LOVE GOD’S WORD & PRAYERDaily Bible Reading |
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| At Faith Baptist Fellowship, we Love God’s Word and Prayer. We strongly believe that every growing disciple of Jesus needs to be regularly hearing from God through His word and personally speaking back to God through prayer. If regular Bible reading is not yet a habit of yours, this is a great way to get started!
We are encouraging everyone to continue our Daily Bible Readings. We will provide devotional thoughts and helpful prayer points on the passages. The weekend material will prepare you for the upcoming Sunday sermon as well as provide some discussion help for Faith Groups. We encourage you to set aside at least 15-20 minutes a day for reading and prayer. If you fall behind, just start on the current day. Try to develop the habit of reading at the same time and place. Have a journal and pen for answering questions and recording your thoughts and insights. For additional Bible reading plans, check out faithsf.com. Enjoy your time in God’s Word and Prayer! |
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Monday, May 22Read Psalm 24-25 |
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| THINK: The psalm opens with sweeping truth of who God is! Some speculate that Ps 24 may have been for the occasion when David brought the ark into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6). Hence the exuberant praise of “Lift up your heads” that “the King of Glory may come in.” That great joy is followed by the much more sober Psalm 25, with confession of sin, recognition of trouble, yet also the good care of a great God. People can be treacherous, but God will not allow those who wait upon him to be put to shame. There may be darkness for a time, but God’s promise cannot fail. Where do you take refuge? Let him guard your soul and deliver you! (v. 20)
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| PRAY: Begin with sweeping praise for the Creator God (as Ps 24 opened that way). Rejoice and bless the Lord for his presence in your life by the Holy Spirit. Then pray through the thoughts of Ps 25, making it your own (confession, requests for help, honoring his attributes, expressions of loneliness and pain, etc.). There is much here to pray about! Let David be your guide in prayer: “I wait for you!” Pray for the Mike Johnson family navigating a big change.
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Tuesday, May 23Read Psalm 26 |
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| THINK: It takes courage to pray, with v. 2, “Prove me, O LORD, and try me, test my heart and my mind.” David wasn’t perfect, as we saw in the previous Psalm, but he is confident of his walk in the steadfast love of the Lord. He is living in covenant with God. He is willing to stand away from the worldly crowd. His boast is in what God has done! He loves the temple of God. He loves walking with God. Can you say that you love walking with your Heavenly Father each day?
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| PRAY: We do not look to a physical temple any longer, for now our own lives are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and our future is in the new Jerusalem with Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, our daily walk of faith in covenant with God is the same! So express that to God. Tell him that it is your deepest desire TODAY to walk with Jesus in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Ask him to fill you. Ask him to lead and guide you. Ask him to use you to make an impact for his kingdom this day. Ask him for protection from the worldly crowd who want to destroy you and your family. Pray for Ridgeview Bible Church.
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Wednesday, May 24Read Psalm 27 |
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| THINK: Fear is a reality at all times, but it’s been heightened of late by events in our country and world. According to the Psalmist, what should free us from fear? What would it mean for you to “dwell in the house of the Lord” and to behold his beauty and “inquire in his temple” today? According to the Psalmist, walking with God gives shelter, protection, victory, and joy. Are you seeking the face of the Lord? Are you walking on his path? Are you trusting and waiting for him to act on your behalf? Take courage and wait for the Lord!
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| PRAY: What do you fear today? Tell your Heavenly Father! Don’t be afraid to be honest with God about what’s bothering your heart. Express to the Lord that you are in his word today because you want to walk with him, see the beauty of his grace and character, and grow in abiding in him. Read Proverbs 3:5-6 and pray its truth to the Lord, trusting him to lead and guide you on the path of life. Look over your calendar or planner and begin to pray about anything of concern or worry. Ask God for courage to trust him. Thank him for protection and help. Pray for the sale of the Johnson’s house.
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Thursday, May 25Read Psalm 28 |
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| THINK: The Psalm opens with David calling upon the Lord in prayer. It concludes with him blessing the Lord, worshipping him with great joy, delighting not only in present deliverance but also “forever” help through the Anointed one to come. In his opening cry for help, he pleads that the Lord not be silent. He lifts up his hands in supplication and asks for mercy and help. How does he describe the wicked? What is their posture toward the Lord and his ways? In his joy when God hears and answers, what delights him greatly? In conclusion, what hint reminds us that the “Anointed” is not just David himself but also a future king?
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| PRAY: Sometimes we may feel that God is silent. This psalm reminds us to keep praying in those times, knowing that God is still near, and his deliverance is only a matter of timing and the perfection of God’s plan. Lift up your hands to him right now and ask for his help in any matter of concern to you. Pray as well for our church, our community, our nation, and our world. Call upon your ROCK for his help, then rejoice! Pray a prayer of praise, for he is our strength and shield. Pray for our members and friends at Risen Hope!
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Friday, May 26Read Psalm 29 |
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| THINK: “With my song I give thanks to him,” David said in the previous psalm (28:7). Some scholars believe this is the song to which he referred. To ascribe to the Lord is to give the credit to God that he alone deserves: glory, splendor, no one is like our God. To ascribe is to worship! What God has created “ascribes” to him glory (vv. 3-9). We join with all creation is crying, “Glory!” Glory to God for he alone is worthy. He reigns, enthroned as King forever (vv. 10-11).
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| PRAY: What a song! Is it your song? Do you also ascribe to the Lord the glory due his great name? Do you cry “Glory!” with all the stars in the sky, the mountain peaks, and the crashing ocean waves? Pray a prayer of praise right now. Better yet, sing one! With your song, spoken or sung, give your thanks to our Heavenly Father and exalt him for his glory, majesty, and splendor. Tell him how much you love him. Express to him thanks for such a wonderful salvation. Pray for our friends who are taking the gospel to “all nations.”
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Weekend, May 27-28Read Ephesians 4:1-7 |
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| If you’ve fallen behind this week, consider using these extra days to catch up. You can also prepare your heart and mind for this Sunday’s worship service. Read the planned sermon text above and the thoughts below in advance of Sunday morning’s message. If you are in a Faith Group, consider discussing the questions below together. | ||
| THINK: Ponder the phrase “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” It is loaded with meaning! What would a “worthy” walk look like? To what have we as believers been called? Do the following sentences help you grasp what this “worthy walk” might look like? What is our “one hope that belongs to our call”? Aren’t we thankful for God’s grace in this walk? Yes, we are!
Walking in hope is our theme for this Sunday, with Pastor Greg Friesner of Prison Lighthouse Fellowship and the Grace Team preaching. Greg is also our Care Coordinator at Faith.
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| PRAY: Pray for Greg as he preaches on this great theme. The NT is full of descriptions of how we should WALK as believers. Pray for our walk as a church in this crucial moment in world history.
On this Memorial Day weekend, thank God for our freedom and for those who paid the ultimate price that we might be free. Pray for God’s powerful work by his Spirit in our troubled nation at this time. Pray for revival in Christ’s church, renewal in our culture, and a season of harvest with many coming to faith in Christ.
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| FAITH GROUP: Discuss the matter of what a “worthy walk” looks like. Discuss it in light of Greg’s message on walking in hope.
How do you keep your daily walk focused in the midst of a very busy life, with lots of pressures drawing your attention in many directions? |
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