From: Paul Gage
New 60 Day Devotional - Sixty Day March Toward Zion
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The current
Sixty Days of Response to the Solemn Assembly ends today, Thursday, November 26, 2020. Ready to stop, or do you desire to continue?
Attached is a new sixty-day devotional that has been prepared for those who desire to continue. The next,
Sixty Day March Toward Zion, begins tomorrow, Friday, November 27, 2020.
The devotional has been arranged a little differently, with daily themes taken from one of our hymns.
Most hymns can be found, by title, in the Restoration Hymnals.
All hymns have been taken from the three most current hymnals in the Restoration.
Hymns of the Restoration, by the Restoration Hymn Society, Editions 2007 and 1984, and the
Saints' Hymnal, produced by the church in 1933 and reprinted by Price Publishing in 1998. (Some of the hymns may not be in the
Saints' Hymnal)
We encourage each individual or family to obtain a hymnal and use the identified daily Hymn as a part of their individual or family worship.
It is suggested that each hymn be sung, scriptures related to the primary message of the hymn be identified and read, and that prayer be offered around the daily prayer consideration.
Also, information about the author and the reason they wrote the hymn can be used as part of the worship.
We hope this devotional will be a blessing to you and your families. Please share it with those who may not have access to the internet. Pastors are encouraged to print some copies and have
them available as well.
May God continue to bless you and your families as you remember and give thanks this day for His Providence in your life.
(We apologize in advance if you receive multiple copies of this email. It is not our intent to load up your in-boxes. It simply means your email address is on multiple mailing lists being used)
William (Vim) Horn
CRE Phone # - (816) 836-3421
Email: eldersconference7@gmail.com
SIXTY DAYS TOWARD ZION
The current Sixty Days of Response to the Solemn Assembly ends on Thursday, November 26, 2020. Ready to stop, or do you desire to continue? This sixty-day devotional has been prepared for those who desire to continue. The next, Sixty Day March Toward Zion, begins Friday, November 27, 2020.
The devotional has been arranged a little differently, with daily themes taken from one of our hymns. Most hymns can be found, by title, in the Restoration Hymnals. All hymns have been taken from the three most current hymnals in the Restoration. Hymns of the Restoration, by the Restoration Hymn Society, Editions 2007 and 1984, and the Saints' Hymnal, produced by the church in 1933 and reprinted by Price Publishing in 1998. (Some of the hymns may not be in the Saints' Hymnal)
We encourage each individual or family to obtain a hymnal and use the identified daily Hymn as a part of their individual or family worship. It is suggested that each hymn be sung, scriptures related to the primary message of the hymn be identified and read, and that prayer be offered around the daily prayer consideration. Also, information about the author and the reason they wrote the hymn can be used as part of the worship.
DAY 1: Fri. Nov. 27, 2020 “Onward to Zion". “We have the promise that Jesus will come, Let us be faithful, His will be done..."
Pray for the hastening of Zion.
DAY 2: Sat. Nov. 28, 2020 "Come Unto Zion" "And I will Come Unto You..."
Pray for preparation so Zion may come.
DAY 3: Sun. Nov. 29, 2020 "Come All Ye Sons of Zion?
" And clear the way before you, as God shall give command, ..."
Pray that our work will meet God's expectations.
DAY 4: Mon. Nov. 30, 2020 “Prayer for Zion" "We'll go forward unto Zion, We will pledge our lives to thee..."
Pray for daily forward progress.
DAY 5: Tue. Dec. 1, 2020 "The Morning Breaks" Thus Zion's light is bursting forth, to bring her ransomed children home..."
Pray for diligence as we envision our going home to Zion.
DAY 6: Wed. Dec. 2, 2020 "The Master' Voice" Come Saints, O come, behold the vision glorious..." Let us pray fervent, effectual prayers for Zion.
DAY 7: Thur. Dec. 3, 2020 "Zion's Victory Song" " Thy will in us be done, Great God, as in Thy Son, besides whom there is none, His Kingdom Come." Pray that you and yours may truly share in Zion's Victory Song.
DAY 8: Fri. Dec. 4, 2020 "Israel, Israel, God is Calling" "Come to Zion, come to "Zion, for your Coming Lord is nigh..."
Pray that we live, now His Kingdom, so when He comes there will be no big change.
DAY 9: Sat. Dec. 5, 2020 "Beautiful Zion!" Then the Savior will come, when we're all gathered home, to that beautiful Zion so fair."
Pray that each will be filled with the power and presence of His Holy Spirit.
DAY 10: Sun. Dec. 6, 2020 "O Zion Haste" "Proclaim to every people, tongue, and nation that God in whom they live and move is love..."
Pray for this gospel of the Kingdom to be preached in all the world. Matthew 24:32.
DAY 11: Mon. Dec. 7, 2020 "A Call To Zion" "Hold back nothing from my service, Let your all be known as mine, Rich rewards will compensate you, For My Kingdom shall be thine.
Answer that Call to Zion through earnest prayer.
DAY 12: Tue. Dec. 8, 2020 "Fulfillment" "The pure in heart shall Zion build; A place of refuge from the woe that is to come upon the earth; And God will there His power show..."
Pray for the Holy Ghost to come in power upon God's people.
DAY 13: Wed. Dec. 9, 2020 "The Glory of Zion" "Arise and shine for now thy light is come. The glory of the Lord is near and all the nations shall flow unto thee, Zion, the hope of all the years."
Pray that we will live to reflect the glory of the Lord that others may see.
DAY 14: Thur. Dec. 10, 2020 "Glorious Things Are Sung of Zion" Love and virtue, faith and wisdom, grace and gifts were all combined, As himself each loved his neighbor, All were of one heart and mind. Pray that each one will learn, by the Holy Spirit, that we are to be one in Jesus Christ and not all belonging to any earthly institution.
DAY 15: Fri. Dec. 11, 2020 "We're Marching to Zion" "Then let our songs abound, and every tear be dry; We're marching through Immanuel's ground to fairer worlds on high."
Pray that we will be soldiers in God's full armor on the march and not on the couch.
DAY 16: Sat. Dec. 12, 2020 "Zion" "To build this standard, we must be one; Be no confusing of how it's done. He gave his law so long ago ________________." Pray for discernment that each will catch the meaning of the blank line and make sure Zion does not continue to wait on you, me, us.
DAY 17: Sun. Dec. 13, 2020 "Onward, Forward, Saints to Zion" "Mine eyes have seen the vision of the Zion of our God. To be builded in this sacred place where Saints of old have trod...."
Pray that our vision of Zion will be given greater understanding as we apply ourselves more fervently in fasting and prayer.
DAY 18: Mon. Dec. 14, 2020 "Triumphant Zion! Lift Thy Head " "Put all thy beauteous garments on and let thine excellence be known! Decked in the robes of righteousness, Thy glories shall the world confess." Pray that each of us will be sure to have on the proper wedding garment so the King does not cast us out. Matthew 22:11-14.
DAY 19: Tue. Dec. 15, 2020 " Shall We Gather Home to Zion" "Let us be no longer sleeping, For the day is near at hand; Let us each our watch be keeping, As a firm united band."
Pray that God will change our hard hearts and stubborn minds so that we are broken and contrite and thus can be molded into a firm united band. He is the potter. We are just clay.
Day 20: Wed. Dec. 16, 2020 "Hail to the Brightness" "Zion in triumph begins her mild reign."
Pray that our lives will so reflect Zionic ideals that the Lord can begin to bring his Kingdom upon this earth, soon. Are you, your family, your branch really on board with desiring Zion?
DAY 21: Thur. Dec. 17, 2020 " Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken" "Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God." That would make a nice yard sign: ZION CITY OF OUR GOD!
Author John Newton was a slave trader until he found the Lord. He also wrote, "Amazing Grace," among others.
Pray for God's Amazing Grace to change our hearts to bring back Enoch's city.
DAY 22: Fri. Dec. 18, 2020 "Send Forth Thy Light, O Zion" Thou hast been called a part to make on earth incarnate The Love in God's own heart."
Pray that the Love of God's own heart will radiate from you and your home so that people will notice. The light under a bushel? Matthew 5:16-18.
DAY 23: Sat. Dec. 19, 2020 "Now is The Hour of Zion's Fulfillment" "Cities like Enoch's now build for their Lord. Tasks long neglected, her converts accomplished; Purpose high-willed joined by lowly accord."
Pray for daily strength to be an active Zion builder. All ages and abilities.
DAY 24: Sun. Dec. 20, 2020 "ZION PREPARE" "Oh, happy are we who serve Him; who work for Jesus and His great cause. Oh, happy are we who love Him and keep His holy laws." See DC 119:6, d and 9. Pray this whole hymn that we might come much closer to God in our daily walk.
DAY 25: Mon. Dec. 21, 2020 "O Come, All Ye Faithful" "O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, CHRIST, THE LORD!"
Pray that this Christmas season hearts all over the world will be turned to Jesus. What can we do to help in that, besides pray? People need to know that the day of His birth is not important, but that He was born to die to save us from our sins.
DAY 26: Tue. Dec. 22, 2020 "O Little Town of Bethlehem" "O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray, Cast out our sin and enter in, BE BORN IN US TODAY!'
Pray that Jesus Christ will truly be born in our heart today and every day. He does not want to be a part-time visitor. Teach this to our children.
DAY 27: Wed. Dec. 23, 2020"To us a Child of Hope is Born" "His name shall be the Prince of Peace, forever more adored, The Wonderful, the Counselor, The great and mighty Lord."
Pray in mighty prayer for the world to come to know this great and mighty LORD.
Pray for ways you can share the wonderful news of Who HE IS!
DAY 28: Thur. Dec. 24, 2020 "Silent Night" "Son of God, LOVE'S PURE LIGHT"
Pray as did the Saints and Nephi did in 3 Nephi 1:10-15. What if they were coming to kill you, how would you pray? This is one of the most dynamic scriptures in all the three books. Verse 12-13 is Jesus speaking to Nephi giving him assurance that the sign would be fulfilled that night. PRAISE GOD! SAINTS, WE MAY BE PRESSED UP TO SUCH A POINT. WHERE WILL WE STAND? PRAY FOR THE FAITH TO STAND TRUE. Stress this to your children. MERRY CHRISTMAS! GOD LOVES YOU!
DAY 29: FRI. Dec. 25, 2020 "HARK, THE HERALD ANGELS SING" "Christ on earth has come to dwell, JESUS, OUR IMMANUEL". See Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 2, Luke 1 and John1:1-18.
Pray for the world to experience Jesus somehow today.
DAY 30: Sat. Dec. 26, 2020 "Joy To The World" "Joy to the world, The Savior reigns, Let all their songs employ. Jesus did not come into this world to let it get away from Him. He reigns supreme, but waiting for the time when He will put all enemies under His feet.
Pray for the soon coming of Revelation 19:1-16. KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!!
DAY 31: Sun. Dec. 27, 2020 "Let Us Praise the Lord" "Proclaim the tidings to the world, God reigns with might and wisdom, He is our Heavenly father, He is our gracious King"
Pray that we stay strong in our efforts to tell the world about the "True Christmas Story. Not just a babe in a manger, but as the living Lord.
DAY 32: Mon. Dec. 28, 2020 "Sing to the Great Jehovah's Praise" "His providence hath brought another various year; We all with vows and anthems new Before our God appear."
Has your vision improved in 2020? Did you fulfill all your New Year's resolution or 2020? It is time for a New Beginning.
Pray that regardless of the number of the year, our new responses will be based on our testimony of God's will for us.
DAY 33: Tue. Dec. 29, 2020 "Thou Hast Been Our Guide" "Thou hast been our guide each year When our ears were tuned to hear; Thou hast been our sun and shield When our hearts in faith would yield..." Lord, may we as individuals, families and the Body of Christ, in 2021, come to you in much mighty prayer that we may be your servants to help bring forth Thy Kingdom in your own due time.
DAY 34: Wed. Dec. 30, 2020 "O God, Give Strength to all Thy Saints" " Thou, God, who did the sea divide And led thy people through, Thy mighty hand is still the same, And we do know it, too..."
Pray for the daily faith to trust in a living God who can part all our problems, IF we let Him.
DAY 35: Thur. Dec. 31, 2020 "O God Our Help in Ages Past" "Before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame, From everlasting thou art GOD. To endless years the same.
Pray that each one will be built on Christ, the Solid Rock, because all other ground is sinking sand. DC 2:1a-2a.
DAY 36: Fri. JANUARY 1, 2021 "Standing at the Portal" "Onward then, and fear not, Children of the day, For His Word shall never, Never pass away. Psalm 71:1- 8 and 125:1-2.
Pray that there will be great and obvious signs of the coming of the Kingdom of God in 2021. Not that it will come in 2021, unless He so desires, but that through our lives and prayers, evidences will begin to be seen. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
DAY 37: Sat. Jan. 2, 2021"Like the Brook to the Valley" "Though the vision may linger, And the time seem o'er due, It is writ by God's finger, It must surely come true..."New year, same promises; new problems, same Savior; same trials, same Good Shepherd; world of darkness, He Is The Light of the World.
Let us pray for the desire and commitment to be true to His Word.
DAY 38: Sun. Jan. 3, 2021"A Thousand Years" "A thousand years, children of Zion, Glorious day so long foretold; Tis the morn of Zion's glory, Sung by Saints in days of old…"
Truly a day to anticipate with great joy, but we must be prepared. Pray that our preparations may increase in this year and bring us unto Christ.
DAY 39: Mon. Jan. 4, 2021 "Onward, Christian Soldiers" "Like a might army Moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the Saints have trod." We are on the Road to Zion, with those who gone ahead and those to come behind. Let’s pray that we will not leave a gap in the ranks, but be joined so close that the enemy cannot break through.
DAY 40: Tue. Jan. 5, 2021 "Lead On, O King Eternal" "Lead on, O King Eternal, Till sin's fierce war shall cease, And holiness shall whisper The sweet amen of peace." Do you get the idea we are in warfare? Mainly spiritual, but very real. Put on God's whole armor every day and pray for His guidance as we go forth to serve the Eternal King, JESUS.
DAY 41: Wed. Jan. 6, 2021 "Work for the Night Is Coming" "Give every flying minute Something to keep in store; Work for the night is coming When man works no more..." What kind of co-workers do you want around you when the chips are down and the night is fading fast?
Pray that each of us will be diligent, consistent and steadfast in every daily duty, His high purposes to show.
DAY 42: Thur. Jan. 7, 2021"Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling" "Take the task He gives you gladly, Let His work your pleasure be..." This is all about Him, not about us.
Pray for daily enthusiasm to be active in God's work. Don't wait for a special invitation. You have already received it. Now it is response time.
DAY 43: Fri. Jan. 8, 2021"Let Us, Brothers, Let Us Gladly" "What great goodness He hath shown us, What high marvels He hath done..." God does not want what is second best or left over. What do you expect from God? Shouldn't He be able to expect our very best, all the time, with no hesitation, no reservation, no delays? Pray for the 24/7 strength and desire to give our best, our all.
DAY 44: Sat. Jan. 9, 2021"The Bread that Giveth Strength" "I want to live a right from day to day; I'm sure I shall not pass again this way." We only go around once in this life. What will "history" record about us? What about the books in Heaven that will be opened? Pray that we might always be willing to be all that Jesus asks us to be, for the Kingdom.
DAY 45: Sun. Jan. 10, 2021"Loving Each Other" "Loving each other, How pleasant to cherish a brother; Serving each other, The Savior looks on us with joy." Do you want to bring joy to the face of our Lord? Obey the two great commandments. You can find these recorded in Matthew 22, Mark 12 and Luke 10. Notice how each one ends. What is the significance of each ending? Pray for the Lord to work in our lives that we may always desire to love Him first and everyone else second.
DAY 46: Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 "Let Zion's Watchmen All Awake" " Tis not a call of small import..." We have been called to a great work, that of assisting God in bringing forth His Kingdom on earth. It is a serious call and challenge and there must be NO sleeping soldiers in the army of the Lord. The private out on picket is as vital to the work as anyone else. Moroni made the Title of Liberty, but untold numbers of loyal supporters came to his aid.
Pray the Lord for the wisdom to have the spiritual oil in our lamps so we are ready when the call comes. The oil is described in DC45:10b.
DAY 47: Tue. Jan. 12, 2021 ""I Have Listened to Your Pleadings" "Hearken to my call, ye people Bear the Spirit's fruits today..." God hears our pleadings and our testimonies and accepts us as His children When His work and will we do. DC 81:3 is as plain as God can make it.
Pray that our hearts and minds will be truly open to His efforts to reach us.
DAY 48: Wed. Jan. 13, 2021 "Hymn of Urgent Admonition" "Rise then to this hour of challenge...Call on God in mighty prayer...Seek in faith and seek Him humbly..." Is there anyone, at least teens and older that are not aware of the tremendous chaos that is taking over the world? The events of 2020 are just a pebble in the water of what is before us until Jesus returns in His glory. Make a list of at least five individuals, groups, or masses that faced not only persecution, but imminent death because they would not "bow down."
Pray that our prayer life and fasting increase greatly to meet this hour of challenge.
DAY 49: Thur. Jan. 14, 2021 "I Gave My Life for Thee" "Oh, let thy life be given, Thy years for Him be spent..." What happened to "Once saved always saved?" And, "all you have to do is believe?" Lies from the chief liar. Accept the words of truth from He who is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. John14:6. Why should we be spared from persecution and even death when our Lord died on the cross for each of us? So, He gave His life for thee. What has thou given or giving for Him?
Pray for the power of the Spirit to overcome the deceit in the world and cling to the Rod of Iron.
Day 50: Fri. Jan. 15, 2021 "Book of Mormon Testimony" "May we now with faith and fervor Share the witness of Thy Son..." We are called to be witness of Christ in the world. DC 85:22 reminds us that each member has the duty to warn our neighbor. Start with those neighbors you already know and pray for opportunities to open up whereby you can share the glorious gospel. Pray for each one by name and fast also that you can witness to them. You don't want to be at Judgment Day and have someone point at you and say, "Why didn't you tell me about Jesus?"
Day 51: Sat. Jan. 16, 2021 "Doctrine and Covenants" "Abide Celestial Law and live aright..."
Another unique aspect of the Restoration is the D&C. Read DC 1-5 for guidance from God, especially DC 4. A young man of 18 years was told in his Patriarchal Blessing to study DC 4. Read it and you will see why. Do you have an eye single to the glory of God? Do you
have those attributes listed there? This is a lot of our challenge to live each day in harmony with the Lord. Pray for the clearness of vision to see our faults and take them to the Lord seeking forgiveness. Celestial Law in one word can be said to be Obedience.
DAY 52: Sun. Jan. 17, 2021 "Wonderful Words of Life" " Christ, the blessed One, gives to all, Wonderful words of life..." Beautiful words, wonderful words, OF LIFE..." That is what the Gospel is and why it is so precious to us. As we become more and more entrenched in the Word of God so we become better prepared to share with others. Pray for the diligence to "feast on the Words of Christ" and the desire to share those words with others by action and example.
DAY 53: Mon. Jan. 18, 2021 "Open My Eyes, That I May See" "Silently now I wait for Thee...Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine..."Read the story of Elijah in I Kings 19:1-18, Enos 1, and Joseph Smith Jr’s grove experience. You can find that in Church History and partly in another hymn called, "In the Grove." Pray that we might be able to close out the world to whatever extent needed in order to experience God.
DAY 54: Tue. Jan. 19, 2021 "I Have Found the Glorious Gospel" "Then praise the Lord, O my soul! Abundant mercy, oh, how free!!..."So, when did you first come into contact with this "Glorious Gospel? What is your testimony that it is such a "Glorious Gospel?" What are you doing with this "Glorious Gospel?" Does what is referred to as the great commission in Matthew 28:15-19 apply to us today? How is this "Glorious Gospel" being demonstrated in your life, the life of your family, the life of your branch or group, the life of the Restoration at large? These are not questions of criticism, but challenges to see more clearly where we are with this "Glorious Gospel." Pray that we may be instruments in the hands o God to share this "Glorious Gospel whenever, however, and with whoever we can.
DAY 55: Wed. Jan. 20, 2021 "The Lord's Prayer" "For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever, AMEN." Some call this the disciple's prayer because at one point someone asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Many prefer the account given in Matthew 6:5-15. This is not to be vain or repetitious prayer. It is model prayer. First, it acknowledges God as our Father, hat He is in heaven and His name is hallowed, sacred, holy Second, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, AS IT IS DONE in heaven. Take
Prepared for the Benefit of God’s People by One who Loves the Lord and Loves Them
time to ponder on these first statements of this mighty prayer. Are we living a "kingdom life on earth?" DC 65 has some interesting comments about the Kingdom of God. Some say John 17 is the "real" Lord's Prayer because it is Jesus praying to the Father for us. Take time to read it. Pray that we might respond to these prayers in such a way as to help bring forth the Kingdom.
Day 56: Thur. Jan. 21, 2021 "Trust and Obey" "There is no other way to be happy in Jesus..." Easy to say or sing, but not so easy to do. Why? Because we are human and live in Babylon where it is hard to escape all the vices of an evil world. A situation that has been common to mankind since the Garden of Eden, but that is no excuse for us to "dwell" in it. We are told in DC 128:8; 129:9; 136:3; 137:6; 138:3; 140:5c,d; 142:5 what we need to be doing. Pray that we will become an obedient people and trust God in all things, for He knows what is best.
DAY 57: Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 "The Old, Old Path" "For the Savior walks ALL THE WAY WITH YOU..." We have a Savior who has already gone the full course and waits for us to join Him. Pray that God will give us strength to overcome the world and stay firm on the Old, Old Path which is the same as the straight and narrow way and the Rod of Iron. Yea, the Anchor that keeps the soul.
DAY 58: Sat. Jan. 23, 2021 "Redeemer of Israel" "How long we have wandered as strangers in..." The typical cry of a people gone astray from God. Today is the day of our salvation.
Pray that God will hear our cries, that our cries will be sincere, that we might turn from our wicked ways and be "eligible" to receive His blessings. We know He is coming.
DAY 59: Sun. Jan. 24, 2021"Now Let Us Rejoice" "In faith we'll rely on the arm of Jehovah, To guide through these last days of trouble and gloom..." Same author and
same tune as Day 60. This hymn was also sung during the Kirtland Temple Dedication. "And Christ and his people will ever be one."
Pray with all that is within you for the glorious day that is yet before us.
DAY 60: Mon. Jan. 25, 2021 "The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning" "Hosannah, hosannah to God and the Lamb! Let glory to them in the highest be given Henceforth and forever! AMEN, AND AMEN! What is it that we are to "shout and sing?' It is the last part of the chorus. This hymn was sung by a choir as a part of the Dedication of Kirtland Temple. Take some time and re read Church History, Volume Two, Chapter Two about this marvelous event.
We pray Lord that we might so avail ourselves to Your Holy Spirit that one day we might sing this wonderful hymn with the Hosts of Heaven.
Prepared for the Benefit of God’s People by One who Loves the Lord and Loves Them
