Troy Schmidt

These four books of the Bible - letters by Paul to four churches in Asia Minor (the area of Turkey and Greece) - are often quoted, preached and referenced because of the way Paul guided the churches to make a difference in their community. Paul encouraged these followers of Christ in the midst of great opposition and strong pagan practices of idol worship to change the culture and allow God's love and power to flow through them. Paul wrote three of these letters (Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians) while in prison in Rome. How someone in prison can speak about freedom and joy while incarcerated only proves the power of a changed life that can see beyond the walls. Finally, these four books contain the most powerful quotes that must be imbedded in our minds and called up in so many circumstances. Make an effort to memorize as many as you can. As you pray through these four books, you will be challenged to be a better witness, to serve others more, to be involved in your local church and to proclaim the Gospel everywhere you go. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIES recognizes the power of God speaking to mankind through His Scriptures. God's word was not only meant to be read, but applied. We must apply ourselves to these passages and adjust our lives to God's will. Today, God uses many ways to speak to us. This book incorporates those avenues of communication to ensure that God will speak to you during your quiet time with Him. Each section asks the reader to do six things.1. Read the passage. Open up the Bible and read His Word.2. Memorize the passage. A certain verse is given special focus. Commit it to memory. Remember it all day.3. Understand the passage. Background information (Time, Characters, Place, What's Happening) help you to understand the context of the section you are reading.4. Read the prayer. Read the written prayer as if it is from your heart. Don't recite them as words from a page, but a plea from your soul.5. Keep praying. Prayer prompts are there to help you continue praying about other specific areas. Listen to the Holy Spirit and see if there is more you need to pray.6. Journal your thoughts. In the space provided, write down some thoughts that you feel God said to your during this time. Every five sections I've included a "Prayer Thoughts" page to give you more room to journal your thoughts and write down prayer requests as you go through the Bible. Get ready to spend some quality time with God. Get ready for God to speak to you through His Word.

The Gospel of Mark doesn't mess around. No rabbit trails. No sidetracks around prophecy. Just Jesus and his ministry. The book of Mark presents its case in precise detail - " Jesus was (and is) the son of God. How do we know that? Miracles. Wisdom. Sacrifice. Love. PRAYING THROUGH MARK covers all the facts one needs to know to believe Jesus was who he said he was so the readers can put all their faith in him. This volume of PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIES uses scripture reading, prayer, meditation and journaling to ensure that God will communicate to you during your time with Him as you walk through the Gospel of Mark. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIES recognizes the power of God speaking to mankind through His Scriptures. God's word was not only meant to be read, but applied. We must apply ourselves to these passages and adjust our lives to God's will. Today, God uses many ways to speak to us. This book incorporates those avenues of communication to ensure that God will speak to you during your quiet time with Him. Each section asks the reader to do six things. 1. Read the passage. Open up the Bible and read His Word. 2. Memorize the passage. A certain verse is given special focus. Commit it to memory. Remember it all day. 3. Understand the passage. Background information (Time, Characters, Place, What's Happening) help you to understand the context of the section you are reading. 4. Read the prayer. Read the written prayers as if they were from your heart. Don't recite them as words from a page, but a plea from your soul. 5. Keep praying. Prayer prompts are there to help you continue praying about other specific areas. Listen to the Holy Spirit and see if there is more you need to pray. 6. Journal your thoughts. Get ready to spend some quality time with God. Get ready for God to speak to you through His Word.

The first Gospel book begins the introduction to Jesus Christ. Matthew, a Jew, painstakingly offers Old Testament confirmation that Jesus was the Promised One, the Messiah, prophesied by scriptures, who presented Himself on this earth. You may not be a Jew, but you have to appreciate what Matthew laid out in his Gospel. Proof. Prophets teed up the clues about Jesus' life, then Jesus arrived to fulfill them one-by-one. Matthew wanted to say, "He's here "As you are PRAYING THROUGH MATTHEW, focus on what God did to bring his Son in the world. This moment was 2,000 years in the making and when it happened, the world (and our lives) changed forever. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIESWhat is God's word? Simply put, it is the word of God spoken to people long ago who transcribed that information into writing. That writing was meticulously passed down for thousands of years to speak to us today. How did God speak to people in Bible times? -Audibly - God spoke directly to people who heard him with their ears or in their heart.-Through situations - God spoke through the actions and events of this world.-Through people - God spoke through leaders, kings and prophets who proclaimed God's purpose.-Through prophecy - God spoke about future events, then those events happened.-Scripture - God spoke through his written word when people read those words later.-Prayer - God spoke through the prayers of people. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIES recognizes the power of God speaking to mankind through His Scriptures. God's word was not only meant to be read, but applied. We must apply ourselves to these passages and adjust our lives to God's will. Today, God uses many ways to speak to us. This book incorporates those avenues of communication to ensure that God will speak to you during your quiet time with Him. Each section asks the reader to do six things.1. Read the passage. Open up the Bible and read His Word.2. Memorize the passage. A certain verse is given special focus. Commit it to memory. Remember it all day.3. Understand the passage. Background information (Time, Characters, Place, What's Happening) help you to understand the context of the section you are reading.4. Read the prayer. Read the written prayers as if they were from your heart. Don't recite them as words from a page, but a plea from your soul.5. Keep praying. Prayer prompts are there to help you continue praying about other specific areas. Listen to the Holy Spirit and see if there is more you need to pray.6. Journal your thoughts. In the space provided, write down some thoughts that you feel God said to your during this time. Every so often I've included a "Prayer Thoughts" page to give you more room to journal your thoughts and write down prayer requests as you go through the Bible. Get ready to spend some quality time with God. Get ready for God to speak to you through His Word.

Deuteronomy means "second law" which covers the time Moses explained the law (revealed first in Exodus and Leviticus) a second time to the people. After being on the Mount Sinai for two forty day periods, Moses came down from the mountain and told the people how God wanted them to live. Now, forty years later, after wandering through the desert (the book of Numbers) as punishment to the generation that didn't believe that God could help them overcome the enemies living in the Promised Land, Moses stood on the border of Jordan and Israel, east of the Jordan River. At the time of Deuteronomy, he was 120 years old, in good health, but also facing the consequences for his lack of faith and anger expressed as a leader. Now he turned to the new generation and as the patriarch of these people (over a million men, women and children). He wanted them to understand how to live before he died. It was a time to pass the baton to new leaders and a new generation. We should always be looking forward to our death, living as if today is our last, making sure that we are inspiring the next generation. Deuteronomy is a sad book, saying goodbye to one of the Bible's incredible heroes, but it's hopeful too, as Moses shows us how to exit this life and prepare others to carry on our faith to new frontiers. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIESWhat is God's word? Simply put, it is the word of God spoken to people long ago who transcribed that information into writing. That writing was meticulously passed down for thousands of years to speak to us today. How did God speak to people in Bible times? -Audibly - God spoke directly to people who heard him with their ears or in their heart.-Through situations - God spoke through the actions and events of this world.-Through people - God spoke through leaders, kings and prophets who proclaimed God's purpose.-Through prophecy - God spoke about future events, then those events happened.-Scripture - God spoke through his written word when people read those words later.-Prayer - God spoke through the prayers of people. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIES recognizes the power of God speaking to mankind through His Scriptures. God's word was not only meant to be read, but applied. We must apply ourselves to these passages and adjust our lives to God's will. Today, God uses many ways to speak to us. This book incorporates those avenues of communication to ensure that God will speak to you during your quiet time with Him. Each section asks the reader to do six things.1. Read the passage. Open up the Bible and read His Word.2. Memorize the passage. A certain verse is given special focus. Commit it to memory. Remember it all day.3. Understand the passage. Background information (Time, Characters, Place, What's Happening) help you to understand the context of the section you are reading.4. Read the prayer. Read the written prayers as if they were from your heart. Don't recite them as words from a page, but a plea from your soul.5. Keep praying. Prayer prompts are there to help you continue praying about other specific areas. Listen to the Holy Spirit and see if there is more you need to pray.6. Journal your thoughts. In the space provided, write down some thoughts that you feel God said to your during this time. Every so often I've included a "Prayer Thoughts" page to give you more room to journal your thoughts and write down prayer requests as you go through the Bible. Get ready to spend some quality time with God. Get ready for God to speak to you through His Word.

If people saw miracles today, wouldn't they believe? How do we know God exists? Why did people live a long time in the Bible? If God is good, why is there so much evil? If I commit suicide, will God forgive me? Are people possessed by Satan today? Is God jealous? What is the unforgivable sin? We all have questions, but do we truly seek the answers? REASON FOR HOPE is for those who have questions about God and are looking for a reason to find hope in Him again. REASON FOR HOPE is also perfect for those who want to be prepared to give others reasons for the hope inside them. REASON FOR HOPE contains the answer to 50 questions most commonly heard about God, the Bible and faith. There are answers. You just have to discover them. "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15

Exodus is about salvation. It tells the story of God saving man from slavery. Sometimes God has to go to incredible lengths to reveal his power, but it's all worth it because he hears the cries of his people and he has to do something. God's power could be revealed through incredible earth-shattering miracles in the most powerful nation on earth or through a simple burning bush in the middle of nowhere to a lowly shepherd. God's power is found in His words and promises. There is also power in God's commands. He wants us to live a righteous life so outsiders can understand a righteous God through his people. God saves us from our slavery today. Not through a lamb sacrificed on a mountain, but through a son who was the Lamb of God that died to take away the sin of the world. Exodus sets the stage for Jesus Christ who frees us from the bondage of sin. Exodus reveals to us the heart of God through his commands for a righteous life. We are expected to be like God and his rules show us what God values. To follow the rules is to follow God because we want to be like him. In Exodus we see a way out of our slavery and sin. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIESWhat is God's word? Simply put, it is the word of God spoken to people long ago who transcribed that information into writing. That writing was meticulously passed down for thousands of years to speak to us today. How did God speak to people in Bible times? -Audibly - God spoke directly to people who heard him with their ears or in their heart.-Through situations - God spoke through the actions and events of this world.-Through people - God spoke through leaders, kings and prophets who proclaimed God's purpose.-Through prophecy - God spoke about future events, then those events happened.-Scripture - God spoke through his written word when people read those words later.-Prayer - God spoke through the prayers of people. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE recognizes the power of God speaking to mankind through His Scriptures. God's word was not only meant to be read, but applied. We must apply ourselves to these passages and adjust our lives to God's will. Today, God uses many ways to speak to us. This book incorporates those avenues of communication to ensure that God will speak to you during your quiet time with Him. Each section asks the reader to do six things.1. Read the passage. Open up the Bible and read His Word.2. Memorize the passage. A certain verse is given special focus. Commit it to memory. Remember it all day.3. Understand the passage. Background information (Time, Characters, Place, What's Happening) help you to understand the context of the section you are reading.4. Read the prayer. Read the written prayer as if it is from your heart. Don't recite them as words from a page, but a plea from your soul.5. Keep praying. Prayer prompts are there to help you continue praying about other specific areas. Listen to the Holy Spirit and see if there is more you need to pray.6. Journal your thoughts. In the space provided, write down some thoughts that you feel God said to your during this time. Every so often I've included a "Prayer Thoughts" page to give you more room to journal your thoughts and write down prayer requests as you go through the Bible. Get ready to spend some quality time with God. Get ready for God to speak to you through His Word.

Genesis means "In the beginning." Genesis is about beginnings - the beginning of creation, time, mankind, relationships, sin and salvation. The only thing Genesis is not about is the beginning of God, who always was and always is. Genesis helps us to understand where it all began and why things are the way they are. It shows us the importance of Israel and how God protects and guides a people dedicated to him. Genesis shows us that God has a plan and if you follow that plan, he will lead you to eternal life. Genesis sets purpose in motion. The faith of Abraham reveals a belief that moves from knowledge to trust. It knows confidently that all be okay with God in control. Every promise will come to fruition. For us, as we pray through Genesis, we see ourselves - sinful and disobedient, needing reconciliation with God. We see God working through us to develop an incredible plan. God is all about fresh beginnings and new horizons and Genesis shows us how He does that. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIES What is God's word? Simply put, it is the word of God spoken to people long ago who transcribed that information into writing. That writing was meticulously passed down for thousands of years to speak to us today. How did God speak to people in Bible times? -Audibly - God spoke directly to people who heard him with their ears or in their heart. -Through situations - God spoke through the actions and events of this world. -Through people - God spoke through leaders, kings and prophets who proclaimed God's purpose. -Through prophecy - God spoke about future events, then those events happened. -Scripture - God spoke through his written word when people read those words later. -Prayer - God spoke through the prayers of people. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIES recognizes the power of God speaking to mankind through His Scriptures. God's word was not only meant to be read, but applied. We must apply ourselves to these passages and adjust our lives to God's will. Today, God uses many ways to speak to us. This book incorporates those avenues of communication to ensure that God will speak to you during your quiet time with Him. Each section asks the reader to do six things. 1. Read the passage. Open up the Bible and read His Word. 2. Memorize the passage. A certain verse is given special focus. Commit it to memory. Remember it all day. 3. Understand the passage. Background information (Time, Characters, Place, What's Happening) help you to understand the context of the section you are reading. 4. Read the prayer. Read the written prayer as if it is from your heart. Don't recite them as words from a page, but a plea from your soul. 5. Keep praying. Prayer prompts are there to help you continue praying about other specific areas. Listen to the Holy Spirit and see if there is more you need to pray. 6. Journal your thoughts. In the space provided, write down some thoughts that you feel God said to your during this time. Every so often I've included a "Prayer Thoughts" page to give you more room to journal your thoughts and write down prayer requests as you go through the Bible. Get ready to spend some quality time with God. Get ready for God to speak to you through His Word.