Carter Conlon | Daily Devotionals

Acts 19:15–16 says, “And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus, I know, and Paul, I know, but who are you?’ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house, naked and wounded.” I have a bit of advice for someone today. Before you run around using the name of Jesus, make sure you have a real relationship w...

When we pray, we always assume that we know what we need. Have you ever thought we should start our prayers by asking God what we should pray? We often ask Him for things we think we need or want, but the Lord knows every circumstance we will face. So we should ask Him to prepare us for what's ahead.  He knows if we'll need courage deep in faith, wisdom, provision, protection, or even the ability...

I want you to know that God has been preparing His people for a specific purpose for these times. He is calling a mighty army to its feet. God's calling us to walk in the supernatural power He's willing to provide us.  On our part, we must be willing to be sent in His name and do what He calls us to do. We must pray that God will also help those who aren't anticipating that He will use them becaus...

Exodus 1:8–9: "Now there arose a new king over Egypt who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we are.’”   In Luke 16:8, Jesus says, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.” What an incredible statement.  In the first verse, the enemies of God's people k...

In Romans 8:18, the Apostle Paul says, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."  Sometimes we spend so much time looking down in despair and looking ahead with trepidation that we forget to look up to the beautiful promises that await us forever. Paul declares that if we could fully grasp this, it would un...

Acts 3:19 says: "Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."  Jesus Christ came to set us free. But to be free, we have to want to be free. He came to change us, but we have to want to change. We can't just sit here and make peace with our sins. It just doesn't work that way. According to the Bible, sin...

Can I encourage you today to get into the Word of God and embrace His promises for your life? Read about the promises of God and trust that by the power of the Holy Spirit within you, you will become the person that God has destined you to be. Trust that He will give you the giftings you need to do what you're called to do and open the doors for you to walk where He is asking you to go. You are th...

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Jesus Christ was the sinless, spotless lamb of God. He came into this world full of anger, depression, addiction, violence, and selfishness. He immersed Himself in the dirty waters of our failures. He led us from hopelessness to a cross where H...

Proverbs 3, beginning at verse 25, says, "Do not be afraid of sudden terror nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes. For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught." There is much to be afraid of today. Jesus warned us that fear would be one of the predominant characteristics of the final days of this world. Despite this caution, He promises to be the source of...

Lamentations 3:22–23 says, “Through the Lord's mercies, we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.” In the well-known hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” one of the most inspiring lines says, “Morning by morning new mercies I see.” Aren't you thankful for that? The song tells us that failure the previous day is met by mercy the next...

In Mark 11:23–24, Jesus said, "For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them.” We need to ask the Lord to give us...

Psalm 133 begins: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."  The verses tell us that there are great blessings when we choose unity. There's no power in division, and when we allow ourselves to be divided, we bring weakness into our ranks and the testimony of Christ. Let's stop caring about what name is on our church door and begin to walk as one body in Ch...

Why do we put an asterisk on God's promises? His promises don’t have caveats. We don't need a mountain of faith to receive answers. I would never lay claim to ever having had a mountain of faith. Sometimes my prayers are an accusation. Sometimes they're full of unbelief according to the scriptures. Sometimes I want to believe, and sometimes I do. The wonderful thing is that God answers all of it s...

2 Corinthians 2, beginning at verse 14, says, "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and through us diffuses the fragrance of his knowledge in every place for we are to God, the fragrance of Christ, among those who are being saved, and among those who are perishing." Most New Yorkers begin our day in traffic, on the bus, or the train. All around us, windows are up, earphone...

Philippians 2:4–7 says, "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men."  Jesus Christ lived in the highest poss...

As Christians, we encountered things we've embraced that might have satisfied us. We believed it for a season, but when we came closer to it, we realized that it wasn’t helping. It could have been education. It could have been a relationship or material things. But when you approach it, you find it has deceptive power, and it's not what your life is called to be in God. Jesus gives us authority ag...

Psalm 32:8–9 says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with my eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle."  Don't be stubborn. Come to God because He's calling you today. His tender voice is going throughout the earth. That's why the scripture says if you can hear His voice, don...

I have one prayer that I have prayed my entire life: "Jesus, help me." I started praying it when I first came to Christ, and I still do every night. I pray it when I get up in the morning. I pray it when I stand in front of a pulpit. I say, "Jesus, help me."  He always answers my prayers for help. He always has, and I know He always will because He's good, and His mercy endures forever. If you don...

Philemon 6 says, "That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you, in Christ Jesus." It is a curious trait of humanity that we're so prone to being keenly aware of every flaw in our lives. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were just as mindful of what is ours because of the life of Christ within us? What an incredible thought. That what Hi...

2 Samuel 23, beginning at verse 2, says, "The spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and his word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, 'The Rock of Israel spoke to me. He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God, and he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, like the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.'"...

I want to remind you that we must recognize our everyday need for God. We need to stop trying to walk this walk in our strength. We need a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. God told us that if we know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask? So ask Him for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Let's ask God to give us what He...

In Mark 11:23–24, Jesus says, “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” There's a darkness that's deceiving us. W...

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, and behold all things have become new." I have probably talked about this verse hundreds of times, and I'll never get tired of speaking about it because this verse was a dream at one point in my life. I tried so hard to change my character. We try as hard as possible to change, but we ca...

2 Samuel 22, beginning verse 47, says, "The Lord lives. Blessed be my rock. Let God be exalted the rock of my salvation. It is God who avenges me and subdues the people under me. He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me. You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore, I will give thanks to you, oh Lord among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your n...

In 2 Samuel 22:4, David says, "I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from mine enemies. When the waves of death surrounded me, the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of shale surrounded me. The snares of death confronted me. In my distress, I called upon the Lord and cried out to my God. He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry entered his e...