Description

Bring some Spirit-filled peace into your hectic schedule every weekday morning with this new Daily Devotional.
Épisodes
  • February 25th - 2 Timothy 1:8

    February 25th - 2 Timothy 1:8
    Feb 25 2026
    2 Timothy 1:8 Never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. This wasn’t the first time that Paul had spoken about the issue of shame. In his letter to the church in Rome, he declared boldly that he was not ashamed of the good news of Christ (Romans 1:16). Paul had been brought up in the strict disciplines of the Jewish faith. He was a Pharisee and had studied under the most respected rabbis of his day. He knew that there were many people who wanted him to feel thoroughly ashamed of his Christian convictions, which they saw as a terrible betrayal of his Jewish roots. On the contrary, he was so proud of his newfound faith that he was more than happy to boast about his salvation and his new life in Christ. He was the very opposite of ashamed! Paul knew, however, that there were many reasons why young Timothy might feel ashamed of telling others about the Lord. Indeed, shame can be an obstacle for all of us. We might hate to be seen as different, or a bit odd. We would rather fit in with the crowd and avoid other people’s sneers and jibes. Paul wanted to do everything he could to encourage Timothy to be bold and confident in his testimony and not to shrink back, however costly it might be. I fully recognise that the rise in religious tension and violence across the world in recent years has caused many people to feel apprehensive about sharing their Christian faith. However, I am quite sure that Paul would tell us to be bold and confident in our witness and to always speak with sensitivity and grace. Question How bold are you in sharing your Christian faith with others? Prayer Lord Jesus, forgive me for those times when I have not spoken about you for fear of what others might think. Help me to be more confident in speaking about you. Amen
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    3 min
  • February 24th - 2 Timothy 1:7

    February 24th - 2 Timothy 1:7
    Feb 24 2026
    2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline. The apostle Paul wanted his young friend Timothy to be the best. There was no question that Timothy was going to have to face enormous challenges. He would be continually confronting opponents to the Christian faith, and he would also have to face up to issues of church organisation and discipline. He had a tough job ahead of him, and Paul knew it was vital that he was neither fearful nor timid. From the references to Timothy in Paul’s first letter to him and in 1 Corinthians 16:10-11, we get the impression that he was quite a sensitive person and probably naturally inclined to be timid. Paul knew that this could be a terrible handicap in his leadership role. The fear of other people or of failure will always greatly restrict a leader’s effectiveness. God doesn’t want fearful and timid leaders but ones who are marked by his power and love and who show self-discipline. The power that a Christian leader needs is not the authoritarian power which orders people about but the gentle, gracious, servant-hearted power which keeps going in the face of overwhelming opposition. It’s the power to keep preaching and caring for people when everyone is unkind and unappreciative. It’s the power to keep loving whatever the circumstances because of the overwhelming love that God has shown us. Love is always at the heart of Christian ministry. Self-discipline or self-mastery would be crucial for Timothy. He needed to be totally in control of his energies and emotions in order to be effective for God. This might sound like something we are able to achieve by huge human effort, but Paul was clear that that never works. The Stoics of Paul’s day believed that they could transform their lives by sheer determination and effort, but Paul knew it to be a work of the Holy Spirit. Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit which irresistibly grows in the person who allows the Holy Spirit to take control. Question In what specific ways do you need God’s power, love and self-discipline at the moment? Prayer Father God, I thank you that you have given me your Holy Spirit. Help me to allow him to transform every part of my life. Amen
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    4 min
  • February 23rd - 2 Timothy 1:5-6

    February 23rd - 2 Timothy 1:5-6
    Feb 23 2026
    2 Timothy 1:5-6 “I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.” When I was a boy, one of the great pleasures of Saturday afternoons was that I would light a bonfire with my dad. I came to love the smell of bonfires, probably because it reminded me of those happy moments. The greatest pleasure of all was the process of getting the fire going. Sometimes we struggled, but then by fanning the flames carefully we would have the joy of seeing the fire take hold. Paul used this image to speak of his longing for Timothy’s faith to grow. It wasn’t enough that he had a godly grandmother and mother. He needed to have a strong faith himself, so the flames needed to be carefully fanned. Through the centuries, many people seem to have looked at Christianity as a club, as if all that matters is being a member because then you will have your ticket for heaven. However, the New Testament presents Christian faith as something very different. It depends upon a personal relationship with God. Because it’s a relationship, and no relationship can stand still, it is either getting stronger or weaker. That was very much the apostle Paul’s thinking. He was determined that his young friend Timothy should grow in faith, and that wasn’t going to happen without determination and careful planning. I wonder what you are doing to fan the flames of your faith. We all have a different relationship with God, so I can’t suggest only one way of achieving this, but here are some great ways of fanning the flames: spending time with God has to be number one. Setting aside time to read the Bible, to pray and to reflect is incredibly valuable. Give yourself enough space and time to listen to God. It is also important to spend time with other Christians. Worshipping with them is great, but so too is talking with them. When we go it alone, we can easily assume that we are the only ones with temptations and problems to face, but when we have an honest relationship with Christian brothers and sisters, we soon discover that we are all in it together. Question What are you going to do to fan the flames of your faith over the next month? Prayer Loving God, thank you that love me so much that you want my relationship with you to become stronger. Help me to take steps to make that happen. Amen
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    4 min
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