July Reading Plan and Prayer Requests for The Quiet Hours

That’s right. Welcome to the Prophets, baby.

This month is the part of this reading plan I’m most excited/nervous about. The weaving of the narrative chapters of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles (both are telling different parts of the same story) with the writings and warnings of the prophets (Amos, Hosea, Micah, Jonah.)

When I’ve read these in the past (if I’ve made it this far) these books have come months apart from each other, so far that it was hard to see how they might relate. But these prophets aren’t writing these books centuries later. These are letters, messages, proclamations in the street happening as the people of Israel and Judah are at war — with each other and the nations around them — or trying to navigate living in unusual prosperity (sometimes an even trickier task.)

I’m trying my best here to place these warnings as they might have fallen within the narrative, to get a sense of the greater conversation. How is God trying to speak to His people?

They are so quick to race off to another war, or to build another idol hoping for rescue. Meanwhile, there are these lone voices crying out that there is another way.

Sound familiar?

Sure does to me.

This feels like a microcosm of the inside of my own head, before I even make it out to the headlines or the kitchen table.

Plus we get to spend some more time with Jesus, in the book of Mark. How wonderful is that?

As of tomorrow we’re halfway through the year. Thanks to all of you who have stuck with this! I keep getting emails and messages from readers and friends and I’m so glad this has been as encouraging to you as it has been to me. What a ride!

I’d love to ask you for your prayers, as well, as I work on finishing up the writing on the Quiet Hours books. I have about three or four weeks left before they go to print and I’m not “BEHIND” on them, but I’m not exactly comfortable with where I am at this point, either, to be completely honest.

Book 1 is done. Book 2 is probably at 70%. Book 3 at about 30%. Writing/creating the format took the most work, so now that the framework is done, in some ways a good part of the work is already done just by deciding on a theme, but still there’s a lot left to do and every hour counts at this point.

If you would, please pray for me as I do my best to finish these.

• That I would be focused and clear-eyed. To not get distracted and lost in research or what-if’s (an easy thing to do…)

• That I would still be a pleasant human to my wife and daughters and friends.

• That I would rest and enjoy the Lord as I write books about resting and enjoying the Lord — shockingly easy to quit doing and just start yelling at others to do.

• That I would keep the devil of AI away from my work, and not give in to the voice tempting me “Just let me do it. I’m so quick. So easy. No one needs to know.”

• That I would be wise with finances, partnerships and business decisions I can struggle to understand.

Thank you all. I look forward to being back here writing more frequently once I have some brain cells to spare again.

Some other really fun projects have been popping up, as well, that I will share soon once I have the bandwidth. A lot of fun things are coming up. The Lord has continued to be good. Much more than I deserve. Even on the hardest days.

Grace to you all.