Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: PSALM 51:7; ISAIAH 1:18; EPHESIANS 2:1-9; REVELATION 19:6-9 I squinted up at the castle as I waited for admittance to the feast. The King had to test all who came through, to see if they were worthy of acceptance. I was sure that I could get in; I hadn’t done many bad things in my life. I’d never murdered anyone. In fact, I’d done quite a lot of good things. I’d also saved up for a new outfi...

READ: LUKE 15 Have you ever wondered why Jesus often spoke in parables? Parables are short, metaphorical stories that point to a deeper truth. They illustrate what Jesus was teaching, and they can also make biblical truths easier for us to understand. It’s kind of like the difference between eating a lime and eating a slice of key lime pie. On its own, a lime is very sour. It’s too much for most o...

READ: PSALM 51; EZEKIEL 36:16–37:14; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17   Remove from me this heart of stone I know I’m more than these dry bones Create in me a heart that’s clean A steadfast spirit willing Restore your joy unto me Morning mercies covering Rebuild the rubble heaped around A garden where new life is found You alone can make me live Mending fast with breath and skin Hope once dead revived again Cle...

READ: PSALM 121; MATTHEW 11:28-30; 28:20 During the coldest days of winter, it’s almost difficult to remember what summer is like—how we can go outside in just T-shirts and shorts, and still feel too warm. The sun beating down on us in the summertime makes us long for pools and ice cream and all sorts of things that cool us down, while in winter we’re usually trying to find ways to warm up. On the...

READ: PHILIPPIANS 4:8; JAMES 3:3-18 Have you ever seen a place that’s been destroyed by a forest fire? Forest fires can cause miles of destruction, leaving nothing but the charred remains of trees in their wake. And all this damage can be caused by something as small as an unattended campfire. When the weather is dry, just one stray spark can create a fire that quickly burns out of control. Did yo...

READ: ISAIAH 26:3-4; MATTHEW 28:20; ROMANS 8:35-39 My husband lies in his hospital bed, asleep. He is recovering from open heart surgery. He needed a new valve, but first they had to break into the rib cage that protects his heart. My husband wasn’t too excited about that part. But he knew that if he wanted his heart to work better, he’d have to face the thing he dreaded. So, he did. But first he...

READ: PSALM 90; 98; GALATIANS 6:14 Isaac Watts (1674-1748) is considered the father of English hymn-writing. Today, many of his hymns are sung, known, and loved. But that wasn’t always the case. In fact, while he was alive, Isaac Watts was considered by some to be a disturber and perhaps even a heretic! Isaac Watts became frustrated with the singing in his church. The church he attended used the P...

READ: PSALM 136:1-9; ISAIAH 40:26-31; COLOSSIANS 1:15-20 Twinkle, twinkle, little star High above, so very far One of trillions, each in place In the vast expanse of space Yet they can’t start to compare With the God who put them there Who formed planets with a word And on each a name conferred A God all powerful and wise Yet on humankind He rests His eyes Infinite, eternal, but not far away He’s...

READ: MATTHEW 26:26-46; 1 CORINTHIANS 11:23-26 A layer of white lace covered my new pink and white dress. At twelve years old, I’d been anticipating this evening for a long time. It was the Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter) when I would join church and be served my first Communion. Joining the rest of the confirmation class, I stood in the front of the sanctuary facing the congregation....

READ: MATTHEW 5:16; PHILIPPIANS 2:1-18; 1 JOHN 3:1 Next time you see a full moon, try this: Grab a small coin, and go outside. Then, hold it out in front of you, close one eye, and see if you can cover the moon with the coin. Isn’t it strange that you can completely block out something as big, beautiful, and bright as a full moon with one small coin? Sometimes, little things can block out much big...

READ: MATTHEW 6:25-34; MARK 14:32-36; 1 PETER 5:6-7 "I need this recommendation to submit this application,” I told my parents. “And I need to submit this application now because the program might run out of spots.” “Hey, have you considered that you might be anxious?” my mom asked me. “This seems like something you don’t have control over.” “No, no, I’m just considering all the options,” I said....

READ: GENESIS 1:26-30; PSALM 8 If you’ve grown up in church, you’ve probably heard the account of creation in Genesis 1 and 2. You know that God formed humanity out of the dust of the earth. But you may have been confused about the part where God created us in His own image. What does that mean? It’s true that we are not all-knowing or all-powerful like God. It’s true that we are not holy like God...

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:9; 12:1–13:7 I held my breath and gently pressed my foot to the gas, driving up the icy road. Was my job worth dying for on my two-minute commute? I was needed at the Fire Department. Every January our firefighters select their vacation days for the year. This being my first year as a secretary, Chief gave me the job of keeping track of the days. The problem was, we were in t...

READ: PROVERBS 28:13; ROMANS 7:21–8:2; 1 JOHN 1:5–2:2 My friend and I share a community garden plot at our church. But in the middle of the summer, there was a week when neither of us was able to take care of it, so the garden ended up being a bit neglected. And the weeds were absolutely thrilled. So, I got to work. The first weeds I saw were in between the rows of tomatoes and kale. I pulled them...

READ: PSALM 33:12-20; 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-6; 1 PETER 2:9-17 Do you pray for your country? No matter where you live, your nation needs prayer. We don’t need to pray for our country to be the best in the world, but we can pray that God will guide and bless our leaders so they can make wise, God-honoring decisions. The Bible teaches that nations do not rise or fall because of their own strength. It says sa...

READ: PSALM 139   I was tiny When You created me But already then You made great plans that would come to be   You saw me when I was dust Loved me already then Called me Your child Know where I have ever been   I was so small No one else knew I existed But You had a book My days, You had written   From the tiny, small babe Whom You looked on and smiled To who I am today I have always been Your pre...

READ: JOHN 3:1-8; 13:33-35; 1 PETER 1:3, 23 Have you ever had one of those moments when you realized you look a lot like your family? We’ve all inherited traits from our parents, like hair color, freckles, or height. And whether we were adopted or born into a family, we may also have other family traits, like facial expressions, mannerisms, or the way we carry ourselves. Sometimes people share so...

READ: JOSHUA 1:1-9; 3:7-17; 6:12-20; 23:1-11 Have you ever read the book of Joshua? It starts right after Moses dies and the Israelites are finished wandering the desert for forty years. They’re finally ready to enter the Promised Land—the land of Canaan, which God had promised to give them generations ago. The beginning of this book shows that, though Joshua is a new leader, he is like Moses was...

READ: PSALM 139:1-12; ISAIAH 65:24; ROMANS 8:26-37 Intense tears blocked my vision. My soul felt like dust. I was unable to stop shaking. My father was in the next room. He was lying in his casket. One look had sent me running. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be. Dad could not be dead. Not my wonderful father. But he was. I was sixteen and my father was dead. I felt utterly hopeless. Utterly deso...

READ: MATTHEW 16:24-25; MARK 4:18-20; PHILIPPIANS 2:12-18 We desire food, water, clothing, and shelter. We desire fulfilling relationships. Sometimes we desire knowledge, fame, or skill. Desire is a powerful thing. It is so deeply woven into the fabric of our being that it drives almost every facet of our lives. In the beginning, God created desire and placed it within us. But, as with every other...

READ: PSALM 103:11-13; ISAIAH 57:14-21; EPHESIANS 2:13 Isaiah spoke what later became Isaiah 57:15 to the Israelites when they were held captive by the Babylonians. Before Isaiah spoke these words, God had warned the Israelites many times that He would not tolerate their lack of repentance and would punish them, but they continued to worship idols. So, God fulfilled His word and allowed the king o...

READ: PSALMS 51:7; 103:8-12; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 The midnight bell tolled as Freya stood before the stone steps of the king’s library. She shut her eyes and for a moment she was just a child again, lying on the deck of her mother’s ship, black sails snapping above her in the wind. She saw her first dragon that day, silhouetted by the orange sun, his rider standing on his back, arms spread wide, lau...

READ: MATTHEW 6:9-10; ROMANS 8:26-39; EPHESIANS 6:18-20 Have you ever prayed for a win? Maybe you asked God for a home run or a goal or for a certain player to make a three-point shot. If you play a sport, you’ve probably prayed for yourself to make that shot. Many of us ask God to intervene in sports, and then we’re often disappointed if He doesn’t seem to answer. The truth is, Jesus cares about...

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-11; 11:23-33 My favorite football team made it through one game in the NFL playoffs, and then they lost. It was a heartbreaking loss because I knew they easily could have won the game. The disappointment I felt was instant, and it hung over me as time moved on. I can only imagine the disappointment felt by the players and their families. God is there in our disappointments,...

READ: JONAH 1:1-17; 2:1-10; 3:1-3; LUKE 15:11-32   Like Jonah I’ve been running away even though I hear God’s call above the crashing waves Still I’m sinking in my sin deeper than I’ve ever been shackled by the weight of my regrets and mistakes Three days spent searching for relief So many doubts as I cry out “God, do you really love me?”   I hear Him above the noise A still and silent voice If yo...