Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Ephesians 6:10

It’s back to school season. You’ve probably got all your new pencils, pens, notebooks, and folders all purchased, and you’re ready to go. And it’s good to get all your supplies, clothes, and gear packed and ready for the new year. But in all your preparations for school, don’t forget to prepare yourself spiritually too.

School can sometimes be a trying time for your faith. You might face peer pressure that makes standing up for truth hard. You might be confronted with messages in your classes that contradict what you know to be true from God’s word.

All that can make keeping your faith strong when you go back to school. That’s where today’s verse should help.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. – Ephesians 6:10 (NIV)

Today’s verse talks about being strong in the Lord. When your faith feels weak when you’re at school, you can rely on God’s strength. You can look to His power to help you.

So as you prep to go back, take some time to prep spiritually too. Memorize good scriptures, and think about truth from God’s word so that when you do go back to friends, and faith challenging messages, you’re able to stand strong for truth this year!

Today’s Truth: You can choose to Stand for Truth This Year

Ephesians 6:10

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Hebrews 4:16

It’s getting to be back to school time. Sometimes that can feel overwhelming. Perhaps the idea of new classes or a new teacher seems scary to you. Maybe you just know that your faith will be tested and tried while you’re at school and it can make you not want to go back.

Regardless of how you feel, today’s Bible verse should help encourage you.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. – Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

What do you need for this upcoming year? Do you need help with math? Is it a different group of friends that help challenge you to serve God more? What do you need?

Once you know that, then go to God. Ask Him for His help. Get His wisdom for the upcoming year. Know that He’s ready and willing to help you with whatever need you have. So don’t be afraid to ask. Don’t feel like your need is too small or it’s too big. God’s love for you is so big. Go to Him for the help and encouragement that you need to get through this school year.

If you are struggling with going back to school, check out this 5-day devotion geared to encourage you with practical tips on going back to school.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Deuteronomy 31:6

I hate to even write the words. But, as you already know, it’s coming to the end of summer. You’re probably gearing up and getting ready for the new school year to start.

With the start of the new school year, it can often bring some mixed feelings. You might feel some excitement, to get back to the routine of schoolwork, studying, and seeing friends. But it can also bring with it feelings of dread.

Schoolwork might seem overwhelming for you if you’re not the best student academically. You might wonder if you’ll get along with new teachers. Possibly, you could dread dealing with a bully every day.

All these feelings can build up and make you really dread the upcoming year. Here’s some truth to encourage you.

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” – Deut 31:6 (NLT)

God’s word is truth. And God tells us that He will personally go ahead of us. Have you ever thought about that? Each day, He’s going ahead of you, in the halls of your school, making a way for you.

When the bully at school says things that are horrible, know that God hasn’t abandoned you. He’s right there with you, as you go through the difficult stuff.

So choose to not dread the upcoming year. Instead, know that God is going before you, He hasn’t left you alone and He’s making a way for you!

Today’s Truth: You’re Going Back to School With God’s Help Each Day

Need a little extra encouragement from God’s word this year as you get ready to go back to school? If so, check out “Every Teenagers Guide to Going Back to School” it’s a great devotion resource packed with tips from God’s word to help you start your year off right!

Going back to school

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Hebrews 10:35

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! – Hebrews 10:35 (NLT)

A few months ago, I was eating at a restaurant. I finished eating and was getting ready to leave and realized I couldn’t find my phone anywhere. I went back to the table where I was sitting, looked to see if it fell on the floor or was on my chair. My phone was nowhere to be found. After thinking about it for a minute I realized what must have happened. I must have accidentally thrown my phone in the trash while I was throwing away all the papers and wrappers from eating my food. As gross as looking through the trash was, I knew it was the only way to get my phone back. So I began digging and sure enough a few layers deep in the trash can sat my phone.

It can be really easy to throw something away by mistake, like your phone. In our walk with God, we’ve got to be careful not to throw away our trust in God. It can be easy when something unexpected happens in life to want to question God or not trust Him.

Today’s Truth: Confidence in God comes by reminding yourself of how good God is.

So how do we keep from throwing away our confidence in God? It comes by reminding yourself daily of how good God is. Remember the times that God has come through for you. Remind yourself of the fact that regardless of how hopeless things might seem right now that God cannot leave or forsake you.

Don’t make the mistake of losing hope and trust in God. God will not let you down. Continue to put your hope and trust in God and in time you’ll look back and see how God moved mightily on your behalf.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Colossians 3:23

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, – Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

Do you have a job? Or parents that make you do chores? Perhaps you know that soon you’ll be heading back to school, and you know that you’ll have assignments and work to do there.

Regardless of the type of work, as Christians, God is calling us to work for Him, not for others. That means our attitude should be good. What would your attitude look like, if you did your work as if Jesus was looking over your shoulder? Would it be better than it is, or the same?

Sometimes, it’s good to be reminded that in the things we do, we’re not just working for ourselves, but we’re also working for the Lord. So when your mom asks you to fold some laundry or help with dishes, remember that you’re not just doing the work for her. You’re doing it for the Lord.

So keep your heart right, your attitude good, and know that as you have a good attitude, others are watching and noticing. It might even open up a conversation with someone where you could point them to Jesus as a result of your obedience to God and good attitude.

Today’s Truth: You’re Working for the Lord

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Philippians 2:14

Do you have those days when everything your mom and brother do simply drive you crazy? Maybe as hard as you try, your family continually irritates you. As a result, you’re constantly in a bad mood.

Do everything without complaining and arguing, – Philippians 2:14 (NLT)

Today’s Bible verse is a challenge for those days when everyone is making us mad. It’s for those days when everything your mom asks you to do feels like too much. And especially for those times when you just want to be left alone.

Yes, we have days when we just are struggling, but even on those bad days, it’s up to us to try to practice self-control when dealing with others. You can push yourself to have a good attitude even if the people who live at your house make you mad. There are times when even when you want to complain about a chore or argue with your brother that you can say no.

And while that isn’t always easy, it’s what we’re challenged to do. So today, determine to try to set aside arguing and complaining. Decide that you’ll drop the small things and try to have a good attitude as you go through life today.

Today’s Truth: Have a good attitude today.

Phil 2:14

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 1 Cor 13:5

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. – 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

Today’s Bible verse gives us a picture of how we as Christians should be loving others. When we love others with the God kind of love, it should show by how we treat others.

It means that when our mom tells us to do something that we don’t agree with, we shouldn’t fly into a rage or talk back to her. It also means that we shouldn’t be holding grudges because of something our friend did.

When you love others with the God kind of love it takes effort. You have to say no to what feels good in the moment and let God’s love lead you. It takes a lot of effort to hold back those hurtful words that would feel good to say.

However, when you make the decision to love others as this verse says, it brings peace into your life. You can let God move through you and be a light to others around you. So challenge yourself today to really let God’s love flow through you to others and see what God will do through you!

Today’s Truth: Let God’s Love Flow Through You.

Read: Three Steps To Loving Difficult People

Let God's love flow through you

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 1 John 4:4

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. – 1 John 4:4

The last thing you probably want to think about right now on summer break is math. But, just for the sake of illustration today, let’s think back to the early elementary math that you learned. Do you recall learning about greater than, less than, and equal to? And when one number was bigger than the other, you called that number the greater number?

In the same way, in life, we have something greater. Not a greater number, but you do have the greater one living on the inside of you. That means that when you face a difficult situation, you’re not facing it alone. You’ve got someone to help you, to lead you, and to help you overcome.

When life gets tough and it feels like you can’t make it through, you can be encouraged. You’ve got what you need to be a success and overcome in every area of your life.

Choose today to lean on the help of the greater one living in you. You can know that no matter what you face today, you’re not alone and you can overcome!

Today’s Truth: You’re not alone. You have the greater one living in you!

Greater one

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Ephesians 1:4

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

Have you ever been chosen last when your friends picked teams in a game? I wasn’t that great at sports and so when I got picked last for a team at recess I hated it! I always wanted to be better at the game and wished that I could avoid getting picked last.

No matter how good or bad you are at a sport or a team, it doesn’t really matter. It’s being chosen that makes you important. And the good news is, God not only did God choose you, but He chose you first. This verse says that God chose you before he made the world. He chose you first. He loved you and wanted you to be a part of His family. So regardless if you feel unloved, chosen last, or ignored, that’s not the truth. God loves you and He chose you first!

Focus on truth. People might be fickle. They might not love you unconditionally, but God does. And it’s His thoughts about you that matter. So focus on what He says and know that you’re loved by Him.

Today’s Truth: God loves you, and you’re His first choice!

god loves you

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Romans 15:13

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13 (NLT)

Trusting God can be really hard. Especially when things are not going the way you’d like them to be. Maybe you wanted to go on vacation this summer and you found out you couldn’t go. Perhaps your friend let you down and you don’t know where to turn or who to trust.

Life isn’t easy. However, in the midst of what we’re going through we can still have hope. Even in difficult circumstances, we can believe God for joy and peace.

When we put our trust in God, we can go through the toughest of situations with joy, knowing that we will come out on the other side. So today, take comfort knowing that God is good and that you can make it. Regardless of the difficulty, you can go through it with joy and peace with God on your side.

Today’s Truth: Hope is Never Lost With God on Your Side

Hope never lost