Devotions

DAY FIFTEEN (January 20th)

Today’s Topic: I Will Adopt You Into My Family

Scripture: Galatians 4:4-7

The word “gospel” simply means good news, but sometimes it’s hard to grasp just how good this news truly is. God’s gift is not just the forgiveness of sins or even eternal life in a restored world free from death and pain. He goes even further: He adopts us into His family, giving us all the rights and privileges of being His children.

The Bible tells us, “He has also raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavens in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). This is not just a future promise but a present reality. As God’s children, we already have a place at His table, seated right beside Jesus.

But why? Ephesians continues: “So that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” The gift of God’s grace is beyond measure, described in 1 Peter 1:4 as “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.”

Even greater than the promises to come is the gift we have right now: God Himself. “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Galatians 4:6). We get to call the Creator of the universe Abba—an intimate term of love and closeness, the same word Jesus used in His prayers (Mark 14:36). Truly, this is the best news we could ever receive.

Personal Prayer Challenge:

Ask God for wisdom and direction. Pray to know where He is leading you and how He wants to use you.

Prayer Prompts for Today:

Pray for Chapel of Peace in Machala, Ecuador, and their pastor. Ask that they remain faithful to Jesus and His mission and that God blesses their work abundantly.

Day Fourteen (January 19th)

Today’s Topic: A Promise to Do More Than We Think

Scripture: Ephesians 3:20-21

Ephesians 3:20-21 highlights a powerful promise: God is able to do far more than we could ever ask or imagine. It’s easy to limit our expectations based on what we can see or understand, but these verses remind us that God’s capacity far exceeds our own. His power is not just a force of nature—it is actively at work within us. This power doesn’t depend on our abilities or limitations but on His limitless nature. When we feel overwhelmed by life’s challenges, this promise reassures us that God’s power is more than enough to accomplish His purposes, no matter how impossible they may seem.

What’s remarkable about this passage is not just the abundance of what God can do, but the fact that His power is at work in us. We are not left to face life’s trials in our own strength. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in the lives of believers (Romans 8:11). This means that no matter what we face, God has the ability to work in us and through us in ways that are far beyond our imagination. Our limitations are not the defining factor—God’s power is.

These verses also point us to the ultimate purpose of God’s power: His glory. The result of His immeasurable work in us is not just personal blessing but the glorification of God. Everything He does is for His glory, and as we experience His abundant power in our lives, it should lead us to praise and worship Him. This passage calls us to reflect on God’s goodness and respond with gratitude and awe, knowing that His work in our lives has eternal significance.

As you meditate on Ephesians 3:20-21, consider the ways you may be limiting God with your expectations. Are there areas in your life where you need to invite God’s immeasurable power to work? Remember, His ability is far greater than anything we could ask or imagine. Today, take a step of faith, trusting that God’s power is at work within you, accomplishing more than you could ever dream or hope for.

Personal Prayer Challenge:

Pray for the power of God to give you courage to step out in faith to the challenges that He has for you.

Prayer Prompts for Today:

• Make a list and pray for the hurting people in your life.

• Pray that they may come to Jesus to receive healing and hope for their souls.

DAY THIRTEEN (January 18th)

Today’s Topic: The Promise of the Helper

Scripture: John 14:25-26

As Jesus prepared to leave His disciples, He gave them a precious promise: the coming of the Holy Spirit. He knew they would face challenges, confusion, and fear in the days ahead. In this passage, He assures them that they will not be left alone. The Holy Spirit, also called the Advocate or Helper, would come to teach them and remind them of everything Jesus had spoken. This promise is a cornerstone of our faith—a reminder that God is not distant but actively present in our lives.

The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to His people, enabling us to live out His purposes. Through the Spirit, we are empowered to understand Scripture, discern His will, and grow in Christlikeness. The Spirit is our Advocate, interceding for us and guiding us when we are uncertain. This divine Helper equips us with wisdom beyond our own, reminding us of God’s promises when we need them most.

Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit also reassures us that we are not expected to navigate life on our own strength. The Spirit helps us recall God’s Word, even in moments of doubt or trial. How often have you been encouraged or comforted by a verse that seemed to come to mind at just the right moment? This is the work of the Holy Spirit, faithfully fulfilling the promise Jesus made in John 14:26.

Beyond teaching and reminding us, the Holy Spirit is also a source of peace. Later in this same chapter, Jesus promises His peace to His disciples—a peace that comes through the Spirit’s presence. This peace transcends understanding, calming our hearts and reminding us that we are securely held by God. In a world of chaos and uncertainty, the Holy Spirit assures us that God’s promises remain steadfast.

Personal Prayer Challenge:

Pray for hope to engulf your soul as you are reminded that God sees you and remembers you. Pray for that joy of being seen to empower you to walk in the love He has given you.

Prayer Prompts for Today:

• Pray for Christians to have a greater passion to share Jesus with those in their sphere of influence.

DAY TWELVE (January 17th)

Today’s Topic: I Will Always Be With You

Scripture: John 14:18-21

“God with us” has been the plan from the beginning.

In the garden, God was tangibly present, walking with His image bearers in the evening breeze (Genesis 3:8). But that perfect fellowship was revoked when sin entered the picture, carving a deep, uncrossable chasm between fallen humanity and the holy Creator. Even still, “God with us” echoes throughout Scripture.

The Lord appeared to men like Abraham and Moses. His presence filled the tabernacle and, later, the temple. And, of course, we have the prophets, who proclaimed that a Messiah would come to save us, forever restoring our relationship with the Lord (Isaiah 7:14). He came just as the prophets foretold. Jesus was born Immanuel, the name that means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

Jesus’s disciples experienced the tangible presence of God with them, walking and talking in their midst. But the gift Jesus gave before ascending into heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand is the same gift He gives to us (John 14:26; 20:22).

The Spirit of the living Christ dwells in all who have been saved by grace through faith in Him. He is with us—right here, right now, always (Matthew 28:20). Better still, we will one day experience that same joyful fellowship Adam and Eve knew in the garden; we, too, will live with God in a perfect, pain-free world of His creation.

Jesus Himself is preparing a place for us, and He will call us there one glorious day.

“Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (John 14:3; Revelation 22:20).

Personal Prayer Challenge:

Pray that God would come and bring justice for those who are being taken advantage of and oppressed. Pray for justice and freedom to be given to those who are hurting.

Prayer Prompts for Today:

• Pray for missionaries around the world to be protected spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally as they share God’s word in their ministry region.

DAY ELEVEN (January 16th)

Today’s Topic: A Promise of Endurance

Scripture: John 16:33

When we think about God’s promises, we tend to focus on the blessings: forgiveness, mercy, and eternal life, to name a few. But Jesus promised us something else as well: “You will have suffering in this world” (John 16:33). Read that again. That’s not You might or You may or You could. It’s You will. As sure as death, taxes, and God’s love for sinners, we will suffer—Jesus guarantees it.

For many people, God and suffering seem incompatible. If God exists, they reason, then there should be no suffering. How could a good God allow it? But the true God is no stranger to pain. The Son allowed His body to be tormented and twisted by the most gruesome torture device of the ancient world—the cross. And He did so to put an end to the world’s suffering, once and for all.

In the same breath that He promised us suffering, He made another promise, one so sure that it was spoken in the past tense: “I have conquered the world” (John 16:33).

Sin has so wormed its way through this world that we cannot avoid suffering entirely. It would be like trying to avoid sand at the beach. But we also suffer in a special way as Christ’s followers. We suffer because He suffered first. And when we endure this life and all it can throw at us in the same way He did, we display our faith that Christ has indeed conquered the world. For “if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2:11-12).

Personal Prayer Challenge:

Pray for the broken and struggling parts of your life. Ask God to step in and bring healing to those hurting areas of your world.

Prayer Prompts for Today:

• Pray that God would use your life and the way you live it to inspire those in your sphere of influence to find delight and pleasure in the Word of God.

DAY TEN (January 15th)

Today’s Topic: I Will Give You Abundant Life

Scripture: John 10:7-10

The Bible tells us that death will be the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26)—and death is indeed our enemy. A foreign invader in this world, death is out of place and unwelcome. This is why we mourn at funerals—because funerals were never meant to be.

In the Old Testament, King David trusted the Lord to rescue his soul from the grave, resting in the hope that in the life after death, he would find himself in the presence of God, where there is “abundant joy” (Psalm 16:11).

But the hope of the Christian life is not only life after death; it’s much more than that. Yes, Jesus promised His followers eternal life, but He also spoke of a new life that starts right here and now. It is life with God, and it is eternal because God is eternal.

Praying to the Father, Jesus said, “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ” (John 17:3).

This promised life is abundant life (John 10:10). And how could it not be? David was right when he wrote that there is joy in the presence of God. Through the Holy Spirit, we carry that presence with us wherever we go.

Life is not easy, but we can be joyful no matter what happens, because God is with us. Whether we die before the Lord returns or are caught up to meet Him in the air when He does (1 Thessalonians 4:17), the life we have in Christ will continue. “Where, death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Personal Prayer Challenge: Pray for the God of all comfort to surround you with peace in the midst of situations that may not be so peaceful.

Prayer Prompts for Today: Pray for the following church and their pastor, that they remain devoted to Jesus and His mission and that God blesses them and their work.

(Artisan City Church | St. Petersburg | Chris Dew)

Note: Artisan City Church, led by Pastor Chris Dew, is a new church plant in St. Petersburg, Florida, aiming to launch in early 2025. For more information, visit Chris Dew Ministries.

DAY NINE (January 14th)

Today’s Topic: I Will Give You Rest & Peace

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

When you think of rest, you may envision a quiet weekend in a quaint cabin in the woods, or perhaps a peaceful morning on the beach. Maybe you just imagine a morning when you get to ignore the alarm and sleep for an extra thirty minutes. The image we often have of rest is one of stillness and quiet, but what Jesus promises us goes beyond mere tranquility.

The rest Jesus offers isn’t a retreat, but a new way of living, drawn from an Old Testament concept called shalom. Shalom is more than rest; it is peace, wholeness, blessing, and connection to the Lord. This is only possible when we learn to rely on God rather than our own efforts, to cast our worries onto His back rather than piling them up on our own. This is the rest Jesus calls us to. And when we accept His invitation, we find His peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Jesus tells His followers that His “yoke is easy and [His] burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). His “yoke” is a lifestyle, a commitment to walk in obedience to His teachings and in light of His example. Jesus taught the way of the kingdom, complete with the pace and priorities of heaven, and He modeled total dependence on God—the key to true shalom. When we follow His example, we learn we can take His peace with us wherever we go.

Personal Prayer Challenge: Pray that God would extend mercy to us when we fail and fall. Pray that we remember the great grace that has been given to us, even when we don’t deserve it.

Prayer Prompts for Today:

Pray for the following church and their pastor, that they remain devoted to Jesus and His mission and that God blesses them and their work.

(NorthPark Church | Raleigh | Chris Sloan)

DAY EIGHT (January 13th)

Today’s Topic: I Will Forgive Your Sins

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12

Had you been chosen as an Old Testament prophet, you would have had the unpopular job of giving people bad news. Judgment, punishment, destruction—these were the sort of words you might have become known for using. Sure, you would have also used their redemptive counterparts, like restoration and salvation, but often only after all the judgment, punishment, and destruction talk.

When Jesus came along, He spoke words of warning like the prophets before Him, but He also offered forgiveness in a way that they, not being God in the flesh, could not.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17).

While some people were drawn to Jesus, many were offended by His words and actions. Scribes accused Him of blasphemy for telling a paralytic man his sins were forgiven (Mark 2:5-7). Pharisees were appalled that He let a notoriously sinful woman touch Him (Luke 7:39).

Why did Jesus say these things and spend time with these people? Jesus knew the Father’s heart—a heart that aches for sinners limping through this world under the weight of rebellion and brokenness. It had been His plan from the beginning to provide a way for sins to be forgiven. That way is Jesus. No matter how dark or scandalous our personal sins may be, God extends mercy to us—and to the entire world—because of the price Jesus paid on the cross. He laid down His life to secure pardon for every repentant sinner.

Personal Prayer Challenge:

Pray for courage to ask God for help. Pray that we seek help from God FIRST and not as a last resort in our life.

Prayer Prompts for Today:

Pray that the following ministries would provide spiritual food to the communities in which they serve:

Forest Park A.R.K.

SOULS Ministry

Food Bank

DAY SEVEN (January 12th)

Today’s Topic: A Promise of Instruction

Scripture: Psalm 32:8

Psalm 32:8 offers a beautiful promise of God’s personal guidance in our lives. In a world filled with uncertainty and competing voices, this verse reassures us that we are not left to navigate life’s complexities on our own. God Himself promises to instruct, teach, and counsel us. His guidance is not distant or impersonal but comes from a place of love and care. He watches over us, not as a detached observer, but as a loving Father who desires our good and wants to lead us in the right path.

This promise of guidance is both comforting and empowering. God doesn’t just point us in the right direction and leave us to figure things out. Instead, He walks with us, providing ongoing instruction and teaching. Through His Word, His Spirit, and even the wise counsel of others, God gives us the tools and wisdom we need to make decisions and pursue His purposes. This promise reminds us that no decision is too small or too complex to bring before Him in prayer.

At the heart of this promise is God’s loving involvement in our lives. The phrase “with my loving eye on you” speaks to His intimate care. He sees not only where we are but also where we are going. His guidance is not meant to restrict us but to protect us and lead us into the fullness of life He has planned. Just as a shepherd leads sheep along safe and fruitful paths, God’s direction is always for our benefit, even when we don’t fully understand it in the moment.

Take a moment to reflect on your own life—are there areas where you feel uncertain or in need of direction? Psalm 32:8 invites us to trust in God’s promise to lead us. Take time to seek His instruction through prayer, Scripture, and stillness before Him. His guidance is available to those who are willing to listen and follow.

Personal Prayer Challenge:

Pray for mercy and grace to fill our souls.

Pray to know that God hears our hurts and pains.

Pray to run toward God, even when we’re struggling.

Prayer Prompts for Today:

Pray for the Lord to breathe life over all who have been marginalized by our society:

The broken

The hurting

The disenfranchised

The forgotten

DAY SIX (January 11th)

Today’s Topic: The Promises Are for All People

Scripture: Psalm 33:11

Unshakable Promises

In a world where plans change and circumstances shift, Psalm 33:11 anchors us in the eternal faithfulness of God. This verse reminds us that while human intentions may falter, God’s plans endure forever. His purposes are not only unchanging but are rooted in His perfect wisdom and love.

For every generation, this truth brings hope: God’s promises are not dependent on our success or failure but on His steadfast nature. The assurance of God’s unshakable plans reassures us that we can trust Him, even when life feels uncertain. While we may not always understand His timing or methods, we can rest in the knowledge that His purposes are for our ultimate good and His glory (Romans 8:28). This truth invites us to let go of anxiety and surrender our fragile plans into His sovereign hands.

Throughout Scripture, we see countless examples of God’s enduring plans being fulfilled. Despite human interference or failure, His purposes always prevail. Consider Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers yet declared, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (Genesis 50:20). God’s plans are never thwarted—not by others’ failures or even our own mistakes. They are firm and unshakable, standing as a testimony to His sovereignty.

This promise also reveals the deep connection between God’s plans and His heart. His purposes flow from His love for His people, ensuring that His plans are not cold or detached but deeply personal. He has promised never to leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6) and to work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). Because of this, we can trust that His plans are not only enduring but are also motivated by His desire to bless and guide us.

Personal Prayer Challenge

Pray for assurance in God. Ask for the faith to believe that He hears our prayers and receives all that we lift to Him.

Prayer Prompts for Today

Pray that our nation would become one that seeks to put God first.

Pray for God’s protection and direction over our leaders, including Military Personnel, the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court.

DAY FIVE (January 10th)

Today’s Topic: I Will Give You a Future and a Hope

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:10-14

Too Good to Be True

The promise of Jeremiah 29:11 can sometimes feel too good to be true. Often spoken over someone to encourage them through disappointment or setbacks, these words can feel hollow when taken out of context. That’s because God wasn’t talking about career success, dating relationships, or winning a soccer game. And He wasn’t addressing just anyone and everyone.

God was speaking specifically to the people of Judah in exile. The “plans” He had involved restoring them as a nation and bringing them back from Babylon into the Promised Land. So unless you happen to be a sixth-century BC Jew stuck in Mesopotamia, it might seem like there’s nothing here for you.

In one sense, this is true. We can’t simply grab promises made to someone else and apply them directly to ourselves. However, God has grafted all believers into His family (Ephesians 1:4-5; Romans 11:17). Because of that, the “future” God promised His people in the Old Testament is now ours in Christ.

This hope is bigger and better than anything we can imagine—it is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), eternal life in the presence of the King (2 Peter 1:4; Revelation 21:3), and the restoration of all things (Revelation 21:5). When life is difficult, Jeremiah’s promise reminds us not that everything will work out as we want, but that Christ will bring good even from the darkest moments. That’s a promise we can hold on to forever.

Personal Prayer Challenge

Pray for faith that runs to God in fear and courage to trust Him through seasons of confusion and fear.

Prayer Prompts for Today

Pray for our Governor and State Representatives, that they would have faith in God and that this faith would unleash His power on our state and its communities.

Day Four (January 9th)

Topic: I Will Give You an Everlasting Kingdom

Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:8-13

In Jesus’s day, it was in the air—a collective desire that nearly everyone in Judea and Galilee felt. A thousand years had passed since God had made a promise to David, and it was the sort of promise that was only held onto because it had come from God Himself: “Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever, and your throne will be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16).

It certainly didn’t look like one of David’s descendants was poised to resurrect his father’s kingdom any time soon. Rome held the land and its people tightly. In fact, it was treason to speak of another king besides Caesar. Yet when Jesus began His public ministry, the coming kingdom was central to His message-only Jesus spoke of the kingdom as belonging not merely to David, but to God.

Jesus is the King who sits on David’s throne, but more than that, He sits at the right hand of the Father. And His kingdom is not limited to the land of Israel; it spreads across the whole earth as the gospel is preached and received, until one day when it will be said, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15). Those of us who know Jesus as Lord also know the kingdom as the home we long for. In Christ, we are now its citizens (Philippians 3:20), and when He returns, we will reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). Until that day comes, we join with David and every other faithful soul throughout history who has ached with longing for the kingdom.

Personal Prayer Challenge: Pray for a heart that is glad and attitude that is desperate to read and love the truth of God and His Word.

Prayer Prompts for Today: Pray for vital community leaders (1st Responders, Health Care Workers, Teachers, Community Leaders, Business Owners, Churches)

Day Three (January 8th)

Topic: I Will Never Leave You or Abandon You

Scripture: Joshua 1:1-9

What must it have been like to receive instructions directly from the mouth of the Lord? “Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites,” God told Joshua (Joshua 1:2). Moses had died, and now it was Joshua’s turn to lead —not because Joshua said so, but because God had said so. Scripture does not describe Joshua’s emotional reaction to God’s directive, but we can infer from what God said next that Joshua was less than confident about the enormous task ahead of him: “I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you” (Joshua 1:5).

God was indeed with Joshua. In the chapters that follow, we see Joshua successfully lead the Israelite people across the Jordan accompanied by none other than the tangible presence of God with the ark of the covenant. And we see God fight for Israel as they take possession of the promised land under Joshua’s command. Everyone who followed Joshua benefited from God’s presence. But Joshua’s life and mission point to someone greater: Jesus Christ. And just as God’s promise to Joshua was for the benefit of all those who followed and obeyed Joshua, the promise is extended today to all those who follow and obey Jesus. The Lord’s presence is with us, wherever Christ leads. We can, therefore, rejoice in the freedom from fear that is ours in Christ. “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Personal Prayer Challenge: Pray for strength and perseverance to trust in God, even when it seems He is silent in our life.

Prayer Prompts for Today: Pray for our families to experience God’s peace, unity and strength as they face daily challenges. Pray for healthy marriages and for enduring strength for our single parents who are doing life alone.

Day Two (January 7th)

Topic: I Will Bless You

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-7

As the story of the Bible opens, we encounter human failure at every turn. Adam and Eve invite sin and death into our world. Cain kills Abel, even after God warns him about the evil lurking in his heart. And there’s nearly everyone else-“every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5). Who could blame God if He had decided enough was enough? But in Genesis 12, God does something tremendously gracious: He chooses to befriend an elderly man from Mesopotamia and bless him beyond all imagination.

The promises God made to Abram, later renamed Abraham, seem too big for reality: descendants enough to replace the stars in the sky, with kings among their number; a name known far and wide; and a piece of real estate approximately the size of New Hampshire. These promises seem so removed from our everyday lives that we tend to leave them in the past, there among the tents and flocks of Abraham and Sarah. But the New Testament tells us that these promises are actually ours in Christ. We are counted among the stars in the sky Abraham saw, heirs of the blessings bestowed upon the patriarch in response to his faith (Galatians 3:29). just that good.

Personal Prayer Challenge: Pray for a posture that remembers and celebrates how God has provided in the past. Pray for a spirit that expects God to move again in our life.

Prayer Prompts for Today: Pray for the ministries of our church that each one of them would be refreshed regarding their purpose and unified in the vision and mission of our church. (KidVenture, NEXT, 1st Impressions, Outreach, Worship/Production, Online, and Groups)

Day One (January 6th)

Today’s Topic: The Promises of God are “Yes” & “Amen”
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:20; Exodus 34:4-7

There are two chief mistakes we can make when we read the promises of God, and they are equally dangerous. The first is to assume that every promise can be lifted from the pages of Scripture and applied directly to our lives. The other is to believe that nearly all of the promises came and went in the ancient world —that the only one meant for us today is the promise of eternal life we receive when we place our trust in Christ. Neither approach is biblical, though, for Scripture says that, “no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ” (2Corinthians 1:20 NIV).

And of course they are! How else would the plans of our “compassionate and gracious God” work (Exodus 34:6)? When every story in the Old Testament points forward to the coming of the Son of God, and every word in the New Testament is a response to His life and work, we should not be surprised to find that every promise is indeed “Yes” in Christ.

Not only that, but all the promises in the Old Testament-the ones we thought were surely over and done with, or meant only for ethnic Israel-are transformed and enlarged in the wake of Christ’s ministry. In many cases, the New Testament writers help us see the way these promises are renewed in Christ. In this way, learning about the promises of God becomes a means of deepening our understanding of Christ and His work, and an occasion to worship our great Savior.

Personal Prayer Challenge: Pray for an awareness of God’s goodness in our life and a heart that is grateful for what He has blessed us with.

Prayer Prompts for Today: Pray for our pastors and volunteer leaders at Forest Park.