Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: PSALM 142; ISAIAH 53:3-6 Imagine this: You walk into the room, and everyone reacts. Some point. Some stare. Some laugh. Apparently gossip spreads quickly, and so do videos. You look around and don’t see a single kind face or one person you could possibly sit with. You turn and run. Have you ever felt completely alone? Have you felt like everyone was against you and you didn’t have anyone on...

READ: GENESIS 37:1-36; 45:1-15; 50:15-21 Do you wish parts of your life were different? Perhaps a broken relationship, a shattered home, a selfish decision, or a misguided choice. Pieces that seem too jagged and broken to fit together into anything remotely beautiful. Ever since sin entered our world, we all have brokenness in our lives. But God can work through our stories—just as He did through...

READ: EXODUS 4:10-12; LUKE 12:11-12; EPHESIANS 6:19-20 Have you ever gotten stage fright? Getting up and speaking in front of a group of people can be nerve-racking! The truth is, lots of people struggle with stage fright, including celebrities who perform all the time. When we have to get up in front of people, a helpful piece of advice is not to worry so much about what others will think of us....

READ: ROMANS 5:6-11; EPHESIANS 2:1-10; 1 JOHN 4:19 The Emperor sent a proclamation to the kingdom of Mercutia. He announced that he would be granting the Ultimate Gift to a select few people of the kingdom. Adelaide, a young seamstress, read this proclamation and was overjoyed. The Gift from the Emperor… that could change everything! However, Adelaide knew she would have to distinguish herself in...

READ: PSALMS 36:7; 42:8; HOSEA 2:14-23; EPHESIANS 3:17-19 Have you ever seen a couple that’s obviously in love? They’re always together or trying to be together. They’ll crack jokes, help each other with tasks, and compliment each other’s appearance or talents. Even when they’re not together they text or call, doing everything they can to connect. If things are serious, they might buy each other f...

READ: MARK 11:1-11; JOHN 12:12-16 Do you ever have one of those moments when something from the Bible sticks out to you, and it’s just what you need to hear? The other day, I had that kind of moment while I was reading Mark 11. As Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey, crowds of people wave palm branches and shout “Hosanna!” Jesus is fulfilling a prophecy from Zechariah 9:9 that says, “Rejoice greatl...

READ: MATTHEW 17:1-8; LUKE 9:28-36; 1 JOHN 3:2 What is Jesus like in all of His glory? The Bible tells us Jesus is both fully God and fully human—but while he was here on earth He looked like everybody else (Isaiah 53:2; John 1:9-14). He was a man walking among us, and His glory as God the Son was hidden from view. At least, most of the time! The event we call the transfiguration gave three of Jes...

READ: ROMANS 14:10-13; GALATIANS 6:1-2 What’s your favorite “instant” food? Ramen noodles? Mac ‘n’ cheese? Taquitos? These precooked foods are tasty and convenient. Especially when we’re hungry and in a hurry, having something on hand that will only take a minute or two to prepare can be really nice. It’s easy to get the idea that everything should be instant though. Sometimes we expect spiritual...

READ: PSALM 143; LAMENTATIONS 3:22-26 Anxiety often gets to me at night. I don’t know what the morning is going to bring. There’s a heaviness that comes over me as it draws closer and closer to the time I go to bed. I try to reach out in that time and cling to God, but sometimes I struggle to do that. Night can be especially hard to deal with when we have family members who are struggling or when...

READ: PSALM 100:1-5; COLOSSIANS 2:6-7; 3:15-17; 4:2 Take a deep breath. Focus on the way it feels as the air enters your body. We are breathing all the time, but how often do we really think about our breathing or take time to be grateful for what those breaths are doing for our bodies? Isn’t it an amazing thing that God has given us the ability to breathe? We all need to breathe in order to survi...

READ: ESTHER 4; ROMANS 8:28-39 The book of Esther takes place during the time the Israelites were exiled in Persia. It follows a group of Israelite people living away from their homeland. Not only are they far away from home, this group of captives is living in the capital city of the Persian Empire, Susa. This book of the Bible is unique from the rest of the Bible because God is not mentioned in...

READ: EXODUS 34:6-7; LAMENTATIONS 3:22–24; HEBREWS 10:19-23 Lord, You are faithful.   When I despair over illness and disease And the wars across the globe, You are the hope of joy in the wind.   When I doubt that You are there And seek the hopeless comfort of sin, You are the mighty voice, shaking me free.   When I am so tired, Weary of the pain that beats me down, You are the steadfast strength...

READ: ROMANS 5; PHILIPPIANS 2:3-11; HEBREWS 13:8 Princess Gayle examined a few documents on her desk as General Blackgrove delivered his opinion. She attempted to appear disinterested. They weren’t exactly allies. “Between you and me, I believe there is sufficient evidence that you are ready to become queen,” the general said in an undertone. “Unfortunately, I don’t think Runyan agrees…” “Really?”...

READ: ROMANS 12; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:16 I felt a complete emptiness. What was the purpose of life? As a newer Christian, my life wasn’t really “fixed.” I still felt empty. Was life just about being good? Sitting in my room, I found myself reading Romans 12. Sure, I’d skimmed by it once or twice, but strangely, this time I was stuck on the second verse. Reading past it proved quite difficult, and after...

READ: MATTHEW 7:24-27; EPHESIANS 3:16-19; COLOSSIANS 2:6-10 Colossians 2:6-7 says, “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught.” If we know Jesus as our Savior and build our lives on Him and what He tells us in the Bible...

READ: LUKE 19:1-10; ROMANS 15:7 Sometimes I find it difficult to take feedback from others. I put a lot of effort into what I do, so it can be hard to hear notes and criticism about the work I’m doing, whether it’s about my job, writing, singing, or just my personal life. And it’s even worse when the feedback comes with a rejection—like when I haven’t done x, y, or z, so I’m not qualified for what...

READ: JOSHUA 2; HEBREWS 11:29-31; JAMES 2:25 Rahab is one of my favorite people in the Old Testament of the Bible. We remember her because of her faith in God. Though she was not an Israelite by birth, her faith in the God of Israel prompted her to hide two Israelite spies in her home within the walls of Jericho. As a result of this act of faith, Rahab and her family were spared when the Israelite...

READ: PSALM 145:17-19; ACTS 12:5-17 After we ask God for something in prayer, it can be easy to just move on without actually looking for His answer. We can get distracted by a thousand different things that steal our attention away—meanwhile His answer to our prayer is right in front of us. We find an example of this when Peter is thrown in prison and the believers begin earnestly praying for him...

READ: ISAIAH 55:8-9; MATTHEW 19:26; MARK 9:14-27 I come to You, and I wonder if You can. I have turned to others, and I have tried myself. I question You, not sure if You understand my needs. I doubt You, not sure if Your plan and my plan will align.   If I have tried already, how can things be different? If it has been impossible for me, how can it be better? If I leave it in Your hands, will I e...

READ: PSALM 139:7-12; LUKE 15:1-7; ROMANS 8:31-39 I spread mortar on the next brick. The thick sludge looks like grey toothpaste as I smother it on the porous red block. I set the brick firmly on top of the others and reach impatiently for the next one, scoop another trowel-full of mortar and slap it down. Another brick, and another, and another. The wall is tall enough, and now I’m making it thic...

READ: MATTHEW 7:1-5; JAMES 2:10; 1 JOHN 1:7-9 Are you ever tempted to believe that your sins are bigger or smaller than somebody else’s? It’s an easy lie to fall into. But in God’s sight, there are no big or small sins. It’s all just plain sin. It might be helpful to think of sin like stepping on a rock. Whether you trip over a large rock or step barefoot on a small, sharp pebble, it hurts! Stumbl...

READ: PSALMS 32:8; 91:15; 119:105; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 Imagine for a moment you’re in a car, driving. On and on you go, but soon you realize you’re absolutely, hopelessly lost. The narrow, dead-straight country road stretches out before you with no chance to turn to the left or the right. Should you turn around and go back? You pull over and haul out your phone to use the GPS. It doesn’t work. What...

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; 1 PETER 5:6-7 Has a Bible verse ever hit you like a freight train—in a good way? I had that experience a couple months ago. I was going through a very stressful time in life with a number of large, sometimes painful decisions in front of me. I was weighed down, desperately trying to work through several problems in my own life while also coming alongside others experiencing...

READ: PSALMS 34:5; 89:14, 30-34; ROMANS 8:1 When you were younger, did you ever get hurt while doing something you knew you weren’t supposed to do? Like, maybe as a toddler your parent told you not to touch the hot stove, but you did anyway and got burned. Or maybe when you were a bit older you went ahead and built an amateur ramp to jump your bike, even though your babysitter told you not to, and...

READ: PSALM 23; ISAIAH 53; MATTHEW 18:12-13 Remember when you were a little kid and would imagine what it would be like to be an animal? I do. I would wonder, What if I was a bird and I could fly? Or what if I was a cheetah and could run 75 miles per hour? What if I was a house cat and could lounge around all day without a worry in the world? Well, these musings aren’t just for kids. In fact, the...