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Tammuz is the eleventh
month of the Jewish calendar. It is the month when the Israelites created the
golden calf. The 17th of Tammuz begins a three-week period of
fasting similar to Lent.
Thursday, July 4, 2019 | Tammuz 1, 5779
“When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from
the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, ‘Come, make us gods who will
go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t
know what has happened to him.’” – Exodus 32:1
Lord, help me to be
patient. Help me to wait Your direction instead of making my own plans that
will contradict Yours.
Friday, July 5, 2019 | Tammuz 2, 5779
“Aaron answered them, ‘Take off the gold earrings that your wives,
your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.’ So all the
people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the
shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, ‘These are your
gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’” – Exodus 32:2-4
Father, give me a clear
picture of You. I want to see You for who You are, not what I imagine You to be.
Saturday, July 6, 2019 | Tammuz 3, 5779
“When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and
announced, ‘Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.’ So the next day the people rose
early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings.
Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” –
Exodus 32:5-6
Jesus, help me to
celebrate and worship in ways that are pleasing to You. Make my heart sincere
and my spirit sensitive to Your leading as I enter each worship experience and
celebrate each holy day (holiday).
~Week 44~
Sunday, July 7, 2019 | Tammuz 4, 5779
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go down, because your
people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and
have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down
to it and sacrificed to it and have said, “These are your gods, Israel, who
brought you up out of Egypt.” – Exodus 32:7-8
Holy Spirit, how quick
I am sometimes to turn away from Your commands. Strengthen my resolve and help
me to fall more in love with you so that I won’t fall into temptation.
Monday, July 8, 2019 | Tammuz 5, 5779
“‘I have seen these people,’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘and they are a
stiff-necked people. Now leave Me alone so that My anger
may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a
great nation.’” – Exodus 32:9-10
Father, soften my heart
so that I won’t resist You. I don’t want to be stiff-necked and stubborn when
it comes to Your guidance. I want to be Your obedient child and Your partner in
the world.
Tuesday, July 9, 2019 | Tammuz 6, 5779
“But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘why should Your anger burn
against Your people, whom You brought out of Egypt with great power and a
mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, “It was
with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to
wipe them off the face of the earth”?’” – Exodus 32:11-12
Jesus, make me obedient
and faithful to You. I don’t want to be cause of others speaking against You. I
don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea about who You are.
Wednesday, July 10, 2019 | Tammuz 7, 5779
“Turn from Your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on
Your people. Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac
and Israel, to whom You swore by Your own self: ‘I will make your descendants
as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this
land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” Then the Lord relented and did not bring on His
people the disaster He had threatened.” – Exodus 32:12-14
Thank You, Father, for
Your faithfulness and love. Even when I fail You and deserve Your punishment, You
uphold the covenant You made with me. You stay true to Your promises.
Thursday, July 11, 2019 | Tammuz 8, 5779
“Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of
the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and
back. The tablets were the work of God; the
writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.” – Exodus 32:15-16
Lord, give me reverence
for Your Word. Your Scriptures are Your words, Your message to me. Give me the
diligence to study it and the wisdom to understand it.
Friday, July 12, 2019 | Tammuz 9, 5779
“When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing,
his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to
pieces at the foot of the mountain.” – Exodus 32:19
Holy Spirit, like Moses
broke the tablets, I have been guilty of breaking Your commands as well. Every
time I sin, I shatter Your law. Discipline me and teach me to obey You for my
own good.
Saturday, July 13, 2019 | Tammuz 10, 5779
“And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the
fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the
Israelites drink it.” – Exodus 32:20
Jesus, give me the
strength to destroy and remove any hindrance in my life that keeps me from
following You. I want to give You everything.
~Week 45~
Sunday, July 14, 2019 | Tammuz 11, 5779
“He said to Aaron, ‘What did these people do to you, that you led
them into such great sin?’” – Exodus 32:21
Father, You are my
rock. Let me not be tempted or pressured by other people. Give me the strength
to stand secure in You.
Monday, July 15, 2019 | Tammuz 12, 5779
“‘Do not be angry, my lord,’ Aaron answered. ‘You know how prone
these people are to evil. They said to me, “Make us gods who
will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we
don’t know what has happened to him.”
So I told them,
“Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.” Then they gave me the gold, and I
threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!’” – Exodus 32:22-24
Jesus, give me the
strength to be honest about my failings. Give me the strength I need to look at
my life and my actions and take responsibility for what I have done. Give me
the strength to sincerely repent and change for Your glory and my good.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019 | Tammuz 13, 5779
“Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had
let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies.” –
Exodus 32:25
Holy Spirit, make me
obedient and grounded in You. Don’t let there be any hypocrisy in me that would
cause others to ridicule my commitment to You.
Wednesday, July 17, 2019 | Tammuz 14, 5779
“So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, ‘Whoever is for
the Lord, come to me.’ And all the Levites rallied to him. Then he said to
them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Each man
strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to
the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.”’ The Levites did
as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. Then Moses said, ‘You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own
sons and brothers, and He has blessed you this day.’” – Exodus 32:26-29
Father, I don’t want to
war against anyone. But You have called me to put You first in my life. I place
You above all else, even my own family. I will live for You even when they
don’t.
Thursday, July 18, 2019 | Tammuz 15, 5779
“So Moses went back to the Lord and said, ‘Oh, what a great sin these
people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of
the book You have written.” – Exodus 32:31-32
Lord, give me a heart
of intercession for others. Give me a heart of compassion and forgiveness as I
lift the needs of others up to You.
Friday, July 19, 2019 | Tammuz 16, 5779
“The Lord replied to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against Me I will blot out
of My book. Now go, lead the people to the place I
spoke of, and My angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for Me
to punish, I will punish them for their sin.” – Exodus 32:33-34
Father, You are just.
Let Your angel go before me as well. Give me eyes to see Your leading and a
spirit willing to accept Your correction.
Saturday, July 20, 2019 | Tammuz 17, 5779
Seventeenth of Tammuz (Fast Day)
“The
Israelites gathered together, fasting
and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.” – Nehemiah 9:1
Jesus, give me a godly
sorrow over my sins. Show me what my sin looks like to You and give me a spirit
that genuinely repents of it.
~Week 46~
Sunday, July 21, 2019 | Tammuz 18, 5779
“In
every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great
mourning among the Jews, with fasting,
weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.” – Esther 4:3
Holy Spirit, let my
sorrow not to turn bitterness. Instead, let me seek You in my pain. Let me run
to You in prayer and trust You as my hope in all situations.
Monday, July 22, 2019 | Tammuz 19, 5779
“Blessed
are those who mourn, for they
will be comforted.” – Matthew 5:4
Jesus, how great a
promise You have given me! I long for the day when You will make all things
new.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019 | Tammuz 20, 5779
“Is
this the kind of fast I have
chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s
head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the
chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?” – Isaiah 58:5-6
Father, help me to
remember that my belief in You is not for my good alone. You have called me to
action for the good of Your children.
Wednesday, July 24, 2019 | Tammuz 21, 5779
“Then
will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of
the earth will mourn when they
see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.”
– Matthew 24:30
Lord, give me
opportunities to share the message of Your love with others before it’s too
late.
Thursday, July 25, 2019 | Tammuz 22, 5779
“Declare
a holy fast; call a sacred
assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.” – Joel 1:14
Holy Spirit, let me not
take responsibility for my actions alone, but for my actions as part of a
church, part of a community, and part of a nation. Show me how to be Your agent
in all areas of my life.
Friday, July 26, 2019 | Tammuz 23, 5779
“Even
now,” declares the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” –
Joel 2:12
Lord, break my heart
over my sin. Break my heart over my neglect of You. Give me a spirit that longs
to be close to You.
Saturday, July 27, 2019 | Tammuz 24, 5779
“The
Ninevites believed God. A fast
was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on
sackcloth.” – Jonah 3:5
Holy Spirit, help me
never to write someone off or act as if You can’t reach them. Just as You led
Jonah to speak to his enemies, give me a heart that is willing to share Your
message with anyone who needs to heart it.
~Week 47~
Sunday, July 28, 2019 | Tammuz 25, 5779
Jesus, just as You
fasted to seek the Father’s will and prepare for Your mission, give me a
diligent spirit that seeks You day after day.
Monday, July 29, 2019 | Tammuz 26, 5779
“When
you fast, do not look somber as
the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have
received their reward in full.” – Matthew 6:16
Lord, let my time with
You be sincere. Let me practice my spirituality to grow closer to You, not to
gain the attention or respect of others.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019 | Tammuz 27, 5779
“Then
John’s disciples came and asked Him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered, ‘How can the
guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? The time will come when
the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.’” – Matthew 9:14-15
My Savior, I long for
the day when I will be with You. Give me the spiritual discipline to learn and
grow and in You as I wait for Your return or my departure from this world.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019 | Tammuz 28, 5779
“While
they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,
the Holy Spirit said…,” – Acts 13:2
Holy Spirit, give me
faith that You will speak to me when I seek You and honor You in my spiritual
practices.
Thursday, August 1, 2019 | Tammuz 29, 5779
“He
will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the
old order of things has passed away.” – Revelation 21:4
Prepare me for that
day, Lord Jesus. Rid me of my sin and give me a spirit wholly devoted to You so
that I can be with You always.
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