Scripture and Prayer Focus for 13 August 2026

 August 13 -- John 3: 16-22 "'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.' After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing."

Prayer focus for today: It only takes a small light to break through darkness. The more light you bring into darkness, the more you see the need for light. Pray today for each of us to see our need for the light of Christ and to BE that light for others. Sometimes, it's just that small light that can make all the difference in someone's darkness. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 12, 2026

 August 12 -- John 3: 8-15 "'The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.' Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?' Jesus answered him, 'Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.'"

Prayer focus for today: Every day we are bombarded with information - from our phones, radios, televisions, computers, tablets, people, billboard signs, product packaging, magazines, books, and the list could go on and on. Nicodemus was seeking information, and he went to the source for the true answer to his questions. Pray today for discernment to go to the source for the information you seek. If you want to know the truth concerning a rumor you heard about someone, go to that person ... don't continue to be involved in rumors or gossip. If you want to know the truth about a political candidate, go to the source ... don't get caught up in false news. If you want to know the truth about Jesus, go to the Word of God ... pray, repent, listen, learn. 

Pray today for those who are following false 'twists' of God's Word, believing they are following Jesus, that they may understand the truth and turn to Christ alone. Pray that each of us would seek truth and turn from tendencies to gossip or blindly believe things we see on social media and spread it as truth. Pray today for the elections coming up throughout the world (on our hearts today are Zambia and the United States), that truth would reign and peace be maintained. Specifically, please join us in prayers for our home -- Zambia. Elections take place tomorrow (13 August). Pray God would calm the violence and keep our nation united as "One Zambia, One Nation." 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 11, 2026

 August 11 -- John 3: 1-7 "Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.' Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus said to him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?' Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" 

Prayer focus for today: As we read today's scripture, we see Jesus explaining to Nicodemus the elemental truth of salvation through a personal relationship with Christ alone. We don't get to choose being born from our mother's womb, but each of us has to make the choice to follow Jesus ... to be born AGAIN. Pray today for someone you know who has not yet made this life-changing choice. Pray that those who THINK they are saved, but have never truly given up control over their lives and decided to follow Jesus will see their need for Him and choose to be born again today!  

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 10, 2026

 August 10 -- John 2: 18-25 "So the Jews said to him, 'What sign do you show us for doing these things?' Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' The Jews then said, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?' But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man."

Prayer focus for today:  Everyday we are each faced with opportunities to believe something ... or not. We can choose to believe the words of the people in our home ... or not. We can choose to believe a co-worker ... or not. We can choose to believe the repairman or delivery driver will be at our place when they say they will ... or not. We can choose to believe a doctor's diagnosis ... or not. The list could go on and on.

In our Scripture reading for today, we read where many people, including Jesus' disciples, believed in Him because of what they saw in Him (either signs he was doing or fulfilling a word He had said). Pray today that each of us would grow deeper in our faith and BELIEVE in Jesus. The truth of the Bible (God's Holy Word) is truth, whether we choose to believe it or not. Pray for each person around you choose to believe and follow Jesus today. The truth doesn't change just because someone CHOOSES to believe.  Believe it ... or not!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 9, 2026

 August 9 -- John 2: 9-17 "When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, 'Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.' This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days. The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, 'Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade. His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for your house will consume me.'"

Prayer focus for today: Today's scripture concludes Jesus' first miracle (sign). We are told at the end of verse eleven that his disciples believed in him. Pray today that even when you don't SEE signs or miracles occurring, you will still believe.  Our human minds are limited and cannot comprehend all He is constantly doing. Pray for time to just BE STILL before God and to grow in your faith.

As Jesus and those with him travel on to Capernaum, we see Jesus display His holiness and total devotion to keeping the things that are holy -- HOLY! Pray today that you would never settle or compromise the things of God. Pray for your understanding of God and His ways to grow more complete today that you would never accept anything less than His perfect plan. And lastly, pray for each believer to always stand firm for what you know and believe as taught in God's Holy Word, the Bible.  May Christ's holiness shine through each place of worship today!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 8, 2026

 August 8 -- John 2: 1-8 "On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine.' And Jesus said to her, 'Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.' His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.' Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water.' And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, 'Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.' So they took it."

Prayer focus for today:  The story of the wedding at Cana in Galilee doesn't tell us who got married ... because that's not important. It doesn't tell us who all the guests were ... because that's not the focal point of the story. The focus here is Jesus and faith in Him.  Even Mary is simply referred to as, 'the mother of Jesus.' Why?  Because the focus is Jesus. 

Although Jesus seems to dismiss His mother's request to help, He does a simple act of asking the servants to fill some jars with water - something they were probably accustomed to doing many times each day. He didn't ask them to go outside of what they knew. Mary didn't ask anything supernatural of the servants. She simply said, 'Do whatever He tells you.' And in that simple mandate, we, too, see what we're supposed to do today.  Do whatever He tells you ... and trust Him with the details. Pray today for faith to simply 'do whatever He tells you'. Pray for faith to trust Him completely ... even when you don't understand.

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 7, 2026

 August 7 -- John 1: 43-51 "The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, 'Follow me.' Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.' Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, 'Behold ,an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit.' Nathanael said to him, 'How do you know me?' Jesus answered him, 'Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.' Nathanael answered him, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!' Jesus answered him, 'Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these.' And he said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Prayer focus for today: This section of scripture reveals more about Jesus -- His perfect knowledge of each one of us and His desire to draw us to Himself through a personal relationship. We are not saved from eternal death through the town we are from, our family lineage, or what we've done. We are saved by believing in Jesus, turning from our sins, and choosing daily to follow Him.

Today, if you have not had a personal encounter with the One True God through Jesus Christ, His Son, pray you will know Him today and surrender your life fully to Him alone. If you have made that choice to follow Jesus, pray your faith will grow and you will more deeply cling to Christ ... no matter what the day brings. We love you and are praying for you!