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Wednesday, November 23

  Wednesday, November 23 Let your name be sanctified.​— Matt. 6:9 . That is what Jesus stated as a priority in prayer. But what do Jesus’ words mean? To sanctify something means to make it holy, clean, or pure. Some might wonder, though, ‘Is not Jehovah’s name already holy, clean, and pure?’ To answer, we need to think about what a name involves. A name is more than a collection of letters written on a page or spoken aloud. Notice what the Bible says: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth.” (Prov. 22:1; Eccl. 7:1) Why does a name have such value? Because it involves a reputation, what others think of the one bearing that name. So the way a name appears on a page​—or even the way it is pronounced—​is not what matters most; what truly matters is whom and what that name stands for in the minds and hearts of others. When people tell lies about Jehovah, they are attacking his reputation. When they attack his reputation, they are trying to damage his name.  w20.06  3 ¶5-7 Exa
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Sunday, September 18

  Sunday, September 18 I will praise Jehovah with all my heart in the assembled group of upright ones and in the congregation.​— Ps. 111:1 . All of us want our students to progress to baptism. One important way we can help them is by encouraging them to attend congregation meetings. Often students who attend meetings right away make the fastest progress. Some teachers explain to their students that they will receive half of their Bible education from the study and the other half from the meetings. Read Hebrews 10:24, 25 with your student, and explain to him the benefits that he will receive if he comes to the meetings. Enthusiastically share something you learned at a recent meeting. That is more motivating than just inviting the student to attend. What your student experiences at his first meeting will far exceed anything he ever experienced at any other type of religious gathering. (1 Cor. 14:24, 25) He will meet others whose good example he can imitate and who will help him progress
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Saturday, September 17

  Saturday, September 17 The farmer keeps waiting for the precious fruit . . . You too exercise patience.​— Jas. 5:7, 8 . In Israel, the farmer planted his seeds after the early rain in the fall and reaped the grain after the late rain in the spring. (Mark 4:28) May we wisely imitate the farmer’s patience. However, this may not be easy. Imperfect humans tend to want immediate results from their efforts. Yet, if we want our garden to produce, we must give it constant attention​—digging, planting, weeding, and watering. The disciple-making work also requires continuous effort. It takes time for us to root out weeds of prejudice and indifference in those whom we teach. Our patience will help us to avoid becoming discouraged when we encounter difficulties. When we do receive some positive response, we must still be patient. We cannot force a Bible student to grow in faith. At times, even Jesus’ disciples were slow to grasp the meaning of what he taught. (John 14:9) Let us remember that we
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Friday, September 16

  Friday, September 16 Appeal to . . . older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters, with all chasteness.​— 1 Tim. 5:1, 2 . For some sisters, the meetings are their main opportunity to be with fellow worshippers. So we want to use those occasions to welcome them, speak with them, and let them see our concern for them. Like Jesus, we can make time to socialize with sisters. (Luke 10:38-42) Perhaps we can invite them over for a simple meal or for some recreation. When we do, we want to keep the conversation upbuilding. (Rom. 1:11, 12) Elders do well to keep Jesus’ attitude in mind. He knew that singleness could be challenging for some, but he made it clear that neither getting married nor having children is the key to lasting happiness. (Luke 11:27, 28) Rather, permanent happiness comes from putting Jehovah’s service first. (Matt. 19:12) Elders especially need to treat Christian women as their spiritual sisters and mothers. Elders do well to make time before or after meetings to t
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Sunday, September 11

  Sunday, September 11 Your Father has approved of giving you the Kingdom.​— Luke 12:32 . Even though Jehovah is almighty, he delegates authority to others. For instance, he appointed Jesus to be King of the Kingdom, and He will give a measure of authority to the 144,000 humans who become corulers with Jesus. Of course, Jehovah trained Jesus to be King and High Priest. (Heb. 5:8, 9) He also trains Jesus’ corulers, but he does not give them this assignment and then step in to manage every detail of the work. Instead, he trusts that they will do his will. (Rev. 5:10) If our heavenly Father​—who does not need help from anyone—​delegates authority to others, how much more so should we do the same! For instance, are you a family head or an elder in the congregation? Follow Jehovah’s example by delegating tasks to others and then resisting the urge to micromanage them. When you imitate Jehovah, not only will you get the work done but you will also train others and boost their confidence.​—Is
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Saturday, September 10

  Saturday, September 10 Formerly I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man. Nevertheless, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance.​— 1 Tim. 1:13 . Before the apostle Paul became a disciple of Christ, he was an insolent young man who persecuted Jesus’ followers. (Acts 7:58) Jesus himself stopped Paul, then known as Saul, from terrorizing the Christian congregation. Jesus spoke to Paul from heaven and struck him blind. To recover his sight, Paul was forced to seek help from the very people he had been persecuting. He humbly accepted assistance from a disciple named Ananias who restored Paul’s sight. (Acts 9:3-9, 17, 18) Paul later became a prominent member of the Christian congregation, but he never forgot the lesson Jesus taught him on the road to Damascus. Paul remained humble, and he willingly accepted the help of his brothers and sisters. He acknowledged that they were “a strengthening aid” to him.​—Col. 4:10, 11, ftn.  w20.07  18-19 ¶16-17 Examining the Scriptu
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Friday, September 9

  Friday, September 9 Let us not become egotistical, stirring up competition with one another, envying one another.​— Gal. 5:26 . Social media can be used for a good purpose​—for example, to keep in touch with family and friends. Have you observed, though, that some of the material that people post on social media is designed to promote the people themselves? “Look at me” seems to be the message they want to convey. Some even post rude and obscene comments on their own photos or about the photos that others post. This too is contrary to the humility and fellow feeling that Christians are encouraged to cultivate. (1 Pet. 3:8) If you use social media, ask yourself: ‘Might the comments, photos, or videos that I post give others the impression that I am bragging? Could I make others feel jealous?’ Christians do not feel the need for promoting themselves. They follow the Bible’s admonition found in today’s text. Humility will help us avoid getting caught up in the world’s spirit of self-pro
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