When Paul wrote the book of Philippians, he was in prison, and it was awful. Prisons back then were horrible places full of disease, torture, suffering and humiliation. Not only that, but for a missionary whose heart was focussed on serving the Lord and
spreading the message of Jesus, this situation would probably have felt like a disastrous nightmare. The thing is, Paul talks about prison as if it’s the greatest place on earth! He can’t decide between prison and heaven! He’s absolutely filled and overflowing with joy in this short letter. How could he face such disappointment,
frustration, pain and suffering with so much joy? And of course, the real question is, what can we learn from him so that we can face trouble and suffering in the same way?
EVERYDAY:
PRAY:
How do you feel? Tell Him everything.
What do you need Jesus to do for you today?
What are you thankful for?
Day 1- Day 4:
PREP (What are you looking for? - go over these before reading)
What attitude will bring you joy in hard times?
What do you need to focus on / or want more than anything else?
Monday: Read Philippians 1
Tuesday: Read Philippians 2
Wednesday: Read Philippians 3
Thursday: Read Philippians 4
SO WHAT (Boiling down what you’ve found - questions for after reading)
What holds you back from that attitude that will bring you joy?
What is your biggest problem, stress, struggle / where are you suffering?
Day 5:
PREP (What are you looking for? - go over these before reading)
What’s going to happen to your enemies?
What’s going to happen to you?
READ Psalm 37
SO WHAT (Boiling down what you’ve found - questions for after reading)
Who in your life is really hurting you or making you angry right now?
How does God feel about you?
Day 6:
Key Verses of Philippians
Read Philippians 1:6; 1:20-21; 2:3-5; 3:8; 3:12-14; 4:4-8
Write these verses out.
What are they saying to you today?
Day 7:
READ John 1:35-39
As you read this, what is Jesus like? How does He seem to you?
If Jesus asked you the question, “What do you want?” or “What are you looking for?” what would you say?
Jesus hung out with Andrew and John for the rest of the day.
What do you think it would be like to hang out with Jesus for the whole afternoon and evening? What would you want to talk with Him about?
*The main thing is this: Don’t get bogged down. If you need to skip a day, do it. If you hate journaling, don’t journal. If you have a creative idea, incorporate that. This is simply a place to start.