July 29

2 Chronicles 24:1-25:28, Romans 12:1-21, Psalm 22:19-31, Proverbs 20:8-10



Pray: Lord, help me not to lean on my own understanding but in everything acknowledge You so that You can direct my words, thoughts and actions. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Read: Romans 12 tells us that we are to give our bodies as a living sacrifice to God for all that He has done for us. It is through the giving of ourselves to God that we truly worship Him. When we trust God with everything that we have and everything that we are, we truly give God our very best. It is important for us to remember that we are also a singular part of a much bigger picture and that we do not belong to ourselves but that we belong to God and one another… each with our own unique gifts and talents that demonstrate God’s love of us which we should, in turn, return to God. 

Edify: What are you willing to sacrifice to God? How are you using your gifts and talents to glorify God? Is there more you could be doing… at home… at work… in the church… in the community? Romans 12:6-18 is a powerful description of how we are to live in communion with one another in this world and it sums it all up by instructing us to do everything we can to live in peace with one another.

Practice: So, let’s do that… do everything that we can to live in peace with everyone. Are you holding a grudge against someone? Do you need to offer or ask for forgiveness from someone? Today is the day to rid yourself of this burden.

July 28

2 Chronicles 21:1-23:21, Romans 11:13-36, Psalm 22:1-18, Proverbs 20:7



Pray: Father, I have to thank You for looking beyond my faults and for loving me unconditionally. Forgive me when I fail to love others in the same way. Give me eyes to see the needs of the difficult people in my life, and show me how to meet those needs in a way that pleases You. Amen.

Read: Our readings from both the Old Testament and the New Testament read a lot like a history lesson. Romans gives us some explanation of how the message of God came to be shared with the Gentiles after God’s chosen people, Israel, turned their backs on Him. God never took His favor from the Israelites but He did open the door for the spread of the Gospel to those other than the Jews. Second Chronicles gives us some history of the way that God has been at work through the generations and specifically working in and through the kingly leaders as well as the prophets. For some, this type of reading may not satisfy our literary desires for action and intrigue, but it does give us evidence of God at work at all levels and places in history. This is where we truly find the context of Scripture and see God at work in the big events as well as the day-to-day operations of life.

Edify: The psalmist is singing of feeling as though God has left him. Have you ever felt that way? Felt as though God’s presence has left you? It is an uncomfortable feeling but I am always grounded in the Scripture where we are told that He will never leave us or forsake us. Even though God’s voice may seem quiet in your life during certain times, it does not mean that He has left you. We are called to abide in Him and He will abide in us.

Practice: Our practical application comes from our Proverb today. Live a life of integrity and set the example for the next generation of world changers along the way. It is really amazing what our children learn from our actions… far more than from our words. Are your actions demonstrating your declaration of being a child of God?

July 27

2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37, Romans 10:14-11:12, Psalm 21:1-13, Proverbs 20:4-6 



Pray: Holy Lord, Thank You for grace. Please help me move beyond the hurdles that trip me up and give me the strength and wisdom to look up and see the hope I run toward in Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Read: Our Old Testament reading today reminds us that God doesn’t want partial obedience He wants total obedience. The reading from Chronicles tells us, “³³ During his reign, however, he failed to remove all the pagan shrines, and the people never fully committed themselves to follow the God of their ancestors.” It was at the end of Jehoshaphat’s reign that he makes an alliance with a wicked king, which ended in disaster. This is a prime example of why we should not withhold our obedience as followers of Christ. God wants us to be “all in”! Are you?

Edify: Romans reminds us of the importance of sharing the Good News of Christ. People can never make the decision to believe in Christ if they have never heard about Christ. This seems so simple and we all know it to be absolutely true, but we also make a lot of assumptions about this truth. We assume that “somebody else” will share the Good News. But what if everyone assumes that? It’s incredibly important to never assume or underestimate the power of sharing the way that Christ has made a difference in your life.   

Practice: Find one person today to share the way that Christ has impacted your life. This may be scary, awkward, uncomfortable…. OR it could mean changing someone’s eternal address! Go forth!

July 26

2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34, Romans 9:25-10:13, Psalm 20:1-9, Proverbs 20:2-3 



Pray: Father, today I ask forgiveness of all the negative and harmful words I have spoken about myself. I do not want to abuse myself in such a way again. Transform my thoughts and let me understand how marvelously You made me. Change my habits so I use my tongue to speak hope and favor upon my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Read: In our Old Testament reading today we read about the reign of Jehoshaphat and the way that he led well by trusting in God and shared the Law with the people of Judah by sending priests to teach them.  In his fear of the Lord, Jehoshaphat was blessed with peace and the opportunity to become a mighty military force. We also see Jehoshaphat put his love of God into action when he seeks the Lord's guidance before entering into a conflict alongside of Ahab. This story is a testament as to the evil forces that lurk around every corner to which God’s people must be wary. It is only through our trust in God that we will be able to differentiate between those who are in tune with God and His Will and those with a spirit of Ahab who are in something for the glory and their own interests.

Edify: Romans 10:13 tells us that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” What a joyous text to read. Doesn’t it give you hope for millions of those who have yet to call on the name of the Lord… that all they have to do is believe in their heart and confess with their tongue that Jesus is Lord. The problem is that there are many who have never heard the Gospel of Jesus taught with love and compassion. They may have experienced it in another way but never with the love that Jesus Himself shared. I pray that we would be convicted of this and be willing to step out in faith and share the Good News with all people.

Practice: Find an opportunity to share the love of Christ in a practical way somewhere today. It may be buying a cup of coffee. It may be a phone call. It may be a text message. Find some way to love your neighbor that glorifies God.

July 25

2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14, Romans 9:1-24, Psalm 19:1-14, Proverbs 20:1 

Pray: Lord, Creator of all things, I celebrate Your name today and pray for those who are in need of Your love and grace. Father, reveal to me ways that I can be Your servant here on Earth and live into Your plan for my life. Give me discernment to see You in each moment and the willingness to look for Your beauty in all things. Amen.

Read: Our readings today are a history lesson of the reign of Asa and a review of the Israelites being chosen as God’s people. Asa’s reign is a critical reminder for all of God’s people and can be boiled down to a few words in Chronicles 15:2 that are just as poignant to us today as it was to the Old Testament followers of God. It tells us that, “The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him!” What simple, yet profound truth for all people! 

Edify: Today’s reading struck me with its simply stated, profound truths. I am reminded of how easy it could be to try and live our lives for ourselves and under our own power yet still have the expectation that God will bless our mess. There are so many in our world today who live by this standard, yet Scripture tells us clearly today that if we desire to have God on our side, be eligible to receive a blessing from God, to be in right relationship with God, then we must abide in God and “stay with him”. Too many people, even those in the church, want the blessing but aren’t willing to do the work of remaining in Him.

Practice: Let’s use today to refocus our lives around the One who created us. Spend time today in thanksgiving to the God of Creation and in right living with our neighbor. Maybe today would be a good day to buy a cup of coffee for a coworker who has had a tough time recently or pick up the phone and call someone and tell them that you have been thinking about them and catch up or maybe spend a few extra minutes in prayer today, asking God to pour out His unmerited favor on our community as we pray for and seek revival!

July 24

2 Chronicles 11:1-13:22, Romans 8:26-39, Psalm 18:37-50, Proverbs 19:27-29



Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to worship You. Thank You for the opportunity to let Your light shine through me. May those that I interact with today see You in me and may I be a good steward of the opportunities to share Your love with others. In Your name, Amen.

Read: Today’s passage from Romans is a powerful reminder of how much God loves us. Paul, in this letter to the Romans, painstakingly shares with readers of how adored we are by the God who created us and how there is nothing that can separate us from that love of God. What a wonderful hope-filled message for us today. It is also a reminder that we will face hardships as followers of Christ but that God will always be with us through these times because Christ is the victor over all things. 

Edify: Have you ever found yourself wanting to pray but not knowing what to pray for? Our Scripture in Romans today tells us that the Holy Spirit is there for us in those times. Romans 8:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit is there for us in our weakness and prays for us with groanings that words cannot express which helps to guide us in our own prayers. As we read further we hear some of the most satisfying and uplifting news that we could possibly read and hear… if God is for us, then who can be against us (Romans 8:31).

Practice: Allow the Holy Spirit to help guide your prayers. Take a few minutes in silent meditation and allow the Holy Spirit to speak on your behalf through groanings to God. Those groanings will help to inform you as to the way that God desires us to pray. Let your prayers today be God-centered instead of being centered on your desires and needs.

July 23

2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19, Romans 8:9-25, Psalm 18:16-36, Proverbs 19:26



Pray: One of my favorite books is Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. This book was inspired by David’s Psalm today where he prays to the Lord, “For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? The God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.” The Lord is in the transformation business and will swoop down into the midst of our troubles and set us up on a high place with a new kind of strength, what a beautiful image.

Read: Solomon created a kingdom like no one else, the greatness and vastness was unmatched. There were no wars, no pestilence, and no problems and yet the people complained. What was their complaint? The folly of Solomon’s son Rehoboam was that he taxed and worked the people even more harshly than his father. The problem was internal. Often times despite the many problems we face our biggest enemy is ourselves. This is a valuable lesson we can learn from the people of Israel.

Edify: I read once that the greatest theme throughout the scriptures is that of adoption. Paul speaks of this in Romans today as he shares that we did not receive a spirit of bondage but a spirit of adoption and we cry “Abba, Father”. The spirit of God cries with our spirit that we are children of God. I have a friend who is adopted and he jokingly shares that my parents were stuck with me when I was born but his parents got to pick him out! We, as Gentiles in the same way, were “picked out” by God in our adoption as sons and daughters. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood sought after by God. But Paul goes on to say that it is not only us who are bought and made new but even the earth itself will be changed and the curse on it will be lifted. All that is evil and wrong with this world will one day be made into a new creation just like we are made new.

Practice: The proverb today addresses our relationship with our parents. I think often times when we get older we think that we are no longer commanded to honor our parents. The commandment has no expiration date, we are simply commanded to honor them. If your parents are still living think of a way that you can honor them today.