Being Worthy of Respect

Today's Reading:
Ezra 7:1-8:20
1 Timothy 3:1-16
Psalm 119:65-72 
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Focus Verses: 1 Timothy 3:8-9
8 In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

Insight:
Those who aspire to leadership and service roles in the church are desiring something good. But in order to lead and serve effectively, as Paul points out, it is essential for those who desire to lead and serve to first demonstrate their faith and integrity in their everyday lives. They should be respected, self-controlled, sincere, honest, and selfless. They should also be people with depth who cherish and chew on the deep truths of the faith. In other words, the sincerity of their walk with Christ should be nourished by deep roots, and be evidenced in fruitful lives.

Response and Action:
A wholehearted desire to be taught and guided by Christ must precede my desire to have a role of leadership and service in the life of the Church. I will give myself fully to knowing and following Christ. I will meditate on the deep truths of the Scriptures and apply them to my life in practical and specific ways. I will make every effort to live out my faith by God's grace; then I will be prepared for ministry to others as a leader and a servant.

O God, give me a sincere heart that seeks you. Help me to follow and emulate Christ in the actions and conduct of my daily life. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear the deep truths of faith. Prepare me for acts of service, and help me to approach every opportunity to lead with selfless integrity. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Proverbs 10:17
17 "He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray."

Resources:
Basic Christian Leadership: Biblical Models
by John R. W. Stott

Requests, Intercession, and Thanksgiving

Today's Reading:
Ezra 4:24-6:22
1 Timothy 2:1-15
Psalm 119:57-64 
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Focus Verses: 1 Timothy 2:1-4
1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Insight:
There are many ways to pray: making requests, lifting up the needs of others, and giving thanks. There are many people to pray for: those in authority, friends, relatives, neighbors, enemies, leaders, and co-workers. There are many reasons to pray: the hope of a peaceful life, the pursuit of holiness, to please and honor God, and to give witness to the truth of Christ.

God wants all people to be saved. God wants all people to come to a knowledge of the truth. Prayer is   essential to my spiritual growth, my service, my worship, and my testimony.

Response and Action:
I will be intentional about prayer. I will pray for others, making requests and giving thanks. This will help me grow in my faith, live with godliness, and become an example and testimony of Christ's power to saving grace and power.

O God, thank you for the gift of prayer. Thank you that I can lift my needs and the needs of others up to you. Thank you for your desire to save all people and help them come to a knowledge of the truth. Help me to live in a way that demonstrates your power to save. I pray all this in the name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Psalm 5:1-3 
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. 2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. 

Resources:
The Prayer God Longs For
by James Emery White

Reading Schedule for April 14-20

Tips for Bible Readers

Reading Schedule for 2018-2019

SUNDAY
Ezra 4:24-6:22
1Timothy 2:1-15
Psalm 119:57-64

MONDAY
Ezra 7:1-8:20
1Timothy 3:1-16
Psalm 119:65-72

TUESDAY
Ezra 8:21-9:15
1Timothy 4:1-16
Psalm 119:73-80

WEDNESDAY
Ezra 10:1-44
1Timothy 5:1-25
Psalm 119:81-88

THE BIBLE PROJECT: EZRA – NEHEMIAH

THURSDAY
Nehemiah 1:1-3:14
1Timothy 6:1-21
Psalm 119:89-96

THE BIBLE PROJECT: 2 TIMOTHY

FRIDAY
Nehemiah 3:15-5:13
2Timothy 1:1-18
Psalm 119:97-104

SATURDAY
Nehemiah 5:14-7:73a
2Timothy 2:1-21
Psalm 119:105-112

Christ Came to Save

Today's Reading:
Ezra 3:1-4:23
1 Timothy 1:1-20
Psalm 119:49-56
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Focus Verses: 1 Timothy 1:14-17
14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Insight:
God's grace, love, mercy, and eternal life are available to everyone through Christ. There is no one too sinful to be beyond hope. His grace is greater than our sin. Our faith in Christ and surrender to him make us living demonstrations of the hope and transformation God gives to all who believe. Those who are experiencing changed and renewed lives through Christ are moved to exclamations of praise, and quick to give thanks to God.

Response and Action:
I will continually look to Christ for the salvation and the grace I need to become like him. I will live with the intention of making the hope and power of Christ visible to others. It is my hope that God's saving work in my life will be apparent to others. I will express my deepest thanks and highest praise to God for the resurrection life he is giving me through Jesus.

O God, help me to live in full surrender to you. Make me more like Jesus each day. Open my mouth, and my lips will praise you. Make my life a testimony of your saving grace. Help me to bring glory to   Christ in all that I say and do. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 6:22-23
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Resources:
Never Beyond Hope: How God Touches and Uses Imperfect People
by J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystro

THE BIBLE PROJECT - 1 TIMOTHY

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Restoration and Renewal

Today's Reading:
Ezra 1:1-2:70
2 Thessalonians 3:1-18
Psalm 119:41-48 
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Focus Verses: Ezra 1:1-3
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: 2 "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Anyone of his people among you—may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem."

Insight:
God had used foreign powers to humble, discipline, and purify his people. Seventy years later, just as he had promised through the prophet Jeremiah, he used the King of Persia to restore the Israelites to their homeland. During their years of exile, God had used prophets and leaders like Ezekiel and Daniel to preserve a remnant of Israel. These faithful Jews were now given the chance to return to their homeland.

The first thing those who returned to Jerusalem did was to build an altar to the Lord. They reestablished the priesthood, and restored the practices of worship, feast days, and sacrifices. Zerubbabel led the effort to rebuild the Temple.

Response and Action:
God is able to accomplish his purpose in my life. The very things that challenge, humble, and refine me today, God can use to restore and renew me tomorrow. The most important thing I can do is to seek and love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

If my eyes are fixed on Jesus, I will not need God's hand of discipline to turn me toward him. If I seek him with my whole heart, he will sustain me through times of challenge and hardship. When I experience times of favor and success, I will be careful to make worship my first priority and concern.

O God, you are sovereign. You are able to accomplish your purposes in the world and in my life. Give me the wisdom to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and my heart turned toward you. Help me to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness, trusting that everything else I need will be provided. Thank you for your great faithfulness and the hope of restoration you have given me in Christ. It's in his redeeming name that I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Jude 1:24-25
24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Resources:
The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others
by Scot McKnight

Hold to the Teachings

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 35:1-36:23
2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
Psalm 119:33-40 
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Focus Verses: 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17
15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and  strengthen you in every good deed and word.

Insight:
Of all the scripture written by Apostle Paul, this chapter contains some of the most difficult to understand and interpret. The passage must be approached with care because it is a clarification of teachings he had previously given Thessalonians when he was with them. The original teachings are not available to us.

While we might not be able to grasp all of what Paul is saying here, we can certainly profit from the principles he gives to help them avoid being deceived. He warns them that not every claim to Apostolic authority is true (v.2). They should be careful to remember the teachings they received directly from the Apostles (v.5), stand firm in them (v.15), and consider them to be authoritative over competing or conflicting teachings and ideas.

He tells them that false and deceptive teachers are marked by: a rebellious spirit (v.3), a disregard for law and morality (v.3), and an inflated view of self that has no reverence for God (v.4). Self-deception, he says, results from delighting in wickedness, refusing to love truth, and believing lies (vv.10-12).

Response and Action:
I need to love and seek out the truth. Delighting in wickedness makes me vulnerable to being deceived by lies, and it leads to an inability to ever see or want truth. I must immerse myself in scripture in order to know the words of Jesus and the teaching of the Apostles. I should be extremely guarded against teachers who have an inflated view of self, even if they claim to be teaching what the Bible says. I should watch out for teachers who have a haughty spirit, demonstrate a low regard for others, and are motivated by personal gain.

God of Truth, I believe that Jesus, your son, is the way, the truth, and the life. Help me to know him and follow him closely that I might walk in your truth. Help me to hide your word in my heart, to read and memorize the Scriptures, and to meditate upon them day and night. Help me to discern lies and to delight in the truth. Help me to love and use your word that I might be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 John 4:1
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Resources:
Enemies With Smiling Faces
by Donald C. Posterski

Every Good Purpose

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Psalm 119:25-32 
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Focus Verses: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good   purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Insight:
Paul was confident that God would one day act in justice and put the world to rights. He was sure that destruction would come upon all who rebelled against God, rejected the gospel of Christ, and persecuted the church. He was just as convinced that blessing would be poured out upon all who had put their faith in Christ and followed him through thick and thin.

With that in mind, Paul prayed for his Christian friends in Thessalonica. He prayed that God would fulfill every good intention and every righteous act prompted by their faith. He wanted Jesus to be lifted up and glorified in their lives.

Response and Action:
My faith should help me persevere in times of trial. It should move me toward good purposes and spur me on toward good deeds. God's grace and power help me to become the person he has in mind for me to be, and to accomplish the good work he has in mind for me to do.

Help me, O Lord, transform my life, shape my desires, and prompt me toward the righteous acts you have prepared for me to do. I am your workmanship. May my faith in Jesus prompt me to delight in your will, to want what you want, and to walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Resources:
The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives
by Dallas Willard

THE BIBLE PROJECT - 2 THESSALONIANS

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Be Alert and Self-Controlled

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 32:1-33:13
1 Thessalonians 5:4-28
Psalm 119:17-24 
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Focus Verses: 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6
2 For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.

Insight:
The "Day of the Lord" is a phrase that goes all the way back to the Old Testament prophets. It refers to a final day when God will intervene with judgment and blessing.

The Christians who witnessed Jesus' ascension into heaven were told that he would one day return. Hope in the Christ's promised return has been central to Christianity since the beginning. The Nicene Creed (325 A.D.) says, "He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead, and his Kingdom will have no end."

With this faith and hope, Paul urged Christians to live with an expectation of that "final day." This expectation, he said, should shape the way they live each day—making them thoughtful, alert, and self-controlled.

Response and Action:
Anticipation and readiness for Christ's return should be a part of my daily thinking. Remembering the "Day of the Lord" and believing that it is imminent should heighten my attentiveness to life. Faith in the certainty of Christ's promised return should guide my choices and actions.

Dear Lord, I want to be ready for Christ's return. More than that, I long for it. Bring your Kingdom to earth today, O Lord. Help me to live and work in this world today as a servant of your Kingdom, which is and is to come. Help me to be alert and able to see the world from a Kingdom perspective. Help me to be self-controlled and to walk in your ways. I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Revelation 21:1-3
1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

Recommended Reading:
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church
by N. T. Wright

Living According to Your Word

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 30:1-31:21
1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3
Psalm 119:9-16 
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Focus Verses: Psalm 119:9-11
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Insight:
God's Word is useful for knowing God's will and for learning how to live  in purity and truth. It is important to have a desire to know God and his will. This whole-hearted desire motivates the believer to read, apply, study, know, and memorize Scripture.

Response and Action:
If I want to know God and his will for my life, I need to spend time in the Bible. I will seek him with my whole heart and commit myself to walking in the light of his truth. I will make time every day to read the Scripture, to prayerfully consider how it applies to my life, and to be as responsive to it as I can be.

O God, thank you for the Bible. Open my mind to understand what it says. Make my heart soft and ready to receive it. Give me the wisdom and the will to obey and respond to it. Show me your ways, O Lord, guide me in your truth and lead me for you are God, my savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Recommended Reading:
Transforming Bible Study: Understanding Scripture Like You've Never Read It Before
by Bob Grahmann

As a Father Loves His Children

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 29:1-36
1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13
Psalm 119:1-8 
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Focus Verses:
1 Thessalonians 2:6b-12
6b As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
 
Insight:
Paul uses the imagery of parenthood to describe the nurturing role that he and his missionary companions served in Thessalonica. Like a mother with her children, they loved and delighted in the people they served. They didn't merely teach; they shared their very lives. Like a good father, they encouraged, comforted, and prodded their new converts to live lives that honor God, and to see themselves as Kingdom people with a purpose to fulfill.

This is a good model for spiritual guidance and mentoring. Christian leaders would do well to choose the model of loving and nurturing parents over the entrepreneurial, business, marketing, coach/expert models that seem to be more prevalent today. Nurture is more likely to flow out of relationships than lessons.

Response and Action:
I need to see relationships as the basis for real spiritual nurture and Christian mentoring. I need to look for this kind of leadership and example for my own maturity in Christ. I need to become this kind of leader to serve and bless others.

O God, bring spiritual leaders into my life who nurture and encourage me as good parents love and guide their children. Help me to be an encouraging and loving friend, example, and mentor to anyone who is looking to me for spiritual guidance and support. Help me to love and delight in the people I serve. I pray through Christ, your son, who has demonstrated true servanthood, and calls me to be a servant too. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses:  
John 13:14-17
14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Resources:
Full Service: Moving from Self-Serve Christianity to Total Servanthood
by Siang-Yang Tan

Reading Schedule for April 7-13

Tips for Bible Readers

Reading Schedule for 2018-2019

SUNDAY
2Chronicles 29:1-36
1Thessalonians 2:9-3:13
Psalm 119:1-8

MONDAY
2Chronicles 30:1-31:21
1Thessalonians 4:1-5:3
Psalm 119:9-16

TUESDAY
2Chronicles 32:1-33:13
1Thessalonians 5:4-28
Psalm 119:17-24

THE BIBLE PROJECT - 2 THESSALONIANS

WEDNESDAY
2Chronicles 33:14-34:33
2Thessalonians 1:1-12
Psalm 119:25-32

THURSDAY
2Chronicles 35:1-36:23
2Thessalonians 2:1-17
Psalm 119:33-40

FRIDAY
Ezra 1:1-2:70
2Thessalonians 3:1-18
Psalm 119:41-48

THE BIBLE PROJECT - 1 TIMOTHY

SATURDAY
Ezra 3:1-4:23
1Timothy 1:1-20
Psalm 119:49-56

The Day the Lord Has Made

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 26:1-28:27
1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8
Psalm 118:17-29 
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Focus Verses: Psalm 118:13-14; 22-24
13 I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. 14 The  LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. - - - 22 The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 23 the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Insight:
It's not unusual to hear someone at a church gathering quote "this is the day the Lord has made" from Psalm 118. It is unusual, however, to hear them quote it with the same meaning the psalmist had in mind. Most times you would think it meant: "Wow, what a nice day! The sun is shining, the birds are singing; it's good to be together on this lovely day that God has given us." But is that what the Psalmist had in mind? Nope.

The "day" the psalmist is talking about is certainly a good one, but exactly what good "day" is he talking about? The day of salvation. The psalmist is talking about the day of deliverance given to us by our faithful and good God whose love endures forever. The psalmist was rejoicing in God's salvation from a national perspective (v. 1), from a faith perspective (vv. 2-3), and a personal perspective (vv. 5-6).

The psalmist understood the need for rescue from sin in order to have peace and fellowship with God (v. 27). In the New Testament, the Apostles picked up on this theme and proclaimed Jesus to be the ultimate deliverer the psalmist was pointing to. This is the day that the Lord has made: the day of salvation through Christ Jesus, who laid down his life for us and conquered death in order that we might have eternal life, peace, and fellowship with God. Let us rejoice and be glad!

Response and Action:
I will give God thanks for the many ways he delivers and saves me. I look to Christ Jesus as the supreme expression of God's faithfulness to save. I will seek to be an instrument of God's faithfulness and grace in the lives of others around me.

O God, thank you for the ways you save and deliver me. Thank you for bringing me through trials and hardships. Thank you for rescuing me from an empty life. Thank you for liberating me from the fear of death. Thank you for saving me and granting me eternal life through Jesus. Thank you for reclaiming my life and renovating my spirit through the indwelling of your Holy Spirit. I rejoice in every day of deliverance you have made! I will rejoice and be glad as I place my complete trust and confidence to keep and save me to the end! Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Acts 4:11-12
11 He is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.' 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Recommended Reading:
How to Read the Psalms
by Tremper Longman

THE BIBLE PROJECT - 1 THESSALONIANS

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Devote Yourselves to Prayer

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 24:1-25:28
Colossians 3:18-4:18
Psalm 118:1-16 
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Focus Verses: Colossians 4:2-6
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Insight:
Prayer is something that requires devotion. True devotion is demonstrated through intentional practices and committed routines in daily life. Faithfulness in prayer will help me be watchful and thankful. Praying for people will make me more thoughtful and aware of their needs, relationships, responsibilities, joys, and sorrows.

Consistent times of prayer will also help me to see the many ways God is working, saving, sustaining, and blessing. This will result in an attitude of gratitude and a desire to give thanks and praise to God.

A devoted prayer life includes a concern for the spreading of the gospel of Christ Jesus. It's important to pray for missionaries, churches, and evangelistic ministries. It's also important to pray about my own witness for Christ in everyday life and conversation.

Response and Action:
I must be committed to prayer and be intentional about how and when I will pray. I will exercise my commitment to prayer with a thoughtful approach to who and what I pray about. I will strive to develop consistent prayer routine. I will keep a prayer journal, noting the ways I see God responding to my prayers. I will ask God to open doors for missionaries and evangelists who are taking the message of Christ around the world. I will also pray for God's help to be a gracious and winsome witness for Christ in my everyday life and conversations.

Gracious God, thank you for hearing the prayers of your people. Open my eyes to needs and situations around me as I pray. Give me a heart of gratitude and lips that praise you as my time in prayer helps me to see the many ways you answer and bless. Guide and sustain your servants who are   taking the good news of Jesus to those who do not yet know him. Give me a gracious and seasoned demeanor as I go about my life today, that I might be an effective and salty witness for the hope and life you freely give through Christ. In his name, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 6:18-20
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
 
Resources:
Praying: Finding Our Way Through Duty to Delight 
by J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom

Clothe Yourselves

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 21:1-23:21
Colossians 3:1-17
Psalm 117:1-2 
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Colossians 3:12-15
12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Insight:
Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience are all prominent characteristics of God's people. These qualities are essential if people who follow Christ are to become a "people"--a community. Forbearance and forgiveness are also essential to community. Love is at the heart of all of this. Christ's love, peace, and forgiveness are what make it possible for his people to love each other and live together in unity.

Response and Action:
Are compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience prominent characteristics of my life? Are these the qualities I am known for by others? I need to think about Christ's great love and forgiveness for me. I need to consider how I can follow his example and exercise love, forbearance, grace, and mercy toward others.

Paul instructs Christians to "clothe themselves" with these virtues. This instruction makes it clear that action on my part is needed for this to happen. I will give effort to the things that will help me cultivate, learn, and live out these virtues.

O God, thank you for the love, mercy, and forgiveness you have for your people. Help me to clothe myself with the virtues of love, humility, gentleness, and patience, that I might experience true Christian community and make a positive contribution to it. Help me to graciously forgive and forbear others and live in peace with everyone as much as is possible. Help me, and my circle of Christian friends, to be a testimony of your truth and grace as we live in unity. Help our community to be marked by love, gentleness, service, and peace. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 15:5-6
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Resources:
Life Together
by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Rooted and Built Up in Him

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37
Colossians 2:8-23
Psalm 116:12-19 
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Colossians 2:6-10
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Insight:
Putting faith in Christ Jesus and surrendering to his authority is the beginning to a new life that must be continued and lived out. As our roots grow deep into Christ and our hearts are strengthened by faith in him, our lives are built up; we are able to do what we've been taught, and thankfulness flows out of us.

Response and Action:
I must not let my faith in Christ become a powerless list of rules, beliefs, and traditions, or be reduced to a philosophical system of principles. My faith is rooted in Christ. He is my hope because he embodies the fullness of Deity. As I receive Christ, his fullness becomes my fullness. He is greater than every power and authority. It is by his power and authority that my life can be transformed.

I desire to live a transformed life, and to be built up with Christ as my foundation. He is the one who saves me--not religion, not a set of ideas, not traditions, not spiritual disciplines, and not rules. All these become distractions unless they lead me to a deeper love and relationship with Jesus. They are only valuable to me as a means of growing into and building upon Jesus, who is the hope of my life and the power for living.

O God, help me to know and experience Christ Jesus more each day. My faith and hope are in him. Strengthen and increase my faith, as I put down deep roots through the study of scripture, prayer, service, obedience, and fellowship with other believers. O Jesus, all authority and power belong to you. Lead me, teach me, and transform me into your likeness. May my life overflow with thanksgiving as I continue to build my life on you. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 3:16-19
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Resources:
Deep-Rooted in Christ: The Way of Transformation
by Joshua Choonmin Kang

The Lord Heard My Voice

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34
Colossians 1:18-2:7
Psalm 116:1-11 
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 116:1-5 
1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. 2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. 3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the LORD : "O LORD, save me!" 5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

Insight:
The person who lives by faith trusts that God is not distant or unconcerned. We believe he hears our voice and is responsive to our cries for help. When we are tied up in the stress and struggles of our lives, we call on the Lord. We believe he is gracious and righteous and full of compassion, and so we ask him to save us. And because we cry out to him, we experience his help. We discover that he does indeed hear our cries and he does meet us in our times of need.

Having faith, we are moved to prayer. Having prayed, we are more able to recognize God's saving response. Having recognized God's response, we grow in faith. Having grown in our faith, we find ourselves more apt to pray and more confident in God's grace. Having grown more confident in God's grace, we find ourselves more able to live by faith.

Response and Action:
I believe God is gracious, righteous, and compassionate. Because I trust him, I will cry out to him. Problems, heartaches, struggles, losses, defeats, and threats will drive me to the God I trust. I will cry out to him as long as I live.

O God. I believe in your goodness, therefore I pray. Though the world is filled with liars and lies, you speak and act in truth. Though the world is full of death, you offer life. Though life is difficult and demanding, you are attentive and faithful. Though the world is entangled in the lie that everything is meaningless, you give meaning a purpose and hope. Thank you for the salvation, the strength, and the    stability you have given through Christ Jesus, my Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 12:11-12
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Resources:
Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home
by Richard Foster

All Over the World

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14
Colossians 1:1-17
Psalm 115:12-18
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Colossians 1:3-6
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.

Insight:
The truth of God and the good news of Jesus is bearing fruit all over the world. Christianity is not a private thing or a western culture thing. In fact, there are now more Christians in the southern hemisphere than in the northern. English is not the first language of most Christians.

People all around the globe are putting their faith in Jesus, which is resulting in changed lives. Hope for life and love for others flows out of an understanding of God's grace in all its truth. Hearing about the worldwide response to Christ should make me thankful and move me to prayer.

Response and Action:
I want to be a world Christian who appreciates being part of the global community of faith in Christ. I want to pray for Christians around the world. I want to grow in my own faith as I gain understanding and encouragement from Christians living in other cultures and circumstances. I want to understand and experience God's grace in all its truth.

Dear Lord, thank you for your grace and mercy to all people. Thank you for extending your love to the whole world. Thank you for saving all who put their faith in Christ. Help me to understand and remember that my faith in Christ is not just a personal, individual affair, but is, rather, a reality to be experienced in a global community of believers. Help me to be faithful to pray for Christians around the world. Help all who follow Christ to be a light and witness, that the household of faith will extend to and include people from every tribe, language, ethnicity, and nation. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Revelation 5:9-10
9 And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." 

Resources:
Praying: Finding Our Way Through Duty to Delight
by J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom