30 Thankful Prayers

Posted on November 1, 2026 by Wayne Davies

Looking for a way to increase your gratitude?

Here’s a 30-day prayer guide that provides short, one-sentence prayers of thanksgiving, one for each day of November.

Along with the prayer is a corresponding Bible passage that you can read and meditate on.

Click below to access this free resource from the Navigators:

https://www.navigators.org/resource/30-thankful-prayers/

You’ll find all 30 prayers on this web page. Scroll down to the bottom, and you can download a print-friendly PDF of 30 Thankful Prayers for yourself or to share with others.

I’m thankful that you took the time today to read this post.

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The Amazing and Terrifying Jesus

Posted on October 27, 2026 by Wayne Davies

Jesus is both amazing and terrifying.

Please consider these thoughts on one passage that demonstrates that.

In Mark 1:21-28, we read a fascinating account of Jesus in the synagogue at Capernaum. On the Sabbath, Jesus and his disciples attend the weekly gathering.

On this particular Saturday, Jesus is the teacher, and as the Son of God, he teaches like no one else. Perhaps you can recall teachers you had in school. Some were good communicators, and some were not. Imagine sitting at the feet of the God-Man and listening to him explain God’s truth! Throughout the Gospels, we are impressed with the teaching ability of Jesus. We can read his lessons and sermons and see for ourselves the divine wisdom that came from his mouth.

And we can read about his audience’s response. Among the people, reaction to the teaching and preaching ministry of Jesus was usually positive, at least initially. Such is the case here: “The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of their law” (Mark 1:22). The people were blown away by the words of Jesus – he spoke with authority because he had ultimate authority – he was God in a human body and was speaking the very words of God. This was in stark contrast to the type of teaching they were used to.

A demon-possessed man is present at this service. The demon suddenly cries out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:23-24).

This is an incredible scene. Again, imagine being in a church service, listening to the greatest teacher you’ve ever heard, and a man begins screaming at Jesus! A demon has taken control of his body, and no doubt made his life miserable. Jesus immediately takes control of the situation and the demon, and demonstrates his omnipotence by casting out the demon and telling him to be quiet (Mark 1:25-26).

This display of strength gives the people a second reason to be astonished – “The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, ‘What is this? A new teaching – and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him'” (Mark 1:27). Jesus’ wonderful teaching ability is surpassed only by his supernatural ability to cast out a demon.

As I read this story, I, too, am amazed. I am amazed at the contrast between the people and the demon. The people were astonished at both the teaching and power of Jesus. But the people do not seem to acknowledge the identity of Jesus. They fall short of realizing who Jesus is. On the other hand, the demon knows precisely who Jesus is. As loudly as he can, he proclaims that Jesus is “the Holy One of God.”

This is a recurring theme in Mark. The people follow Jesus by the thousands. They are eager to benefit from his miracles. He heals the sick and feeds the hungry and liberates the demon-possessed. Yet the huge crowds who clamor for his attention seem content to receive these gifts without acknowledging that the Son of Man is also the Son of God.

In this account, only the demon understands who Jesus is. The most wicked being in the synagogue has the most biblical theology. The demon believes that Jesus is the Son of God but is terrified by it, knowing that one day Jesus will come again to send him into the lake of fire with the devil.

Mark presents two responses to Jesus: the people are amazed, and the demon is terrified.

But being amazed at Jesus because of his oratory and power is not enough. He is not a circus performer or an Olympic athlete. Our amazement at his greatness should lead to our worship of him for his deity. His wisdom and might are worthy of only one response: submissive adoration. The difference between amazement and worship is huge. Only the latter leads to life; the former, to destruction.

Likewise, mere intellectual assent to the deity of Christ, while being terrified of his wrath, is also not the proper response. The demons believed that Jesus was God, yet they fight to the death against the divine King as soldiers in Satan’s doomed army.

We should be both amazed and terrified by Jesus. We should be amazed enough to worship him as God and terrified enough to run to him for salvation from his holy wrath. And because he is so worthy of our praise and so willing to save us from hell, our amazement and terror should turn into love, devotion and unspeakable joy. This is the paradox of the genuine Christ-follower.

 

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How to Find the Best Bible Commentaries

Posted on October 20, 2026 by Wayne Davies

Looking for a good commentary, either for yourself or someone else?

You don’t have to go far to find one – just click below . . .

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/best-commentaries

. . . and you’ll access The Gospel Coalition’s (TGC) annotated list of the best introductory, preaching, and scholarly commentaries on every book in the Bible.

This website is well organized and easy to navigate. For all 66 books, commentaries are presented in this order:

First, “introductory” commentaries:
For Sunday school teachers and small group leaders without advanced training.

Second, “preaching” commentaries:
For pastors and Bible teachers preparing to proclaim the Word.

Third, “scholarly” commentaries:
For pastors and theologians proficient in biblical Greek.

Oh, one more nice feature – you have free online access to TGC’s own commentaries on every book of the Bible. Here’s the link to that:

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/commentary/

You can read each TGC commentary on the screen, and if you scroll down to the end of the commentary, you’ll find a free DOWNLOAD COMMENTARY link. That is cool.

What a great resource. Enjoy!

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Why You Can’t Save Yourself

Posted on October 12, 2026 by Wayne Davies

I love the gospel.

And I love to read a good explanation of the gospel — the best news I ever heard never gets old, boring, or irrelevant.

Here’s a wonderful example of this – a recent article by Granger Smith entitled:

Why You Can’t Save Yourself:
What the Bible Says About Grace and Salvation

It starts like this . . .

“For years I thought I could save myself. Nominal Christianity had trained me to trust in myself, to lean on my own goodness, my own discipline, my own hard work.

“Sometimes it looked like trying to be a ‘good person.’ But according to Scripture, none of us are good (Romans 3:12). Other times it looked like trying to control my life through planning, preparing, and protecting. That didn’t work either (of course). And in the end, both are the same lie: self-salvation.

“The gospel tells a better story. Grace is not God mopping up the messes I can’t handle. Grace is God saving me when I can’t handle anything (Romans 3:23). Salvation is not the reward of my effort; it’s the gift of Christ’s finished work (Ephesians 2:8). He saved me; apart from Him I could do nothing (John 15:5).

“What about you? Maybe you’ve been living like I was, trusting in your goodness, your planning, your hustle, your ability to hold it all together. Maybe you’ve dressed it up in religious language, so it sounds like faith, but underneath it’s still just you trying to save yourself. Friend, that doesn’t work.”

Click below to read the rest . . .

https://www.biblegateway.com/learn/biblical-living/discipleship/you-cant-save-yourself/

Who is Granger Smith? I had no idea until I read his bio.

“Granger Smith is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and nationally syndicated radio host. After a twenty-four-year career as a platinum-selling country music artist, he stepped into ministry to share biblical truth and the hope of Christ. He lives near Georgetown, Texas, with his wife, Amber, and their children.”

Enjoy!

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What is the Most Quoted Psalm in the New Testament?

Posted on October 5, 2026 by Wayne Davies

My 18th Christian book has been released on Amazon and is now available in Kindle and paperback:

How to Pray Like David:
A Bible Study on Psalms 107-150
(Psalms Bible Study Guides, Volume 4)

The Kindle version is on sale for 99 cents.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HH8CXWJ3

 

 

What readers are saying . . .

“Reading Psalms alone can be difficult if you don’t understand who is writing the Psalm and what is going on at the time. Wayne does an amazing job throughout his completed series on Psalms of giving you additional information and questions to get you to dive deeper and apply these concepts to your own life. He gives other references to dive even deeper and cross-reference verses. You can feel his heart for the Lord in his writings. I love how he gives explanations of Hebrew words. He gives multiple views on a topic and why he chose one over the other. Sometimes we do have to agree to disagree. I love the facts, such as Psalm 110 is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament. Most of all, I love that he asks people to personally reach out to him if they have questions or don’t know Jesus!”
Jen Pontoriero

“I couldn’t put the book down. I liked having to look up parallel passages as we looked up different words and such.  I liked the thought-provoking questions. Honestly, I have never been as fond of the Psalms as a lot of people. My thinking doesn’t align too well with poetry, but I think studying them like this will be a great help.”
K.J.

“I really appreciate your deeper dive into the heart of the material. I think the book would be a wonderful tool for a small group study, and I am hoping to use it in that way. One of the most compelling parts, in my opinion, is the way you include community in the responses to the questions. Great job!!”
Jeri Hepler

Would you like to get a taste of what the Volume 4 Bible study is like?
Click HERE and go to the Amazon page. Right below the book cover image, click on “Read sample” and you can read the Introduction and the chapters on Psalms 107 – 110.

Psalm 107 – A Psalm About the God Who Loves & Saves
Psalm 108 – A Psalm of Praise, Prayer, and Promise
Psalm 109 – A Prayer for Judgment against False Accusers
Psalm 110 – A Psalm About Jesus

And if you enjoy this book or find it useful, I’d be grateful if you’d leave a review on Amazon. Many thanks in advance!

ALSO: The Kindle versions of Volumes 1, 2, and 3 are also 99 cents.
Get all 4 volumes for your Kindle (over 600 pages) for $3.96.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DL846YH3

Each of the four volumes is ideal for individuals and small groups. If you’ve been wanting to immerse yourself in the Psalms, here’s a way to do that at a low price.

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The Strength of God and the Myth of Self-Reliance

Posted on September 30, 2026 by Wayne Davies

“I love you, O LORD, my strength.”

So wrote David in Psalm 18:1.

Here are a few thoughts on what this means.

God is the great Provider. He is the source of everything I need to live and breathe and walk and talk. He gives His strength to me every day. He enables me to wake up in the morning, and He keeps my motor running all day long. I cannot do anything without this sustaining grace. As Jesus said, “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

I have lived much of my life without this awareness of God as my source of strength. For many years I was a practical atheist, knowing that God existed but living as if He did not. I ignored Him by rejecting Him and suppressing the truth about Him in unrighteousness, per Romans 1:18. “Jesus be gone!” I proclaimed. And so He was. I made Him vanish from my life so I could live in a fool’s paradise of self-deception, a slave who only thought he was free.

When I experienced success, I gave myself the praise. How easy it is for us to take the credit! After all, I did something, right? I studied hard and earned that degree. I worked hard and got that promotion. I exercised myself to the point of exhaustion and finished the race.

Ah, how easy it is to look at life with the eyes of fallen flesh.

Yes, we are capable of great things. But where do we get the resources? Who made us and put us here? Who gave us the breath of life and the opportunity to get up day after day with good health and ample provision of food, clothing, and shelter? Who endowed us with a mind to think and legs to walk and hands to use?

Oh, how grateful I am that God rescued me from such a distorted perspective. He opened my eyes to see Him as He really is. Today, the LORD is my strength. “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer . . . my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:2-3).

David wrote those words “on the day when the LORD rescued him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul” (from the heading of Psalm 18).

God has rescued me from all my enemies, including enemy #1 – me, my pride, and the delusions of grandeur that dominate my heart.

Oh, Lord, please keep them at bay today. Save me again from the myth of self-reliance. By the power of your Spirit and for the glory of King Jesus, Amen.

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How to Have No Other Gods

Posted on September 20, 2026 by Wayne Davies

Have you ever wondered how believers understood the Bible in the past . . .
say, about 400 years ago?

Fortunately, we have literally hundreds of books and other edifying documents written by Christians in the 1600’s. For example – how did believers understand the Ten Commandments four centuries ago?

The first of the Ten Commandments is this:

“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7)

A good explanation was written in the 1640’s and is known as the Westminster Catechism. This document consists of 196 questions that pastors used to explain Biblical doctrine to their people.

“Question 104: What are the duties required in the first commandment?

“Answer: The duties required in the first commandment are,
the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God;
and to worship and glorify him accordingly,
by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming,
honoring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him;
believing him; trusting, hoping, delighting, rejoicing in him;
being zealous for him; calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks,
and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man;
being careful in all things to please him,
and sorrowful when in anything he is offended;
and walking humbly with him.”

This is what I call straightforward Bible teaching, using simple sentences and understandable words. This is what it means to have no other gods besides the one true God.

I count about 25 verbs that are used to unpack the meaning of this one command.

If you were to “examine yourself” today, as Paul instructed the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 13:5, how are you doing with the duties enumerated above?

May God enable us to live in accordance with this teaching, and may He grant us humility as we depend on the Holy Spirit to purify our hearts from all other gods. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

NOTE: The above quote is from . . .

Ten Commandments from the Westminster Larger Catechism, available for free from the Chapel Library in print, PDF, and ePUB formats.

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A Special Announcement

Posted on September 13, 2026 by Wayne Davies

I recently finished my latest book and I’d like to give you a complimentary copy.

It’s entitled:

How to Pray Like David:
A Bible Study on Psalms 107-150

This is Volume 4 of the series, “Psalm Bible Study Guides.”

Lord willing, I plan to publish it soon on Amazon, but before I do, I’d like to send you a free copy (PDF and ePUB).

 

All I ask is that you read it by September 30, 2026, and send me an email with your honest feedback.

How does that sound?

If you’re interested, let me know in the comments below. I will then send you the digital files as an email attachment.

Here’s a preview of what you’ll learn by reading this book:

  • How to Worship the God who Loves and Saves His People
  • The Blessings of the Person who Stands in Awe of the Lord
  • How to Rejoice in the God who Fulfills His Promises
  • Why You Can Exalt the God who is Incomparably Great and Full of Compassion
  • 4 Reasons to Praise God for His Kingdom, His Power, His Presence, and His Provision
  • Which is the Shortest Psalm in the Bible (and What It’s All About)
  • Which is the Longest Psalm in the Bible (and What It’s All About)
  • 3 Life-changing Truths: What Scripture Is, What Scripture Does, What Scripture Requires
  • How to Give Thanks to God in the Midst of Your Troubles
  • How to Cry Out to God for Deliverance from Sin
  • How to Praise God for His Attributes (Who He Is)
  • How to Praise God for His Actions (What He Does)

I look forward to hearing from you.

Posted in Bible study, Thoughts on the Psalms | Leave a comment

A Short Bible Study on Your Heart

Posted on September 6, 2026 by Wayne Davies

One of the Bible’s main themes is the heart.

The greatest commandment is to love God “with all your heart” (Matthew 22:37), and therefore our top priority should be to “guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23).

Did you catch that last comment from Solomon: “everything you do flows from” your heart.

According to the book of Proverbs, all of the following are found in your heart:
wisdom (2:10)
love (3:3)
faithfulness (3:3)
planning (16:1, 16:9)
discernment (16:21)
purpose (20:5)
knowledge (22:17)
instruction (23:12)

And on the negative side of human nature, Jesus confirmed Proverbs 4:23. “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7:21-23).

Yes, the heart is much more than the seat of your emotions. It’s everything that makes you who you are. It’s the real you.

We have a huge problem here, don’t we? How can I love God with all my heart when my heart is “deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV).

Thanks be to God, there is a divine remedy for a heart that is “beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV). For the repentant sinner who trusts Christ for salvation, God provides a new heart.

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Ezekiel 36:25-27).

Our hearts need fixing, but we can’t do it. And we need much more than heart medication or a heart procedure. Spiritually speaking, we need a brand new heart. We need a heart transplant!

And that is exactly what God says he will do when he gives us his Spirit to live within us. This is the miraculous work of God – when he provides the Holy Spirit, he gives us a new heart, and now we have his power enabling us to live a new life.

With that in mind, here are ten things God wants us to do with a Spirit-led, Spirit-filled heart. These are ten ways we can love God with our hearts, in the order they appear in Psalm 119.

  1. Seek God with all your heart (Psalm 119:2)
  2. Praise God with an upright heart (Psalm 119:7)
  3. Hide God’s word in your heart (Psalm 119:11)
  4. Set your heart on God’s laws (Psalm 119:30)
  5. Allow God to set your heart free (Psalm 119:32)
  6. Obey God’s law with all your heart (Psalm 119:34)
  7. Keep God’s precepts with all your heart (Psalm 119:69)
  8. Let the Word of God be the joy of your heart (Psalm 119:111)
  9. Call to God with all your heart (Psalm 119:145)
  10. Let your heart tremble at God’s word (Psalm 119:161)

If you’ve ever wondered, What does it mean to love God with all my heart?, I hope you find the above list helpful.

Now what?

Why not spend each of the next ten days focusing on one of these specific ways to love God with your heart? This is what the Christian life is about. This is what the Christian life should look like.

If you’re like me, you’ll have room for improvement. That’s to be expected. This is what sanctification entails – the lifelong process of increasing holiness and Christ-likeness.

As you work on these ten areas, keep in mind these powerful and comforting promises. “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

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What Is Bible Study Boot Camp?

Posted on August 30, 2026 by Wayne Davies

Resources that show you how to study the Bible abound.

Here’s one that I highly recommend.

It’s called:

Bible Study Boot Camp

 

This is a free, 7-day email course that will take your Bible study from unsure to confident. Each daily lesson walks you through one part of the method.

To sign up, CLICK HERE.

You’ll learn a method for studying any passage of Scripture.

When you enroll, you’ll also receive a free Bible Study Starter Kit, which explains the full 6-step method and the principles behind it. Also included is a printable worksheet.

The creator of the Bible Study Boot Camp is Krisan Marotta, host of the “Wednesday in the Word” podcast, the longest-running Bible study podcast in the world that reaches over 50,000 listeners each year in 157 countries, offering verse-by-verse Bible teaching since 2011.

Let me know what you think of this approach to studying the Word. It’s a method that I have used often, and if you have any questions about it, feel free to leave a comment below. I’m here to help.

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