Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 23, 2026

 October 23 -- John 13: 9-15 "Simon Peter said to him, 'Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!' Jesus said to him, 'The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.' For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, 'Not all of you are clean.' When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, 'Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you."

Prayer focus for today: Have you ever tried to teach someone to do something new?  Maybe you taught something to your child to help him gain more independence or were tasked with training a co-worker so you both could perform your jobs better. Jesus was leading by example. He was teaching without making a big lecture about it. He taught humbly, yet thoroughly. Showing and telling about the process as he went along. 

Pray today for a heart to teach others. Of course, the most important teaching is to train up the next generation of Christians, but unless you live completely alone, there is SOMEONE around you who needs to learn something today. Pray that you will recognize the gifts and talents God has poured into you that make you unique, that you would be willing to pour it out onto others who will follow after you. Pray that we will each loose the mentality that we can't teach all we know to someone else, or they might take our position. No, Jesus made it clear that we are all to train those coming after us. Scripture teaches this over and over again. Pray today that YOU will make a difference in someone so the next generation after you will know Christ and serve like Him. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 22, 2026

 October 22 -- John 13: 1-8 "Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, 'Lord, do you wash my feet?' Jesus answered him, 'What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.' Peter said to him, 'You shall never wash my feet.'  Jesus answered him, 'If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.'"

Prayer focus for today: Jesus' washing of the disciples' feet is probably one of the most copied practices for team building or servanthood in the modern church today. If you have never participated in a foot washing ceremony, I would highly encourage it. At least for me, it was one of the most humbling experiences I've ever been through. 

Pray today for  a truly repentant heart. Pray for those around you who THINK they are saved, but are far from Jesus. Pray that we would all be firm in our faith, but willing to be humble and "do the dirty work" that being a servant of the One True God takes. Pray that you will be an example of Christ's love to others -- many around you need to know HIM. Perhaps it's YOU!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 21, 2026

 October 21 -- John 12: 44-50 "And Jesus cried out and said, 'Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment -- what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.'"

Prayer focus for today: How would our lives be different if we made sure that every word we spoke was "as the Father has told (us)"? Stop reading and let that soak in for a minute. How often do we allow ourselves to get pulled into Satan's lies that we have to respond IMMEDIATELY to situation without thinking or praying?  How often do we ask God to help us hold our temper but forget to ask Him to help us hold our tongue when gossip is REALLY JUICY??  Pray today to have the heart and mind of Jesus. Pray that you will know with confidence that what you say is what the Father would have you say. Pray for His words to flow from you ... and nothing else. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 20, 2026

 October 20-- John 12: 37-43 "Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 

     'Lord, who has beleived what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?'

Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

     'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.'

Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authroities, believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God."

Prayer focus for today: Our prayer focus for today comes from the last words of the passages -- "for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God." As I was praying over today's scriptures, asking God what He'd like to hear us pray to Him today, I was struck that there are a LOT of us who call ourselves Christians who are just like this -- we love the glory of man's approval and rarely think about just doing what God asks of us and letting Him give us glory so we can give it right back to Him. 

Pray today for humility to seek God first ... and ONLY!  Pray that your heart would not yearn for the approval of man, but be content with God's approval. Pray that you won't seek "fame" on social media to be known, but just be God's child and that alone. Today is a day for a lot of self-inspection...... are you ready? 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 19, 2026

 October 19 -- John 12: 31-36 "'Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.' He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So the crowd answered him, 'We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?' So Jesus said to them, 'The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.' When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them."

Prayer focus for today:  The Bible is very clear, in multiple places, that we have NOW to choose to repent and follow Jesus. The next second is never guaranteed. If you delay, you will go to hell. There is no if, and, or buts about it. Truth is truth, whether you choose to believe it or not. Why wait? May we all pray today for those who have not accepted Christ to choose to do so today. Pray for opportunities to share Him as only you can with those you encounter -- nothing is by accident. We all have a job to do to share Christ today!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 18, 2026

 October 18 -- John 12: 24-30 "'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serve me, he must follow me; and where I am, there wil my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.' 'Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.' Then a voice came from heaven: 'I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.' The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, 'An angel has spoken to him.' Jesus answered, 'This voice has come for your sake, not mine.'"

Prayer focus for today:  Wow!  There is a LOT in today's Scriptures. It's very difficult to make the prayer focus compact, but I'll try. Because I know that most of you who are with us each day are either aware of or actively involved in farming on some level, let's focus on the grain of wheat Jesus mentions early in the passage. If you take a grain of wheat (or any grain seed) and set it on a shelf, nothing will happen -- it cannot do what it was created to do. However, when you put that grain in the ground, cover it, and nourish it, it flourishes and produces the crop it contains inside. Most of us think about the coming harvest (the potential within) when we look at a grain seed, but how many of us see that potential in the lives of those around us?  

Pray today for eyes to see your life and the lives of those around you as having great potential. Pray, especially, for those who are young or those who are lost -- anyone who has not yet accepted Christ. Pray for wisdom to let Christ speak through your actions and words that they would choose to follow Jesus. Pray that they would see the potential of the seed of Jesus you are planting in their lives.  

Finally, pray that you would see life through the lens of Jesus, asking God to help you see each human around you as having great potential. Pray that we would all live, without hesitation, to the full potential God has put inside us. Don't stay sitting on the shelf, plant your roots deep.  Let's go change the world for Jesus.....plant your seed today that the harvest may be bountiful and beautiful. Praying for us all!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 17, 2026

 October 17 -- John 12: 16-23 "His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, 'You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.' Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galiee, and asked him, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus.' Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.'"

Prayer focus for today:  The key in today's Scriptures is that those who witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus from death continued to bear witness to what they had experienced and seen Jesus do. Pray today that you will never overlook all the amazing things Jesus is doing in your own life - that you will faithfully bear witness of Him in your life. Pray for those around you to hear, see, and choose to believe that Jesus is Lord of your life and wants them to choose Him, as well. 

Pray for those who have lost their faith to trust that God has never left them. Pray that you can bear witness of Jesus in your life today that they may be encouraged. Here's praying each of us can see Jesus in every area of our lives and constantly bear witness, whether we are enjoying the moment or not. Even in the ashes, find Christ's plan.