DAILY SCRIPTURES WHICH PROCLAIM
CHRIST’S SUPREMACY
With suggested prayers to pray the
Scriptures back to the Lord
Edited by Steve Hall of Bellevue, WA
The NIV Scripture passages in this document alternate
between the Old and New Testaments (one OT, then two NT).
They focus on the supremacy of Christ (His greatness and glory).
The OT is a foreshadowing of Christ’s supremacy.
The NT is a revealing of Christ’s supremacy.
Followers of Christ who earnestly desire to worship Him and grow more in
Him are invited to read these Scriptures and pray the suggested prayers back to
Him daily throughout 2007, beginning with this January issue.
Feel free to pray anything else the Lord gives you or revise the format
(however it is most useful to you). Many
of the themes are from David Bryant’s excellent book, “CHRIST Is All”.
August 2007 issue
August
1
Romans 10:14-15,17 The Impact of the Message About the Lordship of Christ
How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Prayer: Father, I pray that you will send many people to preach the
good news of Jesus Christ throughout our community (including me).
I pray that many thousands of lost people will hear the good news, and
believe in Jesus’ Lordship, and call upon Him for salvation.
May people with “beautiful feet” go into every neighborhood,
workplace, school, public office, athletic group, hospital, courthouse, police
and fire station, prison and jail, nursing home, and shopping mall in our
community to share the good news of Christ.
And, I pray that unprecedented faith would come from hearing the message
through the word of Christ.
August 2
Psalm 85:1-13 God’s
Sovereignty in Revival
You showed favor to
your land, O Lord; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.
You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.
Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward
us. Will you be angry with us
forever? Will you prolong your anger
through all generations? Will you
not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.
I will listen to what God the Lord will say; He promises peace to His
people, His saints—but let them not return to folly.
Surely His salvation is near those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell
in our land. Love and faithfulness
meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down
from heaven. The Lord will indeed
give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.
Righteousness goes before Him and prepares the way for His steps.
Prayer: Dear
Father, I ask that Christ our Savior will forgive the iniquity of His people in
our region and cover our sins. Please
cause us to repent of our sins, so that we may be restored (revived) to an
intimate, love relationship with Jesus. I
long for His followers to rejoice in Him and receive His unfailing love!
Help us to listen to Him, fear Him, turn away from all foolish ways, live
in His righteousness, and receive His peace and faithfulness.
May His glory dwell in our region! I
am so glad that He will give us what is good, and that our land will yield its
harvest (this reminds me of 2 Chron. 7:14).
I earnestly desire to hear His blessed steps!
August 3
Romans 11:33-36 The Lordship of Christ is Limitless
Oh,
the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God!
How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or
who has been His counselor? Who has
ever given to God that God should repay Him?
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things!
To Him be the glory forever!
Prayer: Great Father, the title of the song “I Can Only Imagine”
seems to fit well with this passage. I
can only imagine the depths of the riches of Christ’s wisdom.
I can only imagine His unsearchable judgments.
I can only imagine His paths which are beyond tracing out!
I can only imagine His mind. He
is the Wonderful Counselor! I can
never repay Him for all He has given me. Everything
is from Him and through Him and to Him (and by Him and for Him and about Him)!
To Him be the glory forever and
ever and ever! Please cause the
Church of our community to be in awe of Him and to proclaim His greatness and
majesty and beauty to everyone around us!
August 4
Romans 15:8-9a, 12-13 Christ’s Message of Hope Among the Nations
I
tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s
truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may
glorify God for His mercy. Isaiah
says, “The Root of Jesse (Christ) will spring up, one who will arise to rule
over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in Him.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,
so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer: Father, I am very grateful that Christ came to earth as a
servant, to fulfill all the promises made to our forefathers, so that Jews and
Gentiles could glorify you for your mercy. As
He rules over our region and the nations, my hope is in Him! I
pray with the Apostle Paul (and many millions of Christians down through the
ages) by saying, “May the God of hope fill me (and my family and all His
people in our region) with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, so that we may
overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
And, I pray that that overflowing hope in Christ will soon cover and
saturate and envelope the hearts and minds and spirits of all Jews and Gentiles
in our region!
August 5
Psalm
89:1-9,11,13-16,24-29 The Son of David Rules Forever
I will sing of the
Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations. I will
declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your
faithfulness in heaven itself. You
said, “I have made a covenant with My chosen one, I have sworn to David My
servant, ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through
all generations.’” The heavens
praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy
ones. For who in the skies above can
compare with the Lord? Who is like
the Lord among the heavenly beings? In
the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; He is more awesome than all
who surround Him. O Lord God
Almighty, who is like you? You are
mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.
Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand
exalted. Righteousness and justice
are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light
of your presence, O Lord. They
rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness.
(God said) “My faithful love will be with him and through My name his
horn will be exalted. I will set his
hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers.
He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock my
Savior.’ I will also appoint him
my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
I will maintain My love to him forever, and My covenant with him will
never fail. I will establish his
line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.”
Prayer: Dear Father, I want to sing of Christ’s love forever. Please help me make His faithfulness known to people everywhere I go. I agree that the heavens praise His wonders; no one in heaven or earth can compare with Him! Hallelujah, He is more awesome than all who surround Him (except you)! I want to be blessed by learning to acclaim Christ, and walk in the light of His presence. Help me (and my family and other followers) to rejoice in His name all day long and exult in His righteousness. I praise you that you established a covenant with King David that his line was established forever, so Christ will rule forever! I gladly submit to His rule in my life forever!
August 6
Romans 16:25-27 A Benediction of Supremacy and Hope
Now
to Him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus
Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past,
but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of
the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey Him—to the only
wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ!
Amen.
Prayer: Almighty Father, what a powerful and reassuring conclusion
of hope this passage is! My future
is totally secured by the Gospel and by the proclamation of all who Christ is!
Thank you for revealing the mystery of Christ, which the prophets
foretold, so that the people in our region and in all the nations might believe
and obey you. All glory to you
forever through Jesus Christ! May
this full proclamation of Christ transform me, my family and every other person
who believes in Him!!! Amen.
August 7
1 Corinthians 1:18 Power in the Cross of Christ
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but
to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Prayer: Father, there is nothing more true than the cross of Jesus.
I believe the message of His cross with all my heart, and I gladly
receive it. I can never thank you
enough that I am saved through His cross! To
me, it is the power of God. Please
compel me and everyone else in our region who is saved to proclaim this most
precious message to one another and to all other people you put in our lives.
I earnestly pray that the proclamation in an old hymn would be fulfilled
in our region soon: “Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood.
Come for a cleansing to
August 8
Psalm
102:12-18,27-28 The Appointed Time for Kingdom Work
But you, O Lord, sit
enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations.
You will arise and have compassion on
Prayer: Father,
I pray that the renown of Christ will rise up within the Church of our
community. I pray that He will show
His favor (come to dwell with us, bring transformation, heal broken bodies,
overcome evil and much more). May
all who have not accepted Him as their Savior (here and in all the nations) fear
His name, and their leaders revere His glory (not glory they want for
themselves). Now is the time to
praise Jesus! Now is the time to
pray continually! Now is the time
for Him to come! May our children be
radically established in Him now! Amen.
August 9
1 Corinthians 1:22-24 Proclaiming the Power and Wisdom of God in
Christ
Jews
demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ
crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those
whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the
wisdom of God.
Prayer: Dear Father, I pray that no matter what people in our
community are demanding or looking for, that the message of the crucified and
risen Christ (the Gospel) will overcome any/all stumbling blocks and foolishness
which have prevented them from receiving Him.
He is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Help me and many other believers to proclaim His greatness and mercy and
love and power and wisdom (and so much more) to everyone you bring into our
lives.
August 10
1 Corinthians 15:20-27 Christ’s Supremacy Displayed in Resurrection
and Consummation
But
Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have
fallen asleep. For since death came
through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when He comes,
those who belong to Him. Then the
end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has
destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
For He has put everything under His feet.
Now when it says “everything” has been put under His feet, it is
clear that this does not include God Himself, who put everything under Christ.
Prayer: Father, I believe that you raised Christ from the dead.
He is the first of all who will be resurrected from the dead through Him.
He is alive, and all who believe in Him will also be made alive!
I eagerly look forward to His return to earth, when He will raise those
who have already died, then the end of this present age will come.
He will hand over His kingdom to you after He has destroyed all His
enemies, including death, and has put everything under His feet! I
pray that His people in our region will recognize how supreme He is now, and
will be when He returns, and we will tell everyone about His greatness!
August 11
Psalm 110:1-7 The
King at God’s Right Hand
The Lord says to my
Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your
feet.” The Lord will extend your
mighty scepter from
Prayer: Great
Father, what a powerful passage, which emphasizes you telling King Jesus to sit
at your right hand until you make His enemies a footstool for His feet!
I am thrilled that His mighty scepter extends from
August 12
1 Corinthians 15:56-57 Christ is All-Victorious
The
sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God! He
gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Yes Father, I am
thankful to you! I have
victory over sin and death through my Lord Jesus Christ.
My family has victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Church in our region has victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that many believers will be deeply grateful for their victory,
will praise Christ for their victory and will broadly proclaim their victory to
every possible person He brings into their lives.
And, I pray that the multitudes of other people in our community who have
not yet received Christ’s victory will be convinced of their desperate need
for Him and will ask Him into their lives before they die. Let
none perish without Christ!
August 13
2 Corinthians 1:20 Christ is the Fulfillment of all God’s Promises
For
no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.
Prayer: Father, this passage is an extraordinary confirmation of the
supremacy of Christ. He alone is the
answer (the fulfillment, the completion, the hope) to all the promises you have
ever made! I am in awe of Him.
I trust Him. I pray that my
family and I will allow Him to fulfill your promises in and through our lives.
I pray that the Church of our region will allow Him to fulfill your
promises in and through them too. And,
I pray that the men, women and children living in our region who have not yet
asked Jesus into their lives will soon invite Jesus into their lives, so that He
can fulfill your promises in and through them!
Please pour into all of us how great the Lord Jesus Christ is!
August 14
Psalm 118:22-29 When
the Rejected Stone Becomes the Capstone
The stone the
builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is
marvelous in our eyes. This is the
day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.
The Lord is God, and he has made His light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the
altar. You are my God, and I will
give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.
Prayer: Father,
I praise Jesus that even though He was rejected, He is the Capstone.
Amen, this is marvelous (and He is
marvelous)! I rejoice and am
very glad that Jesus has made this day and all days!
I ask Him to save me and my family, and to grant His perfect will in our
lives. It is so good to be able to
come/live in the name of the Lord (His name)!
Thank you that His light shines upon us.
May it shine on His whole Church, and on all people in our region!
Please help us to humbly be on the altar of Jesus, our Light.
We praise Him, and give Him thanks and exalt Him.
He alone is good, and His love endures forever!
May His goodness and love flood throughout our community.
August 15
2 Corinthians 4:5-12 The Hope of Triumph which Christ Gives His
Servants
For
we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ our Lord, and ourselves as your
servants for Jesus’ sake. For God,
who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our
hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Christ. But we have this treasure in
jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in
despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life
of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For
we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that
His life may be revealed in our mortal body.
So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
Prayer: Father, help me to speak about (preach) Jesus Christ my
Lord, and to be a servant to other people for His sake.
I eagerly want His light to shine in my heart!
I’m amazed that even though I’m just a jar of clay (like Paul said
about himself), that you have put the treasure of Christ in me!
Help me not to be overcome by any of the challenges of this world, but to
die to myself, so that the life of Jesus and His all-surpassing power may always
be working in me. I am deeply
grateful for the vast hope I have in Him!
August 16
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Our Destiny as New Creations in Christ
Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has
come! All this is from God, who
reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not
counting men’s sins against them. And
He has committed to use the message of reconciliation.
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His
appeal through us. We implore you on
Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God
made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the
righteousness of God.
Prayer: Dear Father, I want to shout from the rooftops that “I
am a new creation in Christ”! Thank
you that I am reconciled to you through Him, and that my sins no longer count
against me! I acknowledge that you
are reconciling the world to yourself in Christ, and you have given me and
Christ’s other followers the great privilege of having the ministry of
reconciliation. Please help
Christ’s followers in our region to be ambassadors of the message of
reconciliation to everyone you bring into our lives.
Please put such a passion in us that we will implore the lost on
Christ’s behalf to be reconciled to God! I
pray that many, many people will become the righteousness of God!
August 17
Proverbs 23:17-18 A
Zealous Fear of Christ
Do not let your heart
envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.
There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
Prayer: Dear
Father, please forgive me for envying sinners in any way.
Please help me and my family to always have a zealous fear of Christ, and
to want Him more than anything else in the world.
He is surely our future hope! I
am so grateful that our hope in Him will never be cut off.
Would you please help the people in our region who haven’t received
Christ’s salvation to be fearful of rejecting Him, and to see /hear about the
indescribable hope that Christians have in Him?
August 18
2 Corinthians 9:15 Christ: the Gift which Cannot even be Described
Thanks
be to God for His indescribable gift!
Prayer: Father, we cannot thank you enough for the indescribable gift of your Son! Help us to receive your gift totally, and to share about how wonderful He is with other believers and with the many unsaved friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers, fellow students and others we meet! All praise and honor to Jesus!
August 19
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Bringing Every Thought into Obedience to Christ
For
though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against
the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to
Christ.
Prayer: Father, I understand that the weapons Christ’s followers
should fight with are different from the weapons the world around us fight with.
I want divine power to demolish strongholds, so I demolish arguments and
every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and I take
captive every one of my thoughts to make them obedient to Christ!
And, I pray that the thoughts of my family members and every other person
in our region will soon be taken captive and made obedient to Christ!
August 20
Song of Songs 1:2-4,
12-14,16; 5:10-16 A Drama Revolving Around a Consuming Passion for a King
Let him kiss me with
the kisses of his mouth—for your love is more delightful than wine.
Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume
poured out. No wonder the maidens
love you! Take me away with
you—let us hurry! Let the king
bring me into his chamber. While the
king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance.
My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts.
My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En
Gedi. How handsome are you, my
lover! Oh, how charming! And our bed
is verdant. My lover is radiant and
ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. His
head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.
His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted
like jewels. His cheeks are like
beds of spice yielding perfume. His
lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh. His
arms are rods of gold set with chrysolite. His
body is like polished ivory decorated with sapphires.
His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like
Prayer: My
Father, as I look at these few verses from the wonderful story of love and
passion that a bride has for her husband, the king, I am reminded how totally
desirable King Jesus is to me and to all who are the Bride of Christ.
He is delightful, He is our supreme lover, He is charming and radiant and
outstanding and strong, and much more than words can ever describe!
I love Him and want to be consumed with Him.
I pray that He will be the consuming passion of my family and of His
whole Church of our region too. Would you please do whatever is necessary in the
lives of non-believers in our community to build a consuming passion for Christ
in thousands of them, so they will cry out to Him to be their King?
August 21
Galatians 1:3-5 Christ Gave Himself as our Rescuer
Grace
and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself
for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of
our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.
Prayer: Father God, I rejoice that you and the Lord Jesus Christ are
my grace and peace! I need grace and
peace so much! And, I am thankful
that Jesus fulfilled your will by giving Himself for my sins (and the sins of
all mankind). Hallelujah, He rescued
us from evil! I pray that many, many
men, women, youth and children in our community who are currently in bondage to
evil will ask Him to rescue them. All
glory and honor to you and Jesus for ever and ever.
Amen.
August 22
Galatians 3:26-29 Our Sonship if Fulfilled Through Christ Jesus
You
are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were
baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you
are all one in Christ Jesus. If you
belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the
promise.
Prayer: My Father, I am very grateful to be your son (and heir) through faith in Christ Jesus. How secure it is to be baptized into Christ, clothed (completely covered) with Him, and one in Him with all other believers! I belong to Christ, who has fulfilled the promise given to Abraham. Please help me and the other Christ-followers in our region to daily live as your sons (and daughters).
August 23
Isaiah 2:2-5,12-19 The
Mountain of the Lord in the Day of the Lord
In the last days the
mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the
mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
Many peoples will come and say, “Come let us go up to the mountain of
the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.”
The law will go out from
Prayer: Father,
I am very excited that in the last days the
August 24
Galatians 4:4-7 Redemption and Sonship Through the Son of God
But
when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the
law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of
sons. Because you are sons, God sent
the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out “Abba,
Father”. So you are no longer a
slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Prayer: Father, thank you for sending your Son, so that I (and all
others who have been redeemed by Him) might receive the full rights of your sons
and daughters. I am so grateful we
have the Spirit of your Son in our hearts, who calls out “Abba, Father” for
us! I praise you that we are no
longer slaves, but your children and heirs!
Please cause the other people in our lives to long to be your children
and heirs by watching the relationships we have with you and your Son.
August 25
Galatians 5:1 Freedom Under the Lordship of God’s Son
It is for freedom that Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Prayer: Oh Father, I am free in Christ! Please
help me to live in the fullness of that freedom, to stand firm, and to not let
myself be in bondage to any sin (slavery) again.
I pray that my family and Christ’s other followers in our region will
live in their freedom in Him too. I
receive wonderful assurance from the song, “He brought me out of the kingdom
of darkness and into His glorious light. I’m
on the Rock of salvation, I’ll fear not day or night.
I have the peace down in my soul, and Oh, how the glories roll.
I’m free. I’m free.
I’m free. Praise God, I’m
free!”
August 26
Isaiah 4:2 Christ
and His Kingdom are Beautiful and Glorious
In that day the
Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land
will be the pride and glory of the survivors in
Prayer: Dear
Father, your Son, the Branch of the Lord, is already beautiful and glorious
beyond compare. I can only imagine
how much more beautiful and glorious He will be when He returns. I also pray
that all the fruit of the land which comes from the Branch will be the pride and
glory of His people (in our region and throughout the world).
May the fruit of the land reflect the
beauty and glory of Christ.
August 27
Ephesians 1:3-10 Everything Summed up in God’s Son
Praise
be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the
heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and
blameless in His sight. In love He
predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ—in accordance
with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has
freely given us in the One He loves. In
Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance
with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and
understanding. And He made known to
us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in
Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their
fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one
head, even Christ.
Prayer: Father, there is no way I can begin to pray through all that this passage includes. I pray this passage back to you word for word. Everything in heaven and earth is summed up under one head--your Son! I say with the songwriter, “How can I say thanks for the things you have done for me; things so undeserved yet you gave to prove your love for me. The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. All that I am and ever
hope
to be, I owe it all to thee. To God
be the glory…..for the things He has done!”
I pray that the Church of our region, and many other people, will be
overwhelmed very soon with Christ, the One you love!
August 28
Ephesians 1:17-23 Prayer for a Fuller Revelation of the Supremacy of
God’s Son
I
keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give
you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that
you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious
inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.
That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted
in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in
the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and
every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one
to come. And God placed all things
under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the Church,
which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.
Prayer: Glorious Father, this passage almost takes my breath away. I
join the apostle Paul in praying for wisdom and revelation, so that I may know
you and your Son better. I want to
be enlightened, so that I may know the hope you have called me to in Jesus, the
riches of His glorious inheritance and the incomparably great power which raised
Him from the dead and seated Him at your right hand in the heavenly realms.
I exalt Christ, who is far above all rule and authority, power and
dominion, and every title that can be given, now and for all eternity!
I exalt Christ that you placed all things under His feet and made Him the
head over everything for His Church. He
fills everything in every way. I
pray that He will fill me and His Church in our region in every way!
Selah.
August 29
Isaiah 9:6-7 A
Son is Given to Carry the Kingdom Forward
For to us a child is
born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace. Of the
increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and
upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Prayer: My
Father, I am so glad that you gave your Son for our salvation, and you put the
government of all earth on His shoulders. Yes,
He was/is called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace and so many more exalted names!”
I praise Him that there will be no end to the reign of His kingdom, and
He will rule with peace, justice and righteousness forever.
Please invade the hearts and minds of masses of lost people in our
region, so they will receive salvation for their sins and live under Christ’s
reign forever too.
August 30
Ephesians 2:6-10 We are God’s Workmanship in Christ Jesus
And
God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in
Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable
riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith---and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God---not by works, so that no one can boast.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Prayer: Father, I am humbled that one day you will raise me up with
Christ and seat me with Him in heaven. Truly,
the grace you will show us through Christ Jesus is incomparable!
Thank you so much for saving me by this grace, and for giving me the
faith to receive Christ’s great gift. What
a privilege it is to be your workmanship, created in Christ to do good works.
I pray that He will help me to do all the good works you have prepared in
advance for me to do. And, I pray
that His followers throughout our region will also give themselves
wholeheartedly to do good works, for His great glory!
August 31
Tuesday, August 28
Ephesians 2:14-23 Joined Together Through Christ, our Cornerstone
For
He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier,
the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law with its
commandments and regulations. His
purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by
which He put to death their hostility. He
came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were
near. For through Him we both have
access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently,
you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people
and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone.
In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy
temple in the Lord. And in Him you
too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His
Spirit.
Prayer: Father, your Son is my perfect peace!
I rejoice that through His death on the cross, He destroyed the barriers
between people and reconciled them as one in Him.
I am so grateful that we all have access to you, and are fellow citizens
in Christ’s kingdom. I love being
a member of your household, built on the foundation of the men and women of
faith throughout the ages, with Jesus Christ as our Chief
Cornerstone. I pray that His
whole Church in our region will join together to become a holy temple in Him.
May we become a dwelling in which you will live with us by Christ’s
Spirit.
July 2007 issue
July
1
Acts
“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”
Prayer: Father God, you raised Jesus to life, as Luke and many others of that time were witnesses. He is exalted to your right hand. He has received from you the promised Holy Spirit that was poured out for His early disciples. I exalt Christ, and I pray that all of His people in our region will exalt Him, and that the Holy Spirit will manifest the power and reign of Christ in our time too.
July 2
Acts 2:36 Jesus is Lord and Christ
“Therefore
let all
Prayer: Father, I am completely assured that you did make Jesus, who was crucified, both Lord and Christ! He is my Lord and Christ! Please enable the entire Church of our region to be assured that He is Lord and Christ of all! I pray that more and more people, places and situations in our community will be impacted by Jesus, who is Lord and Christ. This reminds me of the passage, “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea”. May our community be filled with Christ!
July 3
Psalm 23:1-6 The
King as a Shepherd
The Lord is my
shepherd, I shall not be in want. He
makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He
restores my soul. He guides me in
the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear
no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I
will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Prayer: Oh
Father, I am so grateful that the Lord Jesus is my Shepherd, and that in Him all
my needs are met. I receive His
peace, and rest and renewal of my soul. I
pray that step by step, He will help me build a life of righteousness, for His
sake. I pray that no matter what
comes into my life, I will not be afraid, because He is always with me.
He is my protector, my provider, my strength and my comforter.
I am blessed in Him, cleansed through Him and overflowing with life in
Him. I rejoice that His goodness and
love are with me, and my greatest desire and assurance are that I will dwell
with Him forever! I pray that my
family and the Church of our region will also live under the care of our great
Shepherd, and be a testimony to all people of who He is!
July 4
Acts
“By
faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.
It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given
this complete healing to him, as you can all see.”
Prayer: Father, the matchless name of Jesus has the power and authority to heal. Please give me faith in His name, so that I may become strong. Help your people in our community to have faith in His name, so that they can see Him bringing healing to the many needy all around us. And, I earnestly desire that multitudes of people in our region who have not yet given their lives to Jesus will cry out His name, and receive complete healing. Please overcome any force that tries to keep the people in our region from seeing who He is and having faith in Him.
July 5
Acts
“Repent,
then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of
refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send the Christ, who has been
appointed for you—even Jesus.”
Prayer: Father, please cause me and all your people in our region to repent and (re)turn to your Son, so that our sins may be wiped out, and that He may come and bring times of refreshing (renewal). We desperately need the manifest presence of Christ in our region! I am thrilled that He has been appointed for us---may He come soon! I pray that you will give us deep anticipation of Him and hope in Him!
July 6
Psalm 24:1-10 Open
Wide to the King of Glory
The earth is the
Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded
it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may stand in His holy place? He
who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false. He will
receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face, O God
of Jacob. Lift up your heads, O you
gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory? The
Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that
the King of glory may come in. Who
is He, this King of glory? The Lord
Almighty—He is the King of glory.
Prayer: Father,
I know that the earth, and everything in it, and all who live in it belong to
your Son! You have said that He
created all and rules all. You are a
holy God and your Son is holy. I
want to stand in His holy place and dwell with Him, but I confess that I’m not
holy. May He cleanse my hands, and
purify my heart, and remove any idols in my life.
I eagerly seek His face, and I pray that all gates and doors of our
region will be lifted up and open so that our King, the King of glory, may come
in! He is the Lord strong and
mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. May
His might and authority prevail in all battles in our community, for His great
glory! And, may multitudes of other
people in our generation be set free to seek His face!
July 7
Acts 4:8-12 Jesus is the Capstone
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you. He is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to me by which we must be saved.”
Prayer: Father, I pray that the people of our community will clearly know that all healing and all of life comes by the name of Jesus of Nazareth. May He be recognized as the capstone of everything in this region. Absolutely, salvation is found in no one else but Him, for there is no other name under heaven given to us by which we must be saved! May the name and person of Jesus consume all people in our region! Hallelujah!
July 8
Acts
“God
exalted Him (Jesus) to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might
give repentance and forgiveness of sins to
Prayer: Father, thank you for exalting Jesus to your right hand as Prince and Savior, so that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins. I praise Jesus as my Prince and Savior, and pray that the Church of our region will surrender to Him and honor Him as their Prince and Savior. I pray that masses of lost people will very soon cry out to Him for repentance and forgiveness of their sins, and that they will understand that they are receiving the Prince and Savior of the world (and much more)!
July 9
Psalm 40: 1-13,16-17
God’s Sovereign Hand upon His People
I waited patiently
for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my
feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the
proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, O Lord my God, are the
wonders you have done. The things
you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare. Sacrifice
and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings
and sin offerings you did not require. Then
I said, “Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is written within my
heart.” I proclaim righteousness
in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O Lord.
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your
faithfulness and salvation. I do not
conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.
Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth
always protect me. For troubles
without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs on my head, and my heart fails within me.
Be pleased, O Lord, to save me; O Lord, come quickly to help me.
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love
your salvation always say, “The Lord be exalted!”
Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.
Prayer: Blessed
Father, I cannot adequately express my gratitude that you are willing to turn to
me and hear my cries. Your Son has
lifted me out of slimy pits and mud and mire so many times.
He has set my feet on a rock and given me a firm place to stand.
In fact, even now there are some things that I need Him to lift me out
of. I long once again to be set on
that firm rock. My deep desires are
to make Him my trust and to do His will. Please
help me to tell everyone else He brings into my life about His faithfulness and
salvation. May His love and truth
always protect me. May I and all
others who seek Him rejoice and be glad in Him, and always say, “The Lord be
exalted!”
July 10
Acts
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
Prayer: Father, please make me and all your people in this community willing to suffer disgrace for Jesus. May we never stop teaching and proclaiming the good news in our churches, from house to house, and in every other sphere of influence you have given us, that Jesus is the Christ (our Christ)! Please change the hearts of people in this region from believing that Jesus is “no news” or “bad news”, to He is the “Good News”, or the GREAT NEWS!
July 11
Acts 7:55-56 The Son at the Right Hand of God
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Prayer: Father, please fill me with your Holy Spirit. Enable me, as you did Stephen, to see your glory, and Jesus standing at your right hand. I earnestly want to look and see heaven open in our day too. I don’t want there to be anything that keeps me from clearly seeing the Son of Man standing at your right hand. Please overcome any spiritual conditions in our region that are preventing us from seeing your blessed Son.
July 12
Psalm 44:1-8,22-26 Our
Destiny Depends upon God’s Reign
We have heard with
our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days
long ago. With your hand you drove
out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our
fathers flourish. It was not by
their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was
your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you love them.
You are my King and my God who decrees victories for Jacob.
Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our
foes. I do not trust in my bow, my
sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you
put our adversaries to shame. In God
we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.
Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep
to be slaughtered. Awake, O Lord!
Why do you sleep? Rouse
yourself! Do not reject us forever.
Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?
We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.
Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.
Prayer: Great Father, your people at our time in history have heard even more awesome things about you than the Psalmist had! You have been victorious through all the ages, and your Son, Jesus Christ, is victorious! He is the King and He decrees victories for His people. Through Him we push back our enemies; through His right arm and His name we trample our foes! In Him we make our boast all day long, and we will praise Him forever! It seems like the enemy of our souls is relentless in doing evil, against the Church of our region and against all that is good and righteous. I pray that I and my family and multitudes of other Christians in our community will cry out to King Jesus to rouse Himself, to rise up and help us, and to redeem us because of His unfailing love! Hallelujah to Him!
July 13
Acts 9:1-6 Jesus Calls Paul to Follow Him
Meanwhile,
Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.
He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in
Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or
women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
As he neared
Prayer: Father, I am very glad that Jesus is the Way. There is no other Way. He is my Way. As Saul (who became the Apostle Paul) fell to the ground in His presence, I eagerly fall before Him. I pray that the Church of our region (and especially my family members) will be on our faces before Him, and that we will hear and obey His call for our lives completely. May pride or no other stronghold hold us back from humbling ourselves before Him!
July 14
Acts 10:36-38 Peter Proclaims the Hope and Supremacy in Christ
“You
know the message God sent to the people of
Prayer: Father, truly the good news of peace is through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all! It is your greatest message of all time! Fill me with Jesus and His message. Fill my family and the Church of our region with His message. You anointed Christ with the Holy Spirit and power, so that He could do good things for people and heal all who were under the power of the devil. I earnestly pray that that same power will bring hope and Christ’s supremacy to the lives of all people in our region who are under the power of the devil right now!
July 15
Psalm 45:1-17 A
Song of Praise to God’s King
My heart is stirred
by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a
skillful writer. You are the most
excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has
blessed you forever. Gird your sword
upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
In your majesty ride forth, victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and
righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds.
Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let the
nations fall beneath your feet. Your
throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the
scepter of your kingdom. You love
righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above
your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.
All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces
adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.
Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is
the royal bride in gold of Ophir. Listen,
O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father’s house.
The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him for he is your lord.
The Daughter of
Prayer: Father
as this Psalm offers great praise to King David, it also praises his descendant,
the greater King Jesus. He is the
most excellent of men and His lips are anointed with grace.
You have blessed Him forever. He
is the mighty one, clothed with splendor and majesty.
He rides victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness.
His right hand displays awesome deeds and the nations fall beneath His
feet. His throne will last for ever
and ever and a scepter of justice will be the scepter of His kingdom.
He is set by you above all, and He is anointed with the oil of joy.
One day at His right hand will be His Bride, the Church.
I pray that we, His Bride, will be beautiful and will honor Him as our
Lord. May we enter His presence with
joy and gladness. And, may His
memory be perpetuated through all generations, so that our whole community and
the nations will praise Him forever and ever!
Amen!
July 16
Acts 13:47-48 Paul Proclaims to God’s People the Hope for the
Nations
Paul said, “For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a
light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the
earth.’” When the Gentiles heard
this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord, and all who were
appointed for eternal life believed.
Prayer: Blessed Father, I want to be a light for all people that you bring into my life, to bring the salvation of Christ to the ends of our community and anywhere else you want to spread it from here. I long for every person to hear Christ’s message, and be glad and honor the word of the Lord. May masses of them believe and receive eternal life. Without a doubt, Christ is the great Hope (my great Hope and all people’s great Hope)!
July 17
Acts 15:9-11 Confirming the Sufficiency of Christ’s Supremacy
“He (God) made no distinction between us (the Jews) and them (the Gentiles), for He purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the (Gentile) disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as we are.”
Prayer: Father, thank you that I am saved only through the grace of the Lord Jesus. My heart is purified by faith in Him. He is my sufficiency! I pray that I and the rest of the Body of Christ in our region will not put burdens, requirements and expectations on one another that none of us can bear. May we be ministers of Christ’s grace to one another and to the rest of the people around us.
July 18
Psalm 46:1-10 Be
Still and Know that God Reigns
God is our refuge and
strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore
we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the
heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with
their surging. There is a river
whose streams make glad the city of
Prayer: Father,
I thank you that you sent your Son to be our refuge and strength, and to help us
whenever we are in trouble. I pray
that He will help us not to fear, even when calamities are all around us.
I want to be in the holy place where Christ dwells, where there is
gladness even when other people who have not received His salvation are in
uproar and their kingdoms are falling. He
is our fortress. I pray that the
world will come and see His powerful works, here and throughout the earth.
Help me, my family and all followers of Christ to be still and know that
He is our God. I exalt Him; we exalt
Him; may He be exalted among the nations and in every part of the earth!
July 19
Acts 17:24-28a Paul Proclaims Christ’s Supremacy to Philosophers
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being.”
Prayer: Father, I am in awe that Christ made the world and everything in it. He is Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn’t need anything from me or any other humans, because He gives us all life and breath and everything else! I believe that He determined the times when we would be alive and even the exact places where each of us should live. I pray that masses of people in our region would recognize His great authority and would seek Him, and reach out to Him and find Him. Please help people in our community know that this is their time and place to be saved and live for Jesus! For in Him we live and move and have our being!!
July 20
Acts 28:28-31 The Message of the Kingdom Reaches the Center of the World
(Preaching
in
Prayer: Father, I rejoice that Paul was able to preach the message
of salvation at the center of his known world,
July 21