Think about your closest relationships and what is most important to you in each one. I guess that most of us would make a similar list of priorities – love, trust, respect, humor, etc. How high would “listening” rank on your list? How important is it to you that when you are sharing your thoughts, ideas, plans, excitement, or sorrow with another that they listen to you undistracted and are genuinely interested in what you are saying? 

Today, there is a lot of competition for our attention. How many times a day do you have a conversation with a friend, family member, or coworker who is distracted by their phone, watch, computer, or some other device? We are quickly becoming people who do not know how to genuinely listen to another for even a few seconds without requiring some other entertainment or activity. 

Additionally, we rush through conversations so that we can get to the next thing – something more exciting than listening to another person. Have you ever felt someone rushing you as you express yourself or share something you feel is important? If you have, as I have, it is hurtful and makes one feel unimportant and unvalued. 

So what does the Bible have to say about listening? Quite a lot, actually. Throughout the Scriptures we are reassured that God listens to us when we call out to him. He models for us what we should do for one another – He listens and He responds. He does not rush us in prayer and he does not require appointments or prerequisites to the conversation.

The art of thoughtful and active listening is an important skill that is slipping away from us as a society. So, this month, let’s focus on what Scripture has to tell us about it. I hope you will feel encouraged to become a better listener and experience thoughtful listening when you need to be heard as you read, write, and pray these insightful verses. 

Perfect Love!

Day 1 Matthew 21:1-3

Day 2 Matthew 21:4-7

Day 3 Matthew 21:8-11

Day 4 Matthew 26:1-3

Day 5 Matthew 26:4-6

Day 6 Matthew 26:7-10

Day 7 Matthew 26:11-13

Day 8 Matthew 26:14-16

Day 9 Matthew 26:26-27

Day 10 Matthew 26:28-30

Day 11 Matthew 26:36-39

Day 12 Matthew 26:40-42

Day 13 Matthew 26:43-46

Day 14 Matthew 26:47-49

Day 15 Matthew 26:50-52

Day 16 Matthew 26:53-56

Day 17 Matthew 27:22-25

Day 18 Matthew 27:26-28

Day 19 Matthew 27:29-31

Day 20 Matthew 27:32-35

Day 21 Matthew 27:36-39

Day 22 Matthew 27:40-44

Day 23 Matthew 27:45-48

Day 24 Matthew 27:49-52

Day 25 Matthew 27:53-57

Day 26 Matthew 27:58-60

Day 27 Matthew 27:61-66

Day 28 Matthew 28:1-5

Day 29 Matthew 28:6-10

Day 30 Matthew 28:16-20

Light!

Day 1 Genesis 1:3-4

Day 2 Psalm 119:105

Day 3 John 8:12

Day 4 John 1:4-5

Day 5 Matthew 5:14

Day 6 Numbers 6:24-26

Day 7 Psalm 27:1

Day 8 Acts 13:47

Day 9 Matthew 5:14-16

Day 10 Daniel 2:22

Day 11 1 John 1:5

Day 12 Psalm 119:130

Day 13 Psalm 37:5-6

Day 14 1 John 1:7

Day 15 Ephesians 1:18

Day 16 Genesis 1:3

Day 17 1 Peter 2:9

Day 18 Ephesians 1:18

Day 19 Luke 8:16

Day 20 2 Corinthians 6:14

Day 21 Psalm 31:16

Day 22 James 1:17

Day 23 Psalm 44:3

Day 24 Romans 13:12

Day 25 Luke 12:3

Day 26 James 1:17

Day 27 Acts 26:22-23

Day 28 Psalm 19:8

Day 29 Revelation 21:22-24

Day 30 John 3:21

Day 31 Isaiah 60:1

Unshaken

Day 1 Exodus 14:13

Day 2 Psalm 16:7-9

Day 3 Psalm 33:4-8

Day 4 Psalm 33:9-12

Day 5 Psalm 37:23-24

Day 6 Psalm 45:6-7a

Day 7 Psalm 55:22

Day 8 Psalm 62:5-6

Day 9 Psalm 62:7-8

Day 10 Psalm 94:17-19

Day 11 Psalm 99:1-3

Day 12 Psalm 99:4-5

Day 13 Psalm 119:89-91

Day 14 Psalm 146:1-4

Day 15 Psalm 146:5-7

Day 16 Psalm 146:8-10

Day 17 Isaiah 26:3-4

Day 18 Isaiah 35:3-4

Day 19 Daniel 2:44

Day 20 Micah 7:18

Day 21 Matthew 7:24-27

Day 22 Luke 1:68-69, 74-75

Day 23 Philippians 1:27-28

Day 24 II Thessalonians 2:14-15

Day 25 II Thessalonians 2:16-17

Day 26 Hebrews 3:13-14

Day 27 Hebrews 12:25-27

Day 28 II Peters 3:17-18

Waiting on the Lord can be a difficult thing to do. It requires patience and a lot of faith. The Bible is filled with verses about waiting on the Lord and the hope it brings in difficult times. As we begin this new year, 2025, many in our church, our community and our region continue to wait for relief from lost homes, property, even loved ones following the flooding in September from Hurricane Helene. In some way, each of us is waiting for God to answer our prayers for healing, peace, relief from pain, loneliness, grief. As you read and write these verses, may you feel the Holy Spirit assuring you of their truth and may you be filled with hope in the coming year as you wait on the Lord.

Waiting on the Lord

Day 1 Genesis 49:18

Day 2 Psalm 25:5

Day 3 Psalm 27:14

Day 4 Psalm 31:24

Day 5 Psalm 33:20

Day 6 Psalm 37:7

Day 7 Psalm 39:7

Day 8 Psalm 40:1

Day 9 Psalm 42:11

Day 10 Psalm 59:9

Day 11 Psalm 62:1

Day 12 Psalm 62:5

Day 13 Psalm 69:3

Day 14 Psalm 69:6

Day 15 Psalm 130:5

Day 16 Psalm 130:7

Day 17 Proverbs 20:22

Day 18 Isaiah 8:17

Day 19 Isaiah 25:9

Day 20 Isaiah 26:8

Day 21 Isaiah 33:2

Day 22 Isaiah 40:31

Day 23 Isaiah 49:23

Day 24 Isaiah 64:4

Day 25 Jeremiah 14:22

Day 26 Lamentations 3:25

Day 27 Lamentations 3:26

Day 28 Hosea 12:6

Day 29 Proverbs 3:5-6

Day 30 Isaiah 30:18

Day 31 Philippians 4:6-7

God Is My Healer

Day 1 John 1:1-3

Day 2 John 1:4-5

Day 3 John 8:12

Day 4 Isaiah 7:14-15

Day 5 Matthew 1:22-23

Day 6 Ephesians 2:13-16

Day 7 Isaiah 53:7

Day 8 John 1:29

Day 9 Revelation 21:22-25

Day 10 John 14:6

Day 11 John 13:13-16

Day 12 Mark 12:32-34

Day 13 John 10:11

Day 14 Isaiah 40:10-11

Day 15 Matthew 2:6

Day 16 Hebrews 4:14-16

Day 17 Acts 4:11-12

Day 18 1 Peter 2:4-7

Day 19 Ephesians 2:19-21

Day 20 Luke 2:10-11

Day 21 Jude 1:24-25

Day 22 John 11:25-27

Day 23 Matthew 16:14-17

Day 24 John 1:40-41

Day 25 John 4:25-26

Day 26 Matthew 3:16-17

Day 27 Luke 1:32-33

Day 28 Matthew 27:51-54

Day 29 Revelation 1:7-9

Day 30 Revelation 22:13-14

God Is My Healer

Day 1 Psalm 147:3

Day 2 Psalm 30:2

Day 3 Psalm 103:2-3

Day 4 Jeremiah 17:14

Day 5 Isaiah 57:18-19

Day 6 Jeremiah 33:6

Day 7 Psalm 146:8

Day 8 Exodus 23:25

Day 9 1 Peter 2:24

Day 10 Isaiah 40:49

Day 11 James 5:14-15

Day 12 Isaiah 53:5

Day 13 Matthew 10:1

Day 14 Mark 5:34

Day 15 3 John 1:2

Day 16 Jeremiah 30:17

Day 17 Psalm 6:2

Day 18 Psalm 41:3

Day 19 Proverbs 17:22

Day 20 Deuteronomy 7:15

Day 21 Proverbs 3:7-8

Day 22 John 10:10

Day 23 Romans 8:11

Day 24 Revelation 21:4

Day 25 Matthew 4:23

Day 26 Matthew 8:16-17

Day 27 Matthew 9:35

Day 28 Mark 2:17

Day 29 Luke 9:1-2

Day 30 Hosea 6:1

Day 1 1 Corinthians 8:6

Day 2 Philippians 4:19

Day 3 James 1:17

Day 4 Deuteronomy 28:12

Day 5 Psalm 121:2

Day 6 Genesis 22:14

Day 7 Psalm 31:19

Day 8 Exodus 33:18-19

Day 9 Ephesians 3:20

Day 10 Psalm 16:2

Day 11 Psalm 23:1-2

Day 12 Psalm 65:11

Day 13 Psalm 107:8-9

Day 14 Proverbs 10:22

Day 15 Genesis 1:27-28

Day 16 Genesis 14:22-23

Day 17 Genesis 15:1

Day 18 1 Timothy 6:17

Day 19 1 Chronicles 29:12

Day 20 1 Chronicles 29:14

Day 21 Genesis 9:3

Day 22 Romans 11:36

Day 23 Ephesians 1:3

Day 24 2 Peter 1:3

Day 25 Deuteronomy 28:2

Day 26 Galatians 4:4-7

Day 27 Romans 8:17

Day 28 Hebrews 1:1-2

Day 29 Colossians 1:12

Day 30 Proverbs 8:17-21

Day 31 Matthew 6:33

Day 1 Hebrews 6:17-20

Day 2 Psalm 32:6-7

Day 3 Psalm 46:1-3

Day 4 Psalm 57:1-2

Day 5 Psalm 9:7-10

Day 6 Psalm 143:7-9

Day 7 Psalm 18:1-3

Day 8 Psalm 31:1-5

Day 9 Psalm 31:14-15

Day 10 Psalm 31:19-20

Day 11 Psalm 144:1-2

Day 12 Psalm 59:16-17

Day 13 Psalm 61:1-4

Day 14 Psalm 62:5-8

Day 15 Psalm 71:1-3

Day 16 Psalm 71:4-6

Day 17 Psalm 71:7-9

Day 18 Psalm 94:19-23

Day 19 Psalm 118:8-9

Day 20 Psalm 5:11-12

Day 21 Psalm 11:1-4

Day 22 Psalm 34:8-10

Day 23 Psalm 91:1-3

Day 24 Psalm 91:4-6

Day 25 Psalm 36:7-9

Day 26 Psalm 17:6-9

Day 27 Deuteronomy 33:27-29

Day 28 Isaiah 26:3-4

Day 29 Isaiah 40:9-11

Day 30 Nahum 1:7

Day 1 Psalm 17:8

Day 2 Ephesians 2:4-5

Day 3 1 John 2:3-6

Day 4 Exodus 3:14

Day 5 1 John 2:15-17

Day 6 1 Corinthians 6:17

Day 7 Ephesians 2:6-7

Day 8 2 Corinthians 5:20

Day 9 John 8:36

Day 10 Colossians 2:9-10

Day 11 Romans 8:14

Day 12 Colossians 3:12

Day 13 Galatians 5:1

Day 14 Colossians 3:2-3

Day 15 1 Corinthians 1:30

Day 16 Ephesians 3:12

Day 17 Philippians 4:13

Day 18 Genesis 1:27

Day 19 Romans 8:1-2

Day 20 Revelation 17:14

Day 21 Hebrews 13:8

Day 22 Galatians 3:28

Day 23 Isaiah 43:4

Day 24 Psalm 23:1-3

Day 25 Exodus 19:5

Day 26 Hebrews 4:16

Day 27 2 Timothy 1:9

Day 28 Isaiah 49:16

Day 29 Luke 1:37

Day 30 John 3:3

Day 31 Romans 5:17

Day 1 Romans 5:3-5

Day 2 Romans 5:6-8

Day 3 1 Peter 5:7

Day 4 Ephesians 1:3-6

Day 5 Ephesians 1:7-8

Day 6 Ephesians 4:22-24

Day 7 Galatians 2:20

Day 8 John 8:58

Day 9 Deuteronomy 32:10

Day 10 John 14:6

Day 11 Philippians 4:19

Day 12 Colossians 1:13-14

Day 13 Revelation 1:18

Day 14 Philippians 4:7

Day 15 Romans 12:1-2

Day 16 1 John 4:7-8

Day 17 Romans 8:31

Day 18 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

Day 19 Ephesians 5:8

Day 20 Exodus 6:7-8

Day 21 1 Corinthians 12:27

Day 22 Jeremiah 1:5

Day 23 2 Corinthians 2:14

Day 24 Romans 8:28

Day 25 1 John 5:11-12

Day 26 Romans 3:24

Day 27 Revelation 1:17

Day 28 Colossians 3:1

Day 29 Romans 6:23

Day 30 John 11:25-26

Day 31 Ephesians 6:10-11

Day 1 1 John 3:16-20

Day 2 Psalm 139:13-16

Day 3 1 Peter 2:9

Day 4 Galatians 4:7

Day 5 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Day 6 John 1:12

Day 7 2 Corinthians 5:17

Day 8 John 15:14-15

Day 9 Jeremiah 29:11

Day 10 1 John 3:1

Day 11 Philippians 3:20

Day 12 Isaiah 62:3-5

Day 13 Ephesians 2:8-10

Day 14 Romans 8:17

Day 15 1 John 4:4

Day 16 Romans 8:1-2

Day 17 Galatians 3:26-27

Day 18 John 3:16

Day 19 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Day 20 2 Timothy 1:7

Day 21 1 Peter 2:24

Day 22 Isaiah 41:10

Day 23 Matthew 5:13-16

Day 24 1 John 1:5-7

Day 25 Romans 8:37-39

Day 26 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

Day 27 John 15:5

Day 28 Psalm 107:2-3

Day 29 2 Peter 1:4

Day 30 Romans 5:1-2

I have always loved to write. Even as a child I wrote notes to my parents, poems for my grandmothers and stories that I dreamed of turning into published books. For years I wrote a Christmas poem each year to include in cards to our friends and family. My mother kept a special folder with all of my writings she collected over the years. I found it when I cleaned out her home office following her passing in March 2017. My mother was a devoted servant of Christ and a dedicated prayer warrior. Each night she read her Daily Guidepost Devotion, Billy Graham “My Answer” syndicated column, and wrote in her prayer journal. She set a powerful example of what daily writing can do for one’s faith.

In 2015, my mother became very ill and suffered with rapid onset dementia. It is an unforgiving and traumatic illness. For two years we cared for my mother at home. During that time, I felt as though I was wandering far from God. Prayer did not come easily and neither did scripture reading. I desperately wanted to feel the peace and comfort my faith had always provided. One day a friend of mine at work shared that she was doing a daily scripture writing. She shared the monthly schedule she was following. All it required was for me to keep a scripture journal and each day write the scripture and prayerfully reflect upon its meaning. Most days it was a verse or two. As soon as she shared this activity with me, something clicked. I knew that if I used writing in my daily time with God, I would find my way back.

Writing scripture in my journal helped me get through that time and then again through the subsequent illness, caregiving and passing of my father less than two years after my mother. As soon as I would begin to write the scripture for the day, I would feel a sense of peace and the sensation of being held. I continue to do this in my walk with God. Sometimes I skip days when I get tied up with other things or just forget to sit down and do it. I can tell a difference on those days. They seem more chaotic. Less meaningful.

I figure there are people in our church family who, like me, find pleasure in writing. There is something comforting about picking up a pen or pencil and copying words inspired by our Almighty Father. If you would like to give it a try, I am preparing a monthly scripture writing schedule and offering it to our church family as a gift. Feel free to share with anyone who might like to give it a try. I will do my best to align the theme of the month with the messages brought by our pastors and with the special events in the life of the church.

I recommend that you write with your favorite pen, marker or pencil. Use colors that inspire you or make you happy. Use a notebook or special journal that you keep with your Bible. My method is to keep a copy of the scripture schedule folded on the inside of my Bible cover. When I sit down to write and pray the scripture, I open my Bible to the book and the verse and I begin to copy. After I have copied the verse(s), I go back and underline it in my Bible and add the date I copied it. I enjoy opening my Bible and seeing all of the underlined verses and when I read and copied them. Finally, I go back to the verse(s) in my journal and, using two colors of highlighters – blue and green – I highlight in blue the promise God is making and in green the action I am to take in response to the promise. I have been overwhelmed with the number of promises and calls to action that exist in nearly every verse. My prayer for you is that you will find through writing scripture that you draw closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ and experience His grace and peace in new and profound ways.

Love In Christ,
Laura Padgett