Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 14, 2026

 October 14 -- John 11: 53-57 "So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples. Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, 'What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?' Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him."

Prayer focus for today: When you first read today's Scriptures, were you thinking to yourself, "Man, if Jesus is God, why is he afraid of the Jewish leaders?  I think all of us think that at first; that Jesus seems to be cowering or hiding from the threats. What we have to remember is that Scripture is NEVER out of line with itself. If something seems to not line up with what you think you understand about a passage of God's Word, you need to pray and spend time studying until you see it more clearly, as God intended. What we need to remember is that Jesus KNEW it was not yet his time to be arrested and/or put to death. He was living his life on earth exactly as God planned it.

Pray today for clearer understanding each time you read God's Word. Pray for self-discipline to study God's Word and make it a priority in your life. Taking care of your spiritual life is just as important as taking care of your physical life. If you discipline yourself to work out, drink enough water, or get quality sleep, don't you think it's equally important to make sure you discipline yourself to study God's Word faithfully to grow in your relationship with Jesus?  Pray today for all of us to become better disciplined in this area and to more clearly understand all God has to say to us. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 13, 2026

October 13 -- John 11: 45-52 "Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, 'What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.' But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, 'You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.' He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad."

Prayer focus for today: As humans, we are always planning, trying to figure out what to do before the consequences turn ugly. We observe that our pantry is getting low, so we plan food and go buy it. We observe that our fuel tank is closing in on "E", so we plan to go to the fueling station. We see there is not enough money to get us through, so we plan things we could sell or try to find ways to earn the money we need. We see the children in our care or others in our home or workplace having disagreements, and we work to resolve that conflict. We are always wanting peace and comfort. Most of these decisions are made as reactions, rather than really thinking about what we're doing.

 The Pharisees and other Jews KNEW what would happen if Jesus were proclaimed as the Messiah. Their leadership and 'comfort' would be gone and the Romans would take over completely. Notice how their reaction -- their only words and probably their only thoughts were about self-preservation and NOT about truth or eternal salvation. 

If you are a Christian, pray today for complete trust in Christ alone -- laying aside the stress of trying to figure things out. (None of it is ever REALLY in our hands; we just fool ourselves into beleiving it is.)  Pray for courage and strength to completely trust God's plan, and not feel like you have to have your own 'backup' plan.  (Believe me, I'm praying this, too. You're not alone in your mindset.) 

If you're not a Christian, pray today, repenting of your sins, and asking Jesus to be your all in all. It will truly be the best decision you ever make!  

Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 11, 2026

 October 11 -- John 11: 30-37  "Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly to go out, they followed her, supposeing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.' When Jesus saw her weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to him,' Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept. So the Jews said, 'See how he loved him!' But some of them said, 'Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?'"

Prayer focus for today: "Jesus wept." The shortest verse in the Bible. The verse that most all of us know, especially if asked on the spot to quote Scripture. :-) Many, just as the Jews who witnessed the tears did, suppose his weeping was due to the death of Lazarus, a dearly loved friend. However, what if those tears were brought on by the deep sadness of lost and dying souls all around Him? While we are never told why Jesus wept, we make suppositions based on our human experiences and understandings. (We do this all the time when reading Scripture.) 

Pray today, not for divine understanding, but for wisdom to try to see things from God's perspective just a bit. Pray for God to help you better understand that nothing on this earth matters outside of our eternal life or death. Pray for wisdom to make the decision today to share Jesus with even just one person. I know, many of us will be in church today, but how often do we use that as a 'glory bubble' to feel 'safe' from not sharing Christ? The key is that Jesus knew so many of those around Lazarus, Mary, and Martha THOUGHT they understood the Scriptures, but they were missing the key, and they couldn't even recognize that they were missing it.  Yes, even in church today, there will be people who are not saved. Pray for God to guide you to the one who needs to know HIM today. Maybe it's you... pray for Christ to be your Master and Lord. It will be the best decision you ever make!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 10, 2026

October 10 -- John 11: 23-29 "Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.' Martha said to him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and beleives in me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to him, 'Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.' When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, 'The teacher is here and is calling for you.' And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him."

Prayer focus for today: Wow!  Do you see yourself in Martha today?  I believe if we are each honest with ourselves, we think and act just like Martha more often than we like to admit. She knows what she knows, but she clearly doesn't grasp all there is to understand about Jesus as the Son of God. She believes in the level that she is able and thinks that's all there is. Scripture is clear that we humans can never clearly understand all there is to know about the One True God, but let's pray we would all be willing to keep learning and yearning for more.

Pray today for deeper understanding of who God really is and who Jesus is, as our only source of eternal hope. Pray for humility to admit the areas where your understanding has been limited and needs to grow. Pray for Christ alone to speak truth to you through prayers and Scriptures to continue, daily, to open your heart and mind to more of Him that you may learn and help others learn. As Martha said to her sister Mary, 'The Teacher is here and is calling for you.'

Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 9, 2026

 October 9 -- John 11: 17-22 "Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.'"

Prayer focus for today: Most times, I feel a lot like Martha. I believe I know what God SHOULD have done, but pray, giving Him an "out" to still remedy a situation. Such attitudes are in all of us in different ways, especially in our walks with the Lord who knows us better than we know ourselves. 

How many times have you and I prayed the same ways, telling God, "If only you had done it this way.....things would have been different. But, I still believe you can 'fix' this 'error' and make things like I want them to be."  Our selfishness comes out in ways we rarely recognize. Pray today for humble hearts to recognize this sin in yourself.  Pray for forgiveness for trying to LEAD Jesus, instead of letting Him lead YOU. Pray for Christ to be your LEADER, not your servant. Pray for wisdom to change and serve HIM as you were created to do. Lastly, pray that you will be content with God's Perfect Will, and that alone.

Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 8, 2026

 October 8 -- John 11: 8-16 "The disciples said to him, 'Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?' Jesus answered, 'Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.' After saying these things, he said to them, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.' The disciples said to him, 'Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.' Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, 'Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may beleive. But let us go to him. So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, 'Let us also go, that we may die with him.'"

Prayer focus for today: In today's Scripture reading, Jesus teaches that those who walk in the day don't stumble because they have the light of day to see where they are going. He contrasts this with those who walk at night stumbling because they do not have light. These references are teaching us about His light -- if you've got it, you won't stumble through life. 

Pray today for wisdom and strength to follow the light of Jesus. Pray also that you will be the light that someone else needs to stop stumbling through life. In total darkness, even a small bit of light makes a HUGE difference. Pray for Jesus to help you be the light!