Daily Devotional Free

  Our world has become increasingly noisy. But according to a news report, science has found a way to achieve absolute silence: "Scientists have shown off the blueprint for an 'acoustic cloak', which could make objects impervious to sound waves. The technology, outlined in the New Journal of Physics, could be used to build sound-proof homes, advanced concert halls, or stealth warships". When we seek out a quiet place for devotional time with God, we may wish we had an "acoustic cloak". But even if we could silence all external sound, the internal noises of worry would still reverberate in our minds. We are told: "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10). But how do we calm our hearts in practical terms? God understands our dilemma and has provided His own "acoustic cloak" to quiet our hearts. It involves exchanging our cares for His peace. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,

  Dear Heavenly Father, we praise Your Name today. Fill my spirit, and the spirit of all the people of your universal church, with faith and hope; for a new day has dawned, and the way to life stands open in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Raise us, we pray, that we may totally respond to the supreme, unknown, ultimate, and splendid height of your words, mysterious and inspired. Please show the wonder of Your great love through me to others today so that they might know they need not walk through life alone. Let my heart personally experience and display Your care. Help me to practice radical love to others. Let me go forth in thanks for the victory I have been given through our Lord Jesus Christ. May I be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. And, always remembering that in the Lord our labor is not in vain. Amen

  Some universities provides laptop computers for its students. While this can be an aid to the students in many ways, somehow it also hinders learning. The laptops can become a distraction during class. Because the students take notes on their laptops, they have them open on their desks during class. The problem is that they find texting their friends, visiting Facebook, or checking things on the Internet more interesting than their professor's lectures. A laptop loses value in the learning environment if it becomes a distraction - even if what the students are doing is positive. Good things can do that. Things that have value can draw our attention away from what we should be paying attention to. This was true for Martha. Luke 10:40 says she was "distracted with much serving", which took her away from spending time with Jesus. In the same way, a good hobby can have value in and of itself. But if it distracts you from your family responsibilities or relationship with God

  Dear God, my soul longs for your presence. When I turn my thoughts to You, I find peace and contentment. You are indeed the Prince of Peace. Grant that Your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart. Let those barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live together in justice and peace. Please build the heart of Christ into my heart that those around me will see Him clearly and desire to know Him too. Now all glory to You, mighty God, who is able to keep me from falling away and will bring me with great joy into Your glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to You who alone are God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are yours before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time. Amen

  Some words used to describe the opening ceremony of the 2008 summer Olympics were "awesome", "breathtaking", and "extravagant". One commentator observed, "This shows what happens when you give an artist an unlimited budget". That's what God did at creation! He held nothing back. The resulting universe is stunning in beauty, staggering in complexity, extravagant in all regards. The Olympic ceremony was perfect in its precision; but if just one drummer or dancer had decided to alter the artist's vision, the whole ceremony would have been flawed. That's what happened shortly after creation. Unlike the Olympic producer, God allowed free choice, and His work of art was marred by Adam and Eve's idea of a better way. In Isaiah's words, "we have turned, every one, to his own way" (53:6). God's solution to our waywardness was unimaginable: The Artist paid the price to recreate what we ruined. One day, there will be anot

  Dear God, I am full of the sound of my own voice, that lump of pride deep within me that will not go away, no matter how I try. Give me the strength through the power of Your Holy Spirit to hear your voice and follow it, fighting the temptation to sin that bubbles up inside me whenever my mind strays from you. Thy will be done. You have commanded us to love one another, this I know without a doubt. And yet all day I am filled with judgments, with resentments, with anger that sneaks in and grabs me when I am not paying attention to you. I pray dear God, that you will soften my heart to my fellow humans, no matter how sinfully they may act, and leave the judging to you, as you have commanded. Fill me with acceptance in place of judgment, sympathy in place of anger, faith in place of resentment. For my judgments and anger are the creatures of pride. May I do thy will this day, in the name of Christ I pray. Amen

  All of us are capable of being zealous, regardless of our personality type. Even the most phlegmatic person can be passionate about something. Some people are into soccer, for others it's food. So the issue isn't whether or not one can be zealous, but where a person's devotion lies. In Romans 12, the apostle Paul provides some instruction that includes being zealous in serving the Lord. John Piper paraphrased it this way: "Do lots of work for Christ, passionately". The words "never be lazy, but work hard. . . enthusiastically" (v. 11) emphasizes being earnest and devoted in getting things done. What does that look like? Consider the following questions: Are we efficient, or do we procrastinate?; Do we work hard to get things done, or do we give up halfway? Romans 12:11 also contains this idea: Do lots of work for the Lord passionately - not being grouchy. A person passionate about serving the Lord doesn't consider the number of hours he has clocked

Dear Lord, I thank You for all that You have done while I was asleep, watching over me and all Your children while we slept unaware. And, I pray that my thoughts and acts this day may show forth my love and thanks for You and all you have done for me. May Your spirit guide me to seek Your Loving presence more and more. Help me through Your Holy Spirit, that I may remember what You have taught me in the Bible and it may show forth in my every deed. Let me not wander into the hands of sin, nor into the hands of pride or perversity, nor into the hands of temptation, nor into the hands of shame, but steer my inclinations towards goodness and charity this morning and all the day. Guide me always to do Your holy will knowing that Your strength will carry me through. Now unto Him that is able to keep me from falling, and to present me faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Ame

  We can all certainly identify with the need of guidance. In fact, Jesus addressed this very need during His Upper Room Discourse. He said that after His departure, the Holy Spirit would play a crucial role in the lives of believers. As part of that role, Jesus promised, "When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). What a marvelous provision! In a world of confusion and fear, guidance is often needed. We can easily be misdirected by the culture around us or by the brokenness within us (1 John 2:15-17). God's Spirit, however, is here to help, to direct, and to guide. How thankful we can be that the Spirit of truth has come to give us the guidance that we often so desperately need. Set your course by His life, and you will reach safe harbor. The Spirit is a reliable guide in all of life's seas. Let Him guide you. We may be weak, but He is mighty. He will hold us always with His powerful hands.

  Dear God and most merciful father, who commanded the children of Israel to offer a daily sacrifice to thee, that thereby they might glorify and praise thee for thy protection both night and day; receive, O Lord, my morning sacrifice which I now offer up to thee. I yield thee humble and hearty thanks that thou has preserved me from the danger of the night past, and brought me to the light of the day, and the comforts thereof, a day which is consecrated to thine own service and for thine own honor. Let my heart, therefore, Gracious God, be so affected with the glory and majesty of it, that I may not do my own works, but wait on thee, and discharge those weighty duties thou require of me. Grant that the same Spirit may perfect in my life the work of Your grace and love, and that I may bear my cross with You. And with courage, overcome the obstacles that interfere with my salvation. Teach me to be Your faithful disciple and animate me in every way with Your Spirit. Bless all your people,

Praise is powerful! When Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne was troubled with a coldness of heart toward the things of the Lord, he would sing the praises of God until he felt revived in his spirit. Those in his household were often able to tell what hour he awoke because he began the day with a psalm of praise. One day, while he was trying to prepare his heart for preaching, he wrote in his journal: "Is it the desire of my heart to be made altogether holy? . . . Lord, You know all things . . . I've felt so much deadness and grief that I cannot grieve for this deadness. Toward evening I revived. Got a calm spirit through [singing psalms] and prayer". McCheyne had been uplifted by praising God. Perhaps you feel as if you are mired in what John Bunyan called the "slough of despond". Lift a song of praise to the Lord. The psalmist said, "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever" (89:1). When we do that, the praise will flow not only from our lip

Dear God, blessed are You for ever. Great is your mercy for Your people. In the morning I cry out to You, Holy is Your Name. My sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo. Forgive what my lips tremble to name, what my heart can no longer bear, and what has become for me a consuming fire of judgment. Set me free from a past that I cannot change; open to me a future in which I can be changed; and grant me grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image. I bless You for calling me to be one of Your holy people. Remain in my heart, and guide me in my love and service all of this day. Help me to shine your light before others and lead them to the way of faith. Amen

So often we focus on small disappointments that cause us to grumble and complain rather than focusing on the wonderful things God has brought into our lives, not the least of which is His everlasting love and eternal salvation. When we complain about the small dissatisfactions of life, we're asking, in effect, "Lord, why?". Were you asking the same question if you were disappointed? Are you complaining right away? Paul wrote, "In everything give thanks" (1 Thes. 5:18). We may not be thankful for everything that comes our way, but we can give thanks in everything. It may be difficult to be grateful when we lose our job or our health fails, but we can be thankful for the good that God has brought to us in this life and grateful for the life to come. As endless as God's blessings are, so should our praises be. Instead of being preoccupied with our problems, let's praise the Lord for His blessings.

  Dear God, I bless You for the day You have made. I pray that I may spend this day rejoicing in Your creation. I pray for your Holy Spirit to fill me with the joy of my salvation, so that Your light may shine through me into the world, that Your honor and glory may be known to all people. Remind me of your blessings with every tribulation I may face, so that I may act with energy, forgiveness and love, ever mindful of the grace You have shown to me. Help me to perform the work which you have put at my hand. Deliver me, I pray, in my work, from coveting material goods, from falling into the temptation of serving mammon and putting money in the forefront of my life. May I go in peace, with God and with his other children. And, may we love one another as Christ taught us. May I follow the example of good men of old, and may God comfort and help me and all who believe in Him, both in this world and in the world which is to come. Amen

  We know we're getting older when we say things like, "Can you believe how young those professional baseball players are?" And it's a sure sign of aging when we no longer ask, "How are you?" but say, "Hey, you look terrific" - as if we're surprised. Aging is inevitable. Unfortunately, society has taught us to fear advancing age and to disguise its reality as much as possible. But aging can actually be a wonderful thing. Followers of Jesus have the capacity to get significantly better with age. As Paul put it: "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4:16). Just as there are physical signs that reveal we're getting older, there are signs that show we are getting better. Rather than becoming more crotchety, intolerant, and unloving, the maturing follower of Jesus grows better at forgiving, loving, and caring. Growing older is a continuation of the journey to become more like

  Dear God, as I face another day, I know I am going to face many challenges: to my faith, to my patience, to my love for others. I am going to have constant temptations to lapse into sin. Come to me now, Lord, and stay with me all day.  Let Your Spirit encompass my mind. Let me know Your presence. Steer my hand, direct my words, guide my thoughts in everything I think and say and do.  I resolve to live this day as a beacon of Your glory, the best I can, with Your help. I commit myself to give this day to You. In the name of Christ, be with me and help me. Amen

Diana and Dave love to ride their jet skis on the lake, skimming across the water on warm sunny days. But one morning, the weather was cool and mostly cloudy, and Diana couldn't convince Dave to go out. So she went on her own. It was so cold that she flitted back and forth across the lake, trying to keep herself in the sunshine for some needed warmth. But every time she reached a sunny area, the clouds moved and it quickly turned to shade. Realizing the futility and silliness of chasing the sunshine, she finally gave up because it didn't bring her what she wanted. King Solomon did another kind of chasing that couldn't bring him satisfaction (Eccl. 2:1). In the first 11 verses of Ecclesiastes 2 alone, he mentions that he chased after pleasure, laughter, wine, wisdom, houses, gardens, money, possessions, and music. But his evaluation was that "all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun" (2:11). Those pursuits were empty - "vanit

  Dear Lord, let me read Your Word until something new sinks in. Let me pray until I hear Your voice, until all smugness has given way to gratitude. By the power of your Holy Spirit, renew me afresh in Your Word and power, today and every day, energizing me in Your great commission.   I have sinned against heaven and before You. Receive me like the Prodigal Son, and clothe me with the garment of innocence, of which I was deprived by sin. Have mercy upon Your Creatures and upon me, a great sinner, in the name of Christ. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within me all this day. And whatever I do in word or deed, may I do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. In Christ's name, I pray. Amen