Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

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, .

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).

[Judy Harder]

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) 

[Judy Harder]

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) 

[Judy Harder]

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) 

[Judy Harder]

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) 

[Judy Harder]

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) 

[Judy Harder]

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) 

[Judy Harder]

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)

[Judy Harder]

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)

[Judy Harder]

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)