Jesus Prays for Us

April 30

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 22:31 – 53

Verse of the Day: Luke 22:31 – 32 – “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, establish thy brethren.”

In this passage in the Greek we see some interesting thoughts concerning the word “you.” In the first usage, it is in the second person plural referring to all of the disciples. Satan had asked permission to trouble all of the disciples (remember him asking to trouble Job in the Old Testament). But in the latter usage is in the second person singular meaning that they refer to Peter specially.

What do we see? First, Satan needs to ask permission to tempt us. Second, notice that he wants to trouble all believers. Third, we see that Jesus restored Peter before he had actually denied Him. So, when we face temptations (and failures) know that they are temporary to prepare us for triumphant service to Christ.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for praying for me before I fall, and the restoration You can give.

Passover

April 29

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 22:1 – 30

Verse of the Day: Luke 22:1 – “Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.”

This verse begins the passion narrative of the writer Luke. It depicts to us the events of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread took place immediately after the Feast of the Passover (Ex. 12:1 – 20; Deut. 16:1 – 8). They were often thought of as one. The Feast of the Passover commemorated the night of the tenth plague on Egypt. The night the death angel passed over the houses of Israel that had the blood on the doorways. The firstborn of the Egyptians died on this night. The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex. 12; Lev. 23:5, 6) was a celebration in remembrance of the Exodus. Many Jewish pilgrims travelled to Jerusalem to celebrate these feasts each year. These feasts carry many earthly pictures of the things about to take place in Jesus’ life.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the provision that we have for reconciliation through the Passion of Jesus. Amen.

Daily Time

April 28

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 21:20 – 38

Verse of the Day: Luke 21:37 – 38 – “And every day he was teaching in the temple; and every night he went out, and lodged in the mount that is called Olivet. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, to hear him.”

Early morning meditation upon the words of Jesus. I personally have sought to start each day by first spending time in God’s Word. I understand that this does not often work for others, and the important point is to spend time every day with Jesus in His Word.

By starting my day in the Word, I have found it helps to set the tone for my day, to focus my thoughts on God from the first, and to direct my steps throughout the day. When I get out of this habit, I find that I stray from the walk I should have.

What works best? Consistency. Daily spend time alone with Jesus in His Word. You won’t regret it.

Prayer: Jesus, I value my time with You. I look forward to hearing You speak. Amen.

Abundant or sacrificial?

April 27

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 21:1 – 9

Verse of the Day: Luke 21:1 – 4 – “And he looked up, and saw the rich men that were casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than they all: for all these did of their superfluity cast in unto the gifts; but she of her want did cast in all the living that she had.”

When it comes to giving to God, Jesus teaches us that it is not so much how much we give (this can lead to pride and a works based thought of salvation), but what we have left. Do we give out of abundance or sacrificially? The rich paraded their giving, while the widow gave from her meager supply because she loved God and worshipped Him with her giving.

How do I give? From my abundance or as a sacrifice of praise to God?

Prayer: God, lead me to give to You in full worship and love for all that You have done for me. May what I give reflect a heart overflowing with praise. You say You love a cheerful giver, may I be such a one today. 

Walk Humble.

April 26

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 20:27 – 47

Verse of the Day: Luke 20:46 – 47 – “Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and love salutations in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts; who devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater condemnation.”

Jesus is speaking against those who are religious authorities that walk in unrestrained pride. As believers we should walk in humility.

Humble. Consider these four points about being humble. First, when we are humble we are meek, not weak. Second, being humble is active, not passive. Third, when we are humble we see others, not ourselves. And finally, it comes from a good self-image not a poor one.

Today, seek to walk humbly before God and man. Receive His praise and not His condemnation.

Prayer: Jesus, give me the power to walk humbly. To be meek, active in Your service, seeing others in their needs. Give me a heart to walk in Your footsteps today. Amen.

Flattery

April 25

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 20:1 – 26

Verse of the Day: Luke 20:21 – “And they asked him, saying, Teacher, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, and acceptest not the person of any, but of a truth teachest the way of God:”

Flattery. In our verse today, we can think that these who came to ask Him a question thought very highly of Him and His teaching. However, if we read the preceding verse, “And they watched him, and sent forth spies, who feigned themselves to be righteous, that they might take hold of his speech, so as to deliver him up to the rule and to the authority of the governor.” Jesus knowing their hearts in questioning Him responded in a way “that hey were not able to take hold of the saying before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace” (20:26).

People today seek to trap us with our words, that is why it is imperative that we know and use the Scriptures. They are always correct, no matter what the world says.

Prayer: May I speak what is in Your Word today at all times. Amen.

Am I a Hindrance?

April 24

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 19:29 – 48

Verse of the Day: Luke 19:9 – 10 – “And he entered into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold, saying unto them, It is written, And my house shall be a house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of robbers.”

This section of Scriptures where Jesus enters into Jerusalem begins the final section of Luke’s writing. He displays anger at what was going on. The merchants that were in the court of the Gentiles were selling sacrificial animals at exorbitant prices. Moneychangers were making excessive profit. This holy place of worship had become a site for taking advantage of the people. Instead of turning people to God in worship, they were causing hardship and misery.

Today, do we sometimes place hardships on others that keep them from focusing upon God? How do you think Jesus feels about this? What would He say today?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, keep me from being a burden or hindrance to someone’s worship of the Father. Make me a channel of praise today. Amen and Amen.

Zacchaeus

April 23

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 19:1 – 28

Verse of the Day: Luke 19:9 – 10 – “And Jesus said unto him, To-day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”

The biblical account of Zacchaeus, a story often taught in Sunday School. We have a children’s song about this “wee little man.” 

The focus we are considering today is about a tax-collector (sinner) that was curious about this Jesus of Nazareth. He climbed a tree to get a look at this one who was causing such a stir. Jesus starts the interaction when He looks up and speaks to Zacchaeus. He is doing what He says in our verse today, seeking the lost.

Maybe today God will place someone in our path that is curious. That Jesus is seeking. When God opens these doors, do we share about Him? Because, not only does He seek, He saves. Maybe He will use us to lead someone to Him.

Prayer; Jesus, give me eyes to see Your open doors to share with others. Amen.

Worried?

April 22

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 18:18 – 43

Verse of the Day: Luke 18:22 – “And when Jesus heard it, he said unto him, One thing thou lackest yet: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”

On Malow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the second place goes to Safety. As human beings, we seek to have safety as one of the most important needs of our lives. We often find it had to let go of our treasures because we fear for their safety. 

I find it hard to give to God my house, car, children, spouse, jobs, wealth, dreams, even my life out of fear. Yet, anything that is not committed to God is not truly safe. With God, all that we give to Him is completely safe. If He is in control of them we do not have to fear. We are released from worry and fear. Are you worried or fearful about something, then turn it completely over to God and watch the worry and fear melt away.

Prayer; Heavenly Father, today I give over to You that which I am worried about, what cause me fear. I thank You for Your peace. 

Have Mercy

April 21

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 18:1 – 17

Verse of the Day: Luke 18:13 – “But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner.”

The Greek word used here in the verb form, ιλασθητι, is used as a verb only one other time in the New Testament. This is in Hebrews 2:17 where it speaks of how Christ made reconciliation between God and man possible on the Cross. The verb means to be favorably inclined or to reconcile.

The noun form of this word is found in 1 John 2:2; 4:10, and in both places Jesus is called the propitiation for our sins. He appeased God on the Cross. The tax collector here was asking God for reconciliation. We can have this reconciliation today through Jesus Christ. 

Prayer: Jesus, today I thank You for what You so willingly went through that I might be favorably viewed by the Father, that I am reconciled to Him. My sins have found Your mercy, they are removed, and I can stand before You clean and whole. Amen.

Days of Noah

April 20

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 17:20 – 37

Verse of the Day: Luke 17:26 – “And as it came to pass in the days of Noah, even so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.”

When Jesus was asked about when the Kingdom of God would come (meaning the Day of the Lord), Jesus goes into statements about this event. Many have tried to attach dates and eras to these events. A very important statement in this passage is our verse today.

The people in the days of Noah (see Gen. 6:5-13) paid very little attention to God and faced His judgment because of that. Jesus says that it will be the same preceding the return of the King.

As we look at the world around us, does it recognize God? Is there a concern for the things of God? Or, is it much like the “days of Noah?”

Prayer: Jesus, as we consider Your words today, let us muse over the way our world (and ourselves) meet the description that You give. Help us to focus upon God and His ways. Help us to be ready to meet Your return. Amen.

Stumbling blocks

April 19

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 17:1 – 19

Verse of the Day: Luke 17:1 – “And he said unto his disciples, It is impossible but that occasions of stumbling should come; but woe unto him, through whom they come!”

Jesus here in this verse uses a Greek word σκανδαλα that is a noun that means stumbling block. The term was used to speak about the spring of a trap that would trigger its snapping shut. In the New Testament, it generally referred to anything that would hinder someone from doing what is right. He said that it was inevitable that we would face these stumbling blocks, and He condemns those who create them. He goes on in the following verse to say that death by drowning would be preferable to causing a believer to stumble.

Today, let us muse over what stumbling blocks happen, and check ourselves that we are not causing others to stumble in their walk with Christ.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, it is my heart’s desire to help others walk like Christ. If I in any way cause others to stumble in their walk, show me, forgive me, help me not to do this. Amen.

Choose today

April 18

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 16:19 – 31

Verse of the Day: Luke 16:31 – “And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from the dead.”

Many call this the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. I don’t believe it is a parable because Jesus gives us a name of a person. This may have been a recent event of these two men dying that the people were aware of.

He gives a glimpse into the spiritual world of events following the death of a person. We see that Paradise and the place of torment are two distinct real places. The gulf tells us that a person makes his or her choice of where they spend eternity here and now, not after death. That is why it is important that we receive Jesus Christ now, and that we share this with others so they can make their choice.

Today, who can you share the message of salvation with? Don’t delay, they may not have tomorrow to make a choice.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, give me insight and wisdom to speak to others about Christ. Amen.

The importance of the Scripture

April 17

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 16:1 – 18

Verse of the Day: Luke 16:17 – “But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tittle of the law to fall.”

We so often try to minimize what God has given us in His written word. We pick and choose what we think is important and what can be ignored. If we got together, we probably would find that our lists of what is important and what can be ignored would be different.

Jesus was making a strong point to the Pharisees that all of God’s Word is exactly that. The Word of God. We must be careful in what we want to trivialize in the Scriptures. He uses the extreme of the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet is just as important as the largest. So, what we might consider a minor point in the Scriptures is very important and will remain forever.

Today, ponder what you think about the Bible and its importance to life.

Prayer: May I observe the importance of Your Word in my life today, Heavenly Father. 

He ran!

April 16

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 15:11 – 32

Verse of the Day: Luke 15:1 – 3 – “And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

A well-known parable to many. The account of the Prodigal Son. We can become so familiar with the account that we miss the depth and beauty of the story.

The son chooses to go out his own way, and the father allows it (consider the account of Adam and Eve). Freedom to choose. And we as mankind generally choose our own way and not the way of the Father. Yet, we find in this account that the father was waiting daily for the son’s return. The parable shows us the compassion of the father in his running to meet the boy and kissed him. This shows us the compassion of the Heavenly Father who is waiting for our return. He will immediately accept the sinner who returns to the Father.

Prayer: Father, You are a good, good Father. You love us and accept us when we come back to You. Amen.

The one

April 15

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 15:1 – 10

Verse of the Day: Luke 15:1 – 3 – “Now all the publicans and sinners were drawing near unto him to hear him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake unto them this parable, saying,”

Todays’ reading contains two parables leading up to the Parable of the Lost Son. All three parables go together to deliver the response of Jesus to the murmuring of the Scribes and Pharisees.

As we read these today, and the Parable of the Lost Son tomorrow, look at how Jesus narrows done the concern and care of God. He starts out with 1 out of 100, then goes to 1 out of 10, and ends with 1. He is drawing the attention to the important fact that God while caring about the whole world, cares about the individual. We too should care ad be concerned with all those around us, and the individual next to us.

Prayer: Father, help me to see the world and the individual through Your eyes. Amen.

Hate them?

April 14

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 14:25 – 35

Verse of the Day: Luke 14:26 – “If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”

Wow, strong words from Jesus. Does He mean I must literally “hate” my parents and family? He is the One who wrote in the Ten Commandments that we are to honor our fathers and mothers. 

What He is telling us is that true discipleship is giving Christ first place in our lives. In Jesus’ day (and in some cultures today even) to follow Jesus results in being rejected, persecuted, or even killed by their family or friends. If a person feared the disapproval and/or rejection by their family, they would never become a follower of Him.

Today, consider if our concerns for how others view us is greater than our desire to follow Him at all costs, do we need to get our hearts right with Him?

Prayer: Holy Spirit search me today. Amen.

Humility brings Exaltation

April 13

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 14:1 – 24

Verse of the Day: Luke 14:11 – “For everyone that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Stay real. It doesn’t matter how many honors, how many degrees, what position you hold, just be real. Get rid of any ideas of the special privileges, the rewards you should have, or the accolades and pats on the back you should have. We should serve out of love for God and only for His approval.

He has so many unseen ways of rewarding us for our service to Him. If we do our service to impress others, we will always hunger for glory and approval. All glory belongs to God and Him alone.

If we are trying to impress others, the approval we receive from them will probably be the only reward we will receive. God never shares His glory with others (Isa. 42:8).

Prayer: Father, all Glory and Honor belongs to You and You alone. I will not seek to take any credit that belongs to You today. May others see only You through me. Amen.

Missing the Door

April 12

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 13:22 – 35

Verse of the Day: Luke 13:23 – 24 – “And one said unto him, Lord, are they few that are saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in by the narrow door: for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

Jesus is very straightforward in responding to questions from serious seekers. In this case, Luke records a question from a person after Jesus had been teaching about how many would be saved.

The response basically states that we must be saved on God’s terms, not our own. Many will miss salvation because they seek to achieve it on their terms, their own way. 

Yes, Christianity is narrow-minded, because the only way that Jesus states that one can be saved and enter into the presence of God through Him. Any other way we chose will result in our failure to enter into God’s presence.

Prayer: Father, today I seek to be sure that my only hope and way into God’s Presence is through You and You alone. Nothing to the cross I bring, Just to You I cling. Amen.

Hypocrite

April 11

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 13:1 – 21

Verse of the Day: Luke 13:15 – “But the Lord answered him, and said, Ye hypocrites, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?” 

The Greek word υποκριται, appears frequently in the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, means an actor, stage player a dissembler, pretender, hypocrite, basically, One who plays a part. This is a person who either pretends to be something they are not, or disguises who they really are. This word is only used by Jesus in the Scriptures.

Jesus is God and can see the inner being of a person. The real motives and heart. We tend to judge by the exterior, He judges by the heart. Like the adage, “you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.”

When He looks at me, what does He really see?

Prayer: Father, may I be on the outside what I am on the inside. More importantly, may I be Your child inside and out. Amen.

Red sky in the morning....

April 10

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 12:35 – 59

Verse of the Day: Luke 12:54 – 56 – “And he said to the multitudes also, When ye see a cloud rising in the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it cometh to pass. And when ye see a south wind blowing, ye say, There will be a scorching heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye know how to interpret the face of the earth and the heaven; but how is it that ye know not how to interpret this time?”

We pay a lot of attention to the weather forecasts. We plan events and then watch and pray for good weather. Jesus in these verses above is challenging His followers that they need to pay as much attention to the events of history happening around them as they do to the weather.

They had fulfillment of prophecy happening all around them in Jesus, and yet they were missing it. Do we pay as much attention to what they Scriptures are teaching us as we do to the weather?

Prayer: Give me eyes to discern the events around me in light of Your Word. Amen.

Foolish One

April 9

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 12:1 – 34

Verse of the Day: Luke 12:20 – “But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?

Αφρων. The Greek word translated “foolish one” carries with it the meaning of one without reason senseless, foolish, stupid, without reflection or intelligence, one who is acting rashly. Pretty heavy condemnation coming from Jesus.

In this parable of the rich fool, Jesus is reminding us that each person has a God-shaped vacuum in their heart that is searching for something to fill it. This vacuum can’t provide peace until God invades it and fills it.

In your life, do you struggle with contentment? Are you constantly looking for something to provide peace and security? Only God can do this, let Him invade you and fill you to the brim.

Prayer: Gracious Father, invade my being, my presence with Your Being, Your Presence. Let it overflow and provide contentment. 

This little light of mine

April 8

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 11:29 – 54

Verse of the Day: Luke 11:33 – “No man, when he hath lighted a lamp, putteth it in a cellar, neither under the bushel, but on the stand, that they which enter in may see the light.”

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine.

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine,

Let it shine, let it shine.

Remember singing this as a child? Using your pointer finger as a candle. What a fun and enjoyable little song. (It can get stuck in your head).

That’s what Jesus is telling us in our verse today. Let out lives become lights to the world, pointing them to Him, the Savior, for all to come to Him. Today, become a candle in your sphere of influence.

Prayer: Jesus, may I reflect Your Light for all the world to see and follow. Amen.

Daily

April 7

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 11:1 – 28

Verse of the Day: Luke 11:3 – “Give us day by day our daily bread.”

The Greek word for daily here is επιουσιον And is only used twice in the New Testament and is not found in any Greek literature before this time. The other place in the New Testament that it is found is Matthews account in Matthew 6:11. 

It is a compound word that means that which gives us substance and the coming day. The point that Jesus is making in His model prayer is that we acknowledge and understand that we are dependent upon God for our daily needs. 

One reason that Jesus had taught that it is hard for a rich man to enter God’s kingdom (Luke 18:25) is that they will often depend upon their wealth to provide, and not recognize that it is from God that all blessings and need fulfillment comes.

Prayer: Jesus, I acknowledge today that You are the Provider of all my needs today, tomorrow and forever. Thank You. Amen.

Unnoticed

April 6

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 10:25 – 42

Verse of the Day: Luke 10:33 – “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion,”

In this parable, Jesus used specifically one who would often be thought of as a “bad guy” in Israelite conversation. He draws out irony by contrasting the “bad” Samaritan with the “good” Levite and Priest.

It is a reminder to us that God notices the unnoticed. In Jesus’ day, women were often unnoticed or considered. There were many social groups that the Jews considered not worth considering. Gentiles, shepherds, Samaritans, the poor, lepers, tax collectors and sinners. Yet Jesus took time to notice those who did what was good, and was available to save to the uttermost those who come to Him in repentance and belief. 

Prayer: Father, what a blessing that in a world of many “superstars,” you notice those of us who are the unnoticeable. I seek to serve You in my little part of the world, not to be seen, but to serve. Thank You. Amen.

Written Down

April 5

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 10:1 – 24

Verse of the Day: Luke 10:20 – “Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus had sent out the seventy disciples (35 teams of two) to spread the word throughout the region. He had bestowed upon them His authority to protect them and have power over demons.

When they return excited about the fact that even demonic spirits cowered before them, Jesus reminds them that more important than this share of His authority was the fact that their names were written down in Heaven. They were God’s children. He knew their names. He had them inscribed in the Book of Life (Rev. 17:8).

Our greatest blessing is not what we receive, not what we are able to do, but that we are eternally secure in our relationship with the Father.

Prayer: Father, thank You for making one of Your children. Amen.

The Cross

April 4

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 9:37 – 62

Verse of the Day: Luke 9:43 – 45 – “And they were all astonished at the majesty of God. But while all were marvelling at all the things which he did, he said unto his disciples, Let these words sink into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered up into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Even at an early point in time, while He was popular among the many, Jesus told His followers that He would face betrayal and death. At this point in time, they were unable to understand or believe it. 

Jesus was not taken by surprise with the Cross. It was for that very purpose that He came. Without the Cross, we would not have forgiveness. Without the Cross, we would be eternally condemned. It is the Cross that brings the crown of forgiveness and restoration to the Father.

Prayer: Jesus, I praise You for Your steadfast plan that bought me back. Amen.

The One Solution

April 3

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 9:1 – 36

Verse of the Day: Luke 9:13 – “But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more than five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy food for all this people.”

All four writers include this feeding of the people in their accounts. When God tells us something four times, it means we need to take deep notice of it. In John (6:6) we are told He told them what we have in our verse above to test them.

They understood the situation, they looked at the possibility (the boy’s lunch) and they saw nothing but impossibilities. They tried to account for all possible solutions, but they missed the most obvious one. It was the obvious One. They came with a problem, their solutions would not solve the problem, they gave all the negative responses, and missed that they were talking to the One who would be able to solve the problem. How often do we do that in our lives today?

Prayer: Jesus, here is my problem, I trust You to provide the solution. Amen.

Calm in the Storm

April 2

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 8:22 – 56

Verse of the Day: Luke 8:24 – “And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. And he awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.”

Storms. They are so unpredictable. They can crop up in a moment. They can be violent or not so much. They all have one thing in common; they can be very disturbing and troublesome.

Sometimes, the storms of our life can be so overwhelming that we feel that we are in a sinking boat. We face some storms that may shake our faith in whether God is really concerned with us. Does He really care?

In our passage today, the disciples had Jesus in the boat in the storm with them, and they are terrified by the storm. They wake Him and accuse Him of not caring. Yet, remember that He was in the same boat in the same storm, and He would see them through. He will see you through also.

Prayer: Jesus, strengthen my trust in You.

Open my eyes

April 1

Daily Bible Reading: Luke 8:1 – 21

Verse of the Day: Luke 8:11 – “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.”

In our reading today we muse over the Parable of the Sower. This is very appropriate for this season of the year. Farmers and gardeners everywhere are preparing the soil for the planting of flowers and vegetables.

Jesus uses visual images that His listeners were very familiar with. Some has suggested that maybe there was a farmer nearby actually sowing seed as He spoke this parable. His disciples asked Him to explain the parable’s meaning to them. 

Often in our reading of God’s Word, we seek the meaning of a passage, coming to God in prayer and comparing the passage with other parts of the Bible helps us to glean the meaning that God has in the section of Scripture. Spend some time today re-reading this passage to fully understand the message of Jesus to us today.

Prayer: Father, open my eyes that I may see the wonder and beauty of Your Word to me. Give me an open mind and heart to receive it.