Scripture Reading — Ephesians 1:15-23[May] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.— Ephesians 1:17True knowledge is a gift from God. When we know God for who he truly is, that is the most important and basic truth that any
Scripture Reading — Ephesians 6:10-18Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.— Ephesians 6:11Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against hostile spiritual powers. These powers are organized but unseen, a truly diabolical enemy. Led by Satan
Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 10:1-6We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.— 2 Corinthians 10:5Neuroscientists have discovered that we average about 6,000 thoughts per day. What a challenge it is to “take captive every thought” for Christ!There are strongholds of thoughts wi
Scripture Reading — John 8:42-47“When [the devil] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”— John 8:44A lie led to the beginning of human sin. Back in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve accepted Satan’s lie: “You will not certainly die. . . . You will be like God,
Scripture Reading — James 5:13-16Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.— James 5:16None of us likes to confess sin. The first step in confession is to acknowledge that we have done something wrong
Scripture Reading — Proverbs 3:21-26When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.— Proverbs 3:24Have you ever had a strange dream that woke you up in the middle of the night? Many of us have. Our subconscious is active even when we are asleep.In addition, th
Scripture Reading — Psalm 4:1-8In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.— Psalm 4:8We sleep, but the Holy Spirit and the demons do not. So even our subconscious can be a battleground of spirituality.C. S. Lewis recommended the following steps in prayer before
Scripture Reading — James 1:12-18Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.— James 1:14Temptations are thoughts. We see things or people that appeal to us, and we want them for ourselves, even though we know that would be wrong.Humans will always have sen
Scripture Reading — Romans 12:1-2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.— Romans 12:2Notice the big contrast in this text. We can follow the “pattern”— or the behaviors, standards, and customs—of the world. Or we can follow the will of God. And t
Scripture Reading — Genesis 6:5-8Every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.— Genesis 6:5Wow! The people in those days must have been really, really bad. Look at all those totalizing terms: every, only, all the time. And all of this troubled God deeply.Some peopl
Scripture Reading — Matthew 6:25-34“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”— Matthew 6:33Did you play hide-and-seek as a child? I did, and I play it now with my grandchildren. (They are easy to find when they’re under a blanket on the couch.)
Scripture Reading — Mark 12:28-34“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”— Mark 12:30As Jesus answers a question about the greatest commandment, he quotes from Deuteronomy 6 in the Old Testament. He emphasizes that lovin
