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. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for August 14, 2026

 August 14 -- John 3: 23 - 29 "John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison).  Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, 'Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness -- look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.' John answered, 'A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete."

Prayer focus for today:  We've all been there -- we've explained something to someone (pretty clearly, we thought), only to find out later they didn't REALLY understand  the information as we thought we had explained it. It's not until later when we hear the other person say or see them do something that it becomes clear they didn't fully understand what we had said. And so, we are able to further explain and clarify the matter so better understanding takes place.  That's what we observe in the Scriptures today with John and his disciples. 

Pray today that we would each be able to clearly explain the hope we have in Christ alone ... that others may receive and follow Him. Pray that where any misunderstandings have taken place, we would each be made aware and speak clearly to fully explain where our hope, joy, and confidence comes from in all situations. And finally, pray today that no matter what happens, we will all be found faithful to stand firm. 

We know many of you reading this are going through great trials today. Some are gut-wrenching and seem impossible to walk through. We are praying for you today and trusting Christ to be your strength. HE IS WITH YOU ... just trust in Him today!

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!