3/26-4/1 Matthew’s Gospel Lent Reading Plan

Introduction2

Our journey with Jesus in the Gospel According to Matthew will continue this week as he teaches using various parables and does miracles. If you did not begin reading Matthew earlier in the Lenten season, you are encouraged to watch a brief video on Youtube about the Gospels before you begin today:

The Gospel by the Bible Project:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrzq_X1NNaA

*If you do not have a Bible, consider downloading the YouVersion Bible App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. You can also use www.BibleGateway.com to look up and read various translations of Bible verses online for free.

Sunday (3/26)

Memory Verse(s): Matthew 17:5

*You are encouraged to memorize a verse or verses each week of this season of Lent. You can memorize the version listed below or from some other translation:

God said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!.” – Matthew 17:5 NRSV

If you have not watched it already, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the first thirteen chapters of Matthew. The video is available on YouTube:

Gospel of Matthew Summary: A Complete Animated Overview Part 1 by the Bible Project:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dv4-n6OYGI

Pray the following words as an invitation for God to speak to you during this devotional time:

Jesus, I trust that your words will not return to you empty,

but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose

for which you said them (Isaiah 55:11).

Read Matthew 13. If you did not read the previous chapters and verses you are encouraged to read the section headings within the first seven chapters of the gospel as well as Matthew 8:1-12:50 before reading the verses for today.

Pray in response to Jesus’ parables as well as using the prayer Jesus taught in Matthew 6:9-13 or the Lord’s Prayer if you have it memorized.

Monday (3/27)

Memory Verse(s): Matthew 17:5

You can memorize the version listed below or from some other translation:

God said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!.” – Matthew 17:5 NRSV

Watch the Bible Project video about the last half of Matthew’s Gospel before Gospel of Matthew Summary: A Complete Animated Overview Part 2 by the Bible Project:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGCF3OPWN14

Pray the following words as an invitation for Jesus to speak to you during this devotional time:

“Jesus, please let your message sink deeply into my heart and mind today, then remind me and guide me to live it.”

Read Matthew 14. If you did not read the previous chapters you are encouraged to read the section headings within the first seven chapters as well as Matthew 8:1-13:58 before reading the verses for today.

Listen to the Hillsong Worship song “The Lord’s Prayer” using the link below for the YouTube video or using a music streaming service:

“The Lord’s Prayer” by Hillsong Worship

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUjLd6k6uXk

Pray for:

• prisoners
• recent Christian martyrs and their loved ones throughout the world
• those who are hungry and in need of food
• Jesus to multiply what you give him
• Jesus’ followers as we are being called out of the boat and onto the water
• disciples of Christ who are afraid and feeling overwhelmed

Conclude your prayer with Jesus’ prayer from Matthew 6:9-13.

Tuesday (3/28)

Memory Verse(s): Matthew 17:5

*Read the Memory Verse a few times as part of this devotional time.

Pray, inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to you: “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.” – 1 Samuel 3:9 NRSV

Be silent for a few minutes as you imagine being part of the crowd of thousand of Jesus followers on the day he fed them with some loaves of bread and a few fish. Image the sounds of the crowd, the conversations among the disciples, and seeing Jesus provide a miracle by using what seemed like not enough to provide more than enough. Let the Holy Spirit guide your imagination as you seek to envision yourself there with Jesus.

What are the sounds and flavors of the day? Do you feel a warm, gentle breeze blowing across your skin and through your hair? Is Jesus smiling as the sun shines on him and the entire crowd through the partly cloudy skies?

Read Matthew 15 and 16. If you have a Study Bible you may find it helpful to use the study notes as you read. Notice Jesus’ interactions with the religious leaders. How is the feeding of the 4,000 similar to the feeding of the 5,000 (Matt. 14:13-21)? How is it different? The words of Matthew 16:16-17 are a reminder that truly knowing who Jesus is comes from a revelation from God. What has the Lord revealed to you about Jesus’ identity? Who do you say that he is? What does Matthew 16:24 reveal about being Jesus’ disciple?

Pray for:

• Those closest to you (family members & friends)
• Those who point others towards God (pastors, teachers, mentors, authors, musicians, filmmakers, etc.)
• Leaders (locally, nationally, and globally)
• People in need throughout the world (the people of Turkey and Syria, Ukrainians, Russians, etc.)

• Yourself (share your needs and invite the Lord to guide you)

Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer if you have it memorized or using Jesus’ prayer from Matthew 6:9-13.

Wednesday (3/29)

Memory Verse(s): Matthew 17:5

*You are encouraged to spend some time trying to memorize it.

Pray, inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to you:

“Lord, help me to receive the message you have for me today, then to live obediently in response to you as your beloved child.”

Read Matthew 17. If you have a Study Bible you may find it helpful to use the study notes as you read. Which word, phrase, or verses are the Holy Spirit revealing as God’s message for you for today?

Listen to the Andrea Bocelli’s version of “The Lord’s Prayer” featuring the Tabernacle Choir using the link below for the YouTube video or using a music streaming service. Let the Holy Spirit guide you to pray the words as they are being sung.

“The Lord’s Prayer” by Andrea Bocelli

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZIrnodc8LQ

Thursday (3/30)

Memory Verse(s): Matthew 17:5

*Read the Memory Verse a few times today.

Pray, inviting Jesus to speak his message to you today:

“Yes, Lord, I’m listening.” – 1 Samuel 3:9 TLB

Be silent for a few minutes as you imagine sitting at the feet of Jesus to listen to what he wants to teach you. You may find it helpful to sit with your palms up as your hands are open resting on your legs, or kneel, or lay down with your face towards the ground, or go for a walk with Christ as the Holy Spirit prepares your heart and mind to receive what you are going to be taught and reminded.

Read Matthew 18. Which word, phrase, or verses are the Holy Spirit using to speak to you today from what you read? If you have a Study Bible you may find it helpful read the notes for this chapter.

Pray in response to Christ using the ACTS acronym as a guide, then conclude with Jesus’ prayer from Matthew 6:9-13:

Adoration (praise the Lord)

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication (share your needs & the needs of others)

Friday (3/31)

Memory Verse(s): Matthew 17:5

*You are encouraged to spend some time trying to memorize it today.

Pray the following words as an invitation for God to speak to you:

“Lord, help me to receive the message you have for me today and live in response to it.”

Read Matthew 19 and 20. What do these verses reveal about God and Jesus, people, and you? How do you see the virtues of humility, compassion, forgiveness, or love in Jesus or others within these verses? In what way is the Holy Spirit guiding you to respond to Christ and what you read?

Listen to Matt Maher’s song “The Lord’s Prayer (Its Yours)” using the link below for the YouTube video or using a music streaming service. Let the Holy Spirit guide you to pray the words as they are being sung.

“The Lord’s Prayer (Its Yours)” by Matt Maher

www.youtube.com/watch?v=36hBlBGVFSs

Saturday (4/1)

Read Matthew 17:5, the memory verse for this past week. If you have not memorized it, simply read it to let God’s message about Jesus sink into your heart and mind again.

How are you going to remember and observe the Sabbath this weekend? The Sabbath is a day each week that is set apart from the others to stop, rest, worship, and delight in the Lord and what he has given us. Because of our very busy culture and over-scheduled lives you may need to incrementally observe the Sabbath by setting aside an increasing portion of a day each week beginning with an hour, then increasing it to multiple hours or part of a day the next weekend, and eventually designating an entire day for remembering and observing the Sabbath.

Read Psalm 46:10 and Psalm 37:7. These verses are a reminder to stop and “be still” in God’s presence. Our Sabbath theme for this weekend is “STOP.”

• How does stopping and “being still” help you to remember that Jesus is our king?

• What are the things you need to stop worrying about today and during this season that you can offer to God in prayer?

• What work do you need to set aside for another day so that you can stop and focus on the Lord as you observe the Sabbath?

• How are you going to help others to stop working for at least a few hours this weekend?

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to spend ten, twenty, or thirty minutes alone with God seeking to rest in the peace that can only be found in and from the Lord. If you struggle to stop and rest, consider laying down, kneeling, or sitting on a very comfortable chair or seat. If you need a nap, then sleep so that your mind and body receive the rest that you need.

Read Matthew 12:1-13. The man in the synagogue in these verses was restored by Jesus on the Sabbath day. Christ can restore your heart, mind, and relationships. Jesus is described as the “author of life” in Acts 3:15. In addition to being our Creator, Christ is our Healer. His life reveals that the God who made us wants to be with us. What do you need to STOP doing today, or this weekend, so that you can be present with Jesus and receive the healing power of Christ?

• What part of your life needs the healing touch of Christ? Your body? Your soul? Your heart? Your mind? A relationship?

• How are you going to set the Sabbath apart this weekend from other days of the week?

Pray and live in response to the Lord of the Sabbath. You may find it helpful to use the words from the verses you read today as a guide for your prayer.