Daily Devotionals

Devotional - Plagues Of Locust

2026-01-16T05:57:00Z

“And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.” – Revelation 9:3

In Christianity Magazine, in an article entitled “What Is the Significance of the Plague of Locusts?” author Mike Leake writes: “This is where God is taking us. A locust plague is a picture of devastation and de-creation. But the good news of the gospel is that God overturns this and restores us to Eden — an even greater paradise than the original.

The meaning, then, for a locust plague (or any devastation) is to acknowledge our weakness, frailty, and dependence. Where repentance is needed, let us repent. And let us fly to Jesus for our refuge.

If we cannot stand before the devastation of created things — what makes us think we could stand against our Creator? Rather than running from Him, let us run to Him.”

During natural calamities, Christ is still Lord of all. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that no matter what calamity may occur, God is always in control.

“Oh! For a spirit that bows always before the sovereignty of God.” – Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s Word: “Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt.” – Exodus 10:18-19

DEVOTIONS IN REVELATIONS †

Devotional - A Great Fire

2026-01-15T05:58:00Z

“The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.” – Revelation 8:7

Příbram is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It is known for its mining history, and more recently, its new venture into economic restructuring. It is also known for its fire.

At the Marie Mine on May 31, 1892, at the first shift change, a group of men coming off shift entered the elevator. One man did not have his lantern lit, so he repeatedly tried to light the fire. When he did, he threw away the smoldering tail of the old wick.

It was around 1:30 am that the fire in shaft began to spread. When the mine fire was completed 319 men were killed, leaving behind some 286 widows and 961 children.

Horrific events continue to occur, but in these tragedies Jesus can be found. Today in prayer, pray those who have been through a terrible event so they may find comfort when they place their faith in Christ.

“In this picture of terror John has the vision of God using the elemental forces of nature to warn man of the final destruction to come.” – William Barclay

God’s Word: “The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire.” – Revelation 16:8

DEVOTIONS IN REVELATIONS †

Devotional - Reaching Every Tribe

2026-01-14T05:57:00Z

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” – Revelation 7:9

In the “The God Shaped Brain”, by Timothy Jennings he writes: “Imagine a remote village in Africa. No modern Westerner has ever set foot there. The natives live off the land, using the same ancient methods and tools as their forefathers used for the last thousand years. They know nothing of modern science, technology or medicine.

One day a group of medical missionaries comes to this village to provide whatever health care might be needed. The day they arrive they meet a child writhing in pain near the edge of the encampment. Examining the child, they quickly diagnose acute appendicitis. Without emergency surgery he will die.

Fortunately, the medical missionaries have a mobile surgical suite and all the necessary equipment to perform this life-saving operation. They pick up the child, kicking and screaming, and begin the emergency intervention. As the medical team works furiously to save the child’s life, three other children watch intensely from a nearby hiding place. The medical personnel hold the child while a nurse sticks a needle in his arm and infuses fluids.

The terrified patient squirms violently until medicine is injected and he quickly becomes unresponsive. The three children are frightened as they watch a masked man take a sharp knife and cut open their friend’s abdomen. In terror they run to their village, screaming that invaders are coming to capture them, put them on a table and carve them up like pigs.

The entire village is aroused. The children, the elderly, the weak and the frightened quickly begin an evacuation, running from this terrible threat. The warriors begin devising plans to fight against this hostile invader. When the medical missionaries finally approach the village, they are attacked and driven away. No one in that community is going to be foolish enough to let these barbarians near.

What could the medical team do to engender trust? If they had called in soldiers and taken the village by force, would trust be restored? If only the missionaries had a member of that tribe, someone who knew the people and spoke their language, to go ahead of them and tell the villagers the truth. If only someone from that health-care team could be born into that village, grow up among them, and reveal they were friends and not enemies.

There will be believers from every tribe and nation in heaven. Today in prayer, give thanks that the Gospel is traveling throughout the earth. Pray for those who are delivering its eternal message of Good News.

“God had only one Son – and He was a missionary.” – David Livingstone

God’s Word: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20

DEVOTIONS IN REVELATIONS †

Devotional - The Witnesses

2026-01-13T05:58:00Z

“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.” – Revelation 6:9

Annually, there are more than 300 million Christians who suffer some type of persecution worldwide. Since 1995, International Christian Concern (ICC) has provided critical aid, influenced religious freedom policy, and connected persecuted believers to the global Christian community.

ICC has given hope and eased the suffering of persecuted believers, communities, and churches by rebuilding lives and equipping the church in the most hostile places.

They counter Christian persecution by informing policymakers, fighting for justice to free prisoners, and holding regimes accountable.

They also awaken the Western church to the suffering of persecuted Christians through engaging content that stirs hearts to prayer and action.

One story on New Year’s Eve, Pastor José Otoniel Ortega was repeatedly shot by three armed attackers in the Santa Elena neighborhood in Magdalena Department, Colombia. He was taken to a nearby medical clinic, where he died.

Many Christians throughout history have suffered and died for their faith in Christ. Today in prayer, give thanks to those faithful Christians who have died for the faith. Pray for those who today are facing persecution in the world.

“You can kill us, but you cannot hurt us.” – Justin Martyr

God’s Word: “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” – Matthew 10:22

DEVOTIONS IN REVELATIONS †

Devotional - Our Lamb

2026-01-12T05:57:00Z

“In a loud voice they sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’” – Revelation 5:12

Ambrose of Milan was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promoting Nicene Christianity against Arianism and paganism. His preaching, his actions and his literary works, in addition to his innovative musical hymnography, made him one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century.

In his writing “Offices of Ministers”, Ambrose of Milan wrote: “Formerly a lamb was offered, a calf was offered. Christ is offered today...and he offers himself as priest in order that he may remit our sins: here in image, there in truth where, as our advocate, he intercedes for us before the Father.”

Jesus Christ is the perfect Lamb of God, who has taken away our sins by His death on the Cross. Today in prayer, give thanks to the Lord for His triumph over sin and death.

“The precious Lamb of God gave up his precious fleece for us.” – Christopher Nesse

God’s Word: “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’” – Revelation 5:13

DEVOTIONS IN REVELATIONS †

Devotional - Worship Him

2026-01-09T05:58:00Z

“the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say” – Revelation 4:10

In his article “Simply Christian” author N.T. Wright writes: “Two golden rules at the heart of spirituality. You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship. Those who worship money become, eventually, human calculating machines. Those who worship sex become obsessed with their own attractiveness or prowess. Those who worship power become more and more ruthless.

So what happens when you worship the creator God whose plan to rescue the world and put it to rights has been accomplished by the Lamb who was slain? The answer comes in the second golden rule: because you were made in God’s image, worship makes you more truly human. When you gaze in love and gratitude at the God in whose image you were made, you do indeed grow. You discover more of what it means to be fully alive.

Conversely, when you give that same total worship to anything or anyone else, you shrink as a human being. It doesn’t, of course, feel like that at the time. When you worship part of the creation as though it were the Creator himself—in other words, when you worship an idol—you may well feel a brief “high.” But, like a hallucinatory drug, that worship achieves its effect at a cost: when the effect is over, you are less of a human being than you were to begin with. That is the price of idolatry.”

We need to look to Jesus and respond to Him in worship. Today in prayer, actively worship the Lord, adoring Him as Lord of all.

“Here I am to worship

Here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that

You're my God

You're altogether lovely

Altogether worthy

Altogether wonderful to me.” – Tim Hughes

God’s Word: “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker” – Psalm 95:6

DEVOTIONS IN REVELATIONS †

Devotional - Open The Door

2026-01-08T05:59:00Z

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” – Revelation 3:20

In his book “Behold the King of Glory”, author Russ Ramsey writes: “Jesus’s resurrection opened a door between the fallen, groaning world into which he was born and the renewal of all things. That door was a stone rolled back by the very finger of God from the mouth of a grave outside of Jerusalem. Jesus Christ, God’s eternal Son, present at creation, came in the flesh to be the mediator between God and man.

He lived the life of perfect righteousness that all men have failed to live. He died as a lamb led to the slaughter, offering himself up as the perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world, once and for all. He rose from the grave defeating death itself. Bearing all authority in heaven and on earth, he lives as the appointed heir of all things. He rules over every corner of creation, putting every enemy under his feet while making alive by grace through faith those who were dead in their sins.

…Jesus’s resurrection is the guarantee of the coming renewal of all things. On that day, the world into which he was born will become like an old, old tale.”

The door to our heart can only be opened with the slightest of ease if we yield to Christ’s knock. Today, open your heart and let Jesus live and reign in you.

“True conversion will involve the mind, the affection, and the will.” – Billy Graham

God’s Word: “Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’” – John 14:23

DEVOTIONS IN REVELATIONS †

Devotional - Wretchedly Rich

2026-01-07T05:57:00Z

“You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” – Revelation 3:17

Lara married Roger Griffiths in 1997 after going to university together. In 2005, the couple won a British lottery with a $2.19 million jackpot. Lara was working as a performing arts teacher and her husband an IT manager, but suddenly everything changed.

Roger chased his rock star dreams and spent big bucks for his band to release an album. Lara got a taste for the high life as the couple paid for exotic cars, an expensive house, designer clothes and accessories, and a pricey private school for their daughter.

They dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into opening a salon, where Lara later worked as an employee to make ends meet. In the end, the couple was left with less than $10.

Money does not make us rich. Knowing Jesus Christ makes us truly wealthy. Today in prayer, confess any sin that takes your heart away from Jesus and seek Him in all that you do.

“Temporal prosperity is very unfavorable for spiritual development.” – Charles Simeon

God’s Word: “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.” – 1 Timothy 6:9

DEVOTIONS IN REVELATIONS †

Devotional - Endure Patiently

2026-01-06T05:57:00Z

“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.” – Revelation 3:10

In his book “Bread for the Journey”, author Henri J. M. Nouwen wrote: “Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control: the arrival of the bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict. Patience is not a waiting passivity until someone else does something. Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later and somewhere else. Let’s be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand.”

The Lord calls us to endure patiently. Today in prayer, look to Jesus and patiently endure any hardship in your life.

“He deserves not the name of patient who is only willing to suffer as much as he thinks proper, and for whom he pleases. The truly patient man asks (nothing) from whom he suffers, (whether) his superior, his equal, or his inferior...But from whomever, or how much, or how often wrong is done to him, he accepts it all as from the hand of God, and counts it gain!” - Thomas a Kempis

God’s Word: “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” – Ecclesiastes 7:8

DEVOTIONS IN REVELATIONS †

Devotional - Suffering Persecution

2026-01-05T05:54:00Z

“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” – Revelation 2:10

In his book “Bullies and Saints” author John Dickson writes: “What is the witness of the church in times of persecution? The historical record demonstrates that persecutions of Christians were regular and prolific in the first centuries of the church, especially in the second and third centuries as the church began to spread significantly.

In 215 AD, Scapula, the leader of the Roman province of Carthage (modern day North Africa), led a campaign to stop the spread of the church. The historian Tertullian wrote a four-page letter to the Roman administration to stop the torture and execution of everyday church members. One of Tertullian’s points, was that there were thousands of Christians in that region of North Africa. Was Scapula going to kill all of them? Instead of fighting back with weapons, Tertullian offers to lead a protest at the seat of justice in Carthage, the place of justice for the Roman Empire.

“What will you make of so many thousands, of such a multitude of men and women, persons of every sex and every age and every rank, when they present themselves before you?” he inquires.

Dickson comments:

Tertullian’s boldness is striking. Ancient Christians were not timid. They did not adopt a posture of peaceful resistance through a kind of slave mentality of the bullied. Nor was their religion an opiate that dulled them to social realities here and now. In fact, reading the early sources, it is clear they actually felt like they were the victors!

They believed that true power to change the world lay not in politics, the judiciary, or the military but in the message of Christ’s death and resurrection.”

Christians still face persecution in this world. Today in prayer, pray for believers that face persecution that they may be faithful to Jesus.

“The servant of Christ must never be surprised if he has to drink of the same cup with his Lord.” – J.C. Ryle

God’s Word: “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” – 2 Timothy 3:12

DEVOTIONS IN REVELATIONS †

Devotional - God's Grace

2026-01-01T21:20:00Z

“John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne” – Revelation 1:4

On the subject of grace, Teresa of Ávila wrote: “A number of mature Christians have described the Christian journey as one in which the follower of Jesus experiences different levels of grace.

Let us imagine . . . that there are many rooms in this castle, of which some are above, some below, others at the side; in the centre, in the very midst of them all is the principal chamber in which God and the soul hold their most secret intercourse.

Think over this comparison very carefully; God grant it may enlighten you about the different kinds of graces He is pleased to bestow upon the soul. No one can know all about them, much less a person so ignorant as I am. The knowledge that such things are possible will console you greatly should our Lord ever grant you any of these favours.”

There is no greater gift than God’s grace! Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His Amazing Grace to you.

“The ultimate test of our spirituality is the measure of our amazement at the grace of God.” – Martyn Lloyd-Jones

God’s Word: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 1:3

DEVOTIONS IN REVELATIONS †

Devotional - We Need To Repent

2026-01-02T05:58:00Z

“Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” – Revelation 2:5

Annemarie Kidder writes: “The history of repentance is as old as humankind. We each carry the remembrance of wrongdoing in burdensome satchels, hoping that eventually someone will ease them off our back. We each know the feeling of self-reproach, self-criticism, and self-blame. And we each continue to enjoy the vast landscape of free will by doing what is wrong, harmful, and unjust, and by refusing to aim for what is good, life-giving, and fair. Repentance and confession release our high-piled debts and scrub clean a sullied conscience. The Hebrew word used in the Old Testament to express repentance means “to turn,” reflecting the notion of journeying and pilgrimage and an attitude and relationship between YHWH and ancient Israel that required constant vigilance and intentionality.

The Greek word used in the New Testament is metanoia, basically denoting a “change of mind,” with only subtle nuances of regret or remorse. When we repent we “turn” and “change our mind” about who we thought we were and the acceptability of what we have done. We recognize the difference between our ways and the ways God intended for us and find that we have drifted off course and out of line with the divine current. Confession, on the other hand, comes from a Latin word meaning “to agree” and “to give consent.” It describes an oral activity, a moment in time when we “agree” to the difference observed between what should have been and was not, due to our actions, when we verbally lay bare and make public our off-course dealings and doings.”

When you take the wrong road, it is best to backtrack and get on the right one. The Lord desires us to repent of our sins. The sooner we turn away from our sins, the quicker we are restored to fellowship with Christ. Today in prayer, confess any sin in your life, repent and turn away from sin and follow Jesus.

“A Christian is not one who never goes wrong, but one who is enabled to repent and begin over again after each stumble—because of the inner working of Christ.” – C.S. Lewis

God’s Word: “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’” – Matthew 4:17

DEVOTIONS IN REVELATIONS †

Devotional - Son Of The Resurrection

2025-12-31T05:57:00Z

“Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you.” – Matthew 28:7

He lived the life of perfect righteousness that all men have failed to live. He died as a lamb led to the slaughter, offering himself up as the perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world, once and for all. He rose from the grave defeating death itself. Bearing all authority in heaven and on earth, he lives as the appointed heir of all things.7 He rules over every corner of creation, putting every enemy under his feet while making alive by grace through faith those who were dead in their sins.

…Jesus’s resurrection is the guarantee of the coming renewal of all things. On that day, the world into which he was born will become like an old, old tale.”

Everyone who believes that Jesus rose from the dead is a son of the Resurrection. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His resurrection and that one day we will see Him and be with Him.

“Belief in the Resurrection is not an appendage to the Christian faith; it is the Christian faith.” – John S. Whale

God’s Word: “In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'” – Luke 24:5-6

DEVOTIONS IN MATTHEW †

Devotional - The Victor's Shout

2025-12-30T05:58:00Z

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.” – Matthew 27:50

In his book “The Way of the Lord”, N.T. Wright writes: “[In the middle of the twentieth century a] young Russian communist went to a meeting one night where he heard a Christian expounding his faith. The communist was angry. How could anyone still believe such nonsensical superstition in these days? He went home, determined to write a refutation of Christianity that would settle the issue once and for all. In order to get the quarry properly into his sights, he found an old Bible and looked into it.

He didn’t want to waste more time than was necessary, so he decided to read the shortest of the four Gospels, that of St Mark. It was only much later, as he said, that he realized that God has a sense of humour. St Mark’s Gospel is exactly the book written for someone in that frame of mind: pulling no punches, getting directly to the point, portraying Jesus the Messiah bringing through his death and resurrection a kingdom that outshines all the political dreams of the world.

He read Mark again, then the other Gospels; then, sitting up through the night, the rest of the New Testament. By morning he was a believing, praying Christian. That man is Anthony Bloom, who went on to become one of the great Russian Orthodox bishops of our generation, leading his flock through intense suffering but always seeing reflecting the glory of God in the face of Jesus.”

For those who trust in Christ as their Savior - there awaits the victory over death. Today in prayer, give thanks to the Lord that through His death on the Cross, your sins are forgiven and you have eternal life with Him.

“Christ took your cup of grief, your cup of curse, pressed it to his lips, drank it to its dregs, then filled it with his sweet, pardoning, sympathizing love, and gave it back to you to drink for ever!” – Octavius Winslow

God’s Word: “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” – John 19:30

DEVOTIONS IN MATTHEW †

Devotional - Using Your Talents

2025-12-29T05:57:00Z

“For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” – Matthew 25:29

In his book “The Hope Quotient”, author Ray Johnston wrote: “In an old joke, people refer to seminary as cemetery. Attending one does feel like that at times, so the last thing I expected to discover in a dingy classroom in the basement of a Pasadena seminary some years ago was something huge. It changed the course of my life. The professor went off script that day and woke up our class by asking some urgent questions:

• Do you want to have a life that is one level above the boring existence lived by the vast majority of people?

• Do you want to live in such a way that when you get to the end of your life you have few regrets?

• Do you want to make a maximum impact with the one life you get to live?

• Do you want to have a life where God actually uses you to change things?

• Do you want to have a life that is exciting, fulfilling, exhilarating, and occasionally terrifying, but where you actually really matter?

• Do you want a life where you are more encouraged and less discouraged?

He closed with this dramatic statement: “All that and more will happen if you do this one thing . . . “Play to your strengths.” Then, like any good professor, he emphasized and expanded it. “Find out what your spiritual gifts are; then build your entire life around them. Anything else is going to take you down the road to misery and mediocrity.” With that one thought, my professor changed the course of my life. I have never recovered.”

No matter what the circumstances, use your talents in such a way that it will bring glory to Christ. Today in prayer, ask the Lord to give you wisdom how to best utilize the talents He has blessed you.

“Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no bird sang there except those that sang best.” – Henry van Dyke

God’s Word: “Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” – Mark 4:25

DEVOTIONS IN MATTHEW †

Devotional - Keep Watch

2025-12-26T05:58:00Z

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” – Matthew 25:13

In The Hiding Place Corrie ten Boom tells of the time she and her father needed to find a safer place for a Jewish mother and child they had been concealing from the Nazis. A local clergyman came into their watch shop, and they asked him if he would take the Jews into his home.

The pastor refused. On an impulse, Corrie ran to fetch the Jewish baby and brought it to him. But the pastor was not moved. “No. Definitely not,” he said. “We could lose our lives for that Jewish child.” At that point, Father ten Boom stepped forward and took the baby into his own arms.

He peered into the child’s face for a moment, his white beard grazing against the tiny cheek. Then he looked up and spoke to the pastor: “You say we could lose our lives for this child. I would consider that the greatest honor that could come to my family.”

As events unfold each day, we need to keep watch for Christ’s return. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that Jesus Christ will return. Seek to faithfully prepare for His arrival.

“The best way to prepare for the coming of Christ is never to forget the presence of Christ.” – William Barclay

God’s Word: “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” – Luke 12:40

DEVOTIONS IN MATTHEW †

Devotional - The Christmas Star

2025-12-25T05:51:00Z

“and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” – Matthew 2:2

In her book “Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room”, author Nancy Guthrie writes: “When someone promises us something wonderful, we can hardly wait for that promise to be fulfilled. If the promise is something good, we want it now! We really don’t like to wait. And yet the very best things are worth waiting for. A long, long time ago, God made a promise to his people, Israel. In fact, he made many promises to them.

But God’s most important promise—the promise all his other promises depended on—was that he would send the Messiah, the Anointed One, who would save them from the difficulties of living life in this world broken by sin. The Messiah would not be an ordinary person, but God’s own Son. The people he made the promise to had to wait, putting all their faith in the One who made the promise.”

During this Christmas season, seek the real star of Christmas is Jesus Christ. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for becoming a man.

“The birth of Jesus is the sunrise of the Bible.” – Henry van Dyke

God’s Word: “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:8-11

DEVOTION FOR CHRISTMAS †

Devotional - Exercise Your Faith

2025-12-24T05:57:00Z

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” - Matthew 23:13-14

David (Yonggi) Cho would go on to lead what is recognized as the largest church in the world (the Yoido Full Gospel Church), but his spiritual journey began far from Christianity. Raised as a Buddhist, he faced a life-threatening battle with tuberculosis that left him on the brink of death. In his desperation, he recalled hearing that "the God of the Christians" was known for healing and compassion. With nothing left to lose, he cried out, pleading for divine intervention.

What followed was a profound transformation. Cho experienced healing, gained wisdom, and discovered a new spiritual path. Embracing the life-changing power of Jesus, the Son of Man, he stepped into the abundance of the kingdom life—one that would ultimately touch the lives of millions.

The Lord desires us to exercise our faith, not lock it away. Today in prayer, draw near to Christ and place your faith in Him.

“So run the race with patience. Don’t lose heart. Don’t become discouraged. Don’t quit. Keep on running the race that has been set before us.” – Melvin Newland

God’s Word: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1

DEVOTIONS IN MATTHEW †

Devotional - Loving Your Neighbors

2025-12-23T05:57:00Z

“Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'”” – Matthew 22:37-39

In his book “The Dangerous Act of Worship”, author Mark Labberton writes: “At a worship service I attended a couple of years ago, my attention was drawn to the enthusiastic worship leader. He opened our time with prayer, asking God to meet us and draw us together in the Lord’s presence. Then he turned around to face forward, standing just in front of the first row of worshipers with his eyes closed and the band playing.

He lifted his hands and offered his joyful praise to God. That’s when I really took notice, for as he sang so rapturously, he kept stepping all over the feet of the people behind him. Not just once or twice but repeatedly throughout the singing in the two-hour service, he kept “tromping in the spirit.” No apology. No sign of acknowledgment. He was just praising God while oblivious to his neighbor.

This illustration metaphorically and practically depicts a significant part of our problem. I have no doubt the worship leader would say that what he was doing was unintentional. He was just so caught up in his own experience of worship that he lost track of others. In worship, he lost his neighbor. That’s exactly the problem. For all our apparent passion about God, in the end much of our worship seems to be mostly about us.”

The Lord desires us to love our neighbor and to actively live our life for Christ. Today in prayer, ask the Lord how you can love your neighbor.

“He alone loves the Creator perfectly who manifests a pure love for his neighbor.” – Bede

God’s Word: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.’” – Mark 12:31

DEVOTIONS IN MATTHEW †

Devotional - Serve A Great God

2025-12-22T05:58:00Z

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:26-28

Sometimes God takes our greatest failures and turns them into our greatest successes. Charles “Chuck” Colson had risen the ladder of national political success at breakneck speed. After a tour in the Marines, Colson served in the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, ran a political campaign, and joined a law firm before becoming special counsel to the President (Richard Nixon) in 1969, at the ripe old age of 38. And then it all came crashing down, as Colson was sent to prison for his involvement in the Watergate scandal. As one pastor put it, Colson’s (former) career was over, but his calling was just beginning.

While in prison, Colson converted to Christianity and began working alongside his fellow prisoners. His passion for his faith and his fellow prisoners birthed Prison Fellowship. Seeing firsthand the injustices in the American prison system, Colson fought for the rights of the incarcerated, including widespread penal justice reform. But that isn’t all. Prison Fellowship has created a number of programs to help inmates, including training to experience healing and wholeness, with the intention of lowering the rate of recidivism (returning to prison). Today, Prison Fellowship serves in all 50 states in the U.S., impacting more than 1,000 prisons and over 365,000 incarcerated men and women each year.

In his 1983 book Loving God, Colson shares the realization that his legacy came not from his successes, but from his failures:

“The real legacy of my life was my biggest failure – that I was an ex-convict. My great humiliation – being sent to prison – was the beginning of God’s greatest use of my life; He chose the one experience in which I could not glory for His glory.”

During this Christmas season, seek to serve our great God – Jesus Christ. Today in prayer, ask the Lord how you can serve others in His name.

“Do not be ashamed to serve others for the love of Jesus Christ and to seem poor in this world.” – Thomas a Kempis

God’s Word: “Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.’” – Mark 9:35

DEVOTIONS IN MATTHEW †

Devotional - The Dangers Of Wealth

2025-12-19T05:58:00Z

"Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 19:21-23

In her book “Grateful”, Diana Butler Bass provides an insightful reflection on how Zaccheaus rose to become chief tax collector of Jericho:

“Since Zacchaeus was a Jew and not a Roman citizen, there was only one way he could become wealthy. In lands that they conquered, the Romans offered some political positions at auction to local inhabitants. The tax collectors were the main agents of the patronage system. It was a good job. While governors ensured that peace and prosperity flowed down from the emperor, tax collectors made sure that cash came up from the provinces to pay the military and enrich the noble classes in the imperial city. Tax collectors guaranteed that the empire worked and that its benefits reached those at the top.

As a subjugated person, you could essentially buy your way into higher status in the Roman system by being a tax collector, the most despised (and most necessary) of imperial middlemen. You would get rich because you were allowed to take your skim of the profit as the money headed to Rome. However, those beneath you in social standing—who paid onerous amounts of tribute monies—hated you, and those above you, who worried you might be taking more than your fair share, distrusted you. For tax collectors, wealth was as certain as unpopularity.

That is how Zacchaeus got rich. Somehow, he had bought his position as a tax collector, and he had worked up from there to become chief tax collector in the important city of Jericho. Zacchaeus knew how to play the game. He was—quite literally—a climber. Success meant to gain as much status as allowed by the system and to go as high as he, a lowly Jew, could. And he had made it. He was not a “wee little man.” Zacchaeus was a big man: chief tax collector of Jericho.”

The love of riches has destroyed many men. Today in prayer, ask the Lord to give you wisdom on how to be a steward of the possessions He has blessed you.

“There is nothing wrong with people possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess people.” – Billy Graham

God’s Word: “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” – Matthew 19:24

DEVOTIONS IN MATTHEW †

Devotional - Walk Humbly

2025-12-18T05:57:00Z

“Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:4

In his book “Hidden Christmas”, Timothy Keller writes:”The world has always despised people from the wrong places and with the wrong credentials. We are always trying to justify ourselves. We need desperately to feel superior to others. And everything about Jesus contradicts and opposes that impulse. In the 1987 movie Wall Street, the young Bud Fox, played by Charlie Sheen, is wide-eyed at the cost of the art on the walls of Gordon Gekko’s home in the Hamptons. When he discovers what one painting is worth, he exclaims, “You could have a whole beach house!” Daryl Hannah, Gekko’s protégée, sneers, “Sure you could. In Wildwood, New Jersey.” She almost could have said, “Of course you can have that, if you are one of the benighted masses, the nobodies, who live in Nazareth.””

During this Advent Season, remember the Lord and walk humbly with Him. Today in prayer, confess any sin of pride and humbly seek the Lord in all that you do.

“We can never have more of true faith than we have of true humility.” – Andrew Murray

God’s Word: “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” – Colossians 3:12

DEVOTIONS IN MATTHEW †

Devotional - The Sign Of The Times

2025-12-17T05:56:00Z

“The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” – Matthew 16:1-3

It was late October 1991. The crew of the fishing boat Andrea Gail, out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, had taken the vessel five hundred miles out into the Atlantic. A cold front moving along the Canadian border sent a strong disturbance through New England, while at the same time a large high-pressure system was building over the maritime provinces of southeastern Canada.

This intensified the incoming low-pressure system, producing what locals called the “Halloween Nor’easter.” As Robert Case, a meteorologist, put it, “These circumstances alone could have created a strong storm, but then, like throwing gasoline on a fire, a dying Hurricane Grace delivered immeasurable tropical energy to create the perfect storm.”

The hurricane, sweeping in from the Atlantic, completed the picture. The forces of nature converged on the helpless Andrea Gail from the west, the north, and the southeast. Ferocious winds and huge waves reduced the boat to matchwood. Only light debris was ever found. There had, of course, been earlier “perfect storms,” but this was the one made famous by the book and movie of that title.

We may be able to predict the weather, but we need to look to the Lord to know the times. Today in prayer, worship the Lord that He has come into the world to save sinners and He will one day return.

“Jesus Christ is God’s last word. Beyond Jesus Christ the revelation of God cannot go. Here is God’s plan for all to see.” – William Barclay

God’s Word: “He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?” – Luke 12:54-56

DEVOTIONS IN MATTHEW †

Devotional - True Worship

2025-12-16T05:58:00Z

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” – Matthew 15:8

John Ruskin (1819-1900), the famous art historian, wrote about a beautiful tradition that existed among the shepherds of the Swiss Alps during his lifetime. These shepherds grazed their flocks often in solitude, on the high slopes of the mountains, often long distances apart. There would always be one shepherd positioned highest on the mountain. He takes his horn, places it to his lips, and plays the notes that signal, "Glory to God in the highest."

This melody drifts down through the clear evening air, reaching the shepherd on the next lower pasture, who then places his horn to his lips and passes along the melodious message, "Glory to God in the highest," to the next shepherd below. According to Ruskin, on a clear evening, this sweet message can be heard up and down the valleys, echoing for a hundred miles as the shepherds unite in their evening worship.

Seek the Lord for He is God. Today in prayer, spend some extra time worshipping Jesus and seek to follow Him throughout the day.

“God is not moved or impressed with our worship until our hearts are moved and impressed by Him.” – Kelly Sparks

God’s Word: “The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.’” – Isaiah 29:13

DEVOTIONS IN MATTHEW †

Devotional - Compassion For Others

2025-12-15T05:58:00Z

“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” – Matthew 14:14

Pastor Mia Levetan wrote: “The Kingdom is Not a Mad Scramble for “Enough”

I was recently at a eight-year-old’s birthday party, and at this birthday party there was a piñata. All of the kids took turns whacking a paper mache shark with a PVC pipe until eventually the shark busted and candies flew everywhere.

At that moment it was every kid for themselves as they were diving in grabbing as many and as much candy as each kid possibly could.

Even from a young age we believe this is how the world works, but there is a limited amount of something that you must fight for what you can, but the kingdom of God is different. Jesus teaches in God’s kingdom there is enough for everyone, he has compassion upon the people and gives of himself to each one of them.

At the birthday party, after all of the candy had been picked off the ground, the mom of the birthday boy asked if everyone got enough candy. And that is more of what the kingdom of God looks like: inquiring us asking us if we have what we need if we have enough.”

Jesus was known for His compassion to others and as His followers that should be our hallmark. Today in prayer, ask the Lord how you can be more compassionate to others.

“The value of compassion cannot be over-emphasized. Anyone can criticize. It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no one cares or understands.” – Arthur H. Stainback

God’s Word: “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.” – Mark 8:2

DEVOTIONS IN MATTHEW †