Category Archives: Reading Guide

Praise Through Reading the Word:

¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
¹⁴  “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 2:13-14

⁵ And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶ And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. ⁸ And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, ¹⁰ and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

¹³ And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” ¹⁴ And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Revelation 5:5-14

Praise Through Song:

Meditation & Prayer:

• Think/talk about the songs that the angels were singing in today’s passages.
• What songs do we sing today that are similar?
• Look again at the angels’ songs in today’s passages and pray these to God.
• Ask God for the opportunity to be a “herald” for Him this week.

Praise Through Reading the Word:

⁴ “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ⁶ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

³⁴ But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 22:34-40

Praise Through Song:

Meditation & Prayer:

• What does it mean to “love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”?
• What does it mean to “love your neighbor as yourself”?
• Tell God you love Him.
  • Be specific about your feelings toward Him.
• Ask God to give you opportunity to love your neighbor this week.

Praise Through Reading the Word:

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
—————-
⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:1-5; 9-14

Praise Through Song:

Meditation & Prayer:

• What does “in Him was life, and the life was the light of men” mean?
• What does “all who did receive Him, who believed in His name” mean?
• Talk about how special it is that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”.
• Thank God for the truth of His Word.
• Specifically praise God for truths about Him that we see in today’s Scripture reading.
• Thank God for the gift of Life. 

Praise Through the Reading of the Word:

⁸  There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
⁹   All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
¹⁰   For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
¹¹   Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.
¹²   I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
¹³   For great is your steadfast love toward me;
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

Psalm 86:8-13

¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:15-17

Praise Through Song:

Meditation & Prayer:

• Why is God’s love described as “steadfast”?
• What are some things that make our God unique?
• Sing today’s hymn and think of three things you are thankful for.
• Tell God why you adore Him, and thank Him for your three things above.

Praise Through Reading the Word:

⁴ But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Galatians 4:4-5

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

John 3:16-18

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21

Praise Through Song:

Meditation & Prayer:

• Think about how the gift of Christ’s life and sacrifice has impacted your life.
  • If you are reading as a family briefly share your testimony with each other.
• How can you share this gift with others during this season?
• Thank the Lord for the gift of salvation.
  • Individually, think on the sin that has enslaved you and thank God for purchasing your freedom from it with Jesus’ sacrifice.
  • Ask God to deliver you from specific sins and/or situations that you are struggling with/in currently.
• Pray specifically for people in your life who you believe do not know Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Praise Through Reading the Word:

²  The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
³   You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
⁴   For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
⁵   For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
⁶   For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷   Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Isaiah 9:2-7

¹⁶ “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” ¹⁷ So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” ¹⁸ So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” ¹⁹ Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? ²⁰ Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. ²¹ When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. ²² So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

John 16:16-22

Praise Through Song:

Meditation & Prayer:

Look back through today’s Scriptures and thank God specifically for 1) who He is, and 2) what He has done.

Praise Through Reading the Word:

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

²²  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
²³  they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24

¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Praise Through Song:

Meditation & Prayer:

• Thank God for being “with us” always.
  • Be specific in your thankfulness. How have you seen God work in your life recently?
• Ask God to make Himself evident in the life of someone you know is struggling.
• If you are praying with others, share the person on your heart and pray together for him/her and join together to pray for them.