BIBLE READING
READING THE BIBLE
In order to grow in maturity, it is so important to engage in spiritual disciplines such as reading the bible, quiet time, devotionals, as well as prayer and fasting. We’ve put together a number of resources which we hope will help you to grow, such as devotional apps, bible reading plans, and memory verses.
Click here to access all of the information about prayer, including prayer meetings and periods of prayer and fasting.
DEVOTIONAL APPS
One Minute Pause
A simple way to connect with God in the middle of your busy day. Based on the One Minute Pause chapter of the books by John Eldredge (New York Times Best Selling Author) “Get Your Life Back” and “Resilient”, this app invites you into the simple practice of releasing everything to God, restoring your union with God and inviting him to fill you.
Lectio365
With the Lectio 365 app you pray the Bible by meditating on the scriptures and asking God to speak through them. This is a sustainable and life-giving model of spiritual formation and prayer for ordinary people. Jesus and his early followers paused to pray three times a day, and you can join in with this ancient rhythm and pray like Jesus did, with three short prayer times each day, easily accessible on your phone.
Encountering Peace
Explore several different types of meditation within the history of orthodox Christian practices. They are an approach to a spiritual life based on traditions within the church dating back to 400 A.D. and drawn from 10th century B.C. holy scripture. Encounter has a mission to offer a safe space to encounter the transcendent God in the midst of the noise of our daily routines; a calling to see a world rejoicing in hope, resisting fear, patient in tribulation, and constant in prayer and meditation in the divine presence of God (Romans 12:12).
PRAYER & BIBLE RESOURCES
To help us grow in maturity, and become a worldwide caring community, praying community and community of power, we send out monthly prayer and bible reading resources, including bible reading plans, memory verses and some teaching on prayer.
Take a look at previous editions below:
February
Praying Together
One of the ways we see people praying in the Bible and especially in the New Testament is together. In Acts 2, the church’s first prayer meeting took place and in a number of other places in Acts we see believers gathering together to pray, such as those mentioned in the Added Extras section below. The major thing that we see when people pray together in the Bible are moves of God.
March
Prayer and Fasting
You may have heard about fasting in your everyday life; maybe during Lent, as part of a medical requirement or in other aspects of society. As Christians, fasting is to abstain from something – mainly food – for a certain amount of time, with the express intent to shift our physical focus onto Jesus and to believe for breakthrough, strength or clarity in areas of prayer.
April
Intercessory Prayer
Prayer is about conversation with God; speaking and listening. In Luke 11 Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. Intercession is a part of prayer in that it involves talking and listening to God, but it goes deeper than conversation. Intercession involves a standing in the gap, an intervention, a stepping in on somebody else’s behalf through prayer. This is more than when we include someone in our daily prayers or pray for them in person.
May
Personal Prayer
Personal prayer is very important to help us connect relationally with God but also so He can speak to us and guide us. Spending time each day talking and listening is essential to asking God for help and guidance, saying thank you and being transformed to be more like Jesus. Spending time in prayer causes us to grow closer to God, align ourselves to His will, gives us strength and hope, and widens our perspective to pray and intercede for others.
June
Prayer Walking
Prayer walking is a great way to pray for our local communities and streets. It is where we walk through local streets, communities and neighbourhoods to pray for the area and the people.
Walking, I believe, is part of our basic existence; it is interwoven throughout the whole Bible.
July
Listening Prayers
We spend most of our prayer time talking to God, but for prayer to be a significant bedrock in our daily walk with Him and to help build that relationship, it is so important for it to be two-way. Listening prayer is effective and essential as a part of this.
August
ACTS Prayer Model
ACTS is a framework to pray by, providing a series of prayer techniques to involve in your prayer time. It stands for:
A – adoration
C – confession
T – thanksgiving
S – supplication (or asking)
September
Breath Prayers
Breath prayers are short, simple prayers you can practise anywhere, at any time. They’re a great way to bring a deeper connection, to help you to fix your eyes on Jesus, and to create space for peace.
October
Praying God’s Word; Crafted Prayers
In Isaiah 55:11 it says,
“So shall my word be that goes out forth from my mouth, it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
God’s word is infallible, it is true and God never, ever fails to keep His word. His word is powerful, it is sure and it is dependable above anything and everything else.
BIBLE IN A YEAR
THE BIBLE WITH NICKY AND PIPPA GUMBEL
A free bible reading plan with commentary by Nicky and Pippa Gumbel. Download the The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel app for iOS or Android devices and read along each day or do so via The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel website or access the reading plan from YouVersion.
DAILY DEVOTIONAL BOOKS
These are hardback or paperback devotional books that we believe will be helpful to you. They are also available on Kindle as eBooks.
Switch on Your Brain Everyday – In her bestselling book, Dr. Caroline Leaf offers a prescription for better health and wholeness through correct thinking patterns. In this devotional book, she shows you how to instill the practices for living a healthy, happy life into your daily routine. These devotions offer encouragement and strategies to reap the benefits of a detoxed thought life—every day!
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Day by Day
In this groundbreaking devotional book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day, Peter Scazzero introduces the ancient spiritual discipline of the Daily Office. The basic premise is simple: We need to stop intentionally, to be with God more than once a day so that we truly practice of the presence of God.
Breakfast of Champions – is a mid-week devotional written with the purpose of inspiring you to live the most effective, influential, God-filled life you can. Packed with wisdom and tips taken from his own colourful walk with God, Andy will inspire and challenge you to daily ‘run your best race’. This devotional, served up alongside your Bible each day, will give your spirit the nutrition and fibre it needs to grow strong and healthy. God’s Word truly is the breakfast of Champions.
Daily Hope Devotional – Discover real purpose, lasting peace, and faithful promises in God’s Word each day, with a devotional written by Rick Warren, the bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life. In this 365-day Daily Hope Devotional: Purpose, Peace, and Promise for Every Day, you will experience clear, practical, and biblical teaching, helping you stay anchored to the real and unfailing hope that comes only from God
GO DEEPER
BibleProject
MEMORY VERSES
Memorising scripture is a great way to fill our minds with the Word of God, helping our thoughts to be formed by God, and equipping us with great truths.
To help you memorise scriptures, you could write them down, meditate on them (read them slow and repeatedly), pray them during your quiet time or read them out loud.
Each week there will be a new memory verse for you to learn.
January
Ephesians 4:32 NIV –“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
1 John 3:23 NIV – “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”
Psalm 56:3 NIV – “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Acts 16:31 NIV– “They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
February
Psalm 145:9 NIV – “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”
Genesis 16:13 NIV – “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen[a] the One who sees me.””
Philippians 4:4 NIV – “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Proverbs 14:5 NLT – “An honest witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies.”
Numbers 6:24 NIV – “The Lord bless you and keep you.”
March
Colossians 3:2 NIV – “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Colossians 3:16 NKJV – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly …”
1 John 5:3 NIV – In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. …”
Hebrews 13:8 NLT – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Psalm 150:6 NLT – “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
April
Proverbs 3:5 NIV – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.”
Romans 10:13 NIV – “for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 3:23 KJV – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Matthew 5:14 NIV – “You are the light of the world…”
May
Psalm 145:9 NIV – “The Lord is good to all…”
James 1:17 NKJV – “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, …”
Matthew 28:20 NLT – ” … And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Psalm 118:24 ESV – “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
June
Psalm 119:105 NKJV – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Psalm 136:1 NIV – “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”
Luke 6:31 NIV – “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
Philippians 4:13 NLT – “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
Psalm 138:1 KJV – “I will praise thee with my whole heart. …”
July
John 10:11 NIV – “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Proverbs 30:5 NLT – “Every word of God proves true…”
Matthew 6:24 NIV – “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV – “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
Matthew 22:39 NKJV – “… You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
August
1 Corinthians 10:31
Whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Psalm 139:14
I praise you God, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
September
Isaiah 43:5
Do not be afraid for I am with you.
Psalm 1:6
The LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Matthew 28:6
He is not here, he is risen!
Acts 5:29
We must obey God rather than men.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.
October
1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.
Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God.
Proverbs 2:6
The Lord gives wisdom.
Psalm 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
November
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Fear God and keep his commandments.
Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
Psalm 105:3
Glory in His holy name; let the hearts that seek the Lord be glad.
December
Isaiah 40:5
The glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.
Luke 1:49
For the mighty one has done great things for me – holy is His name.
Hebrews 10:22
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.
Numbers 6:25
The Lord make His face shine upon you
Exodus 33:14
My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.