Daily Bible Reading “But God Loved Us” (Ephesians 2:1-10)

Posted on March 25, 2026 by Deborah H. Bateman

But God Loved Us

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is fromm Ephesians 2:1-10. Paul starts this chapter by reminding the Ephesians that they were once dead in their sins, but God has made them alive through Christ. What does Paul mean when he says they were dead in their sins? Have you been made alive through Christ?

We all started off in the ways of the world, trying to satisfy the lusts of the flesh, paying more attention to our wants and desires for possessions or experiences that are not necessarily pleasing to God. By nature we are sinful people, because we are born of a sinful nature.

Paul speaks of Satan being the prince and power of the air. This shows his authority even though he is not the ultimate authority. The power of the air speaks of the spiritual realm where both good and evil forces abide. However, we know that the Holy Spirit reigns supreme.

Ephesians 2:4-7 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved); And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Paul starts verse four saying “but GOD.” If it wasn’t for God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and the love, grace and mercy He gave us, we would all be on our way to hell today. Thank You, Lord!

The next two verses are some of my favorite: Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” We are saved by grace through faith, not by our works so we have no reason to boast in ourselves, but only in the grace and mercy of God, and the precious gift of His Son, Jesus, who died on the cross to save us from our sins.

Don’t get confused by Ephesians 2:10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. We are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ to do good works, not in order to get saved, but because we are saved.

Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Our old sinful nature is changed into a new spiritual nature that desires to do good, which is God’s will for our life.

Daily Bible Reading

Ephesians 2:1-10

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved);

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Things to think about:

Why did God make a way for us?

How are we saved?

What are some ways you can show that you are thankful for God’s love, mercy, and grace?

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You for the love, mercy, and grace that You gave us through the precious gift of salvation by Your Son, Jesus Christ. We know we were all sinners by nature and without the gift of salvation we would all be on our way to hell. Help us to do the good works You have for us to do. Lord, I pray for those who don’t yet know Your grace, mercy, and love. Speak to their hearts and call them to life through Your Son, Jesus. We love you, LORD. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Bible Verse:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is …

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the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

– Ephesians 2:8-9

-This is an excerpt from The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus by Deborah H. Bateman

Click the link above to get your copy now!

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Featured Book:

The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus

by Deborah H. Bateman

The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. It is a study of the book of Ephesians from the New Testament of the Bible. Ephesians is one of the Apostle Paul’s letters, which was written to the church at Ephesus.

In the book of Ephesians Paul reminds us that we are chosen of God. He encourages us to walk in unity in the church. He talks about our various relationships including our relationship with Christ, with each other, the husband-wife relationship and others. He also exhorts us to put on the full armor of God so that we are clothed for battle against the enemy.

The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus consists of twelve lessons, which can be used for an individual daily Bible study or a group Bible study. Each lesson consists of a brief commentary, the Daily Bible Reading Scripture, a few questions for contemplation called, “Things to think about,” and a prayer for the day.

For those of you interested in Bible journaling, may I suggest you pick your favorite Bible verse from each lesson and journal about it. This will be a great reminder of the lessons you learn as you read and study this book.

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Daily Bible Reading “Spirit of Wisdom” (Ephesians 1:15-23)

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Deborah H. Bateman

Spirit of Wisdom

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Ephesians 1:15-23. We will continue looking at Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus. In lesson one, we saw that as believers in Christ we are blessed with spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). We are chosen by God to be adopted into the family of God as His children and to be made holy in Christ, as Paul explained in Ephesians 1:4.

We are redeemed through the blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1:7). We are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). How does that make you feel? If you are a Christian, God has you in the palm of His hand and He is not going to let you go.

In lesson two, Paul says he heard of the faith of the Ephesians in the Lord Jesus and their love to all the saints. He tells them that he thanks God and prays for them continually. Do you make a habit of praying for other Christians? I would love to have you pray for me.

Let’s take a look at Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians in Ephesians 1:17-23.

Paul prays that God would give them wisdom and knowledge in Him. His desire is that they would understand and know the hope of His calling and the majesty of the inheritance God has for His children. He also prays that they would know the incredible greatness of God’s power to those who believe, by the working of His mighty strength, which He demonstrated when He raised Christ from the dead and set Jesus Christ at His right hand in heaven.

God gave Christ a position which is far above all principality or power or might or dominion (which means governing body) rule over every name that is named in this world and the world to come. God put everything under the authority of Christ and made Him the head of the church. The church is His body, the fullness of Christ, who fills everything everywhere with His presence.

I would love to have someone pray this prayer for me, wouldn’t you? In order for us to understand the things of God it will take the work of the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us. When you hear God’s Word, put your trust and faith in Him, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and receive Him as your Savior, you inherit all the benefits of being a Christian. The most important benefit is the forgiveness of your sin and eternal life through Jesus Christ.

It’s not God’s will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Not everybody who hears the gospel will trust and believe. That part of the equation is up to you. God is not going to force you to become a believer; He gave you a free will. Have you put your faith and trust in Him?

Daily Bible Reading:

Ephesians 1:15-23

15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Things to think about:

Why should we thank God for other believers?

What are some prayers we can pray for other believers?

How should we pray for those who are not yet believers?

Have you asked God to give you wisdom, knowledge, and understanding so you might know and understand the things of Christ?

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You for this Scripture in the book of Ephesians. We pray today that You would give us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding so we might know the hope of Your calling and the riches of Your inheritance to Your children. Thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, whom You raised from the dead and who sits at Your right hand in heaven. Help us to understand the authority You gave Him over the church and to submit to His authority so we may be pleasing in Your sight. In Jesus’ precious name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Bible Verse:

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give …

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unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

– Ephesians 1:17

-This is an excerpt from The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus by Deborah H. Bateman

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Featured Book:

The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus

by Deborah H. Bateman

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Deborah

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Daily Bible Reading “We are Chosen” (Ephesians 1:1-14)

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Deborah H. Bateman

We are Chosen

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Ephesians 1:1-14. The book of Ephesians is one of many books in the Bible that are letters written by the Apostle Paul to the churches of his day. Paul’s letters were meant to encourage the churches and help them to follow the ways of God. Some of the churches Paul founded. We know from reading Acts 19 that Paul lived in Ephesus for two years. Paul refers to himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. By addressing the letter this way he is telling that he wrote the letter.

You may be a mom, dad, grandparent, pastor, teacher, etc. by the will of God. You are where God has placed you for a reason. He has a plan for your life.

Paul addresses the letter to the saints at Ephesus and the faithful in Christ, which includes those of us who are saved. He greets them by wishing them grace and peace from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul gives glory to God saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ.” Paul is talking to Christians and he wants them to understand all the blessings they have in Jesus Christ.

He reminds them that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, and we should be holy and blameless before Him in love. We were created to become God’s children and to have an personal relationship and fellowship with God.

Paul says God predestined us to become His children by adoption through Jesus Christ, by His will and for His pleasure. We praise God that because of the glory of His grace, we were made acceptable in the “beloved,” (verse 6) which is Jesus Christ. We have been redeemed.

Jesus paid for our sins through His blood and forgave us because of the riches of His grace, which He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. God’s secret plan, which He designed long ago according to His purpose, is centered on Christ and He has revealed it to us.

God’s plan is that at the right time He will bring everything in heaven and earth together in Christ. In Him we were chosen to receive an inheritance, because He predestined it according to His will. We who first trusted in Christ were chosen to live for the praise of His glory.

When you heard the truth of the gospel of your salvation and believed in Christ, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit, whom God promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us all He has promised us and that He purchased us to be His children, to the praise of His glory.

Daily Bible Reading:

Ephesians 1:1-14

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Things to think about:

Have you ever thought that becoming a Christian was similar to adoption?

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If yes, when did you come to know Him? If no, have you considered accepting Jesus as your Savior?

What does it mean to be sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise?

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You that in this Scripture we are reminded how much you love us and that You chose us to be Your children before the foundation of the world. We pray that You would help us to be obedient and to show Your love to the world so they might come to know You as their Heavenly Father, as well. We thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, who gave His life on the cross so we might be redeemed and forgiven of our sins. We see in this Scripture that everything is for the praise of Your glory. We love You, LORD and thank You for all the promises You have given us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Bible Verse:

Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 1:2

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-This is an excerpt from The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus by Deborah H. Bateman

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PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Come back again tomorrow. Please invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study.

Featured Book:

The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus

by Deborah H. Bateman

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Get your copy now!

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Have a blessed day,

Deborah

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Daily Bible Reading “God is in Control” (Esther 3:1-7)

Posted on March 19, 2026 by Deborah H. Bateman

God is in Control

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Esther 3:1-7. King Xerxes promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite above all the princes. Today, we may call this position Prime Minister.

All the king’s servants bowed to Haman as the king commanded, except Mordecai, who refused to honor Haman. You see, Haman was a descendent of Agag, who was king of the Amalekites. These people were Israel’s enemy for generations. They hated the Jews, who were God’s chosen people.

Exodus 17:14-16

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

The king’s servants noticed Mordecai wasn’t bowing to Haman daily when he entered the king’s gate. So, they asked him why he wouldn’t bow to Haman, and he told them it was because he was a Jew. The servants told Haman what Mordecai said. When Haman noticed Mordecai wasn’t honoring his position of authority by bowing to him, it made Haman very angry.

Haman hadn’t even noticed this until the king’s servants pointed it out to him. He was probably angry because he felt like Mordecai disrespected him in front of all the other servants. It probably hurt his pride.

Haman not only decided to punish Mordecai for not bowing down to him, but because of his hatred for the Jews, he decided to have all the Jews in all the provinces killed. Don’t you think that was a bit extreme? It was now the first month, which is called Nisan, of the twelfth year of King Xerxes’ reign.

They cast pur, or a lot which was something like tossing a dice, to see what day they would kill the Jews. Even though this was the first month when they rolled the dice, so to speak, it came upon the twelfth month. That means there was going to be eleven months in between for God to intervene. Proverbs 16:33 tells us, “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.” This is a reminder for us that God is in control.

Daily Bible Reading:

Esther 3:1-7

1 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.
2 And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.
3 Then the king’s servants, which were in the king’s gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king’s commandment?
4 Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.
5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
7 In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

Things to think about:

Do you believe that God is in control?
Why was Haman angry with Mordecai?
What did Haman want to do to punish Mordecai?

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for this Scripture in The Book of Esther. It shows us even when people have evil intents against Your people, You are in control. They can only do what You allow, when You allow it. It is comforting as a Christian to know You are always in control of our lives. Help us to know You are working behind the scenes to cause everything to work out for our good and Your glory. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

This is an excerpt from The Book of Esther: A Story of Love and Favor

If you haven’t already read the book be sure to get your copy now! We will only be sharing a few lessons on this blog. In order to read and study the entire book you will need to get a copy. These first five lessons set the stage for all the drama that will take place in the rest of the book. It is exciting to see how God works things out.

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PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Please come back again tomorrow and invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study.

Featured Book:

The Book of Esther: A Story of Love and Favor

by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

The Book of Esther: A Story of Love and Favor by Deborah H. Bateman is a Daily Bible Reading study of the book of Esther from the Old Testament of the Bible. In the book of Esther, Esther was adopted by her cousin Mordecai. In a series of events and through fasting, prayer and God’s favor Esther was placed in a position to save the Jewish people. Esther was adopted by her cousin Mordecai, who told her maybe she was born for such a time as this.

God puts us all in circumstances where He can use us to further His kingdom and give Him glory, if we are willing and obedient. Esther found her purpose for life. Like Esther you were born for such a time as this.

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Daily Bible Reading “Esther Finds Favor with Hegai” (Esther 2:1-11)

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Deborah H. Bateman

Esther Finds Favor with Hegai

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Esther 2:1-11. When the Scripture says “after these things,” it is not just talking about the things that took place in chapter one; biblical scholars believe there was a four-year period between chapters 1 and 2. There was a war where King Xerxes invaded Greece and lost.

He came home defeated and by now was over being mad. He thought about what Vashti did, and the decree he sent out against her. He must have been getting lonely, so his servants suggested they would seek fair young virgins for him. The king appointed officers to all the provinces; they gathered all the virgins and brought them to the palace, to the house for the women. First the virgins went through a purification process. Then, the king would pick a queen to replace Vashti.

At the palace there was a Jew called Mordecai, a Benjamite, who had been relocated to Persia from Jerusalem with the captivity of Judah, when the Babylonians conquered their land. Mordecai had a young cousin Esther, whose Jewish name was Hadassah, who was fair and beautiful. Esther’s parents died and Mordecai had taken her for his own daughter. I guess you could say after her parents died he adopted her.

When the king’s decree went out, many young women including Esther were brought to Shushan the palace, and were given over to Hegai, who was the king’s chamberlain and the overseer of the king’s harem. There was something special about Esther, and she found favor with Hegai. He liked her better than all the rest of the women, so he gave her special beauty treatments and seven maidens and gave them the best part of the house to stay in.

Proverbs 3:3-4

“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”

Esther didn’t tell anybody she was a Jew, nor who her next of kin was, because Mordecai told her not to. Mordecai walked by the court of the women’s house every day to check on Esther and make sure she was okay. This shows Mordecai’s love and concern for his adopted daughter, Esther.

Daily Bible Reading:

Esther 2:1-11

1 After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
2 Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:
4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
8 So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.
10 Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.
11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.

Things to think about:

Can you share some ways that God has taken care of you?
What happened to Esther’s parents?
Who took care of Esther?
How was Esther treated when she arrived at the palace?
With whom did Esther find favor?

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for this Scripture that tells us the story of Esther. We see in this Scripture even though she lost her parents at an early age, You provided someone to care for her. We thank You that You always care for us. Help us to know in our hearts that we can count on You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

This is an excerpt from The Book of Esther: A Story of Love and Favor

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