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Read Acts 7:55-60. In this story of Stephen’s martyrdom, Luke intends for us to see parallels between Jesus’ crucifixion and Stephen’s stoning. What parallels can you find? Notice that Jesus’ place at God’s right hand doesn’t necessarily describe a physical location as much as it does Jesus’ authoritative position. Stephen asks Jesus, rather than God, to forgive his persecutors, indicating Jesus has the authority to forgive. The willingness to intercede on behalf of those who are about to kill him seems tremendously courageous, and yet most of us struggle with forgiving others even for small slights.

Who are people in your life that you struggle with forgiving? What power is that grudge holding over you today? How might working towards forgiveness loosen the hold that person or situation has over you?

In prayer, ask God’s help in forgiving someone who has harmed you.

Read Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16. Many historians credit King David as the author of this psalm. It is a prayer that he could have prayed any number of times as he attempted once again to place his trust in the Lord. Rather than one prayer, maybe this psalm of lament is many prayers strung together over the course of his lifetime.

Compare verses 5 and 15. What do the two have in common? It is almost like David is saying the same prayer twice. “I’m trusting your hand to save me.” Do you have any prayers that you find yourself needing to say over and over? Does the repetition bring comfort, or does it bother you to have to say them over and over again?

If you were to write one prayer that would cover the overarching theme of your life, what would it include? Let that be your prayer today.

Read 1 Peter 2:2-10. The first few verses of this reading challenge readers to desire those things that bring growth and spiritual maturity. The rest of the reading speaks to our identity as followers of Christ, the foundation of our hope. It is interesting to note that verse 9 has been (and in some cases, continues to be) taken out of context and used to support racism, slavery, and genocide. We, as Christians, must resist the temptation to pull one verse out of an entire passage to support our ideas. Instead, read on the whole, this passage points us to understand our connection to all people as vital in building up the kingdom of God.

How might embracing your identity as beloved, forgiven, and accepted help you to affirm that same identity in others – especially those who do not profess faith in Jesus Christ?

In prayer, ask for God’s help in embodying the love, mercy, and compassion that Jesus showed.

John 14:1-14. This is a passage that is often read at funerals and because of that, the tendency is to think it is all about life after death. That is, of course, part of it. Jesus is speaking to his disciples, knowing the grief they will suffer in the coming days. There will be grief over the betrayal by one of their own; there will be grief over the failure to uphold a promise; there will be grief over Jesus’ suffering and death. He uses these words to assure his followers that there is life on the other side of death, both for him and for them, and by extension, for us.

But this passage is also about how we live today. It is about asking for and receiving the power to make a difference in peoples’ lives and to make a difference in the world today. Our actions may not be as spectacular as the miracles Jesus performed, but when added together, every act of kindness and care, every gesture of love and welcome and hospitality, every sacrifice in the name of Jesus, has a huge impact. Just as Jesus revealed and glorified God in all that he did, by calling on his name, so can we. Think about times when you may have made a difference.

Who were the people affected by it? What sort of change was brought about by your influence? Did you call on Jesus to give you the strength, the right words, the courage, etc. in each situation? If not, what practices might be helpful in remembering to do that?

In prayer, commit yourself to revealing and glorifying God in your words and in your actions.