Devotions for Teenagers and Youth

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Colossians 3:23

Posted on September 12, 2024

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, – Colossians 3:23 (HSCB)

It’s hard to stay motivated when things are tough. Maybe you tried really hard on a project for school and didn’t get the grade you wanted. Or perhaps you tried out for the basketball team only to find out that you didn’t make the cut. When you try hard but don’t get the results you want it can be really disappointing.

Today’s Bible verse talks about doing all things enthusiastically as if you’re doing them for the Lord. A good way to think about it is in everything you do, treat it as worship to God. So even when you try something and don’t get the results you want, if you’ve done our best, then you can take comfort in the fact that God sees what you’re doing. And God rewards those who are faithful.

In everything you do, do your best. Remember that you’re doing things for God, not for others. So even if doing the right thing is hard, it’s always worth it in the long run. So choose to do things enthusiastically and for God.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Esther 2:15

Posted on September 6, 2024

When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her – Esther 2:15 (NIV)

Esther amazes me sometimes. She was a woman who didn’t exactly have life fall into place the way she probably wanted it to. Her parents had died. That could have left her angry and bitter. Instead, we see her being a woman who was humble and willing to take advice.

She listened to those in charge of her, and took their advice. She didn’t think that she knew better than those over her, instead she listened to what they had to say and acted on it.

I feel like if we were honest, most of us would not respond the way Esther did. If our parents died, we’d be sad, angry and bitter. Also, imagine being taken from your home, and then being forced to marry someone you might not really care about.

All of these things could have made Esther bitter and unhappy. But instead of feeling that way, she chooses to listen to those in charge of her, and ends up being the one the king chose for his wife. She must have really trusted God to still have such a good attitude in the midst of so many things that weren’t really going the way she probably wanted them to.

How about you? Do you face times when you want to get bitter and angry? When things don’t turn out how you’d like them to do you get upset or do you go to God? Do you tell Him the things that trouble you, and trust Him to bring you through?

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 139:14

Posted on September 5, 2024

“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it.” – Psalm 139:14 (NLT)

Most of my teenage years were spent feeling bad about myself. I struggled with a low self-esteem. I battled depression and struggled with wanting to harm myself. This verse was the catalyst to overcoming my low self esteem.

One of the best things you can do when you battle a low self-esteem is to spend sometime thinking about how God sees you. When you begin to see your value to God, it will change the way you view yourself. It will take you from depressed to happy, from hating yourself to seeing your true value.

My life radically changed when I began to see myself the way God saw me. Once I believed that God loved me and wanted the best for me, I was able to begin to love myself. You can win the battle with low self-esteem, and it starts by realizing how much God loves you.

Today’s Truth: When begin to see your value to God, it will change how you view yourself.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 119:114

Posted on September 4, 2024

You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope. – Psalm 119:114

Sometimes when life gets tough, we just need someone to have our back. When you have those moments when you feel like you can’t keep going or that life is just too hard, it’s important to remember what today’s Bible verse says.

This verse tells us first that God is our refuge and shield. That means when things get tough, we can go to Him and He will keep us safe and be a place of refuge. When life gets hard and you have difficulty trying to keep going, you can remember that you can always go to God and He will be your place to get recharged and feeling better about life.

Today’s Truth: No matter how crazy life gets, we can find hope in God’s word!

We also see in this verse that God’s word can be our source of hope. No matter how crazy life gets, we can always have hope. We see in the Bible that we can make it through. God’s word is so important because it gives us hope. We see in it that we can do all things through Christ and that God will never leave us or forsake us. So even though life sometimes is hard, you can be encouraged to know that God will always take care of us!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 2 Timothy 3:16

Posted on September 3, 2024

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. – 2 Timothy 3:16

We can learn from our mistakes but often those mistakes knock us down and hurt us. However, a better way to learn and grow is to have God show us where we need to change and grow through the Bible. This is a less painful and more effective way and in the end, it helps us trust God more.

When we take the time to read God’s word (the Bible) and let it correct us and show us the best way to live, feel and view things, we are being instructed the way He intended for us. We are able to avoid pitfalls and circumstances that He knows would hurt us. Just like a loving Father, God wants us to live a good life. He knows what’s best for us and that is why He has given us His Word.

Today, take time to not only read the Bible but let it speak to you. If something stands out and shows you that your current path isn’t the best, decide to follow the Bible over your feelings. This is what trusting God is all about; not leaning to your own understanding but His.

Daily Devotion and Bible Verse – Ephesians 1:4

Posted on August 30, 2024

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. – Ephesians 1:4 (NLT)

This Bible verse clearly shows us how much God loves us. God didn’t just love us, but He chose us too. If you’ve ever been chosen last for a sports team or for a school project you know how good it feels when someone chooses you.

God didn’t just choose you because He felt bad for you. This verse says that He chose you before He made the world. That means He chose you first! He thinks you are important.

The other great thing about what this verse tells us is that we are without fault in His eyes. When God looks at us he doesn’t see our failures and faults, He sees us in Christ and Holy. So when you begin to feel down about yourself, remember that God chose you first and He sees you without fault.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Philippians 4:7

Posted on August 28, 2024

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Phil 4:7 (NIV)

God’s desire for our lives is that we walk in peace. Often, it’s easy to become more aware of our troubles than God’s peace.

The trick to walking in peace is to choose it at all costs. It might mean saying no to some things that are good but don’t bring peace in your life. It might be separating yourself from relationships that cause you stress. Choosing peace in your life isn’t always easy, but it is good for you.

God wants you to live a life full of peace. It takes some practice to choose peace when things are stressful. The good news is that you get to choose your response in every situation. That response can be peace even when things look bad around you.

So today, if you’ve fallen into the trap of stress and anxiety determine to change your response. Choose to not let all the little situations around you bring you stress. Instead, take a minute and tap into God’s peace. Sing a song or think of a scripture that makes you happy. As you do, you’ll find that the stress goes and peace comes. You might have to do this over and over again all day long, but as you practice it, walking in peace will become a habit in your life.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Proverbs 11:24

Posted on August 27, 2024

One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. – Proverbs 11:24 (HSCB)

Have you noticed how easy it is to be focused on yourself? You’re probably concerned about the teachers you have, whether you’ll get a date to the dance, or perhaps focused on saving money for something you want to buy. All of these concerns keep us focused inward. We get so wrapped up in ourselves we forget to think about others.

We were put here to be a blessing to others and show them who Jesus is. And if we spend all our money, energy and time thinking about ourselves, we’re not thinking in terms of eternity.

So instead of focusing all our money, time and energy on getting the newest thing, we should take some time to think of others. What is a way you could bless someone with something you have? Maybe you could give a friend a t-shirt of yours you know they liked. How about buying a candy bar for that person next to you in math class that seems to be having a bad day.

Challenge yourself to make your life more about giving to others than keeping it all to yourself. Choose to give freely and see what a difference you can make for God.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 2 Cor 5:17

Posted on August 23, 2024

Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! – 2 Cor 5:17

We all like new stuff. New shoes, new clothes, new video games, or a new phone. New stuff is just the best! Do you know that when God sees you, he sees new? When God looks at you after you’ve accepted Jesus as your savior He sees a new creature.

He doesn’t see who you were before you knew Jesus. He doesn’t see your shortcomings, failures and all the stuff that you’ve done wrong. He sees someone who is fresh and new.

When you think about how excited you get when you get a new phone and you can’t wait to use it, that’s just a fraction of how excited God gets about you. He loves you and is thrilled that you’re His child.

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