Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 10, 2026

 July 10 -- Colossians 2: 1-3 "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: First, we send prayers of thanksgiving for your prayers for Jim's travel. He made it to Chicago and should be with Jeanna and her family this afternoon to enjoy a few days with them before he joins us in Oklahoma.  We are thankful to God for protecting him, but also for each of you who took the time to pray. 

Secondly, as we echo the words of Paul in these verses, may all of our hearts be encouraged and knit together in love as we grow in understanding the mystery of God, which is Jesus Christ alone. He holds all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge for everything we face in this world.....but most importantly, he holds our salvation -- free for the asking. Please pray that as we begin to meet with churches and individuals in the USA , we would not only be able to accurately convey the needs in Zambia and what God is doing there, but also be able to be used as instruments of God to convey this mystery of Christ that all may know Him and choose to believe!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 9, 2026

 July 9 -- Colossians 1: 27-29 -- "To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: Please join our family in prayers for safe travels for Jim, as he is leaving Zambia today to join the rest of us in the USA for our summer furlough.  As we prepare to be together as a family before taking Jaymeson to college, please pray for us, just as we pray for all of you to toil, struggling with all HIS energy that HE may powerfully work within each of us as we proclaim His truths in all we say and do. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 8, 2026

 July 8 -- Colossians 1: 24 - 26 - "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day:  Pray that we will each find joy in the sufferings God might choose to bring our way for the sake of others to grow in their walks with Christ. Pray that we will ALL be willing and able to make the Word of God fully known.

The WHY behind what we do

 Alright, Facebook friends - for the past week, we've been sharing a daily section of scripture and prayer requests. We purposefully did not share the reasons or an explanation of what we planned beforehand, as we wanted to see who would notice. God has laid on our hearts, that so often social media is filled with nothing that matters, and we want to change that for God's glory. 

Sure, it's fun to see photos of our vacations and family activities, but it also often turns into a pit of false-self-representation, judgment, or relationship destruction, as comments become a battlefield. This is not how God's people should live. So, if you've always wanted to read through the Bible, buckle up, subscribe, share, or whatever you have to do to stay on this journey with us.  

We are not going to have large sections of scripture, but just a few verses each day to assure everyone has time to make it through, even if you only have five minutes. Whether you join us here on Facebook, or our blog ( OurZambiaJourney.blogspot.com ) , please share with your friends that they can read through the book of Colossians this month of July. Each month will be a different book of the Bible, so this will be a long journey, but that's ok. The goal is to keep God's Word before us each day and guide our prayers to follow that Word. 

Please feel free to leave comments of how God led you to pray through the daily scriptures, or something you learned from the verses that day. Or....feel free to leave your prayer requests for others to join you in prayer. The goal is for all of us to realize that no matter what our sphere of influence, we can all make God's Word the focus each day and encourage others to choose to follow Christ -- the only TRUE source of hope. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 7, 2026

 July 7 -- Colossians 1: 21-23 "And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister."

Prayer focus for the day: Pray these scriptures for our children at the Tree of Life Children's Village in Zambia; that those who have not chosen to follow Christ will choose Him alone and those who have will be stable and steadfast in their faith, no matter what has happened in their lives so far. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 6, 2026

 July 6 -- Colossians 1: 17-20 "And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."

Prayer focus for the day: Pray for Jesus Christ to be preeminent in EVERYTHING!  This is the day - why wait?!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 5, 2026

 July 5 --  Colossians 1: 13-16 "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things were created through him and for him." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: Praise the Lord for salvation; for Jesus Christ who is our only hope and the way for our redemption - forgiveness of our sins. Praise the Lord that through Him we were all created. Pray that we can each clearly share Christ with all we come in contact with that more and more will come to salvation through Jesus Christ alone.