4/25/2026 | God's Character
May striving cease today as we receive the lavish affection of our good and loving God.
In today’s First15 we’re going to create space to talk about and receive God’s great gift of love. You and I were made to be loved by God. And until we make room to receive the unselfish, steadfast, tangible love of God, we’ll spend the rest of our lives striving, vying for affection from others. May striving cease today as we receive the lavish affection of our good and loving God.
1 John 4:19
You need to experience the love of God. The single most important part of your day is receiving the love of your heavenly Father. Without being loved by God, you can’t fully love him or others. And the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:1, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” You’re called to live your life in response to God’s love, because God asks that everything you do be done in love. If what you are doing isn’t done in love, it is not pleasing to him, and you can’t live a lifestyle of loving others without being loved by him first.
What’s more, God’s desire is to completely overwhelm you with his love right now. He doesn’t want to love you just so you’ll love him back or love those around you. Loving God and others is a natural by-product of receiving God’s love. He loves you just because he loves you.
He longs for you to live a lifestyle of love because he knows that’s the absolute, most fulfilling, purposeful, and peaceful way of life for you. He longs to set you free from the burdens of living for your own gain. He longs to lead you to the path of abundant life. But it all starts with simply receiving his love.
The love of God will guide you, establish you, empower you, and fully delight you. His love will free you, compel you, and sustain you. His love for you is eternal, real, and right now. All you need to do is simply open your heart to him and set aside a little time right now to receive his amazing gift of love.
God desires to be experienced. He is living and active, but so few experience the life and love he wants to bring. Today, after receiving his love, take some time to reflect on how differently you feel and act afterwards. See if you feel a stirring of desire for God and those around you. You see, God intends for us to have his love for those around us. In loving God you receive his love for others. You care about the things the people you love care about. It is the same with God. But it all starts with simply being loved by him. There’s no better time than right now, wherever you are, to receive the love of your heavenly Father.
1. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you encounter the love of God. Receive the peace, love, and comfort of God. Let all your cares go and take some time to just rest in his presence.
2. Ask God to give you revelation on his heart for you and those around you. Reflect on this passage from 1 John 4 as you pray:
3. Ask the Spirit to help you love the people you encounter today with God’s heart for them. Ask God a specific way you can love someone else out of the overflow of his love for you. Jesus said in John 13:34:
Know that wherever you go, God is there. You can receive his love at any time. Whenever someone harms you today, whenever you get frustrated or stressed, take a few minutes to simply be loved by your heavenly Father. May his love be the foundation for yours in all that you do today.
Extended Reading: John 17 or watch The Bible Project’s video on John 13-21.
May his love be the foundation for yours in all that you do today.
]]>4/24/2026 | God's Character
Where are you questioning God’s goodness today?
In today’s First15, we’re going to dive deeper into the reality of God’s goodness. At every turn, just when I wonder how good God really is, he always has a plan to show me how truly loving and good he is. So as we begin, where are you questioning God’s goodness today? When things go wrong, when we get hurt, it’s only natural to start questioning and building walls. But rather than going our own way, let’s come before God with confidence, asking our questions and inviting him to meet us in a meaningful way today.
“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!”
Psalm 27:13 ESV
God is good. What emotion does that fact stir in you? I know for some this phrase stirs up unspeakable joy, while others of us seem to be immune to its emotion in our lives. I believe the issue for many of us is that the phrase “God is good” is so frequently said and so infrequently experienced. For many of us we are just told that God is good from a young age, but we are seldom given the chance to experience that goodness. Goodness is something meant to be experienced and then believed, not the other way around.
David said that he would look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. He had already seen God’s goodness in his life and believed that he would see it again. He knew for a fact that God was good and therefore he sought to experience that goodness. It’s that same heart that the Sons of Korah had in the famous Psalm 84, singing, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God . . . For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:1-2,10). That sounds like the worship of a good God, a goodness that had been experienced.
When was the last time you experienced the goodness of God? Psalm 33:5 says, “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” God’s goodness is here, just waiting to be experienced. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” God is always good, and every good and perfect gift you’ve received is from him! He demonstrates his goodness to us in innumerable ways, all the time. How is it then that we don’t recognize it? How is it that we can be surrounded by God’s goodness and not experience it?
God has proven in Scripture that he works in our midst demonstrating his goodness, but we have to take time to listen and respond to these demonstrations. In Psalm 27 God says to David, “Seek my face,” and David responds, “My heart says to you, your face, Lord, do I seek.” When God says “seek” he uses a Hebrew word that is meant for more than one person. God calls all of us, his people, to “seek my face.” Then in response we are to say, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
Take time today to respond to God’s invitation of goodness. Seek to look upon his face and to experience his goodness. He has laid a banquet table before you and is simply asking you to come and dine with him.
1. Take time to quiet yourself and receive God’s presence. Meditate on this verse:
2. Respond to his goodness by telling the Lord:
“My heart says to you, Your face, Lord, do I seek.” Psalm 27:8
3. Make David’s prayer yours today:
Take time to make that prayer your own throughout your day today. Memorize it. Write it on your heart so that you can experience the goodness of God throughout your day. It only takes a minute to receive his presence and have the joy and peace that can only be found in Christ Jesus.
Extended Reading: Psalm 27 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Psalms.
It only takes a minute to receive his presence and have the joy and peace that can only be found in Christ Jesus.
]]>4/23/2026 | God's Character
Life is never better than when God is fully at the center of our lives, and fully at the center of our hearts.
In today’s First15, we’re going to spend time reflecting on how worthy God is of our devotion. Life is never better than when God is fully at the center of our lives, and fully at the center of our hearts. May we authentically give God our devotion today as we take time to discover how holy and worthy he is.
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
Isaiah 6:3 ESV
Throughout Scripture we see a powerful principle exemplified: when God is seen for who he truly is, the natural response of the seer is full and absolute devotion. When God reveals his glory, love, power, holiness, and splendor, the seer responds with absolute commitment and worship. I believe that God would reveal himself to us today in simple but mighty ways. I believe that he longs for us to see him as he truly is, and that his chief desire is our devotion. May we see God face-to-face today and be forever changed by a fresh revelation of this God who would give up everything for relationship with us.
Isaiah 6 exemplifies both a vision of God and a response of devotion. Isaiah has an open vision of the majesty of God in heaven. He sees God on his throne and hears angels declaring his holiness and splendor by saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3). And in response to this vision Isaiah 6:8 says, “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.'” Isaiah responds to seeing God with full devotion.
God doesn’t ask for your devotion the way man does. He doesn’t offer you ultimatums or transactionally based benefits if you will love him. Devotion to him is meant to be the natural response of seeing God for who he is, because he is inherently worthy of every bit of devotion we can bring to him. He is worthy of our allegiance because he is the King of Kings. He is worthy of our obedience because his will is both knowable and perfect. He is worthy of our worship because he is the almighty God to whom all creation offers ceaseless praise. And he is worthy of our heart because he is the God of love and mercy who has created us for relationship with him.
Too often we mistake God’s mercy and grace as opportunities to go our own way and come back to him as we please or when we need something. Too often we treat his love as an opiate for our problems rather than the foundation on which we devote our lives in humble submission to him. God is patient. He is kind. He will never force or manipulate us into loving him. But his patience, kindness, and gentleness do not change the fact that he is King of kings, Lord of lords, and Creator of all, and that he is worthy and deserving of our ceaseless devotion.
Run to meet your God in the secret place today. Look upon his face and see him for both the loving and majestic God he is. He longs to reveal his nature to you. He longs for you to search out the depths of him and be awed by his wonder and mystery. Spend time in prayer meeting with your loving heavenly Father and responding to his nature with your love, worship, and devotion.
1. Meditate on the majesty, holiness, and love of God. Allow Scripture and the Holy Spirit to guide you into a direct encounter with the living God. Ask God to reveal his nearness, holiness and love to you in a fresh way.
2. Spend time giving him thanks for who he is. Worship him through thanksgiving.
3. Now offer God your total devotion in response to who he is. Commit to following his leadership and living your life in total obedience to him through the help of the Holy Spirit.
May your life be an example of a believer in love with God. May you offer God all the love, obedience, and devotion you can. All God desires is your heart. He longs to have all of you. He is completely relationship focused and completely lovesick for you. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” God will help you live your life in commitment to him if you allow him to. Receive the strength of the Lord and respond to his love with your devotion today.
Extended Reading: Isaiah 44 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Isaiah 40-66.
Receive the strength of the Lord and respond to his love with your devotion today.
]]>4/22/2026 | God's Character
May our hearts be filled with greater measures of trust as we make space for God to fill.
In today’s First15, we’re going to take time today to simply focus on how trustworthy our heavenly Father is. Our trust is always meant to be a response to God’s trustworthiness, an act of love given as we receive the unconditional, life-changing love of God. May our hearts be filled with greater measures of trust as we make space for God to fill.
Psalm 9:10 ESV
Our heavenly Father calls us, his children, to place our trust solely in him for provision, well-being, and guidance. We see God call his people to a lifestyle of trust throughout Scripture, but time and time again the people of God take matters into their own hands. Why is trust so difficult? Why do we have a hard time placing the burden of provision, well-being, and guidance in the capable hands of our heavenly Father? The only good posture of our hearts is total trust in our God. The only way we will experience the full reality, love, and power of our heavenly Father is in trusting him. It’s when we trust him that we allow him to move in our lives. It’s when we trust him that we position ourselves to receive the powerful working of the Holy Spirit. It’s when we trust him that we allow him to work in and through us to see his will done on the earth. So, let’s allow God’s word to be our guide today as we open our hearts to receiving the courage and faith to place our trust in God.
Psalm 9:10 speaks to the core of trusting in God: “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” Trusting God is first and foremost a matter of knowing his character and faithfulness. We must know his name, or who he is, and know in our heart of hearts that he will not forsake us. Trusting God starts with a knowledge of his trustworthiness, but must make its way down to the heart. If we don’t allow God’s character and faithfulness to become a transformative reality of our heart, we will never bear the fruit of trust. So in order to begin a lifestyle of trust in areas in which we have taken control for ourselves, we must begin by asking God for a fresh revelation of his character and faithfulness. We must see God for who he is, reflect on his faithfulness as demonstrated in Scripture, in the lives of other believers, and in our own lives, and allow these revelations to transform our hearts’ desires and bear the fruit of trust.
Oftentimes it takes me being at my wit’s end, where there is nothing possible left for me to do, before I pray and ask God for his help. In reality, I should begin every part of my life with surrender to the Holy Spirit’s power and guidance. I should follow God’s leadership from the beginning. Isaiah 26:3-4 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” My life should be a continual response to the love and faithfulness of God rather than a trial of my own strength ending in cries of desperation to my heavenly Father who longed to help me all along. God’s desire is that we would be a people marked by the peace that only comes from continual trust in response to his trustworthiness. Continual peace comes from continual trust.
Psalm 37:3-5 offers what I believe to be a blueprint for the abundant life God desires for each of us. David writes, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” When we place our trust solely in God we are filled with delight in him in place of the burden and weight of living life in our own strength. And when we delight ourselves fully in God, our desires come into line with his, allowing us to simply “do good” and “dwell in the land.” If we will trust in God he will both fill us with the desires he has for us and then satisfy those desires. When the people of God respond to his faithfulness with trust, he does mighty and incredible works. God delivered the entire nation of Israel through the trust of one man, Moses. He destroyed the walls of Jericho through the faithful marching of his people. He scattered the Midianites in response to the trust of Gideon. He delivered Paul and Silas from prison as they worshipped him in trust. The stories go on and on, but they all have this in common: God spoke his desires to his people, his people trusted him at his word in response to his character and faithfulness, and he did a mighty work in their favor.
Where do you need a powerful work of your heavenly Father today? Where do you need his help and guidance? Spend time meditating on the character and past faithfulness of your heavenly Father and place your trust in him in response to his trustworthiness. Your God loves you and longs to help you. He has a plan to deliver you from whatever comes against you. Just as he destroyed the enemies of his people time and time again, he will help you overcome whatever obstacle stands in your way today. Place your hope and trust in God and follow him as he leads you to a life of victory and freedom.
1. Meditate on the character and faithful works of God.
2. Reflect on your own life. Where do you need God’s help today? Where do you need his favor or guidance? Where do you need a miracle?
3. Place your trust in God, ask for his help, and follow his leadership. Spend time placing your trust solely in him. If it feels too difficult to trust him completely, ask for his help! Ask him to uncover whatever lie is keeping you from trusting him. Ask him to reveal his nearness, love, and power to you. Trust is meant to be a response, not something you conjure up. Allow him to reveal himself in deeper ways so that you can simply respond to his overwhelming reality, love, power, and faithfulness.
May you grow in your knowledge of the trustworthiness of your God today. May you experience the joy of having the Creator of all working in the details of your own life. God is not too busy for you today. He doesn’t have better or bigger things planned than your problems. He is infinite, vast, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving. He longs to work in the little things along with the big things. Listen to him as he speaks Isaiah 43:1-2 over you today:
Extended Reading: Psalm 37 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Psalms.
May you grow in your knowledge of the trustworthiness of your God today.
]]>4/21/2026 | God's Character
May our hearts be comforted and our hands be filled with strength as we make space for God to fill.
Every day we experience fear in some way. Whether it’s fear over the opinion of others, fear of the future, or fear over the ways and plans of evil, we’re in need of comfort and faith. Today we’re going to spend time focusing to protection God offers us every day in his goodness and love. May our hearts be comforted and our hands filled with strength as we make space for God to fill.
“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”
2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV
I used to be scared to death any time I heard someone talking about the devil. He always seemed so cunning, too cunning, for me to handle. I saw Christian after Christian enveloped in temptation fall away from what seemed to be God’s will for their life. I heard about the ways in which the world was so tricked by his schemes. And I thought I would never be able to fully defeat this strong and cunning foe.
Do you feel that way? Does your enemy seem too strong to defeat? Does he seem too cunning to outwit? Does it feel like he has so grasped you in his clutches that escape is impossible? The most important fact for you to know about Satan is that he is the father of all lies. John 8:44 says, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Let that truth sink in for a minute. Everything the devil tells you is a lie. He cannot speak full truth. Everything he tells you is in opposition to God, who is the author of all truth. All of the devil’s whispers about his strength and your inability to defeat him are in opposition to the word of God. May we find blissful freedom today in the powerful words of our loving, truthful heavenly Father. May we allow his Spirit to come in and correct the lies of the enemy we have believed so that we might walk in the abundant life available to us through Christ.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” Our heavenly Father is a perfect, capable protector from Satan. He promises to establish us and guard us. He is always with us and always knows exactly what we need in order to withstand the temptations of the evil one. 1 Corinthians 10:13 teaches us, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” The Holy Spirit will always provide us an exit from temptation. Always. There will never be a temptation that comes your way that you cannot escape when you are under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
One of the enemy’s most used weapons is the lie that you cannot defeat him. He reminds us of our past failures, of his great cunning ways, and of his victories over us. He whispers that he is stronger than us and that we will give in eventually. All lies. Past failures do not have to dictate the outcome of future battles. In fact, if we will allow the Holy Spirit to use past failures to reveal to us ways in which he longed to lead us away from temptation, past sins become stepping stones on which we achieve future victories. Titus 2:11-14 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” God’s grace lays the foundation for our victory over the enemy, not our own works. It was in his grace that Jesus died to set us free from this world and restore us to God. His grace leads us away from temptation. And it’s his grace that he offers us every time we confess our sins to him. God’s grace is powerful, freeing, perfect, and full of love. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our frame. But he is also perfectly capable of being strong in our weakness if we allow him to be.
You never have to fall into temptation again. God has a perfect plan for every temptation that comes your way. The enemy is not stronger than you. He is not more cunning than you. And he will not have victory over you because you have God, and God has defeated him. Your protector and guard is the very God who defeated the enemy at the cross and will throw him into the lake of fire, resulting in his ultimate destruction. That God lives inside of you, has grace for you, and plans to use your past failures and current weaknesses to powerfully defeat your enemy.
Spend time in prayer meditating on the truth of God’s power over the enemy. Reflect on your own life and allow the Spirit to take your past failures and turn them into future victories. And allow Scripture to fill you with truth to combat the future lies of the enemy.
1. Meditate on God’s faithful protection over you.
2. Reflect on your past failures. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you ways in which he was leading you away from temptation. What did he desire you to do so that you might walk in victory over your enemy? In what ways did he desire to protect you?
3. Allow the Spirit to empower you for future victories. Ask him to make you more aware of his leadership in future temptations and to empower you to follow him. Meditate on the truth of who you are in Christ and the truth of the enemy’s plans for you. May Scripture and the Holy Spirit empower you during this time for every temptation the enemy has planned for you.
It’s critical that we renew our mind to the truth of who we are in Christ on a daily basis. The enemy will never stop tempting us because he will never stop hating us and the God whom we belong to. But you can achieve victory over the enemy every single time because victory is already yours in Christ. You are the enemy’s no longer. You have been given a new nature of righteousness. The most powerful weapon you have is God’s word. Memorize Scripture about your new nature and allow it to redefine the way you see yourself. Walk in light of the incredible grace of God working in and through your life today.
Extended Reading: 1 Corinthians 10 or watch The Bible Project’s video on 1 Corinthians.
Walk in light of the incredible grace of God working in and through your life today.
]]>4/20/2026 | God's Character
As we spend time this week focusing on God’s character, allow who he is to stir up your desire to know him even more.
It’s vital to the Christian life that we as sons and daughters of the most high God allow our affections to be stirred by the loving, powerful nature of our heavenly Father. Too often we feel that God is distant or separated from us. Too often we allow misconceptions or lies to place a rift between us and experiencing God. So as we spend time this week focusing on God’s character, allow who he is to stir up your desire to know him even more.
2 Peter 3:9 ESV
1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us, “Love is patient.” Patience is a part of love that doesn’t feel fun at the beginning. It feels like an act of self-control rather than passion, as if the two aren’t perfectly connected. And it often comes across as a sign of weakness rather than an attribute of the bold and powerful we so often admire. But Scripture teaches us a different view of patience. 2 Peter 3:8-9 says, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” God, in his passionate desire for restored relationship with all his children, has perfect patience toward us. His passion leads him to patience. And it is in his desire to see us grow in all manner of holiness and godliness that he waits to bring about the restoration of all things to him with the coming of the new heavens and earth. Let’s open our hearts today to become more like our heavenly Father and allow him to create in us a heart worthy of him who has so patiently loved us.
I fear that much of the bride of Christ is living day-to-day, getting by until Jesus returns. And I fear that in our complacency we are not engaging in the purposes for which Christ came. God’s intention here is to use us to bring about a saving knowledge to all those around us. His plan was for restoration of relationship here, not just biding our time while suffering from a lack of his reality working in our lives. 2 Peter 3:14 says, “Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for [new heavens and a new earth], be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.” And Hebrews 12:3-11 says,
Because God loves us he does not desire for us to remain as we were or as we are. His plan is to do such a work in us that we live on this earth as Jesus did. But he is entirely patient to accomplish this work. He is entirely patient with our sanctification.
When I began engaging in the process of sanctification I was filled with frustration. For the first time I began to see all the dirt and muck covering up this beautiful gift of a new nature God had given me. I felt like I was never going to be able to get through all the sin that seemed to so entangle me to my old nature, and I was right. Scripture teaches us that it is God, in his patience, who produces holiness and godliness. In my own strength I have no ability to change my heart. My only job is to engage with him and allow him to work in and through me. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” The NLT version says it this way: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” God’s desire isn’t for us to engage in works that have the appearance of morality but aren’t flowing from the true desire of our hearts. His longing is to mold and shape our hearts by his love into a perfect reflection of his heart so that we might live true lives of holiness out of the overflow of what he has done in us. Only he can accomplish such a work. Only he can fill us with the ability to truly love. And as 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, he is patient to do so.
1. Meditate on the patient heart of your heavenly Father. Reflect on how his patience comes from his passionate love for us.
2. Now meditate on God’s desire to produce holiness and godliness in you. Allow this truth to grow in connection to God’s love. His love leads him to discipline and work in us.
3. Now engage in the process of sanctification with the Holy Spirit. Allow him to reveal to you places in your life that do not align with your new nature. Ask him to take you to the source of your sin and correct your understanding so that you might walk in holiness today.
God has promised to deliver us from this world. We have hope that the trials and tribulations of this world will not be forever. Jesus is coming again to restore all things to be as they should. Find peace and joy in the fact that God is both working now and will work then. He is both healing, transforming, and freeing us now as he will then. In his patience he is passionately waiting for more to come to know him. May your life be a reflection of his perfect love to all those around you, that Jesus might gain the due reward of his suffering through you.
Extended Reading: Romans 6 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Romans 5-16.
May your life be a reflection of his perfect love to all those around you, that Jesus might gain the due reward of his suffering through you.
]]>4/19/2026 | Knowing God
May God draw us closer to him, and give us a greater measure of faith today as we focus on his steadfast love and faithfulness.
In the last day of this week where we’re seeking to stir up our affections for God, today we’re going to look at God’s faithfulness. You and I can have faith, because God is faithful. His faithfulness lays the foundation we need to love him, follow him, and walk with him. May God draw us closer to him, and give us a greater measure of faith today as we focus on his steadfast love and faithfulness.
Numbers 23:19 ESV
Numbers 23:19 describes a foundational aspect of God’s character, his faithfulness. Scripture says, “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” As believers, we need a revelation of God’s faithfulness. Being able to fully trust God is the beginning of living an abundant life. If you don’t fully believe that God is faithful to lead you into the best possible life you could live, then you won’t seek out his will, trust him with your possessions, or be able to fully enjoy his presence.
God’s word promises us in Numbers 23:19 that God is perfectly faithful, steadfast, and true. Philippians 1:6 says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Romans 8:28 promises, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Your God is wholly faithful to you. No matter what you do, he will be there for you. His faithfulness isn’t dependent upon your works. All he requires is a willing heart to bring about the incredible fruit of the Spirit in your life.
You aren’t meant to live life apart from the knowledge of God’s faithfulness. You aren’t meant to live with the weight of doing life on your own. Man may fail you, but your God will not. Family and friends may not be there when you need them, but your God will always be there for you.
Where do you feel on your own? In what ways do you need a fresh revelation of God’s faithfulness? He promises to be true to you. He promises to see you through any situation you find yourself in. Isaiah 54:10 says, “‘For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Faithfulness is foundational to the very character of God. God’s steadfast love for you is more sure than the very ground you walk on.
So respond to God’s faithfulness today. Let his promises steady the parts of your life that feel unsure. As you step outside today, take time to look at the world around you. Think about the things you’ve put your trust in. And remember, God promises that his faithfulness will outlast anything your eyes can see. May your affections for him be stirred today. May you respond to his faithfulness with your own. And may you experience the love and joy of a Father who loves you perfectly and completely.
1. Meditate on God’s promise to be faithful to you.
2. Now reflect on your own life. Where in your life do you feel unsure? What situations seem to toss your emotions around like a boat in the middle of a storm? Where do you need a firmer foundation today?
3. Ask the Spirit for a revelation of God’s faithfulness in those areas. Ask God to help you trust in his promise of faithfulness. Ask him how he plans on bringing peace to those areas that are disturbing you today. Listen to him as he speaks.
Not only does God promise you his faithfulness, but he will actually reveal to you how he is working in your life. You can ask him for his plans, and he will show you! You can ask him how he feels about you and your life, and he will tell you! Within his promise of faithfulness is the promise of his voice. You will hear him speak today if you open your heart, listen to the Spirit and be alert for God to speak through whatever avenue he chooses. Your heavenly Father loves you. Spend your day establishing the foundation of his faithfulness in your own life. And experience a life lived in the abundance of God’s assurance and peace.
Extended Reading: Listen to Securely Held: A Guided Prayer for Anxiety and Peace, our newest Guided Prayer!
Read Isaiah 54 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Isaiah 40-66.
Spend your day establishing the foundation of his faithfulness in your own life. And experience a life lived in the abundance of God’s assurance and peace.
]]>4/18/2026 | Knowing God
May God give us eyes to see who we are to him today, and the courage to abide in him in life-giving relationship.
In today’s First15, we’re going to stir up our affections for God by looking at what it means, when Scripture calls us his children. As a child of God, you are adopted into the family of the Creator of all. And you have a good, and loving Father, filled with grace, mercy, and compassion. May God give us eyes to see who we are to him today, and the courage to abide in him in life-giving relationship.
Galatians 4:6-7 ESV
You are the child of God, brought into his family by the power and grace of Jesus’ sacrifice for you. As believers, we hear we are God’s children. But often we don’t live our lives in response to that truth and instead live out of the mindset of an orphan. Children don’t worry when they have a good father. They don’t wonder if they’ll be able to eat, if they’re loved or if they have a place in this world. The unconditional love of a parent lays a foundation for them to have secure peace and joy. Your God desires the same for you. God wants to lay an unshakable foundation for you based solely on his love for you as his child so that when the storms come and waves crash over you, you remain strong in your identity.
First, let’s look at what Scripture says about you, and then take some time to respond to God’s word in faith. John 1:12-13 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Galatians 4:6-7 says, “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” Finally, 2 Corinthians 6:18 says, “And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” Through adoption into God’s family you are now a co-heir with Christ. Romans 8:17 says that we are God’s children, “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” You were born again into God’s family when you asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior.
So what does it mean to be God’s child? What does it mean to be a co-heir with Christ? It means that all that is God’s is yours. He shares with you his kingdom. You have a Father who gives you amazing gifts. You have a Father who absolutely loves spending time with you. Your heavenly Dad’s love for you knows no bounds. His love is pervasive, powerful, and freely given. You no longer need to worry about whether you have a place in this world. There’s no need to concern yourself with whether you will have clothes or food. You no longer have to live in pursuit of the opinions of those around you. God enjoys you. He has a plan for you. He doesn’t take being your Father lightly. He takes complete ownership of his responsibility. He will strengthen you, teach you, develop you, and give you a life of passion and meaning. To be the child of God is to be loved, liked, and completely cared for.
So how can you live in response to God’s word? How can you get out of the mindset of an orphan? You must have faith that God is who he says he is and believe he will do what he’s promised to do. Romans 10:17 says that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” You have heard the word of the Lord today. You are his child. He promises to provide for you. So have faith! Faith isn’t something you just conjure up. It’s a response to God’s faithfulness. God has and will be faithful to you. Allow his word to stir up faith within you today. Live in response to his promises and allow the peace and joy of being God’s child to lay an unshakable foundation for you today.
1. Meditate on the truth of God’s word. You are his child. Let it sink deep into your heart.
2. Now ask the Spirit to show you any mindsets you have that don’t line up with his word. Where in your life do you feel stressed? What makes you feel like you don’t have what it takes? Where do you feel unloved or unliked?
3. Now ask God to speak to those places. What does it mean for you to be his child? What about your life should be different? Cast off those mindsets and realign your way of thinking with God’s.
“And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18
God’s love for you is sure. There is nothing you could ever do to remove yourself from his family. Once you are his child, you are his forever. As a Christian you are living under God’s grace, not works. God loves you because he loves you—not because of what you think about yourself or what you do. Therefore, release any thoughts you have of yourself that don’t line up with God’s word. Let go of any burdens you’re carrying today in light of his love. And experience the transforming power of a life lived in response to the faithfulness of God.
Extended Reading: Galatians 4 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Galatians.
Let go of any burdens you’re carrying today in light of his love. And experience the transforming power of a life lived in response to the faithfulness of God.
]]>4/17/2026 | Knowing God
May we all draw nearer to God today in this time together.
In today’s First 15, we’re going to stir up our affections by looking at God’s invitation to us in Revelation 3:20 to share a meal with him. This metaphor, this image of sitting across the table from God, especially in the context of the author of Revelation, John’s, culture, creates a pathway for you and me to journey down that leads to real, close relationship with our Creator and Savior. May we all draw nearer to God today in this time together.
Revelation 3:20
Revelation 3:20 reveals amazing insight into the relationship God desires with us, his crown of creation. In it Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Do you know that God wants to be friends with you? Just as a friend would ask you out to a meal, God longs to spend time with you. Every day God is knocking on the door of your heart. If you are willing to open your heart to him and listen, you can spend time with God in ways more boundless and satisfying than you could with any other friend.
Where in your life do you need God’s friendship today? John 15:15 says, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” The story of the gospel is God losing relationship with the crown of his creation, you and me, and through the death of Jesus gaining restored relationship with us. He has been working tirelessly from the very first sin just to be able to call you and me friends again. What you desire from friends around you is completely available to you in God and to even greater depths!
If you need a friend to talk to, God is standing at the door of your heart asking to come in and listen—“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” If you need advice, the Holy Spirit who authored Scripture is waiting to reveal to you the wisdom of God—“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13). If you need to laugh, God longs to bring you unfathomable joy—“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad” (Psalm 126:1-3).
You have a best friend in God. He is not distant. What was true for the psalmist in Psalm 73:23-26 is true for us, “I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Spend time in God’s presence today. Listen to him knocking on the door of your heart and invite him to come in and meet with you. Let his friendship heal the broken places of your heart that need his love. He offers himself freely to you today. He’s gone to unimaginable lengths to be able to simply spend time with you. Lay the table of your heart bare before him, and let his smile restore to you the joy of your salvation.
1. Spend some time meditating on God’s desire for friendship with you.
2. Open your heart to God and receive his presence. Receive the peace and joy that comes from being in the presence of your heavenly Father.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20
3. Spend time simply enjoying your friendship with God. Talk to him about anything you desire. Receive his joy over you.
Friendships aren’t built in a day, but over lifetimes. You have all of eternity to spend getting to know God. After spending consistent time with him, he truly will become your best friend. He will be the person you run to when you have a problem. He will be the source of your joy, peace, and life. Every day, you have the choice to do life with God or on your own. And you have an enemy working to lead you to choose the latter. The more consistently you spend time with God, the easier that decision will become. Once you know the goodness and reality of God there is no going back. Enjoy God today. Walk in the abundant life of restored relationship with him. Answer his call whenever he knocks on the door of your heart. There is no better way you could choose to spend your days and no better friend than God.
Extended Reading: John 15 or watch The Bible Project’s video on John 13-21.
Answer his call whenever he knocks on the door of your heart. There is no better way you could choose to spend your days and no better friend than God.
]]>4/16/2026 | Knowing God
May we praise God for his wisdom, and ask him with boldness and confidence to share that wisdom with us today.
In today’s First15, we’re going to stir up our affections for God by looking at his wisdom. Not only is our God wise, but he longs to share his wisdom with us as his people. Living with true wisdom, true perspective, knowing how to order our desires and our days is one of the real keys to living an abundant life. May we praise God for his wisdom, and ask him with boldness and confidence to share that wisdom with us today.
James 1:5 ESV
Your heavenly Father is perfectly wise. Everything he does is perfect. Every thought and idea he has is filled with complete wisdom. What’s more, through the Holy Spirit you have access to that wisdom. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Your God loves you so much that he’s just waiting to bestow on you his vast wisdom. He never wants you to suffer from a lack of knowledge. So often, we are taught that God only reveals to us what we absolutely have to know right before we need to know it. But that’s not the truth of Scripture. James 1:5 proves that. Your God gives his wisdom “generously!”
Not only is the wisdom of God given to you generously if you ask, but it also has with it incredible attributes. James 3:17 says, “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” The wisdom of God will do incredible things for your life. With it comes the very nature of God. James 3:17 could just as easily have said that God is “pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” So when you receive the wisdom God bestows upon you, you are receiving many of the attributes of God himself.
The wisdom of God is unlike any other way of thinking you’ll find. 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 says, “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness,’ and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.'” Jesus taught us in Matthew 10:39, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” The path he is guiding you to is the way out of the stress that worldly ambition and success will assuredly cause. He’s guiding you to a life of abundant peace. When you forgo the wisdom of this world for his, you will undoubtedly appear more foolish to some. But you will have found a way of living free from the burdens of the world. God’s wisdom leads you to a life truly hidden with Christ, lost in the sea of his love and mercy.
Ask God for his wisdom today. Read his word with the guidance of the Spirit. God is waiting patiently to reveal everything you have the desire to seek out. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” Ask him for his wisdom today, and live the abundant life God has planned for you.
1. Meditate on the amazing qualities of God’s wisdom. Let meditation stir up within you a desire to think like God.
2. Where in your life do you need God’s wisdom? Maybe you need to know how to see yourself. Maybe you have a situation in which you could really use some guidance. Think about the areas in your life in which you need God’s help.
3. Ask God for his wisdom. Have faith in response to his word that he gives wisdom generously, and receive and implement anything he shows you.
The wisdom of God won’t do much for you if you don’t choose to implement God’s thinking over the world’s. If you continuously work for the favor of man and worldly success in light of what you know to be God’s truth, you will continue to experience the consequences of a life lived foolishly. God’s word must be implemented to produce fruit. You have to choose to live in light of your position in Christ for transcendent peace to become the norm in your life. God gives wisdom to you freely when you ask. The question before you today is simply whether or not you will choose to trust God and implement it.
Extended Reading: 1 Corinthians 3 or watch The Bible Project’s video on 1 Corinthians.
God’s word must be implemented to produce fruit. You have to choose to live in light of your position in Christ for transcendent peace to become the norm in your life. God gives wisdom to you freely when you ask. The question before you today is simply whether or not you will choose to trust God and implement it.
]]>4/15/2026 | Knowing God
May God open our eyes and hearts in a special way today to receive his grace in every corner of our hearts.
In today’s First15, we’re going to continue our series seeking to simply stir our affections toward God, by looking at his boundless grace. On a daily basis, it’s God’s grace that always draws me close first. His forgiveness, his loving compassion, his gaze changes everything. May God open our eyes and hearts in a special way today to receive his grace in every corner of our hearts.
Ephesians 1:7 ESV
Grace is one of the most astounding and life-transforming aspects of God’s character. From the beginning of time God has chosen to lavish grace upon us instead of wrath. Time and time again, we’ve turned our backs on him. And time and time again he demonstrates the depth of his desire for us through the giving of his boundless grace. In his grace we are afforded a life not only apart from his wrath, but lived in the glory of relationship with our Creator through the redemption of Jesus.
Ephesians 1:7 says, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” Let’s look at a few of these ideas today and let them stir our affections for God. Allow God to speak through his word to the places of your heart where the grace of God hasn’t been given the opportunity to abound yet.
Paul says that in Jesus we have “redemption through his blood.” Have you thought about the nature of your redemption at length before? Colossians 1:19-22 says, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” Such is the grace of your heavenly Father that there is not a single thing between you and him. You, who at one time stood apart from God, have been brought into the family of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus.
Not only have you been redeemed once and for all, but you are forgiven both now and forever. Paul writes that we as believers have “the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7-10) Where in your life do you need forgiveness today? What do you feel is separating you from unveiled relationship with your heavenly Father? When you confess your sins, God offers you his forgiveness for anything you have done. “According to the riches of his grace,” which was made perfectly evident in the death of Jesus, you are being offered forgiveness. If God would send his Son to die in order to have restored relationship with you, you better believe he will forgive any trespass that seems to stand in your way now.
God doesn’t operate the way the world does. He doesn’t make you pay the penalty for your own sin. Instead, he offers perfect grace. In story after story in Scripture God turns the systems of the world on their head through the concept of grace. In the story of the prodigal son, the father allowed the son to dishonor him, set aside his rightful punishment, and threw a huge party for his wayward child returned home. He didn’t wait. He didn’t make him work for his redemption. He immediately offered him forgiveness freely in grace. God offers you the same today. Don’t attempt to pay for your own sin by separating yourself from the fullness of relationship with God. Jesus paid the only price necessary by his own death. Live in light of God’s grace. Offer your heart to God freely. Let him work out redemption in every area of your life that you might more fully experience the wonderful relationship you have available to you with God.
1. Take time to reflect on the amazing grace of God.
“He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!” Psalm 111:9
2. Talk to God about any area of your life you feel separated from him through sin or a lack of understanding. Where in your life do you not feel grace? What part of your thinking is dominated by condemnation or negativity?
3. Ask God for forgiveness and understanding of his grace in those areas of your life. Receive the freedom that comes from his presence and forgiveness.
God works tirelessly to lead you into the fullness of relationship with him because he loves you. You are his child. He knows everything about you; he’s created you, and he loves spending time with you. May your affections be stirred towards him today. May you know and experience his love in mighty and transformative ways. May you spend your day in God’s presence, changed and empowered by the reality of his boundless grace.
Extended Reading: Ephesians 1 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Ephesians.
May you spend your day in God’s presence, changed and empowered by the reality of his boundless grace.
]]>4/14/2026 | Knowing God
May God guide us down his path to peace today as we make space for his presence.
In today’s First15, we’re going to continue our pursuit of stirring up our affections for God by looking at how God exchanges our burdens for his peace. As a society, we are more continually stressed now than ever. Stress has become our new normal. But in God, we have the opportunity to live with a peace that surpasses our understanding. May God guide us down his path to peace today as we make space for his presence.
Matthew 11:28-30 ESV
Scripture describes a great exchange of our burdens for the peace of God. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” You have a God who loves you so much that he offers to take your burdens off your own shoulders, place them on his, and give you peace in return. Where does your life feel heavy? Where do you feel buried under the burdens of the world? God offers you his peace today if you will take some time to align yourself with him and “yoke” yourself to the teaching of Jesus.
In Matthew 11, Jesus presents us with an image of two animals sharing the burden of work together. The point Jesus is making here is in reference to coming under his teaching. He asks us, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” He isn’t asking us simply to cast our burdens on him, but also to humble ourselves and submit to his teaching. If we are willing to come underneath him as our Teacher, then we no longer carry the burden of figuring out life on our own. And in freedom we are able to live life under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit.
Do you ever feel alone in what you’re doing? Do you ever feel like peace is an unobtainable goal, blocked by layer upon layer of work you need to get through first? God’s plan is different than the world’s plan. The world says you can only have peace when you’ve completed the job, become the best, or gained the approval of man. God tells you to stop working in your own strength, yoke yourself to his teaching, and rid yourself of all the stress and pressure of the world. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “[Cast] all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” You have a God who cares about you. Your God is for you. He knows society tells you to work for and care about certain things, but he offers you the refuge of his peace instead.
You serve a God who doesn’t want you to live even one day burdened. Every day, you can wake up and choose to yoke yourself to your heavenly Father and his word. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Align your mind with what he says about you—casting off every opinion other than his. Align your day with the leading of God’s Spirit, and receive the anointing and power he longs to bring into every situation.
God says, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” If you will choose God today over the way you’ve done things in the past, if you will choose to obey his word, then “you will find rest for your souls.” What area of your life needs rest today? In what parts of your heart do you need God’s peace and ease? He’s waiting right now to meet with you, to offer you his yoke. Let him take your burdens, fears, and stress. Our fragile frame wasn’t meant to bear such pressure. Come underneath God’s teaching today, align your thinking with his, and let the cares of the world fall off as you live in light of the teaching of Jesus.
1. Reflect on your life for a minute. In what areas do you need God’s peace today? It could be your mindset, your appearance, friends, family, work, anything that you feel burdened by.
2. Now offer that area of your life to God and ask him for his opinion. Listen to God and let him tell you what he thinks about you. Look up verses that reveal his teaching on the subject.
3. Meditate on Scripture or what God spoke regarding the area in which you need peace. Let his peace flood that area of your life. Submit yourself to his word. Believe that he sees things truthfully. Whatever God says goes.
Yoke yourself to the teaching of Jesus today. Let his word be your refuge in a world full of opinions. Doing life yoked to God, being obedient to his word, is the best way to walk the path God lays out for us to abundant life. Every day attacks will come your way. But every day God has provided the truth you need in his word to fight those attacks. Choose the word of Jesus today, walk in obedience to it, and experience God’s “rest for your [soul].”
Extended Reading: Matthew 11 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Matthew 1-13.
Choose the word of Jesus today, walk in obedience to it, and experience God’s “rest for your [soul].”
]]>4/13/2026 | Knowing God
May God empower us to live with open hands and an open heart, ready and willing to receive all that he longs to give.
This week we’ll start a new series, making space to simply stir up our affections for God every day. Today, we’re going to look at the reality that our God loves to give us good gifts. May God empower us to live with open hands and an open heart, ready and willing to receive all that he longs to give.
James 1:17 ESV
One of my favorite parts of God’s heart is his desire to give us amazing gifts. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Every good gift you receive is because God loves you. His love for you is so great that he looks for every opportunity to give you a gift. He desperately wants you to know that you are loved and valued by him. He so deeply wants you to know that he is not distant from you but, rather, is working in your midst to lead you to abundant joy, peace and life.
Matthew 7:11 says, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” I love how God has chosen to be known to us as a Father. And because God has chosen to reveal himself as a Father, we can more tangibly understand the love of God by looking to good earthly parents. God longs to bless you the way a good Father would. And at the same time he loves you more deeply and powerfully than any earthly parent ever could. Our heavenly Father far outdoes any example an earthly father gives us. What gift are you longing for today? Do you long for friendship? Do you need a greater sense of being loved? Do you just need to know that he is with you?
God’s gifts may not look like a present you opened for Christmas last year, but they will be exactly what you need when you need it. If you need a friend, ask God for one! He’s promised you his friendship, and he loves to guide his children into community with others. Do you need to know you’re loved? God so longs for you to know the depth of his love that he sent his only Son to die for you! He’d love to pour his love out on you right now. Do you need to know that God is with you? Just ask for his manifest presence. Ask the Spirit to give you eyes to see all the ways he is working in your life. Ask God to reveal to you the ways he was, is and always will be with you. Do you need financial provision? Ask for the leading of the Holy Spirit in your finances! Ask God to provide for you what you need. Whatever gift you need from God today, his word promises in 1 John 5:15, “if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” Your God hears you today. What’s more, he will respond to you perfectly.
God’s gifts are much more life-giving than anything an earthly parent could give. He gives the gift of a beautiful sunrise because he knows you have a longing to gaze upon beauty. He gives the gift of his presence because he knows you need the peace that only he can bring. He gives you the gift of friendship because he knows you aren’t made to do life alone. He provides your finances because he cares about everything you need and desires to use you to bless others. Spend some time today reflecting on the amazing gifts he has given you. Thank him for his desire to bless you. Worship him because he is good. And open your heart to receive all the gifts your heavenly Father longs to give you today.
1. Take a minute to reflect on all the good gifts you’ve been given by God.
2. Now thank God for everything you’ve been given. Thank him for your friends, family, job, church—anything that you love. Let thanksgiving stir your affections to know your heavenly Father more.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
3. Now ask the Spirit to open your eyes and heart to see and receive all the gifts God has in store for you today. Often to know a gift comes from God, we must be in tune with the Spirit. For a sunset to tell us of God’s love, we must be sensitive to God’s presence in our lives.
Thanking God for what he’s already given us is a powerful way to position our hearts to be receptive to what he will give us in the future. Life is so much better when we acknowledge what God is doing in our midst. Knowing you are loved, liked and cared for is better than any material possession you could receive. You have a heavenly Father who gives amazing gifts. Celebrate his love today. And receive all that he longs to give you.
Extended Reading: Matthew 7 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Matthew 1-13.
Celebrate his love today. And receive all that he longs to give you.
]]>4/12/2026 | Stirring Affections
May God guide us and empower us today, and reveal himself in a fresh way.
Today we’re wrapping up our week-long series of stirring up our affections for God by looking at what it means to have friendship with the Holy Spirit. The nearness of God’s Spirit, the reality of his voice and leadership, is our deepest connection to God on this earth. And like any other relationship, any other connection, it takes time to develop a true friendship with the Spirit. So today we’re embarking on a journey with one simple goal in mind: growing a little bit closer to the Spirit in friendship. May God guide us and empower us today, and reveal himself in a fresh way.
Romans 8:26-27 ESV
At salvation you were given the gift of God himself, the Spirit of Christ, dwelling within you. Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” And with the indwelling of the Spirit, friendship with God has been made available to greater depths than you can imagine. He longs to spend time with you like a friend. He longs for you to know how he feels, what he thinks is best and your heavenly Father’s heart for you.
Scripture teaches us a lot about the character of the Spirit. Acts 13:2 teaches us that the Spirit speaks: “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'” In Ephesians 4:30 we learn that the Spirit feels emotions like grief: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Romans 8:26-27 teaches us that the Spirit is our Helper and prays for us: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Friendship with the Spirit is one of God’s greatest gifts to us. He speaks to us, is emotionally invested in our lives, helps us in our weakness and prays for us when we don’t have the words.
So great is God’s love for you that he sent his Spirit to dwell with you. So great is his desire for continued relationship with you that, in his grace, he has given you himself as a constant companion. Another important characteristic of the Spirit, however, is that he will not force relationship on you. He speaks when you listen, he gives you revelation as you open your mind to receive it, and he leads you as you ask for his guidance. The Spirit is full of incredible power but also incredible meekness and humility. He is both powerful and respectful. If you ask for a deeper friendship with the Holy Spirit, you will find he is the best friend you have ever known.
Take time as you enter into guided prayer to get to know the Holy Spirit like a friend. In his book The Pursuit of God A.W. Tozer writes, “Religion, so far as it is genuine, is in essence the response of created personalities to the creating personality, God.” The Holy Spirit has a personality. He has likes and dislikes. He feels, thinks, enjoys, likes, suffers, and desires. May your time in prayer be filled with new levels of friendship with the Spirit of God dwelling within you.
1. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal his nearness to you. Take time to acknowledge his presence.
2. Give thanks to the Spirit for who he is. Thank him for his presence in your life. Thank him for his desire to speak to you, lead you, help you and pray for you.
3. Now ask the Spirit how he’s currently feeling. Ask him his perspective on anything in your life or the world around you. Listen and pay attention to any inclination you feel brought to mind. Journal what he says.
Friendship with the Spirit is like any other friendship in that it develops over time. Like a new friend, you must get to know his character and personality. Spend time just talking with him, listening to him and allowing him to work in your heart and life. He is an incredible gift given to you. He is your gateway to experiencing the things of God. Walk in relationship with him, follow his guidance, and make a new best friend in the Holy Spirit.
Extended Reading: Ephesians 1 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Ephesians.
Walk in relationship with him, follow his guidance, and make a new best friend in the Holy Spirit.
]]>4/11/2026 | Stirring Affections
God’s forgiveness is as constant as our need for his forgiveness.
As we near the end of our week, creating space every day to simply have our affections stirred up for God, we’re going to take time today to look at God’s heart to forgive us. God’s forgiveness is as constant as our need for his forgiveness. And today, I hope and pray that he reveals his heart to forgive us completely and immediately when we confess our sin to him, and his heart to constantly restore us to intimacy with him.
1 John 1:9 ESV
As much as God hates sin because of its destructive effects on us and others, he hates even more that something could come between our relationship with him. Because he desired a relationship with us, God sent his Son to pay the price for our restoration. And it’s because of his continued love for us that he forgives us the very moment we repent of our sin. There’s no price to pay. There’s no time we have to spend outside of his perfect love. Jesus paid the price for every sin you and I will ever commit.
Think for a moment about your normal routine after you sin. What process do you usually go through before you feel restored to God? How long do you wait to repent? How much time do you usually let pass before you feel you can open your heart to God and enjoy him? It’s true that the consequences of sin can linger even after we ask forgiveness, but an obstacle in our relationship with God is not one of them. Jesus paid the highest price, his own life, so that nothing could ever come between us and God again. The Bible says in Romans 8:33-39,
The depth of God’s unconditional love for you drives him to forgive you. Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” After you confess your sin to him, he chooses to remember it no more. If you feel reminded of a transgression, it is not the voice of the Spirit. You have an enemy who lies constantly to form barriers between you and God. Because the enemy can no longer keep you from heaven, he will work tirelessly to wreck your relationship with God here on the earth. The moment you confess your sin to God is the moment there is nothing between you. Allow nothing to hinder your relationship with your heavenly Father. Renew your mind to the truth of what God says about your sin. God’s heart is to forgive you now and forever. His heart is to lead you into perfect relationship with him every day, all day. Say yes to God’s leading today, and rid yourself of the condemnation of past sins he has already forgotten.
1. Let the peace of God which surpasses all understanding fill your room right now.
2. Now ask God to reveal any sin in your life, and take some time for confession. Again remember that God’s heart is not to condemn, but to heal. Write down your confession if it helps you focus or remember.
3. Receive his forgiveness for your sin. An incredibly important part of confession is receiving forgiveness. Choose not to punish yourself any longer. Choose not to veil your heart before God because of shame. Align your heart with the truth that he chooses not to remember your sin after you confess.
Restoration with God so often hinges upon our choices. Will you choose to condemn yourself? Will you choose to listen to the voice of your enemy who reminds you of past transgressions? Or will you choose to trust God at his word and receive total restoration with the Father? The choice you make will profoundly impact your quality of life. You were made for unhindered relationship with God. Anything that gets in the way of you and him needs to be removed as quickly as possible. Receive his forgiveness today. Whenever you are reminded of past sin, align your heart with God’s word through the renewing of your mind. Live in restored relationship with your heavenly Father today.
Extended Reading: Romans 8 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Romans 5-16.
Receive his forgiveness today. Whenever you are reminded of past sin, align your heart with God’s word through the renewing of your mind. Live in restored relationship with your heavenly Father today.
]]>4/10/2026 | Stirring Affections
In today’s devotional, we’re going to look at the reality that God loves to heal hearts.
In today’s First15, we’re going to look at the reality that God loves to heal hearts. As we continue this series allowing who God is and what he does to stir up our affections for him, may his desire to heal us emotionally, to bind up our wounds to draw us closer to him in meaningful ways.
Psalm 147:3 ESV
One of my favorite chapters in all of Scripture is Psalm 147. It’s a psalm laden with the wondrous works of God, rich with imagery and powerful in stirring our affections for God. In it we learn that God “determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names,” and that he “covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry.”
The verse that I want to emphasize for us today, however, is verse 3: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Jesus was a perfect example of God’s heart to do this very thing. All throughout his ministry Jesus healed those around him physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Scripture gives us insight into characters such as Mary Magdalene, who was delivered of demon possession and brought into close friendship with Christ himself. Jesus healed her spiritually, emotionally, and physically by delivering her from oppression and being her friend. Then there’s Paul. Before Jesus revealed himself to Paul, he was Saul, a man committed to destroying the very movement of Christianity that he would later give his life to build. He was a driven, successful, and prideful man. He was a religious zealot of great discipline, but a man far away from the heart of God. However, after meeting Jesus and being healed of his former ways, he was able to confidently say he counted all things “as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8)
God has the same heart for you he had for Mary and Paul. He knows the wounds that people, circumstances, and sin have caused in your life. He knows what you struggle with, the habits and addictions that hold you back from living the abundant life he has planned for you. And he has both a desire and plan to heal those wounds. God desires to heal your heart right now. You don’t have to wait to encounter the power of God. God wants you to live a life receptive to all the love and blessing he longs to give you.
Let the stories of Mary and Paul fill you with a longing to encounter more of God. Allow what God has done in others’ lives to stir up a yearning to be healed by God yourself. Wait on the Lord, open your heart to him, and let him do what he has promised to do in you. He’s promised his healing, transformation, and abundant life. All that’s left is for you to receive the gift of healing he longs to give as you follow the leading of the Holy Spirit today.
Take time to press into the heart of God to heal you today as you enter into a time of guided prayer.
1. Meditate on God’s desire to heal any broken places in your life as revealed in Scripture.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3
2. Tell God of the places in your heart that are broken. Your wounds could go back to your childhood or just yesterday. Either way, God desires to heal anything that’s holding you back from fullness of life in him.
“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.” Jeremiah 17:14
3. Take action where God is leading you. Sometimes healing comes through forgiveness, a conversation, or taking some extra time to pray and be with God. Ask him how he feels about any wounds from your past, any broken relationships, or any recurring sin in your life. Journal what he says.
Healing is often a process, but know that God desires to lead you through every step of the way. If he puts it on your heart to forgive someone or to have a hard conversation, know that it’s best for you. While it may be hard today, your life will be better because of it. Even if the person that hurt you has passed away, you can still forgive that person. As these issues begin to come up, take time to be in God’s presence and allow him to heal the broken places in your life. God has healing and transformation in store for you, and that life is available to you right now.
Extended Reading: Psalm 147 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Psalms.
If he puts it on your heart to forgive someone or to have a hard conversation, know that it’s best for you. While it may be hard today, your life will be better because of it. Even if the person that hurt you has passed away, you can still forgive that person.
]]>4/9/2026 | Stirring Affections
I pray that God reveals his love in a tangible and fresh way today for you and me as we open our hearts to meet with him.
As we reach the middle of our week-long focus on stirring up our affections for God, today we’re going to create space to simply delight in God’s love. Oftentimes focusing on the simple, foundational aspects of our relationship with God will produce more fruit than trying to journey beyond them. And I pray that God reveals his love in a tangible and fresh way today for you and me as we open our hearts to meet with him.
John 17:26 ESV
John 17 is an incredibly significant passage of Scripture for Christians today. Jesus prayed perfectly in accordance with the will of the Father, in submission to him during his time on earth. Therefore, everything Jesus prayed, God will accomplish. Part of the beauty of their oneness is shared desires. In John 17:26, Jesus prays to the Father, “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” Imagine that! Jesus says we can have the same love in us with which God the Father loved Jesus. Think of the magnitude of love the Father has for his Son, and now think about God having that same magnitude of love for you! You are his beloved, his prized possession. Your heavenly Father gave up his own Son to have a personal relationship with you, to be able to pour his vast love out on you.
The Bible describes David as a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). He was a man who delighted in God’s love and experienced the joy of his presence throughout various seasons of life. In Psalm 16:5-11 David wrote, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” When I read David’s words I can’t help but desire his joy and security. I am filled with a desire to know that kind of love in my own life. Psalm 16 makes me desire to have God as “my chosen portion,” and I wholeheartedly want to experience “pleasures forevermore.” What about you?
Allow your desires be stirred to experience for yourself the immeasurable love with which God has loved Jesus. Know that it’s not only your desire to experience love, but the desire of your heavenly Father as well (John 17:26). In what areas of your life do you need to “set the Lord always before” you? What areas do you need him to be “at [your] right hand?” In the Lord, there truly are “pleasures forevermore.”
Take time today to simply delight in your God, and allow his presence to flood the dry, weary places of your heart. You are his chosen portion, the apple of his eye. God gave up his only Son for the chance to meet with you right now. Simply open up your heart and delight in the love of your heavenly Father.
1. Meditate on John 17:26. Allow these words of Jesus to give you a better revelation of the depth of God’s love for you.
“That the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:26
2. Where do you need to delight in the love of God today? Where is your life not marked by the fullness of joy David described in Psalm 16?
“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11
3. Take time to simply delight in the love of God for you, the very same love that he has for his Son, Jesus Christ.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
Every day is a battle to root yourself in the love of God. But it is a battle worth fighting. It’s a battle waged within the depths of your soul—the fight between what God and the world says matters. When you make more space for God to fill by ridding yourself of the ways of the world, his heart and mind will become your own. What matters to him will begin to matter to you. Keeping his love in perspective will become as natural as breathing. The fullness of relationship with him is meant to be our source, portion, strength and desire. Give way to his loving kindness today, and let the cares of the world go in light of his goodness and grace.
Extended Reading: John 17 or watch The Bible Project’s video on John 13-21.
Give way to his loving kindness today, and let the cares of the world go in light of his goodness and grace.
]]>4/8/2026 | Stirring Affections
May he draw us closer as he reveals what a good Father he is to us.
In the third day of this week-long series, taking time every day to stir up our affections for God, today we’re going to look at all it means for him to be our Father. Out of all of the metaphors used for our relationship with this eternal, transcendent God, the concept of him being a Father today has been most meaningful. May he draw us closer as he reveals what a good Father he is to us.
1 John 3:1 ESV
As a follower of Jesus you have been brought into the family of God. Take a moment to let that truth sink in. Think about what it means to have God, the Creator of the universe, the embodiment of Perfect Love, as your Father. So often we lose sight of the fact that God is our Father and view him through perspectives not aligned with Scripture. We view God through lenses the world and unfortunate experiences have given us rather than a revelation of him as a good Father given to us by the revolutionary teaching of Jesus.
In Matthew 7:9-11 Jesus teaches us, “Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” You have a Father who loves to give you good gifts. So often we think of God as a harsh disciplinarian who never lets his kids enjoy life. We assume he will say no to anything that gives us pleasure as if he only wanted us to go to church more, pray more, or give more time and money. But that’s not the heart of your Father. Your God is the author of joy, pleasure, happiness, and good gifts. He longs for your life to be filled with the perfect gifts he has planned for you every day. John 10:10 says, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” As your perfect Shepherd, God will faithfully guide you to and supply you with all you need to live marked by fullness of life.
In Matthew 19:14, Jesus displays the heart of the Father when he says, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” As our Father, God longs for us as his children to simply be with him. He longs for us to know his love and embrace—to let it be the foundation of everything we do. More than God desires any task of you, he longs for your heart. So great was his desire for just the opportunity of relationship with you that Jesus displayed the fullness of God’s unconditional love by willingly laying down his life for you. There is no room in Scripture to view God as anything but perfectly loving and good. View God as the good Father he is, and run to him with open arms and an open heart that you might find fullness of life in his eternal embrace.
Take time in guided prayer to allow God’s presence to overcome misconceptions you might have about him. Often if we’ve been in church for long enough we stop at a theological understanding of God the Father and don’t allow time and space for him to heal our hearts and transform our lives. Don’t let that happen today! You have a good Father who loves and longs to simply meet with you. Spend time with him today getting lost in the sweetness of restored relationship.
1. Receive God’s presence as you meditate on Scripture.
2. Ask God how he feels about you. Listen and quiet your soul to receive a revelation of his heart.
“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” -Augustine
3. Where do you need to apply God’s character to your life? In what ways are you living as if God was a taskmaster rather than a good Father? In what ways are you seeking to provide for yourself rather than working to receive provision God has already promised?
In every trial and circumstance you face today, God has a plan to lead you perfectly. He is not a God who sits back and watches as we try to figure life out. He wants to get involved in all that you do, just as a perfect father wants to help his children succeed and live with joy. Ask God what he thinks about what you’re doing. If you run into a problem today, ask for the Spirit’s guidance. Doing your day with God is the absolute best way to live. He knows everything and has a perfect plan for you! Take time today to listen to God and trust his leading.
Extended Reading: 1 John 3 or watch The Bible Project’s video on John 1-3.
Ask God what he thinks about what you’re doing. If you run into a problem today, ask for the Spirit’s guidance.
]]>4/7/2026 | Stirring Affections
May we develop a greater sense of his nearness today and learn how we can live our life in light of the goodness of his presence.
As we continue our focus on simply stirring up our affections for God this week, today we’re going to take time to focus on the fact that God is present in our lives. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, God is with you in and through it all. And his presence, his nearness is the foundation on which we are meant to live as his people. May we develop a greater sense of his nearness today and learn how we can live our life in light of the goodness of his presence.
Zephaniah 3:17 ESV
Hardly a verse in all of Scripture sums up the heart of God for his people better than Zephaniah 3:17. As we walk through this passage today I pray your life would be transformed by the reality of God’s nearness and the depth of his love for you. Scripture says,
“God is in your midst”—take a moment to consider that fact. God is not far off; in fact, he is with you right now. If you are a Christian, his Spirit dwells within you, fellowshipping with your spirit. Psalm 139:7 says, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” God’s presence is with you right now. He is in your midst.
He is “a mighty one who will save.” As a believer you have been saved not of your own accord, but by the humble, loving sacrifice of Jesus. If you have confessed your faith in Christ, you are his forever and nothing can take away your salvation. Rejoice in him today; the Almighty God has come for you, and you now have nothing to fear. Salvation is yours in him; you are a child of God.
“He will rejoice over you with gladness.” To rejoice over you means to rejoice in who you are. Do you believe that God rejoices in who you are? The world is in the business of convincing you that you’re nothing to rejoice about. Your enemy constantly points out things you do wrong, attempting to convince you that you aren’t lovable—that you are worthless. But the Bible says that God will rejoice over you with gladness. God believes that you are worth the death of his Son, and there is nothing you can do to change his mind. He rejoices over you today.
“He will quiet you with his love.” How often do you allow God to do this? How often do you take time to let him quiet your life with his love? This is his promise, but like any other gift it has to be received. His desire is to bring a quiet peace to the stress and worry of your world. You have God’s peace available to you any time you are willing to surrender your heart and be filled with his presence.
“He will exult over you with loud singing.” To exult over you means to show or feel elation or jubilation, as the result of a success. Do you know that God sees you as a success? The story of Scripture is God creating mankind for the purpose of having communion and fellowship with us. He lost that perfect communion when mankind chose sin over him, and he has been working to restore it ever since. With the death of Jesus, the curse is broken, our sin is paid for, and we are now able to walk in restored relationship with God. God now has what he has longed for all this time—you. He exults over you because there is nothing between you and him. To God simply having relationship with you makes you a success already.
As a believer you can live out of the great victory God has achieved in you. You get to meet with God face to face. God is present with you today, desiring to do all that Zephaniah 3:17 promises. Allow God to come and fulfill his promises in your life as you enter into guided prayer.
1. Receive God’s presence by meditating on this truth: God is in your midst.
“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14
2. Receive the quiet heart that his love brings as you meditate on Scripture.
“He will quiet you by his love.” Zephaniah 3:17
3. Allow the truth of Scripture to go deeper into your heart. Your Father rejoices over you with gladness. He exults over you with loud singing. You are a success in his eyes.
“Let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.” Song of Solomon 2:14
When the cares of the world come and crowd out the peace of God’s presence, turn your attention toward him and receive what he has already promised to give you. Memorizing a verse like Zephaniah 3:17 will help you consistently experience the promises of God.. Meditating on it throughout your day is the best gift you could give yourself today. Make some time to memorize Zephaniah 3:17 that it might become more than words on a page and produce transforming, transcendent peace and joy.
Extended Reading: Memorize Zephaniah 3:17 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Zephaniah.
Make some time to memorize Zephaniah 3:17 that it might become more than words on a page and produce transforming, transcendent peace and joy.
]]>4/6/2026 | Stirring Affections
May you be stirred by the unconditional love of your heavenly Father this week as his perfect nature is revealed to you in greater, more transformative ways.
As we focus on stirring up our affections for God this week, today, we’ll take time to focus on his incredible love for us. What we believe about God's love shapes everything about us, and so today, we’ll take a moment to reflect on the great lengths he went to restore our relationship with him.
Ephesians 5:2 ESV
Think about the death of Jesus for a moment. Picture how horrific the scene would have been to witness in person. Now try and imagine witnessing it from the Father’s perspective. Think about how he saw, heard, felt, knew, and wept over everything that happened to Jesus. Think about how he felt placing the sin of the world, the sin of you and me, on the shoulders of his perfect and undeserving Son.
I ask you to imagine all of that for one reason—to gain perspective on the unfathomable love of God as expressed in Ephesians 5:2. Scripture says, “walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God, a sweet fragrance.” When I read that verse initially I skipped over a life changing phrase: “a sweet fragrance.” With all the Father witnessed that day, with all the suffering Jesus faithfully endured, God still considers Jesus’ death “a sweet fragrance.” How is that possible? How could anyone consider the death of Jesus a sweet fragrance, let alone the Father?
Such is the incredible depth of God’s love for us that he would count the atrocities committed against his Son as a sweet fragrance. Such is the enormity of God’s desire for restored relationship with us that he would look upon the death of his Son with favorable remembrance.
I don’t think we as God’s children understand the joy our Father feels when we spend time with him. I don’t think we understand the depth of his love that he would pay the highest price simply to have unhindered relationship with us again. While meditating on this Scripture I realized I had never once thought about how tirelessly God has been working since Adam and Eve sinned simply to be able to enjoy his people again—to walk with them as he once had.
The death of Jesus was a turning point in the scope of eternity. His sacrifice meant a change from all of humanity opposing God to the crown of his creation returning to his fold. When God placed the sin of humanity on Christ’s shoulders he was able to take the position of the father in the story of the prodigal son, running out to meet us as we are—his children finally able to return home to him for good.
God so longed for communion with you that he paid the ultimate price. He counts you worthy of the death of his Son. Let that truth shape your identity. Let God’s love be the foundation for your perspective, thoughts, emotions and actions today. May your heart be stirred to live in light of God’s unconditional love. May you be rooted in the unshakable nature of your heavenly Father. And may you live today in the eternal embrace of God, knowing that you are wholly and forever his beloved.
1. Meditate on the sacrifice of Jesus. Allow Scripture to form a foundation of unconditional love for your heart.
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18
2. Meditate on who you are as a child of God. Form your identity around the truth of Scripture.
3. Ask God to reveal the depth of his love for you. Rest in the reality of his nearness. Let him fill your heart with his love to overflowing.
Don’t let the opinion of others sway you from your firm foundation of God’s love. What is the opinion of man in comparison to the perspective of God? If God counts relationship with you worth the death of Jesus, you are that valuable. Cast aside the fickle thoughts of others for the truthful, life-giving love of your heavenly Father. Rest in his presence and find hope and security in the truth that his arms are always open to you—ready to embrace you just as you are.
Extended Reading: 1 Peter 2 or watch The Bible Project’s video on 1 Peter.
Cast aside the fickle thoughts of others for the truthful, life-giving love of your heavenly Father. Rest in his presence and find hope and security in the truth that his arms are always open to you—ready to embrace you just as you are.
]]>4/5/2026 | God Speaks
My prayer today is that God opens our eyes and ears to discover fresh parts of how he declares his heart to us, and that we’re empowered to take action today in even more meaningful ways.
As we finish this week of looking at different ways God speaks, today we’re going to look at the role of taking action in hearing God. One of the most powerful ways to discover what God thinks and how God feels is joining him where he is at work in the world around us. So my prayer today is that God opens our eyes and ears to discover fresh parts of how he declares his heart to us, and that we’re empowered to take action today in even more meaningful ways.
James 1:23-25 ESV
Faith and action go together. Understanding and works are tethered—joined together at salvation through the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. James 2:14-17 asks us,
The poor, orphaned, widowed, and lost don’t just need a word from God. They need us to act on our beliefs and love and serve selflessly with the help of the Holy Spirit. Gathering together as believers to worship is just a part of what God intends for us as his children. If we are to receive all that God has for us, if we are to walk in the abundant life God intends, we must resolve to be doers of the word.
James 1:23-25 gives us a window into the life of a believer who never puts action to his faith. Scripture says,
Your identity as a disciple of Christ undoubtedly comes from relationship with God, but it is meant to be lived out in your deeds. God longs for you to live a life of good works in response to the unconditional love you’ve been given. He longs for you to live in selfless humility sharing with others what he’s done in you.
We’ve separated Christianity from the world. We’ve separated Sunday from Monday, the sacred and secular. Jesus lived in line with God’s love every minute he was here. He broke the rules in healing on the Sabbath. He ministered almost completely outside of the walls of the synagogue. He brought the good news of God’s grace to all who would believe everywhere he went. His life was in no way segregated. Jesus’s turning the water into wine at a party was just as holy and spiritual as his reading of Isaiah in the temple, proclaiming his fulfillment of the prophecy regarding the Messiah. His love was put into perfect action through every word, miracle, step, glance, and prayer.
With Jesus as our perfect example, let’s live in accordance with God’s will. Let’s blur the line of faith and works until the two become one. Let’s regard meals, conversations, rest, family time, and parties as important and holy as worshipping inside the walls of our churches. Let's live as Jesus did and make love an action instead of just an idea we talk about on Sunday.
1. Meditate on God’s desire for your faith to produce good works.
2. Ask God where he would have you put faith into action. It could be buying flowers for your wife, finding a new way to honor your husband, taking your children on a special trip, or offering encouragement to someone around you at work or school. Ask the Spirit to give you specific ways in which he desires for you live out the love you have received.
3. Ask God for the strength and courage to live out his word. Follow the leadership of the Spirit into the good works he has prepared for you today.
The Spirit has an incredible ability and power to guide a willing heart into action for God. Receiving the knowledge of God’s love for the people around you will open up doors in your own life to better know the fullness of God’s heart. You will be more deeply blessed by serving others than you could ever be blessed in being served. God pours his love and grace out on those who minister in line with the leading of the Spirit. It’s truly an honor to be used by God to further the advance of his kingdom in the earth. You were made to live out the truth of the gospel. So choose today to act upon the leading of the Spirit. Choose to be a doer of the word.
Extended Reading: James 1 or watch The Bible Project’s video on James.
Choose today to act upon the leading of the Spirit. Choose to be a doer of the word.
]]>4/4/2026 | God Speaks
May God empower us to quiet ourselves today in his presence.
In today’s First15, we’re going to look at the value of solitude in making space to hear from God. In all the noise of our world, solitude is more important now than ever. We need quiet to tune our ears to the still, small voice of God. We need the type of peace that only comes from quieting our hearts and minds. We need the type of relationship with God that can only be formed in solitude. May God empower us to quiet ourselves today in his presence.
Psalm 46:10 ESV
Solitude—a time set apart where the rush, noise, and anxiety of the world fall mute on the ears and heart of a child of God completely lost in the peace and presence of the Creator. Solitude is a time to be with your heavenly Father, free from the distractions the world offers us at seemingly every moment. We are made for consistent time spent in solitude.
C.S. Lewis wrote in The Weight of Glory, “We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.” Most of us have grown accustomed to what truly does amount to being “starved” for solitude. We never fully realize how great our need is to be alone with our Sustainer. Let’s take some time today to recognize our need for solitude and then learn how to best practice solitude on a daily basis.
You can know that you need solitude for one reason—Jesus needed it. All over the New Testament we see examples of Jesus going off on his own to pray. One example, Mark 1:35, tells us that Jesus, “rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark . . . departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Jesus, who practiced perfect communion with his heavenly Father while here on earth still needed to spend time in solitude. Jesus, who loved parties, loved people, and was God and man simultaneously, needed time alone. If he needed it, you and I can be sure we need it. When God incarnate was up against his hardest task, the Crucifixion, he didn’t just toughen up and get through it. He spent time alone in the Garden of Gethsemane in conversation with his heavenly Father. He needed solitude to accomplish his purpose here on earth and so do you and I.
Solitude is life-giving. It’s necessary to the Christian spiritual life. Richard J. Foster said, “Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment.” Solitude is one of the most important and life-giving spiritual disciplines. If you want to hear God, you must practice solitude. If you want fortitude in your life, a steadfastness that surpasses your circumstances, you must practice solitude. You are designed for time spent in the quiet, simply being with your heavenly Father.
So how can you best practice solitude? The first step is finding a place where you can spend time with God free from distractions. Find a place where you know you won’t be interrupted. If you live with others, find a time when they will not be around or awake. If you live alone, designate a place and time that you will spend in solitude free from any distractions. Second, give yourself an amount of time to spend with God just being in solitude. It could be ten minutes or an hour. Spend this time free from reading, free from worship or prayer unless solitude leads you to those things. Madeleine L’Engle said, “Deepest communion with God is beyond words, on the other side of silence.” Solitude is a point of deep communion where words aren’t required in light of God’s glorious nearness.
Take some time today to practice the incredible discipline of solitude. Be patient with yourself. Be patient with God. Fill the emptiness of silence with the satisfaction of God’s presence. Your heavenly Father loves just simply spending time with you, enjoying deep communion with his crown of creation. You are his child. Climb into the comforting and sustaining arms of your heavenly Father today as you enter into a time of solitude.
1. Find a place free from distractions. Ask the Spirit to calm your heart and mind and help you to spend time in deep communion with God.
2. Spend a few moments simply resting with God in solitude.
3. Reflect on how solitude made you feel. If you felt uncomfortable or frustrated, that’s alright! Solitude and silence is something most of us have never practiced. Have patience with yourself.
Solitude is a practice. The more you do it the better and more fulfilling it will become. Once you connect with God’s heart free of words and just look at him face to face, his gaze will become one of the most important parts of your life. Knowing experientially that your heavenly Father sees you and loves you is meant to be at the foundation of everything you do. Commit yourself to spend time in solitude with God and learn what it is to be a child simply enjoyed by the Father.
Extended Reading: Psalm 46 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Psalms.
Commit yourself to spend time in solitude with God and learn what it is to be a child simply enjoyed by the Father.
]]>4/3/2026 | God Speaks
May God reveal his heart for us to meditate as a central discipline of our faith. And may he empower us to make room for his presence in a meaningful way today.
In today’s First15, we’re going to look at the role of meditation in hearing from God. Meditation for many reasons, seems to have found its way out of our Christian context. But the reality is that meditation has been central to our faith throughout its history. And the Bible is chocked full of encouragement to meditate on who God is, on his word, allowing space for God to fill in our daily lives. May God reveal his heart for us to meditate as a central discipline of our faith. And may he empower us to make room for his presence in a meaningful way today.
“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.”
Psalm 119:15 ESV
The spiritual discipline of meditation does for the heart of a Christian what nutrients and good soil do for the seed of a plant. Through meditation the seed of God’s word takes root and produces life-giving, abundant fruit. Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline wrote, “The purpose of meditation is to enable us to hear God more clearly. Meditation is listening, sensing, heeding the life and light of Christ. This comes right to the heart of our faith. The life that pleases God is not a set of religious duties; it is to hear His voice and obey His word. Meditation opens the door to this way of living.”
The Christian practice of meditation is, at its core, ruminating on the word of God. Meditation creates space for the Spirit to speak directly to our hearts and apply God’s word to our lives. When we ruminate on a passage of Scripture like Lamentations 3:22, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end,” we give God space to reveal all the ways in which his mercy and steadfast love are available to us. Meditation creates a pathway for Scripture to go past our minds and affect change within our hearts.
Another powerful aspect of Christian meditation is mulling over the character of God. Sometimes when I feel hopeless I will take a few passages of Scripture about the hope God provides and meditate on them. And in the process of meditating on God’s perfect character my thoughts, perspectives, and emotions come in line with the unchanging nature of my heavenly Father. Meditating on who God is powerfully affects the way we view the world. It’s for this reason Psalm 1:1-3 declares,
Take time to meditate on Scripture today. Make space to listen to God and apply the seed of his word. Ruminate on his unchanging, perfect character. May your day be filled with abundant life as you bear the fruit of meditation.
1. Choose a verse or aspect of God’s character to meditate on.
2. Make space to hear from God as you meditate on his word or character. Allow the Spirit to apply God’s word to your life as you meditate. Allow God’s character to lay a foundation for your emotions.
“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” Psalm 119:15
3. Now take note of how the verse or phrase seems to have made an impact in the way you think, feel, or desire to act. Rejoice in the power of God’s word to transform lives and hearts.
Meditation should be a daily practice for Christians. God’s word was never meant to just be understood but to be alive and active in his children. Scripture is meant to direct us into becoming more like Jesus both internally and externally in our actions. Meditating is one of the best tools God has given us in taking the Bible from words on a page to a living and active lifestyle. May engaging in meditation transform your spiritual life into one filled with joy, power and fruit of the Spirit.
Extended Reading: Psalm 1 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Psalms.
May engaging in meditation transform your spiritual life into one filled with joy, power and fruit of the Spirit.
]]>4/2/2026 | God Speaks
May God reveal his heart today to speak through his Creation. And may our hearts be stirred to listen.
As we arrive in the middle of this week-long focus on hearing from God, today we’re going to look at the role of Creation in God speaking to us as his children. Throughout human history mankind has gone to nature to get a deeper sense of the divine. And I believe that when we open our ears to hear what God is declaring to us through that which he’s made, we’ll find a wonderful avenue to stay in communication with our heavenly Father. May God reveal his heart today to speak through his Creation. And may our hearts be stirred to listen.
Romans 1:20 ESV
Nature has an ability to bring me peace in a way nothing else does. Sure I get annoyed by bugs or tired from hiking. But seeing the beauty, creativity, and complexity of what God has made has had a profound effect on my spiritual life. Have you ever just spent some time in God’s creation? Maybe it was hiking, lying on the beach, swimming in an ocean or a lake, fishing, gazing over the Grand Canyon, driving through the mountains, watching a thunderstorm or just playing in the rain. Take a minute to reflect on that time and what you felt. Looking back, do think you might have felt God’s presence? Did the awe and wonder of nature’s splendor bring you peace, or even lead you to thoughts about God?
The more I’ve come to know God the more there has grown in me an adoration and appreciation for his creation. Romans 1:20 states that God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” Nature is meant to declare to us the “invisible attributes” of God. And Scripture is clear that God is at work in his creation—maintaining and facilitating all that happens in the world. Psalm 147:8-9, 15-18 tells us,
He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry… He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
When you see animals eating, you are witnessing God’s provision in the earth and can, as a result, know that he will provide for you. When you see snow fall, ice form, and springtime come to melt away the cold you can know that God is at work around you and in your life. To miss out on all creation speaks to us is to miss an important part of God’s voice.
You see, while God does an incredible job taking care of a world wrought with the effects of sin, he promises to take care of you even more. Jesus commands us in Matthew 6:26-30,
Jesus teaches us to look upon creation and listen as it declares to us the nature of God. In fact, he commands us to do so. You can look at the grass of the field and know of God’s unwavering faithfulness for you. You can look at the birds and never wonder if you will get your next meal. Nature declares to us that God has and will provide for us all of our days. Nature tells us not to worry because God is both powerful and near. Nature tells us that God is creative, practical, brilliant, loving, and full of mystery and wonder. Nature tells us that God speaks.
God created the cosmos so that you might have another mysterious yet clear way of hearing his voice. Whether you live in the city or country, look upon God’s creation and listen for his voice. Ask him what he wants you to know as you see all the wonders of his hands. Let the beauty and mystery of all of God’s creation fill you with a deeper longing to know your heavenly Father. Listen to God today and allow your heart to be stirred as you discover his unwavering desire to speak to you through his creation.
1. Take some time to go out in God’s creation.
2. Now ask God what he wants to tell you through his creation. Let him speak in whatever way he desires.
3. Meditate on the truth he reveals to your heart and take some time to rest in his presence.
As children of an infinite, paradoxical God we must learn to embrace and value mystery. God longs to speak through his creation. He longs to satisfy your longing for fascination as you ponder the mystery and beauty of that which we will never fully understand. May you hear the loving voice of the Father today as you allow the Creator to speak through his creation.
Extended Reading: Psalm 19 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Psalms.
May you hear the loving voice of the Father today as you allow the Creator to speak through his creation.
]]>4/1/2026 | God Speaks
May God stir up our hearts to hear his voice through the pages of Scripture today. And may we align our hearts with the principles found in its pages.
As we continue our series looking at different ways God speaks to us as his children, today we’re going to look at the role of Scripture in hearing God. The pages of Scripture contain so many amazing stories of how God spoke to his people. Within these stories we see the power of a people focused on following God’s leadership, and the destruction that takes place when people go their own way. May God stir up our heart to hear his voice through the pages of Scripture today. And may we align our hearts with the principles found in its pages.
Deuteronomy 8:3 ESV
Deuteronomy 8:3 teaches us that, “Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” The word of the Lord when planted in good soil produces abundant, life-giving fruit (Matthew 13:20-22). We have in Scripture a feast that satisfies the deepest places of our hearts no food or drink could ever satiate.
When you open your Bible, you are literally opening the words of God. Scripture is God’s voice available for you in every moment, situation, and predicament you face. You can know God desires to speak to you because you have in your possession his voice through the Bible. God desires to reveal to you his will because he has given you his Spirit to “guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13).
When you read Scripture with the help of your teacher, the Holy Spirit, the Bible is no longer just a book written thousands of years ago but a source of life-giving revelation. Read the Bible prayerfully, paying attention to any words, phrases, or ideas that stand out to you. Allow God to apply Scripture directly to your life through his Spirit. And as you read, submit yourself to God’s word with a continual “yes” in your heart. Choose to be a doer of the word that you might be blessed in everything you do (James 1:22-25).
God’s word is only as impactful as you are willing to be obedient. The power of Scripture becomes evident as you daily submit yourself to it. So today as you read God’s word, ask the Spirit to highlight phrases and ideas, submit yourself in obedience to what Scripture says, and be a doer of the word. God is ready to speak to you. He is prepared to sow the seed of his voice wherever it’s welcome. Open your heart to the word of God, and allow it to produce the fruit of joy, peace, and purpose in your life.
1. Ask the Spirit what you should read today. Pay attention to anything you feel like reading or pick from John 17 or Proverbs 3. Meditate on any phrases, words, or ideas that stand out to you.
“Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3
2. Submit yourself to the word of God. Allow Scripture to be the foundation for all your thoughts, emotions, and perspectives. Allow God’s word to influence and transform any parts of your life that don’t align with it.
3. Now commit yourself to follow through with any action that God’s word requires. Ask God what he would have you do with what he’s shown you. Choose to be a doer of the word.
If you aren’t in the habit of reading God’s word daily, look for a Bible reading plan or book of the Bible you can read consistently. We were made to feast on the life-giving words of Scripture. God’s word can’t produce abundant fruit in your life if you aren’t consuming it. May your day be transformed as you seek to live in faithful obedience to the word of God.
Extended Reading: Proverbs 3 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Proverbs.
May your day be transformed as you seek to live in faithful obedience to the word of God.
]]>3/31/2026 | God Speaks
May he guide each of us into a fuller understanding of what it means to hear his voice, and may we grow in grace and confidence today to make space to simply listen to whatever it is God wants to say.
As we continue this series looking at different ways God speaks to us as his children, today we’re going to look at what it means to hear God’s voice. The idea of hearing the voice of God is something I get asked about all the time. And I think it’s because, honestly, it sounds kind of crazy! But Scripture and Christian History tell us clearly that God loves to communicate with his people. So may he guide each of us into a fuller understanding of what it means to hear his voice, and may we grow in grace and confidence today to make space to simply listen to whatever it is God wants to say.
John 16:13 ESV
God desires to speak directly to you. As a good Father, he longs to engage with you in continual conversation. So great was his longing for communication that he’s given you the gift of the Holy Spirit. You now have access to the heart of God through the Spirit. You can know his will, hear his voice, and live with the knowledge of his love.
John 16:13 says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” If you are a Christian, the “Spirit of truth” has come. He dwells within you. He longs to tell you how God feels about you. He longs to guide you to the Father’s perfect, hopeful, and pleasing plans (Jeremiah 29:11). His voice is perfect, full of love, and always truthful. He will never guide you into something that isn’t best for you. He will never speak hate or condemnation to you. As John 16:13 promises, he will declare to you what he hears the Father say.
Let the truth that God desires to have real, life-transforming conversations with you sink into your heart for a minute. Think about what it means for your own life to have communication with God. Your Creator longs to help you with your decisions, relationships, work, finances, and identity. God himself wants to talk with you about your life—to fully know you and be known by you.
Just as any good parent loves talking with their children, your heavenly Father loves talking to you, his child. You see, God speaking to you is so little about your ability to hear his voice and so much more about his desire for you to know him. His voice in your life is just another product of grace, God’s unmerited favor for those who believe. Like any conversation, you will only hear him when you are listening. And just like any good conversation, God longs to hear from you as well.
Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Have faith that God longs to speak to you. Draw near to him in the assurance that he is already filled with love for you. The Holy Spirit longs to have a communicative relationship with you. Let the weight of conversation with God rest on his shoulders, trust in his word and his character, and listen to whatever he would speak to you today.
As you enter into guided prayer, take time to quiet your heart and listen to the voice of the Spirit.
1. Take a moment to quiet your mind and soul. Receive God’s presence and meditate on the important truth that the Spirit speaks.
2. Now listen to God. If you have a situation, question or anything you want to ask him, now is the time! God longs for you to tell him what you want help with. If you just want to know how he feels about you, ask him! Again, the weight of God speaking is on him. Trust him and his timing. God does desire to speak to you.
3. Write down whatever God tells you. Rest in the goodness of what he’s spoken.
Communicating with God is similar to engaging in conversation with a close friend. I don’t go to my friend and ask them to tell me anything so I know they are real. Rather, I seek to know them as a person and conversation takes place as a result. Seek to know God as deeply as possible. Trust that he is real and that he speaks. Talk with him because you simply want to know him. And rest in the fact that you will have conversation with your loving heavenly Father throughout eternity. May your day be marked by life-giving conversation with the Holy Spirit.
Extended Reading: Psalm 27 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Psalms.
May your day be marked by life-giving conversation with the Holy Spirit.
]]>3/30/2026 | God Speaks
May your communion with God flourish as you engage in continual conversation with your loving, present heavenly Father.
You and I have been given the invaluable gift of communication with God. Last week we learned about the process of making the soil of our hearts soft and receptive to God. This week we’ll learn some different ways to receive the seed of his word. May your communion with God flourish as you engage in continual conversation with your loving, present heavenly Father.
Jeremiah 33:3 ESV
For too much of my Christian life I believed God didn’t like to talk. My experience led me to think that God only spoke a few times in history and only to people like Moses, David or Paul, but never to a person like me. Then one day God spoke to me. I asked him a question out of desperation and he spoke. The Creator of the universe broke through the walls of my misconceptions and spoke to my heart in a voice so clear it couldn’t be mistaken.
After God spoke to me so clearly, I began to take time to listen. And in making space for God to speak, my life began to be transformed by consistent, internal conversation with my heavenly Father. You see, Scripture makes it clear that God loves to talk with his children. John 8:47 says, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God.” Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Isaiah 55:3 says, “Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.” Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” The list of Scriptures goes on and on. In story after story the people of God hear God and know his will. The Bible is clear that God speaks to all of us as his children in a way we can understand through any and every means possible.
God speaks through all sorts of avenues. Most assuredly, he speaks to us through his Word. The Bible is one of our greatest gifts as Christians. It is the very word of God, “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). God also speaks directly to us through his Holy Spirit. John 16:13 says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” And Scripture reveals how God speaks through his creation. Romans 1:20 says that God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”
God loves to speak. He isn’t silent. He isn’t distant. He longs for you to live with the knowledge of his love and perfect will. The question isn’t whether God speaks. The question is, will you listen? Will you choose to submit yourself to him—to receive and obey what he would tell you? The first time God spoke directly to me he asked me to do something incredibly difficult. It didn’t make total sense. But I knew he spoke. And in submission I obeyed his command and my life has been different ever since.
Listen to God today. Quiet your soul and receive the gift of conversation with your heavenly Father. God has placed his Spirit within you—closer to you than you can fully comprehend. You are unified with God. Ask the Spirit to reveal to you God’s word today. Ask God to make you aware of any and every avenue he desires to speak through. Then listen with an obedient, receptive heart to all the wonderful things he longs to tell you.
1. Take time to quiet your soul. Confess anything that you feel is in the way of your relationship with God. Hand over to him anything that’s troubling your mind. Receive his peace, and wait patiently for him to speak.
“Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.” Isaiah 55:3
2. Listen. Ask the Spirit how God feels about you. Ask him for his will and direction. Pay attention to any thoughts, inclinations or changes in your emotions that come from the Holy Spirit. Allow God to speak in any way he wants.
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3
3. Now thank God for speaking. Worship him because he isn’t distant. Let the truth of his nearness transform your perspective and emotions today.
Listen to God throughout your day. Engage with him in consistent conversation. Practice listening to him in all circumstances. Ask for his help and understanding in anything that troubles you. The rest of this week we’ll be practicing hearing God through different ways he chooses to speak. May this week lead you into a deeper and more satisfying relationship with your heavenly Father as you engage with him in continual conversation.
Extended Reading: John 8 or watch The Bible Project’s video on John 1-12.
May this week lead you into a deeper and more satisfying relationship with your heavenly Father as you engage with him in continual conversation.
]]>3/29/2026 | Experiencing God
May we simplify what it means to experience God’s presence today and gain a greater sense of confidence to experience the presence of God for ourselves at all times.
One of the greatest gifts of my life has been experiencing the presence of God. His presence is essential to experiencing and knowing him. And God has made himself so available to us through all that Jesus accomplished. May we simplify what it means to experience God’s presence today and gain a greater sense of confidence to experience the presence of God for ourselves at all times.
Psalm 27:4 ESV
Experiencing the presence of God sounds like such a mystery. It sounds like this wonderful but evasive thing that some people get sometimes, but isn’t concrete enough to expect or place your hope in. We associate God’s presence with emotions and music as if it were a breeze so light and momentary you almost couldn’t be sure it happened at all.
But in reality God’s presence is as simple as being in the presence of a friend or spouse. It’s as simple and concrete as being around a person except for one simple truth: God never leaves. And just as you can be in the same room as a friend and not know it, you can live the Christian life apart from experiencing God’s nearness. Just as you can be sitting right across from a friend and be so busy with technology or your own thoughts to even remember they are there, you can go through life focused on the busyness of present circumstances and miss out on the fact that God is closer than your breath.
But we find hope for encountering the presence of God in Psalm 27:4. Scripture says, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” This pursuit, this action of seeking the living God, never comes back empty. To seek God is to encounter God. Emotions aside, complexities cast away—God is already with you. He is already closer than he could ever be. His Spirit, his presence in the earth, never leaves you and never forsakes you. And when you turn your attention toward him, just as you can to a friend sitting across a table from you, you can encounter him.
Psalm 139:7 says, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” His presence is always available. He’s not a friend who turns away from you or hides his heart. He’s not a small gust of wind that comes and goes as he pleases. He’s a God who would suffer and die that he might tear the veil and make his presence fully, continuously available to all those who would seek him. He’s a God who’s working tirelessly to restore his crown of creation to himself that we might walk with him like in the Garden of Eden, but this time for all of eternity with no possibility of a fall or barrier between us.
Your ability to meet with God is as simple as turning your attention toward him and allowing yourself to be known. May you meet with your heavenly Father in profoundly simple ways today as you enter into a time of guided prayer.
1. Meditate on the availability of God’s presence.
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” Psalm 139:7
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
2. What’s your greatest fear regarding God’s presence. What’s something that would keep you from seeking after him like you would a close friend?
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18
3. Surrender any hesitation you have to him and seek him in faith that he is already with you. Turn your heart toward him and talk to him honestly and openly. Allow him to reveal his nearness to you in any way he wishes.
The best place to start with God is always honesty. He doesn’t meet you in a place that isn’t real. So if you’re trying to seek him but avoiding something, you are attempting to sew back together the veil he so lovingly tore in two. There’s no need to veil your heart from him. There’s no reason to act as if everything is all right if it isn’t. Whether you’re at church, with friends, or meeting him in the secret place, he only asks for honesty from you. Tell him how you feel. Open up the places of your heart that you are too shameful or scared to let into the light. Allow him to flood your fears with his relentless love and experience the presence that only grace has to offer.
Extended Reading: Psalm 27 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Psalms.
Allow him to flood your fears with his relentless love and experience the presence that only grace has to offer.
]]>3/28/2026 | Experiencing God
Christ said his work was finished on the cross, and it’s about time we start living in the new reality he instated for us.
Today we’ll explore the experience of God’s freedom as it relates to our identity and what we believe about ourselves. Many of us have yet to truly taste the freedom available to us through the finished work of Christ. There is nothing else like it in the world. It is my prayer you are liberated today, and that your thinking toward yourself changes and in result changes your actions. Christ said his work was finished on the cross, and it’s about time we start living in the new reality he instated for us.
Romans 6:1-4 ESV
The Christian experience of freedom was not established by the power and endurance of mankind, but by the sacrifice and love of our God. The freedom we experience is not our own, but his. Apart from the redemption bought for us, we have no strength to resist sin. And apart from continually renewing our minds to the truth of this redemption, we’ll continue to act as if chains that were broken long ago still tie us down to the world from which we’ve been successfully ransomed. Paul says in Romans 6:1-4,
To experience freedom here on earth is to continuously acknowledge that our old ways—our former self—was buried with Christ the day we accepted him as Lord. To sin is to live outside of the reality that we’ve been given a new resurrected identity in Christ, our resurrected King.
How do you see yourself in regard to your sin today? How do you believe you experience freedom? In what areas of your life are you still trying in your own strength to fight for something Jesus already bought with his blood? What sin have you not yet brought to the glorious light of God’s powerful resurrection that you might see it for what it truly is?
There is freedom for you today in Christ that’s available apart from any past failures, present downfalls, or future concerns. You can “walk in newness of life” as you live in the reality of the inner working of the Holy Spirit and follow his leadership away from your old identity. Your mistakes don’t change the reality of God’s grace. Your sin is powerless to bind you. Your freedom is just as sure as the limitless love of your Savior.
Take time today to renew your mind to who you are in Christ. Take time to bring your sin to the light and confess it that God might take it from you as far as the east is from the west. May you experience the freedom of your risen King today as you live in light of his powerful grace.
1. Meditate on what the Bible says about freedom from sin. Align your understanding of your sin with the truth of God’s word.
2. What sin do you need to bring to God today in confession? What feels too dark and too powerful to gain freedom from? Bring it to him that you might see it in light of his power and sacrifice.
3. Ask God to reveal how he sees you. Ask him to reveal your new identity in him. Ask him how you can experience freedom from that which doesn’t align with your new identity.
Renewing our minds to our new identity takes time. Often, while we are gaining a correct understanding of our freedom, we need to set up boundaries to gain separation from darkness. Take time to identify things that continuously lead you into temptation. It could be friends, media, or actions that seem beneficial, like lifting weights or going shopping. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you establish boundaries that will guard your heart from the outside as he does a powerful work in you on the inside. May you experience the freedom purchased for you by the blood of Jesus as you “walk in newness of life” with the power of the Holy Spirit.Extended Reading: Romans 6 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Romans 5-16.
May you experience the freedom purchased for you by the blood of Jesus as you “walk in newness of life” with the power of the Holy Spirit.
]]>3/27/2026 | Experiencing God
Everything with God starts and ends with relationship, and he simply wants to co-labor with you.
Today we’ll explore the concept of partnering with God in his purposes in the earth. God is already at work all around us. He is asking us today to have eyes to see it, and step in with him to see his will fulfilled in the earth. As we assess our hearts today, may you go forward with a deep sense of purpose and calling. Everything with God starts and ends with relationship, and he simply wants to co-labor with you.
1 Peter 2:9 ESV
True friends are those who are willing to partner with us in things that really matter to us. True friends are willing to help simply because they love us, even if the task isn’t something they would have ordinarily valued. In John 21:15 we gain insight into a conversation between two friends, Jesus and Simon Peter. Scripture says,
Jesus didn’t ask Simon Peter if his heart burned for taking care of his people. He didn’t ask Peter his plans after Jesus had gone. After being established in the heart of Peter as Lord, Jesus simply asked him if he loved him.
I’ve spent so much of my life trying to figure out what I liked—what I felt like doing. I’ve taken all the gift tests, personality tests, and strength tests. And while God absolutely fashions, forms, and equips us for unique purposes, I believe God is asking the same question of you and me that he did of Peter. I believe that our purposes are to be foundationally birthed out of utter devotion to Jesus above what we want or feel equipped to do.
Jesus is looking for disciples who will say yes to that which is greater than they could have ever imagined doing. He’s looking for friends like Simon Peter who will follow him wherever he leads, even if it means to their death. He’s looking for those who are so in love with him that at a single statement from his lips we willingly and obediently respond by taking up our cross as he did and living a surrendered, purposeful life.
Take time today to hear the voice of your Lord saying, “Do you love me?” Assess today whether he truly is your greatest love. And in response, open your heart to receive any command he would speak to you today. If you are faithful to respond with your life, you will find his strength to accomplish any purpose and the reality of his love to be your unshakable joy.
1. Meditate on John 21:15. Allow the word of God to search your heart.
2. Next, assess whether Jesus truly is your greatest love. If he isn’t—if you wouldn’t follow him anywhere—take time to surrender anything you’ve placed above him. Confess any idols you have in your life that he might truly be crowned King of your heart today.
“Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.” Jonah 2:8
3. Ask him to speak his will to you today. Ask him what he would have you do and where he would have you do it. Be faithful to respond in obedience and trust today.
In John 15:12-14 Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Rather than placing yourself at the center of your thoughts, actions, motives, and emotions, choose to center your life around others today. Choose to serve and love others as Jesus did. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you his heart for those around you that you might be a reflection of his great love in the earth. Seeing God’s kingdom come is nothing more than choosing to love and live as Jesus did. You can be a conduit for his purposes in the earth today. May your day be filled with spectacular wonders as God manifests his kingdom through your life.
Extended Reading: John 12 or watch The Bible Project’s video on John 1-12.
May your day be filled with spectacular wonders as God manifests his kingdom through your life.
]]>3/26/2026 | Experiencing God
Bring whatever fears, stresses or worries you have to the risen Christ today, and experience the very real breath of heaven.
Life this side of heaven is plagued with all kinds of stress and anxiety. None of us is immune to this reality, but thankfully we have Jesus who the Bible tells us is himself our peace. What a beautiful comfort we have found in him. May you lose yourself in Jesus today and allow him to wrap you in his peace afresh. Bring whatever fears, stresses or worries you have to the risen Christ today, and experience the very real breath of heaven.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 ESV
One of the most heavenly aspects of experiencing God is his abounding peace. Peace is not something this world can offer us. This world is run on chaos, stress, confusion, striving, and frivolous pursuits with no satisfaction. Even in this life, God offers us the peace of heaven, the peace that comes from having our hearts wrapped up in true relationship with him.
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God exchanges our earthly cares and stresses for his heavenly, sustaining peace. He is such a good Father to us that he takes that which troubles our hearts, promises to take care of us down to the smallest burden, and offers us incomprehensible peace from his Spirit.
Jesus says in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” When we seek relationship with Jesus we are seeking relationship with the One who conquered death and destroyed any and every scheme of the enemy against us. To know him is to know a true Conqueror. And in knowing him our lives become wrapped up in his. Our worried and fearful hearts become wrapped up in his heart of peace.
Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” God longs for us to so encounter his trustworthiness that our lives are marked by his peace. He longs for us to so trust him that this world cannot rob us of the peace that comes from knowing our God will always prove himself faithful. All he has promised to do he will do. All he has said of himself he truly is. Peace comes from keeping our mind stayed on the perfect character of our heavenly Father and letting who he is be at the foundation of all we do, think, and feel.
God has heavenly peace in store for you today. The peace he offers you isn’t of this world and therefore will sustain you through any of its troubles (John 14:27). Come before your loving heavenly Father and cast your cares on him. Let your requests be made known to him. Place your trust in his trustworthiness. And receive the perfect, sustaining peace of your loving Father.
May your day today be marked by the fruit of wholehearted relationship with the God of peace.
1. Meditate on the peace available to you in relationship with God. Allow Scripture to help you not settle for stress, burdens, and cares that aren’t your portion in Jesus.
2. What has been causing you stress? What’s been stealing your peace? What thoughts, people, situations, fears, or spiritual attacks do you need to bring before your loving heavenly Father?
3. 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Take time to bring before God all that’s bothering you. Lay all your anxieties at his feet, choose to trust that he will take care of them and help you through them, and receive his peace that surpasses all understanding.
Romans 8:6 says, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” We have the choice moment by moment to set our minds on the things of this world or on the things of God. When we choose to set our minds on the Spirit, we are positioning ourselves to be people marked by the fruit of his presence in our lives. When we choose the world we are only setting ourselves up for failure, anxiety, and trouble. Choose today to set your mind on the Lord in every situation. The things of this world are fleeting, but our God spans throughout the farthest reaches of eternity. May his power, faithfulness, and nearness bring you peace today.
Extended Reading: Philippians 4 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Philippians.
May his power, faithfulness, and nearness bring you peace today.
]]>3/25/2026 | Experiencing God
I hope today you will feel the pressure or weight lift off your shoulders as you learn just how simple relationship with and knowing God truly is.
As we continue our week on knowing God through experiencing him, today we’ll explore what it means and looks like to experience his voice. This can often be an intimidating topic. Many of us feel inadequate or even unable to hear the voice of God—but nothing could be further from the truth. I hope today you will feel the pressure or weight lift off your shoulders as you learn just how simple the relationship and knowing God truly is.
John 8:47 ESV
To seek the fullness of relationship with God is to hear his voice. “Whoever is of God hears the words of God” (John 8:47). Just like when I seek true relationship with a person, a conversation must happen; when we seek to truly know God, he talks with us. He is not a God who is silent but a God who speaks to us in any and every way he can.
All throughout the New Testament, there is both teaching on hearing the voice of God and instances where the people of God had conversation with him. In John 14:16-17 Jesus says, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” And later in John 16:13 Jesus says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
God himself dwells within us and longs to speak to our hearts. He longs for us to know the will of our heavenly Father the way Jesus did. He longs for us to follow his leading moment by moment the way the apostles did. And he longs for us to engage in conversation with him as all those who are in true relationship with one another do.
God is constantly speaking to us. The problem is that we don’t know how to listen. Scripture tells us that he is declaring the invisible attributes of his nature through creation (Romans 1:20). When I take time to experience firsthand the things God has made, I feel his presence. There is a reason it’s peaceful to be in creation. There is a reason it’s restful to be in the mountains, lay on a beach, or swim in the sea. All of creation is declaring the wonderful character of our loving God. We just need to learn how to listen.
God speaks to us through his revealed word. The inspirer of Scripture dwells within us and longs to use the Bible as a wonderful avenue to encountering its Author. The Bible is not a biography written after someone has died. Rather, it is the living, active words of a living, active God who longs for relationship with us (Hebrews 4:12).
God speaks to us through one another. All of us as believers have been given the same Spirit who has called us to a lifestyle of encouraging one another. We are called to be a critical part of the process of discovering God’s heart and will in each other’s lives. If we will make time to learn how God speaks to us for others, we will discover the very words of God given by grace to the lips of man.
And God speaks to us directly from his Spirit to our spirit. The Holy Spirit is a vocal God. He longs for us to know his thoughts. He longs to direct us whether it be through words, a sense, a desire, an uneasiness, or a prompting. He is always speaking to us. In order to learn to hear his voice moment by moment, whether we’re in solitude or in chaos, we must make time in the secret place to seek the fullness of relationship with him. It’s in seeking relationship with God that we become familiar with his voice and are able to follow him as sheep with their Shepherd.
Take time in guided prayer to seek the face of your heavenly Father and hear his voice however he is choosing to speak. Don’t limit yourself to hearing him in only one way. The path to the fullness of relationship with him is marked by his voice in each of these ways and more. Open your heart to hearing him through any and every way he is speaking that you might grow in your relationship with a good and loving God.
1. Meditate on Scripture that declares God to be a vocal God. Allow Scripture to stir up your desire to hear God in every way he speaks.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20
2. In what ways are you comfortable hearing God? What ways might be new to you? Know that there is grace to grow in every facet of your relationship with him. Don’t limit yourself to only what you’ve known or experienced up to this point. Rather, seek the truth of God’s word by his Spirit and discover a wealth of relationship you might not have yet experienced.
3. Choose one of the ways God speaks that’s new to you and ask him to help you have conversation with him through that avenue. Again, hearing his voice through all of these avenues is meant to be the byproduct of simply seeking relationship with him. Just as we don’t seek to hear the voice of another person but seek relationship with them and get a conversation as a result, simply seek to know God and talk with him.
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3
To have conversation with God might sound strange for some, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Rather, to have conversation with God available to us and to not take advantage of it is strange. God longs to speak to you. The Creator of all longs to have dialogue with you. The King of kings and Lord of lords is inviting you to meet with him that you might have true relationship. Seek God with all your heart. Look to Scripture and the lives of biblical believers as your source of truth and normalcy. Because of God’s heart to speak to you, you can live your life in constant conversation with a God who is both near to you and loves you.
Extended Reading: John 10 or watch The Bible Project’s video on John 1-12.
Because of God’s heart to speak to you, you can live your life in constant conversation with a God who is both near to you and loves you.
]]>3/24/2026 | Experiencing God
God’s love is most radical and life-changing upon encounter, and it’s my hope today you’ll press into him and really feel first hand yourself how much God truly loves you.
As we spend this week wholeheartedly seeking to know God with all we are, we’ll take time today to experience God’s love for us. We all may live with the head knowledge that God loves us, but go long s purts of time without actually experiencing God’s love. God’s love is most radical and life-changing upon encounter, and it’s my hope today you’ll press into him and really feel first hand yourself how much God truly loves you.
Romans 5:5 ESV
There is nothing in this world like experiencing the unconditional love of God. His love extends farther than the width of the skies. His love goes deeper than the deepest sea. His love is more powerful than a raging fire, and it is closer than the heartbeat within your chest. Experiencing his love is like becoming new again and again. With each taste of his affection, the wounds of the past become healed and restored that one no longer regrets pain but rejoices in the opportunity it gives to experience the love of a good and near heavenly Father once again.
When we seek to know God we gain experiences with his love because it’s who he is. 1 John 4:8 says, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” To know love is to know God because every bit of true love comes from him. 1 John 4:16 says, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” It’s time for you and me to “believe the love that God has for us.” It’s time that we cease questioning whether we are loved and instead seek the face of our heavenly Father that we might know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loves us.
Almost all of my energy goes toward being loved. I look for love everywhere. I look for it from my wife, friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and total strangers. I constantly concern myself with whether I am, moment by moment, loved or not. But Jesus came that we might no longer ask ourselves that question. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God already loved us so much that he died for us (Romans 5:8). There’s nothing we have to do to earn his love. If we need a fresh reminder of it, all we have to do is simply seek his face and love will come as the result.
We have unlimited access by the grace of God to the love of God. Unconditional, limitless love awaits us at every turn if our hearts will simply seek his. Scripture says in Psalm 27:8, “You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.'” May we be children who constantly seek the face of our loving heavenly Father. May we be a bride wholly wrapped up in the love of our Bridegroom. And may we experience as the result of simply seeking God the powerful affections of a God who laid down his own life for the sake of his creation.
1. Meditate on the love of your heavenly Father. Allow Scripture to stir up your desire to seek God and as a result experience an encounter with his love.
“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8
2. Where are you seeking love? To whom or what are you turning for love other than God?
3. Take time to seek the face of your heavenly Father and encounter his love. Open your heart to him and simply desire relationship with him. He will take care of the rest.
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” We have no reason to fear seeking God. All that he would say to us, do in us, and lead us to comes from a foundation of his perfect love. There is no reason to fear in this life. There is nothing here that can separate us from eternal, unbound relationship with our heavenly Father. Allow his love to cast out any reservations you have today. Receive an awareness of his perfect love and rest easy in his kindness.
Extended Reading: 1 John 4 or watch The Bible Project’s video on 1-3 John.
Allow his love to cast out any reservations you have today. Receive an awareness of his perfect love and rest easy in his kindness.
]]>3/23/2026 | Experiencing God
May you encounter wonderful aspects of relationship with your heavenly Father this week as we wholeheartedly seek to know him with all we are.
To know God is to experience God. Just as we experience aspects of one another as we grow in friendship, we experience the wonders of God as we seek to simply know him. God is calling us to a life of seeking him with all we are. He is calling us to value relationship with him above all else that we would love no other but him. May you encounter wonderful aspects of relationship w ith your heavenly Father this week as we wholeheartedly seek to know him with all we are.
Psalm 46:10 ESV
The single greatest privilege in life is to know God. The God who formed you, provides for you and sent his Son to die for you longs to have real relationship with you. He longs to be known by you. And through the powerful sacrifice of Jesus, we truly can know him like any other person. And in fact, in some respects he is infinitely more knowable than any other person. Jeremiah 31:33-34 says,
“From the least of them to the greatest,” says the living God. No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, you can know the God of love. Knowing God is no longer reserved for those individually appointed as his leaders. Knowing God is no longer reserved for those like David, Isaiah, Peter, or the clergy. All of us have equal access to the living God.
And from the place of knowing God, we are granted the ability to experience his incredible attributes and be blessed by a greater awareness of our union with him. When we seek to know God, the Bible is clear that we begin to experience his love (Romans 5:5), hear his voice (John 10:27), and feel his peace (2 Thessalonians 3:16). We can partner in his purposes (1 Peter 2:9), experience his freedom (Romans 6:4), and rest in his presence (Psalm 16:11).
When we center our lives around knowing God, we gain experience with him like we do any other person. I don’t seek to hear my wife’s voice, rather I seek to know her and have conversation with her as a byproduct of that. I don’t seek just the emotion of love from my wife; rather, in getting to know her and walking in relationship with her, I experience her affections for me. So it is with God. When we simply seek to know him we gain experience in return.
I pray that as we look at the individual aspects of experiencing God this week your heart is stirred to simply seek deeper relationship with your heavenly Father, whatever may come as the result. Your Father loves you enough to pay the ultimate price to have relationship with you. Seek him and discover the wealth of his affections for you.
1. Meditate on the availability of knowing the living God. Allow Scripture to stir up your desire to seek him with all your heart.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10
2. Is your life centered around the pursuit of knowing God? Check the posture of your heart today. Look at the way you spend your time, your emotions, your thoughts, and your actions. What seems to be your greatest pursuit?
3. Spend some time centering your heart around true relationship with a knowable God. Ask him to help guide your heart through your day toward this pursuit. Ask him to give you a check in your heart when something takes his place as the greatest desire in your life. Live today with him as your highest priority.
“With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!” Psalm 119:10
Jeremiah 9:23-24 says,
May we be those who boast solely in our relationship with God. May his love and nearness be our highest joy. And may it be said of us at the end of our days that we sought the Lord above all else.
Extended Reading: Psalm 46 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Psalm 46.
May we be those who boast solely in our relationship with God. May his love and nearness be our highest joy. And may it be said of us at the end of our days that we sought the Lord above all else.
]]>3/22/2026 | God's Manifest Presence
Find rest today as we encounter the Spirit of the living God and allow him to minister to us.
As we wrap up our week exploring the tangible, life changing presence of God, we’ll look to the baptism of Jesus and how the Spirit of God descended and rested upon him. What does this mean for us as Christ’s followers? Is the Spirit’s presence available to us just the same? Find rest today as we encounter the Spirit of the living God and allow him to minister to us.
Matthew 3:16-17 ESV
The baptism of Jesus lays the foundation on which you and I can return time and time again to experience the abundant life made available to us at salvation. Matthew 3:16-17 says, “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'” Through the baptism of Jesus the Spirit of God powerfully enters into the scene of humanity. The Holy Spirit’s always been moving and working, but through Christ the way was paved for him to fill us and rest on us. Through the baptism of Jesus, we can all be baptized with the Spirit (John 1:33, John 3:5).
Peter says in Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” And Romans 6:4 tells us, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” At salvation the Spirit descends on us and fills us. He is the promise of God for our eternal life. He is our Helper, Teacher, and Comforter while we are here on earth. And he is the one who leads us into the abundant, new life made available to us through Christ.
You see, just as the Spirit rested on Jesus, through his presence in our lives we have untapped resources of unconditional rest. God desires that we would rest in him as he rests on us. He desires for his children to find the only consistent source of peace available to us through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Where do you need rest today? What trouble, situation, thought, or person is stealing your peace? The Holy Spirit wants to descend on you today as he did on Jesus. He wants to guide you into the rest of your heavenly Father. Isaiah 40:28-31 says,
You have the one who never faints or tires and gives power and might dwelling within you as a follower of Jesus. You have an inexhaustible resource of joy, strength, renewal, and rest readily available to you in the Spirit. All that is required of you is to make space in your life to enter into the rest God longs to provide you. Allow him to lay a foundation of his presence in your life by spending time simply being with him, and he will transform you into a person of the Spirit who fellowships and receives from the Spirit constantly. Learn to listen to his voice, follow his guidance, and enjoy his presence today.
Wherever you need rest today the Holy Spirit is waiting to provide it for you. As you pray, make space in your heart and day to rest in him as he rests on you.
1. Meditate on the Spirit’s desire to descend on you as he did on Jesus. Allow your faith to be stirred to have a real, tangible encounter with the Holy Spirit.
2. Now, reflect on your own life. Where in your life do you need rest today? Where do you need a fresh encounter with the Holy Spirit? What trouble seems to plague you? What brokenness needs healing and peace?
3. Ask the Spirit to descend on you and bring you rest. Ask for him to make his presence a reality to you. Follow him as he guides you into his presence. Worship, pray, and read the word. Do whatever will guide you into an encounter with the presence of God. God longs to bring you rest. It’s his desire that brings his presence, not your ability to feel him. He makes himself known when we open up our hearts and wait on him. Spend time waiting on his presence and resting in his love.
May you discover today the path to continual encounter with the Holy Spirit. He isn’t a God who separates himself into different sections of your life. You are created to live in continual, tangible relationship with your heavenly Father. You are created to find consistent rest in his loving presence. When you begin to feel the burdens of the world weighing you down and robbing you of the abundant life that is yours in Christ, take a minute and receive his presence again. Find consistent times throughout your day to press into the heart of God and discover his continual, new, and refreshing presence that’s available to you anytime and anyplace. Don’t allow a mediocre day to be enough today. Press into the Spirit for more and find all that God intended for your life.
Extended Reading: Isaiah 40 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Isaiah 40-66.
Don’t allow a mediocre day to be enough today. Press into the Spirit for more and find all that God intended for your life.
]]>3/21/2026 | God's Manifest Presence
May your heart grow in gratitude and friendship with the Spirit today as a result of your time with him.
Pentecost means so much to us as believers. The day of Pentecost changed everything for us. Today we’ll explore walking with the Holy Spirit and how he affects our daily life so much. May your heart grow in gratitude and friendship with the Spirit today as a result of your time with him.
Acts 2:1-2 ESV
Pentecost marks the powerful beginning of a global movement of the power of God’s presence sweeping across the earth. As we read the account of what happened as the Spirit descended with power on God’s people, place yourself in their midst. Imagine what it would look like, sound like, and feel like to witness firsthand such a powerful movement of God’s Spirit:
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The Holy Spirit is our greatest gift. When the disciples received the Spirit they began living as Jesus did. They began speaking to, healing, and transforming a world that had known no restored relationship with their Creator since Adam and Eve. And Scripture makes it clear that our lives are to follow their example. We’ve been given the same Spirit as the disciples, who moved so powerfully in revealing our loving heavenly Father to a world in desperate need of relationship with their Creator. I feel that there are three areas in which the Spirit would anoint us more powerfully today as he did the disciples at Pentecost. Let’s boldly seek out all that the Spirit would do in our hearts and lives today.
The first act of the disciples upon being filled with the Spirit at Pentecost was to speak to all who would listen, explaining all the powerful acts that were going on around them. And with the preaching of Peter three thousand listeners accepted the free gift of salvation. We who are marked by the Spirit’s presence are to be disciples who move in the power of love. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The Spirit longs to use us to proclaim the goodness of God’s love to this lost and dying world. He longs to fill us with the desire to love this world the way he does. 1 Corinthians 16:14 says, “Let all that you do be done in love.” Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love.” And in Mark 12:31, Jesus says that the second greatest commandment is, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Is your life marked by love for others? Do you live your life in service to your heavenly Father and his children? Seek out a fresh encounter with the Holy Spirit today. It’s the Spirit who bears the fruit of love in your life. You cannot love others on your own, for true love comes solely from God. But, the Spirit longs to fill you with a desire and anointing to love others around you that they might better know the love of the heavenly Father.
The coming of the Holy Spirit also brought powerful unity to the disciples. Acts 2:44-47 says,
Only the Spirit can bring unity between broken, competitive, and needy people. Only through the Spirit do we have the ability to love and accept others regardless of our differences and unite toward the common goal of loving God and others wholeheartedly. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:1-3, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Are you a disciple marked by a desire to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?” Are you a Christian marked by grace-filled love for your fellow believers? We all need to seek out greater anointing and desire from the Spirit toward unity. We cannot be selfless in our own strength. We need the help of the God of perfect love to pursue unity through humility. Seek out a desire and anointing to be a person who works toward the goal of unity instead of division today. Spend time in God’s presence allowing him to transform your heart to look more like his.
Lastly, Pentecost filled the disciples with the ability to connect directly to God through the avenue of the Holy Spirit. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:10, “These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” Acts 15:28 says, “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements.” The disciples knew God’s desires, received revelation from him, and were transformed into the likeness of Christ through fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit. We as disciples are to be marked by direct connection with the Holy Spirit. Paul and Peter had no special human ability to talk to God. Prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit, Paul was killing children of the very God he was trying to serve, and Peter chose his own safety over Jesus, who had shown him such immense love and grace. It was only with the Holy Spirit that these men were able to connect to God so deeply, and we can have that same connection today. So, are you a believer marked by direct connection with the Holy Spirit? Do you spend time seeking his presence, counsel, and anointing? Let’s be children of God who pursue deeper connection with our heavenly Father today. Let’s seek the face of God as the early disciples did and be believers marked by relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Spend time during guided prayer pursuing all that the Spirit would do in you. Open your heart and mind to be transformed by his love. And commit to living your life with direct connection to the God who dwells within you.
1. Meditate on the Spirit’s desire and ability to anoint us with the power and desire to love others. Ask him to show you how to better love others today. Ask his forgiveness for any way in which you have been hurtful to those whom he loves. And receive the anointing to love people from his heart and strength rather than your own.
“Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14
2. Now meditate on God’s desire to use you to bring unity to his children. Confess to God anyone who annoys you or angers you. Confess anyone whom you have a hard time loving. Ask him for his heart for that person. Ask him to fill you up with a supernatural ability to love those who are difficult or different. Ask him to help you be a person who pursues unity.
3. Now seek after a direct connection to the Holy Spirit. Ask him to guide you into the knowledge of his presence. Ask him to show you the overwhelming love, grace, and anointing he has for you today. Seek out answers to any questions you have of him. May you discover a wellspring of friendship in the Holy Spirit today.
It’s crucial that we as children of God seek out all that he longs to give us. Relationship with God is meant to be anything but stale, stagnant, and weak. The disciples demonstrated that those filled with the Spirit of God are to be marked by adventure, mystery, and the miraculous. God has a story for the ages written with you in mind. He has a plan beyond what you could ever imagine if you will seek him out, trust him, and follow him. Rest today in the fact that God loves you enough to lead you away from a mundane life. Pursue his plans and watch as he fills your life with adventure and wonder.
Extended Reading: Acts 2 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Acts 1-12 and Studies on Prayer Volume 1 & Volume 2 by Janet Denison.
Pursue his plans and watch as he fills your life with adventure and wonder.
]]>3/20/2026 | God's Manifest Presence
As we learn of all Jesus’ sacrifice accomplished, may our hearts swell in worship and thanks to our King.
Today as we look at the Holy of Holies, we’ll see how Jesus fulfilled the requirements of God’s law and is the perfect High Priest on our behalf. As we learn of all Jesus’ sacrifice accomplished, may our hearts swell in worship and thanks to our King.
Hebrews 10:19-22 ESV
Descriptions of the Holy of Holies strike fear in my heart. Leviticus 16:1-5 describes the work a priest would have to go through in order to enter into the presence of God and not be killed. Scripture says,
The holiness of God required absolute purity from all who would enter into his presence. And so powerful was God’s presence that it killed the two sons of Aaron, the high priest. When I picture the terrifying, powerful presence of my God as told in the Old Testament, my heart is filled with reverence and awe. How could this holy God love me, a broken and helpless sinner? How could I come before God and enter into his presence when his holiness requires such purity?
But Hebrews 9:11-12 says,
Our high priest entered into the holy places on our behalf and secured safe passage for us all to enter into God’s presence. Hebrews 10:19-22 describes this powerful truth in saying,
What’s more, through the death of Jesus, God is now able to flood the earth with his presence. Christ defeated the power of sin and death and made the way for you and me to be the new temple of God’s holy, powerful presence. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 states, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” Later, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
The question before you today is this: are you experiencing the fullness of what has been made available to you through Christ? Are you experiencing the power and nearness of the God who has made his temple within you? Are you living out of the holiness of the very Spirit who dwells within you and has made you a righteous new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Corinthians 5:21)?
1 Corinthians 6:20 commands us to “glorify God in [our] body” as a response to being filled with the presence of God through the work of our high priest, Jesus Christ. It’s in living our life out of the inner working of the Holy Spirit that we begin to experience all that God intends for us. We must first acknowledge that the very presence of God who dwelled within the Holy of Holies and was so powerful that it killed men now dwells within us. The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives within us. And in acknowledging the reality of God’s presence in our lives we must begin to realign our lives with the will of the Spirit. We must react to God’s grace with our obedience. So great was God’s desire to provide you with an abundant life in him that he sent Jesus as the final, perfect sacrifice. The fact that you are now the temple of the Holy Spirit means that you have God himself to guide you, love you, fill you, heal you, and deliver you. You have access to a more real and intimate relationship with your heavenly Father than you can fathom.
Spend time in prayer acknowledging the presence of God within you and responding to his presence with humility and trust. Allow the Spirit to transform you in his presence and guide you into who you were created to be. May you encounter the power of the God who loves you too much to allow you to lead a life apart from his holy and loving presence.
1. Meditate on the power of the presence of God that dwells within you. Reflect on the holiness of God as described in the Old Testament accounts of the Holy of Holies.
2. Now meditate on the fact that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Acknowledge the reality of the Holy Spirit in your life. Open your heart and mind to experience his nearness, love, and power.
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
3. Come before God with the boldness made available to you through Christ. Ask the Spirit to guide you deeper into God’s presence. Ask God to reveal to you new parts of his love for you. Take time to rest in the wonderful, real, and loving presence of your heavenly Father.
In God’s presence you can experience all he longs to do in you. Allow the Spirit to guide you to past wounds that need to be healed. If you are suffering from a physical ailment, ask the Spirit to heal you. God’s Spirit is as alive and active today as ever, working to heal the brokenness of a world wrought with the destruction of sin. Allow him to work in you, that you might be a picture to others of the reality of your heavenly Father’s love for his children. Open your heart, ask him to move and work, and receive whatever it is he desires to give you today. There’s no time like being in the presence of God to experience all that he has to offer us in his love and grace.
Extended Reading: Hebrews 9-10 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Hebrews.
There’s no time like being in the presence of God to experience all that he has to offer us in his love and grace.
]]>3/19/2026 | God's Manifest Presence
Open your heart to trust him afresh today, and remember he is for you.
Today as we explore the stories of the Israelites being led by the pillar of God’s presence, we’ll examine what that means for God’s leadership in our own lives. As we submit to his leadership, may we find how truly faithful he is to lead us in every single season. Open your heart to trust him afresh today, and remember he is for you.
Exodus 13:21-22 ESV
One of the greatest realities of God’s presence is the way it guides us. Exodus 13:21-22 provides an illustration for an important truth God would have us know today: when we need guidance we can run to his presence and discover his leadership in abundance. Scripture tells us, “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.”
Even in the Israelites’ sin, God faithfully led them. Even in their lack of faith, he still provided miraculous leadership. And now, through believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have been filled with the presence of God himself. We’ve been given the miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit who is always present with us and in us. As amazing as it is that God led his people with pillars of cloud and fire, how much more incredible is it that we have been filled with the very presence of God by the work of Christ? Jesus made a way for us to know the will of God with every moment as we fellowship with the Spirit of God himself.
So, how can we follow the Spirit as the Israelites followed the pillars of fire and cloud? How can we discover the abundance of leadership available to us through the presence of God? First, we must acknowledge our need of his leadership and seek out his counsel. He can only guide those who choose to follow. If you choose to go your own way in life you will step outside the guidance of his presence. It’s in seeking his will that we discover the vast reservoir of the Spirit’s perfect leadership. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Acknowledge him. Acknowledge the reality of his presence in your life in all your ways. Trust in his guidance rather than your own understanding, and watch as he makes straight all of your paths.
Second, you have to believe that God can and will guide you when you ask for his leadership. Isaiah 58:11 says, “And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” This world is suffering from a lack of God’s guidance. We live in a world continuously searching, striving, and yearning for some sort of message of leadership. All around us the blind lead the blind into greater depths of darkness, continually searching for what we have already found in God. God longs to satisfy your desire for leadership. He longs to make you “like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” All you have to do is ask him. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” God will guide you when you seek him for wisdom. He will lead you to the perfect will he has for you if you humble yourself before him and commit to following him. All you have to do is ask and follow the Spirit’s guidance in however he chooses to lead you. He will make his leadership clear if you stay behind him and listen.
Last, you must follow his leadership to experience the fruit of his guiding presence. The prize of a winning lottery ticket remains worthless until it is cashed in. The contents of a gift remain useless until it is opened. You have been given the most incredible gift of all: God’s guiding presence in your life. Proverbs 3:13-18 says,
But until you choose to follow the wisdom of God in your life, you won’t experience an ounce of its value. Until you follow the wise guidance of the Holy Spirit, you won’t experience the incredible, abundant life he has in store for you. James 1:22-25 commands us,
Persevere today in God’s presence. Seek out his wisdom and counsel during guided prayer. Lay the burden of leading your own life on his mighty and loving shoulders, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into the abundant life he has prepared for you.
1. Meditate on God’s desire and ability to lead you.
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3
2. Now meditate on the value of God’s leadership in your life. Trust in his word. Believe that his wisdom is far greater than your own. Trust in Scripture that what he leads you to is far beyond anything you could discover yourself.
3. Now ask the Spirit for wisdom and guidance in your life. Where do you need the mind of Christ today? What issue before you do you not know how to handle well? Where do you need the leadership of God? Lay your questions at his feet, and pay attention to how he responds to you.
The prayer of Paul to the Ephesians is my prayer for you today. May you be blessed with the vast reservoir of God’s wonderful guidance:
Extended Reading: Proverbs 3 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Proverbs.
The prayer of Paul to the Ephesians is my prayer for you today. May you be blessed with the vast reservoir of God’s wonderful guidance.
]]>3/18/2026 | God's Manifest Presence
Know that as you come before him, you are loved by him and made right with him through the blood of Jesus. He simply wants you to come.
Today we will look at the stories of Moses and Isaiah. They encountered the holiness of God and were changed forever. As we look upon him, may we be changed just the same. Know that as you come before him, you are loved by him and made right with him through the blood of Jesus. He simply wants you to come.
Exodus 3:2 ESV
Two of the most powerful recorded encounters of God’s presence are found with Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1-7 and with Moses in Exodus 3:2-6. Let’s open our hearts to both learn from these encounters and allow them to guide us into a powerful encounter with the living God ourselves.
Isaiah 6:1-7 says,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
Isaiah demonstrated that experiencing the holiness of God and seeing our own sin in light of his holiness are consistent and important parts of encountering God’s presence. Time after time in Scripture, God’s people see their own sin, repent, and are healed after having an encounter with the presence of God. In fact, Moses has a similar response to being in the presence of God for the first time in Exodus 3:2-6:
In light of God’s astounding holiness, Moses was filled with fear to look at the face of God. These two descriptions of God’s presence illustrate an important truth for all: the light of God’s holiness has the ability to pierce into the depth of our soul, bringing to light the darkness that destroys us from within. My prayer today is that we would follow the examples of Moses and Isaiah and allow God’s holiness to shine light on our sin and draw us to repentance. And may we experience healing today the way Isaiah did as the angel of the Lord cleansed him with the coal.
God’s presence casts light on our sin and brokenness because in order for us to live the fullness of life God desires, we must walk in righteousness. It’s because of God’s love that he reveals our sin. It’s because God longs for us to experience a life of holiness and freedom as his children that he shines light on our darkness and draws us out into the glorious light of righteousness.
God promises in Isaiah 42:16, “And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.” And 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” God’s desire has always been to lead his children into his righteousness. God’s longing for us to partake in his divine nature has been a chief desire of his from the first sin of Adam and Eve. And through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ our nature has been transformed. Ephesians 2:1-6 says,
You have been set free from what once separated you from your heavenly Father. But the key to experiencing this freedom is allowing God to shine light on what does not belong to you anymore: your sin. You must walk as a child of the light, not as a child of wrath, and it’s spending time encountering the holiness of God that will transform you from the inside out. Spending time on holy ground as Moses did will heal you from the sins that entangle you. Spending time allowing God to reveal your sin and purge it from you as he did with Isaiah will empower you to choose the light over the darkness. A vital part of encountering God is repenting of our sin in light of his wonderful, holy love for us.
Experience the holiness of God today as you enter into guided prayer. Repent of whatever is in you that’s not in line with your new nature in Christ and walk as the child of God that you are in light of his wonderful and powerful grace.
1. Meditate on Moses and Isaiah’s encounters with the holiness of God. Put yourself inside the story. Imagine yourself as their character. Feel what they would have felt. See what they would have seen. Allow the stories of Scripture to come to life around you.
2. Allow the holiness of God to shine light on the darkest parts of your soul. Where do you have unconfessed sin? What’s holding you back from walking fully in the light? What sin does God want to heal you from today?
3. Confess your sins to God. Repent from any area of darkness and turn fully toward the light of holiness. Rest in his forgiveness and allow it to be the foundation on which you can live in the freedom bought for you by the blood of Christ.
Psalm 30:11 says, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.” When we give our sin over to God he turns what the enemy meant to harm us into our greatest source of gladness. Forgiveness is something to dance over, to sing about, and to enjoy wholeheartedly. Our God takes what was dark and makes it light. He took what tied us to this world, placed it on the shoulders of Jesus, and put it to death with the last breath of his perfect Son. May you discover today a freeing joy in the presence of the God of holiness and forgiveness. And may you live your life in light of the glorious grace you’ve been shown through the love of God.
Extended Reading: Romans 8 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Romans 5-16.
May you discover today a freeing joy in the presence of the God of holiness and forgiveness. And may you live your life in light of the glorious grace you’ve been shown through the love of God.
]]>3/17/2026 | God's Manifest Presence
May God make all our faces shine in his presence today, that the world would see the goodness that comes from spending meaningful time alone with God.
In today’s First15, we’re going to build on the foundation we built yesterday by looking at different stories in which God made his presence known in a perspective-changing way. Today, we’ll look at Moses and the Tent of Meeting.
Exodus 33:7 ESV
Stories of Moses and the presence of God stir up my desire to meet with my heavenly Father face-to-face. We read in Exodus of God’s faithfulness to lead, speak to, and encounter Moses. We read of Moses coming before his God boldly and asking for his hand in delivering and forgiving his people. Today, let’s look at the story of Moses and the tent of meeting found in Exodus 33, and allow it to guide us into more consistent and impactful encounters with the living, all-powerful, and all-loving God.
Exodus 33:7-11 says,
Moses, a sinful, murdering, and fearful man, was able to see the living God “face to face” and speak with him “as a man speaks to his friend.” Picture that tent in your mind’s eye. Picture the cloud of God’s presence descending from heaven in a way that everyone could see. Place yourself in that tent, hearing Moses talk with God, seeing the glory of God face-to-face with a broken, sinful man. What a picture of God’s heart for us! If Moses could enter into the presence of God, surely all of us can. If Moses could speak with God face-to-face, surely we who have been bought with the blood of Christ can. If God would encounter Moses, speak to him, and guide him, he will surely do the same for each of us. In humility today, let’s learn from this man who so faithfully encountered and followed God. Let’s allow this story in Exodus to teach us how we might more fully and consistently meet with our heavenly Father.
The first thing we learn from this text is that Moses set up a place to meet consistently with God. It is crucially important that we find a place we can consistently seek the face of our heavenly Father. We need an uninterrupted time and place to rest in his presence in order to live our lives with his Spirit, word, and love as our foundation and fuel. Where can you meet with God consistently? What time in your day can be uninterrupted? The best time for me to meet with God is early in the morning before the rest of the world awakens to rush and busyness. When I don’t make time at the beginning of my morning to seek God’s face, I scramble to find pockets of time throughout the day. And without this dedicated meeting with God, I have a much more difficult time living my life in light of the glorious goodness I can only discover in his tangible presence. Without consistently encountering my heavenly Father, I struggle to remain free from the burdens, lies, and sin that so easily entangle me though I have been set free by the blood of Jesus. May we be children of God who learn from Moses and make space and time in our lives to meet with our One, True Source of abundant life.
Next, we must believe that God longs to encounter us just as deeply as he longed to encounter Moses. God loves each of us to the absolute fullest extent possible. You are created for intimacy with your heavenly Father. There is no other path to the abundant life and destiny he has called you to than life lived in his presence. And there is no other way to live in step with his Spirit than spending time consistently encountering his presence. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” God’s greatest satisfaction is spending time with his children. His greatest joy is meeting with you face-to-face as he did with Moses. So great was his desire to encounter you that he offered up his only Son as payment for restored relationship. Believe in his desire to encounter you, believe that he will reward you when you seek him, and believe that you will discover a deeper reality of God’s presence than you have ever encountered.
Lastly, know that as you encounter God consistently and abundantly, you will draw others to worship and seek a greater relationship with your heavenly Father. Exodus 33:10 says, “And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.” We are designed to encounter the presence of God. We are made to see him face-to-face. So, living as God designed you—by consistently encountering his presence—will lead others to do the same. Others will see in you what they were created for and begin to pursue deeper relationships with God. The best way to lead others to God is out of consistent encounters with him. In encountering him, we naturally begin to become like him and therefore reveal his heart in all that we do.
May you be drawn into deeper encounters with your heavenly Father, whose love for you knows no bounds. Follow the example of Moses and find a consistent place to spend time seeking God’s face. Have faith that God longs to encounter you and to make himself known to you. And as you spend time in his presence, may you naturally lead others to do the same.
Spend time in worship and guided prayer allowing God to reveal himself fully to you.
1. Meditate on how Moses met with God face-to-face and spoke with him. Allow God’s word to stir your desires to meet directly with him as Moses did.
2. Now seek the face of God in faith. Come before his throne boldly by the blood of Jesus. Believe that he loves you and longs to encounter you. And open your heart to receive all the love he would pour out on you in this moment.
3. Rest in the presence of God. Spend time talking with him, receiving more of him, and being transformed by his nearness. Receive his love. Cast your burdens on him. Talk with him about anything that is weighing you down today.
While we only see a glimpse of God here on earth, a glimpse of him is unequivocally better than any other sight. A glimpse of God is more powerful than a rushing wind, more real than your own skin, more vast than the oceans put together, and more satisfying than time spent with your closest friend. Whatever longing that feels unsatisfied can be quenched with a glimpse of your God. Run to his presence when you have need, or when you feel attacked or unfulfilled. Run to your tent of meeting when you need refreshment or guidance, or to talk with God. May you grow in your desire and ability to meet with your heavenly Father face-to-face, to talk with him and to be satisfied in his love.
Extended Reading: Exodus 34:29
May you grow in your desire and ability to meet with your heavenly Father face-to-face, to talk with him and to be satisfied in his love.
]]>3/16/2026 | God's Manifest Presence
May God open our eyes and hearts to see and sense his nearness in a meaningful way today.
God’s presence is real, full of love, and completely transformational. It takes what was broken and brings healing. It takes what was lost and guides us to our rightful place in the Father. It satisfies the weary, brings light to the darkness, and pours out the refreshing rain of God’s love on the dryest, deepest parts of the soul.
Today we’re beginning a new series, focusing on deepening our understanding and practice of God’s presence by focusing on the reality of his presence. May God open our eyes and hearts to see and sense his nearness in a meaningful way today.
Psalm 139:7-8 ESV
It’s a troubling truth in Christianity today that many believers don’t know about or aren’t experiencing continual encounter with the real, manifest presence of God. The Bible contains story after story of life-changing, world-altering encounters with the reality of God’s presence. From Moses and the tent of meeting to the disciples at Pentecost, we continually read about God supernaturally encountering his people in real, transformative ways. Jesus died so that we might walk in communion with our heavenly Father not only in heaven, but here on this earth. Biblical characters modeled what it was to experience God consistently in both the New and Old Testaments. God, in his desire to have restored relationship with you, has made the reality of his presence fully available to you. Through the death of Christ there is nothing separating you from him. Before we dive into different stories of God’s manifest presence on the earth, let’s take time to focus on the biblical basis for encountering God. Open your heart and mind to the truth about God’s nearness and allow your faith to be stirred for all the ways your heavenly Father would transform your life through encounter with him.
Psalm 139:7-8 says, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” Acts 17:26-28 says,
Scripture is clear that God is omnipresent and his presence can be tangible to us. David describes God’s presence this way: “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).
The sons of Korah wrote in Psalm 84:1-2, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” Then in verses 10-12 they declare,
There is no doubt in looking at Scripture that God’s presence is real, good, and available to us. Rest in the truth of that for a moment. You can consistently enter into the tangible presence of your heavenly Father anywhere and anytime. Have faith today that God created you to experience him. Encountering his presence is made possible entirely by his grace, so it is available apart from any good or bad thing you do. But, know that God will never force his presence on you. He only fills up what is open and ready to receive. He sweetly calls you to meet with him and waits for you to make space in your life to receive what he longs to give.
There is no more life-giving pursuit you can embark on than the pursuit of God’s presence. Spending time resting in him is meant to be the satisfaction that lays a foundation for you to live the life of abundance made available to you through Jesus. Your role in encountering God is simply seeking him. If you will make time to encounter him, open your heart, and have faith in his word, then you will discover the wellspring of life, joy, love, and transformation that is the presence of our heavenly Father.
Deuteronomy 4:29 says, “You will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Seek and find the presence of the living God today as you meditate on his word and pray.
1. Meditate on the availability of God’s presence. Allow your faith to be stirred up in response to God’s word.
“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalm 145:18
2. Now meditate on the goodness of God’s presence. Allow your desires to be stirred as you read about the wonders of encountering the living God.
3. Open your heart to receive his presence. Ask the Spirit to make known God’s nearness. Seek his presence and have faith in his word that when you seek him you will find him.
“But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29
In his book The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer wrote, “With our loss of the sense of majesty has come the further loss of religious awe and consciousness of the divine Presence. We have lost our spirit of worship and our ability to withdraw inwardly to meet God in adoring silence.” May his statement not be true of you. May you discover the majesty of your God. May you be a child of God who consistently spends time in the presence of the Father. May you be a believer who is empowered with the very presence of God himself working in and through your life. Grow in your pursuit of his presence this week. Commit to earnestly seeking him and allow this week to be transformational in the way you spend time with God.
Extended Reading: Psalm 84 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Psalms.
Grow in your pursuit of his presence this week. Commit to earnestly seeking him and allow this week to be transformational in the way you spend time with God.
]]>3/15/2026 | The Holy Spirit
I pray that God would reveal to you how he’s wired and gifted you in the Spirit today, that you would find joy and deeper relationship with him in walking out your unique calling on the earth.
In the final First15 of this series on the Holy Spirit, we’re going to look at what God’s word has to say about the gifts of the Spirit. God has called and equipped each of us uniquely, and importantly to co-labor with him. I pray that God would reveal to you how he’s wired and gifted you in the Spirit today, that you would find joy and deeper relationship with him in walking out your unique calling in the earth.
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.”
1 Corinthians 12:1 ESV
Paul’s heart for the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 12:1 is God’s heart for you and me today. Scripture says, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.” Within the church today are defenders of multiple positions on spiritual gifts, each as staunch as the other. But God’s desire for you and me is that we would be informed directly from him about the incredible gifts of this loving Holy Spirit who dwells within us. God longs for us to receive all he has to give. He longs to teach us about the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives that we might live with greater purpose and affections for him and others. Let’s surrender our hearts and minds to God on spiritual gifts. And let’s seek out every last bit of what God has planned for us today.
The first aspect of spiritual gifts to note is that they are indeed a gift. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 says,
The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to each of us. He “apportions” them according to his perfect wisdom. Spiritual gifts are never birthed by man and never given for selfish purposes. The Spirit gives us gifts because he loves us and others. All that he does is in perfect love and is for “the common good.” Whether you’ve been given the gift of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, or interpretation of tongues, your purpose in the gift is to be the same as the Holy Spirit’s: love.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (emphasis added). Spiritual gifts are all about love. Operating in a gift of the Spirit is always to be done in love. Paul is clear that gifts are annoying (1 Corinthians 13:1) and worthless (1 Corinthians 13:2-3) if they are not filled with love.
1 Peter 4:10-11 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Spend time in prayer discovering what gift the Holy Spirit has given you and how he would intend you to use it for the benefit of the “common good.” Choose to align your understanding and belief on spiritual gifts with the word of God alone. And live today operating in love with the amazing gifts God has given you, whatever they may be.
1. Meditate on God’s word about spiritual gifts. Try and align your understanding of spiritual gifts with his word. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 says:
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the gift he has given you. Ask him to show you if he’s given you multiple gifts! Reflect on your life and the ways God has used you in the past. If you know someone who you believe has a close relationship with the Spirit, ask them what gift they believe God has given you!
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to use you today for the glory of Jesus. Decide to be a believer who lives empowered and purposed with the gift God has given you. Ask the Spirit to show you ways he would use you. Stay in tune and ready to be used by the God of love today.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 says, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Keep the fire of the Holy Spirit kindled within you today by intimate relationship with him. Talk with him. Ask for his help. Stay close to him and allow him to burn passionately within you to see the lost saved, loved, and freed.
Extended Reading: 1 Corinthians 12-14 or watch The Bible Project’s video on 1 Corinthians.
Talk with him. Ask for his help. Stay close to him and allow him to burn passionately within you to see the lost saved, loved, and freed.
]]>3/14/2026 | The Holy Spirit
May you be encouraged as we open our hearts and seek sanctification in the Holy Spirit today.
In today’s First15, we’re going to explore the concept of sanctification in the Holy Spirit. Every day, every moment, God is working to mold us into his likeness. We were made in his image. And the Holy Spirit is so insightful, so good at molding us and correcting. There is so much peace in store for us if we’ll allow God to take away anything in our life holding us back from what we were originally created for, to live free from sin, free from shame, free from the weight of the world, and holy and righteous in him. May you be encouraged as we open our hearts and seek sanctification in the Holy Spirit today.
1 Peter 1:2 ESV
The word “sanctification” typically renders images of fire, struggle, pain, and toil in my mind. It makes me think of my own sin and wonder how I could ever be transformed into a sanctified child of God. I believe sanctification is one of those words commonly used within the church but often misunderstood. We might understand the definition of sanctification (the process of being made or becoming holy), but I don’t know if we have fully grasped God’s plan for the process. I don’t know if we’ve been taught on sanctification in light of God’s grace.
1 Peter 1 gives us wonderful insight into God’s heart for the process of sanctification:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
The first thing we see in 1 Peter 1:2 is that sanctification is “of the Spirit.” Sanctification comes from God working in us, not from our own strength. In fact, Scripture is clear that righteousness is ours as the result of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:11 says, “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” And 2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” Sanctification comes from God’s work and power. In our own strength we can’t produce anything like sanctification because we have no holiness within ourselves. But in the Holy Spirit we have access to a vast, deep well of righteousness and godliness. Through Christ we’ve been made clean, and through the work of the Holy Spirit we are growing up into a life of holiness.
1 Peter 1 is most definitely clear that sanctification is a tough process. Dealing with our sin will never be easy. But it is a process full of the work of our merciful God (1 Peter 1:3), and it always results in rejoicing (1 Peter 1:8).
If you desire holiness, righteousness, and godliness, seek out relationship with the Holy Spirit. Open your heart and mind to his work. Allow him to reveal to you the dark places of your heart that have yet to be touched by the capable, loving hands of the God who formed you and knows you. Allow him to heal the wounds and brokenness that have tied you to the world, which you’ve been set free from through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Sanctification is ours by God’s grace and mercy. Spend time in prayer allowing God to deal with your sin and lead you to a life of rejoicing and joy where only sin and sorrow dwelled before.
1. Meditate on God’s desire to produce holiness in you by his grace, love, and mercy.
2. Open your life up to the Holy Spirit. Ask him to reveal areas that are keeping you from a life of holiness and godliness. Ask him to show you past wounds that are still hurting you today. Confess your sin to him and receive his forgiveness.
“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” Proverbs 28:13
3. Now ask the Holy Spirit to come and heal you. Ask him to show you where he was at times when you were wounded. Ask him to reveal to you truth that has the power to cover the damaging lies the enemy has spoken to you. Live your life healed, set free, and delivered by the power of the Spirit.
May you experience the joy and freedom that comes from receiving God’s forgiveness and healing. When we give our sins over to him and receive his forgiveness, the chains that entangled us to the cares of the world are shattered. Our portion in God is love, peace, and joy. Jesus died to set us free from the burden of sin. May you be a child of God marked by the holiness of your heavenly Father that is available in the Holy Spirit who dwells within you.
Extended Reading: 2 Peter 1 or watch The Bible Project’s video on 2 Peter.
May you be a child of God marked by the holiness of your heavenly Father that is available in the Holy Spirit who dwells within you.
]]>3/13/2026 | The Holy Spirit
May you experience the richness of God’s presence, the water of his peace, and the warmth of his love today as we seek to allow God to bear his fruit in our lives.
In today’s First15, we’re going to explore how we can bear the life-giving, world-changing fruit of the Holy Spirit. Your life is meant to be marked by love, joy, and peace. And plants don’t bear fruit by trying harder, but by simply receiving abundantly whatever they need to bear fruit. May you experience the richness of God’s presence, the water of his peace, and the warmth of his love today as we seek to allow God to bear his fruit in our lives.
Galatians 5:22-23 ESV
The fruit of the Spirit passage in Galatians 5:22-23 gives me tremendous hope for my own life. Scripture says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” When I read that list I receive a vision of who I long to be. I long to be a person full of love, joy, and peace. I long to have patience, kindness, and goodness. I long to be marked by faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Who wouldn’t? I see within those incredible characteristics the marks of a fully abundant life. I see Jesus.
At the same time, I see myself in light of these incredible fruits of the Spirit. I see all the ways in which my life doesn’t line up with what the Holy Spirit desires to birth in me. How can we, in all our sin and brokenness, live a life marked by these characteristics? How can we be a people so full of the Spirit that our very being portrays the Spirit of God who dwells within us?
God longs to tell you and me today that by his grace, a life marked by the fruit of the Spirit is entirely possible—but only by his grace. In and of myself, I can produce none of these wonderful characteristics. In my own strength, I will only produce selfishness, laziness, and pride. “But with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). The Bible calls these characteristics fruit for a reason. They are birthed out of the glorious working of God in us. They come entirely by God’s grace.
So how do we allow the Holy Spirit to work at the core of our being and produce these wonderful fruits? How do we become children of God marked by the working of the Spirit in our lives? It comes from being connected to our source, that he might plant seeds that grow within us. As we spend time with God we become like him. In his presence our heart transforms into a greater reflection of his glorious love. He can do incredible and miraculous things in us if we simply open our hearts and spend time abiding in him. The more time we spend receiving his love for us, the more areas of brokenness and sin become healed and transformed. If you want to bear the fruit of the Spirit—if you want to be a person marked by the working of God at your core—then you must spend time each day simply being loved by God.
There is no shortcut to holiness. There is no trick to godliness. Jesus has made a way for us to enter into the holy places and see the face of God. God will do magnificent things in you today if you will follow the path laid before you by Jesus and spend time resting in the presence of your heavenly Father. Receive his love. Allow the words he speaks over you to transform the way you view yourself and the world around you. Spend time in prayer meditating on his word and allowing your heart to become more like Jesus’ today.
1. Meditate on God’s desire and ability to produce the fruit of the Spirit in you. Allow his word to fill you with hope that you can be a person marked by these characteristics.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
2. Now receive God’s presence and rest in his love. Take time to simply abide in him. Rather than thinking about all the places you’re lacking, reflect on his goodness. Allow him to draw you near that you might simply rest in him.
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in you today. Ask him to lead you to a lifestyle of love, joy, and peace. Ask him to fill you with patience, kindness, and goodness toward others and yourself. Ask him to make you a person marked by faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
It’s vital that you understand these characteristics are not something you strive toward in your own strength, but they are a natural result of being loved by God. You will never be able to be consistently faithful, gentle, or anything else good in your own strength. It takes the work of the Spirit to be marked by the Spirit. Engage with the Holy Spirit throughout your day. When you find yourself in a situation and are struggling to be a person full of the fruit of the Spirit, take a minute and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help. Ask him to share with you his perspective and heart. He is with you in every moment and longs to help you live your life to the fullest. Enjoy his love today and live your life out of the abundance of God’s presence available to you.
Extended Reading: Galatians 5 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Galatians.
Enjoy his love today and live your life out of the abundance of God’s presence available to you.
]]>3/12/2026 | The Holy Spirit
May we be good students of God’s word today, and allow him to guide us into a lifestyle of learning with him. For his glory, and our good.
In this life there are constant lessons for us to learn. And in the Holy Spirit, we have been given an amazing teacher. In today’s First15 podcast we’re going to explore what it means to be taught by the Holy Spirit. May we be good students of God’s word today, and allow him to guide us into a lifestyle of learning with him. For his glory, and our good.
“But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.”
1 John 2:20 ESV
We have in the Holy Spirit the same Teacher who faithfully breathed the perfect and practical words of Scripture to imperfect men across thousands of years. And Jesus said in John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” Not only did the Holy Spirit teach the disciples, but he also longs to teach us. He longs to reveal to us the depths of God so that we might learn what it is to be a true follower of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He longs to show us the wisdom of God so that we might live as men and women inspired by God rather than fools who find their knowledge only in the matters of the world. Let’s open our minds and hearts to receive the wisdom that can only come from God himself in the Holy Spirit.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:10, “These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” The Holy Spirit who dwells within us searches the depths of God and longs to reveal to us the ways of our heavenly Father. He longs to teach us what it is to be a lover of God in a world set in opposition to the ways of God. He longs to reveal to us the wisdom of God’s plans and show us the folly that comes from living for the world.
The Holy Spirit desires to be your Teacher today. The questions before you today are: are you willing to be his student? Are you willing to submit your understanding to the Holy Spirit and live in light of his teaching? Are you willing to appear foolish at times when the world doesn’t understand the wisdom of God? Are you willing to live wholeheartedly for the pleasure of your heavenly Father over the fleeting opinions of man? If you will open your heart and mind today to being taught by the Spirit, you will discover a wealth of truth that has the power to set you free from the bonds and burdens of this world. Scripture will begin to change your life as the Holy Spirit reveals to you how these words written thousands of years ago are entirely applicable to your life today.
Receiving the teaching of the Holy Spirit is as simple as submitting our lives to him one day at a time and making time to listen to him and study the word with him. As important and helpful as they are, we don’t have to be pastors, ministers, theologians, or scholars to understand what the Bible means. The Holy Spirit will be our teacher the way he was for the disciples. He will teach us how Scripture applies to our life and guide us into the way of truth. It’s incredibly important that we make time to study Scripture, but it’s equally important that we read the Bible along with the Spirit instead of apart from him. The Bible is a practical book meant to impact the lives of those who read it under the influence of the Spirit. It’s a manual for living life in the abundance of relationship with God, not a book to be read apart from the reality of God’s nearness. Scripture is meant to guide us into direct communication with our heavenly Father, not substitute real, direct relationship with him.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Trust in the teaching of the Holy Spirit today. Lean on his wisdom instead of your own. Acknowledge the reality of his nearness in your life. And discover knowledge that has the power to fill you with abundant life.
1. Meditate on the Holy Spirit’s desire to be your teacher.
2. Choose to be a student of the Holy Spirit. Choose to follow what he reveals to you to be wisdom over the ways of the world. Make the decision to choose his opinion and ways over man’s opinion and ways.
3. Now ask the Holy Spirit to teach you something specific about God’s character. Pray and ask the Spirit to reveal to you what wisdom he wants to show you. Take a few moments of silence, and pay attention to any ways in which God wants to speak to you today. It could be a thought or a feeling or an image that pops into your mind. Just be at peace and take a few moments to listen.
“These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:10
We have perfectly powerful guidance in Scripture and the Holy Spirit. The pairing of God’s written word and the very God who authored the word have the power to lead us into a life of all wisdom, understanding, and revelation. But we must choose to live this life in light of eternity. We must choose success in heaven over success in the world’s eyes. Scripture and the teaching of the Holy Spirit only have power in our lives if we follow their leadership and principles. Choose today to be a doer of the word instead of a hearer only and discover freeing and empowering wisdom that has the power to transform your life.
Extended Reading: 1 John 2 or watch The Bible Project’s video on 1 John 1-3.
Choose today to be a doer of the word instead of a hearer only and discover freeing and empowering wisdom that has the power to transform your life.
]]>3/11/2026 | The Holy Spirit
I pray that your ears would be opened to hear the loving voice of your Creator today, as we discover together what it means to pray with the Holy Spirit.
Today we’re going to look at one of the most life giving topics we can discuss, Praying with the Holy Spirit. We’ve been given an incredible gift in God that most of us fail to use enough, and that’s real communication with God himself in the Holy Spirit.
I pray that your ears would be opened to hear the loving voice of your Creator today, as we discover together what it means to pray with the Holy Spirit.
Jude 1:20-21 ESV
God loves to respond to the prayers of his people. We see him respond to the desire of Adam for a helpmate with Eve, the prayer of Abraham in saving Lot and his family, the prayer of Moses in the salvation of his people, the prayer of Elijah in sending down fire upon an altar, and the cry for a Savior in sending his only son, Jesus. And through the death of Jesus we’ve been filled with the Holy Spirit, God himself sent as our Helper. Our Helper not only longs to guide us and empower us, but also to help us pray and to pray for us.
Jude 1:20-21 says, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” We’ve been given the incredible gift of praying with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit who searches the deep things of God desires to help us pray. He desires to reveal God’s desires to us in the midst of our circumstances, relationships, and opportunities and longs to help us pray in line with God’s will. When we pray in the Spirit we are praying along with the will of God himself. When we pray in the Spirit we are asking God to do the very thing he desires to do. It’s crucially important that we as children of God learn how to discern the will of our Father through the Holy Spirit and pray according to that will.
Matthew 21:22 says, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” And Romans 10:17 teaches us, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Scripture tells us to pray in full faith that God will give us what we ask for because faith is always meant to begin with the word of God. Prayer is meant to be as simple as asking God to fill us with the knowledge of his desire and then praying in accordance with that desire in full faith because God will always fulfill his promises.
What’s more, when we don’t know what to pray we can trust in and lean on the groanings of the Spirit. Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Did you know that the Holy Spirit prays for you? Did you know that he intercedes on your behalf? So great is his love for you that he asks God to help you. So great is his desire for you to walk in abundant life that he intercedes on your behalf when you don’t know how to pray.
Aren’t you thankful for the grace of God? In his grace he’s blessed you with the Holy Spirit to help you pray and intercedes for you, all because he loves you. You’ve been given an incredible, powerful gift in praying with the Holy Spirit. Take time today to listen to your Helper as you enter into a time of prayer.
1. Meditate on the Spirit’s desire to help you pray and to intercede for you.
2. Ask the Spirit to fill you with the knowledge of God’s will for whatever it is you desire to pray about. Before you speak, listen.
3. Pray in line with what the Spirit has revealed to you. Ask God, in faith, to bless you with whatever you feel he has shown you. Pray along with Scripture! Rest in the assurance that God will provide you with any and everything that is in his perfect will for you when you ask him to.
“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22
God loves to make the Christian life simpler than we often make it out to be. I used to believe that to discover God’s will I had to ask God for things and wait to see if life’s circumstances panned out in line with those prayers. But God longs to fill us with the knowledge of his will even before you ask so that we can simply pray in full faith and joy in accordance with what he already desires to do. He blesses us with a life of simplicity if we will simply, wholeheartedly follow him. Take time today to search out the will of God for your life and rest in assurance of his faithfulness as you pray.
Extended Reading: Hebrews 11 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Hebrews.
He blesses us with a life of simplicity if we will simply, wholeheartedly follow him. Take time today to search out the will of God for your life and rest in assurance of his faithfulness as you pray.
]]>3/10/2026 | The Holy Spirit
May we discover the pathway he’s laid before us to grow in friendship with him today, as we take time to experience him in a fresh way.
Today we continue our week long focus on the Holy Spirit by exploring what it means for us to grow in friendship with him. We’ll never have a kinder, more present friend than the God who dwells within us. May we discover the pathway he’s laid before us to grow in friendship with him today, as we take time to experience him in a fresh way.
“The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.”
Psalm 25:14 ESV
In friendship with the Holy Spirit we begin to experience a sense of wholeness and joy unattainable through any other relationship or aspect of life. Rapid and wonderful transformation results when you discover the wealth of love that comes with continual, real friendship with the living God. In friendship with God comes peace, security, honesty, healing, and freedom. As you live your life in step with the Spirit, you experience what Adam and Eve experienced as they walked with God himself in the Garden of Eden. You discover the vast reservoir of love, affection, and perfect help that’s available to you in the Holy Spirit. Open your heart today to receive a fresh revelation of God’s desire for friendship with you through the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says in John 15:15, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” God longs for friendship with his people. And through the Holy Spirit we have a continual connection with God available to us. The Spirit desires to do life with you. He wants to guide you, speak to you, and love you. He wants to satisfy your longing for relationship and can do so in greater ways than you can imagine.
John 14:16-17 says, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” By God’s grace you have been filled with God himself. You have dwelling with you the same Spirit who authored Scripture, raised Christ from the dead, empowered the disciples, and hovered over the waters at the creation of all things. And Scripture says that he longs to help you! Jesus calls him the “Helper.” How incredible is the grace of our God to offer us relationship with the Holy Spirit! How great is his love that he would send his Son to die that we might have abundant life for all of eternity, including right now!
So, how do we grow in friendship with the Holy Spirit? How do we allow him to satisfy our desire for relationship? Psalm 25:14 says, “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.” And Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Friendship with the Holy Spirit starts like any other true friendship. We must respect, love, and make time for him. We must learn what he likes and dislikes. And we must apologize when we do something that hurts him. The Holy Spirit has feelings like any other person. But he is also full of grace, forgiveness, and unconditional love. Friendship with him comes about by following his leadership, making time to ask him how he feels about things, and following his guidance away from a lifestyle of sin into the righteousness available to you through Christ Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is waiting right now to guide you into friendship with him. He’s excited about the idea of pouring out his love and affections on you. He longs to lead you away from the sins that hurt you and grieve him. And he longs to guide you toward a life of walking with him in relationship. Spend time in prayer being filled with the Holy Spirit afresh and making room to discover the reality of his presence in your life.
1. Meditate on God’s desire for friendship with you.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to pour his love out on you. Ask him to make the reality of his nearness known to you. Allow his nearness to fill your heart with desire to live your life in relationship with this real, tangible God who loves you.
3. Ask the Holy Spirit what he likes and doesn’t like. Open your life and let him speak to you about whatever is causing you trouble. Ask him how he feels about relationships, situations, thoughts, and perspectives you have. The Spirit loves to speak to us and help us.
Often we separate out what we think God cares about and what just seems to be normal, worldly parts of life. But God wants to be involved in every part of our lives. He wants to be there for us in everything we do. He wants to fill us with grace and joy to do all the things set before us, from taking out the trash to washing dishes to leading thousands of people in prayer. Allow the Holy Spirit to come in and work in every area of your life and discover the wealth of knowledge and love your God has to share with you.
Extended Reading: John 14 or watch The Bible Project’s video on John 13-21.
Allow the Holy Spirit to come in and work in every area of your life and discover the wealth of knowledge and love your God has to share with you.
]]>3/9/2026 | The Holy Spirit
May he reveal himself to each of us in real and fresh ways this week.
As believers, we’ve been given the Holy Spirit as a Helper, Teacher, Friend, and seal for the promised inheritance of eternal life with God. His presence, guidance, and wisdom in our lives are our greatest gifts while here on earth. Through him we have access to direct connection with our heavenly Father. Through him we receive spiritual gifts to empower us. And through him we are able to bear the incredible fruit of abundant life.
Today we begin a week long focus, looking at how we can grow in our understanding and in our relationship with the Holy Spirit. May he reveal himself to each of us in real and fresh ways this week.
Romans 8:14 ESV
Where do you need leadership in your life? What challenge, decision, or circumstance is weighing on you? Where do you need a word from God today? We have available to us the most perfect guide to lead us throughout the twists, turns, and challenges of this adventurous life. The Bible says in Romans 8:14, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” As children of the Most High God, we are granted full access to the leadership of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. No child of God is exempt from the leadership of the Spirit. We don’t earn access by our own merit. We don’t gain more favor to receive more leadership. God has given us all the gift of the Holy Spirit because he loves us. He has filled us with his Spirit because he longs to lead us into the abundant life he has planned for us. So, let’s learn today how we can better discover and follow this gift of leadership we’ve all been granted through Christ in the Holy Spirit.
First, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the Holy Spirit and the word work perfectly together. One does not contradict the other. Both the Holy Spirit and the word he inspired are vital in living the Christian life. And God’s word says in Galatians 5:16-18, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” The leadership of the Spirit is in direct opposition to the lifestyle of the world. His desire is always to lead us away from sin that entangles us in the perspectives and pressures of the world toward a lifestyle of peace, joy, and intimate relationship with our heavenly Father. All of his leadership is purposed toward the goal of abundant life in God, of the fullness of satisfaction in God rather than the weak and fleeting pleasure in things of the world.
So how do we follow this person of the Holy Spirit toward that abundant life? Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” How do we “keep in step with the Spirit”? It all starts with spending time getting to know what the Holy Spirit is like. He has a personality. He has a voice. His leadership feels a certain way. Just as you get to know a person, you can get to know the Holy Spirit. And the absolute best way to learn about him is one-on-one. Often we wait until we are in public, or right before a highly stressful situation, to ask for the guidance of the Spirit. But it’s in the secret place that we learn what his voice and leading sounds and feels like so that we can discern his guidance out in the rush and stress of the world. It’s in the secret place that we grow in relationship with the Holy Spirit so that we can follow his steps throughout the twists and turns of our day.
John 16:13 says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” The Holy Spirit is excited to speak to you what he hears from the heavenly Father. He longs to declare to you God’s plans to love you, provide for you, heal you, transform you, and deliver you. He longs to lead you to the fullness of life available to you here. Spend time getting to know the Holy Spirit in the secret place today. As you pray ask God to reveal himself to you. Spend time in prayer resting in the presence of the God who dwells within you, who is nearer to you than the very ground beneath your feet.
1. Meditate on God’s desire to lead you into abundant life.
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Romans 8:14
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal himself to you. Spend time learning about who he is. Ask him to speak to you and to reveal the way his leadership feels.
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:16
3. Open up your life to the Holy Spirit. Ask him to reveal to you things he wants to lead you away from. Ask him to show you the life he wants to lead you to. And commit to following his leadership today.
When you have opportunities to indulge in the flesh, choose life in the Spirit instead. When you feel a desire to avenge yourself, promote yourself, slander someone, or engage in a sinful activity, choose life in the Spirit instead. Choose to love God and others. Live in step with the Spirit and discover the amazing life he longs to guide you into today.
Extended Reading: Romans 8 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Romans 5-16.
Choose to love God and others. Live in step with the Spirit and discover the amazing life he longs to guide you into today.
]]>3/8/2026 | Sharing God's Heart
There is nothing to fear, and God is ready and excited to use us for his kingdom purposes. Will you accept his invitation?
As we wrap up our week on being used by God, today we’ll ask God to fill us with courage to live uncomfortably. May we bare our hearts before God, and ask him to change us, to rid us of all that hinders us. There is nothing to fear, and God is ready and excited to use us for his kingdom purposes. Will you accept his invitation?
Joshua 1:9 ESV
To live as an authentic disciple of Jesus is to live courageously. Jesus didn’t call us to a life of shrinking back. We’re not commanded to sit on the sidelines. He didn’t call us to to pursue comfort, stability, approval with man, or societal status. He’s called us to love unconditionally, give sacrificially, obey him unreservedly, and to live courageously.
In John 15:19 Jesus clearly says, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” To be of God and practice the things of God is in powerful, direct opposition to the things of the world and its ruler, our enemy. For this reason God offers encouragement to those who face trial—to those who live courageously. 1 Peter 4:12-14 says:
God is calling you to a life far greater and more important than comfort and worldly pleasure. He’s calling you to live by faith, believing that true blessing and true pleasure is found in him alone. He’s calling you to step out of your former ways and live in accordance with his will that you might experience fullness of life in him.
For this reason Scripture says in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” In the midst of any trial you can have transcendent, tangible comfort in God. In this midst of any suffering or pain you can find rest in the loving arms of your heavenly Father. And in the face of great opposition you can choose to live courageously. Your God is with you. He will never leave you. Courage comes from acknowledging the reality and power of God’s nearness.
As we finish this week on sharing God’s heart, find courage today to boldly love others. Take time to receive God’s unconditional love and grace that you might share him with a world who desperately needs transcendent comfort and peace. Live courageously today and see heaven come to earth around you. Seek life and love in God alone. May your time of guided prayer be filled with encouragement from the Holy Spirit and the word of God.
1. Meditate on the call of God to live courageously. Reflect on his promise to be with you always.
2. Assess your own life. In what ways are you seeking worldly comfort over living courageously in God? What fears do you have about sharing God’s heart that are winning out over courage from God?
3. Go to God with your fears and receive encouragement in him. Take time to rest in God’s presence. Ask him for his perspective on that which hinders you from sharing his heart and living courageously. Journal his response.
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
When you choose to respond to God’s call in faith, know that he will fill you with courage and boldness. The disciples were not naturally courageous people. Prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit they were weak, selfish, and cowardly. But in God they were made strong. In God they accomplished the impossible. In God they were used for eternal purposes that bore fruit you and I are still experiencing. Decide today to partner with God in seeing his kingdom come to earth through your life. Decide to jump in and be an active part of the spiritual awakening happening all around us. Decide to get off the sidelines of the Christian life and share God’s heart with all those he leads you to. May your day be filled with boldness and courage in the Holy Spirit.
Extended Reading: Luke 8 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Luke 1-9.
Decide to get off the sidelines of the Christian life and share God’s heart with all those he leads you to. May your day be filled with boldness and courage in the Holy Spirit.
]]>3/7/2026 | Sharing God's Heart
After we experience his great compassion for us, may we have no choice but to mimic that with others.
As we begin to wrap up our week on being used by God, today we’ll explore what it means to live compassionately. This radical way of living will transform the people around you and expose them to the beautiful nature of Jesus. After we experience his great compassion for us, may we have no choice but to mimic that with others.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32 ESV
One of the most impactful ways we can share God’s heart with others is by living compassionately. To show compassion is to step outside of yourself and love another in times of weakness. And to live compassionately is to posture your heart continually toward giving grace and love to those who need it most.
Very little stirs my heart to God more than compassion. When someone sees me in my imperfection and chooses to love me rather than cast me aside, my affection for them and God is automatically stirred. Oftentimes the world is too busy or self-focused to show compassion. We get too caught up in our plans, our needs, and our image to see the hurting and share God’s heart.
But God is calling us to a life lived humbly and sacrificially. Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” The world is in desperate need of compassion. People need mercy and grace when they fail, show weakness, or are experiencing hard times. God’s heart is to use us that we might show mercy and grace as a reflection of his unconditional love. He’s calling us to be light in the darkness that the world might see in us the compassionate heart of our heavenly Father.
It’s for this reason Paul writes in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” You can forgive because you’ve been forgiven. You can be kind because your Father has been nothing but kind to you. And you can be tenderhearted because God was so tender in heart toward you. He was so compassionate that he gave his life to free you, empower you, strengthen you, and ground you in his grace and love.
Take time in guided prayer to receive a fresh revelation of God’s kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness. Open your heart and let him transform you to be more like him. Allow his heart to become your own. And live today in response to God’s love by showing compassion to others that they might know the tenderness and mercy of your heavenly Father.
1. Meditate on God’s heart of kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness.
2. Take a moment to receive the love of God. Open your heart to him and experience his kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness.
3. Ask God to empower you to show compassion today. Choose to live with your eyes not only set on your needs, but also on the needs of others.
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” 1 Peter 3:8
The only way we can live compassionately is by abiding in the love of our heavenly Father. 1 John 3:17 says, “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” God’s love transforms us. His heart empowers us to live differently. You can abide in the love of God today. You can live filled up with the knowledge of his grace and presence moment to moment and allow him to be your source. Don’t live as if you serve a distant God. Live today in acknowledgement that he is closer to you than your breath—nearer to you than your own skin. The Holy Spirit dwells within you and longs to empower you with his love today. May you live compassionately today and see the lives of others impacted as you reflect the heart of your heavenly Father.
Extended Reading: Colossians 3 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Colossians.
May you live compassionately today and see the lives of others impacted as you reflect the heart of your heavenly Father.
]]>3/6/2026 | Sharing God's Heart
As we assess our hearts, may we remain soft and open to the commands and will of God for us.
Today we’ll explore the concept of evangelism. There are so many fears and misconceptions wrapped up in this topic, and my hope today is that we’ll simplify it, and get straight to the heart of the issue. As we assess our hearts, may we remain soft and open to the commands and will of God for us.
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
Mark 16:15 ESV
The idea of evangelism has always been terrifying to me. Going up to someone and interrupting their day to tell them about Jesus, no matter how real and good I know him to be, has never been comfortable for me. But you can’t read Scripture and escape God’s command to share the gospel. You can’t read through the New Testament and discount the reality that the disciples gave themselves entirely—to the point of death—that the world might come to know Jesus.
Verses like Mark 16:15-16 couldn’t be more clear. Jesus commands us, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Evangelism is meant to be a part of our normal lives. It’s not just for the few. It’s not just for pastors or the intensely extroverted. It’s for you and me.
When I assess my own heart I discover that my fears related to evangelism are entirely selfish. In fact, I don’t know if I could do something more selfish than hold back the one hope for the world just to protect my own image. Jesus is clear in Mark 16:16 that those who don’t believe in him will be condemned. It’s like I contain the cure for a deadly disease and rather than sacrificing my image to love them by sharing the one cure, I just let them continue to suffer.
In pondering my own heart I realize that the way to engage in evangelism isn’t fixing myself; it’s getting over myself. Is my image really so important that it’s worth condemnation for another? Are the opinions of others really so important to me that I would withhold from them eternal, abundant life with a God who loves them relentlessly and perfectly?
I am made to share God’s light. I have been commissioned by my King to go out and share his heart. It’s time that we obey God’s command in Philippians 2:3: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Sure, people might think I’m weird. Sure, it might be a little awkward. But God is after the hearts of his creation, and he’s called me to help. May we be those who set aside our pride, seek humility, and love others whatever the cost. May we be so bold as to set our eyes on heaven and sacrifice this life for the sake of eternity. And may the world change around us as we humbly and courageously proclaim the goodness of our heavenly Father.
1. Meditate on God’s call for you to engage in evangelism.
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20
2. What are your fears in regard to evangelism? What holds you back from telling others about the good news of God’s unconditional love?
3. Take time to humble yourself before God and others. Ask him for grace to love others above yourself. Set your eyes on him and open your heart to receive his affection.
In Jesus’ conclusion of the Great Commission he tells his disciples, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Our power for evangelism is that God is with us. He doesn’t send us out alone. His love, power, and presence are fully available to us when we seek to share the gospel with others. When you tell others about Jesus, don’t speak of him as if he’s not with you. Don’t pray as if he doesn’t move and work miracles. Instead, share the reality of God’s nearness with a world that needs to be touched by a revelation of his love. May you be empowered to share the gospel with someone today that they might come to know the power and presence of God.
Extended Reading: Matthew 28 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Matthew 14-28 and Studies on Prayer Volume 1 & Volume 2 by Janet Denison.
May you be empowered to share the gospel with someone today that they might come to know the power and presence of God.
]]>3/5/2026 | Sharing God's Heart
May you be encouraged today in your identity in Christ and freed from any unnecessary weight you’ve been carrying.
One of the best ways we can be used by God is by simply being ourselves. The identity Christ has given us as daughters and sons is meant to shine forth and be a witness to those around us. May you be encouraged today in your identity in Christ and freed from any unnecessary weight you’ve been carrying.
Matthew 5:16 ESV
Jesus’ teaching on salt and light in the Sermon on the Mount is one of my favorite passages of Scripture related to sharing the heart of God with the world around us. In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus taught:
One of the most powerful aspects of this passage is how Jesus begins by speaking identity over us. God doesn’t tell us to go get some salt and share it. He says we are salt. He doesn’t tell us to go get a light and shine it. He says we are a light. Sharing God’s heart is a part of who we are. As believers we’ve been redeemed—washed clean—that we might proclaim the excellencies of our Savior by living in line with our new identity.
The world is a dark place. It is without hope. It’s filled with the blind leading the blind and the needy seeking fulfillment from the needy. Our only hope is Jesus. The one, true Guide is the Holy Spirit.
We are called to a lifestyle of expelling the darkness around us with the powerful proclamation of God’s heart to love, provide for, and redeem all those who would simply say yes to him. We are called to respond to Jesus’ call and cease putting a basket over the light he’s placed within us.
We don’t have to be apologetic for the hope we have. We don’t have to fear the opinion of man. We can love relentlessly, offer grace unexpectedly, and sacrifice ourselves so that others might see a glimpse of God’s heart. “Let your light shine before others” today. Don’t cover up who you are in Christ. Seek to reveal God’s heart in all you do. And watch as the world around you is drawn to the light of God’s unconditional love revealed through your life.
1. Meditate on Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount. Renew your mind to who you are in Christ.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16
2. In what ways are you covering up your light? In what ways are you living in fear or according to the ways of the world? Take time to engage in confession and receive God’s forgiveness and love.
3. Receive courage from God to live in accordance with your new identity as salt and light. Ask God how you can be light in the darkness today. Ask him for specific ways you can reveal the hope you have in Jesus to others. Journal his response.
Oftentimes we see the things of God as a part of our life. As soon as God starts trying to change the way we live day-to-day, we put a wall up over our hearts so we don’t have to change. But to sequester God is to value this life over eternity. To care more about the world’s opinion of us than who God says we are is to try and make God a servant of the world and its systems. God is the Creator. He alone is King. And he alone knows best as our loving Father. To section off your life and allow God only into parts is to live foolishly. Crown God as King over every part of you. Choose to live as salt and light. And experience life where God is allowed to manifest himself, bless you in every way he can, and use your life to change the world for the better. May your day today be filled with all the fullness of God.
Extended Reading: Matthew 5 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Matthew 1-13.
Crown God as King over every part of you. Choose to live as salt and light. And experience life where God is allowed to manifest himself, bless you in every way he can, and use your life to change the world for the better. May your day today be filled with all the fullness of God.
]]>3/4/2026 | Sharing God's Heart
Today we’ll take a deeper dive in our own hearts and examine who is actually enthroned there.
Being used by God requires inward humility and exaltation of Jesus as King. It’s the only way being used by the Lord can work. Today we’ll take a deeper dive in our own hearts and examine who is actually enthroned there.
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV
To declare the glory of God is to put all things in their proper place. Chaos and struggle are always the result of humanity trying to gain glory for ourselves. God alone is worthy. God alone is above all else. And God alone can handle the weight of receiving glory.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” We were made to declare the glory of God. We were made to proclaim through word and deed the majesty, splendor, and worthiness of the God of heaven and earth.
Proclaiming God’s glory to the world always begins by taking a look at our own hearts. We can’t declare that God is above every other name if we’re still on the throne of our hearts. We can’t proclaim his excellencies and then seek to gain success, approval, and affirmation from others. Declaring God’s glory starts with our own humility. It begins with living a life of sacrifice to the one who’s given up everything for us.
When we remove ourselves from the throne of our own hearts we are set free to magnify Jesus. It’s when we set our eyes on our Savior King that we are freed from the weights and pressures that come from living selfishly. And in this freedom we find the life we were always meant for—a life of continual, incredibly satisfying worship.
In Revelation 19:6-8 we see a beautiful picture of heaven at the marriage supper of the Lamb. At this feast a great multitude cries out saying:
One day all of creation will see Jesus for who he is and give him the glory he is due. One day everything will be set right, and we will discover the abundant life that comes from living for God’s glory alone. But you have an opportunity to give God glory today and lead others to do the same. You have an opportunity to live with your eyes set on heaven and experience the abundant life that’s already available to you. Choose today to place God on the throne of your heart and live a lifestyle of worshiping your worthy King. May your time of guided prayer be filled with a revelation of Jesus’ worthiness and an empowering to declare his glory in all you do.
1. Meditate on the glory of God. Allow Scripture to fill you with a desire to place God on the throne of your heart and live for his glory.
2. Is Jesus enthroned upon every part of your heart today? Are there any areas in your life that you are living for your own glory—to build your own kingdom? Take time to confess those areas and receive God’s forgiveness and grace.
3. Ask God how you can declare his glory on the earth today. How can you live to see Jesus lifted up and seen for who he truly is? How can you lead others into a lifestyle of worship?
God doesn’t want glory to satisfy some selfish need. He knows that he alone can handle a throne. He alone can handle adoration and worship. And when he is magnified it is absolutely the best thing for all of creation. It’s for this reason Solomon writes in Psalm 72:19, “Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!” May the prayer of Solomon be our prayer today as we seek to glorify God in all we do.
Extended Reading: Psalm 8 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Psalms.
May the prayer of Solomon be our prayer today as we seek to glorify God in all we do.
]]>3/3/2026 | Sharing God's Heart
The weight is not on our shoulders—the pressure is off. I hope today you’re freed up to be used by God out of joy and delight rather than obligation or stress.
If we are going to be used by God, we must first acknowledge that he is already at work all around us, and that his work isn’t contingent upon us. This is not something we’re starting up. The weight is not on our shoulders—the pressure is off. I hope today you’re freed up to be used by God out of joy and delight rather than obligation or stress.
“It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Philippians 2:13 ESV
God is calling you and me to a lifestyle of joining him where he is already at work. Foundational to co-laboring with God is acknowledging that he is in constant pursuit of humanity. There is nowhere you can go that God won’t be. There is no one you could talk to whom God doesn’t already see, love relentlessly, and have amazing plans for.
Sharing God’s heart begins and ends with his grace. His grace empowers us to step outside of ourselves and love others. In grace he pursues us, even in our sin. Grace sent Jesus to die for us that we might have salvation through him. And it’s by grace we receive that free gift of salvation.
It’s important to understand God’s grace because without it we work in vain. If we operate under the perspective that salvation, healing, deliverance, and freedom for others hinges on our ability or our mercy, we will achieve nothing. But when we understand that we are merely carriers of God’s heart and fellow recipients of God’s lavish grace, we work from a place of power and truth.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 says, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” And Philippians 2:13 says, “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” You are not called to go off on your own into the darkness. God doesn’t just meet you when you read Scripture or spend time with him and then send you off to do his will. He is always with you. He is always available to you. And he always longs to empower you.
Cultivate a lifestyle of seeing where God is at work that you might co-labor with him. Ask the Holy Spirit for eyes to see the way he is pursuing people. Ask him for his heart for your friends, family, co-workers, and those you might only encounter once. God’s most likely not asking you to drop everything and move to an unreached people group right this moment. Instead, he’s asking you to be used by him to minister to others you encounter in your daily rhythms of life.
Meet God where he’s already at work today and seek to share his heart with a world that desperately needs to know a God who passionately pursues them.
1. Meditate on the truth that God is already at work. Allow Scripture to change the way you see co-laboring with God.
“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4
2. Now, ask God where he is already at work around you. Ask him to bring to mind a person or a group of people whom you can minister to today.
3. Ask him how he is already at work. Ask him for a revelation of what you can do to see his kingdom advanced through your life today. Ask him for specific ways you can love others well. Journal his response and pray to receive courage and empowerment by the Holy Spirit.
Healing didn’t happen in Scripture because a disciple had a greater level of mercy or compassion, but because a disciple chose to co-labor with God where he was already at work. God is constantly loving, beckoning, and drawing everyone you know to himself. And he will work through you if you seek to join with him in his purposes. If you want to live a life of purpose that has eternal value, you need not look any further than the faces of those you see every day. May you love others as God does. May you show mercy and compassion in response to God’s mercy and compassion. And may God’s kingdom come to earth around you today as you minister with God.
Extended Reading: Philippians 2 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Philippians.
May you show mercy and compassion in response to God’s mercy and compassion. And may God’s kingdom come to earth around you today as you minister with God.
]]>3/2/2026 | Sharing God's Heart
May you discover this week that you were made to share God’s heart. And may you find joy and passion in God’s longing to use you in powerful and unique ways.
In response to knowing the heart of God we are called to share the wonders of his invisible nature with a world in desperate need of him. God has chosen to use us to reveal himself. He filled us with the Spirit and empowered us to proclaim the good news of salvation and restored relationship with our Creator. May you discover this week that you were made to share God’s heart. And may you find joy and passion in God’s longing to use you in powerful and unique ways.
Ephesians 2:10 ESV
Ephesians 2:8-10 says:
God’s grace is meant to be our catalyst to living passionate lives that bear fruit of eternal value. You aren’t meant to go through the motions. You weren’t created to live a normal life whose impact only lasts for this life. God in his grace and love has called you to more. You were made for a life of deep and lasting impact. You were made to share God’s heart with the world.
It can be difficult to understand God’s heart in wanting to use us. For some, we write ourselves off as too sinful, weak, selfish, or inept to be used by God. For others, we view God as a taskmaster who wants to use us solely for his motives. Still others of us believe that serving God is less fun, less fulfilling, and far stranger than anything we’d like to do. We’re fine with a God who would give us a “get out of hell free card,” but that’s about as far as we’d like him to go in relationship with him.
The truth is that your life will never be fulfilling until you allow God to use you. Ephesians 2:10 is clear that you were “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” You won’t find fulfillment in anything besides the work of God because it’s not what you were made for. Material possessions apart from the provision of God become more like weights tying us down to the cares and ways of the world than sources of satisfaction. Spending your life working to become successful, appreciated, and loved in the world’s eyes is more like a treadmill than a path to abundant life. If you want to live an abundant life you have to allow God to use you.
God longs to use you because he loves you. He’s not selfish. He doesn’t need your help. He wants to work with you. He wants your life to matter. He wants you to have eternal reward for the things you do here on earth because he’s a good Father who longs to give good gifts to his children. He wants you to stop segregating your life into “God time” and “me time” and start living in continual communion with him. He wants your time at work, with friends, at church, driving, resting, relaxing, and having fun to be filled with the fullness of life that comes from doing life with him.
Take time in guided prayer to discover God’s heart to use you. May your time in prayer be filled with a revelation of God’s goodness, grace, and loving desire to co-labor with you.
1. Meditate on God’s desire to use you. Find your true identity, not in the way you’ve lived up to this point, but in the unshakable truth of Scripture.
2. Next, how do you feel about being used by God? What in your heart needs to come into alignment with the truth that you were made for good works of eternal value? Lay down any hindrances at the feet of Jesus in confession.
3. Ask God how he wants to use you today. Ask him for a specific way you can reveal his heart to others. Journal his response. Take time to rest in his presence that you would find courage and faith in the reality of God’s nearness.
Learning to do good works is a lifelong pursuit. God has grace for you today. He has love and compassion for you in these moments. But he longs to meet you where you are that he might lead you to a more fruitful and abundant life. Allow God to transform your heart. Let him into every part of you that your life would be flooded with his grace and mercy. Allow him to discipline you, change you, and speak new identity into you. May you find joy and passion today as you allow God to use you in powerful, eternal ways.
Extended Reading: Ephesians 2 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Ephesians.
May you find joy and passion today as you allow God to use you in powerful, eternal ways.
]]>3/1/2026 | The Posture of Our Hearts
To experience the fullness of life, it’s imperative that we take up God’s perspective on all things and allow him to enlighten the eyes of our hearts. May you walk away from today with a new, eternal perspective.
Today as we wrap up our week of diving deeper into the fullness of life available to us, we’ll explore what it means to gain spiritual eyes. Our human perspective is so utterly limited this side of heaven. We see ourselves, God, and others incorrectly on a regular basis. To experience the fullness of life, it’s imperative that we take up God’s perspective on all things and allow him to enlighten the eyes of our hearts. May you walk away from today with a new, eternal perspective.
Ephesians 1:18 ESV
In order to go deeper in God, we must allow him to open the eyes of our hearts to see him as he truly is. So often we settle in our relationship with him for that which can only be seen with our physical eyes. We settle for community apart from unity in the Spirit, God’s word apart from revelation from the Spirit, and look to “open” or “closed” doors as our guide rather than making space to ask for the Holy Spirit’s leadership. It’s time for us as the body of Christ to truly live in the fullness of relationship afforded to us by his sacrifice. It’s for this reason, in Ephesians 1:16-19, Paul told the Church in Ephesus,
We need the “eyes of our hearts” to be enlightened today. We need the Holy Spirit to come and do a mighty work that we might no longer live only for that which is seen, but by faith pursue the unseen. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” God longs for us to pursue the deeper things of him in faith. He longs for us to grow in our relationship with the Holy Spirit and learn to live life with his presence, leadership, voice, and love as the foundation for everything we do.
To live only by the things we can physically see is to live only for that which is temporal and fleeting. Psalm 101:3 says, “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.” God has worthwhile work in store for us. He has a plan to bring heaven to earth through our lives every day. But in order to make an impact on eternity we must be able to see and know the heart of God. We must become increasingly aware of how God feels and what he wants to do moment-by-moment.
Growing in our relationship with the Holy Spirit is the foundation of seeking the deeper things of God. Learning to live by and with him is the only way to advance his kingdom. Take time in guided prayer today to ask the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of your heart. Ask him to guide you into a deeper and more connected relationship with him. And choose today to pursue a life marked by deep connection with your heavenly Father and powerful works of his Spirit.
1. Ask the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of your heart. Meditate on Scripture and take time to rest in his presence.
2. Where have you been doing life apart from connectivity to the Spirit? Where have you been living temporally instead of for eternity?
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live connected to him today.
“Be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18
Jesus promised us in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” When we seek all the blessings God has to give such as being loved, being known, being provided for, and being filled with the Spirit, we can know that we will find what we seek. The door to going deeper in God will always be opened whenever we come to it and knock. God will never withhold himself from us when we purely desire more of him. Have faith today in the goodness of your heavenly Father and pursue the deeper things of him that you might live in greater union with him today.
Extended Reading: Ephesians 1 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Ephesians.
God will never withhold himself from us when we purely desire more of him. Have faith today in the goodness of your heavenly Father and pursue the deeper things of him that you might live in greater union with him today.
]]>2/28/2026 | The Posture of Our Hearts
May you be encouraged instead of burdened and take whatever next steps necessary to give Jesus your all.
Fullness of life and surrender are inextricably linked. As we begin to wrap up our week on diving into the fullness of life, today we’ll explore the concept of surrendering to Jesus. May you be encouraged instead of burdened and take whatever next steps necessary to give Jesus your all.
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 10:39 ESV
Jesus makes an important and paradoxical statement in Matthew 10:39: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” What does it look like to lose your life for his sake? How is it possible to find life as the result of losing it? You and I are only truly living to the degree that we’ve surrendered our lives to Jesus. True life is eternal, kingdom-based, and fueled by the love of God. Life apart from God is fleeting and meaningless. It’s for this reason Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1:14 says, “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.”
We have opportunity every day to lay our lives down at the feet of Jesus in response to his great love that we might experience the abundant life only he can give. Surrender positions our hearts to receive the incredible reward of being fully God’s. God won’t force his blessings on us. He won’t force his presence or his love. He patiently draws us near, hoping that in response to his overwhelming affections we will lay down our lives that we might experience all the wonders he has in store for us.
Humbling ourselves before God as our King, Creator, and Sustainer is absolutely vital in going deeper. Pride so often stands in the way of God’s conditional promises. Scripture is clear in James 4:6, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Promises like “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” found in Matthew 6:33 require a level of humility and surrender most aren’t willing to give.
We often associate humility with weakness when in reality declaring our weakness before an Almighty God is the only posture of strength we can take. It’s for this reason that Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:30, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” When we humble ourselves before God and surrender, we position ourselves to receive all the abundance of help, power, guidance, and love we could ever need.
God is an endless ocean of love, help, healing, and power. The Holy Spirit who dwells within you longs to empower you with everything you need to truly live in the fullness of life available to you. If you will choose to lay down your life in surrender to God’s plans, purposes, truth, and perfect will, you will experience a life unlike anything you’ve known. Take time today to lose your life that you may find it in God. Cast aside all pride and selfish ambition that you might pursue the wonderful, abundant life of one submitted to an Almighty, omnipotent, omnipresent, and fully loving Father.
1. Meditate on the need for surrender in fully pursuing God.
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39
2. In what ways have you been allowing pride, fear, or selfish ambition to keep you from fully surrendering to God? In what ways have you been seeking glory for yourself?
3. Lay your life down at the feet of your good and loving Savior that you might experience the fullness of his love, grace, and affection for you. Rest at the feet of Jesus. Choose the good portion today rather than spending all your energy seeking fleeting admiration and temporal possessions.
While surrender in the world results in defeat, surrender to God brings ultimate victory. When we stop pursuing our own glory and worldly acclamations, we begin building up treasure in heaven that will never be taken away from us. God’s plans for us are infinitely better than anything we could do on our own. His heavenly rewards for us vastly outweigh any sense of earthly accomplishments. Surrendering our lives completely to God releases us from the constraints of this world that we might live for the kingdom that will never end. May your life be completely wrapped up in the goodness of your loving Savior.
Extended Reading: James 4 or watch The Bible Project’s video on James.
May your life be completely wrapped up in the goodness of your loving Savior.
]]>2/27/2026 | The Posture of Our Hearts
What’s beautiful about God is that no matter where you’re at in your walk with him, there is always more.
This week as we dive deeper into the fullness of life available to us, we’ll look today at the biblical concept of understanding and how it relates to experiencing God. May God shift your perspective today and bring you into greater fullness of life in your relationship with him. What’s beautiful about God is that no matter where you’re at in your walk with him, there is always more.
“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
Psalms 145:18 ESV
For most believers, understanding and experience seem to be mutually exclusive. Theology and spirituality are believed to be separate, and while one might help the other, they don’t belong together as one wholehearted pursuit of God. The truth is that understanding and experience couldn’t be more intertwined. In fact, one does not truly exist without the other. To experience God is to have understanding. To understand God is to experience. It’s for this reason Jesus said in John 4:23-24, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
God longs for us to know him in spirit and truth, in experience and understanding. I can’t truly know someone by just reading a book about them. I can’t say that I know C. S. Lewis, Martin Luther, or Dietrich Bonhoeffer just because I’ve read a biography or some of their works. It is the same with God. Scripture is intended to give us understanding about God and guide us into a true relationship with him. Its words are intended to be an avenue to the Author who wrote them. And if we will adopt a perspective of gaining as much understanding about our heavenly Father as possible in order to know him more, Scripture will become a priceless resource to our lives we cannot do without.
Having understanding about the God we’re pursuing is absolutely vital to going deeper. Psalm 145:18 tells us, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” And Jesus commands us in Matthew 22:37 to “love the Lord your God with all your . . . mind.” Your mind is the gateway to your heart. If you believe lies about who you are or who God is, you will never seek him fully or properly. If you don’t know of his goodness, faithfulness, and nearness promised to you by Scripture, you’ll never have a reason to pursue truly knowing God.
God longs to guide you in a process of daily renewing your mind through Scripture. The Holy Spirit longs to help and teach you the truth of Scripture that you might know the God you serve. If you will commit yourself to a process of renewing your mind, new avenues will be created from your understanding to experience. If you will truly love the Lord by giving him your understanding to be molded and transformed, the truth of his love for you will flood from your mind to the untouched, dry, and weary places in your life. Commit to growing in your understanding of the Lord today that you might grow in your relationship with your loving, near, heavenly Father.
1. Meditate on the importance of worshiping God in spirit and truth.
2. In what ways have you been pursuing experience or understanding as if they are mutually exclusive? In what ways have you allowed a head knowledge of God or an experience of God to be enough?
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what it’s like to truly pursue God in spirit and in truth. Ask the Lord what it’s like to live your life where understanding and experience are never separated. Rest in his presence and commit yourself to knowing God in every part of your life.
God is after redemption and transformation in every part of our lives. Our spirit, soul, and body are not separated as if we can work on one part without developing the others. Our understanding affects both our hearts and bodies. Our emotions are impacted directly by our thoughts. And our bodies carry the weight of our stress or joy. To truly be transformed by God is to invite him into every facet of ourselves and allow his love to do a mighty and necessary work. May you experience the fullness of joy and redemption today as you invite God to transform every part of your life.
Extended Reading: John 16 or watch The Bible Project’s video on John 13-21.
May you experience the fullness of joy and redemption today as you invite God to transform every part of your life.
]]>2/26/2026 | The Posture of Our Hearts
The Lord is a firm foundation, and the only solid place to place your trust. In diving deeper today, we’re going to secure our foundation in the only steady hope—Jesus.
Are you standing on sinking sand? Or do you feel the ground firm beneath your feet? Assess your heart in this moment. Are you living in fear? Are you shaken as things appear to be falling apart? Allow your answers to be indicators of whether or not you’re placing your faith and trust in God alone. The Lord is a firm foundation, and the only solid place to place your trust. In diving deeper today, we’re going to secure our foundation in the only steady hope—Jesus.
Psalm 9:10 ESV
Where we place our faith and trust is like the currency of our hearts. We have a limited amount of faith and trust to invest and real returns to gain or lose depending on where we choose to invest them. Scripture is clear that we cannot place our faith and trust in both God and the world. We cannot choose money and God as our anchors of hope. We cannot choose both the opinion of man and God’s opinion. We cannot choose our own will and his. We must, moment-by-moment, choose where we will invest our limited, valuable currency of faith and trust.
If we as children of God truly believe that his word is truth, a vast reservoir of peace and joy is available to us today. The Bible is clear about what we get in return for placing our faith and trust in God alone. Jesus said in Matthew 6:30, “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” And then later in verse 34, Jesus said, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” What would it look like for us to truly have faith in God to the level that we really didn’t worry about tomorrow? What kind of peace would it bring to truly place the cares, burdens, and stresses of this world squarely on the shoulders of the Almighty, all-loving God?
To go deeper into the fullness of life available to us in Jesus requires putting our faith and trust in God alone. We will never experience the peace of heaven if our hope is in this earth. We will never experience the power and help of the Holy Spirit if our hope is in our own abilities, talents, and strengths. We will never fully experience the satisfaction of truly being loved if we place our hope of affirmation in the opinions of others. The only path to truly experiencing the abundant life available to us in Jesus is placing our faith and trust in him alone.
Jeremiah 29:13 promises, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Choose to place your faith and trust in God alone today that you might seek him with “all of your heart.” Place your hope in him alone for he alone is faithful. Do as 1 Peter 5:7 commands and “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (NIV). You will never find a return on your investment of faith and trust in anything of the world like you will in God. God will take your faith and trust and multiply it until your life is a perfect reflection of his loving-kindness. May you find true satisfaction, peace, and joy in God today as you crown him King of your heart.
1. Meditate on the importance of placing your faith and trust in God alone.
2. Next, what have you been placing your faith and trust in other than God? What have you put your hope in? Where have you been storing up treasure on earth rather than with your Father in heaven?
3. Confess those sins to God, and place your faith and trust in him alone. Receive his love and rest in his faithful presence. Allow him to reveal his heart for you that you might know the wonders of his amazing hopes and dreams for you.
To place your faith and trust in God alone is not to free yourself from the need to act, be responsible, and work, but rather to position yourself to receive empowerment, guidance, and grace for every action, responsibility, and work. To place our faith and trust in God alone is to humble ourselves before God as our King, Shepherd, Helper, and Provider so that all we do is done through him. May your life be filled with his loving presence, guidance, and power as you place your faith and trust in him alone.
Extended Reading: Hebrews 11 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Hebrews.
May your life be filled with his loving presence, guidance, and power as you place your faith and trust in him alone.
]]>2/25/2026 | The Posture of Our Hearts
The only path to true power and freedom comes through embracing our need and lack. May you experience that freedom and strength from God today.
As we dive deeper into the fullness of life available to us this week, looking at the concept of acknowledging our need for God is essential. We will never taste the fullness of God’s sufficient grace until we learn to live low, acknowledging our need and weakness before the Lord. So many of us are f earful of appearing weak and work our fingers to the bone to feel sufficient within ourselves. The only path to true power and freedom comes through embracing our need and lack. May you experience that freedom and strength from God today.
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Psalm 73:26 ESV
The greatest place for our hearts to be is in constant acknowledgment of our need for God. Our God never forces his help on us. He never forces us to follow his perfect, pleasing will. And he never forces us into the encounters with him we were created for. But, as soon as we acknowledge our need of him, his love comes rushing in, satisfying every dry and weary place of our heart.
In Luke 10:38-42, we find one of the most important lessons in all of Scripture. The Bible says,
Jesus’ words here draw me to a higher calling. I long for the “good portion” that won’t be taken away. I see here a truth I so often don’t pursue. The absolute best thing I could “do for God” is to sit at his feet. The thing he most desires of me is to simply open my heart and let him love me, teach me, heal me, and be with me. Mary acknowledged her need of God and sat at the feet of Love. Mary looked to Jesus as her source, not the opinion of her sister, and got the affirmation of God himself.
How often do we allow the temporal, fleeting parts of this life to be enough? How often do we settle for so much less than what’s available to us? How often do we allow the fickle affirmations of man to be enough when we can know the thoughts of our heavenly Father toward us (Psalm 139:17-18)?
Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Let’s pursue that which is lasting and truly satisfying. Let’s set aside the ways of this world and spend our days living for the presence of God. Let’s center our lives around Jesus. Let’s acknowledge our need of God that we might receive all the love, help, healing, and transformation he longs to provide today.
Take time in guided prayer to choose the good portion and spend time at the feet of your loving Savior.
1. Meditate on the importance of acknowledging your need of God.
2. Where have you been self-sufficient? Where have you been allowing the things of the world to be enough?
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26
3. Cast aside the things of the world, the worries, stresses and fears and take time to sit at the feet of Jesus. Ask Jesus to make you aware of his nearness. Ask him to fill you with his presence. Take time to rest in his goodness.
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
May Matthew 11:25-30 guide you to the rest available to you anywhere, anytime. May you experience peace that surpasses all understanding:
Extended Reading: John 15 or watch The Bible Project’s video on John 13-21.
May Matthew 11:25-30 guide you to the rest available to you anywhere, anytime. May you experience peace that surpasses all understanding.
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