Scripture Reading — Revelation 5:6-10 They were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.— Revelation 5:8Did you know that our prayers are like a scented offering to the Lord? Imagine God sitting on his throne, inhaling all of our prayers. He
Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 12:19-25 “Far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you.”— 1 Samuel 12:23When I was in my twenties and going through some hard times, I asked my mother to pray for me. She said, “Do you mean, in addition to the pra
Scripture Reading — Hosea 4:1-6 “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.”— Hosea 4:1Teenagers will often verify that they “know.”• “Aiden, you need to be home by 11:00.” “I know.”• “Sophia, you can’t wear that skirt.” “I know.”• “Jack, that roo
Scripture Reading — Philippians 4:4-9 Whatever is true . . . noble . . . right . . . pure . . . lovely . . . admirable . . . excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.— Philippians 4:8Is your mind filled with things that are true, pure, excellent, and praiseworthy? Or
Scripture Reading — Philippians 4:2-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.— Philippians 4:6The Bible urges us not to worry or be anxious. But that is not always easy. We may ask ourse
Scripture Reading — John 8:31-41 “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”— John 8:32Sometimes we use polite, little lies to try to be kind or avoid being rude. We might say, “Yes, I can tell you’ve lost some weight.” Or, “You have not aged a bit.” Or, “
Scripture Reading — John 14:1-14 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”— John 14:6Notice that in this passage Jesus does not just say he knows the truth or can teach the truth. He says, “I am the truth.”This means that to know
Scripture Reading — James 4:1-10 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?— James 4:1Desires are thoughts. Sadly, they often begin with the words of our two-year-old selves: “I want that!” We can easily think, for exam
Scripture Reading — Psalm 96:1-13 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.— Psalm 96:1Whenever my Aunt Rosemary was working in the kitchen, she would sing. I don’t remember whether the songs were popular tunes, hymns, or made-up melodies, but they were lov
Scripture Reading — Genesis 1:26-28 God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.— Genesis 1:27What do you think of yourself?One person might say, “I’m a guy who made millions selling cars.” Or “I was the first woma
Scripture Reading — Ephesians 1:15-23 [May] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.— Ephesians 1:17True knowledge is a gift from God. When we know God for who he truly is, that is the most important
Scripture Reading — Ephesians 6:10-18 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.— Ephesians 6:11Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against hostile spiritual powers. These powers are organized but unseen, a truly diabol