Wednesday, October 28, 2026

All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.

—1 Peter 1:24-25

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

As the seasons change, the leaves fall, and the grass dies, we are reminded once again of how short our lives actually are. Despite rapid advances in technology, our deepest needs are met only by the eternal, proven will of God in Scripture and through the gift of your Son, your Word in human flesh (John 1:1-3, 14-18). Whether you get your Scripture from the Bible on your mobile device or from an old family Bible, please access it today. You're not here forever, but God is! He wants to bring you close, so that with him, you can stand forever. We each need the blessing of eternal goodness from the well of the Holy Spirit's truth in Scripture (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

My Prayer...

As I age, I am constantly reminded, O God, of my transitory stay on earth and your eternal reign in heaven. Please give me the proper sense of my place before you as I seek your will in your Word, the Scriptures. In Jesus' name, I seek your truth and your character as I pray. Amen.

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

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.

—Hebrews 4:12

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

How often do you let God do major surgery on your spirit as the Holy Spirit uses God's Word to encourage, judge, motivate, convict, instruct, and inspire you? Open the Bible. Search the Scriptures. Find Jesus in the four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. With such a great tool so readily at hand for most of us, let's not let a day go by without inviting God to use his words on our hearts and inviting the Holy Spirit to give us understanding as he leads us to become more like Jesus.

My Prayer...

Almighty God, your will is my heart's desire. But I also realize I need to be fed more consistently by your Word in Scripture and conformed to your ultimate Word, Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). Please give me strength and consistency in my walk with you through your Scriptures. I open my heart and will to your Spirit, so please inspire me to change what needs to be changed, convict me of what I need to be convicted about, and encourage me when I need encouragement. I turn to you and trust in your Scriptures and the LORD Jesus to lead me to your life. I pray in the name of your ultimate Word, Jesus of Nazareth. Amen.

Monday, October 26, 2026

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God  may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

—2 Timothy 3:16-17

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

God wants us to be prepared to do good works. Thankfully, he gave us the Scriptures. Today, the Bible is translated into many different languages, dialects, and versions. We have online Bibles, audio Bibles, and Bibles that can fit into our pockets. Rather than a threat, all these Bibles are a great blessing because they make the Scriptures plentiful, understandable, and available. Oh yes, a few translations are questionable, but nearly all make it clear who Jesus is and how we come to him for salvation. But we must remember that the goal of Scripture is not to be learned but to be lived. God intended his Word to be practical truth - a gift that prepares us to "be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

My Prayer...

Holy God, it still amazes me that you chose to speak to us, your finite creatures, in our own human words. May I never take for granted the great gift of being able to read your Scriptures and learn your Truth. But Father, please give me the character and the courage not just to know those Scriptures, but to put them to practical use as they train me to do your will and do good things to bless others. In Jesus' name, I thank you for the Scriptures. Amen.

Sunday, October 25, 2026

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the LORD, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

—Ephesians 5:19-20

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Paul emphasizes that hearts full of thanks make for good singing! With Jesus as the source of our salvation and the center of our future, how can we not sing? But singing is not just for God to praise God. God wants our songs to bless others, to speak to others, and to build others up in the hope we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. This means that singing is our ultimate spiritual talk. It blesses God and blesses others! So, let's speak to God in praise with our songs and singing. And let's speak to each other in those same songs and singing, so that we together can anticipate gathering with the saints of all time, blessing each other and God before his throne of grace.

My Prayer...

O LORD my God, you are awesome and wondrous. Your works are magnificent, and your deeds are beyond comprehension. May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart ever declare your praises. May my heart be filled with thanksgiving for all that you have done to save me from sin, shame, law, and death. You alone are worthy of my praise, my songs, and my life. So please receive my songs of praise and use them to bless my brothers and sisters in Christ and encourage them to live for you. In the holy name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Saturday, October 24, 2026

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

—Proverbs 9:10

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

We pursue so many things, but only one pursuit brings true wisdom: a reverent awe and appropriate respect for the holiness and greatness of God. The apostle Paul reminded the Athenians, who always wanted to appear wise, that God made us to seek him, find him, and discover that true wisdom is in him (Acts 17:24-27). The wisdom of Proverbs keeps leading us back to knowing God and having deep, reverent awe of him. This is where wisdom begins! This is where true understanding finds its source. We can only understand life's priorities, purposes, goals, and directions when we recognize who the LORD is, walk with him in our day-to-day lives, and live before him with reverence and awe at his greatness and his grace!

My Prayer...

Holy, majestic, righteous, and eternal God, we confess that we know you so much less than you know us. That also means we have far less wisdom than you do! Still, your faithfulness to us, your power displayed in history, your grace shared with us through the cross of Christ, and your promises to bring us home to you sustain us. We want to know you better. We want to honor you more, so that our lives can be caught up in your will and wisdom - not for our glory or gain, but for your praise. We ask that you make yourself known to us as we reverently approach you with thanksgiving for who you are, what you have done, and what you will do in the future with us. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Friday, October 23, 2026

A man finds joy in giving an apt reply — and how good is a timely word!

—Proverbs 15:23

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Knowing the right word at the right time is a great gift to have and a great blessing to those with whom we share that apt word. However, even the best wordsmiths among Jesus' people admit that their words are not nearly as good as those the Spirit gives them to share at just the right time. Nevertheless, we must not excuse ourselves for insensitive speech, unkindness, or harsh silences that miss opportunities to bless others. Not paying attention to what was said is no excuse. Not being spiritually in tune with others' needs is a cop-out - it's a failure of our hearts. Not knowing Scripture well enough to bless others with gracious speech at the right time is self-deception and laziness. Listening to others after having listened to God in his Word and seeing the example of Jesus should tune our hearts to hear and bless others. When we do, our well-timed, appropriate replies bring joy to both us and those with whom we share them. Yes, indeed: "how good is a timely word!"

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My Prayer...

Loving Shepherd, I will spend much of my time today with people who need a blessing. Some of them know you, but many of them do not. Please give me wisdom to say what leads people closer to you. Please give me apt words of help and hope for the broken, discouraged, and fainthearted. Please bless me with tender words for the hurting. Empower me with words of direction for the confused. Father, I pray that whatever words I share today reflect your will and grace. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.