WEEK ONE: DAY 2

He Is Near

Today's Bible Reading

Isaiah 11–13; Psalm 118; Matthew 27

Focus Scripture

“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Psalm 118:6

Prepare Your Heart

Fear has a way of making whatever threatens us seem very large and God seem very small. The psalmist reverses the perspective: the Lord is with me, so I will not fear. Knowing Christ does not mean we never face frightening circumstances. It means we face them with the confidence that we do not face them alone.

Pray

• Thank God that His presence is greater than anything you will face today.

• Name your fears honestly before Him. Fears about your family, work, health, finances, relationships, or future.

• Ask God to replace fear with confidence in His character and promises.

• Pray especially for children and students beginning a new school year. Ask God to remind them that He is with them wherever they go.

• Pray for children who feel anxious, lonely, left out, or uncertain about the year ahead.

• Pray for parents to model trust in God rather than passing their own anxieties on to their children.

• Pray for your One More. Ask God to use whatever they are facing to awaken their need for Him.

Name the thing you're afraid of. Then say out loud: “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.”

One More

Send your One More a simple message today. Ask how they’re doing or how you can pray for them, and then genuinely listen.