Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 29, 2026

 August 29 -- John 6: 1-7 "After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, 'Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?' He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, 'Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.'"

Prayer focus for today: How many times have you worried whether or not your paycheck would meet all of your needs until the next check came in?  How many times have you  doubted you'd have enough money to feed your family and still be able to pay school fees?  Pray today for faith -- pure and simple trust in Jesus Christ alone.  He already knows what He will do to meet your every need. Pray today for the strength to trust in Him alone ... and not worry. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 28, 2026

 August 28 -- John 5: 37-47 "And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?'"

Prayer focus for today:  Today's scriptures highlight an important human characteristic that wasn't just a battle in Jesus' time -- it's still a battle we all face today. How often do we have something that is TRUE placed before us, yet we do not believe, because it doesn't align with something else we believe. How often do we have something FALSE placed before us, and we quickly believe it because it makes sense with something else we've read / heard or it's simply "fantastic news" that we want to share, thinking it will make us look like we're really smart?  We all fall into these categories at some time or another because -- well, we're human. Jesus was laying the truth down without any hidden agendas. He even addressed the unbelief. Today, Jesus is addressing us the same way.

Pray today for eyes and minds to be laser-focused on Jesus and the Word of God. Pray that we would each be drawn into truth, and not distracted by spending hours on social media reading things that don't matter. Pray for true healing in homes that need to be cleansed of these practices -- that we would all believe and spend our time on things that truly matter. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 27, 2026

 August 27 -- John 5: 30-36 "'I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.'"

Prayer focus for today: In today's Scriptures, Jesus is restating that John was simply a messenger to tell of the truth of Jesus and point people to Him alone. Pray today that we would all point others to Jesus, and not try to bring attention or glory to ourselves. Pray for humility to see the truth of Jesus and live it out before others. Pray that we would all be faithful to do the 'works' that the Father has given us to accomplish -- for only in this will we live out the potential for which we were each created. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 26, 2026

 August 26 -- John 5: 22-29 "'For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Fahter. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.' 'Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.'"

Prayer focus for today:  Have you ever left one of your children in charge of the others while you went away for a short time?  Perhaps YOU were that sibling who was left in charge of the others or perhaps YOU were one of the children placed under the authority of your older sibling. Whatever the case, that authority came from a higher authority.

In today's Scriptures, we see Jesus (fully God and fully man; God the Son) describing the authority given to Him by His Father (God the Father). (We won't get into a deep discussion about the Trinity today, but just know it's there!)  Being fully God, Jesus spoke the truth in everything. He didn't always speak where everyone understood perfect all that He said, but He did speak truth. Today, let's each spend time in prayer asking for forgiveness for all the times we have failed to submit fully to God's authority over our lives. Follow that with a time of prayer asking God to show you areas where you still need to submit fully to His authority -- that you may live a more full life. Lastly, let's all pray for a more clear understanding of exactly who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him. Even if you've been a Christian since you were a young child, asking God to help you see more clearly who He is and what He wants you to do is crucial in living a more full life for Him!  Praying with you and for you every day!  We love you all. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 25, 2026

 August 25 -- John 5: 15-21 "The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, 'My Father is working until now, and I am working.' This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and give them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.'"

Prayer focus for today: Jesus was making it clear that He was just doing what He was supposed to do. He wasn't bound by earthly restrictions and "religious rules". He followed what God the Father told / taught Him to do. Pray today that you and I would grow in our walks of faith to be ready, willing, and able to faithfully follow what the Father tells us; He loves us and wants His will to be done in our lives. Pray we can each lay down the restrictions and barriers that we so often bring on ourselves. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 24, 2026

 August 24 -- John 5: 8-14 "Jesus said to him, 'Get up, take up your bed, and walk.' And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed. 'It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.' But he answered them, 'The man who healed me, that man said to me, 'Take up your bed, and walk.' ' They asked him, 'Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'? ' Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, 'See, you are well!  Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.'"

Prayer focus for today: Miracles happen every day. Often, we take them for granted and they go unnoticed, but they are still there. We breathe, solve problems, do our work, are spared the pain of unfortunate events that we aren't even aware of, and the list could go on and on. In today's Scripture passage, we see the man by the pool who was an invalid have a personal interaction with Jesus and be healed. Not all healing is physical. The most important healing any of us needs is spiritual.

Pray today for someone you know who needs to have that personal encounter with Jesus  -- that they would repent and seek forgiveness for their sins as they make the most important decision of their lives - to follow Christ. Pray today that you would not be caught up in "religion" like the Jews who saw this healing not as a miracle, but as a "sin" against their religious practices. Pray today that Christ would open your eyes to the miracles all around you - that you would encounter Jesus in a brand new way. Pray today for all the college students who are starting classes and those who have already started. Please lift up our daughter, Jaymeson, and her friends who are following in faith the path Jesus has laid out for them. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 23, 2026

 August 23 -- John 5: 1-7 "After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids -- blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, 'Do you want to be healed?' The sick man answered him, 'Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.' 

Prayer focus for today: Today's scripture passage shows us a perfect question from Jesus to the invalid man by the pool. A question that seems ridiculous at first, as we KNOW anyone with a disability would most certainly choose to be freed from it, if it was possible. However, it's a perfect question, because it's a question we ALL need to be asked over and over again. 

If you are a Christian, when you first chose to follow Jesus, He asked you the same question. "Do you want to be healed ... of your sin."  In that moment, your soul said, "Yes!"   Yet, how often do you still turn to those 'comfortable' sins?  The ones you allow Satan to convince you are "no big deal"? The ones you are so comfortable committing that you just overlook them? If you've never chosen to follow Jesus, He's asking you if you want to be healed ... we all pray you'll say, "Yes!" today. 

Pray today that God will open your eyes and your heart today to the true "healing" you need. It's different for each of us, so truly do some soul searching. He's able, He's ready, and He's willing to provide, so just answer Jesus with a resounding YES -- it will be the most healing 'yes' you've ever said!