December 27

Zechariah 10:1-11-17, Revelation 18:1-24, Psalm 146:1-10, Proverbs 30:33

Pray: Father, You desired that Israel would be the vessel through which all nations would be blessed. They have rejected You and been scattered. They have suffered greatly and in their sufferings You have called them together again. Bless this nation mightily and may they receive Your Son.

Read: (Zechariah 10:8-10)" When I whistle to them, they will come running, for I have redeemed them. From the few who are left, they will grow as numerous as they were before. Though I have scattered them like seeds among the nations, they will still remember me in distant lands. They and their children will survive and return again to Israel." Israel was set apart by God to be a nation of priests to reveal God to the whole world. But Israel rejected God repeatedly. And when they did they were scattered across the world. This chain of events has been repeated over and over again throughout their history. They reject God, they are scattered, and then they gather once again. But there will come a time when Israel recognizes Jesus Christ as their Messiah. There will come a time when the Muslim world recognizes Jesus as well. Every nation, every tongue, and every kindred will come to know…but before this happens there will be those who claim to be Christ but are not.

Edify: Those who bless Israel will be blessed. Those who curse Israel will be cursed. America for generations has chosen to bless Israel. Wars have been won and peace with prosperity resulted. But over the last few years America chose not to bless Israel. And America is not the nation any longer that all nations call blessed. Perhaps things are changing for the better?

Practice: Pray for Israel. Pray for the leaders of this nation that they might be protected and remain committed to the nation of Israel.

December 26

Zechariah 9:1-17, Revelation 17:1-18, Psalm 145:1-21, Proverbs 30:32

Pray: Father, taking a stand is not easy. But help me to understand that I must give voice to what is right and what is wrong according to Your WORD. And when I see that my attitudes and actions are on the wrong side of Your WORD help me to repent quickly and allow You to further change me into His likeness.

Read: Revelation 17:1-18 is one of the most difficult passages in all of scripture to understand. It is the story of ever escalating evil and darkness going to war with the Lamb of God and the people of God. Sin has corrupted the whole of creation. It has permeated world systems and world governments. Righteousness is under attack and the battle crosses all borders and all realms. The final battle of human history lies just ahead. Evil is soon to be defeated. But the picture is indeed bleak as the angel shows John what is to come.

Edify: There is a time to speak the truth in love. Sometimes it seems like silence is easier. But we are called to be lights on a hillside, a city that cannot be hid.

Practice: We need to have crucial conversations with those in our lives. They must choose whom they will serve. But we cannot avoid conversations that point them towards that choosing.

December 25

Zechariah 8:1-23, Revelation 16:1-21, Psalm 144:1-15, Proverbs 30:29-31 

Pray: Lord, the Red Sea did not open up until Moses stuck his foot in the water. Remind me to do what You say rather than wait for a blessing that will not and cannot come until I put my foot in the water.

Read: (Zechariah 8:4-5) "This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All of this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it possible for me? Says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies." God is a promise keeper. But much of what He promises seems impossible. There was but a small remnant of Israel left. God speaks to the remnant and tells them to be strong and finish the task. He is telling you and I the same thing. Grab His promises and hold on. Keep hanging on until they take place. The foundation for the temple had been laid but it had remained unbuilt for a long time. There were no jobs and there was no money. And the city of Jerusalem was not safe. What better time to start a building project? God relishes impossible circumstances to begin His work. At the worst possible time for men we discover that God says, “Get started and get going.” Rebuild the temple for the blessing of peace, prosperity, and abundance follows obedience. Change your periods of mourning and proclaim periods of joy and celebration.

Edify: God’s ways are not our ways. It is not unusual for God to pick the worst possible time under the worst possible circumstances to show Himself strong. The inhabitants of Jerusalem had no money, most had no jobs, and the city was not safe. So what does God say? BUILD!

Practice: God sees the end and works His way back to the beginning. We see the beginning and hope for a good ending. God saw the temple as completed, yet the stones had not been laid. His commands were based on things the people of Jerusalem could not visualize. Some of us, most of us, wait to be blessed BEFORE we start to obey. This is very poor practice and even worse theology. Here is the thing. Provision comes after obedience not before it. The blessing follows obedience. The jobs, the money, the crops, and the peace would come…but only after stones were being laid. What are we waiting for?

December 24

Zechariah 6:1-7:14, Revelation 15:1-8, Psalm 143:1-12, Proverbs 30:24-28

Prayer: Lord, our prayer today is to express our awe and deep appreciation that You left heaven and came to earth so we could find our way to heaven and a relationship with You now and eternally. We are ready to celebrate Your birthday, so we may celebrate and remember our spiritual birthday.

Read: With angels, chariots, bowls and plagues in both Zechariah and Revelation, one can get confused and overloaded with metaphor and symbolism. One overarching commonality that both texts reveal is that the Lord God of heaven's armies—the Lamb who has come to take away the sins of the world is ultimately in charge. The Lamb will bring justice and for those who have put their faith and trust in Him there will be a day of rejoicing.

Edify: The prayers of a child are often some of the most honest among us. No editing, no worries as to who is listening, but honest requests. One child once prayed, “…and Lord please take care of Yourself for if anything happens to You we are all sunk.” The little fella was on the right track. The Psalmist is just as honest in saying that his depression deepens and if the Lord was to turn away from him he would surely die. The other side of this is also true that God’s love is unfailing and when we turn our lives to God then we have life.

Practice: There is no greater request, no more important prayer, second only to receiving Christ as Lord, than to ask God, “teach me to do Your will”. You see, our flesh gets in the way. We are not born knowing how to do God’s will. By accepting Christ as Savior, then committing to Him as our Lord, we take the first step. The second greatest step is to be pliable enough to ask the Holy Spirit living within us to teach us to do the will of God. We know it always has to do with two things, “love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself.” So, attend worship each weekend and each week attend to the needs of your neighbor and you will be living into the prayer of the Psalmist.

December 23

Zechariah 4:1-5:11, Revelation 14:1-20, Psalm 142:1-7, Proverbs 30:21-23



Prayer: Lord, our hearts are yearning to experience something fresh and new. We do not want Christmas to just be another day. Lord, we pray that Your message will come to us as clearly as it did Zechariah, who spoke of the power of God to move mountains.

Read: We read in Zechariah, an often quoted verse, which speaks to the Lord’s work through faithful folks, “Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” We have a tendency to take charge and feel that the outcome is all up to us. We should pray as if the outcome all depended on God but work as if it all depended on us. We have a responsibility to do our best while yielding to the Lord’s capacity to work through us in amazing ways.

Edify: The number 144,000 in Revelation is often one of the most misunderstood symbolic numbers in the scriptures. Some have come to believe that this is the number of persons who are going to heaven. Most scholars do not even mention this as a viable option, rather it can be one among several options: 1) A faithful and loyal people who bear the mark of their Lord, 2) A representation of refuge and safety for those who have suffered and yearn for peace, 3) A mark of ownership—belonging to something beyond ourselves, 4) Security or 5) Dependence upon the God who created us. In other words, we who follow Christ are highly valued.

Practice: We strive to measure up and feel important in life. Our desire to measure up often eclipses our innate desire to experience God. The Psalmist speaks for us all in saying, “you are my refuge, you are all I want in life”. How would I live my life differently today if the Lord was truly my refuge? How would my focus change today if I truly believed that the Lord is all I need? 

December 22

Zechariah 2:1-3:10, Revelation 13:1-18, Psalm 141:1-10, Proverbs 30:18-20



Pray: Dear Father God, today we encounter persons who need cleansing, spiritual leaders, and an entire nation. As we begin this day we ask that You cleanse our hearts. Remove any sin or thought which would keep us from receiving Your revelation today through Scripture. Come Holy Spirit and give us your thoughts which are higher than ours.

Read: Zechariah speaks of the exiled people who have been given the invitation to come home. God is saying through His prophet that even though the rebellion of the people led to their separation from Him and the land He provided for them, the Lord’s mercy is being extended and the message is strong, “Welcome Home”. Do you need to hear this today? You have a place at God’s table, yes, even in His house.

Edify: We read of the accusations of Satan towards the high priest Jeshua. It is not that Jeshua is without fault, but it is that God’s grace is covering his sin and shortcomings. The imagery is powerful as God Himself rebukes Satan’s accusations and the Lord tells the angels to “take off his filthy clothes”. Can you get a glimpse for just a moment of the Lord literally allowing your sin to fall to the ground like filthy clothes, so you can put on the fresh garment of forgiveness and grace?

Practice: One thing is for sure, there will be a time when God allows the anti-Christ, those who are against the grace of God changing the hearts of men and women, to speak evil and mock God but those days will be numbered. The beast will be allowed to stir up evil and destruction. Yet, there is One who is coming who is more powerful than the beast, One, who spoke one day and creation itself came into existence—Jesus the Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. I’m not worried about Jesus’ power and capacity to defeat the enemy, I just want to make sure that I am by His side, serving and worshiping Him. You know, today would be a good time to resolve within your own heart that Jesus can count on you no matter what. Jesus can count on you, can’t He?

December 21

Zechariah 1:1-21, Revelation 12:1-17, Psalm 140:1-13, Proverbs 30:17

Pray: Dear Lord, we often think that we want more justice in our world where You right every wrong. This is appealing until our sin comes before You. Then we ask for grace instead of justice. We begin today by thanking You that You are a God of justice who cannot allow sin to go unpunished, yet You are also gracious and Your grace is extended to us who will receive it and apply grace to our lives. Thank You, oh God.

Read: As we read Zechariah and Revelation we are reminded that God is a just God and the story of the four Blacksmiths who took out the Four Horns for they had persecuted and divided Judah and Jerusalem. God’s justice prevails and He rights the wrongs. Likewise, there is a battle in heaven and Satan and his angels are cast out of heaven and are defeated by “the blood of the Lamb”. This was a cosmic clash and the good news is that God’s might prevailed. God has the power to protect us, to defeat that which seeks to destroy us.

Edify: Perhaps you have never been in a fist fight, a physical altercation, much less a battle. Yet, the words of the Psalmist are still as sobering for each of us as he declares the danger of the person who wishes to do us harm, “Their tongues sting like a snake; the venom of a viper drips from their lips.” (vs. 3) To be hurt by the gossip, the lash of lies or the false accusations of a faithless foe. We have each been hurt by painful words. And, if we were to be honest, we have said some things which have offended others as well. Proverbs tells us that words can bring life and words can bring death. We must be careful to use our words to give life not destroy it.

Practice: Respect of spiritual authority begins in the home. Some parents are very intentional in demanding respect from their children. I say demand, because it has to be intentional. Respect has to be intentionally lifted up as a part of the DNA of a home. It can’t be some afterthought or it will never be observed. Likewise, we are called to respect God and spiritual overseers as mentioned in Romans 13. Here the writer of Proverbs stresses the vital importance of a person respecting their parents. Not to mock the father of the home nor disregard the instruction of the mother. Why this is such a valuable and life-changing principle is that Proverbs also speaks to the fact that a person will not be successful in life if she or he is not willing to receive instruction and healthy critique. When we are open to mentoring and getting honest feedback, then we will be stronger for it. When we apply the truth we receive, we have opportunity to grow. Are you open now for healthy feedback? Ask someone you trust, “If you had one prayer for me—what would it be for me to improve?”