Your Daily Bible

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

 We don’t think twice when someone asks us to pray for them. Yet when it comes to praying for ourselves, we don’t always take that same stance. 

Instead, we buy this lie that praying for ourselves is selfish. We worry God will see us as needy or ungrateful. We treat Him like He’s one of us when nothing could be farther from the truth.

It is not selfish to pray for yourself. Praying for yourself is part of being fully surrendered and obedient to God. How can we know God if we don’t talk with Him about what matters to us?

God is a loving Father who wants to hear from His children. Philippians 4:6 that I just read is so clear! God says don’t worry about anything instead talk to me about everything! No thought is too small or insignificant to bring to Him. 

Praise

• How does it feel to know that you can talk to God about anything?
• How have you seen God meet needs big and small? Thank God for how He’s demonstrated His care and concern for all aspects of your life. 

Repentance

• Have any areas of your life been off-limits to God?
• Is there anything weighing you down that you don’t feel comfortable bringing to God? What is holding you back from praying about it? 
• Are there any lies you’ve believed about what prayer should be that are stopping you from experience what prayer can be? 

Ask

• What’s one practical, tangible way you need God’s help today? 
• Are there burdens you’re carrying relationally, financially, or emotionally? What do you need in each of those areas?

Yield

• One of the gifts that can come from complete honesty with God is complete intimacy with God. Take a moment to pray through Psalm 139. Embrace the stillness as you wait for God to respond. 

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Psalm 127:3-5(NLT)

3 Children are a gift from the Lord;
    they are a reward from him.
 4 Children born to a young man
    are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
 5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
    He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

No two families are identical, yet our heavenly Father had His hand in creating each and every one. Family was God’s design. Just as He created each of us, He created the people we were born to and the siblings and extended family that surround us.

Some days, when everyone is getting along, family feels like a blessing. Other days, it feels like an immense challenge. For some, our families are our safe place. For others, our families are our mission field. 

No one ever said loving others would be easy, but the Bible does promise it will be worth it. As we stretch ourselves to love our families well, our lives start to look more like our Savior’s (Philippians 2:1-11). 

Praise

• What are some reasons you can thank God for your family? 
• How has being brought into this family, at this point in time, brought good into your life?
• What do you appreciate about God’s design for family? What has it taught you about His character and values?

Repentance

• No human is perfect, which means no family is perfect. Is there anyone in your family you need to forgive or ask forgiveness from?
• How does your understanding of family align with God’s design for family? What, if anything, do you need to let go of to do what He’s called you to?

Ask

• What do you want to see God do in your immediate and extended family? Does anyone need healing, direction, or a relationship with Jesus?
• We can love and serve and advise our families, but only God can access their hearts. Where do you see an opportunity for your family members to grow spiritually or emotionally?

Yield

• What role does God want you to play in your family? Too often, we jump into who we think we should be without asking God, “Why do you have me in this family?” 

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Instructions about Worship

2 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

God puts leaders over us for our benefit, and their decisions can significantly impact our circumstances. This is one reason the Bible tells us to pray for those in authority over us from our parents and pastors to our employers and government officials. 

Even if we don’t like or disagree with the leaders in our lives, we can still pray for them. We pray for them to have the wisdom and strength to obey God and lead us well. 

When those in authority are obeying God’s will, it’s much easier for us to live peaceful and quiet lives. When they are not obeying God, we pray for their salvation and God’s guidance in their choices, as well as for protection from spiritual warfare.

Praise

• Have you experienced the blessing of being under a good leader? What are some ways that person’s leadership reflected God’s character and leadership?
• Who are the wise people in authority over you now? How would your life be different without their leadership? Consider how their counsel has helped you, and thank God for putting them in those positions. 

Repentance

• We can all take good leaders for granted. Do you forget to pray for your leaders if things are going well for you? 
• How do you respond to your leaders when life is difficult? Is there anything you need to change in how you react to immature, chaotic, or new leadership?
• Do you ever refuse to pray for someone in charge because you dislike their personality or politics? How do you think God feels about that attitude?

Ask

• What kind of leader do you want to serve under? Ask God to give those characteristics to the people over you. 
• There are big decisions facing your church, your school, your work, and country. Ask God to give wisdom and discernment to the leaders who will be making those calls. 

Yield

•  What, if anything, challenged you today as you prayed for your leaders? Allow God to speak to you about your heart toward your leaders, and to reveal anything else He wants you to pray for them. 

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19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

Thinking of the church as a family gets complicated. Baggage from biological relationships and past religious experiences can cloud our understanding of what God intends a church family to be. But the Bible paints an extraordinary picture of who we are together.

The people of God are the church, a dwelling place for God. We’re like a body, connected by bones, joints, marrow, blood vessels, and more. Like a biological family, we don’t get to choose who’s in the church family with us. God is creating this structure; He’s designed this body. Over time, throughout history, in every language, nationality, and continent. 

Despite our differences, we are called to be unified. So when one person suffers, the others feel it. When one person rejoices, others are lifted up. Each member of the church is integral to the next.

Praise

• Is there anyone in the church you can’t imagine this journey without? Thank God for them and the joy they bring.
• Who in the church do you struggle to understand, but you know God has placed them alongside you for a reason? Thank God for that person and His purposes in both your lives.

Repentance

• Has anyone in the church offended or annoyed you? Maybe a leader you disagree with or a volunteer who’s too outspoken? Think of one way you can seek unity with this person. 
• How could you ask forgiveness for the part you played in the conflict?

Ask

• Are there relational needs you long to see fulfilled in the church? If so, ask God to bring those relationships to fruition. Ask Him to give you courage as you step out in faith to connect with a church family. 
• Is anyone in your church family in need? Pray for them, and ask God if there’s a way you can fulfill their need.

Yield

• Does the idea of church family confuse or bother you? Allow God to reveal where those feelings come from and to bring clarity and peace to your heart.
• Has a wound or relationship from your past made connecting with your church family difficult? Ask God to intervene and reveal your next step.

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Luke 11:1-4(NLT)

11 Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:

“Father, may your name be kept holy.
    May your Kingdom come soon.
 3 Give us each day the food we need,
 4 and forgive us our sins,
     as we forgive those who sin against us.
 And don’t let us yield to temptation.”

If you’ve ever been intimidated by prayer, you’re not alone. We want the peace, power, and confidence that comes from talking to God. But we often don’t know where to start or what to say.  

Jesus’ disciples experienced the same emotions, and in Luke 11, they ask Jesus to teach them to pray. In the verses that follow, Jesus gives us a helpful model for how to talk to God. 

Praise God for who He is and what He’s done. Repent of where we’ve fallen short. Ask for what we need. Yield to His will and hear what He has to say. Praise, repent, ask, yield. Or for an easy way to remember it: PRAY.   

Praise

• What do you love about God? 
• What are some ways God is good at being God? 
• What are you thankful for today? 

Repentance

• Is there any area of your life where you’re withholding forgiveness? 
• Is there any area of your life where you need forgiveness?
• Is there any area of your life where you’re lacking faith or wondering if God really is good? If so, take a few minutes to tell Him how you feel. It’s OK. He can take it. 

Ask

• What do you need as you walk into your day? 
• Is there any area where you lack love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, or self-control? This is the time to ask God for what you need. 

Yield

• What do you need to hear from God today?
• Pause for a minute. What do you feel the Spirit saying to you as you sit in stillness?

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Proverbs 3:5-6:

 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

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Psalms 55:22 NLT

Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

 Psalms 55:22 AMP

Cast your burden on the LORD [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail).

1.    SAY IT. SPEAK IT. This is prayer

2.    SOAK IN SCRIPTURE. Get into God's word!!

3.    SING, SING, SING! Our adversary HATES worship.

4.    SURROUND YOURSELF other believers. God did not design you to carry your burdens alone.

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Psalm 37:17-28 (NLT)

17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
    but the Lord takes care of the godly.

18 Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
    and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
 19 They will not be disgraced in hard times;
    even in famine they will have more than enough.

20 But the wicked will die.
    The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field—
    they will disappear like smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and never repay,
    but the godly are generous givers.
 22 Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
    but those he curses will die.

23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
    He delights in every detail of their lives.
 24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
    for the Lord holds them by the hand.

25 Once I was young, and now I am old.
    Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
    or their children begging for bread.
 26 The godly always give generous loans to others,
    and their children are a blessing.

27 Turn from evil and do good,
    and you will live in the land forever.
 28 For the Lord loves justice,
    and he will never abandon the godly.

He will keep them safe forever,
    but the children of the wicked will die.

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3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

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A Prayer for the Ephesians

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

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