We have courage in God’s presence, because we are sure that he hears us if we ask him for anything that is according to his will.  – 1 John 5:14 (GNT)

Do you ever struggle with prayer? Do you wonder what to pray, or how to know if God really hears you when you pray?

Prayer can feel a bit weird when you get started, but it’s like most things, the more you practice it, the easier it gets. One way to make prayer easier is to start by doing what this verse says, to ask or pray for things according to the will of God.

How can we know God’s will? One of the easiest ways to learn God’s will is by spending time reading the Bible. The Bible is the will of God. So when you pray about something, search the Bible for verses that back up what you’re praying about.

For example, if you have a friend you’d like to lead to Christ, but you are scared to tell them about God, find verses on fear or boldness. Pray those verses over yourself in your times of prayer. Praying God’s word is one of the best ways to be effective in your prayers.

Think for a moment. What’s your motivation for the things that you do? Do you run for your track team because you like running? Or do you run because you have lots of friends that go out for the sport and you want to have fun with them?

In life, there can be many different things that motivate us. Sometimes we’re motivated by peer pressure, money, fear, all different kinds of things. Let’s take a look at what motivated Jesus.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, – Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)

Jesus was motivated by love. He loves us, so He gave it all for us. He wanted good things for us, so He gave everything He had so we could get redemption, forgiveness, grace and so much more.

It can be easy to forget with all that is going on in life, how amazing Jesus really is. He gave up everything so we could have it all. He really was motivated by love.

We’d like to give a big thanks to Lucas Beron for creating the image for today’s devotion. If you like his designs, you can see more of his work by following him at @yosigonmd. He’s also written several devotions for us in the past: How to Live Fear-Free During Coronavirus and Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 4:8.

Do you hate waiting for things? I know I do! I remember I just couldn’t wait to finish my schooling. I counted down the days until I graduated and couldn’t wait to start the next phase of my life.

You might not be looking forward to graduation, but there’s probably something in your life that you wish would happen faster. Maybe you prayed for something, and it’s just taking so long to come to pass in your life. That reminds me a lot of today’s Bible verse.

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” – Genesis 28:15 (NIV)

God reminds us in this verse that He will not leave us until He’s done what He promised us. So if you’re waiting on a promise of God, know that it is coming. It doesn’t always come in the timeframe that we want, but it does always come. God knows where you are. He knows how to get the things you need to you. So don’t give up. Don’t lose heart.

God loves you, He has a plan and a future for you that’s good. Stay with Him, stay close to Him. Let Him lead, guide, and help you each step of the way.

We’d like to give a big thanks to Lucas Beron for creating the image for today’s devotion. If you like his designs, you can see more of his work by following him at @yosigonmd. He’s also written several devotions for us in the past: How to Live Fear-Free During Coronavirus and Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 4:8.

Have you noticed that life can get stressful? There are days when you have way more to do than what you can handle on your own. Maybe you’ve got so much homework, chores, and responsibilities that the weight of them seems overwhelming.

Perhaps you struggle with all the drama at school and feel like no one gets you or understands. Life can be really tough sometimes, but here’s the truth:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

What do I like about this verse? It’s the reminder that He cares. He cares that you feel overwhelmed. He cares that the drama at school or home seems overwhelming. That’s because He’s a God of love who cares about the most intimate details of your life.

And because He cares, He wants you to not have to lift those cares and worry alone. He wants to help you, walk with you, and be the one to carry your concerns.

So today, put them on Jesus. Let Him be the one you trust with your worry and care. And know that He’s there to help you each step of the way.

We’d like to give a big thanks to Lucas Beron for creating the image for today’s devotion. If you like his designs, you can see more of his work by following him at @yosigonmd. He’s also written several devotions for us in the past: How to Live Fear-Free During Coronavirus and Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 4:8.

We’ve been through a lot in the last few years. A pandemic and chaos have affected all of us. But there is good news. It’s that throughout the whole time, God has been good to us.

God’s love has never failed us. He has brought us through many difficult times, and that’s good news. Regardless of what happens in the world, or in our lives, we can take comfort in the fact that God has always been good. That’s His nature, and it doesn’t change.

I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. – Psalm 13:6 (NIV)

So even when things don’t always appear to be good on the surface, we can take comfort in the fact that God is good. He has always been good, and He will always be good to us.

Today, take some time to thank God for His goodness. We didn’t deserve it, but He still gave it to us because He loves us. That’s good news. Realize that no matter how bad things look, God is working, and He is good to you!

We’d like to give a big thanks to Lucas Beron for creating the image for today’s devotion. If you like his designs, you can see more of his work by following him at @yosigonmd. He’s also written several devotions for us in the past: How to Live Fear-Free During Coronavirus and Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 4:8.

With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. – Proverbs 11:9 (NLT)

I remember a time at church when I said some really mean things about another student. I wanted my friends to think I was funny so I said what I needed to get a laugh and didn’t think about how my words would affect the other person. My words really hurt that student’s feelings and I still feel bad about it years later.

Our words are powerful. They have the ability to hurt others deeply. However, words aren’t always used in bad ways. In fact, your words can be helpful to others as well. You can choose to speak life to other people. Your words can encourage a friend that is down. You can positively influence those around you, simply by the words you speak.

Today determine to be a better version of yourself than you were the day before. Let your words bring life and encouragement to those around you. Choose to be a person who builds others up, not tears them down. Ask God for His help in putting a guard over your mouth and begin to speak life-giving words today.

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. – Genesis 8:1 (NIV)

You might be going through something tough today. In fact, you might be going through something for months like Noah was here in this Bible verse. Noah had been obeying God now for years. He had built an ark according to God’s instruction. He had been on the ark for months as the floods came and stayed. He might have been tempted to get discouraged wondering if the floods were ever going to go away. However, God didn’t forget about Noah. He still came through for him by causing the waters to recede.

Just like Noah, God hasn’t forgotten about you. He knows where you’re at and how to help you. If you’ve stepped out and obeyed Him, even if it’s been months, keep standing strong in the faith because God will come through and remember you in your situation.

God is there to help you walk through the difficulties that you face. In the midst of difficulty, it’s easy to lose hope and become discouraged. Challenge yourself in those times to not give up. God has a good plan for you and a future that is good. Keep pressing into Him and see God bring a miracle to pass in your life if you don’t give up.

There can be times when it can really feel tough forcing yourself to read your Bible. You might rather watch some TV, or talk to a friend, and finding time to work in some Bible reading time can seem more like a chore than a blessing.

However, there are benefits to reading your Bible. One of the great ones is that reading your Bible gives you understanding.

in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. – Daniel 9:2 (NIV)

Because Daniel read the scriptures, he began to realize the time it was in history. He began to get an understanding of the time he was living in since he was living during the 70-year period Jeremiah had described.

The same is true for us. As we read God’s word, we get understanding. When we don’t know what to do, we can begin to read the Bible and it always seems like God gives us the wisdom that we need to know the next step. When we struggle with making a decision, often reading the Bible can give us the understanding we need to make a wise choice.

So today, take time, even if it feels like work to get into the Bible. Read the scriptures and see what God is wanting to speak into your life and your situation.