Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

Saying goodbye is my least favorite thing. And my honorary niece agrees
with me.

.

Last year, my husband and I bought a house with our dear friends from
collegethe parents of our aforementioned niece…

If I were to tell you a secret, I think you would see that you shared in my
secret. What if I were to tell you that I secretly struggle with having
faith in God’s plans when things go awry? It’s true…

Have you ever messed up and then felt like you needed to somehow hide from
God? Adam and Eve felt that way in the Garden of Eden. They did something
wrong, and they thought they could make things bet…

Have you ever reached boiling point? You’ve been trying so hard to do the
right thing, and in a weak moment, you sin. Your temper bubbles over,
scalding hot. Your good intentions vanish, and you lose…

It can be hard to sit back and be still. Some people will call us lazy if
we do this. Some will say we need to get going and take action. There are
times when we need to be still, though. There are t…

In Luke 15, Jesus told a story of a prodigal son who asked for his own
portion of the inheritance from his father instead of waiting for him to
die, and the father granted it to him. Years later the …

Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit, and it’s vital for every Christian,
in every walk of life (Galatians 5:22). When we are faithful, we are rooted
in motivations and desires that are in line with…

Ever struggled to focus on reading the Bible? You’re not alone! Today, I
want to talk about one of my favorite ways to read and focus on God’s Word.
It’s called “lectio divina,” which is Latin for di…

The book of Philippians is a letter written by Paul and Timothy to the
Christians in Philippi. There are many uplifting verses and passages in
this letter, and many Christians choose one of the verse…

The following is a fictional story inspired by 2 Samuel 12:1-15 (when David
was confronted by the prophet Nathan about his sin and what he did to
Bathsheba and Uriah) and it also takes ideas from Psa…

Editor’s note: Today’s reading discusses abuse.

.

Daniel. Esther. Peter. Paul. As a teenager, I knew them all. If there was a
Bible trivia show, I could have been a champion. I went to church and kne…

I decided to search the island for a spring to quench my thirst. As I
passed under vibrant green vines, there before me was a tiny pool of
crystal clear-water surrounded by periwinkle blossoms. Cuppi…

I rose from my bed, thoughts swirling like tornado winds. “Does anyone
really know me? What is the purpose of my life?” Resolution filled my veins
like urgent flames. Today I would search and seek un…

Jesus is often called the Messiah, but what does that name mean? And why is
this name an important title for Jesus?

.

“Messiah” means Anointed One in Hebrew. It was later translated
as “Christ” in Gr…

One day, I was paging through my Bible and stopped on the book of Habakkuk.
I had never read this book in the minor prophets before, and I found it
fascinating. Habakkuk was a prophet in Judah who lo…

I started noticing the word “unrighteousness” in the Bible. I thought, why
not use a stronger word like wickedness or depravity? Why just put an un
in front of righteousness? But I’m not an ancient l…

My heart throbs with each bound I take, my breath growing heavy. “Run, run,
run,” a voice whispers, and I struggle to obey. When I’d found that I had
once again veered from the path called straight a…

Things change here on earth so quickly. Your parents get divorced and
suddenly you’re living in two homes. Your grandparent moves

into an assisted living community and no longer has the yard that the…

I am lost

The world shatters

I am alone

Nothing matters

I am done

Reality has broken into a million pieces

And I am lost in the chaos

I am finished; the nightmare’s begun

Beaten and bruised; scarre…

Throughout history, people have asked the question, Who is Jesus?
Some consider Him to be a good man, a prophet, a teacher. Others believe
that He is in fact God, but consider Him to be distant, unkn…