Daily Devotionals
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Will I be bold for Christ when it costs me?
Boldness in the Face of Cost
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
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Where Do I Run When I Feel Abandoned?
Jesus Is the Good Shepherd Who Never Leaves
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away."
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What Is God Revealing in You Through the Sifting?
Sifting, Refinement, and Spiritual Battle
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.
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Are You Approaching God Boldly?
Confidence to Enter God's Presence
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus... let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings.
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Who Is the King of Glory?
Glimpses of God's Glory in Creation
The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart.
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What Does True Sacrifice Look Like?
Honoring Those Who Laid Down Their Lives
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.
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Are You Letting God Refine You?
The Silversmith and the Reflection of Christ
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness.
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What Does It Feel Like When the Spirit Moves?
The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
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Can You Spot the Counterfeit?
Satan's Deceptions and God's Discernment
Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies. Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head.
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Are Your Words Reflecting Your Heart?
Our Words Matter—Prayer and the Heart
Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart... for the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
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What Do You Do When You Feel Alone and Overwhelmed?
Honest Prayer in the Cave
Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name's sake, Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
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Do You See Yourself the Way God Sees You?
Wonderfully Made, Deeply Known
You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
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Can You Rejoice When You're Treated Unfairly?
Blessing in the Midst of Suffering
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
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What Does a Heart Set on God Look Like?
The Marks of a Kingdom Heart
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." —Matthew 5:6 (NIV) "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." —Matthew 5:7 (NIV) "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." —Matthew 5:8 (NIV) "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." —Matthew 5:9 (NIV)
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What Does It Mean to Mourn and Inherit?
Grieving Over Sin, Receiving His Comfort
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." —Matthew 5:4–5 (NIV)
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Do You Rely on Your Own Strength or His?
Living by Jesus' Standard, Not Ours
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." —Matthew 5:3 (NIV)
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Are You Honoring God with Your First Fruits?
Honoring God First
Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. —Proverbs 3:9–10 (NIV) When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name. —Deuteronomy 26:1–2 (NIV) But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. —1 Corinthians 15:20 (NIV)
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Do You Love Me?
Jesus Wants a Love that Transforms
"When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?'" —John 21:15 (NIV)
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Do You Have Anything Here to Eat?
Jesus' Bodily Resurrection
"And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, 'Do you have anything here to eat?'" —Luke 24:41 (NIV)
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What is the Display of the Greatest Love?
The Meaning of the Cross
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." —Romans 5:8 (NIV) "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed." —1 Peter 2:24 (NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." —John 3:16 (NIV)
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Who Were You Created to Exalt?
Jesus is Worthy to be Praised
"Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, 'Hosanna!' 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'" —Mark 11:9 (NIV) "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." —Zechariah 9:9 (NIV)
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Do You Seek the Absolute Truth?
Staying Rooted in Truth in an Age of Deception
"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."
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Do You Have a Faith That Can Move Mountains?
Living With Transforming, Mountain-Moving Faith
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
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Do You Believe Who He Says He Is?
God Is Our Fortress and Strength
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea... There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts." "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
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Can You Worship in Isolation?
Worshiping Through Loneliness and Struggle
"Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear." "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
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What Does It Mean to Be Strong in Our Weakness?
Strength Through Surrender
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." "Don't be afraid; just believe."
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What Makes You Uniquely Gifted by God?
Discovering and Using Your Gifts for God's Glory
"There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us."
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Is Jesus at the Center of Your Life?
Keeping Christ as Your Foundation
"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."
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Is Your Foundation Strong Enough for Life's Storms?
Trusting God's Process in Rebuilding Our Lives
"Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash."
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Are Your Eyes Truly Open?
Staying Watchful and Alert
Revelation 3:2 (NLT) "Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God." Matthew 26:41 (NLT) "Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!" Mark 13:35-37 (NLT) "You, too, must keep watch! For you don't know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Don't let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!"
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Is Your Peace Dependent on Your Circumstances?
Finding Peace Regardless of Circumstances
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
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What is Godly Wisdom?
Embracing Wisdom from God's Perspective
"But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace-loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere."
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What's Really Behind Our Conflicts?
Recognizing and Overcoming Our Inner Struggles
"What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure."
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What Legacy Are You Building?
Creating a Lasting Spiritual Legacy
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NLT) "And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up."
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What Was Jesus Revealing Through His Words on the Cross?
Understanding Jesus' Words on the Cross
"At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' which means 'My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?'"
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Who Can Stand Against Us?
Being Led by the Holy Spirit Every Hour of Every Day
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
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What Kind of World Do You Want to Live In?
Selfish Ambition vs. Love for Others
Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT) Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
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Whose Timing Is Always Perfect?
Trusting in God's Timing
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.
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Do You Ask God for What Truly Matters?
Wisdom for the Task God Has Given You
1 Kings 3:9 (NLT) Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well. I need to know the difference between right and wrong.
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How Can I Understand Others More Deeply?
Empathy: Seeing Through Another's Eyes
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
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Whose Kingdom Are You Working For?
Working for God's Kingdom
Matthew 6:33 (NLT) Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
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Whose Kingdom Are You Working For?
Renewal: Aligning Our Ambition with God's Kingdom
For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
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What Is Your Life Producing?
Bearing Fruit for God
Matthew 7:17 (NLT) A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.
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Is Your Faith a Burden or a Blessing?
Experiencing the Joy of Faith
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
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How can I renew my mind daily?
He Leads Me to Green Pastures: Renewing Our Minds in Him
Psalm 23:2-3 (NLT) He leads me to green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake.
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How Can I Share My Faith?
Sharing the Gospel with Others
Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT) Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
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What Does True Leadership Look Like?
Serving Others with Humility
Mark 10:45 (NLT) For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.
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Do I Need the 'Right' Words to Pray?
The Simplicity of Prayer
Romans 8:26 (NLT) And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
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Is Prayer Just About Getting More?
The Purpose of Prayer
James 4:3 (NLT) And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
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Can We Fully Understand God?
The Mystery of God
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT) "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."