Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 21, 2026

 August 21 -- John 4: 39 - 45 "Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me all that I ever did.' So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.' After the two days he departed for Galilee. (For Jesus himself has testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast."

Prayer focus for today:  "Seeing is believing" is a phrase used so often we really don't think about the meaning behind it, especially if we view it in line with our faith walk with Christ. The Samaritans believed in Jesus because of His words and His actions, but the key is ... they believed!  Pray today for those who have never known Christ to know Him and believe today. There are so many 'versions' of Christianity in our world today that Satan uses to distract and discredit, that we must be vigilant to study God's word and know the TRUTH of salvation in Christ alone. Pray today that you will become an even stronger warrior in the battle and make Christ known to all you encounter!  

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 20, 2026

 

August 20 -- John 4: 31-38 "Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, 'Rabbi, eat.' But he said to them, 'I have food to eat that you do not know about.' So the disciples said to one another, 'Has anyone brought him something to eat?' Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.' "

Prayer focus for today: How many times do we, as humans, let ourselves get focused on the things that don't really matter.  Come on, if we were each honest, we spend WWAAYY too much time focusing on the little things in life that have no eternal consequences. I know I do. Pray today that we would each be honest with ourselves and before our God, asking Him to show us where our focus is off. Ask Jesus to show you what to focus on each day, so that YOU make the difference with your life, that you were created to make!  Joining you in the this prayer... today and everyday!  

And please pray today for our family, especially our daughter, Jaymeson, as she moves into her university today and starts life in America after being in Zambia for the last fourteen years!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 19, 2026

 August 19 -- John 4: 22-30 "You worship what you do not know, we worship what we know; for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.' The woman said to him, 'I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.' Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am he.' Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, 'What do you seek?' or, 'Why are you talking with her?' So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,'Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?' They went out of the town and were coming to him. 

Prayer focus for today: Pray today that Christians everywhere will worship in spirit and in truth. Pray for someone you know who doesn't know Jesus to be willing to "lay it all down" and follow Him. Is your walk with Christ going cold?  Pray today to be refreshed by the living water and tell others about Him today. The Samaritan woman had a life-changing encounter with Jesus, we're praying today we will all have the same. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 18, 2026

 August 18 -- John 4: 15-21 "The woman said to him, 'Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.'  Jesus said to her, 'Go, call your husband, and come here.' The woman answered him, 'I have no husband.' Jesus said to her, 'You are right in saying, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.' The woman said to him, 'Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.' Jesus said to her, 'Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father."

Prayer focus to today: On the surface, today's scripture seems like just another conversation between two people. The Samaritan woman is eager to ask Jesus to give her this life-giving water, but He doesn't just give it to her, He gently and honestly helps her see her true need, which is repentance from sin and turning to faithfully following Him. In the piece of the conversation we are studying today, we see her understanding of 'religious' things, but she doesn't yet grasp the "Big Picture". How often do we follow this same path with Christ. We like what we hear about eternal life in Heaven, but we don't really want to mess with the "little details" here on earth. We want to continue living our lives as see fit then 'hope' for better things to come just because we are a "good" person. 

Pray today for true repentance and the freedom that only comes through Jesus Christ. Many in this world today "hope" things get better in their lives, but they aren't willing to make any changes in themselves. Pray today that each of us would see our lives clearly, just as Jesus was showing the Samaritan woman. Only then will true freedom and LIFE come. (It's not easy, but sooooooo worth it!)

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 17, 2026

 August 17 -- John 4: 8-14 "(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, 'How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?' (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.' The woman said to him, 'Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob?  He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.' Jesus said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'"

Prayer focus for today: In today's Scripture, we see Jesus breaking through the societal expectations by speaking to a woman from Samaria. As documented, Jews had no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus knew this was a human issue, and nothing ordained by God. Pray today that where there are people or types of people you choose to avoid that you would see them through the eyes of Christ. ALL of us are created equal in God's eyes, and we, as believers, should see as our Father does. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 16, 2026

 August 16 -- John 4: 1-7 "Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, 'Give me a drink.'"

Prayer focus for today: Our scripture passage for today seems insignificant, at best. A 'slow news' story for sure, in most people's eyes. However, if you know the back story, you see that Jesus didn't back down from an opportunity to buck cultural traditions. (More on this tomorrow.) He didn't just follow what was expected of an upright and 'proper' religious man of the time and area, He did what He was called to do. 

Pray today that, no matter where you live, what your 'cultural' rules are, or what you have done in the past, you will stand firm in the way of Jesus and faithfully serve Him. Pray against the stronghold that our cultures have on us, so that we may all seek Christ's culture (the expectation that is taught to us in the Holy Bible). Praying today that we will treasure our individual cultures, but that when we choose to follow Jesus, we will submit everything to following "Christian culture".  Pray that you and I will be able to discern what we need to shed in our lives that is just a comfortable cultural tradition / belief and truly shine for Christ in this dark and dying world. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 15, 2026

 August 15 -- John 3: 30-36 "'He must increase, but I must decrease.'  He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." 

Prayer focus for today: Unless we make a deliberate choice to "unplug", we are each bombarded throughout the day with information. Sometimes that information is true, and sometimes that information is false. Discerning the difference between the two can sometimes be quite difficult.  Pray today for TRUTH to be made known -- to rise above the lies and be clear to us all. The best way to do that is to immerse ourselves fully in God's Word, so we can discern the lies from the TRUTH!  

Jesus was simply telling the truth of Himself and what He was all about. Pray today for His truth to be seen clearly, as many of us today spend more time reading / watching social media than the Bible. Pray today that we would all be brought to a point of not being distracted by the lies and distractions and drawn to the truth! 

Please join us in praying for our fellow Zambians who are going through a period of violence and unrest after our national elections took place this past Thursday.

Pray that God's plan would be fulfilled and TRUTH be told everywhere. Finally, please pray for our children who are out of school on August holiday - that God would protect each one during this difficult time in our nation.