Diligence — Devotional and Prayer — KJV Bible Study
A DEVOTIONAL AND A PRAYER · A WALK THROUGH THE WHOLE DAY, MORNING, NOON, AND NIGHT
Diligence — Foundational Biblical Doctrine
INTRO
God has not left you to wonder all day whether you will stand. He has put the answer into your own hand, and he calls it diligence. It is not busy hands only; it is the whole heart set on one thing, from the first light of morning to the last thought before sleep. David prayed evening, and morning, and at noon (Psalm 55:17); Daniel knelt three times a day (Daniel 6:10). This reading walks the same three watches, and carries one word of diligence into each of them: seek him early, pause at midday to remember him, and meditate on him when the day is done.
Psalm 5:3Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
IN THE MORNING WILL I DIRECT MY PRAYER UNTO THEE → AND WILL LOOK UP.
Psalm 63:1Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
EARLY WILL I SEEK THEE → MY SOUL THIRSTETH FOR THEE.
(My personal thoughts — this morning, before the day's work takes your hands, give it your first strength instead. The one who seeks early is not the one who loves God more; he is the one who asks first, before the day has spent him. Set your face toward him before you set your face toward anything else today.)
NOON — AND AT NOON WILL I PRAY
Psalm 55:17Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
EVENING, AND MORNING, AND AT NOON, WILL I PRAY → AND HE SHALL HEAR MY VOICE.
Acts 10:9Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
PETER WENT UP UPON THE HOUSETOP TO PRAY → ABOUT THE SIXTH HOUR.
2 Peter 3:14Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
BE DILIGENT → FOUND OF HIM IN PEACE, WITHOUT SPOT, AND BLAMELESS.
(My personal thoughts — at midday, stop what your hands are doing, even for a moment. Peter was not in a special place; he was on an ordinary rooftop, at an ordinary hour, in the middle of an ordinary day. Remember the verse you carried from this morning, say it again, and then return to your work. This is the pause that keeps diligence from turning into mere busyness.)
NIGHT — MEDITATE DAY AND NIGHT
Psalm 63:6Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
WHEN I REMEMBER THEE UPON MY BED → AND MEDITATE ON THEE IN THE NIGHT WATCHES.
Joshua 1:8Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
THOU SHALT MEDITATE THEREIN DAY AND NIGHT → THEN THOU SHALT MAKE THY WAY PROSPEROUS.
Proverbs 4:23Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Keep thy heart with all diligence [H4929 mishmar]; for out of it are the issues of life.
KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE → OUT OF IT ARE THE ISSUES OF LIFE.
(My personal thoughts — tonight, look back over the day against the verses you carried this morning and at noon. Where the day went well, give thanks. Where it did not, do not carry it to sleep; lay it down before God tonight, and let your heart be kept, not troubled, as you rest.)
THE WORD TO HIDE IN THE HEART
2 Peter 1:10Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
GIVE DILIGENCE TO MAKE YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE → IF YE DO THESE THINGS, YE SHALL NEVER FALL.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Deuteronomy 6:7Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗sets one command over the whole day: teach these things when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. Morning, noon, and night are not three separate errands; they are one walk with God carried all the way through. Diligence is not a burst of energy at sunrise that fades by evening. It is the same seeking heart, kept awake in the middle of the day, and laid down in peace at night — 1 Thessalonians 5:17 calls the whole of it simply this: pray without ceasing.
APPLY TODAY
1. This morning, before you eat, read the morning verse out loud once, and ask God to help you seek him first today.
2. At midday, stop whatever your hands are doing for one full minute, say the noon verse again, and then return to your work.
3. Tonight, before you sleep, say the word to hide in your heart (2 Peter 1:10) once more, and name one thing from today you are thankful for.
4. Tonight, keep your heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23): if anger or worry is still in you from the day, name it in prayer before you close your eyes, so that it does not carry over into tomorrow.
THE PRAYER
Lord, you have not left me to wonder if I will stand. You have put the answer into my own hand, and you call it diligence. Make me diligent this day — this morning, at noon, and tonight. Let me seek you early, and seek you out, for you reward those who diligently seek you. Keep my heart with all diligence. Do not let me be the one who desires and has nothing, but let me be found working, and found faithful. Renew my mind, and bring every thought into the obedience of Christ, that I may be kept in perfect peace. Love in many will grow cold before the end comes; so give me diligence to endure to the end, and not grow lukewarm (Matthew 24:13; Revelation 3:15-16). Let me show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope, and be found of you in peace, without fault, at your coming. So let an entrance be given to me abundantly into your everlasting kingdom. Amen.
CLOSING
2 Peter 1:11Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
AN ENTRANCE MINISTERED UNTO YOU ABUNDANTLY → INTO THE EVERLASTING KINGDOM.
