Carter Conlon | Daily Devotionals

In Psalm 31 , David grapples with his failings and the harsh criticism from others. He cries out, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I’m in trouble; my eyes waste away with grief.” He feels like a reproach among enemies and forgotten by those around him.  Does that sound like a king? As a matter of fact, it does, because this struggle is part of the journey to victory with God. David reminds us of God...

Unbelief will always silence your song, but faith will always restore it. When Zacharias doubted the promise of God, he lost his voice. Yet the moment he agreed with heaven, praise returned to his lips.  God is patient with us when we struggle to believe, but He will not let unbelief have the final word. The day you and I choose to trust Him again, our voices will rise with joy once more. Faith br...

Did you know that God still gives new names? He takes what has been called barren and speaks life over it. He calls the weak strong, and He calls the bound free. You are not who you used to be.  You are not what others have said about you. When God gives you a new name, it comes with a new purpose, a new heart, and brand-new power. He rewrites your story and fills you with His Holy Spirit. Don’t f...

Romans 8:31. Paul says these amazing words: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” You know, if we truly grasp the truth that God is on our side, then nothing and no one can stand against us.  When we understand that God is for us, we realize that no force of hell has any authority over our lives anymore. Today, as you read this online or hear this verbally, know this: God is for you.  Darknes...

Today, as we behold the incredible victory that Jesus Christ won on the cross, we start to realize that the promises of God are for us, and the power of God is there to make these promises a reality.  We begin to change by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Little by little, step by step, we become more like the person that God created us to be and destined us to be. It’s then that we can start to te...

Reflecting on King Solomon’s life brings sorrow, as he asked for wisdom but neglected to seek a heart to follow it. If he had, God would have surely given it to him. Imagine the impact if Solomon had prayed not only for wisdom to judge the people, but also for a heart that could be moved by the very same truth he taught to others.  He should have asked for a teachable spirit, desiring to obey God...

I want to remind you today that you’re not who you used to be. God has given you a new name, a new heart, and a brand-new beginning. He does not call you by what others have called you or by what your past has said you are.  He calls you by what He has spoken over your life. When you came to Christ, everything old passed away, and all things became new. You are no longer defined by failure; you ar...

Luke 1:38. “Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to Your word.’” This is where everything changes. When you and I stop resisting what God is speaking and simply agree with Him, His power begins to work in us.  Mary’s words carried the faith that births miracles. God is still looking today for hearts willing to say the same. His promises are not limited by...

Psalm 40:1–3. David says, “I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, established my steps, and put a new song in my mouth, praise to our God”.   David faced jealousy, betrayal, threats, and even his own failings, yet he found strength and the ability to praise even before the victo...

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, you and I were born again by the Spirit of God. That means we were given a new lease on life. We were set free from the power of sin by the cross and then made in right standing in the sight of God.  God’s Holy Spirit now dwells in us, and He makes the promises of God available in our hearts and in our minds. Then, by His power, these promises that we h...

God delights in doing the impossible through ordinary people. Mary was young, unnoticed, and without status, yet she believed the word that was spoken to her. The angel told her the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and the power of God would overshadow her.  That same Holy Spirit now lives in you. Whatever God has spoken, He has the power to bring it to pass. He doesn’t choose the strong, but thos...

In the Bible, Zacharias had prayed for a child years before, and when it finally happened, he could hardly believe it. God’s answer came long after the prayer was spoken, but it actually came right on time.  Sometimes we think silence means that God has forgotten, but He hasn’t. Heaven is never late. There are prayers that you have prayed that are still alive today before the throne of God, even l...

Psalm 119:130 says, “The entrance of Your words gives light.” Every time God’s Word enters the heart, light comes. This is what changes everything. When His truth breaks through our confusion, our fears begin to fade, and we start to see what He has prepared for us.  God wants to do something beyond your deepest expectations, something that you and I could never accomplish in our own strength. He...

Did you know that you’ve been given a word to speak, a sword to carry, and an influence to exert in your community and your world? Empowered by the Holy Spirit, your testimony reflects the truth that Jesus Christ has become your wisdom, your righteousness, your power, and your redemption.  Rejoice in the presence of God and the life that He has given you. Don’t be afraid of opposition. Your name i...

Some people want to change. They want to become a better person. They’re trying to change, but they find that they’re getting worse. You know, Paul the Apostle said, “I know in the inner man what to do, and I delight in the thought of doing it, but I find another law inside of me warring against this law in my mind.”   He goes on to define it as “the law of sin and death.” He concludes his essay,...

Luke 1:37 says these words: “For with God nothing will be impossible.” Mary heard a promise that seemed beyond her reach, and yet she believed. The angel told her what every believer still needs to remember that nothing is impossible with God.  You may not understand how He will fulfill His word, but He doesn’t need your strength, only your trust. The Holy Spirit still overshadows ordinary people...

When God speaks something that seems impossible, He’s not asking you and me to figure it out. He’s asking us to believe. When the angel told Mary that she would give birth to Jesus, it was a miracle beyond human explanation.  The Holy Spirit came upon her, and what seemed impossible became possible. God still works that way. He gives promises that can only be fulfilled by His power. Today, stop as...

Many of us yearn for a deeper connection with God, whether we seek to reclaim what we once had or to discover a calling that we’ve yet to embrace. It’s important to remember that God does not toy with our emotions.  His call is meant for true transformation, not for fleeting feelings. When we sincerely seek restoration or revelation, God responds to us with grace. From personal experience, I can a...

Did you know that you’re not called to rely solely on your own strength to accomplish the supernatural? Instead, you’re called to accept the fact that God has chosen you to do something extraordinary that will bring glory to His name.  It’s God who equips us with gifts, strengthens us, and guides us from beginning to the end. So instead of dwelling on your own limitations or thinking you can do it...

When God speaks to you, it will always involve something beyond your own strength to accomplish. This is how He reveals His glory. Zacharias looked at his weakness and determined that it was too late.  But God was never asking for his ability, only for his faith. Mary had no power to bring her promise to life, yet she said yes, and the Holy Spirit came upon her. The same Spirit of God now lives in...

Throughout the Bible, God changed people’s names to reveal His heart and purpose for them. He called Abram to be Abraham, Sarai to be Sarah, Saul to be Paul. He still changes names today.  Some say, my name is defiled, but God says, no, no, no, I call you pure. Others might say, my name is loser, and God says, no, you are more than a conqueror. You might call yourself today broken, useless, addict...

Ephesians 6:2–3 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise, “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”   There comes a moment when God calls us to make wrong things right. Sometimes it begins with repentance. Maybe you never valued someone who has sacrificed for you, or perhaps you failed to honor the one who helped shape you.  God still giv...

When Mary entered Elizabeth’s home, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy. The Holy Spirit filled her, and she began to speak with a loud voice, blessing Mary for believing what the Lord had spoken.  Meanwhile, Zacharias, the high priest, stood silent. He once taught others, but now he had lost his own voice because of unbelief. Yet God is merciful. When Zacharias finally agreed with the Wor...

When the angel came to Mary with a promise beyond human understanding, she asked, how can this be? She did not have status or experience, yet God had chosen her to carry His Son.  The Holy Spirit would come upon her, and the power of God would overshadow her. What was impossible for man was completely possible with God. Mary did not argue or shrink back. She simply said, “Be it done to me accordin...

My father left university to fight a war he did not start. He was only nineteen years old and unafraid to give up his own dreams so that others might live free. He survived being shot down twice while so many never returned.  That sacrifice gave me a future I did not earn. And it points to something greater, the heart of God the Father. He gave His Son so that you and I could have life, and He kne...