Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: PSALM 103:11-13; ISAIAH 57:14-21; EPHESIANS 2:13

Isaiah spoke what later became Isaiah 57:15 to the Israelites when they were held captive by the Babylonians. Before Isaiah spoke these words…

READ: PSALMS 51:7; 103:8-12; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17

The midnight bell tolled as Freya stood before the stone steps of the king’s library. She shut her eyes and for a moment she was just a child again,…

READ: MATTHEW 6:9-10; ROMANS 8:26-39; EPHESIANS 6:18-20

Have you ever prayed for a win? Maybe you asked God for a home run or a goal or for a certain player to make a three-point shot. If you play…

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-11; 11:23-33

My favorite football team made it through one game in the NFL playoffs, and then they lost. It was a heartbreaking loss because I knew they easily could have w…

READ: JONAH 1:1-17; 2:1-10; 3:1-3; LUKE 15:11-32

Like Jonah I’ve been running away

even though I hear God’s call

above the crashing waves

Still I’m sinking in my sin

deeper than I’ve ever been

shac…

READ: PSALM 119:9-16; ROMANS 12:1-2; PHILIPPIANS 4:8

As we go about our everyday lives, we will inevitably see and hear things that bother us—from things people talk about and jokes they make, to …

READ: PSALM 13; REVELATION 6:9-11; 21:1-7

Working in a fast-paced environment can be stressful, especially when you’re new. I used to work at a very busy coffeeshop, and I was so nervous and stres…

READ: PROVERBS 10:20; LUKE 6:43-45; JAMES 3:1-12

Have you ever had trouble with saying the wrong thing at the wrong time? I have, more often than I’d like to admit. At times I have my tongue under…

READ: PSALM 29:2; MATTHEW 2:1-12; JOHN 4:23-24

Today, many Christians celebrate Epiphany by remembering how the magi followed a star and traveled to Bethlehem to see Jesus. In many ways, the magi …

READ: JOHN 3:16-17; 14:1-10; REVELATION 1:5-8; 21:1-5

Do you like having something to look forward to? I do! I think having something to look forward to keeps me in a positive mindset. Whether it’…

READ: PROVERBS 16:24; 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-7; EPHESIANS 4:29-32

Have you ever tasted unsweetened chocolate? By itself, chocolate is very bitter! When a dessert recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa pow…

READ: PSALM 56:8; ISAIAH 53:3-5; HEBREWS 4:14-16

She was sick and had been for a long time. Her siblings were at school and her parents were at work. All she had to keep her company was the rain t…

READ: GALATIANS 6:9-10; COLOSSIANS 2:6-7

A wise friend of mine once said, “I never realized how much of my adult life would be choosing between good things.” He’s lived longer than I have, so I pa…

READ: ROMANS 12:1-21; 14:7-9

I purchased a new calendar,

Am I silly for wanting one for the wall?

I look at the days that await me,

I want you to be Lord of them all.

There is so much life coming,

…

READ: LUKE 22:24-27; PHILIPPIANS 2:1-18

“Pastor, could you follow me to make sure I get home okay?”

Mrs. Nelson asked this question. The pastor was my dad. It was New Year’s Eve, and it was ver…

READ: 1 CHRONICLES 16:8-14; ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8; ROMANS 8:28-29; 35-39

A lot can happen in a year. A year can seem like both a long time and a short time all at once. Already, this year is nearly o…

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-7; 1 JOHN 4:7-21

The simple note written on a card and given to me by a family member echoed in my mind. It read, “Love you! Proud of you!” I couldn’t stop thinking about …

READ: ROMANS 5:5; 8:1-2, 8-11; EPHESIANS 1:13

Imagine you saw a pair of shoes walking down the street without anyone wearing them. You’d probably think it was some uncanny new technology or an ela…

READ: LUKE 15:1-32; JOHN 13:34

I said, “Give me my portion of the goods,”

And in my youthful heart I knew he would.

I took, and turned, and quickly walked away

And relished in the freedom of that d…

READ: PSALM 107:8-9; MATTHEW 13:44-46; JOHN 4:1-30

During Christmas, our hearts are full of expectations. Things like, who we will see, what we will eat, and what we will receive. Then, once all t…