Read Acts 16:22-25 (ESV) The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Read Psalm 100:1-2, 4 (ESV) Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! ... Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! Reflect According to this psalm, how should we worship the Lord? People have a lot of opinions about how worship should be done. Some prefer to crack open hymnals and reverently sing to the Lord with just the piano or even a

Read Ephesians 2:1-5 (ESV) And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which

Read Matthew 15:8-9(ESV) “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” Reflect Is it possible to act religious but not be a Christ-follower? Did you know that the word “hypocrite” comes from the Greek word “hypokrites” which means “an actor”? In ancient Greece, it meant a literal stage actor who wore an actual mask. Now, it has a much more figurative meaning. We thi

Read Psalm 100:3, 5 (ESV) Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture…. For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Reflect According to these verses, who is God and what is He like? Let's do a little thought experiment. Imagine that you made a little group of clay figures and had the power to bring them to life. You wanted them to love and

Read Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV) Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Reflect Have you ever wondered if you are praying about the right things? How can today’s verses serve as a guide to your personal prayers? Luke 11:1-4 says that

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Reflect What do you think it means to “pray without ceasing”? Many religions have set prayer times. Muslims pray 5 times a day—dawn, noon, afternoon, evening, and night. Jewish tradition holds that they should pray three times a day—morning, noon/afternoon, and night. In Psalm 55:17, David wrote that: “Evening and morn

Read Matthew 6:5-7 (ESV) “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Reflect Do you think this verse means that it is never ok to pray in public? Why or

Read 1 John 5:14-15 (ESV) And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. Reflect Why do you think God doesn’t answer all of our prayers with a “yes”? Why do you think He sometimes makes us wait a long time before granting our requests? In the 90s, Garth Brooks topped Billboard’s country charts with a s