A One-Week Renewal Plan to Use Next Week

Maybe you’re tired. Your spiritual “juice” is drying up. Your disciplines have waned. If so, here’s a simple strategy to help you get jump-started over the next week. You’ll read the story of the Bible, spend time with the Lord, and start walking in obedience again.

Sunday: 

• Attend your church, asking God to meet you in a special way during the next week. 
• Worship Him with great expectation for the week. 

Monday:

• Read Genesis 1-3, focusing on God’s creation and fall of Adam and Eve into sin. Notice all the repercussions of sin.
• Pray today about the goodness of God. Throughout the day, thank God for all the blessings He’s given you (starting with the fact that you woke up in the morning).
• Do something good for someone today. Serve somebody at your work, your neighborhood, or school. Hold a door open. Say “thanks” to a leader. Pray for someone who’s hurting.

Tuesday:

• Read Exodus 20:1-17, using the Ten Commandments to evaluate places where you need to follow God more obediently. 
• Pray about God’s being the absolute Lord of your life, rejecting all idols you’re holding on to.
• Do turn from wrong in response to your reading. Reject idols that control your life. Reach out to your parents. Stop coveting or lying. Turn adulterous eyes back to God.

Wednesday:

• Read Isaiah 53, meditating quietly on the picture of Jesus dying for your sin. Slow down enough to let the words sink in.  
• Pray for loved ones and friends that need to follow Jesus.
• Do tell somebody today how much Jesus means to you – even if that person is another believer.

Thursday:

• Read Psalm 51, sensing David’s brokenness over his sin against God.   
• Pray this psalm aloud, letting David’s words be your words. Even if you’ve never done this before, give it a shot.
• Do write a list of all the sins you need to confess to God. One by one, confess them, asking God to renew your heart. Let today be a day of renewal.  

Friday:

• Read Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount, listening closely to God’s instructions for you.   
• Pray about anything you know you need to change based on these chapters. In fact, pray as you read. Stop to confess when needed.  
• Do contact someone today who serves as a Christian role model for you. Send an email. Make a phone call. Write a card. Ask that person to pray for you to serve God well.  

Saturday:

• Read Revelation 21-22, pausing to think about the reality and glory of heaven. You might even think about Christians you love who are now in God’s presence.   
• Pray throughout the day prayers of thanksgiving that heaven is (a) real and (b) a place for redeemed sinners (like you).
• Do tell somebody about your deepened desire to serve God better. Ask somebody to walk with you – don’t take this journey alone.  

Sunday:

• Read Matthew 16:18 before going to church, recognizing that your church is God’s church – and hell can’t stop it.   
• Pray for God to make Himself known in a glorious way through your church and its leaders today. 
• Do gather with your brothers and sisters in Christ with a sense of excitement and joy. 

How might we pray for you as you long for renewal?