40 Days of Prayer 2026! Day 10
Welcome to day 10 of our 40 day challenge! Today, we are in John 3:1-17.
(You can catch up on our Intro, Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9 if you missed them)
John 3:1-7
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Nicodemus is trying to straddle both worlds here. In the day when the other leaders can see, he will be on their side, afraid of and against Jesus. But under the cover of night, he must go and see. He says we know that you are from God. Could he admit this in daylight?
But Jesus is kind. He accepts Nicodemus right where he is. He doesn’t rebuke Nicodemus. Jesus rewards his honest seeking, even if it’s under cover.
And He’ll do the same with us. We don’t have to be brave first and stand against others to come to Him. (Don’t worry, He’ll require and empower us to do it after!) Nicodemus doesn’t stay in this place. There will be the moment when he comes fully to Jesus, ( we see him here in John 19:39). But just as with us, Jesus will welcome him at any moment.
We come to Jesus as we are. We don’t clean ourselves up first. We come to Him to be clean.
Options for further journaling or discussion throughout the challenge:
- Choose a part of the passage to write out by hand. Writing by hand helps us slow down and focus on what the Lord might highlight for us in the passage. Our brains can focus and remember better by writing than just reading alone.
- Journal about what the passage brings to mind. Does the passage tell us anything about God? Does it tell us anything about our response to Him?
- Does your heart respond in gratitude to any part of the passage? Write or pray your gratitude to the Lord.
We’ll see you Monday, for Day 11, and Psalm 95
♥ Samantha