Daily Pause

1 Peter 1:3-93 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Job 42:7-117 After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” 10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him.

Psalm 145 selected versesGreat is the Lord and most worthy of praise;    his greatness no one can fathom.4 One generation commends your works to another;    they tell of your mighty acts.8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,    slow to anger and rich in love.14 The Lord upholds all who fall    and lifts up all who are bowed down.15 The eyes of all look to you,    and you give them their food at the proper time.16 You open your hand    and satisfy the desires of every living thing.17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways    and faithful in all he does.18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,    to all who call on him in truth.21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.    Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

Job 42:1-6Then Job replied to the Lord:2 “I know that you can do anything,    and no one can stop you.3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?'    It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,    things far too wonderful for me.4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!    I have some questions for you,    and you must answer them.'5 I had only heard about you before,    but now I have seen you with my own eyes.6 I take back everything I said,    and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”

Job 38:1-18 and 40:1-5     Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:2 “Who is this that questions my wisdom    with such ignorant words?3 Brace yourself like a man,    because I have some questions for you,    and you must answer them.4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?    Tell me, if you know so much5 Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line?6 What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone7 as the morning stars sang together and all the angels[a] shouted for joy?12 “Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east?13 Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth, to bring an end to the night's wickedness?18 Do you realize the extent of the earth?    Tell me about it if you know!Then the Lord said to Job,2 “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty?    You are God's critic, but do you have the answers?”3 Then Job replied to the Lord,4 “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers?    I will cover my mouth with my hand.5 I have said too much already.    I have nothing more to say.”

Friday – Psalm 40 selected verses  I waited patiently for the Lord;    he turned to me and heard my cry.2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,    out of the mud and mire;he set my feet on a rock    and gave me a firm place to stand.11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord;    may your love and faithfulness always protect me.12 For troubles without number surround me;    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.They are more than the hairs of my head,    and my heart fails within me.13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;    come quickly, Lord, to help me.16 But may all who seek you    rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say,    “The Lord is great!”17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;    may the Lord think of me.  You are my help and my deliverer;    you are my God, do not delay.

Thursday – Romans 8:28-3928 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose  31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things…. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord

Wednesday – Psalm 34 Selected VersesI will extol the Lord at all times;    his praise will always be on my lips.2 I will glory in the Lord;    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.3 Glorify the Lord with me;    let us exalt his name together.4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;    he delivered me from all my fears.6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;   he saved him out of all his troubles.17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;    he delivers them from all their troubles.18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.19 The righteous person may have many troubles,    but the Lord delivers him from them all;

Tuesday – Job 2:3-103 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.9 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Job 1:18-2218 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”Job's Response to Unspeakable and Instant Loss20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:“Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

 2 Corinthians 12:7-107 Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

1 Corinthians 1:21-30

Proverbs 16 (selected verses)2 All a person's ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.16 How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.19 Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.21 The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction.[b]24 Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.25 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.32 Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.

Tuesday - Philippians 2:3-113 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:6 Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness.8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:6 Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness.8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Proverbs 10:8-21, selected verses 8 The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.10 Whoever winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin.11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.12 Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.18 Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.21 The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense.

Matthew 7:24-2924 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Proverbs 8:32-36 and John 14:632 “Now then, my children, listen to me;    blessed are those who keep my ways.33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;    do not disregard it.34 Blessed are those who listen to me,    watching daily at my doors,    waiting at my doorway.35 For those who find me find life    and receive favor from the Lord.36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;    all who hate me love death.”And from John 14,Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Proverbs 8:27-31 and John 1:1-327 I was there when he set the heavens in place,    when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,28 when he established the clouds above    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,29 when he gave the sea its boundary    so the waters would not overstep his command,and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.30     Then I was constantly[e] at his side.I was filled with delight day after day,    rejoicing always in his presence,31 rejoicing in his whole world    and delighting in mankind.And from John 1,In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

Proverbs 8:12-21“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;    I possess knowledge and discretion.13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil;    I hate pride and arrogance,    evil behavior and perverse speech.14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;   I have insight, I have power.15 By me kings reign    and rulers issue decrees that are just;16 by me princes govern,    and nobles—all who rule on earth.[b]17 I love those who love me,    and those who seek me find me.18 With me are riches and honor,    enduring wealth and prosperity.19 My fruit is better than fine gold;    what I yield surpasses choice silver.20 I walk in the way of righteousness,    along the paths of justice,21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me    and making their treasuries full.

Proverbs 8:1-11Does not wisdom call out?    Does not understanding raise her voice?2 At the highest point along the way,    where the paths meet, she takes her stand;3 beside the gate leading into the city,    at the entrance, she cries aloud:4 “To you, O people, I call out;    I raise my voice to all mankind.5 You who are simple, gain prudence;    you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.[a]6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;    I open my lips to speak what is right.7 My mouth speaks what is true,    for my lips detest wickedness.8 All the words of my mouth are just;    none of them is crooked or perverse.9 To the discerning all of them are right;    they are upright to those who have found knowledge.10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,    knowledge rather than choice gold,11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,    and nothing you desire can compare with her.Proverbs 8:1-11Does not wisdom call out?    Does not understanding raise her voice?2 At the highest point along the way,    where the paths meet, she takes her stand;3 beside the gate leading into the city,    at the entrance, she cries aloud:4 “To you, O people, I call out;    I raise my voice to all mankind.5 You who are simple, gain prudence;    you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.[a]6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;    I open my lips to speak what is right.7 My mouth speaks what is true,    for my lips detest wickedness.8 All the words of my mouth are just;    none of them is crooked or perverse.9 To the discerning all of them are right;    they are upright to those who have found knowledge.10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,    knowledge rather than choice gold,11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,    and nothing you desire can compare with her.

Mark 14:32-4332 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hourmight pass from him. 36 “Abba,[a] Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn't you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.41 Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”43 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.

John 17:20-2620 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[a] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Acts 4:23-3123 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:“‘Why do the nations rage    and the peoples plot in vain?26 The kings of the earth rise up    and the rulers band togetheragainst the Lord    and against his anointed one.[a]'[b]27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Psalm 51:10-17Create in me a pure heart, O God,    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.11 Do not cast me from your presence    or take your Holy Spirit from me.12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,    so that sinners will turn back to you.14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,    you who are God my Savior,    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.15 Open my lips, Lord,    and my mouth will declare your praise.16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.17 My sacrifice, O God, is[a] a broken spirit;    a broken and contrite heart    you, God, will not despise.

Ephesians 6:18-2018 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Habakkuk 3:1-19A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.[a]2 Lord, I have heard of your fame;    I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.Repeat them in our day,    in our time make them known;    in wrath remember mercy.3 God came from Teman,    the Holy One from Mount Paran.[b]His glory covered the heavens    and his praise filled the earth.4 His splendor was like the sunrise;    rays flashed from his hand,    where his power was hidden.5 Plague went before him;    pestilence followed his steps.6 He stood, and shook the earth;    he looked, and made the nations tremble.The ancient mountains crumbled    and the age-old hills collapsed—    but he marches on forever.7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,    the dwellings of Midian in anguish.8 Were you angry with the rivers, Lord?    Was your wrath against the streams?Did you rage against the sea    when you rode your horses    and your chariots to victory?9 You uncovered your bow,    you called for many arrows.You split the earth with rivers;10     the mountains saw you and writhed.Torrents of water swept by;    the deep roared    and lifted its waves on high.11 Sun and moon stood still in the heavens    at the glint of your flying arrows,    at the lightning of your flashing spear.12 In wrath you strode through the earth    and in anger you threshed the nations.13 You came out to deliver your people,    to save your anointed one.You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness,    you stripped him from head to foot.14 With his own spear you pierced his head    when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,gloating as though about to devour    the wretched who were in hiding.15 You trampled the sea with your horses,    churning the great waters.16 I heard and my heart pounded,    my lips quivered at the sound;decay crept into my bones,    and my legs trembled.Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity    to come on the nation invading us.17 Though the fig tree does not bud    and there are no grapes on the vines,though the olive crop fails    and the fields produce no food,though there are no sheep in the pen    and no cattle in the stalls,18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,    I will be joyful in God my Savior.19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,    he enables me to tread on the heights.For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Matthew 6:9-139 “This, then, is how you should pray:“‘Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,10 your kingdom come,your will be done,    on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us today our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts,    as we also have forgiven our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]    but deliver us from the evil one.[b]'

Phil. 1:9-119 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Jonah 2:1-101 [a]From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said:“In my distress I called to the Lord,    and he answered me.From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,    and you listened to my cry.3 You hurled me into the depths,    into the very heart of the seas,    and the currents swirled about me;all your waves and breakers    swept over me.4 I said, ‘I have been banished    from your sight;yet I will look again    toward your holy temple.'5 The engulfing waters threatened me,[b]    the deep surrounded me;    seaweed was wrapped around my head.6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;    the earth beneath barred me in forever.But you, Lord my God,    brought my life up from the pit.7 “When my life was ebbing away,    I remembered you, Lord,and my prayer rose to you,    to your holy temple.8 “Those who cling to worthless idols    turn away from God's love for them.9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,    will sacrifice to you.What I have vowed I will make good.    I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.'”10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Daniel 9:4-194 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong.We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets,who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts,turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill.Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name.We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

Friday - Psalm 107 Selected verses       (Interesting theme of freedom  for the 4th of July…. That happened randomly)Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;    his love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. 5 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. 6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7 He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. 8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.10 Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,    prisoners suffering in iron chains, 11 because they rebelled against God's commands  and despised the plans of the Most High. 12 So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. 13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. 15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,

Thursday - Psalm 116 Selected versesI love the Lord, for he heard my voice;    he heard my cry for mercy. 2 Because he turned his ear to me,    I will call on him as long as I live. 3 The cords of death entangled me,    the anguish of the grave came over me;    I was overcome by distress and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:   “Lord, save me!” 5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;    our God is full of compassion. 6 The Lord protects the unwary;    when I was brought low, he saved me. 7 Return to your rest, my soul,    for the Lord has been good to you. 12 What shall I return to the Lord    for all his goodness to me? 13 I will lift up the cup of salvation    and call on the name of the Lord.

Psalm 34   Selected verses1 I will extol the Lord at all times;    his praise will always be on my lips. 2 I will glory in the Lord;    let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3 Glorify the Lord with me;    let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;    he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant;    their faces are never covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;    he saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,    and his ears are attentive to their cry;17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;    he delivers them from all their troubles.18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Tuesday - Psalm 27:1, 7-14The Lord is my light and my salvation—    whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life—    of whom shall I be afraid?7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord;    be merciful to me and answer me.8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”    Your face, Lord, I will seek.9 Do not hide your face from me,    do not turn your servant away in anger;    you have been my helper.  Do not reject me or forsake me,   God my Savior.10 Though my father and mother forsake me,  the Lord will receive me.11 Teach me your way, Lord;    lead me in a straight path    because of my oppressors.13 I remain confident of this:    I will see the goodness of the Lord    in the land of the living.14 Wait for the Lord;    be strong and take heart    and wait for the Lord.

Monday - Psalm 18:1-6,46I love you, Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,    my shield[b] and the horn[c] of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,    and I have been saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death entangled me;    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;    the snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called to the Lord;    I cried to my God for help.From his temple he heard my voice;    my cry came before him, into his ears.

Exodus 32:9-149 “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.'” 14 Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. 

Romans 8:31-34 and Hebrews 7:24-25If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 24 because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Habakkuk 3:1-2, 17-19A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet.2 Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.17 Though the fig tree does not bud    and there are no grapes on the vines,though the olive crop fails    and the fields produce no food,though there are no sheep in the pen    and no cattle in the stalls,18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,    I will be joyful in God my Savior.19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,    he enables me to tread on the heights.

Luke 11:5-95 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.' 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Luke 11:5-9 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.' 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Ephesians 2:13, 17-2213 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.  

Colossians 1:15-2315 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.21 Once you were alienated from God …. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. 

John 3:5-10,14-175 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.10 “You are Israel's teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?  14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  

Matthew 3:13-4:113 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Ephesians 3:14-1914 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Friday - Acts 2:42-47The Fellowship of the Believers42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Thursday - Acts 2:37-4137 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Wednesday - Acts 2:22-24, 32-3622 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,“‘The Lord said to my Lord:    “Sit at my right hand35 until I make your enemies    a footstool for your feet.”'36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

Tuesday - Acts 2:14-2114 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:17 “‘In the last days, God says,    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.Your sons and daughters will prophesy,    your young men will see visions,    your old men will dream dreams.18 Even on my servants, both men and women,    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,    and they will prophesy.19 I will show wonders in the heavens above    and signs on the earth below,    blood and fire and billows of smoke.20 The sun will be turned to darkness    and the moon to blood    before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.21 And everyone who calls    on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

Monday - Acts 2:1-12When the day of Pentecost came, they wereall together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed tobe tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterlyamazed, they asked: “Aren't all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “Theyhave had too much wine.”

Friday – Exodus 31:18 - 32:418 When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. 32 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods[a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.” 2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”