Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 31, 2026

 July 31 -- Colossians 4: 16 - 18 "And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, 'See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.' I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you." (ESV)  

Prayer focus for today: Well, we finally made it to the last day of July, and the last verses of the book of Colossians. Thanks for journeying with us through this letter that challenges, uplifts, and equips us as Christians in so many ways. We are thankful for each of you who have encouraged us by telling us how these daily scriptures and prayers have helped you. We hope to continue as long as God allows. 

Today's focus is not just for those in "professional" or full-time ministry, but for each of us who are followers of Christ. 'See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.' This was the challenge from Paul's own hand while he was in chains in prison, yet it is still a challenge to each of us today. We have each been given a ministry from the Lord, whether it's in our own home with our family, within a small group from church, co-workers at our jobsite, or the myriad of other places we are called to "minister" to God's people. Pray today that you will recognize and fulfill the ministry YOU have received in the Lord. And if you don't know what it is... pray Christ will reveal it to you that you may know it and understand how to fulfill it as God intends. Never underestimate God's calling -- find it, live it, and fulfill it!

Scripture and Prayer focus for July 30, 2026

 July 30 -- Colossians 4: 14 - 15 "Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house." (ESV)

Prayer focus for today:  Unless we purposefully live a very secluded life, we often greet people numerous times each day. Whether it's our spouse, children, or others living in our house who are greeted with, "Good morning!", those we interact with at work, or just the people we cross paths with while shopping, we all have a variety of people we greet everyday, but often we never really think about those greetings.  In Zambia, we often close conversations with, "Greet your family for me," and we move on about our day. Today's prayer challenge is that we all go a little deeper.  Pray for the Lord to show you true ways to authentically greet someone and make them feel loved. Who knows.....God may be using your greeting to start a life-changing conversation about Him!  

Scripture and Prayer focus for July 29, 2026

 July 29 -- Colossians 4: 12 - 13 "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis." (ESV)

Prayer focus for today: As we close in on the end of the book of Colossians and praying through every verse this month, pray today for those Christians who need encouragement in being fully assured in all the will of God. We know of many (and even find ourselves in this category quite often) who struggle standing firm in the faith and God's will, because they feel completely alone in the work God has placed before them. Pray today, asking God to put people before you whom you could encourage and lift up -- whether through a phone call, email, visit, or just a prayer. God's warriors united will make a difference for His Kingdom! 

Scripture and Prayer focus for July 28, 2026

 July 28 -- Colossians 4: 10 - 11 "Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions -- if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumscision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: Paul closes this letter naming a few men who are his close network of fellow workers in the Kingdom and calls them "a comfort" to himself. Pray today that every believer, especially those in full-time service, would be surrounded with a core group of fellow believers who would comfort, encourage, and strengthen one another. We all need this....praying this for you, today, as well!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 27, 2026

 July 27 -- Colossians 4: 7-9 "Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here."  (ESV)

Prayer focus for today:  Each of us needs to have faithful prayer partners in our lives and those who will be faithful ministers of God's word. Pray today that we will all recognize those people - and BE those people in the lives of those around us.  Despite the challenges of a Monday or what chaos seems to be looming in your life today, put Christ FIRST.  He is there and has already created a faithful team for each of us.....may we all recognize our team today and thrive in Christ!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 26, 2026

 July 26 -- Colossians 4: 5-6 "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (ESV)

Prayers focus for the day: Join us today in praying that each of us will seek God's wisdom (not our own) as we interact with others, especially in guiding and guarding what we say. God cares about every aspect of our lives -- even the very words we speak. May we each let HIM guide us today that He may be glorified and the body of Christ lifted up and not torn down. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 25, 2026

 July 25 -- Colossians 4: 1-4 "Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison -- that I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak."  (ESV)

Prayer focus for today:  Today brings us to a section of scripture which we pray on an almost daily basis for our work in Zambia and for our lives as individuals. "...that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ... that I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak."  But this isn't just a prayer for those God has called to full-time ministry service, it should be the heart's cry of every Christian. Pray today that God would open a door for each of us to share Christ with someone and make it clear what we need to say. When this becomes a habit, it's not so scary.  Here's praying for all of us....may doors be opened today!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 24, 2026

 July 24 -- Colossians 3: 23 - 25 "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: Pray today that we will all focus on the "WHY". Why do we get up in the morning? To serve Christ. Why do we give our best to our job (whether others see us or not)? To glorify Christ as we serve Him. Why do we show kindness to others? To show Christ to each person God brings across our path as we serve Him, that they might be drawn to Him.  Please pray also that the children we serve in Zambia will be drawn to a more full understanding of exactly what this means and choose to serve the Lord.....in whatever (all) they do. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 23, 2026

 July 23 -- Colossians 3: 20 - 22 "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day:  Pray today that no matter what our roles are in life -- child, parent, husband, wife, employee, employer, etc., we would each be faithful to living as examples of Christ in everything we say and do. Pray not to be people-pleasers only.....but God- pleasers. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 22, 2026

 July 22 -- Colossians 3: 17 - 19 "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: Today is a day to reflect inward in our prayers. As we each read the scriptures for today, take time to read them multiple times..... letting each word soak in.  As we each ask God to help us better understand Him and His ways, may He be the guide of everything we do ... and say. Prayer is life changing, not just because we see God answer, but because it changes our mind, heart, body, and soul. He already has a perfect plan for each one of us... He's just waiting on us to live and respond like Him. Here's praying each of us see the world through His eyes today. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 21, 2026

 July 21 -- Colossians 3: 14 - 16 "And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (ESV)

Prayer focus for today:  If you've been with us the past three weeks as we've settled into the book of Colossians and prayed, you know that the past few days have had us focused on self-examination and truly asking God to reveal the sin in each of us that we get comfortable with and often ignore. Today, please join us in praying that we will each have come through those days of true soul-reflection and demonstrate love, peace, thankfulness, and the glory that is Christ's alone ... that can (and should) be evident in each of us who are known as His!  We love you all and are so thankful for you!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 19, 2026

 July 19 -- Colossians 3: 7-9 "In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day -- Today is a follow-up to the challenges of yesterday's prayer focus. Whether you are a follower of Jesus Christ or not, today we challenge each one of us to pray honestly -- fully honestly  -- that God would open our eyes to the sin which we allow in our lives because we are so comfortable with it. Today's scriptures specifically address items that we often do with our mouth, but they can also be "thought sins", which Jesus says are the same as committing the acts. Pray today that those who already have committed their lives to Christ will become more aware of their "comfortable sins" and those who have never given their lives to Christ would understand their need for Jesus and turn from their sins and live!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 18, 2026

 July 18 -- Colossians 3: 4-6 "When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming." (ESV)

Prayer Focus for the Day:   Today is a challenging day for prayer. It's easy to see "other people's" sins, but so easy to overlook our own. Pray today that each of us will be willing and able to see the sin in our own lives, truly repent (which means not just saying, 'I'm sorry', but turning your back on that sin), and put to death what is earthly in each of us, pressing on toward the righteousness of God!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 17, 2026

 July 17 -- Colossians 3: 1-3  "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day:  As you can see in this image, people in different places think of things differently. Too often, the Church gets caught up in this and never notices it; we let things that have nothing to do with the TRUTH of Christ and God's Word separate us, simply because we don't take time to learn about other cultures or customs.  We often tell our friends in Zambia that each person has his/her own cultural beliefs and traditions, but the only thing that matters is Christ's culture -- that is what we are to follow. 

This image is from a Zambian textbook showing the use of body parts. In Zambia, your head is used as a carrying platform, not just a pretty place to hang your hat. It's a multipurpose tool!  It's not wrong -- it's just different from what would be taught and experienced in the USA and some  other parts of the world. Pray today that the body of Christ - the CHURCH universal - would be united in the truth of God's Word and stop being divided over the things that don't matter - the things of this world.... you just might learn some fun new things while you're at it!  

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 16, 2026

 July 16 -- Colossians 2: 21-23  "'Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch' (referring to things that all perish as they are used) -- according to human precepts and teachings?  These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: Please pray that the things that seem right to our human customs and what we've been taught in the past will be made clear through the LIGHT of Christ as we all dig deep into God's word and pray for wisdom from Christ alone.   Pray that no matter which continent someone is on, we would all seek the truth and FOLLOW IT!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 15, 2026

 July 15 -- Colossians 2: 18 - 20  "Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. If with Christ you died on the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations --" (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: One of the most difficult parts for people in the west to understand about our work in Zambia is the strong hold that animistic belief systems hold on our friends and students in Zambia. Just as in a chemistry class where you have a "reaction" when unlike substances interact, the internal conflict of beliefs can be a challenge to overcome. Please join us in prayer today that we would always grow in our own knowledge of the truth of Christ and salvation through Him alone, but that our friends and students in Zambia would be able to discern the truth of Christ from the elemental spirits of the world that have such a strong pull on their minds and hearts.

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 14, 2026

 July 14 -- Colossians 2: 15 - 17  "He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ."  (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day:  Today we ask for prayers for our grade 12 students who are working hard each day studying for the national exams they will take at the end of the year. Please pray that they will trust God alone as they prepare and will not be drawn into any "side" beliefs or customs that would distract them from the next steps God has for them. 

Scripture and Prayer focus for July 13, 2026

 July 13 -- Colossians 2: 11-14  "In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: Please pray a prayer of thanksgiving for the amazing gift of Jesus, and all record of our debt cancelled by His death on the cross if we only choose to turn from our sins, believe in Jesus, and follow Him daily. Pray that all of us who are Christians will be bold to share this truth with all in our circles of life who do not know Christ and salvation through Him alone. Pray that each believer will know the truth and never live under false beliefs, but we would all follow, believe, and know the truth of Christ who has set our sin aside through the nails on the cross. All praise be to Jesus ... and Him alone!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 12, 2026

 July 12 -- Colossians 2: 8-10  "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: Please pray today that all of the children we serve in Zambia at the Tree of Life Children's Village would be able to resist the temptations to be led astray and would each one choose to follow Jesus, who is the head of all rule and authority. Pray that the children would each one be willing to learn the truth of God's word and not following just empty traditions. Pray that we can clearly convey the truth of Jesus to each one.

Scripture & Prayer Focus for July 11, 2026

 July 11 -- Colossians 2: 4-7  "I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: Whether you are in the States or in Zambia (or somewhere in between), join us in prayer today that none of us would become deluded with plausible arguments, but would know and understand the TRUTH found in Christ alone, that we would all be rooted, built up, and established in the faith. Please pray that we may clearly convey these truths to all we work with in Zambia and all we will encounter on our furlough. Never let up -- press on! We're praying for you, too.

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 10, 2026

 July 10 -- Colossians 2: 1-3 "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: First, we send prayers of thanksgiving for your prayers for Jim's travel. He made it to Chicago and should be with Jeanna and her family this afternoon to enjoy a few days with them before he joins us in Oklahoma.  We are thankful to God for protecting him, but also for each of you who took the time to pray. 

Secondly, as we echo the words of Paul in these verses, may all of our hearts be encouraged and knit together in love as we grow in understanding the mystery of God, which is Jesus Christ alone. He holds all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge for everything we face in this world.....but most importantly, he holds our salvation -- free for the asking. Please pray that as we begin to meet with churches and individuals in the USA , we would not only be able to accurately convey the needs in Zambia and what God is doing there, but also be able to be used as instruments of God to convey this mystery of Christ that all may know Him and choose to believe!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 9, 2026

 July 9 -- Colossians 1: 27-29 -- "To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: Please join our family in prayers for safe travels for Jim, as he is leaving Zambia today to join the rest of us in the USA for our summer furlough.  As we prepare to be together as a family before taking Jaymeson to college, please pray for us, just as we pray for all of you to toil, struggling with all HIS energy that HE may powerfully work within each of us as we proclaim His truths in all we say and do. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 8, 2026

 July 8 -- Colossians 1: 24 - 26 - "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day:  Pray that we will each find joy in the sufferings God might choose to bring our way for the sake of others to grow in their walks with Christ. Pray that we will ALL be willing and able to make the Word of God fully known.

The WHY behind what we do

 Alright, Facebook friends - for the past week, we've been sharing a daily section of scripture and prayer requests. We purposefully did not share the reasons or an explanation of what we planned beforehand, as we wanted to see who would notice. God has laid on our hearts, that so often social media is filled with nothing that matters, and we want to change that for God's glory. 

Sure, it's fun to see photos of our vacations and family activities, but it also often turns into a pit of false-self-representation, judgment, or relationship destruction, as comments become a battlefield. This is not how God's people should live. So, if you've always wanted to read through the Bible, buckle up, subscribe, share, or whatever you have to do to stay on this journey with us.  

We are not going to have large sections of scripture, but just a few verses each day to assure everyone has time to make it through, even if you only have five minutes. Whether you join us here on Facebook, or our blog ( OurZambiaJourney.blogspot.com ) , please share with your friends that they can read through the book of Colossians this month of July. Each month will be a different book of the Bible, so this will be a long journey, but that's ok. The goal is to keep God's Word before us each day and guide our prayers to follow that Word. 

Please feel free to leave comments of how God led you to pray through the daily scriptures, or something you learned from the verses that day. Or....feel free to leave your prayer requests for others to join you in prayer. The goal is for all of us to realize that no matter what our sphere of influence, we can all make God's Word the focus each day and encourage others to choose to follow Christ -- the only TRUE source of hope. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 7, 2026

 July 7 -- Colossians 1: 21-23 "And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister."

Prayer focus for the day: Pray these scriptures for our children at the Tree of Life Children's Village in Zambia; that those who have not chosen to follow Christ will choose Him alone and those who have will be stable and steadfast in their faith, no matter what has happened in their lives so far. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 6, 2026

 July 6 -- Colossians 1: 17-20 "And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."

Prayer focus for the day: Pray for Jesus Christ to be preeminent in EVERYTHING!  This is the day - why wait?!

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 5, 2026

 July 5 --  Colossians 1: 13-16 "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things were created through him and for him." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: Praise the Lord for salvation; for Jesus Christ who is our only hope and the way for our redemption - forgiveness of our sins. Praise the Lord that through Him we were all created. Pray that we can each clearly share Christ with all we come in contact with that more and more will come to salvation through Jesus Christ alone. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 4, 2026

 July 4 --  Colossians 1: 10-12 "so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: 

* Pray for the United States of America as we celebrate our 250 years of independence!!!  (Happy Birthday USA!) 

* In praying, the verses above should guide us all... pray that all Christians would walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him. 

* Pray that each of us would bear fruit in every good work and that we would all increase in the knowledge of God. 

* Pray for all who have not chosen to follow Christ to know, believe, and choose Christ alone!  

* Pray we would all be strengthened with God's power, according to His glorious might for the endurance to run the race we were created to run for Him. 

* Pray that we would each find our joy today, not just in fireworks, outings, and celebrations, but in Christ alone. That we would be patient before the Lord to know what He has for us and that we would give thanks to God alone for our nation and all our blessings.

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 3, 2026

 uly 3 --  Colossians 1: 7-9 "just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: Pray today   that as we work with the children in Zambia, we would be filled with the knowledge of God's will to guide them to know and understand truth. 

Scripture & Prayer Focus for July 2, 2026

 Our Zambia Journey Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 2, 2026 -- Colossians 1: 4-6 "since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing -- as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth," (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: Pray that the one and only TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ would be made known around the world; that whether each of us is making a comment on social media, replying to a "post", or chatting with someone, the grace of God in TRUTH would be procalimed.  Pray for each follower of Jesus to truly understand and share the truth of God's word, and for those who have never believed to believe, choose Jesus, and follow Him today. 

Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 1, 2026

 Our Zambia Journey Scripture and Prayer Focus for July 1, 2026 -- Colossians 1: 1-3 "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you" (ESV)

Prayer focus for the day: As we offer prayers of thanksgiving for our ministry partners over the years who have given their time, talent, and treasure on behalf of our family and God's work in Zambia, we pray for the body of Christ to work together and encourage one another in their faith.