WEEK ONE | SEVEN SPIRITUAL RHYTHMS
Devotion | Confession | Worship | Fellowship | Celebration | Generosity | Evangelism
Sunday, June 28 | Devotion
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Romans 15.4 - 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
• Practice | Establish a certain time, certain place, and a certain plan for your daily devotion to the Lord.
Monday, June 29 | Confession
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | 1 John 1.9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• Practice | Acknowledge your sin toward God and/or others and confess that sin. Reconcile with or forgive someone who may have sinned against you. (Not because they deserve it, but because God offers it to you.)
Tuesday, June 30 | Worship
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Psalm 95.6 - Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
• Practice | Set aside time today to truly worship the Lord alone or together with your family. As you pray, consider taking the posture described in our verse, kneeling down before the LORD.
Wednesday, July 1 | Fellowship
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Hebrews 10:23-25 - Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing hear.
• Practice | Rejoin and reconnect with God’s people in worship, holding fast our confession of hope. Consider joining an online or in-person group for ongoing Christian fellowship.
Thursday, July 2 | Celebration
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Luke 15:23-24 - “And bring the fatted calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.” And they began to celebrate.
• Practice | We have much to celebrate in Christ. Throw a family party to celebrate your redemption in Christ, and consider inviting others to celebrate with you.
Friday, July 3 | Generosity
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Acts 20:35 - In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
• Practice | Identify someone in your life with a need and then lend your time, talents, or treasures to help meet their need in Christ’s name.
Saturday, July 4 | Evangelism
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Matthew 28:19-20 - Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
• Practice | Share the gospel with a friend or family member who needs the love and forgiveness of God. If you have never done so, consider sharing your testimony with your children.
WEEK TWO | SEVEN EMOTIONAL RHYTHMS
Peace | Hope | Love | Courage | Godliness | Wisdom | Temperance/Self-restraint
Sunday, July 5 | Peace
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | John 16:33 - These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
• Practice | With so much turmoil and anger filling the air, the world needs the church to unleash its peacemakers. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Look for ways to fill your home and social world with the Peace that only comes from Jesus.
Monday, July 6 | Hope
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Revelation 21:4 - And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. | Romans 15:4 - For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.
• Practice | Spend some extra time in the scriptures looking again at the promises of God. Collect 3-5 passages that fill your heart with hope. How are those promises -- how is your hope in Christ -- impacting your life day-to-day?
Tuesday, July 7 | Love
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | I Corinthians 13:4-8a - Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
• Practice | Reread the verses above and replace the word “love” with your own name. Are the words still true? Whether it’s at home, at work, or among your friends, look for ways to apply yourself to the quality of love described in I Corinthians 13.
Wednesday, July 8 | Courage
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Joshua 1:9 - Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
• Practice | Finding the courage to do what God is asking you to do can be difficult. Today, make up your mind to trust God for that courage. Identify a risk that God is calling you to take, and trust him in obedience. We’ve been called to a life of courageous faith.
Thursday, July 9 | Godliness
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Psalm 1:1-3 - How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
• Practice | The ways of wickedness promise a lifetime of pleasure and happiness, but their end is death and their pleasure is fleeting. Does sin still cling to you in one way or another? Commit to create distance between yourself and your temptations and plant yourself instead by the waters of God’s word.
Friday, July 9 | Wisdom
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | James 1:5 - But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. | James 3:17 - But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
• Practice | Seek the wisdom that comes from God through prayer, believing that God gives generously to those who ask. Ask God, read His Word, and seek wise counsel from godly men and women. Remember also to apply the wisdom that you’ve been given in the ways that James describes in 3:17.
Saturday, July 10 | Temperance/Self-restraint
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Titus 2:11-14 - For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
• Practice | Temperance is the virtue of voluntary self-restraint. It is the sort of self-control that Jesus demonstrated when he died for us on the cross to cleanse us from our sins. In what areas are you prone to excessive emotions? Excessive anger? Excessive fear and anxiety? Excessive desire? What steps can you take today to deny that excessive emotion in favor of Christ-like grace and dependence on Him?
WEEK THREE | SEVEN PHYSICAL RHYTHMS
Diet | Exercise | Fasting | Rest/Sleep | Time in Creation | Routine | Work
Sunday, July 11 | Diet
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | I Corinthians 6:19-20 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
• Practice | A healthy diet is about more than achieving weight loss goals and beach bodies. Making healthy food choices also honors the LORD and the Spirit of God who indwells you. Are there foods you could cut from or add to your regular diet that would lead to a healthier Temple of the Spirit?
Monday, July 12 | Exercise
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | I Corinthians 9:27 - But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
• Practice | Developing a healthy habit of exercise has spiritual benefits also. Disciplining your body through regular exercise helps to put your desires under control. Add exercise to your daily or weekly routine, but look for the spiritual benefits it brings, not merely the physical benefits.
Tuesday, July 13 | Fasting
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Matthew 6.16-18 - “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
• Practice | Consider doing a fast to help strengthen your relationship with Christ. There are different levels and kinds of fasting. (Food fasts. Screen fasts. Total Fast, Partial Fast, 1-meal Fast, Beverage Fast, Daniel Fast, Esther Fast, etc.) Adopt an attitude of prayer as you go about your daily duties at home, at work, or at school.
Wednesday, July 14 | Rest/Sleep
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Psalm 127.1-2 - It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep. Matthew 11.28 - “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
• Practice | The way we view resting says a lot about how we view God. Take a 20-30 minute nap today, and trust that God is in total control.
Thursday, July 15 | Time in Creation
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Romans 1.20 - For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power, and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. | Psalm 19.1-2 - The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
• Practice | Go for a walk, bike ride, or just step outside and notice the flowers, the trees, or the stars. Pay attention to the flight of the bird or the butterfly as it flutters by and see the very nature of God in His creation and rejoice.
Friday, July 18 | Routine
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Mark 1.35 - In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.
• Practice | Getting our bodies on a normal routine/rhythm is essential for a fulfilled life. Create a grace-paced routine, which includes spirit, soul, and body, that keeps you refreshed and content with the life God has given you. Write it down and experiment with patterns that work well for you.
Saturday, July 19 | Work
• Preparation (Read and Pray) | Colossians 3.23 - Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,
• Practice | Work is truly a means of worship and our focus should be away from ourselves and towards the mission God has for us. Identify the mission God has for you in your work and develop an intentional strategy on how to redeem your work for worship. Seek God’s guidance on how you can serve Him and your fellow man in your workplace.