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Published 5/27/19 Read Matthew 18:19-20 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." Reflect • What does it mean to pray in unity? • Why is unity among believers important? • What does this verse mean: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them"? (Please explain.) We were created to live in community

Published 5/24/19 Read 1 Chronicles 16:34 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Reflect • Do you worship God with your prayers? • What are some of the ways that God has blessed you? • What are some of the things you are thankful for? How do you express them to God? (Please explain.) Worship. Praise. Thanksgiving. These words can mean so many different things to different people. But the essence of worshipping God and praying with

Published 5/23/19 Read 1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. Reflect • Do you pray for every need? (Why or why not?) • What gives us confidence that our prayers are being heard and that they will be answered? • What does it mean to ask "according to his will"? Bringing our need

Published 5/22/19 Read Luke 22:41-42 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." Reflect • How do you stay true to God as He leads you down difficult paths? • What steps do you take to follow God's will? • Has there ever been a time in your life when what seemed to be God's will just didn't make sense? What did you do? (Please explain.

Published 5/21/19 Read Ephesians 1:15-19 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riche

Published 5/20/19 Read Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Reflect • How would you describe your prayer life? Is it formal or personal? • Does a time spent in prayer draw you closer to Jesus? • What do these verses mean: "Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours"? Prayer is conversation with our Creator, and it is as personal as our relationship with

Published 5/17/19 Read Proverbs 28:13 (NIRV) Anyone who hides their sins doesn't succeed. But anyone who admits their sins and gives them up finds mercy. Reflect • Are there areas of your life that you're hiding from others--even from God? The truth is, God already knows about them, so come humbly before Him and confess your sins. • Do you believe that Jesus will forgive you? • Do you trust that He loves you and cares about every struggle you're facing? Once we've spent time

Published 5/16/19 Read Hebrews 13:15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Reflect • What is a sacrifice of praise? • God delights in our prayers as we honor Him with our hearts and minds. Why is praising His name and giving thanks the right place to begin as we pray? • What are you thankful for? Prayer is an investment in our relationship with God. Even though it is important to be pra

Published 5/15/19 Read 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Reflect • What does it mean to humble ourselves and pray? Why is this important? • What kinds of things keep you from praying? • How can being too busy destroy a prayer life? Life gets busy, which means that too often prayer is bumped to a few q

Published 5/14/19 Read James 1:6 (NIV) But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Reflect • Do you pray with confidence, believing that God will answer you? • How can you overcome doubt? • Do you trust that God knows what's best and will take care of you? Prayer is connection. "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those wh

Published 5/13/19 Read 1 Peter 5:10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. Reflect • How should we react when hard times hit? How should we pray? • Do you trust that God will see you through the challenges? • Why is it important to get a perspective from a trusted friend, as well? When an otherwise peaceful life suddenly collides with a p

Published 5/10/19 Read Psalm 13:3-6 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him," lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me. Reflect • Honest communication with God is a great way to process what is going on in our lives. Have you notice

Published 5/9/19 Read Psalm 13:1-2 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Reflect • How do you feel about the fact that David is secure enough in his friendship with the Lord to be completely honest with his feelings? • Are you able to be this authentic too? • Why is it important to pour out everything th

Published 5/8/19 Read Psalm 22:14-21 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet-- I can count all my bones--they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast

Published 5/7/19 Read Psalm 22:1-2 (NLT) My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief. Reflect • Why is it important to keep praying even when we don't sense God in our lives? • In what ways can our emotions deceive us? • What can help us to be patient? In Psalm 22, David felt as if he had gotten a raw deal from God, and he wan

Published 5/6/19 Read 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!" And God granted what he asked. Reflect • What keeps you from praying boldly? • Do you believe that God cares ab

Published 5/3/19 Read Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Reflect • What does it mean to "make disciples"? • How can we accept Christ's call to "go" and "tell"? •

Published 5/2/19 Read Acts 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Reflect · God sent the Holy Spirit to fill our

Published 5/1/19 Read John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Reflect • Do you believe that Christ paid the penalty for your sins? • Do you believe that you can have eternal life through Him? • What steps can you take to grow closer to Jesus? Someone who is willing to die for us is certainly someone we can be confident in. Fact: if you were the only person on the entire earth, God s

Published 4/30/19 Read Luke 6:35-36 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." Reflect • Do you believe that Christ has forgiven your sins? • Do you believe that He wants a relationship with you? • Do you believe that the Lord is merciful and freely offers His grace and forgiveness

Published 4/29/19 Read Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? Reflect • How can you learn more about God? • Do you believe what the Bible says about the Lord? • What steps can you take to grow closer to Him? It's hard to trust someone we don't know. So the first step in trusting God is getting to know Him. So, who is God? He is our Crea

Published 4/26/19 Read Luke 24:45-49 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power fro

Published 4/25/19 Read Luke 24:30-32 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" Reflect • Why did Jesus choose to "open the Scriptures" as He joined the two disciples on the road to Emmaus? (Why not just in

Published 4/24/19 Read John 21:15-17 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was griev