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Daily readings are provided by Pastor Larry Stockstill for Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, Lousiana.
Miss a day this week chick on the date below:
9/21
9/22
9/23
9/24-9/27
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
. . . No
weapon turned against you will succeed. And everyone who tells lies in court will be brought to justice. These benefits are
enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!
—Isaiah 54:17 The kingdom of darkness is a wicked organization of evil that unceasingly
plots against the righteous. This kingdom’s carefully crafted snares and weapons are individually tailored to destroy
each child of God. In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us that “we are not fighting against people made of flesh and
blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this
world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms” (v. 12). God, however, has provided us with a divine
covering to protect us from every attack from the enemy. Commonly called “the armor of God,” this protection listed
in Ephesians 6:14-17 includes the following elements: “the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness”
(v. 14), “for shoes . . . the peace that comes from the Good News” (v. 15), “faith as your shield,”
(v. 16), “salvation as your helmet,” and “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (v. 17).
Standing in this mighty armor and wielding the powerful weapon of the Word of God, we have the strength to “pray
at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit” (v. 18), positioning ourselves firmly upon the promises
of God until the devil flees. No matter what weapon the enemy has forged against you, it will not prosper! Daily
Readings: Isaiah 54:1-57:14 • Ephesians 6:1-24 • Psalm 70:1-5 • Proverbs 24:8
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Feed the
hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as
bright as day.
—Isaiah 58:10
Fasting involves our separating ourselves from food for a season in order to draw close to God on behalf
of others. This practice can be easily perverted into a religious activity to be seen of men (as Jesus reminded the Pharisees)
or something that is performed while tolerating strife, debate, and self-interest (Isaiah 58:3-4).
Isaiah said that
the fast God has chosen is one that focuses on the needs of others. When we become so burdened about a yoke of oppression
upon the life of another that we refuse to partake of our normal food until that person is delivered, God is pleased (Isaiah
58:6). For example, Daniel fasted, not for himself, but for the nation to be returned from Babylon (Daniel 9:3).
If
we spend ourselves on behalf of the hungry, then God will bless us with light, health, and water (Isaiah 58:8-11). Our light
will be a guide through dark places, our health will give physical prosperity and strength, and our water will provide emotional
and spiritual joy in times of drought. As someone once said, “Fasting is another way of feasting!”
Daily
Readings: Isaiah 57:15-59:21 • Philippians 1:1-26
• Psalm 71:1-24 • Proverbs 24:9-10
Friday, September 30, 2005
For I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
—Isaiah 61:8 Justice protects a person’s equal rights. Whether rich or poor,
born or unborn, educated or illiterate, all people are made in the image of God and deserve equal protection and peace. David
prayed for his son Solomon to be endowed with justice (Psalm 72:1). In practical terms, this prayer was asking the Lord to
help Solomon “defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors” (v. 4). Additionally,
David prayed for Solomon to have “pity for the weak and the needy” (v. 13) and to “save them from oppression
and from violence” (vv. 13-14). The secret to obtaining justice is instilling in people a respect for the sanctity
of blood, “for the life of any creature is in its blood” (Leviticus 17:11). When we see how precious blood is
to God, we will be concerned about its senseless shedding. The ignorant, foolish man really cares nothing for the
blood of another as long as his blood is not being shed! On the other hand, the heart of a man of wisdom is broken by the
shedding of innocent blood that offends God and His sense of justice. Stand up for innocent blood! In that way you
are showing you love justice, just as you love the God of justice. Daily Readings: Isaiah 60:1-62:5 • Philippians
1:27-2:18 • Psalm 72:1-20 • Proverbs 24:11-12
Monday, October 3, 2005
. . . You
will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your
hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
—Philippians 4:7
The peace of God comes from the God of peace. In the fourth chapter of Philippians, Paul tells us how to
walk in continual, perfect peace.
First, he pleads with us to reconcile our relationships to others. He addressed
a division in the Philippian church, saying, “And now I want to plead with those two women, Euodia and Syntyche. Please,
because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement” (v. 2). Strained, divisive relationships will always block
the peace of God.
Next, Paul says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God
what you need, and thank him for all he has done”
(v. 6). If you make every concern a matter of prayer, God’s
peace will flood your heart and mind, even when your understanding is crying,
Worry!
Finally, Paul challenges
us to change our ways of daily meditation. Instead of thinking untrue, immoral, base, corrupt, and ugly thoughts from the
enemy, he tells us to “fix [our] thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure
and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (v. 8). We must fill our minds
with thoughts that are consistent with the heaven where we will one day live. Such thoughts will calm our hearts and bring
the presence of the God of peace back into our lives. Then the peace of God will be ours until we see the God of peace face-to-face.
Daily Readings: Jeremiah 1:1-2:30 • Philippians 4:1-23
• Psalm 75:1-10 • Proverbs 24:17-20
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