Deuteronomy means "second law" which covers the time Moses explained the law (revealed first in Exodus and Leviticus) a second time to the people. After being on the Mount Sinai for two forty day periods, Moses came down from the mountain and told the people how God wanted them to live.Now, forty years later, after wandering through the desert (the book of Numbers) as punishment to the generation that didn't believe that God could help them overcome the enemies living in the Promised Land, Moses stood on the border of Jordan and Israel, east of the Jordan River.At the time of Deuteronomy, he was 120 years old, in good health, but also facing the consequences for his lack of faith and anger expressed as a leader. Now he turned to the new generation and as the patriarch of these people (over a million men, women and children). He wanted them to understand how to live before he died. It was a time to pass the baton to new leaders and a new generation.We should always be looking forward to our death, living as if today is our last, making sure that we are inspiring the next generation. Deuteronomy is a sad book, saying goodbye to one of the Bible's incredible heroes, but it's hopeful too, as Moses shows us how to exit this life and prepare others to carry on our faith to new frontiers.PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIESWhat is God's word? Simply put, it is the word of God spoken to people long ago who transcribed that information into writing. That writing was meticulously passed down for thousands of years to speak to us today.How did God speak to people in Bible times? -Audibly - God spoke directly to people who heard him with their ears or in their heart.-Through situations - God spoke through the actions and events of this world.-Through people - God spoke through leaders, kings and prophets who proclaimed God's purpose.-Through prophecy - God spoke about future events, then those events happened.-Scripture - God spoke through his written word when people read those words later.-Prayer - God spoke through the prayers of people.PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIES recognizes the power of God speaking to mankind through His Scriptures. God's word was not only meant to be read, but applied. We must apply ourselves to these passages and adjust our lives to God's will.Today, God uses many ways to speak to us. This book incorporates those avenues of communication to ensure that God will speak to you during your quiet time with Him.Each section asks the reader to do six things.1.Read the passage. Open up the Bible and read His Word.2.Memorize the passage. A certain verse is given special focus. Commit it to memory. Remember it all day.3.Understand the passage. Background information (Time, Characters, Place, What's Happening) help you to understand the context of the section you are reading.4.Read the prayer. Read the written prayers as if they were from your heart. Don't recite them as words from a page, but a plea from your soul.5.Keep praying. Prayer prompts are there to help you continue praying about other specific areas. Listen to the Holy Spirit and see if there is more you need to pray.6.Journal your thoughts. In the space provided, write down some thoughts that you feel God said to your during this time. Every so often I've included a "Prayer Thoughts" page to give you more room to journal your thoughts and write down prayer requests as you go through the Bible.Get ready to spend some quality time with God.Get ready for God to speak to you through His Word.
Troy Schmidt is an author and television writer with credits at Disney, Nickelodeon, Tommy Nelson and Lifeway. He has written for Max Lucado's "Hermie and Friends" series and is a producer for "The American Bible Challenge" with Jeff Foxworthy. His other book titles include "Saved," "Release," "40 Days," "Laughing Matters," "In His Shoes: The Life of Jesus," his series of "Reason for Hope" books and other editions in this Praying Through the Bible series, including Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Troy has a number of children's books out including "Their Side of the Story," where the animals tell their side of famous Bible stories and "Little Tree Found." He is also a Campus Pastor at First Baptist Church Windermere, Florida.
