Category: Daily Devotion

Philippians 2:3-4 NIV

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

1. Sit quietly for a few minutes. Take a deep breath calming your heart and mind in the presence of Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your soul to hear what Jesus wants to tell you.  

2. Read the above Scripture slowly.  Listen for God’s voice to you in the text.  Read it again and try to identify one word or phrase that stood out to you or caught your attention. 

3. Ponder/meditate on what God is saying to you. What is going on in the passage? What is God wanting you to know? What is the good news He wants for you?

4. Begin to pray from this Scripture passage.  Pray in response to what God is saying to you.   What is the Holy Spirit laying on your heart out of this passage?  Do you need to pray for a confession? Do you need to pray for action? Do you need to pray for a conviction or an affirmation? 

5. Share with your family or friends.  What is your key takeaway from this passage?  What will you put into practice?  Who do you want to pray for to come to know Jesus?

6. Pay special attention to today’s Prayer Focus below and intentionally pray for this need.

PRAYER FOCUS: Pray for the Stepping Stones ministry, all who gather in CtK Community Groups, and those searching for community.

Mark 5:1-10, 18-19

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” 9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area…

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

1. Sit quietly for a few minutes. Take a deep breath calming your heart and mind in the presence of Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your soul to hear what Jesus wants to tell you.  

2. Read the above Scripture slowly.  Listen for God’s voice to you in the text.  Read it again and try to identify one word or phrase that stood out to you or caught your attention. 

3. Ponder/meditate on what God is saying to you. What is going on in the passage? What is God wanting you to know? What is the good news He wants for you?

4. Begin to pray from this Scripture passage.  Pray in response to what God is saying to you.   What is the Holy Spirit laying on your heart out of this passage?  Do you need to pray for a confession? Do you need to pray for action? Do you need to pray for a conviction or an affirmation? 

5. Share with your family or friends.  What is your key takeaway from this passage?  What will you put into practice?  Who do you want to pray for to come to know Jesus?

6. Pay special attention to today’s Prayer Focus below and intentionally pray for this need.

PRAYER FOCUS: Pray for those who suffer from depression and mental health issues.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1. Sit quietly for a few minutes. Take a deep breath calming your heart and mind in the presence of Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your soul to hear what Jesus wants to tell you.  

2. Read the above Scripture slowly.  Listen for God’s voice to you in the text.  Read it again and try to identify one word or phrase that stood out to you or caught your attention. 

3. Ponder/meditate on what God is saying to you. What is going on in the passage? What is God wanting you to know? What is the good news He wants for you?

4. Begin to pray from this Scripture passage.  Pray in response to what God is saying to you.   What is the Holy Spirit laying on your heart out of this passage?  Do you need to pray for a confession? Do you need to pray for action? Do you need to pray for a conviction or an affirmation? 

5. Share with your family or friends.  What is your key takeaway from this passage?  What will you put into practice?  Who do you want to pray for to come to know Jesus?

6. Pay special attention to today’s Prayer Focus below and intentionally pray for this need.

PRAYER FOCUS: Pray for God’s wisdom and guidance in marriages, relationships, and those struggling through divorce.

Matthew 19:14-15 NIV

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

1. Sit quietly for a few minutes. Take a deep breath calming your heart and mind in the presence of Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your soul to hear what Jesus wants to tell you.  

2. Read the above Scripture slowly.  Listen for God’s voice to you in the text.  Read it again and try to identify one word or phrase that stood out to you or caught your attention. 

3. Ponder/meditate on what God is saying to you. What is going on in the passage? What is God wanting you to know? What is the good news He wants for you?

4. Begin to pray from this Scripture passage.  Pray in response to what God is saying to you.   What is the Holy Spirit laying on your heart out of this passage?  Do you need to pray for a confession? Do you need to pray for action? Do you need to pray for a conviction or an affirmation? 

5. Share with your family or friends.  What is your key takeaway from this passage?  What will you put into practice?  Who do you want to pray for to come to know Jesus?

6. Pay special attention to today’s Prayer Focus below and intentionally pray for this need.

PRAYER FOCUS: Pray for CtK Preschool & Children’s Ministry. Pray for school teachers & staff in our communities, as well as school safety.

John 4:13-18

13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

1. Sit quietly for a few minutes. Take a deep breath calming your heart and mind in the presence of Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your soul to hear what Jesus wants to tell you.  

2. Read the above Scripture slowly.  Listen for God’s voice to you in the text.  Read it again and try to identify one word or phrase that stood out to you or caught your attention. 

3. Ponder/meditate on what God is saying to you. What is going on in the passage? What is God wanting you to know? What is the good news He wants for you?

4. Begin to pray from this Scripture passage.  Pray in response to what God is saying to you.   What is the Holy Spirit laying on your heart out of this passage?  Do you need to pray for a confession? Do you need to pray for action? Do you need to pray for a conviction or an affirmation? 

5. Share with your family or friends.  What is your key takeaway from this passage?  What will you put into practice?  Who do you want to pray for to come to know Jesus?

6. Pay special attention to today’s Prayer Focus below and intentionally pray for this need.

PRAYER FOCUS: Pray for those who struggle with self-control and addictions.  

Hebrews 13:2 NIV

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

1. Sit quietly for a few minutes. Take a deep breath calming your heart and mind in the presence of Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your soul to hear what Jesus wants to tell you.  

2. Read the above Scripture slowly.  Listen for God’s voice to you in the text.  Read it again and try to identify one word or phrase that stood out to you or caught your attention. 

3. Ponder/meditate on what God is saying to you. What is going on in the passage? What is God wanting you to know? What is the good news He wants for you?

4. Begin to pray from this Scripture passage.  Pray in response to what God is saying to you.   What is the Holy Spirit laying on your heart out of this passage?  Do you need to pray for a confession? Do you need to pray for action? Do you need to pray for a conviction or an affirmation? 

5. Share with your family or friends.  What is your key takeaway from this passage?  What will you put into practice?  Who do you want to pray for to come to know Jesus?

6. Pay special attention to today’s Prayer Focus below and intentionally pray for this need.

PRAYER FOCUS: Pray for our church hospitality team and Steele Creek Community Place volunteers.  

Luke 7:37-48 NIV

37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

1. Sit quietly for a few minutes. Take a deep breath calming your heart and mind in the presence of Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your soul to hear what Jesus wants to tell you.  

2. Read the above Scripture slowly.  Listen for God’s voice to you in the text.  Read it again and try to identify one word or phrase that stood out to you or caught your attention. 

3. Ponder/meditate on what God is saying to you. What is going on in the passage? What is God wanting you to know? What is the good news He wants for you?

4. Begin to pray from this Scripture passage.  Pray in response to what God is saying to you.   What is the Holy Spirit laying on your heart out of this passage?  Do you need to pray for a confession? Do you need to pray for action? Do you need to pray for a conviction or an affirmation? 

5. Share with your family or friends.  What is your key takeaway from this passage?  What will you put into practice?  Who do you want to pray for to come to know Jesus?

6. Pay special attention to today’s Prayer Focus below and intentionally pray for this need.

PRAYER FOCUS: Pray for the hurting and ‘invisible’ people in our communities that are often overlooked or ignored.  

Ephesians 4:32 NIV

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

1. Sit quietly for a few minutes. Take a deep breath calming your heart and mind in the presence of Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your soul to hear what Jesus wants to tell you.  

2. Read the above Scripture slowly.  Listen for God’s voice to you in the text.  Read it again and try to identify one word or phrase that stood out to you or caught your attention. 

3. Ponder/meditate on what God is saying to you. What is going on in the passage? What is God wanting you to know? What is the good news He wants for you?

4. Begin to pray from this Scripture passage.  Pray in response to what God is saying to you.   What is the Holy Spirit laying on your heart out of this passage?  Do you need to pray for a confession? Do you need to pray for action? Do you need to pray for a conviction or an affirmation? 

5. Share with your family or friends.  What is your key takeaway from this passage?  What will you put into practice?  Who do you want to pray for to come to know Jesus?

6. Pay special attention to today’s Prayer Focus below and intentionally pray for this need.

PRAYER FOCUS: Pray for those struggling to receive God’s forgiveness, or people who are struggling to forgive those who have wronged them. 

Romans 12:15-18 NIV

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

1. Sit quietly for a few minutes. Take a deep breath calming your heart and mind in the presence of Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your soul to hear what Jesus wants to tell you.  

2. Read the above Scripture slowly.  Listen for God’s voice to you in the text.  Read it again and try to identify one word or phrase that stood out to you or caught your attention. 

3. Ponder/meditate on what God is saying to you. What is going on in the passage? What is God wanting you to know? What is the good news He wants for you?

4. Begin to pray from this Scripture passage.  Pray in response to what God is saying to you.   What is the Holy Spirit laying on your heart out of this passage?  Do you need to pray for a confession? Do you need to pray for action? Do you need to pray for a conviction or an affirmation? 

5. Share with your family or friends.  What is your key takeaway from this passage?  What will you put into practice?  Who do you want to pray for to come to know Jesus?

6. Pay special attention to today’s Prayer Focus below and intentionally pray for this need.

PRAYER FOCUS: Pray for those who are entering a season of joy, but also pray for those who are grieving.  

Mark 1:40-42 NIV

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

1. Sit quietly for a few minutes. Take a deep breath calming your heart and mind in the presence of Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your soul to hear what Jesus wants to tell you.  

2. Read the above Scripture slowly.  Listen for God’s voice to you in the text.  Read it again and try to identify one word or phrase that stood out to you or caught your attention. 

3. Ponder/meditate on what God is saying to you. What is going on in the passage? What is God wanting you to know? What is the good news He wants for you?

4. Begin to pray from this Scripture passage.  Pray in response to what God is saying to you.   What is the Holy Spirit laying on your heart out of this passage?  Do you need to pray for a confession? Do you need to pray for action? Do you need to pray for a conviction or an affirmation? 

5. Share with your family or friends.  What is your key takeaway from this passage?  What will you put into practice?  Who do you want to pray for to come to know Jesus?

6. Pay special attention to today’s Prayer Focus below and intentionally pray for this need.

PRAYER FOCUS: Pray for those with medical afflictions and ailments that keep them isolated.