSIGHT
On the heels of the stupendous victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah falls into despair. He fears for his own life in the face of Jezebel's threat and flees to a lonely mountain for safety—to lick his wounds and mourn his fate. How shameful that this great prophet would call down fire from heaven one day and flee for his life the next. We all have feet of clay. Notice though that God does not berate him. Rather, He ministers to him quietly, restoring his spirit and strength. Then God calls Elijah back into His service again. God cares when we are hurt and discouraged and gently calls us to Himself for new strength.
PRAYER
Offer to the Lord your praise for His lovingkindness on your behalf:
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name
(Psalm 63:3-4).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day
(Psalm 25:4-5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater passion for moral excellence
-- The ministry of Christian educational institutions
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).
:angel:
June 16
2 Kings 1
The Lord sends Elijah to inform Ahaziah that he will die.
INSIGHT
Ahab and Jezebel have become famous for their irreverence and disregard for the Law of the Lord. Yet Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, goes beyond them in his blatant disregard for the Lord. After an accident, he inquires of Baal-Zebub, the pagan god of Ekron, whether or not he will recover. Elijah informs the messengers that Ahaziah will die. No longer afraid, Elijah has been strengthened from his previous failure. We must always look at failure as an opportunity to grow.
PRAYER
God often uses our hard times to refine us into the people He wants us to be. Give Him your praise for His care:
You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes
(Psalm 119:65-68).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord
(Psalm 25:6-7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater trust in God's leading in your life
-- The ministry of your local church
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 8:38-39).
:angel:
June 17
2 Kings 2
The Lord takes Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind.
INSIGHT
Miracles don't permeate the entire Bible. They tend to be concentrated during the times of Moses, the prophets, and Jesus. They occur other times as well, but these are the times of greatest concentration; and Elijah and Elisha represent one of the strongest periods. In our lives today, God seems rather inactive in comparison. Yet that is not because He is unable to act-but rather because He has chosen not to act in the same way. The power is still there, and we can rest in the confidence that He still has all things under control.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord who possesses power to do all things He desires:
O Lord, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.
A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
When the wicked spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever
(Psalm 92:5-7).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy
(Habakkuk 3:2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord who loves you:
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- Contentment in God's providence
-- Opportunities for watching God work
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).
:angel:
June 23
2 Kings 18
Hezekiah institutes a reign of righteousness.
INSIGHT
It is wonderful that such a wicked man as Ahaz had such a righteous son as Hezekiah. It is difficult to stand against moral disintegration—especially when it is all around you and generally accepted. It is also likely the fall of the Northern Kingdom is a great incentive to root out idolatry. God richly rewards Hezekiah for his moral courage and leadership, demonstrating the validity of 2 Chronicles 16:9: "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."
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He richly blesses those who seek to follow Him with all their heart:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
I opened my mouth and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.
Look upon me and be merciful to me,
As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.
Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
(Psalm 119:129-133)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
(Psalm 138:7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- A heart more tender to the things of the Lord
-- The work of a specific ministry that has had an impact on your life
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
(Psalm 121:8)
:angel:
June 24
2 Kings 19
When Sennacherib attacks Jerusalem, Hezekiah calls upon the Lord.
INSIGHT
In spite of all the trouble that comes upon Israel and Judah, God wants to bless them. It is only as He is blessing them that His desire for the world is advanced. All that is needed is obedience. Hezekiah demonstrates just how quickly everything can turn around. He is looking into the jaws of an Assyrian military machine one minute, and the Assyrians are routed the next. God is not reluctant to bless us. But we must be sure we are eligible by being faithful to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord; for He controls the universe and does all things for our good:
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, "Glory!"
The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.
(Psalm 29:5-11)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Now, therefore," says the Lord,
"Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
(Joel 2:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faith in God's goodness
-- Those who've never heard the Gospel
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this prayer to the Lord:
Jesus, You are the door. If anyone enters by You, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (based on John 10:9).
:angel:
June 25
2 Kings 20
In answer to Hezekiah's prayer, the Lord extends his life.
INSIGHT
Hezekiah's contribution to our lives is probably very great. We read of his zeal for the house of Jehovah and for the worship of Jehovah and of his strict adherence to the Davidic traditions (2 Chronicles 29:3-19; 20-27; 30). His delight is in the Word of Jehovah. In 2 Chronicles 31:21, we read of the "work" which Hezekiah began "in the law and in the commandment." Apparently he formed a guild of men for this devout literary work. These "men of Hezekiah" evidently included Isaiah (2 Kings 19:2) and also had a hand in shaping the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 25:1). What a contribution this ancient one has made to our lives today!
PRAYER
The Lord's dominion is forever, and we can praise Him that He never changes:
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 personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
(Psalm 51:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for others
-- The work of missions in Australia
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
June 26
2 Kings 25
God judges Judah by allowing Nebuchadnezzar to capture Jerusalem.
INSIGHT
Judah has a total of 20 kings after Solomon. Only eight of them give moral and spiritual leadership. And as the king goes, so goes the nation. As a result, God has to bring judgment on Israel. The ghastly succession of horrors promised for disobedience in Deuteronomy 28–and reiterated to Solomon in 1 Kings 9—begins to unfold. "I will cast (Israel) out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples" (1 Kings 9:7). Nebuchadnezzar besieges and captures Jerusalem, transports her main people to Babylonia, robs her treasury, and violates worship in the temple. Sin has a terrible price.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that we can be spared from His judgment on sin:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
(Psalm 63:1-2)
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:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases.
(Psalm 103:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The Lord's work in national and world affairs
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
June 27
1 Chronicles 17
God promises David that He will propagate David's lineage forever.
INSIGHT
David is described as a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). It is difficult for us to accept that statement when David is guilty of lying, adultery, murder, and other indiscretions. However, to be a man after God's own heart means that David wants the same things God wants. His noble desires and intentions are overruled several times by his passions; but when David's senses are restored and he repents of his sin, again his heart beats after God's desires. We may not be as bad as David in his bad moments, but are we as good as David in his good moments? Do our hearts beat after God?
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord that He is eager to bless our righteous acts:
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)
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
(Psalm 7:17)
Pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me
(Psalm 51:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
He also has become my salvation"
(Isaiah 12:2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- An increased eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Grace, mercy, and peace [be to you] from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).
:angel:
June 30
2 Chronicles 35
The Passover, unobserved for years, is reinstated.
INSIGHT
Abraham Lincoln once said, "A man's about as happy as he makes up his mind to be." That may be an oversimplification; yet it states a basic truth: Often we must consciously decide what we want to become. Those who grow spiritually are those who have made a conscious decision to pursue spiritual things. Josiah, one of the great kings of Judah, is a strong reformer who tries to lead the nation in righteousness. In 2 Chronicles 34:31, we read: "The king . . . made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul." Have you ever made the decision to follow the Lord with your whole heart?
PRAYER
As He is a God both of power and compassion, we offer Him our praise:
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;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it, . ..
The host of heaven worships You.
(Nehemiah 9:5-6)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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.
(Psalm 34:17-18)
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- A stronger desire to be like Christ
-- The ministry of our nation's churches
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
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 3:20-21).
:angel:
July 1
Ezra 1
The Lord prompts the king of Persia to rebuild the temple.
INSIGHT
The Bible says that God "removes kings and raises up kings" (Daniel 2:21) and that "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord" (Proverbs 21:1). We see a classic example of these truths in the book of Ezra. The Israelites are taken captive by the Babylonians for 70 years. During that time, the Babylonians are conquered by Persia. Then the Lord moves in the heart of the king of Persia to orchestrate the return of the Jews to Jerusalem. God is in control. Bad things will still happen; we live in a fallen world. But God is in control and history is moving toward His end. The ultimate needs of His children are met, and we have the promise of eternal life. Beyond that, we must cling to the fact that we are pilgrims, sojourners to another world—heaven, where our true citizenship lies.
PRAYER
As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this praise:
Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!
(Psalm 106:1-3)
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.
(Psalm 130:1-4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to God:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:4-6).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
-- Health and strength to serve Him
-- His will to be done
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
July 2
Ezra 3
The priests restore the altar and worship of the Lord.
INSIGHT
The basis of most discontent is comparison. We could be happy with our cars if the neighbors didn't have better ones. We would be satisfied with our houses if they were as nice as everyone else's. Yet, were we to have our present possessions in Africa, we would be considered rich. Once our basic needs are met, the issue is not "how are we," but rather, "how are we compared to how everyone else is." When the foundation of the new temple is laid, the new generation rejoices at the work of God; but the older generation laments that the new temple is not as impressive as the old one. We should be content with what God has chosen to give us and not make comparisons. He is rich who rejoices in his portion.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for what He has given you, and rejoice in your portion:
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only.
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
(Psalm 71:15-17)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this prayer:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . .
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous spirit.
(Psalm 51:10, 12)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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:
-- That others might see Christ in you
-- That the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers into His harvest
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing 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).
:angel:
July 3
Ezra 4
The king orders a halt to the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
There is a common misconception in the Christian world that if you are doing the Lord's will, you will not suffer hardships for it. The example of the Jews rebuilding the temple certainly does not support that supposition. The Lord clearly intends for them to rebuild the temple, yet they suffer opposition the entire time. It is not necessarily a sign of God's displeasure when work begun for Him fails. There may be other reasons for the failure, which are hidden in His sovereignty. That is why it is so important to be in fellowship with Him. If something we are doing fails, we have confidence that it is not because of our sin, but His sovereignty.
PRAYER
Because He faithfully loves you, faithfully praise Him and thank Him for your many blessings:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
(Psalm 72:18-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession:
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:13-14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
(Psalm 119:67, 71)
God yearns to hear His children's desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Spiritual growth
-- Fulfillment of the Great Commission
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
(Psalm 23:6)
:angel:
July 4
Ezra 6
The original decree is found, and permission is given to complete the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
It is often darkest before the dawn. Just as it looks as if the work on the temple is going to be stopped, the Lord turns the situation around. Not only is permission given to complete the temple, but those who had tried to stop the work are required to finance the remainder of the restoration! Worrying does little to further the work of God; He is quite capable of accomplishing His work. Our work is trust, obedience, and faithfulness to our responsibilities.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His watchfulness over your circumstances, and thank Him for being in total control of your life:
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.
(Psalm 18:1-3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
God desires to hear the petitions of His people. As you make you requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment in the circumstances of your life,
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace."
(Numbers 6:24-25)
:angel:
July 7
Nehemiah 2
Nehemiah requests the king's help in rebuilding Jerusalem.
INSIGHT
Nehemiah comes before the king unable to conceal his agitation over the situation in Jerusalem. When we are faced with situations that need change, preparation is vital. We may not be able to do anything about it at the moment, but we can ask ourselves this question: "If it lay within our power to do anything we wanted to do, what would we do?" If we can answer that, then we will recognize opportunity when it knocks, and we can capitalize on it as Nehemiah does.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is concerned about the details of your life and is ready to fulfill your every need:
The Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
(Psalm 1:6)
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)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil (Ecclesiastes 5:1).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Boldness in sharing Christ with others
-- The innocent victims in war-torn lands
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
:angel:
July 8
Nehemiah 4
The work on the city wall is ridiculed by those opposing it.
INSIGHT
It is difficult to do any work when we are strongly opposed. We begin to doubt the validity of the task or our ability to perform it. When we are assailed for doing God's work, we must evaluate the source of opposition. We cannot assume opposition means that God is against us. While it is of little value to blame the devil for everything that goes wrong, the Bible makes it clear that spiritual opposition is a reality in the work of God. If we suspect spiritual opposition, we must oppose the enemy, remain at the task at hand, and redouble our prayers!
PRAYER
Praise God that He has given us instruction for life in the Bible and through the Holy Spirit:
"My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation."
(1 Samuel 2:1)
Pause for additional praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. . . God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. (1Thessalonians 4:1-2, 7-8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God. . . .
He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
For by strength no man shall prevail."
(1 Samuel 2:2, 9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Diligence in our work in spite of obstacles
-- Wisdom in making decisions
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
The blessings of your father
Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
(Genesis 49:25-26)
:angel:
July 9
Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah stops the internal mistreatment among the Jews by force of example.
INSIGHT
The prospects for some of the returned exiles are bleak. There are deficient rains and poor harvests. As a result, the farmers mortgage their lands to their wealthier brethren and, in extreme cases, sell their children into slavery to pay the king's taxes. The rich Jews, rather than helping out, are capitalizing on the situation to line their own pockets. This is inexcusable! Few things bring on more reproach to the cause of the Lord than the worldliness and hard-heartedness of those who claim to follow Him. Unselfish dedication to the common welfare of others in Christ is our spiritual obligation.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves each of us equally and accepts our welfare as His obligation, we praise Him:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.
(Psalm 93:1-2)
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
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 53:5)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 love for fellow Christians
-- Missions in Europe and Asia
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
July 10
Nehemiah 6
The work on the wall is completed.
INSIGHT
Nehemiah resists the efforts of the adversaries to discourage him or distract him from working on the wall. He is convinced that he is doing the right thing, and he steadfastly resists the interference. The Old Testament often has a literal illustration of a spiritual truth that is explained in the New Testament. In Ephesians 6:11, we read that we are to "put on the whole armor of God": the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Once these are in place, we "resist"—"stand firm!"
PRAYER
Praise God for victory in spiritual warfare as we use His armor:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
O come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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 53:6)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- The president and world affairs
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing 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)
:angel:
July 11
Nehemiah 8
The people gather at the square to hear Ezra, who reads the Law publicly.
INSIGHT
No one appreciates a glass of water like a man who is truly thirsty. It takes deprivation to appreciate the significance of our blessings. That is why the Christian life is not always easy—with blessings flowing unabated. We get dull and stale to it—just as we do when we have too much food and too little exercise. We are indeed blessed to have the Word of God in such abundance. The returning Jews have never heard the Word, and they are truly thirsty. They stand — from dawn till dusk — and drink it in. To appreciate the Word in your life, imagine not having it at all.
PRAYER
Give the Lord your praise, because He knows us and loves us and will never leave or forsake us:
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
(Psalm 97:10-12)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
(1 Corinthians 2:9)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
July 14
Esther 2
Esther wins the king's favor and is chosen to become queen.
INSIGHT
Abraham, Moses, David, and Esther are all living lives of obscurity when God chooses them. He uses them for great things because they are faithful to Him in the little things. While not all of us are destined to do incredible things in the eyes of man, greatness in the eyes of God is simply being faithful to Him the best way we know how. God has not forgotten about us; His eye is on us. And He will use us—even if only in seemingly "small" ways.
PRAYER
Thank God that we do not need to be born into a wealthy family or attain a place of prestige to be used by Him. Praise God that He uses ordinary people to do His extraordinary work:
As for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.
(Psalm 5:7-8)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
(Psalm 5:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
(Psalm 5:4-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment in the place God has led you to
-- Patience in serving others
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
(Psalm 5:11-12)
:angel:
July 15
Esther 3
Haman deceives the king into signing an edict that would kill all the Jews.
INSIGHT
Man's inhumanity to man over the ages has been astounding. Some of the acts of violence and degradation have defied comprehension. In this vein, Haman hatches a savage and inhumane plot against the Jews to have them annihilated—men, women, and children. King Ahasuerus also has a monstrous mind, willing to sanction such savagery without question. When sin progresses to such extremes, we see just how repulsive it is.
PRAYER
God continually watches over His children. Thank Him for His protection:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1-2)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to God:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
(Psalm 19:7-11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The political leaders of your country
-- Graciousness in speech
-- The needs of family members
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
July 16
Esther 4
Esther learns of the plot to kill the Jews and plans to intercede.
INSIGHT
"I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" (4:16). Those are not the words of someone being melodramatic; they are the words of a realist who accurately assesses the situation. By law, no one can go into the presence of the king unless invited; to do so means execution. If the king chooses to extend grace to the person, he offers his scepter, whereupon the subject is to kneel and touch the top of the scepter. Esther has no idea what Ahasuerus will do. He deposed Vashti with a clap of his hands; he signed the edict to kill the Jews without asking a question. Though she has no other choice, Esther's decision still takes great courage.
PRAYER
Our courage comes from confidence in God who loves us, and for this, we give Him our praise:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 104:1-2, 35)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
(Isaiah 59:9)
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them.
(Psalm 41:10)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:15-16).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for non-Christians
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Those who are persecuted for their faith
Now close with this prayer:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).
:angel:
July 18
Esther 6
Haman must honor Mordecai with acts which Haman himself suggested.
INSIGHT
Very few things in the Bible are actually funny. However, taken in isolation, chapter 6 of Esther is probably the funniest event in the Bible. The king asks Haman what he thinks is a good way to honor someone. Haman thinks to himself, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?" (6:6). Then he tells the king what he, Haman, would like to have done for himself. The king then responds by telling Haman to do that for Mordecai. The irony is overwhelming—the humor irrepressible. The wrath of man is made to praise God.
PRAYER
God is a God of power and glory, yet He loves to call us His own. Praise Him for His love for us:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
(Psalm 108:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this prayer:
"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me" (Jeremiah 33:8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:8).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater wisdom in decision making
-- The needs of friends
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
July 21
Esther 9
With the king's permission, the Jews are allowed to protect themselves.
INSIGHT
National salvation is culminated for the Jews. When the fateful day arrives, the Jews throughout the empire stand on the defense. In the provinces, 75,000 of their assailants fall—500 of them in the capital of Susa alone. Among these are the 10 sons of Haman. A divine purpose runs through all human governments and events; and as God exalted Mordecai to honor and glory, so will He work for those who love Him. And so, ultimately, will He put all enemies under His feet.
PRAYER
God is far more powerful than any earthly leader. Thank Him that His power is tempered with righteousness and compassion:
The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
(Psalm 10:16-18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,
Who have said,
"With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?"
(Psalm 12:3-4)
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)
Our heavenly Father loves to communicate with His children. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Wisdom for your church leaders
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! (2 Timothy 4:18).
:angel:
August 5
Ecclesiastes 12
The pursuit of temporal things is futile.
INSIGHT
Our society tends to breed materialism. Young couples expect to own a house, two cars, and maybe a boat. We dream of the day when we can afford to take exotic vacations and own a bigger house. Game shows offer spectacular prizes, and lottery tickets are sold by the thousands. But Solomon experienced tremendous wealth and found himself unhappy. He learned that eternal things matter most. God wants His children to invest their brief lives in others—not just in material things.
PRAYER
God has promised that He will provide His children's needs. Let's praise Him:
"Why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:28-30, 33).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? . . . Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (Matthew 6:25, 27).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? . . . If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-9, 11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Contentment with the material possessions you own
-- God's provision for the less fortunate
-- Safety of missionaries in Central America
Offer this closing prayer to God:
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
:angel:
August 6
Song of Solomon 1
Solomon expresses the beauty of married love.
INSIGHT
Hebrews 13:4 says that the marriage bed is holy and "undefiled." In his commentary on the Song of Solomon, A Song for Lovers, Craig Glickman writes: "No artist could have fashioned two people better suited for one another. He was the king of their great nation; she, his chosen bride. Spring had seen their love blossom like the flowers in the palace gardens. Their love was destined to be a song for the world. And, in fact, so ideal was their love that the song about them was chosen as one of the books of sacred Scripture. It became the only one of the entire collection devoted exclusively to courtship and marriage." The Song of Solomon gives us God's perspective on marriage and love.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord your praise for the unconditional love He gives you as a member of the church, the "bride of Christ":
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds (Psalm 57:1, 9-10).
Now express any additional thoughts of praise, adoration, or 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord as you agree with and submit yourself to the will of God, your heavenly Father:
You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A more intimate relationship with your Bridegroom
-- Greater love for fellow Christians
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:8).
:angel:
August 7
Isaiah 6
Isaiah is commissioned to become a prophet to Israel.
INSIGHT
Isaiah sees the Lord in a terrifying vision which makes him acutely aware of his sinfulness and God's holiness. The Lord takes away his sin—seeing the repentance of his heart—and then commissions Isaiah to serve Him as a prophet. This event illustrates how the Lord calls His servants. First, He reveals Himself through His Word. When the hearer receives the Scriptures, he becomes aware of his sin and asks God for forgiveness and salvation. God then sends him into the world to take the message of salvation to others.
PRAYER
God is holy, and we praise Him because He makes us holy, cleansing us spiritually with the blood of Christ:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . . . O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord (Psalm 25:7).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10).
I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him" (Ezra 8:22).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- National leaders and current events
-- Greater faithfulness with your time
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).
:angel:
August 8
Isaiah 40
The Lord gives strength to those who wait on Him.
INSIGHT
God has given us the Christian family as a picture of the relationship between Him and His children. We are given earthly fathers, that we might more fully understand our heavenly Father. Just as an earthly father takes no delight in disciplining his children, so our heavenly Father takes no delight in disciplining His children. Hear the tenderness in these words: "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" (v. 1). God tenderly loves us and takes no pleasure in our pain, although He desires our spiritual growth as a result.
PRAYER
Since the earthly family pictures the heavenly family, praise the Lord that He is your heavenly Father:
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:
David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly" (2 Samuel 24:10).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Make your requests known to God, and include:
-- Greater wisdom for living life
-- Needs of your immediate family
-- Those you know who are suffering
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
August 9
Isaiah 53
Our Savior bore the chastisement for our iniquity.
INSIGHT
When Christians suffer, they are tempted to resent God, to wonder: "Why me?!" If God is all good and all powerful, why must His children suffer? The answer to that question is difficult –and not totally satisfying to the finite mind. Jesus maintains His credibility, however, in that He readily suffered for us all—suffering more than He will ever ask of us. Why must God's children suffer? We don't know. What we do know is that God was willing to suffer for us. He asks nothing of us that He was not willing to do for us.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He is so skillful and patient in teaching us His way:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all (1 Chronicles 29:10-13).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens" (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 insight into Scripture
-- The hungry around the world
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
:angel:
August 11
Jeremiah 31
God establishes a covenant with the children of Israel to write His Law on their hearts.
INSIGHT
The primary theme of nearly all the Prophetic Books is warning of judgment for sin. The prophets proclaim the Word of God as their basic ministry, but from time to time, the Lord reveals to them a specific message for the children of Israel. If they do not turn from their sin, a specific judgment will follow. It is comforting to see, however, that in nearly all instances the judgment is to be followed by restoration. God's judgment on His children is not for retaliation but to get His children to turn from their sin to Him.
PRAYER
Praise God that He has made Himself knowable to mankind through Christ Jesus:
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. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God (Romans 15:5-7).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written,
"The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:1-4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Growth in your knowledge of God
-- Your activities for the day
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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)
:angel:
August 12
Lamentations 3
God sends a message of hope and restoration to Israel.
INSIGHT
Through the prophets, God has been warning Judah for many years to turn from idolatry to serve Him only. Finally, her sin has compounded to the point that judgment is no longer avoidable if God is to be true to His Word. But although destruction overtakes Judah, there is hope on the horizon. Jeremiah writes: "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (vv. 22-23).
PRAYER
God blesses His children beyond measure. Count your blessings as you praise Him:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. . . . All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify (1 Corinthians 10:12, 23).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A humble and submissive attitude
-- The work of prison ministries
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
It is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit (1 Peter 3:17-18).
:angel:
August 13
Ezekiel 37
Ezekiel has a vision of a huge valley filled with dry bones.
INSIGHT
The apostle John writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:1, 4). God is life—and not just life for today—but forever. Timothy writes that God alone possesses immortality (1 Timothy 6:16). God is life, and He is the giver of life. He can make dead things live. In Ezekiel's vision, a huge valley is filled with dead men's bones. Then God begins to move. The bones form skeletons upon which form flesh and clothes. Then God breathes into that valley of bodies the breath of life, and the bodies come alive. That is a picture of what God will do with Israel: give her life again. That is what He will do with anyone who believes in Him and asks Him for life. Have you asked God for eternal life?
PRAYER
The Lord gives us His immortality, so we praise Him:
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 (Psalm 18:1-3).
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 your sins.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for the lost
-- The work of missions in Africa
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
:angel:
August 14
Daniel 1
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, chooses Israelite captives to be trained to serve him.
INSIGHT
Moral courage. It is the resolve to do what is right—even if no one knows. Regardless of the consequences. Even when you are weary. Even when there are extenuating circumstances and when everyone would understand if you "caved in." Daniel is a man of moral courage. The food he is offered probably violates the dietary restrictions in the Law of Moses. Note the words: "Daniel purposed in his heart" (1:8). Then God brings Daniel into favor. He gives him skill; He gives him a healthy glow. When faced with moral challenges, we must do our part—be obedient from the heart. And then trust God to do His part.
PRAYER
Because God honors our commitment to moral excellence, praise Him with the words of this psalm:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water (Psalm 63:1).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord:
And Achan answered Joshua and said,
"Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel,
and this is what I have done . . ." (Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5).
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness with your talents
-- Your state and local leaders
-- 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).
:angel:
August 15
Daniel 2
Nebuchadnezzar requires the wise men to tell him his dream and its interpretation.
INSIGHT
One of our responsibilities as children of God is to give God credit for who He is and what He does. It is a careless Christian who stands under the showers of God's blessings without recognizing them. It is an irresponsible Christian who recognizes God's blessings and does not give God the credit. Daniel recognizes God's work and tells the king that it is God who "reveals deep and secret things" (v. 22). And through this, God is glorified. We must always be alert to the blessings of God in our lives, express our gratitude to Him, and give Him public credit.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that He has warned us of the consequences of our sin, and praise Him that in Christ we can escape them:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).
God encourages us to come to Him with our concerns. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Opportunities to glorify Him
-- The renewing of your mind
-- The needs of your extended family
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17).
:angel:
August 16
Daniel 3
God supernaturally protects Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
INSIGHT
What courage it took to defy the king! Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden image and orders everyone to bow down to it. When the Jews are brought to him in violation of the order, they say, "God may protect us from the fire, but even if He doesn't, let it be known that we are not going to serve your gods!" Surely God gives His grace in times such as these. For those of us who are living in easier times, our total dedication to the Lord must be seen in our selfless commitment to serving Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that—though all of us sin—God's compassions are new every morning:
Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said:
"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:
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 name's 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart
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).
:angel:
August 18
Daniel 5
Handwriting appears on the wall, prophesying the king's death.
INSIGHT
It is a terrible thing to go into the presence of God in our own merit. All have sinned and fall short of His glory. Belshazzar discovers this truth. While he revels—desecrating the holy implements from the temple—the hand of God writes on the wall: "You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting" (v. 27). In the providence and grace of God, we can come before Him in the merit of Christ Jesus—holy and undefiled.
PRAYER
Jesus Christ took our place on the cross. His great sacrifice requires our praise:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen" (Matthew 6:11-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:23-24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater gratitude for Christ's sacrifice
-- Your neighbors' spiritual well being
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to God:
Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men! (Psalm 31:19).
:angel:
August 19
Daniel 6
God miraculously delivers Daniel from the lions' den.
INSIGHT
Daniel is a man of prayer. He loves God deeply and God in turn shows Daniel mercy. We are told several interesting things about Daniel's prayer life. Verse 13 says that he prays "three times a day." His prayers included giving thanks (v. 10) and "supplication" (v. 11)—that is, Daniel asks God for things for himself and others. If our prayers reflect the commitment and balance of Daniel, our relationship with the Lord will grow.
PRAYER
The Lord has given us the ability to communicate, and we praise Him for listening to our cries:
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.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation (Psalm 24:3-5).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. . . .
For Your name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great
(Psalm 25:4-5, 11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
As for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me and be merciful to me.
My foot stands in an even place;
In the congregations I will bless the Lord (Psalm 26:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A joyful spirit
-- Safety and protection for loved ones
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to God:
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock
(Psalm 27:4-5).
:angel:
August 20
Hosea 14
After pronouncing judgment on Israel for sin, Hosea prophesies restoration and blessing.
INSIGHT
Hosea is instructed by the Lord to take a wife whose name is Gomer and who later becomes unfaithful to him. Though Hosea loves her steadfastly, her infidelity compounds and she finally leaves him. Sometime later—as Hosea is walking down the street—he sees his wife being sold as a slave on an auction block. In a profound gesture of unconditional love, Hosea redeems (buys back) his wife and restores her to her former position of honor and comfort as his wife. In doing so, Hosea sounds a warning to Israel and plays out a moving example of the unconditional love of God for His people. If they sin, He will judge them; but after judgment, He will restore them to His grace.
PRAYER
God loves His children unconditionally. Praise Him that He does not leave us to our own abilities in following Him:
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 10:21).
Pray this confession to the Lord:
I said, "Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You. . ."
O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . . .
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen (Psalm 41:4, 10, 13).
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, pray this affirmation to God:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater love for your family
-- The work of missions in North America
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Now offer this closing prayer to God:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (Romans 16:25-27).
:angel:
August 21
Joel 2
Judgment is coming for the sins of the people, but after repentance, they will be restored.
INSIGHT
Joel predicts a locust plague to come upon the land of Judah, which is both primary and secondary as a prophetic warning. The primary meaning is a literal locust plague. But the things Joel says about the locusts gradually transcend what could be true of mere bugs and could only be true of an invading army. In this way, the locust plague becomes symbolic of an invading army swarming over the land of Judah, stripping it of everything that has life. The warning of the plague comes because Judah is failing to serve the Lord. Joel holds out an escape: "Turn to Me with all your heart . . . rend your heart and not your garments" (vv. 12-13). Judah ignores the warning and the judgment eventually falls. Sin always has its consequences.
PRAYER
Give your praise to the Lord that He always warns us of the consequences of sin and gives us a means of escape:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. . .
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight–
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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 faithfulness with your finances
-- Revival among Christians in America
-- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
August 28
Zephaniah 3
Beyond impending judgment there is joy.
INSIGHT
Blue blood flows through Zephaniah's veins. He is the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah, the thirteenth king of Judah and one of the most righteous of all kings. The flame for revival and religious reform burns as hot in Zephaniah's heart as it did in his forefathers'. Zephaniah's book has been called one of the "hottest" books in the Old Testament. He portrays "the final crash of the universe." The impending Day of the Lord is his all-encompassing message. Twenty-three times in this short book he refers specifically to the day that signifies the final judgment of God on the earth. Following the time of terrible judgment is the time of restoration and peace. Beyond judgment there is joy.
PRAYER
Give thanks to the Lord, and praise Him that all events are in His control and that eventually His children will know only joy:
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).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater faithfulness in sharing Christ
-- The work of the Lord in national and world affairs
In closing, ask God to help you:
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).
:angel:
August 29
Haggai 1
Haggai explains that God's people suffer because they neglect to finish the temple.
INSIGHT
As the children of Israel return from the Babylonian captivity, their first order of business is to rebuild the temple. Haggai, a prophet of God who is ministering at the time, encourages the people to work hard at restoring the temple. With great enthusiasm, they quickly lay the foundation. But discouragement sets in and work on the temple is soon forgotten as they begin to build their own houses. Finally, after 15 years, Haggai tells them that the afflictions they are suffering are because of their neglect of the temple. They must finish the temple first and then resume building their houses. First things first. God demands proper priorities.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord this psalm of praise as you express your gratitude for His justice:
O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (2 Chronicles 20:6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities (Psalm 51:7-9).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Your development of an eternal perspective
-- Your spiritual goals
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
:angel:
August 30
Zechariah 14
The day is coming when God will be the righteous King over all the earth.
INSIGHT
Haggai and Zechariah minister to the same people at the same time. Their goal is the same: to motivate the people to rebuild the temple. But their very different personalities show through the pages of Scripture. Haggai utters rebuke; Zechariah breathes encouragement. Haggai makes them feel that they ought to rebuild the temple. Zechariah makes them want to rebuild the temple. He reinforces God's love and care for Israel and the certainty of the ultimate defeat of the enemies as they continue to obey God.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that His Word can be trusted:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name"
Selah (Psalm 66:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Greater personal discipline
-- Persecuted Christians worldwide
-- Your activities for the day
Now, offer this closing prayer to God:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).
:angel:
September 1
Acts 1
After the Ascension, the apostles meet in an upper room to choose a replacement for Judas.
INSIGHT
God is moving. For thousands of years He has worked in the world through the nation of Israel and the Law of Moses. Now He will work through the church and the gospel of Christ. God instructs the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they receive power from on high. Then when they are baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit, they are to be the Lord's witnesses in their city, the surrounding country, and the entire world.
PRAYER
Offer God this psalm of praise as you think about His power and the significance of serving Him:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. . . .
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. (Psalm 145:17-19, 21)
Having offered Him your praise, pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation 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)
The Lord encourages us to come to Him with our concerns and desires. As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Compassion for others
The Lord's work in national and world affairs
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!" (Revelation 5:12)
:angel:
September 2
Acts 2
The Holy Spirit comes upon the believing Jews gathered at the temple.
INSIGHT
Who would have expected the coming of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament to be like this? Rushing wind. Fire. Many languages spoken and all being understood. Those with unbelieving hearts always find a "natural" explanation, but those who believe drop to their knees and cry out to God! "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (2:37). Revelation always demands a response. Unbelievers always look for a way to get out from under the authority of Scripture. But the believing heart will cry out, "O God, what shall I do?" Search your mind. Is there some response you should make to God right now?
PRAYER
As you continue to meditate on God's Word, offer praises to the Lord as you respond to His revelation:
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, and as you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Patience in difficult circumstances
Wisdom for your church leaders
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
:angel:
September 3
Acts 7
Stephen is arrested for preaching the Gospel.
INSIGHT
The New Testament was written in times that, in many ways, seem barbaric to us. That respectable people would clamor for a crucifixion or incite a mob to riot or pick up stones and kill another man is difficult for us to imagine. Yet culture was different then. Today we do not kill a person to get rid of an unwanted message. Instead, we use other tactics. We can kill the message by making it look foolish or by discrediting the messenger. We even attack God Himself, declaring that He is dead or that He has no relevance to our era. But unless we accept the message of salvation that Stephen preached, we are as guilty before God as the ones who threw the stones.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him for offering us abundant life in Christ:
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:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for your fellow Christians
The work of missionaries in Indonesia
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing 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)
:angel:
September 4
Acts 8
The stoning of Stephen initiates a wave of persecution, led by Saul.
INSIGHT
As the Jewish believers flee Jerusalem, Philip comes upon an Ethiopian dignitary who is struggling to understand the Scriptures. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asks. "How can I, unless someone guides me?" is the reply (vv. 30-31). We are God's method to reach the world for Christ. The Lord could have resorted to skywriting, sending personal visions to all people, or sending angels. Instead, He chose men and women to reach other men and women. Our responsibility is simple: to manifest the character of Christ and proclaim His name wherever we go. The work is God´s, and He will use you if you will let Him.
PRAYER
Because the Lord led someone to give His message of salvation to you, praise Him with this psalm:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. . . .
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God . . .
The Lord shall reign forever
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin. (Ecclesiastes 7:20)
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your
strength." (Isaiah 30:15)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater faithfulness with your time and resources
The president and national leaders
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
:angel:
September 5
Acts 9
On his way to Damascus, Saul has a divine revelation of Jesus and is converted.
INSIGHT
From God's perspective, the relationship between Christ and the church is a very close and dear one. Jesus is the Son of God; the church is His bride. To harm the church is to harm Christ. Though Paul never laid a hand on Him, Jesus spoke from heaven, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (v. 4). Just as Paul did, we must strive to gain God's perspective on who we are. We are His bride, His chosen one, the delight of His life. When we see ourselves as He sees us, we can be more successful at living as we should.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord because He turns even the difficult things into good:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Surely He has borne our grief
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:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The renewing of your mind
The needs of your extended family
Your activities for the day
Close with the following prayer:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
(Psalm 23:6)
:angel:
September 6
Acts 13
Saul adopts a Christian name, Paul, and travels to Galatia with the message of the Gospel.
INSIGHT
Chapter 13 records a remarkable fulfillment of prophecy that is easily missed. In chapter 1, Jesus commissions the disciples to be witnesses for Him and proclaims that they will take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Now the Holy Spirit sets Paul and Barnabas apart to begin traveling to the ends of the earth, taking the message with them. You and I can extend that prophetic fulfillment, too, as we accept the Great Commission as our personal commission and help to take the message of salvation to the ends of the world.
PRAYER
Offer the following psalm of praise to the Lord for allowing you to hear the message of salvation:
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day. . .
I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness,
of Yours only. (Psalm 71:8, 14-16)
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me. (Jeremiah 33:8)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
(John 4:23-24)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The leading of the Lord in your life
Opportunities for personal evangelism
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.
(Psalm 31:23-24)
:angel:
September 9
Acts 17
As Paul continues his journey, he establishes churches.
INSIGHT
It is often necessary to establish common ground with others in order to win an audience for the Gospel. Paul uses a point of common ground when he begins talking to the people of Athens about the idol bearing the inscription: "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD"(17:23). Catching their interest, Paul develops his argument to present to them the living Christ (vv. 30-31). This skillful message is used by the Holy Spirit to bring men and women to Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Praise God that He has revealed Himself to you:
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:31-35).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
When we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
(Romans 5:6-8).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his
work (Psalm 62:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
courage to follow God's leading,
salvation of your neighbors,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. . . . Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ(Acts 2:32-33, 36).
:angel:
September 10
Acts 18
Paul embarks on his third journey that takes him first to Ephesus.
INSIGHT
Apollos combines the eloquence of the Greek with the religious instinct of the Jew. Most likely a student from the great university at Alexandria, Apollos is a convert to the Gospel, deeply conversant with the Old Testament. Gifted with marvelous eloquence, he is a strong ally of the Christian forces of his age. But he needs to understand the death, resurrection, and ascended power of Christ. Aquila and Priscilla teach Apollos these things. How wonderful is that holy wisdom that the Spirit of God gives to humble believers so that they can become teachers of men who are intellectually their superiors! When teaching children or new believers, encourage them and have hope that some may become "mighty in the Scriptures" (v. 24).
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord for the ministry that He provides in your life through other believers:
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them - the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them.
(Isaiah 59:12)
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
The work of missions in Africa
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
September 11
Acts 21
After Paul's travels, he preaches in Jerusalem and is arrested for violating the Law.
INSIGHT
When Paul preaches, either a riot or a revival usually occurs. When he goes to Jerusalem for the last time, a riot breaks out. Having been told beforehand by the Holy Spirit, Paul is aware that he will be imprisoned and handed over to the Gentiles. Even though his friends beg him to avoid Jerusalem, Paul "would not be persuaded"; and his friends give up and say, "The will of the Lord be done" (v. 14). Paul views himself as a sojourner on this earth, for his true citizenship is in heaven. He is to be simply a steward, an ambassador of Christ while his time lasts. What power and vision that outlook gives Paul to avoid the entanglements of this world! How much more completely would we realize our calling if we saw ourselves in the same way.
PRAYER
Give praise and thanks to the Lord for giving us citizenship in heaven:
Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him." (Daniel 2:20-22)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them. . .
As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And set me before Your face forever.
(Psalm 41:10, 12)
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:
Wisdom for your country´s leaders
Faithfulness with your talents
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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)
:angel:
September 12
Acts 22
Upon his arrest at the temple, Paul attempts in vain to justify his message to the Jews.
INSIGHT
Even though Paul lives in complete recognition of the will of the Lord and acceptance of the sovereignty of God, he is not passive regarding his personal welfare or the welfare of his mission. Paul knows it is illegal to punish a Roman citizen without his being tried and found guilty. When he is about to be beaten, Paul brings up this issue and is spared. Acceptance of the sovereignty of God does not mean passiveness in the things of this world. Paul does what he can within the legal system and then leaves the results to the Lord.
PRAYER
Because the Lord is sovereign, we praise Him and trust in His goodness on our behalf:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
(Jeremiah 10:23-24)
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. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom in decision making
The needs of personal friends
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing 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)
:angel:
September 13
Acts 23
Because of attempts to kill Paul, he is taken to Caesarea to await trial.
INSIGHT
Jesus says, "I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16). This certainly describes Paul. As he stands before the Jewish Council, Paul knows that his life is in peril. He also knows that the Council is divided between Pharisees, who believe in the resurrection of the dead, and the Sadducees, who do not. When Paul deliberately brings up that issue, the ensuing dissension is so great that the soldiers take him away, thwarting the immediate plot against him.
PRAYER
It is by grace through faith that we can repent, turn to God, and give Him our praise:
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 4:11)
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 7:17)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
And according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Spiritual victory over temptation
Opportunities to serve the Lord
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising loving-
kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
:angel:
September 15
Acts 25
Felix vacates his office without resolving Paul's status.
INSIGHT
How strangely God fulfills His own word: "So you must also bear witness at Rome" (Acts 23:11). Paul knows he will have to go to Rome, but he doesn't expect to go under Roman guard and at Rome's expense. After two years the Jews still thirst for his blood! Had he been transferred to Jerusalem, his life would have been imperiled. However, God had called him to preach the Gospel in Rome. Through these circumstances, Paul is transferred.
PRAYER
Let's praise God for His wonderful ways:
Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him. (Psalm 28:6-7)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
Save, Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.
(Psalm 20:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
(Psalm 22:3-5)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Careful speech
Troubling current events
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard. (Psalm 22:22-24)
:angel:
September 16
Acts 26
Paul is given an audience with King Agrippa.
INSIGHT
To repent means to turn around, to go in the opposite direction, or to think opposite thoughts. If you have not received Christ, you must repent to do so. In his defense before King Agrippa and Festus, Paul says he preaches to everyone that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance (v. 20). One cannot repent without changing. Repentance toward Christ brings new birth and the power to change. Have you repented and turned to God?
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His patience and love:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1-2)
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy. (Psalm 33:1-3)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly.
I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
For all my ways are before You. (Psalm 119:166-168)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Power to become more Christ-like
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright. (Psalm 11:7)
:angel:
September 17
Acts 27
Paul exercises his right as a Roman citizen to take his case before Caesar.
INSIGHT
One of the secrets of peace is believing the promises of God. There are many things that we think we believe, but our anxiety level reveals that we do not. The Lord promises to meet all our needs, but our labor and worry reveal that we are not so sure. Paul receives a word from God that he will not perish. In relating this to the sailors, Paul says: "Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me" (v. 25). If we believe, we can be at peace; if we do not believe, we will fret. Review the promises of Scripture when you are troubled. What among them are you not believing? If you are trying to believe but still struggle, you may pray the prayer of the father regarding his son who had an evil spirit: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24).
PRAYER
Praise God that He rewards our faith, even if it is as small as a mustard seed:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 72:18-19)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
"Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips."
(Hosea 14:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world." (John 6:51)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for your family
Missions in North America
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works." (Matthew 16:27)
:angel:
September 18
Acts 28
Paul finally arrives in Rome after a harrowing journey by sea.
INSIGHT
Our lives are a constant struggle between our own wills and the will of God. The circumstances of God's will are often strange and enigmatic; they do not always make sense. However, His will is being worked out even in ways we cannot see or understand. When we relinquish control of our lives and yield to God's will, then peace, love, and joy will characterize our lives. Paul must have wondered from time to time how shipwreck and imprisonment were working into God's will; yet with historical perspective, we can see that good came of these events. In the words of the old hymn, we must: "Trust and obey, for there´s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him because He is good and can be trusted:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God. . . .
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
(Psalm 90:1-2, 14)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye. (Psalm 32:8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness with your finances
Revival in America
Whatever else is on your heart
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)
:angel:
September 19
Romans 1
Paul emphasizes the importance of the gospel message.
INSIGHT
According to Romans 1:18-20, all people have two avenues for beginning to learn about God. First, all human beings have an inner awareness of God or conscience (v. 19). Second, they can look at nature and learn several truths about God: (1) His invisible attributes—beauty, intelligence, etc.; (2) His eternal power—what awesome power it takes to put the stars in place!; (3) His divine nature—that there is a God who is higher than man and nature. Whenever anyone looks at nature and honestly searches his own heart, he can know that there is a God.
PRAYER
The righteousness of God has been imputed to you if you are a child of God, and you can praise Him in holiness and truth:
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting. (Psalm 93:1-2)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The development of an eternal perspective
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
September 20
Romans 2
The Jews have no partiality with God because they live for the Law.
INSIGHT
Without God, there is no right and wrong; there is only preference. We can say that we prefer something to be or not to be; but unless we appeal to God, we cannot use the words right and wrong. If one person says something is right and another says it is wrong, their opinions cancel each other out unless they can appeal to a higher authority. Mankind needs God not only for salvation but also for the normal functioning of society. It is sobering to ask, "If everyone were exactly like me, what kind of society would we have?"
PRAYER
Give praise and thanks to the Lord for the matchless gift of eternal life through Christ:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand. (Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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. (Psalm 103:1-2)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments. . . .
Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,
And teach me Your judgments. (Psalm 119:105-106, 108)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater personal discipline
Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
:angel:
September 22
Romans 4
Justification by faith is illustrated in the Old Testament through the lives of Abraham and David.
INSIGHT
To impute something means "to apply something to your account." The Bible teaches that no one can earn salvation. However, God will give it to us freely if we have faith in Him. God honors the attitude of our hearts and imputes righteousness to our accounts. To be able to impute righteousness to those living during Old Testament times, God looked ahead to the work of Christ on the cross. Now He looks back to the Cross. But in both cases, God´s people have been saved by grace through faith.
PRAYER
Offer praise to God for His righteous works:
I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
(Psalm 69:30-32)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Have we not all one Father?
Has not one God created us?
Why do we deal treacherously with one another
By profaning the covenant of the fathers?
(Malachi 2:10)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.
For the Lord will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.
(Psalm 135:13-14).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
A humble spirit
Evangelism in Russia
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever
The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.
(Psalm 136:4-9)
:angel:
September 23
Romans 5
"Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 1).
INSIGHT
Paul spells out in specific terms how our salvation is accomplished. We learn that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
We also discover that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
"Sin entered the world" through Adam "and death through sin," for all sinned (5:12). But salvation is offered to all through the God-Man, Jesus Christ. We can escape death by trusting in Christ as our Redeemer.
PRAYER
Praise the Son for His glorious sacrifice on the cross:
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
Pray this confession to the Lord 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. . .
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:1, 17)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
An attitude of gratefulness
Unsaved family members
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Therefore God also has highly exalted [Jesus] and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:9-11)
:angel:
September 24
Romans 6
We are to present our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness.
INSIGHT
Micky Cohen, a noted gangster of a past generation, said that after he embraced Christianity, he felt betrayed. No one had explained that God would require a change in his behavior. "There are Christian athletes and Christian businessmen. Why not Christian gangsters?" he reasoned. But when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are no longer free to continue living as we did in the world. Our affections and activities must change to reflect the God whom we serve. The term "Christian gangster" contradicts itself because the activities of a gangster generally oppose the character of Christ.
PRAYER
Use the following psalm to offer the Lord your praise for all He has done for you:
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
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 to be feared above all gods. (Psalm 96:1-4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and 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.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
(John 6:37)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for others
The work of missions worldwide
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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).
:angel:
September 25
Romans 7
A civil war rages in the life of every Christian.
INSIGHT
The "inward man" (v. 22) is created in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24), wills to do good (v. 21), joyfully delights in the law of God (v. 22), and serves "the law of God" (v. 25). However, the "flesh" (v. 18) practices the thing the inward man hates (v. 15). "Nothing good" dwells in the flesh (v. 18). It wars against the law of the mind (v. 23) and serves "the law of sin" (v. 25). As a result of this civil war, our lives do not run smoothly. We do things we don't want to do, and we fail to do things we want to do. Who can deliver us from "this body of death" (v. 24)? Only Jesus. When we receive Him as our personal Savior, the spiritual forces are put into place to free us from the bondage of sin. Then we must begin the process of dying to sin on a daily basis.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord because He frees you from the bondage of sin and gives you glorious, eternal life:
All the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
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 into His courts. . . .
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness. (Psalm 96:5-8, 11)
Pause to express your praise and thankfulness.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you.
(Deuteronomy 32:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness in sharing Christ
The Lord´s work in world affairs
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
:angel:
September 26
Romans 8
What the Law cannot do in delivering us from sin, God does through Christ.
INSIGHT
In Greece, a little boy might run into the kitchen and call "Mama, Mama!" when he wants to find his mother. And late in the afternoon as he hears familiar masculine footsteps approaching the house, he may run out to his father and cry "Abba, Abba!" "Mama" and "Abba" are terms of close family endearment. God loves the whole world, but He loves His spiritual children in a different, special way. With respect and joy, we can express our love back to Him with the tender name, "Abba, Abba." It's a term of endearment in the spiritual family.
PRAYER
Because the Lord has made us a part of such a loving entity as the body of Christ, offer your praise to Him:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
(Psalm 100:1-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel."
(Joshua 7:20).
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5)
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:
Health and strength to serve Him
His will to be done on earth
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. . . . I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You." (Job 42:2, 5)
:angel:
September 27
Romans 12
The Christian life is a life of total dedication and service to others.
INSIGHT
To better understand the implications of the first two verses of chapter 12, it is helpful to read them backwards. We all want to be a living demonstration of the fact that the will of God is "good and acceptable and perfect." In order to do that, we must have our minds transformed and renewed. In order to have our minds transformed and renewed, we must make our bodies "a living sacrifice" to God. We all want the will of God in our lives. We can experience it if we present ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the bond of love that binds us to Him and to other Christians:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works. . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,"
Says the Lord, your Redeemer. (Isaiah 54:7-8)
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:
That others will see Christ in you
That the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
September 29
Romans 14
Christians should not exercise personal liberty if it destroys another Christian.
INSIGHT
We are a part of others; what we say and what we do affects others. This is especially true of Christians. We are a part of the body of Christ; we are a part of one another. Not only does God not want us to live isolated lives but He has made it so that we cannot make it alone. Therefore, we must always be alert to how our actions affect others. If something we do harms another person, we must take that into account. If our freedom causes hurt to a brother or sister in Christ, then love dictates that we limit our freedom.
PRAYER
Praise your heavenly Father for your brothers and sisters in Christ:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity! . . .
It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing-
Life forevermore. (Psalm 133:1, 3)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and as you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession 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)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Kindness in your dealings with others
Encouragement for missionaries in Europe
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
"For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2)
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September 30
Romans 15
We are to conduct our lives in a way that glorifies God.
INSIGHT
When we become Christians, we exchange our citizenship on earth for citizenship in heaven. Therefore, we live according to the value system in heaven, not the value system on earth. On earth we look out for ourselves, and we satisfy our own wants and desires. In heaven we look out for the welfare of others. This does not mean that we neglect ourselves and our families. Other passages in Scripture indicate that we are to love our spouses, children, and parents and care for their needs, which brings this teaching into balance with other truths.
PRAYER
Praise God for His love that we can pass on to others:
"Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
Sing to the Lord,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!" (Isaiah 12:4-6)
Having offered Him your praise, pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The fool has said in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.
God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one. (Psalm 53:1-3)
Pray this affirmation to the Lord:
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 8:38-39)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater peace and trust
Guidance for your church leaders
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the Lord of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever. Selah.
(Psalm 48:8)
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October 1
1 Corinthians 1
Paul appeals for unity among the Corinthian believers.
INSIGHT
It has been said: God does the work of God and man does the work of man. Man cannot do the work of God. God will not do the work of man. Paul's exhortation to the Corinthian believers certainly supports this. The Corinthian church had split into factions, following different men. Some said, "I follow Paul." Others said, "I follow Apollos." The most pious among them disdained to follow mere men and said, "I follow Christ." Using the imagery of a husbandman, Paul says, "I planted (brought the message of salvation), Apollos watered (taught you more advanced things), but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Pursue the work of man with all diligence. And rest in the work of God.
PRAYER
Praise God for caring for the things that are out of your control:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
(Psalm 105:1-3)
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. (Psalm 19:12-13)
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations.
(1 Chronicles 16:14-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The fruit of the Spirit in your life
Those who minister in the inner cities
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
And let them say among the nations,
"The Lord reigns." . . .
Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
(1 Chronicles 16:31, 33)
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October 2
1 Corinthians 2
When Paul ministers to the Corinthians, he relies on the work of the Holy Spirit.
INSIGHT
When we speak, teach, or preach to the unsaved, we are not speaking to those who are merely blindfolded; we are speaking to those who are blind. It is not as though we can appeal to them to remove their blindfolds. Rather, we must appeal to the Lord to remove their blindness through the power of His Holy Spirit. "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, it is foolishness on our part to attempt to minister to others without first praying fervently for that ministry, asking the Lord to draw those hearts to Christ.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He broke through your blindness with the Light of life:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord. (Psalm 104:24, 33-34)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now 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. (Romans 3:23-24)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
That others might see Christ in you
That the Lord of the harvest will send laborers into His fields
Today's activities
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
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)
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October 3
1 Corinthians 3
Paul says no foundation can be laid other than Jesus, and anything else is worthless in eternity.
INSIGHT
When the events of life are viewed with an eternal perspective, things that initially seemed important become unimportant, and things that seemed unimportant become important. Religious activity that is not undertaken with the right spirit or motive is worthless in view of eternity, regardless of how much weight it is given by men. And conversely the smallest cup of water given in the name of Christ receives eternal reward. Be careful how you build your life's work. Keep eternity in mind at all times.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He loved us enough to sacrifice His pleasures in heaven for our welfare:
O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. . . .
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
(Psalm 108:1, 3-5)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom for living
Needs of your immediate family
Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen" (Revelation 7:11-12).
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October 4
1 Corinthians 6
Brothers should not go to court against brothers, especially before unbelievers.
INSIGHT
When we come to Christ, we give up our title to all earthly possessions, and we receive eternal possessions that are fabulous beyond imagination. All of the riches of Christ are ours as co-inheritors with Him; all those things that we might have viewed as possessions must now be seen as "on loan." We are now merely administrators, stewards of these things that belong to the Lord. We must hold them loosely with an open hand, not as possessions, and use them as we believe Christ would.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that Christ's passion for us went as far as the Cross:
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.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. . . .
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, 3-4, 10)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you. (Deuteronomy 32:18)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Patience in dealing with others
The hungry around the world
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you,
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
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October 6
1 Corinthians 8
Take care that your actions do not wound another Christian.
INSIGHT
There is an inseparable link between Christ and the church. In Acts 9:4 Jesus appears to Saul on the road to Damascus and asks, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Yet Saul had not persecuted Jesus; he had never even seen Jesus. However, because he was persecuting the church, Jesus rebuked Saul for persecuting Him. Again in 1 Corinthians 8 Paul teaches that if we sin against our brothers in Christ-wounding their consciences when they are weak-we sin against Christ. We must be cautious with our words and actions.
PRAYER
Praise Christ, the Head of the church:
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height , and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14, 17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and
the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:11-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up. (Psalm 5:1-3)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Perseverance
Endurance for those who work with the homeless
Whatever else is on your heart
Close this time of worship with the following prayer:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
October 7
1 Corinthians 9
Paul limits his freedom for the sake of other Christians.
INSIGHT
Spiritual maturity is not a product of human effort. The fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit, not of self-effort. Yet God will not grant spiritual maturity to us unless we are striving for it. Paul says, "I run . . . not with uncertainty. I fight . . . not as one who beats the air. I discipline my body . . . " in pursuit of spiritual goals (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). The reality is that few of us have the spiritual passion to equal the temporal passion of the unsaved. It is a challenge to care about the same things God cares about-a challenge we must accept!
PRAYER
Praise God that His work of sanctification continues in your life:
May the Lord give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 115:14-18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
"Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother" (Zechariah 7:9-10).
As you confess your sins, pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation. (Psalm 118:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Purity of mind
Your spiritual goals
Today's activities
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:15-16)
:angel:
October 8
1 Corinthians 13
Love is the greatest virtue that all Christians should exhibit.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, love is clearly considered the supreme virtue. Both Jesus and Paul teach that the greatest Christian virtue is love. However, it is not always easy to measure love, especially because our society has such a distorted concept of what love is. Many people think that love is simply an emotion. We may think that if we don't feel "warm and fuzzy," we don't love. While emotions certainly may be attached to biblical love, love is primarily an act of the will. And God commands us to love. If you exhibit the qualities listed in today's chapter, you are loving regardless of your emotions.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord and praise Him that He loves us with the same love He asks from us:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens. (Psalm 113:1-4)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater love for fellow Christians
The work of missions in Europe and Asia
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)
:angel:
October 9
1 Corinthians 15
Christ's resurrection is the basis for our resurrection, which is the final victory over sin.
INSIGHT
It is difficult for us to imagine what our resurrected bodies will be like. Yet there are snatches of information in the Scriptures that may give us some idea. In Matthew 17, for example, we read about Jesus, Moses, and Elijah who, having lost their earthly appearance, glow with a dazzling light. From this one brief example, we might conclude that our bodies will shine with dazzling light, that we will be free from gravity, that we may travel at fabulous speeds, and will be able to appear and disappear. C. S. Lewis once wrote that if we were to see our glorified selves coming down the street, we would be tempted to fall at our own feet and worship ourselves.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that each believer will have a wonderful resurrected body:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth. . .
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. . .
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:1, 11, 18)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly"
(2 Samuel 24:10).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater faithfulness with your time
The president, national leaders, and national and world affairs
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this 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.
:angel:
October 10
2 Corinthians 1
The Lord comforts us in our affliction so we may comfort others.
INSIGHT
There is a fellowship of suffering. Someone who has suffered the same things we have suffered is better able to minister to us. And if we have been comforted in our suffering, we are better able to comfort someone else who experiences the same difficulties. Suffering can make us compassionate toward others. As the sufferings of Christ overflow into our lives, so can the compassion of Christ overflow from our lives into the lives of others.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that Jesus was willing to lay down His immediate comfort for our sakes:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.
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 135:1-5, 21)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord - how long? (Psalm 6:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit . . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-5, 7)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The renewing of your mind
The needs of your extended family
Your activities for the day
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)
:angel:
October 11
2 Corinthians 4
Man's evident weakness presents an opportunity for God to manifest His power.
INSIGHT
When we look at Israel and the Mosaic Law, we tend to think that the Jews performed poorly. All they had to do was be obedient to some basic laws, and God would bless them beyond measure. Yet they might say the same about us. With the Holy Spirit living in us, we have only to live in love toward God and man and God will bless us spiritually beyond measure. While human frailty is glaring in both systems, the work of God is being accomplished nevertheless. God's message is carried in "jars of clay" so that in eternity the glory of the redeemed will go to God and not to man.
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord as an expression of the gratefulness of your heart:
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 and in fellowship with Him:
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:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
The Lord's leading in your life
Opportunities for evangelism
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14)
:angel:
October 13
2 Corinthians 8
We should follow Christ's example and be generous toward others.
INSIGHT
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine "bema" that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds "on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).
PRAYER
Praise God for supplying all your needs:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Indeed I have all and abound. I am full . . . And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:18-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver. (Psalm 119:71-72)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot
compare with her. (Proverbs 3:13-15)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Yieldedness to God's will
Missionaries in the Middle East
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
:angel:
October 14
2 Corinthians 9
Christians should give generously as God has prospered them.
INSIGHT
God asks for your money, not for His sake, but for yours. What God wants is your heart, and one measure of how much of your heart He has is how willing you are to give your money back to Him. Two of God's reasons for asking Christians to give to other Christians are to foster mutual unity and concern among believers, and to show the love of God to the unsaved. Remember, it is not the amount but the willingness that counts. Give as God has prospered you.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for the many material possessions you enjoy:
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.
Let Mount Zion rejoice,
Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
Because of Your judgments. (Psalm 48:9-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."
But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:21-22)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way. . .
Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy,
And teach me Your statutes.
I am Your servant;
Give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies.
(Psalm 119:103-104, 124-125)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Contentment with what you own
Health concerns of friends and family members
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
(Psalm 119:129-130)
:angel:
October 15
2 Corinthians 12
Paul was given a vision of heaven and then "a thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble.
INSIGHT
The Bible gives us a number of reasons why Christians suffer adversity. One reason is to strengthen and mature us. Another is that it is the natural consequence of our own foolishness from which God does not necessarily protect us. And another reason Paul gives us in today's chapter is to keep us humble. If things always went well for us, if life was always "coming up roses," we would tend to become conceited, to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and perhaps think less of others. Notice that Paul only prayed three times for the removal of his "thorn in the flesh" (vv. 7-8). When it was clear that God was not going to remove it, Paul accepted it.
PRAYER
Because the Lord always has a reason for allowing adversity, we can praise Him for all things:
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 and in fellowship with Him:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5)
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:
Patience in difficult circumstances
The work of missions in South America
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, close with this prayer to the Lord:
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 90:17)
:angel:
October 16
Galatians 5
As Christians walk by the Spirit, they will manifest His characteristics.
INSIGHT
As Paul teaches in Romans 7, a civil war rages within every child of God. The opposing forces are the power of the flesh and the power of the Spirit. Paul refers to these as the "outer man" and the "inner man." What is at stake is the control of the child of God. As we yield ourselves to the control of the Spirit, then love, joy, peace, patience, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. As we yield ourselves to the control of our unrighteous promptings, then anger, jealousy, impurity, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. We must yield our "members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Romans 6:13) and begin to taste of the fruit of God.
PRAYER
Because we can taste the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, give thanks and praise to Him:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp! . . .
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindness,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness sake, O Lord. (Psalm 25:6-7)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Faithfulness with your talents
The ministry of Christian radio
Your activities for the day
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)
:angel:
October 17
Galatians 6
Christians are to look out for one another and bear one another's burdens.
INSIGHT
John Donne once wrote: "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main. . . . If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less." What Donne wrote generally and poetically, Paul wrote specifically hundreds of years earlier: "Restore" one another and "bear one another's burdens" (vv. 1-2); "do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (v. 10). We are part of one another, and we are to live for one another in harmony and mutual concern. We are all part of the same "continent"-the "continent" of Christ.
PRAYER
Offer praise to the Lord because the message of Christ the Savior has come to you:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever. (Psalm 145:17-21)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to stay in fellowship with Him:
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
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. . . .
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You. (Psalm 25:15-18, 21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Greater wisdom in decision making
The needs of personal friends
Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:6)
:angel:
October 19
Ephesians 2
All men are dead in sin, but by grace through faith in Christ they may be saved from sin.
INSIGHT
Two of the most wonderful words in the Bible occur in this chapter: "But God . . ." We were dead in our transgressions and sins; we followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the spirit of disobedience; we lived to gratify the cravings of our sinful natures; and we were by nature objects of wrath. BUT GOD, because of His great love for us, made us alive with Christ. We have been saved; God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms, that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He extends grace to you:
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:
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 name's 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:
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Christian educational institutions
Challenges for the disabled
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)
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4)
:angel:
October 20
Ephesians 3
Paul is called to be a minister and to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.
INSIGHT
Paul calls his ministry the fulfillment of a "mystery." In the Bible, a mystery is nothing mysterious but something previously unknown. The mystery was that Jews and Gentiles would join together to form a new entity-the church. This mystery was foretold by Jesus, but the details of the doctrine, walk, and destiny of the church were communicated by Paul and his fellow apostles. Now as a new thing-the body of Christ-we are all to allow Christ to live His life through us.
PRAYER
Praise God for the mighty plan He has for the church:
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord! . . .
The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
(Psalm 113:1, 4-6)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:16-18)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Wisdom as you serve in your local church
Your activities for the day
Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-10)
:angel:
October 21
Ephesians 4
Christians are to live in righteousness and holiness, worthy of their calling in Christ.
INSIGHT
On the basis of who we are in Christ - redeemed, inheritors with Christ, adopted into God's family, and destined to spend eternity with Him - we are to live a lifestyle that reflects our identity. We are no longer to live as we did before we knew the Lord - or as those who do not know Him. By putting on the "new man" we will preserve the unity of the Spirit and show the world that Christ is real. He makes a difference in the life that is dedicated to Him.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He is molding you into His image:
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous (Psalm 112:1-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness
(Psalm 101:2-4).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever
(Psalm 104:1-2, 5).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
sensitivity to the Holy Spirit,
unsaved friends and co-workers.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord
(Psalm 107:43)
:angel:
October 22
Ephesians 5
We are to walk in love just as Christ did.
INSIGHT
The wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience (the unsaved). Therefore, we are not to partake of their deeds. For we were formerly darkness, but now we are light in the Lord. If this is so, do you as a Christian need to alter any of your present habits? What about your television viewing habits? If it is disgraceful even to speak of the things that are done by the children of darkness, how much more disgraceful is it to sit in our living rooms and watch it? What about movies, books, magazines, or conversations with friends? Do your habits reflect the light of God?
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that He has transferred us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light:
Mary said:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation"(Luke 1:46-50).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving as you pray this confession to the Lord:
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:
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills (Habakkuk 3:19).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for your family,
the work of missions in South America.
Finally, close with this prayer:
To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, . . . to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
(Romans 16:25-27)
:angel:
October 23
Ephesians 6
We are to put on the full armor of God to fight and win the spiritual war.
INSIGHT
Satan is a deceiver and a destroyer; he deceives in order to destroy. A part of his deception is to have us believe he is not at work opposing our pursuit of righteousness. To combat his efforts, we must do several things. First, recognize that we must "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might"(v. 10), not in our own strength. Second, we must "put on the whole armor of God" (v. 11). Each piece described in verses 14-17 must be in place daily. Third, we must pray at all times Òin the SpiritÓ (v. 18). And finally, having done all that, we must stand firm without fear, knowing we are secure (v. 13).
PRAYER
Because the Lord has promised to fight for us, we can praise Him!
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
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. . . .
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:1-5, 11, 20).
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness with your finances,
revival among Christians in America,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
:angel:
October 24
Philippians 1
Paul urges us to have his perspective: "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (v. 21).
INSIGHT
With Paul's perspective on life, he cannot lose. Wherever he is, Paul considers it "the world" into which the Lord wants him to go to preach the Gospel. Even prison is a positive experience for Paul, because he is able to spread the Gospel there. And if he is to die, that is even better. To live is fruitful ministry, but to die is gain. Most of us have our affections too deeply implanted in the things of this world to identify with his perspective. We must learn to let go.
PRAYER
The Lord is worthy of our praise:
"Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after themÑthe Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings."
(Jeremiah 32:17-19)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord 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.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
(Psalm 51:1-3)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
(2 Corinthians 8:9)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
an eternal perspective,
your ministry in your local church,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
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 3:20-21)
:angel:
October 25
Philippians 2
We are exhorted to be like Christ, who practiced only selflessness.
INSIGHT
Selfishness is the source of most interpersonal conflict. Someone is taking something from us (materially, emotionally, socially, etc.) that we don't want to give, and we fight to keep or gain our desires. Unselfishness is the source of most interpersonal harmony. Think about the people you really like - even famous people you don't know personally. Usually the reason you like them is because they are gracious and kind, and give of themselves. If you want to be a harmonious, likable person, you must be unselfish.
PRAYER
Thank the Lord that we see God in Christ, and praise Him for the privilege of knowing Him:
Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him". (Daniel 2:20-22)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight -
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
(Psalm 51:4)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
(Colossians 1:13-14)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater personal discipline,
persecuted Christians,
your activities for the day.
Close this time of worship with the following prayer:
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
:angel:
October 27
Philippians 4
We must focus on those things which are pure and good.
INSIGHT
You are what you eat." Your body reflects what you feed it. Eat well and your body rewards you with health. The same is true spiritually and mentally. We become like what we put into our minds and like what we allow our minds to dwell on. Paul encourages us to think about whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, or of good report (v. 8). If you are unsatisfied with your spiritual, mental, or emotional development, ask yourself: "What do I put into my mind - what do I think about?" You may need a radical change in your spiritual diet.
PRAYER
God's attributes include love, joy, kindness, and mercy. Praise Him for developing these characteristics in your life:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
(1 Chronicles 16:8-11)
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.
Selah (Psalm 32:5)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
(Psalm 7:17)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
graciousness toward others,
laborers for Christ in India,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is their strength,
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever (Psalm 28:8-9).
:angel:
October 28
Colossians 1
Christ is the image of the invisible God and the Head of the church.
INSIGHT
On the surface, it is pretty difficult to explain why you believe in God. No one has seen Him face-to-face, touched Him, or smelled Him, yet His fingerprints are everywhere. You must get beneath the surface where the intangible becomes tangible. God is made visible through Jesus Christ. Paul writes that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God" (v. 15). If you want to know about God, learn about Jesus. If you want to see God, look at Jesus. If you want to please God, follow Jesus. He is God in the flesh!
PRAYER
Praise God that He came to us in the person of Jesus Christ:
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
(John 14:10-13)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge - by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:20-21)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen
(1 Timothy 6:15-16)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
spiritual discipline,
strength for those ministering Gods Word in China,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
(John 1:18)
:angel:
October 29
Colossians 2
Christ is our Savior and example; the center of life for Christians.
INSIGHT
People can no more save themselves than they can fly to the moon. Both are utterly impossible. And because of our spiritual condition and the spiritual laws of God, we stand a greater assurance of making our spiritual condition worse instead of better by trying to save ourselves. Paul says that we were dead. We had decrees written against us that we were powerless to remove. God made us alive together with Christ and removed the decrees against us by nailing them Òto the crossÓ (vv. 13-14). We must gain salvation by grace through faith in Christ or not have it at all.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord that in our utter helplessness He offered us salvation through Christ:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
(Ephesians 1:3)
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities
(Psalm 51:7-9)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless 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)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater love for others,
the work of missions in Australia and New Zealand,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
(Titus 3:5)
:angel:
October 30
Colossians 3
We have been raised up with Christ and should seek the things above.
INSIGHT
It is possible to be one place physically and another place mentally. It happens every Sunday morning in church. Bodies warm the pews while minds roam the kitchens and golf courses of the nation. In a graver example, prisoners of war survive by taking themselves mentally into another world away from the prison and there find meaning and solace. We, as Christians, are to do the same. We are to take ourselves out of the physical world, into the spiritual world, and operate according to its values, truths, and realities. "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above. . . . Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (vv. 1-2).
PRAYER
Place your mind on Christ, and give Him your praise as you seek the things above:
O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me . . .
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High (Psalm 7:1, 17).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving, and pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
(Psalm 51:10-13)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
(1 John 3:23)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
faithfulness in sharing Christ,
the Lord's work in national and world affairs,
your activities for the day.
Close your time of worship by offering this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 5:10-11)
:angel:
October 31
Colossians 4
Conduct yourself with wisdom, and let your speech be filled with grace.
INSIGHT
"Out of the abundance of [a man's] heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). A man cannot claim his heart is kind if his words are unkind. He cannot claim his heart embraces heaven's values if his mouth speaks the values of the world. The heart is a reservoir and the mouth a faucet. When the faucet is turned on, whatever is in the reservoir comes out. Paul writes: "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt" (Colossians 4:6). Elsewhere he writes: "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29). Listen to your speech! Analyze your heart!
PRAYER
Out of the abundance of your heart, offer to the Lord the praise of your lips:
Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested (Revelation 15:3-4).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
your growth as you pursue your full potential as a child of God,
fulfillment of the Great Commission,
whatever else is on your heart.
Close with this prayer to the Lord:
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
(Hebrews 2:9)
:angel:
November 1
1 Thessalonians 1
The Thessalonians follow Paul's life example and grow to spiritual maturity.
INSIGHT
Because the Christian life is more easily caught than taught, personal godliness is a powerful ministry tool, and imitation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth. Paul gave the Thessalonians not just the words of the Gospel, but also his very life - "you know what kind of men we were among you" (v. 5). The Thessalonian believers witnessed Paul's life and imitated him, which resulted in spiritual growth for them - "you became followers of us" (v. 6). As a result, they became an example to the Macedonians and Achaians. This pattern of "life-on-life" ministry was first demonstrated by our Lord. Jesus selected 12 men "that they might be with Him" (Mark 3:14). Take a moment to think about how you can learn from or teach someone else in a mentoring relationship.
PRAYER
Praise God that He is our perfect example:
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our
Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
(1 Chronicles 29:10-11)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy . . .
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
(Psalm 103:8, 13-14)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
We are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
(2 Corinthians 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
health and strength to serve Him,
His will to be done in your life,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
May the God of peace . . . make you complete in every good work to do His will.
(Hebrews 13:20-21)
:angel:
November 3
1 Thessalonians 3
Paul is not able to visit Thessalonica so he sends Timothy instead.
INSIGHT
Affliction is part of life. Sometimes circumstances afflict us; sometimes other people afflict us; sometimes we afflict ourselves. In the midst of affliction, we need encouragement. Paul writes that he sent Timothy to visit the Thessalonians "to establish and encourage" them because of their afflictions (vv. 2-3). Paul feared for their spiritual well-being. When we see others in the midst of affliction, we should be quick to encourage them. Rebuke, exhortation, counsel, and instruction all have their time and place, but encouragement is one of the most powerful ministries on earth.
PRAYER
Praise God for His encouraging Word!
I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.
(Psalm 17:6-8)
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
(Psalm 9:8)
Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
Be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
joy in the midst of unpleasant circumstances,
a positive, encouraging mind-set,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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 40:8).
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)
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
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. 8). 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 pain = later 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).
:angel:
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)
:angel:
November 14
1 Timothy 6
The quest for godliness motivates us to "fight the good fight" of faith while we live on earth.
INSIGHT
If any of us could have three wishes, most of us would include wealth as one of those wishes. Everything else being equal, we would rather be rich than poor. Yet that very desire is a snare - so much so that Paul urges Timothy to flee the love of money and "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness" (v. 11). And he adds: "I urge you . . . that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing" (vv. 13-14). If we have wealth, we are to use it compassionately. If we do not have wealth, we are to be content.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for being free to worship Him with words and with our lives:
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! . . .
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? . . .O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9)
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).
Confess any sins which the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the renewing of your mind,
needs of your extended family,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).
:angel:
November 15
2 Timothy 1
Paul exhorts Timothy to rekindle his zeal for the Christian life and ministry.
INSIGHT
A number of years have passed between the writing of 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. During that time, Timothy has faced great trial and opposition and is in danger of discontinuing his ministry. Paul writes a terse letter of exhortation, urging strength and constancy. A list of phrases used in this book include:"stir up," "do not be ashamed," "hold fast," "be strong," "endure hardship," "be diligent, "flee youthful lusts," "pursue righteousness," and "preach the word!" In the heat of battle, short and powerful commands are easy to comprehend.
PRAYER
As you consider God's love for you, praise Him that He guides your spiritual growth:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. . . .
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:1-2, 9-10).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
There is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
the leading of the Lord in your life,
opportunities for evangelism,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
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).
:angel:
November 17
2 Timothy 3
As Christians, we must be on our guard to follow the truth continually.
INSIGHT
The Scriptures are designed to be the basis of truth for leading a Christian to maturity in Jesus Christ. They are accurate and trustworthy, afford adequate knowledge, and lead to a godly, biblical lifestyle. They also yield a biblical ministry: "that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (v. 17). A mature Christian is one who knows what he needs to know (knowledge), is what he needs to be (lifestyle), does what he needs to do (ministry), and is guided by the Scriptures in all of this.
PRAYER
Praise the Lord for His magnificent Word that contains perfect instructions on how to live:
Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
My soul breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
You rebuke the proud and the cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments. . . .
Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors (Psalm 119:17-21, 24).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You (Psalm 51:12-13).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:6-8)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater self-control,
those who minister in our inner cities,
your activities for the day.
Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
:angel: