Read, Reflect and Pray Everyday!
Daily Guide for Prayer and Study
August 22 – 27, 2022
Click on the day to expand the guide.
Monday, August 22
Read – Matthew 16:13-18
Notice – Scholar N. T. Wright observed, “Jesus isn’t going to build an actual city, or an actual Temple. He is going to build a community, consisting of all those who give allegiance to him as God’s anointed king.” In what ways have you found your place of worship a true community? How can you make it more of a community by connecting with other people you haven’t met yet?
Pray – Jesus, give me the courage, creativity, focus and faith to live as a member of your cosmic “winning team.” Amen.
Tuesday, August 23
Read – Acts 2:42-47, Acts 11:29-30
Notice – The very first Christians lived out their faith as a largely unknown group, living in a city that had crucified their Lord. But the apostles’ teaching, prayer, fellowship and a radical spirit of helping one another bound them together. The teachings of the apostles and the power of the Holy Spirit moved the first Christians to share their possessions, setting aside their own gain to bless others. That spirit extended to their life and love beyond the church at that time. How does your readiness to share with others reflect God’s impact on your life?
Pray – God, thank you for the generous model those early Christians left for me. Help me to live with the same spirit of sharing and caring they showed. Amen.
Wednesday, August 24
Read – Ephesians 3:10-21
Notice – Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus: “I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God.” How do you live into “the love of Christ” to keep your own spiritual life growing? As all of us do that, in what ways can Grace strengthen and energize others to do the same?
Pray – God, thank you for choosing to work through people-like me-to bring light to your hurting world. Fill me with the “love of Christ that is beyond knowledge.” Let others see you through me. Amen.
Thursday, August 25
Read – 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, Romans 15:25-28
Notice – In these passages, we find references to Galatia, Macedonia and Achaia, three geographic areas in which Paul planted churches. Look them up on a map in the back of your Bible (or online, if you prefer) to see what a wide range of still-young churches sent help to Jerusalem. What important values get lost when congregations see themselves as competitors or rivals, rather than as part of the same global fellowship of believers?
Pray – Jesus, expand my mental horizons. As you care for all of your people, help me to find joy both in what my church does right here, and also in the times when we can help other Christians I may not even know personally. Amen.
Friday, August 26
Read – 2 Corinthians 8:16-21
Notice – The Greek and Roman society saw the well-to-do as entitled to all they had, and the poor as less worthy, there to be worked and even exploited. But Christian faith bridged economic divides. Paul expressed his motivation in terms that went well beyond just finances. He wanted, he said, “to show our desire to help.” What are some ways other than money that you have seen Grace reach out to help others? Can you think of additional nonmonetary kinds of help that might be worth considering?
Pray – Jesus, help me to learn more and more to do my business in ways that are as transparent as the sunlight, to show integrity because you’ve planted integrity in my heart. Amen.
Saturday, August 27
Read – 2 Corinthians 9:5-8, 12-15
Notice – “God has the power to provide you with more than enough of every kind of grace” (verse 8). Paul, a traveling Christian preacher who owned, as far as we know, no real estate, no life insurance, and no retirement plan, wrote those words! Paul did not invent the idea that God’s people should give freely (both in terms of money and in terms of time, talent and encouragement) without pressure. In Exodus 25:2, the command about offerings to build a sanctuary in the desert was “Receive my gift offerings from everyone who freely wants to give.” What reasons would God have for wanting us to give from free, grateful hearts without coercion or pressure? When have you felt the joy of giving freely from a grateful heart filled with love?
Pray – Jesus, open my eyes to the abundance you provide in my life. May my heart sing as, out of your abundance, I seek to be your physical presence to the people in my world. Amen.