Scripture and Prayer Focus for November 5, 2026

 November 5 -- John 16: 8-15 "'And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.' 'I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.'"

Prayer focus for today:  Isn't it amazing how even looking at two or three verses in God's Word can have SO much to comprehend, it's difficult to know where to start?  At the same time, we can't just camp out on one verse and fully understand it, because context is key. That is the limitation of our human mind that should keep us going and growing every day to know more and more about the God we serve and the Savior of our souls.  Notice in the middle of today's Scripture reading this statement from Jesus, 'I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.'  Jesus was referencing not only that those to whom He was speaking could not handle the truth He needed to speak because He knew the limitation of the human mind, but that they were not able nor ready to fully comprehend it. 

Pray today for Christ to renew (or instill) an eagerness in you for His Word. Pray to grow in your walk with Christ that you would stop trying to manage everything on your own, but truly trust in Him alone for all you need. Pray that when life seems too difficult to comprehend, He will give you the understanding you need at that moment, and that you will be content that that is all you need ... and carry on.

Scripture and Prayer Focus for November 4, 2026

 November 4 -- John 16: 1-7 "'I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.' 'I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.'"

Prayer focus for today:  Jesus always spoke the truth. He wasn't popular or adored for it, but He always told the truth. (Because He is God who cannot lie, of course.) Even when the truth was stated over and over, so many people did not believe ... in Him or His Words. Today, our prayer focus is a bit different. Please pray today for all of our grade 12 students in Zambia who are currently in the process of taking their national Grade 12 examinations. Pray for them to know the truth of what they have learned and be able to complete each phase of the exams well. Pray that God will fill them with confidence in what they have worked hard to learn and the ability to recall and write clearly the answers to each question. Pray for those who are not strong students for whom this time of year is very frightening, that they will trust Christ and seek Him each day as they simply don't know what their future will hold.

Scripture and Prayer Focus for November 3, 2026

 November 3 -- John 15: 22-27 "'If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: 'They hated me without a cause.' 'But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.'"

Prayer focus for today:  "But now they have no excuse for their sin."  Jesus's words should send a bit of sting to all of our hearts. When reading today's passage, if our hearts are right with God, we should see a bit of ourselves in here. Jesus is saying that because they have been told and still sin, they have no excuse. Simple as that. I believe every one of us reading this today have also read God's Word. We KNOW what is right and what is not from God's Word. Yet, we still CHOOSE to sin. We don't like to call it sin, but God calls it like HE sees it. Pray today for a repentant heart towards the sin you still hold on to that keeps you trapped. Remember, we've chatted before about those comfortable sins that are so much a part of us we usually ignore them. Pray for time to just sit alone before God and allow Him to point out to you those sins you're still clinging to. I promise you... the peace you will experience when you acknowledge, repent, and change will be like nothing you've ever experienced. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for November 2, 2026

 November 2 -- John 15: 15-21 "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. 'If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.'"

Prayer focus for today:  As I was watching the children at our mission post yesterday, I was struck by something that I hadn't thought about for many years, "These young people are working so hard to try to impress people they probably won't ever see again once they leave our facility."  Oh, they might still have a few friends from the same community, but the likelihood is most of these will never be lifelong friends. But you know what?  We adults are often the same way. We "shape" our social media to project a version of us that we are comfortable sharing. (Often it's filled with so many filters we wouldn't recognize you if we met on the street. ) We post what we think will impress people or bring them to send messages of encouragement so we don't feel alone, hoping they are in support of us. All the while, many of us are hating ourselves ... or hating others, because we believe their social media shows their truth -- a perfect life. Pray today to move beyond what impresses people and seems like the norm in society. Pray for changes that will make you more like Christ. Pray simply to be hated by the world because they hated Christ first. After all, that's the best crowd to follow!  Praying for each one of us today, as we walk this walk ... unashamed of Jesus!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for November 1, 2026

 November 1 -- John 15: 8-14 "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandements and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.'"

Prayer focus for today: If Jesus stood in front of you today and asked you to describe His love, what would you say?  This is something most of us would THINK we could do, but if actually pressed to do it, we would fail to even come close. Yet, notice how in today's Scriptures, Jesus says, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."  Now, not being able to fully grasp Jesus's love doesn't give us an excuse to not do our best to aim for perfection in this area. We have to study Jesus's Words in the Bible to see all the ways Jesus loved in word AND in deed ... then copy that. We have to pray for wisdom to better understand the love of God every day so that we might live it out exactly as Scripture says. And remember, scripture addresses what love IS and what it is NOT. Be sure to keep learning -- here's praying with you for growth and love ... Jesus style!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for October 31, 2026

 October 31 -- John 15: 1-7 "'I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.'"

Prayer focus for today: Today's final verse is one that a LOT of people who say they are Christians claim over their lives. On the surface - all alone -- it sounds perfect!  What most ignore is the true meaning of what Jesus is saying. He's NOT saying, 'If you tell people you are a Christian and act pretty good, your every wish is my command.'  Yet, many people act as if that's exactly what Jesus is saying. Why? Because we often treat the Bible like a buffet where we can pick and choose what we want and leave the rest behind. However, if you look at the definition of the word ABIDE, there is nothing that implies a loose, casual relationship. It means to remain stable or fixed. In otherwords, GROUNDED and FIRM. In order to have that type of a relationship, we all have to know ALL of God's Word. We have to pursue truth of all Scripture and not just a few that we like. Jesus is reminding all of us, that in order to be assured that whatever we ask for will be granted, we have to let God change our hearts first. We have to be content following Christ and not seeking after the world, praying Jesus will let us have all we want. Pray for a heart to never want anything outside of God's Will.... when that happens you will always have your needs met, just as God promises.  As you grow to know more and more God's ways and His design, you will notice what you WISH for will change ... just as Jesus intended!