Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

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).

[Judy Harder]

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).

[Judy Harder]

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).

[Judy Harder]

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).

[Judy Harder]

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:

[Judy Harder]

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).

[Judy Harder]

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)

[Judy Harder]

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).

[Judy Harder]

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).

[Judy Harder]

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:.

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).