July 7, 2020
Day 2
BIBLICAL WISDOM
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
- Why are meditation on scripture, prayer, and intercession so important to the life of faith?
- What obstacles might stand in the way of taking time alone daily for meditation on scripture, prayer, and intercession? How might they be overcome?
- How might “reading the Word of God as God’s Word for us,” rather than as God’s word for someone else, lead to spiritual transformation?
PSALM FRAGMENT
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path. Psalm 119:103–105
JOURNAL REFLECTIONS
- In your journal reflect on your present experiences of prayer and meditation. Are they satisfying to you? Do you give enough time to these activities?
- How could you find more time in your daily life for meditation, prayer, and intercession?
- Write about something you’ve learned from meditating on scripture recently. How has it changed the way you are in your relationships or at work?
INTERCESSIONS
Pray for encouragement and wisdom for you, your family, and spiritual friends (name them) in reading God’s Word. Pray for discernment in understanding and praying for the needs of others.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, draw me to your living Word and let it be for me food for the journey.
July 6, 2020
Day 1
Those who follow Jesus’ commandment entirely, who let Jesus’ yoke rest on them without resistance, will find the burden they must bear to be light. In the gentle pressure of this yoke they will receive the strength to walk the right path without becoming weary.…Where will the call to discipleship lead those who follow it? What decisions and painful separations will it entail? We must take this question to him who alone knows the answer. Only Jesus Christ, who bids us follow him, knows where the path will lead. But we know that it will be a path full of mercy beyond measure. Discipleship is joy.
Biblical Wisdom
Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28–30
Questions to Ponder
- What is Jesus’ “commandment” that we are to follow? (See John 15:12)
- If this commandment is Jesus’ “yoke,” how might we be changed if we bear it without resistance?
- Why might following Jesus’ commandment lead to tough “decisions and painful separations”?
Psalm Fragment
Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
Journal Reflections
- To be a disciple is not just to believe in Jesus, it is to follow Jesus. In your journal, reflect on the ways in which you are presently following Jesus.
- Do you experience your discipleship as “joy”? Is the “burden” of your discipleship “light”?
- Do you sense there are places Jesus might want to lead you where you would rather not go? If so, where are they and what is holding you back?
Intercessions
Pray specifically for family, friends, and colleagues that they might clearly hear the call to discipleship (which is the call to love and justice), and that they might experience following Jesus’ commandment as joy in the concrete realities of their lives.
Prayer for Today
Lord Jesus, only you know where my path will lead, but I trust that, even if I do not know either the way or the destination, you are with me and before me, and I follow you with joy.
40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Copyright © 2007 Augsburg Books, imprint of Augsburg Fortress.