Be Still: Daily Devotional

Today is July 14th May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.” Today’s reading is from the book of 1st Timothy, chapter 6. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we ha...

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced. 1. Become aware of God’s presence. 2. Review the day with gratitude. 3. Pay attention to your emotions. 4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. 5. Look toward tomorrow.

Today is July 11. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.      Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”       Today’s reading is from Psalm 26.           Vindicate me, LORD,            for I have led a blameless life;            I have trusted in the LORD          ...

Today is July 10th The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.” Today’s reading is from the book of 1st Samuel, chapter 1. 9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s house....

Today is July 9.   The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.       Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from the book of James, chapter 5.     Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for...

Today is July 8. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.    Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from the book of 2 Corinthians, chapter 11.     I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I...

Today is July 7th May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.” Today’s reading is from Psalm 18. 16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me...

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced. 1. Become aware of God’s presence. 2. Review the day with gratitude. 3. Pay attention to your emotions. 4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. 5. Look toward tomorrow.

Today is July 4. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.      Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”        Today’s reading is from the book of Acts, chapter 26.   Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Chri...

Today is July 3.   The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.     Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”        Today’s reading is from the book of 1st Corinthians, chapter 3.     I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,...

Today is July 2. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.       Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”          Today’s reading is from the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 31. And our passage is one that tells a historical story that is filled with chaos and trouble. It...

Today is July 1. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.    Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from Psalm 86.           I love you, LORD, my strength.         The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;            my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,            my shield a...

Today is June 30 May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.” Today’s reading is from the book of Acts, chapter 23 – the MSG version. 11 That night the Master appeared to Paul: “It’s going to be all right. Everything is going to turn out for the best. You’ve bee...

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced. 1. Become aware of God’s presence. 2. Review the day with gratitude. 3. Pay attention to your emotions. 4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. 5. Look toward tomorrow.

Today is June 27 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you. Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.” Today’s reading is from Psalm 139. 1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You disc...

Today is June 26. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.     Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”        Today’s reading is from the book of 1st Thessalonians, chapter 4.   Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind...

Today is June 25. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.       Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from the book of Exodus, chapter 9.     Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said to them. “The LORD...

Today is June 24. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.      Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”          Today’s reading is from the book of Acts, chapter 27.   When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a w...

Today is June 23rd May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.” Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 18. 10 Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I t...

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced. 1. Become aware of God’s presence. 2. Review the day with gratitude. 3. Pay attention to your emotions. 4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. 5. Look toward tomorrow.

Today is June 20. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.     Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”       Today’s reading is from the Deuteronomy, chapter 31.  Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and...

Today is June 19th.   Today, we commemorate Juneteenth. Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when a group of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned that they were free from the institution of slavery, almost two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.   The first Juneteenth in 1866 was celebrated at church with food, singing, and the reading of spir...

Today is June 18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.       Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”          Today’s reading is from the book of Jeremiah, chapter 21.     “Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the...

Today is June 17. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.      Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”         Today’s reading is from the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 14.   One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tel...

Today is June 16 May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.” Today’s reading is from Joshua 23. After a long time had passed and the LORD had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, 2 summoned all Israel—their elder...