Psalm 33

1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the LORD is right and true;

 he is faithful in all he does. 

5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice; 

the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, 

their starry host by the breath of his mouth. 

7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; 

he puts the deep into storehouses. 

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; 

let all the people of the world revere him.

9 For he spoke, and it came to be; 

he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations; 

he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. 

11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, 

the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, 

the people he chose for his inheritance. 

13 From heaven the LORD looks down 

and sees all mankind; 

14 from his dwelling place he watches 

all who live on earth— 

15 he who forms the hearts of all, 

who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army; 

no warrior escapes by his great strength.

17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; 

despite all its great strength it cannot save. 

18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, 

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 

19 to deliver them from death 

and keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait in hope for the LORD; 

he is our help and our shield. 

21 In him our hearts rejoice, 

for we trust in his holy name. 

22 May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, 

even as we put our hope in you.

Questions to consider:

• Compare and contrast this psalm and psalm 32.
• What reasons does the psalmist give for praising God?
• How does the psalmist picture God as a creator?
• How does God treat the plans of the nations?
• What attributes of God are revealed in this psalm?
• What does God require of you?

Possibilities for prayer:

Today’s prayer suggestion is simple: take a couple minutes to reflect particularly on verses 20-22. Make them your prayer today.

Psalm 32

1 Blessed is the one 

whose transgressions are forgiven, 

whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the one 

whose sin the LORD does not count against them 

and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent, 

my bones wasted away 

through my groaning all day long. 

4 For day and night 

your hand was heavy on me; 
my strength was sapped 

as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you 

and did not cover up my iniquity. 

I said, “I will confess 

my transgressions to the LORD.” 

And you forgave 
 the guilt of my sin.

6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you 

while you may be found; 
surely the rising of the mighty waters 

will not reach them.

7 You are my hiding place; 

you will protect me from trouble 

and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

 I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. 

9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, 

which have no understanding 
but must be controlled by bit and bridle 

or they will not come to you.

10 Many are the woes of the wicked, 

but the LORD’s unfailing love 

surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; 

sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Questions to consider:

• How does verse 1 capture the main idea of the psalm?
• Who appears to be speaking in verses 8-9? What is the command?
• How have you been like a horse or a mule recently?
• What sin in your life needs to be confessed so that you can rejoice?

Possibilities for prayer:

As was brought up in the questions section, it seems as though God is speaking in verses 8 and 9--offering instruction that we can apply in our lives. Ponder the way (or ways) that you have been like a horse or mule in your life that was brought up in the questions section. Take some time to confess and repent of that thing and ask for forgiveness today. After doing so, try asking God for wisdom in how to avoid those behaviors in the future.

Psalm 31

1 In you, LORD, I have taken refuge; 

let me never be put to shame; 

deliver me in your righteousness.

2 Turn your ear to me, 

come quickly to my rescue; 
be my rock of refuge, 

a strong fortress to save me. 

3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, 

for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 

4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, 

for you are my refuge. 

5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; 

deliver me, LORD, my faithful God.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; 

as for me, I trust in the LORD. 

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, 

for you saw my affliction 

and knew the anguish of my soul.

8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy 

but have set my feet in a spacious place.

9 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress; 

my eyes grow weak with sorrow, 

my soul and body with grief.

10 My life is consumed by anguish 

and my years by groaning; 
my strength fails because of my affliction,

and my bones grow weak. 

11 Because of all my enemies, 

I am the utter contempt of my neighbors

and an object of dread to my closest friends— 

those who see me on the street flee from me.

12 I am forgotten as though I were dead; 

I have become like broken pottery. 

13 For I hear many whispering, 

“Terror on every side!” 
They conspire against me 

and plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, LORD; 

I say, “You are my God.” 

15 My times are in your hands; 

deliver me from the hands of my enemies, 

from those who pursue me. 

16 Let your face shine on your servant; 

save me in your unfailing love. 

17 Let me not be put to shame, LORD, 

for I have cried out to you; 
but let the wicked be put to shame 

and be silent in the realm of the dead.

18 Let their lying lips be silenced, 

for with pride and contempt 

they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19 How abundant are the good things 

that you have stored up for those who fear you,

that you bestow in the sight of all, 

on those who take refuge in you. 

20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them 

from all human intrigues; 
you keep them safe in your dwelling 

from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the LORD, 

for he showed me the wonders of his love 

when I was in a city under siege.

22 In my alarm I said, 

“I am cut off from your sight!” 
Yet you heard my cry for mercy 

when I called to you for help.

23 Love the LORD, all his faithful people! 

The LORD preserves those who are true to him, 

but the proud he pays back in full. 

24 Be strong and take heart, 

all you who hope in the LORD.

Questions to consider:

• List David’s requests for help.
• Describe and categorize his problems. With which do you identify?
• Which characteristics does David attribute to God?
• What problems can you turn over to God?
• How can David’s comfort in God be helpful to you?
• What is your response to God for your experiences of rescue from anxiety, uncertainty, and suspicion from others?

Possibilities for prayer:

But I trust in you, LORD;

 I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hands

Trusting God in the midst of difficult times can be rather difficult. It is easy to be overwhelmed with what is happening in the here and now, how things seem to not be improving, and blind to the good things that could come. But let us, as the psalmist did, say “You are my God” and place our situations, our very lives, in God’s hands.

Psalm 30

1 I will exalt you, LORD, 

for you lifted me out of the depths 

and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

2 LORD my God, I called to you for help, 

and you healed me. 

3 You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; 

you spared me from going down to the pit.

4 Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people; 

praise his holy name.

5 For his anger lasts only a moment, 

but his favor lasts a lifetime;

weeping may stay for the night, 

but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said, 

“I will never be shaken.”


7 LORD, when you favored me, 

you made my royal mountain stand firm; 
but when you hid your face, 

I was dismayed.
8 To you, LORD, I called; 

to the Lord I cried for mercy: 

9 “What is gained if I am silenced, 

if I go down to the pit? 
Will the dust praise you? 

Will it proclaim your faithfulness? 

10 Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me; 

LORD, be my help.”

11 You turned my wailing into dancing; 

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. 

LORD my God, I will praise you forever.
Questions to consider:

• What has been David’s experience of security? What is the apparent source of security he mentions in verse 6?
• What happens to shake his confidence?
• What is the source of a more solid sense of security?
• Compare and contrast David’s despair with the final release from despair.
• Honestly, what is your basis of security?

Possibilities for prayer:

Can you tell of a tale in which God lifted you out of “depths?” Think of some time in your life in which God has proven himself victor over difficult circumstances in your life. If you currently find yourself in a position in which you need God’s rescuing, ask for it! God wants to turn wailing into dancing and clothe us with joy--we just need ask and have faith.

Psalm 29

1 Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings, 

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 

2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; 

worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; 

the God of glory thunders,

 the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. 

4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;

 the voice of the LORD is majestic.

5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; 

the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf, 

Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the LORD strikes 

with flashes of lightning. 

8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; 

the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks

and strips the forests bare. 
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; 
 the LORD is enthroned as King forever. 

11 The LORD gives strength to his people; 
 the LORD blesses his people with peace.

Questions to consider:

• Rephrase verses 1 and 2 so that they constitute a definition of worship.
• Trace the course of the storm. What qualities of God are revealed in the storm and its aftermath?
• Recreate imaginatively the whole picture presented in this psalm.
• How does this psalm help you to ascribe glory and strength to the Lord?
• How would you entitle this psalm?

Possibilities for prayer:

As you hopefully noticed, this psalm seems to be attributing good things to God in the midst of a storm. Maybe it feels as though you are enduring a storm yourself, whether it be related to the actual weather outside or your emotional state inside! Today, declare the Lord’s goodness in the midst of hard times; proclaim his strength and victory over the storms in your life.

Psalm 11

1 In the LORD I take refuge. 

How then can you say to me: 


“Flee like a bird to your mountain.

2 For look, the wicked bend their bows; 

they set their arrows against the strings 
to shoot from the shadows 

at the upright in heart.

3 When the foundations are being destroyed, 

what can the righteous do?”

4 The LORD is in his holy temple; 

the LORD is on his heavenly throne. 

He observes everyone on earth; 

his eyes examine them.

5 The LORD examines the righteous, 

but the wicked, those who love violence, 

he hates with a passion.

6 On the wicked he will rain 

fiery coals and burning sulfur; 

a scorching wind will be their lot.

7 For the LORD is righteous,

 he loves justice; 

the upright will see his face.

Questions to consider:

• In verse 1, what two sources of refuge are mentioned? Which one does David choose?
• What is the target of the wicked? What does he hope to do?
• What is the difference in God’s dealing with the wicked and the righteous?
• How is God dealing with you now? Do you know why?
• Can a man see God? How have you seen him recently?

Possibilities for prayer:

Do you actively take refuge in the Lord? What can (or does) that mean in our lives? In our prayers today, let’s seek refuge in God. Maybe that means turning over things we’ve been hanging onto that are not helpful or are not being dealt with in a helpful way, trusting God to (as we prayed yesterday) have victory or maybe that means asking God to be in some ways an actual physical space of refuge, or to provide that space. Let’s rest in God, our refuge, today.

Psalm 10

1 Why, LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, 

who are caught in the schemes he devises. 

3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart; 

he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. 

4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; 

in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

5 His ways are always prosperous; 

your laws are rejected by him; 

he sneers at all his enemies.

6 He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.” 

He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”

7 His mouth is full of lies and threats; 

trouble and evil are under his tongue. 

8 He lies in wait near the villages; 

from ambush he murders the innocent. 

His eyes watch in secret for his victims; 

9 like a lion in cover he lies in wait. 
He lies in wait to catch the helpless; 

he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

10 His victims are crushed, they collapse; 

they fall under his strength.

11 He says to himself, “God will never notice; 

he covers his face and never sees.”

12 Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. 

Do not forget the helpless.

13 Why does the wicked man revile God? 

Why does he say to himself, 

“He won’t call me to account”?

14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; 

you consider their grief and take it in hand. 

The victims commit themselves to you; 

you are the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break the arm of the wicked man; 

call the evildoer to account for his wickedness 

that would not otherwise be found out.
16 The LORD is King for ever and ever; 

the nations will perish from his land.

17 You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; 

you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 

18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, 

so that mere earthly mortals 

will never again strike terror.

Questions to consider:

• What problem is expressed here?
• What is said about the attitude of the wicked?
• What does the psalmist ask God to do? On what basis does he make his appeal?
• List the characteristics of God’s rule.
• Contrast the present and final situations of man.

Possibilities for prayer:

At the beginning of this psalm, it may be easy to feel discouraged for the author, who is clearly enduring trials and desiring God to come and be his rescuer. But much as our experience in life may be, we need to declare God as the victor, even if we haven’t yet seen his victory. So let’s take some time to think about the things in our lives in which we need God’s victory, and let’s declare God’s victory over those things (using verses 16-18 might be a good starting point).

Psalm 9:11-20

11 Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion; 

proclaim among the nations what he has done.


12 For he who avenges blood remembers; 

he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.

13 LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! 

Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,


14 that I may declare your praises 

in the gates of Daughter Zion, 

and there rejoice in your salvation.

15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;

 their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.


16 The LORD is known by his acts of justice; 

the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.


17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, 

all the nations that forget God. 


18 But God will never forget the needy; 

the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

19 Arise, LORD, do not let mortals triumph; 

let the nations be judged in your presence.


20 Strike them with terror, LORD; 

let the nations know they are only mortal.

Questions to consider:

• What reasons are given for praising God?
• Compare the “nations” and “wicked.”
• Contrast the enemy and the Lord.
• Considering the world situation, to what extent can you make this your prayer?
• Title this psalm as to its content.

Possibilities for prayer:

The LORD is known by his acts of justice; 
 the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
The God that we serve is a just God--known by acts of justice. As we go through our lives trying to walk with Jesus in deep relationship, one thing we can be seeking is greater understanding of what justice is and opportunities to live lives that are reflective of that justice. Let’s ask God for both of these things today: greater understanding of God’s justice and the opportunity to live it out.

Psalm 9:1-10

1 I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; 

I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.


2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;

 I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

3 My enemies turn back; 

they stumble and perish before you. 


4 For you have upheld my right and my cause, 

sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.


5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; 

you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.


6 Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, 

you have uprooted their cities; 

even the memory of them has perished.

7 The LORD reigns forever; 

he has established his throne for judgment.


8 He rules the world in righteousness 

and judges the peoples with equity.


9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, 

a stronghold in times of trouble. 


10 Those who know your name trust in you, 

for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Questions to consider:

• In the opening verses, what does David say he will do?
• Which of these are presently a part of your life?
• What is the experience of the enemies? Why?

Possibilities for prayer:

Have you ever tried to sing the praises of God’s name, just as it comes from your heart? Many of us have likely wandered around with a song in our hearts--perhaps something we sang at church or something similar--and even have sung that out. But have you ever sung praises direct from your heart? Those praises don’t have to have a beautiful melody or perfect harmonies, but should come from your experience of God in your life. Today, make a song of praise your prayer to God, whatever that might look like--something that is all your own, or a song that has touched your heart.

Psalm 8

1 LORD, our Lord, 
 how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory 

in the heavens. 


2 Through the praise of children and infants 

you have established a stronghold against your enemies, 

to silence the foe and the avenger. 

3 When I consider your heavens, 

the work of your fingers, 
the moon and the stars, 

which you have set in place,

4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, 

human beings that you care for them?

5 You have made them a little lower than the angels

and crowned them with glory and honor.

6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;

 you put everything under their feet: 

7 all flocks and herds, 

and the animals of the wild, 
8 the birds in the sky, 

and the fish in the sea, 

all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 LORD, our Lord, 

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Questions to consider:

• Compare verse 1 with verse 9. What purpose do these verses have in the psalm?
• Can you include yourself in the use of “our”? Why?
• What things are said about God? about man? Compare and contrast God and man?
• What is the significance of the questions in verse 4? How does verse 4 relate to verse 3?
• How does verse 2 fit in with the remainder of the psalm?
• How would you describe and title this psalm? Why?

Possibilities for prayer:

This psalm seems to declare the greatness and majesty of God--something that we all too often fail to successfully and appropriately acknowledge. Today, let’s simply take some time to glorify God in all that greatness and majesty. Look more closely at the world around you today, and see the way in which God has so beautifully fashioned things, for example. Let us declare together:

“LORD, our Lord, 

how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

1 John 5:13-21

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

Questions to consider:

• Has John’s purpose in writing this letter been accomplished in your life?
• How can you be confident that God will answer your requests?
• How do you respond when you see a brother in sin? Why?
• How are John’s emphasis on love for your brothers and sisters and the recommended prayer in verse 16 related?
• What three great truths does John know?
• What kind of idols do you need to keep yourself from today?

Possibilities for prayer:

This particular passage is rather reassuring as we think about prayer and what that looks like in our lives. We worship and serve a God who wants to give us whatever we ask according to his will. It seems that the key phrase here is “according to his will.” Today, let’s pray that God would help us to have desires so lined up with that will that fulfilling the “according to his will” component would not even need to be a thought in our minds. This way, we can approach God confidently, knowing that He hears us.

1 John 5:1-12

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Questions to consider:

• Who is a child of God?
• How is loving God related to loving the children of God?
• What is the source of faith?
• To what extent do you triumphantly overcome the temptations and discouragements of the world?
• How can you know that Jesus is the Son of God? that you have eternal life?

Possibilities for prayer:

What do you think about eternal life? This can be a concept that is difficult to understand completely, but one that John is careful to bring up in this passage. He makes clear that Jesus is the source of this life, and we can probably agree that life is generally a good thing. Let’s offer up some prayers of gratitude for the life that Christ offers to us, and ask that we might be better at making the most of the life on this earth that we have been given--seeking and following God with our whole hearts.

1 John 4:13-21

13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Questions to consider:

• What are the two basic tests to assess whether God abides in your life?
• List the effects of love in a person’s life. What is the source of this love?
• What is the source of confidence here? What is the context here?
• Why are loving God and hating your brother incompatible here?

Possibilities for prayer:

There is no fear in love...perfect love drives out fear

Many of us have likely seen or heard this verse before. But we may not have taken the time to consider the importance of such a statement. At many times in our lives, we will likely encounter situations that are frightening, and the temptation to succumb to fear will be present. But the love of God is able to overcome that fear, if only we’ll let it! Today, let’s ask for an understanding of what this “perfect love” is and for the faith and trust in its ability to drive out fear.

1 John 4:1-12

1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Questions to consider:

• What three tests does John give for determining whether a person truly knows God? Do you know him?
• How can you distinguish truth from error?
• Why is error accepted and propagated?
• What is the highest expression of God’s love? In what context is His love expressed?
• If you have submitted to God’s love, how has your life been affected?

Possibilities for prayer:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

Isn’t it a beautiful thing to know that love comes from God? We are called to love one another, and that love that we have for others is a small reflection of God in our lives. Today, let’s ask God to show us those people in our lives that we have not done such a great job loving, and make an extra effort throughout the coming days and weeks to love that person or those people well. Ask God to show you what that might look like, if you are having a difficult time with that.

1 John 3:11-24

11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Questions to consider:

• What happens to evil when confronted by righteousness?
• What are some civilized ways to “murder” your brother or sister?
• How does God regard hatred?
• How do you respond to the fact that God knows everything about your love for your brothers and sisters?
• What characteristics are essential in your life to give you confidence before God and the assurance that your prayers will be answered?

Possibilities for prayer:

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Do we love with our actions? In my house, we often tell each other that we love each other. But hopefully, we are doing things (even little things like doing each other’s dishes, lending clothes or other items) to show each other that that love we have spoken is real, is truthful. Today, let’s pray that we have the courage and desire to demonstrate our love with actions and in truth, rather than simply speaking the words.

1 John 3:19-24

19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Questions to consider:

• How do you respond to the fact that God knows everything about your love for your brother or sister?
• What characteristics are essential in your life to give you confidence before God and the assurance that your prayers will be answered?

Possibilities for prayer:

My guess is that we want to be living in God. According to John, the way that we can accomplish this is through the keeping of God’s commands. John clearly lays out what those commands are: to believe in the name of Jesus and to love one another (are you noticing that loving others is a pretty important thing?). Let’s ask God for continued courage and strength in loving one another (the good, the bad, and the ugly of each person) with God’s love. And as we did earlier this week, let’s boldly claim Jesus for ourselves, as we are commanded to do.

1 John 3:11-18

11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Questions to consider:

• What happens to evil when confronted by righteousness?
• What are some “civilized” way to “murder” your brother?
• How does God regard hatred?
• In contrast, if you really love your brother, how will you express it?
• According to this criteria, whom do you love?

Possibilities for prayer:

Loving one another? This message (or command) is one that Jesus gave over and over again throughout His life. And John suggests that love is tied to life. Today, let’s ask for the ability to love others well--even when they’re difficult, or mean, or rude, or any other negative thing we want to ascribe to them. As John says, let our love be about more than just words; may our love be demonstrated with actions and truth.

1 John 3:1-10

1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

Questions to consider:

• What has happened to you because of God’s love?
• How will seeing God affect you? What is the result of God’s hope in your daily living?
• What is the source of sin? What is the logical conclusion about a person who habitually sins?
• Why did Christ become a man?

Possibilities for prayer:

How wonderful is it to be considered children of God! This passage is a beautiful testament to the way that God loves us, without us even being worthy of it. Today, let’s take some time to relish that love that God has lavished upon us. Let’s praise and thank God for that love and the ways that we have seen it in our lives. Let’s also ask God for the ability to share even a small bit of the love we have received with others in our lives.

1 John 2:24-29

24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

Questions to consider:

• In contrast to anti-christs, what are the characteristics of one who knows God and has eternal life?
• What is your relationship with God?
• In the face of false teaching, who is our true teacher?
• What will abiding in the Son mean in the specific attitudes and actions of your life today?

Possibilities for prayer:

What does it mean for you to “remain” in God? We see similar language in the Gospel of John when he talks about the vine and the branches (see John 15), so it is likely an important concept for the writer (and for us). Today, let’s ask for wisdom in learning how to remain in God, as well as for the ability to trust the anointing that we have been granted by God’s spirit.

1 John 2:18-24

18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Questions to consider:

• What are the distinguishing characteristics of antichrists?
• To what extent do you know people with similar beliefs in your workplace, campus, neighborhood, etc?

Possibilities for prayer:

John makes quite clear who “the liar” is--anyone who denies Jesus is the Christ. But our end of the situation is a kind of two-for-one deal. When we claim Jesus, we get His Father too. Today, let’s claim Jesus. Maybe that looks like being more diligent in spending time with Him or in the Bible. Maybe that looks like being more open about faith with a friend. Whatever “claiming” Jesus means for you, make an extra effort at it today. Ask God for help in determining what it means to claim Him and for the perseverance to make it so.

1 John 2:11-17

12 I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
14 I write to you, dear children, 
 because you know the Father. 
I write to you, fathers, 
 because you know him who is from the beginning. 
I write to you, young men, 
 because you are strong, 
 and the word of God lives in you, 
 and you have overcome the evil one.
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Questions to consider:

• What is the Christian experience of the people to whom John writes?
• How does love for the world in verses 15-17 differ from the love in verses 7-11?
• List examples of the three kinds of lust mentioned. To what extent are any present in your life? What will you do about it?
• How can you tell if you love God?

Possibilities for prayer:

The last verse of this passage kind of helps us put our choices and desires in perspective, doesn’t it? John tells us fairly clearly that the world and its desires pass away, so we should probably be prioritizing things of a heavenly nature. Let’s ask to be able to see life with a heavenly perspective, prioritizing our desires and choices with eyes that see the grand plan and understand the way that things of the earth are not permanent.

1 John 2:7-11

7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

Questions to consider:

• What is the commandment which is neither old nor new?
• What does your attitude toward your brother reveal?
• What are the advantages of being in the light?
• What are the disadvantages of being in the darkness?

Possibilities for prayer:

John seems to indicate that love is a pretty important component of living in the light--it is loving each other that indicates that we are living in the light and hating one another that indicates if we are living in the darkness. Let’s ask God for a greater understanding of what it means to love one another, and for the strength to do so well.

1 John 2: 1-6

1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Questions to consider:

• Since John does not teach sinless perfection nor a life of licentiousness, what does he teach?
• To what extent are you experiencing God’s forgiveness when you sin?
• What criteria does John give for knowing you are a Christian?
• How did Jesus Christ walk?

Possibilities for prayer:

The challenge to live as Jesus did is one not easily met. Jesus lived a life without sin, with love for all, and in constant pursuit of heavenly justice. Even though we inevitably fall short of this call, we can be at peace with the knowledge that we have an advocate in Jesus Christ. Today, let’s ask for the courage to respond to the challenge to live lives that look like Jesus’s. It will not be easy, but this is what we are being called into by God. Let’s ask for the ability to love when we don’t want to love, and to pursue justice even when it is uncomfortable. Let’s ask God to transform our hearts so that our desire is for God’s love to be made complete in us.