September 24

 Isaiah 43:14-45:10, Ephesians 3:1-21, Psalm 68:1-18,Proverbs 24:1-2

Pray: Isaiah 44:21 says, “Pay attention, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I the Lord made you, and I will not forget you.” Are you paying attention? Get quiet and pay attention to the One who made you. Who is He? What is He up to in and around you?

Read: It’s one thing to get excited about the faithful works of God in the past. However, the Lord shows His excitement about His plans, culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ. As you read, rejoice in God’s plan revealed, and what He still intends to do.

Edify: The God revealed in Isaiah is the One who shakes the mountains and whose word is stronger than the world’s strongest army. The fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Christ Jesus, who has now made a way for both Jews and Gentiles to come confidently before His throne (Ephesians 3:12). This should bring us to our knees as Paul says in verse 14. Has the plan of God and the love of God made most clear in Jesus Christ brought you on your knees in prayer? How has this good news been good enough news for you to intercede passionately for others to experience the gospel’s love and power?

Practice: Hit your knees in intercessory prayer in a new place. Hit your knees behind a closed door at work, in a field at a neighborhood park, or anywhere God overwhelms you today. And pray Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 over others.

September 23

Isaiah 41:17-43:13, Ephesians 2:1-22, Psalm 67:1-7, Proverbs 23:29-35



Pray: In Isaiah, God commands, “Look at my servant…my chosen one” (Isaiah 42:1). In prayer, ask God for a vision of His Son. See His face, His features, and the lines on His face. Imagine sitting with Jesus. Ask God for the gift through His Spirit to look at His chosen servant Jesus.

Read: What do the texts today reveal about the true nature of justice? Justice is a hot button word in our culture currently, but what does God mean by saying that Jesus will bring justice to the nations?

Edify: Isaiah reiterated yesterday that justice is rooted in the very nature of God, as it is a meaningful part of what it means for God to set His world right. This is shown by God giving His very law to measure what is right with, and there are constant warnings to God’s people to avoid exploitation and instead care for the vulnerable. God defends when His people are vulnerable, and God demands they be like Him in the way they treat others. The work of Jesus has united even Gentiles with God’s salvation plan, making peace and reconciling them with the Jews. This is the Good News that Gentiles, who were once not allowed in the temple, are citizens with God’s Holy people through who God is building His spiritual temple.

Practice: Think of someone who is vulnerable and take one small step towards providing for them today. Further, if you’re in a life group, go ahead and begin making plans this week to serve the poor, a single mom, someone in the hospital, etc. 

September 22

Isaiah 39:1-41:16, Ephesians 1:1-23, Psalm 66:1-20, Proverbs 23:25-28



Pray: “No one can comprehend the depth of the Lord’s understanding” of all life and specifically of your life. Be humbled and praise the One who calls the stars in the sky by name for taking an interest in you.

Read: Focus on the connection between the great promises of God in Isaiah and the explanation of their fulfillment in Ephesians. 

Edify: We’re good at making plans. We envision the coming week, month, or several years and project our assumptions, our hopes, and our fears into our plan of our future. Paul says that God’s plan will be fulfilled as everything is brought under the authority of Christ. The glory of the Lord revealed as Isaiah pointed to has come in Christ, and He has come offering forgiveness of sins and with a shepherd’s heart. Our fears and uncertainties bring anxiety, but God promises that He will hold us in His mighty hand and give us renewed strength. When this strong promise is seen in the light of Christ, we have a confident hope of every spiritual blessing available and the great inheritance we have in store.

Practice: One of the great promises of God of gathering His people together in a transformed community is now worked out in the world through His Church. Paul even says that Christ’s authority is for the very benefit of the Church, who is His body. Commit today to taking one step towards His Church which plays a prominent role in His salvation plan through giving, serving, life groups, leadership, or prayer.

September 21

Isaiah 37:1-38:22, Galatians 6:1-18, Psalm 65:1-13, Proverbs 23:24 



Pray: Spend some time in adoration. Join the Psalmist in telling the Lord who He is, what He has done, and what He is capable of doing.

Read: Imagine giving your final advice to someone you care about as Paul is here to the Galatians. What would you want them to remember? What legacy would you want to leave behind when you’re no longer present with them? Like Paul, what would you write in “large print” so that the important message was stressed and hard to ignore?

Edify: Last words are frequently recorded in the grand narrative of God’s story in the Scriptures. From Joshua’s mountain top speech claiming “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord;” to Jesus before His ascension urging His followers to wait to receive power from on high then “you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Paul is imparting grace in the Lord Jesus Christ in the face of false teachers imposing physical circumcision on them. They have been crucified with Christ, and now they are a transformed creation. Paul imparts in large, handwritten letters that it is Christ alone who can save. We simply respond in faith and are saved by grace, so that no one can boast.

Practice: What do you need to tell someone in your next encounter? What seed do you need to stop procrastinating with and sow it already? Do it today. Impart wisdom, biblical guidance, and most importantly the gospel while you still have the opportunity.

September 20

Isaiah 33:10-36:22, Galatians 5:13-26, Psalm 64:1-10, Proverbs 23:23 



Pray: Welcome the Holy Spirit into this set apart time today. It is the Spirit who “gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires” (Galatians 5:17). Ask God to search and even replace the core desires of your heart that drive your words, thoughts, decisions, and actions.

Read: Isaiah instructs us to “search the book of the Lord, and see what he will do…(what) the Lord has promised…His Spirit will make it all come true” (Isaiah 34:16).  Read with great anticipation of God revealing His character and His plans.

Edify: Isaiah speaks of two forces constantly fighting one another at a national level. There are nations and Assyria mocking and threatening Israel, however there’s that voice of the sovereign Lord promising He will overcome the other nations and restore Israel. God speaks of the “Highway of Holiness” that the ransomed people of God will travel safely back through what was a barren land. Paul shows us that this promise points not only to a nation's history, but also to the condition of the human heart while sin nature has left us barren and on a path to destruction. The Holy Spirit has made a Highway of Holiness, ransomed back and restored our lives, and has brought about the fruit of the Spirit in what was barren. “Let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives!” (Galatians 5:25). 

Practice: Invite someone you trust in your family or life group to read Galatians 5:16-26 and invite them to assess the results of your life. Have you been prone to outbursts of anger or other results of the sinful nature? Is there evidence of gentleness, kindness, self-control, love etc? Pray together for the Spirit’s work in your life, redeeming your desires, and your willingness to obediently walk in His ways.

September 19

Isaiah 30:12-33:9, Galatians 5:1-12, Psalm 63:1-11, Proverbs 23:22 



Pray: Search for God. Survey the uncertainty and the illusion of your own control over your next breath, next drive in the car, safety of a loved one, opinions of others about you; and then let your soul thirst for the One who has all power and glory in His sanctuary. Spend time praising and growing in desire for Him.

Read: What or who is the ultimate source for power in your life? This power source is where you place your hope, faith, and trust. Is it your own power? The government or national alliances? Religion or your own moral record? As you read today, consider the places that people, even the people of God, are placing their faith in places that are not the ultimate source of power. 

Edify: There is crisis in each reading whether it is the threat of exile, false teaching, or feeling stuck in the wilderness. Crisis has a way of making us evaluate, or at worst scramble, to find the source of power that can overcome our predicament. Isaiah highlights the sovereignty when an empire is bearing down on Israel. Another empire is not the answer. The sovereign Lord says, “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved” (Isaiah 30:15). The Assyrian empire will be destroyed and sorrow is waiting on you if you put your trust in Egypt who are mere humans. For Paul, the crisis of returning to the law and leaning on the power of your own moral achievement is also futile. This misguided faith in your own works actually enslaves you, when a relationship with Christ has set you free. We must place our faith in Christ, Paul says, and then life becomes more about our faith expressing itself in love (Galatians 5:6).

Practice: What adversity has God set in your life? God Himself says that He gives adversity but “he will still be with you to teach you.” The Lord will guide you and you will see God in the trial. Today, practice both listening and praising as you’re filled with faith in the midst of that particular adversity. 

September 18

Isaiah 28:14-30:11, Galatians 3:23-4:31, Psalm 62:1-12, Proverbs 23:19-21 



Pray: Begin with the great privilege, which is evidence of the Spirit of God alive in your heart, of crying out “Abba Father.” Thank God that He has adopted you as His child and has made you an heir.

Read: Consider all the ways the Father protects His children and provides for His children as you read. The Lord even addresses rebellious and wayward children in Isaiah with a firm warning but yet a tender call to return to Him in faith. 

Edify: Jesus has turned our distant but respectful “Yes sir” into a passionate and intimate “Abba, Father.” “Abba” is one of the few Aramaic words kept in the Scriptures, which means it is treasured. The Holy Spirit gave it as a gift transcending the hundreds of languages the Scriptures are not found in. It is the very cry from Jesus’ lips in prayer when He prayed to His Father. It is indicative of the relationship with God that Jesus has invited us into. Paul says the law was a needed guardian, but now we have been set free into a personal, covenantal relationship with God.

Practice: Answer the question: “How is calling God, Abba, good news to my life today?” In what ways do you need to accept the forgiveness of God when under the weight of guilt and shame? In what ways do you need to accept the peace of God in the face of fear ruling your life? In what ways do you need to trust God and do the difficult work of giving, serving, and reconciling, knowing that Abba is watching over you? Knowing God as Abba has broken us free from slavery and given us an inheritance that will never spoil or fade. The Fatherhood of God should impact your life and spirit today.