For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. - John 3:16

Daily Bible Readings

Monday 4th May 2026

Today's Reading

Monday, May 4 : Acts of the Apostles 14,5-18.
There was an attempt in Iconium by both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their leaders, to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas. they realized it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside, where they continued to proclaim the good news. At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth, who had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him, saw that he had the faith to be healed, and called out in a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet." He jumped up and began to walk about. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they cried out in Lycaonian, "The gods have come down to us in human form." They called Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes," because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice. The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, "Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, 'who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.' In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways; yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts." Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

Today's Bible Verse

Today's Verse - 2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
—2 Chronicles 7:14
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Humility is not our culture's most valued asset or most desired character quality. However, humility is what is needed - not so much because it's commanded (though that would be enough), but because we've "earned" our need for humility through our arrogance and abandonment of God and his character, compassion, and faithful lovingkindness. Every year brings another wave of major failures in morality, character, and spirituality among our leaders, both political and religious. Even on our best days, we all fall short of God's holiness. Rather than progressing culturally, we find ourselves slipping, rebelling, and degrading ourselves. Our need to approach God with humility is "earned." So let's be humble ourselves and call upon the LORD, throwing off our sin and seeking after him. Only then will we begin to see our hope for a brighter future emerge and healing come to the people.
My Prayer...
Holy and Almighty God, your deeds are awesome, your faithfulness is overwhelming, and your mercy and grace are such blessings. I come to you knowing that you hear me, despite the incredible distance between you and me, between your worth and holiness and my lack of it. I confess that I, and my culture and country around me, have made a mess of what you so wonderfully blessed us with. We come humbly, asking that you reassert yourself in our churches, nations, and leaders in clearly recognizable ways. At the same time, we humbly acknowledge our personal failures, arrogance, and rebellion. We ask for your grace, in faith, through the power and loving mercy found in Jesus and his name. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's "Daily Wisdom"

Proverbs 10:27 - Verse for May. 4th

The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.
—Proverbs 10:27
Ⓒ 1996-2026 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent.

Today's "Passion for Praise"

Hoping for Help (May. 4th)

I will keep on hoping for your help; I will praise you more and more.
—Psalm 71:14
Ⓒ 1996-2026 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent.

Today's "What Jesus Did!"

'Hungry?' - John 6:35
Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
—John 6:35 NLT
Key Thought
Hunger is a powerful motivator. When human beings get hungry enough, they will do almost anything to acquire food. What if we were that hungry for God? What if we were that hungry for God's bread, his Son Jesus? While we have learned to recognize our physical hunger, so many today cannot identify that empty spot in their souls and the ache in their hearts as hunger for God. Only God, through his Son Jesus, can truly fill that empty spot and relieve that ache. Jesus is the one who quenches our spiritual thirst and satisfies our spiritual hunger. Come to him. Listen to him. Let his words and his love give you life!
Today's Prayer
Quench my thirsty soul, O God, and satisfy my spiritual hunger. I know that efforts to fill the void with diversions and trifles do not satisfy. Father, only Jesus can fill this empty spot in my soul. Only your Son can sustain me through the challenging days I face. I believe in you, LORD Jesus. I praise you. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Ⓒ 1996-2026 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Liturgical Holidays

Ascension
(Thursday, 14 May 2026)

Pentecost
(Sunday, 24 May 2026)

Whit Monday
(Monday, 25 May 2026)

Trinity Sunday
(Sunday, 31 May 2026)

Reformation day
(Saturday, 31 October 2026)

Today's "Together in Christ"

'ONE!' - Ephesians 4:3-6

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.
—Ephesians 4:3-6 NLT
Key Thought
Those growing up in a devout Hebrew family, from Bible times and still to this day, have said the following words several times each day:
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.^[1]
Unity originates in the LORD, the Eternal One, YHWH. God wants us to be His unified people, and we derive that unity from Him. There is only one God, and God Himself is one - Father, Son, and Spirit united in harmony and unity. Shortly before His Passion, Jesus prayed for His disciples to be one.^[2] In today's passage on relationships, Paul is challenging us as Jesus' followers to make every strenuous effort to maintain the unity we have through the Holy Spirit. We were born into God's family and united with each other through the Spirit of God, living in each of us and making each of us part of Jesus' body.^[3] We were born into God's family, unified by the Spirit alive inside each of us. Paul wrote these words in today's verses to call us back to the unity we had when we were born into God's family.^[4] Despite our physical distinctions, we are no longer divided based on our human differences - like race, gender, social position, and political preferences. Our unity is centered in each of us being one with Christ.^[5]
We were born again as people unified because we chose to unite ourselves with Jesus in baptism. We find our unity in Him. Peace becomes our way of celebrating our unity in Christ. We recognize that this peace comes from being united with Jesus and focusing on the oneness of God. We are part of Jesus' one body because the one Spirit lives in each of us. We share in one hope for the future, the return of Jesus, and the completion of our adoption into God's family.^[6] This hope roots itself in Jesus as our one LORD celebrated in our union with Jesus in the one baptism that joins us with Him in His saving work. Because God is one as Father, Son, and Spirit, we trust God, the Father of us all.
While binding ourselves together in peace is our responsibility, we must realize that lasting unity is found only in God. The closer we move toward God in character, compassion, and faithful-lovingkindness, the more we find ourselves returning to the unity we had when we first came to Jesus and were born into God's one family. As we make every effort to bind ourselves together in peace, God is at work transforming us through the Spirit to become more like Jesus.^[7] The Spirit continually unites us by the power of God's outpoured love working through each of us.^[8]
We must recognize that being united as Jesus' disciples does not mean that we all agree on everything. History, beginning even in the first century,^[9] has shown us that such agreement is not going to happen. Being united means that we all are committed to Jesus as LORD and to His way of life: righteous living and serving others and wanting the best for them.^[10]
[1] Deuteronomy 6:4 NIV. This declaration is commonly known as the Shema.
[2] John 17:20-21.
[3] 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 NIV.
[4] John 3:3-7; Titus 3:3-7.
[5] Galatians 3:26-29.
[6] Romans 8:18-24.
[7] 2 Corinthians 3:17-18.
[8] Romans 5:5 NIV.
[9] Acts 15:36-41. Note that the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas was only about method. Just as the Spirit used their disagreement to send two mission teams rather than just one, the Spirit can also use our differences constructively.
[10] John 14:15; Matthew 22:36-39; Ephesians 2:9-10; Philippians 2:3-4 NIV.
Today's Prayer
Almighty God, we pray for those who follow Jesus today. Bind us together in loving unity as we pursue Jesus and are transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit to become more like Him. I recognize that we cannot force unity to happen. We know that true unity will come only from pursuing You as You transform us through the Holy Spirit, and we seek to bind ourselves together in peace. O God, please empower us to make this unity real so that the world might come to know Jesus,^[A] in Whose name we pray. Amen.

[A] Jesus' prayer for unity in John 17 (in our Related Readings below) was so that the world would come to know the Father sent Him and believe. Peace is the result of this unity, not the reason for being united. Unity and the resulting peace come from our commitment to love each other. The goal of our unity is for the world to believe (John 13:34-35, 17:20-21).
Ⓒ 1996-2026 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. 'Together in Christ' is written by Phil Ware. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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