Description

Bring some Spirit-filled peace into your hectic schedule every weekday morning with this new Daily Devotional.
Épisodes
  • March 19th - Mark 9:28-29
    Mar 19 2026
    Mark 9:28-29 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” Jesus replied: “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.” The transfiguration of Jesus was an incredible experience, but it didn’t last long. Jesus and his disciples needed to go back down the mountain and, sure enough, they were pitch-forked into the middle of a dispute. A man had come to the disciples with his son, who likely suffered from epilepsy. He had asked them to heal the boy, but they had failed miserably. Jesus was in despair and said: “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me” (Mark 9:19). He then healed the boy. All of this stirred up questions in the disciples and, later in the day when they were alone with Jesus, they asked him why they had failed. He responded that this kind of evil spirit could only be cast out by prayer. By this stage, the disciples had spent some time with Jesus and were clearly convinced that they now had the power to heal people. What they had to learn was that they still needed to lean on God through prayer. That’s an important lesson for anyone who gets involved in Christian ministry. You may have the gift of the gab and the ability to speak with great clarity and power, but if your preaching and teaching are not soaked in prayer, they will be powerless. You may have gifts of administration, but if you are not continually praying for the filling of the Holy Spirit, God will never be able to use you in the way that he would want. You may be a naturally caring person, but without prayer, your gifts will never have the effectiveness that God would want. Prayer is vital for all of us. However gifted we may be and however much experience we may have, without prayer we will be powerless. Question In what ways have you found prayer to be important in the work that you have done for God? Prayer Lord God, help me never to lean so heavily on my own abilities and experience that I forget to pray. Amen
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    3 min
  • March 18th - Mark 9:5-6
    Mar 18 2026
    Mark 9:5-6 Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified. Peter, James and John had just had the most incredible experience. They had been with Jesus as he was transfigured in front of them. We are told that this happened on a high mountain. This is often thought to be Mount Tabor in southern Galilee, although it may well have taken place on the constantly snowy Mount Hermon not far from Caesarea Philippi, where they had just spent time together. Mount Hermon is the highest peak in the area, rising to nearly 3,000 metres. The disciples saw Jesus’ clothes transformed into dazzling white and he was accompanied by Moses and Elijah. Moses was the great lawgiver and Elijah the first and greatest of the prophets. What an incredible experience it must have been. It’s hardly surprising that the disciples were all terrified! Peter’s response was so typical of him. Terrified as he was, he didn’t know what to say, but that didn’t stop him from blurting out a response! He said it was great to be there and suggested that they should build three shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. It was a generous idea, but it totally missed the point. The transfiguration was simply a precious holy moment in the ministry of Jesus. It wasn’t something that needed to be preserved or prolonged. In that amazing moment, God spoke out of the cloud, saying: “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him” (Mark 9:7). Then, the disciples looked around and Moses and Elijah had gone. They were alone with Jesus once again. I am sure we can all think of precious moments of worship which we would have loved to prolong. Perhaps we were in a great cathedral, or at a Christian festival. We may have been on holiday in a beautiful place with God seeming incredibly close to us. We were sad when we needed to move on, but that’s precisely what we had to do. It was the same for Jesus and the disciples. They’d had their mountaintop experience and now they needed to return to the cut and thrust of everyday life. Question Why is it important that we don’t prolong mountaintop experiences? Prayer Loving God, thank you for special moments when you feel incredibly close to me. May they be a constant source of strength and encouragement. Amen
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    4 min
  • March 17th - Proverbs 10:19-21
    Mar 17 2026
    Proverbs 10:19-21 Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense. I love the straightforward and down-to-earth language of this amazing book. Written nearly 3,000 years ago, the words leap off the page as if they were written yesterday, and the writer forces us to sit up and take note. He offers wise advice on a wide range of life issues, and all of it is intended to help us to keep our eyes fixed on living life to the full by walking in the ways that please God. God loves it when we use our words carefully. Words can build or they can destroy. They can leave people encouraged or depressed. Opening our mouth is always a huge responsibility, so we need to ensure that our tongue is under control. If we can’t do that, we ought to keep our mouths shut. The writer encourages his readers to see the immense value of speaking in a godly way. When we do, our words can be compared with pure silver and will have the effect of encouraging many. What could be more desirable than that? It is good to reflect back on our life and recall those people who have spoken godly words to us – words of love, peace and encouragement. I can think of many occasions when just the right words were spoken and I was left feeling stronger and more confident. Such experiences need to give us renewed determination to look hard at the way in which we speak to ensure we are using our words to build in the way that God would want. If not, we know what God asks us to do – shut up! Question In what ways have people’s thoughtful and kind words to you helped you to encourage others? Prayer Lord, help me to always speak in a way that will build up the people I meet. Amen
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    3 min
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