A Collegiate Way of Life at Baylor University

Call to Prayer

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Alleluia. Amen.

Scripture for the Day

“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. (Luke 8:39)

Reflection

As we return home, consider how the Lord has blessed you over the past two weeks. How would you describe “how much God has done for you”? Through what sites has God blessed you? Which opportunities for ministry, service, or worship have been the greatest occasions of God’s goodness for you? Through whom has God blessed you? 

As you go away, returning from Greece to your home, what will you proclaim? To whom will you proclaim it?

Praying for Greece

Pray today once again for our group. Ask the Lord for safety as we travel, for health and strength of body, for openness of hearts, for success in returning everyone home with lives enlivened for more faithful service to Christ.

The Lord’s Prayer

Concluding Prayers

Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity, and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Call to Prayer

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Alleluia. Amen.

Scripture for the Day

For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. (2 Tim 4:10)

Reflection

The Bible tells us everything of which we have need for salvation. It also gives us fascinating hints of stories not related in its books. Who was Paul’s friend Demas and what did he find in Thessalonica? What about Crescens? And how did Titus travel to Dalmatia and what did he do there? Here in Athens, who really were Paul’s Athenian converts, Dionysius and Damaris? What kinds of lives did they lead before and after their faith in Jesus? Wouldn’t it be fascinating to know? What other incomplete stories in the Bible leave you wondering about the rest of the story?

Praying for Greece

Pray for two members of our group today. Ask God to complete and fulfill the story of their lives in amazing, wonderful ways. Pray that each chapter of their life will be marked by trust in the Lord, gratitude for God’s goodness, and love of Christ and neighbor. Seek the Lord’s strength for these things in your own life.

The Lord’s Prayer

Concluding Prayers

Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity, and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Call to Prayer

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Alleluia. Amen.

Scripture for the Day

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. . . . And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. (Acts 18: 1, 4)

Reflection

Paul spent 1-1/2 years in Corinth and wrote two letters to the church there. We know them as the books of 1 and 2 Corinthians. His ministry apparently prospered in Corinth, but not without dedication and discipline. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” (1 Co 9: 24-25)

For what spiritual prize do we run? With what kind of discipline, self-control, and training? Why are we running the race set out before us?

Praying for Greece

Pray today for Theo Karvounakis, dean and director of Greek Bible College. Ask God for vision to lead; wisdom to teach and mentor capably; and an abundance of faith, hope, and love.

The Lord’s Prayer

Concluding Prayers

Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity, and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Call to Prayer

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Alleluia. Amen.

Scripture for the Day

But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. (Luke 5:16)

Reflection

Great crowds of the desperate, hungry, needy, sick, and simply curious gathered around Jesus. He encouraged, fed, healed, and satisfied though with needs, and the crowds grew even greater. “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” In the midst of Jesus’ busy ministry, he sought and found quiet places in which he could direct his heart and mind to God.

As we return today to AXIA 113’s ministry site for work with its Farsi program, many will come with needs. In the inwardness and quiet of your soul, can you listen for the Lord’s voice even in the midst of chaos and clamoring? Before and after our service, will you find a quiet place for prayer?

Praying for Greece

Pray today for prayerful men, women, and children across every nation of the world. Pray for the Lord to bless all those who call upon his name. Ask the Lord to sustain you in a disciplined life of holiness and prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer

Concluding Prayers

Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity, and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Call to Prayer

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Alleluia. Amen.

Scripture for the Day

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Heb. 10:23-25)

Reflection

Among the joys of belonging to Christ is the privilege, when traveling, of joining together with other believers in churches and ministries all over the world. Thereby we can encourage the love and good work of other Christians whose lives and faith are part of God’s plan.

Do you make a habit of visiting local churches or interacting with local Christians when you travel? Or when you’re on vacation, do you take a “break” from going to church? What is at stake in these matters?

Praying for Greece

Pray today for Leonid Ivanov, team leader for AXIA 113. Ask for Christ’s spirit to be with him, to uplift him, and to help him bless other refugees, like himself. (He fled Donetsk, Ukraine several years ago, because of conflict there.) Pray that God would strengthen his Russian-language ministry at Glyfada Church of Christ.

The Lord’s Prayer

Concluding Prayers

Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity, and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Call to Prayer

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Alleluia. Amen.

Scripture for the Day

And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. (Acts 14: 13-15)

Reflection

The only mention of Zeus in the Bible occurs in Acts 14, a text describing events not in Athens—where work on a temple honoring Zeus began in the sixth century B.C. and went on for over 600 years—but in Lystra, a city in central Asia Minor. But what actually happened in Lystra might have occurred in Athens if Paul had had healed the lame here. “Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.” Treated as gods, they immediately pointed away from themselves to the living God in whose service they humbly labored.

Praying for Greece

Pray today for Christian leaders who identify the false gods of our age, turn away from unseemly praise and vainglory, and walk humbly before a God whose praise they proclaim.

The Lord’s Prayer

Concluding Prayers

Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity, and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Call to Prayer

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Alleluia. Amen.

Scripture for the Day

And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord . . . . (Deut 6:10-12)

Reflection

Situated between the Adriatic, Ionian, and Mediterranean seas, a temperate climate sustains Greece’s world-famous olive groves, the fruit of which is traded internationally. Generations here have enjoyed livelihoods made possible by God’s goodness and their ancestors’ husbandry.

Who built the places in which you have lived? What good things have filled your homes without any contribution you made? What sustenance have you been given without working for it? In times of blessing, do you remember to give thanks to the Lord?

Praying for Greece

As Hellenic Ministries notes, “Although Greece was the first European country to be evangelized, its Christianity is now more a cultural heritage than a spiritual reality. 96% of the population is Greek Orthodox but only 2% are in church on any given Sunday.”

Pray for all the churches of Greece. Pray especially for First Greek Evangelical Church, our host. Ask the Lord to bring awareness of spiritual poverty to the Greeks and readiness to hear with fresh ears Christ’s call to spiritually abundant life. 

The Lord’s Prayer

Concluding Prayers

Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity, and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Call to Prayer

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Alleluia. Amen.

Scripture for the Day

We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (Isa 26:1-3)

Reflection

Walled cities secured and saved people from danger in ancient times. On our free day, we visit a nearby beach, well outside the now largely destroyed walls of ancient Athens, impressively built and rebuilt over centuries long gone. All of the inspiring sites of classical grandeur, even in their ruins, impress us so much that it’s easy to forget how important the city walls once were. 

Do modern Greeks live within protected “walls”? In what do they place their trust? Where do we find security, safety, and peace?

Praying for Greece

Remember our friend, Brad Newport, an American missionary involved in refugee ministry in Athens. Pray for his progress in learning Greek. Ask God to help him teach and disciple new Christians in the faith. Pray that he will abide in faith, hope, and love around people in despair.

The Lord’s Prayer

Concluding Prayers

Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity, and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Call to Prayer

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Alleluia. Amen.

Scripture for the Day

For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit . . . . (1 Co 12:8-9)

Reflection

Wisdom, knowledge, faith, and healing. These are precious gifts of the Spirit of God. First-century Greeks under Roman rule would have recognized their value, perhaps praying to Athena for wisdom, Apollo for prophetic knowledge, or Asclepius for healing. Some traveled to sanctuaries like Epidauris, 40 miles by boat, in desperate search of healing and wholeness.

What gifts has God given you? How are these gifts both blessings and responsibilities? By what means can you return the Lord’s gifts in love for the strengthening of the church?

Praying for Greece

Pray today for Hellenic Ministries, the parent organization of AXIA 113. Pray for its ministry to indigent and refugee families. Pray for its work with men who have lost families, homes, jobs, and countries. Pray for its ministry to women who care for children or are expecting. Ask for the mercy of Christ to abound.

The Lord’s Prayer

Concluding Prayers

Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity, and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Call to Prayer

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Alleluia. Amen.

Scripture for the Day

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite . . . . (Acts 17: 32-34)

Reflection

The apostle Paul often experienced rejection. The mockery of some Athenians was mild compared to the arrests, beatings, imprisonments, and interrogations he faced elsewhere. Yet not all rejected Paul’s words. Among those that believed was Dionysius the Areopagite.

Today, the first street south of the Acropolis is named for St. Dionysius. Two thousand years after Paul’s visit to Athens, his patient love for and reasoning with a difficult people continues to touch the city. What history, influence, or legacy will we leave in the places we visit?

Praying for Greece

Pray today for Greek Bible College. Its leaders, faculty, and students celebrate graduation in coming weeks, honoring young evangelical Christians responding to God’s call to minister, pastor, teach, and witness to the good news of God’s love. Pray that Christ will direct them.

The Lord’s Prayer

Concluding Prayers

Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity, and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.