Family Devotions

Genesis 1:1

God Made Everything

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Everything you can see out of the window tonight was somebody's idea first.

A prayer together Thank you, God, for making the world. Thank you for the sky and the trees and the animals. Thank you for making me too. Amen.

Read it all

Psalm 139:14

Wonderfully Made

I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

There is nobody else exactly like you, anywhere in the world, and that was on purpose.

A prayer together Thank you, God, for making me me. Help me remember that I am wonderfully made, even on the days I forget. Amen.

Read it all

John 3:16

God Loved the World

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son.

Love is the thing that gives something away, and God gave first.

A prayer together Thank you, God, for loving the whole world, and for loving me. Help me love other people the way you love me. Amen.

Read it all

Matthew 19:14

Let the Children Come

Allow the little children, and do not forbid them to come to me.

Jesus was never too busy for a child, and he still is not.

A prayer together Jesus, thank you that you are never too busy for me. Thank you that I can talk to you any time, just as I am. Amen.

Read it all

Psalm 56:3

When I Am Afraid

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

Being brave is not feeling nothing. It is being scared and holding God's hand anyway.

A prayer together God, you know the things that scare me. When I am afraid, help me remember that you are right here beside me. Amen.

Read it all

Psalm 23:1

The Lord Is My Shepherd

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing.

A shepherd goes out to look for the one that wandered off. You will never be the one he forgets.

A prayer together Thank you, God, for looking after me the way a shepherd looks after his sheep. Thank you that you always come and find me. Amen.

Read it all

1 Peter 5:7

He Cares for You

Cast all your worries on him, because he cares for you.

Worries are like a bag that is too heavy. You are allowed to hand it over.

A prayer together God, here are the things I am worried about tonight. I am giving them to you. Thank you for caring about me. Amen.

Read it all

Ephesians 4:32

Be Kind to One Another

And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other.

Kindness is quiet, and it is the thing people still remember about you years later.

A prayer together God, help me to be kind, even when nobody is watching. Help me forgive people, the way you forgive me. Amen.

Read it all

Luke 6:31

Treat Others Well

As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.

Jesus gave a rule simple enough for a small child to use anywhere.

A prayer together Jesus, help me treat other people the way I want to be treated. Help me remember your rule when it is hard. Amen.

Read it all

Ephesians 4:25

Speak the Truth

Putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor.

A lie feels safe for about a minute. Then it needs another lie to hold it up.

A prayer together God, help me tell the truth, even when it is hard, even when I am the one who did it. Thank you that you love me anyway. Amen.

Read it all

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Give Thanks Always

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

The verse does not say be thankful for everything. It says give thanks in everything.

A prayer together Thank you, God, for today, the good parts and the hard parts. Help me notice the good things, even on the days they are hiding. Amen.

Read it all

Psalm 119:105

A Lamp for My Feet

Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.

A lamp does not light the whole path. It lights the next step, and that is enough.

A prayer together God, thank you for your word, that shows me where to put my feet. Help me take the next step, and trust you with the rest. Amen.

Read it all