Quiet Walk

[Judy Harder]

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).
`

[Judy Harder]

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:.

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).
`

[Judy Harder]

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) 
`

[Judy Harder]

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:

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) 
`

[Judy Harder]

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) 
`

[Judy Harder]

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) 
`

[Judy Harder]

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) 
`

[Judy Harder]

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:

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) 
`

[Judy Harder]

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) 
`

[Judy Harder]

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) 
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