Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: ROMANS 8:19-25 Have you ever been to a wedding, and when the ceremony was over and it was time for the reception, you had to wait a long time to eat? At the weddings I’ve been to, it’s often the custom to wait to serve the reception meal until the bride and groom arrive, and this can mean a long wait for guests because the bride and groom usually have to take pictures between the ceremony an...

READ: GENESIS 1:27; GALATIANS 3:23-29; EPHESIANS 2:19-22; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:5-11 I was born into a family of Chinese-Singaporeans who immigrated to the United States. Throughout my life, I was exposed to different cultures and customs. My parents wanted me to know my heritage, while at school I was taught values that were more American. For example, in Chinese culture, it’s considered rude to open...

READ: PSALM 56; LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23; JOHN 8:12 Here I am, Lord Falling into the darkness Waiting for someone to hear my cry Here I am, wandering and broken Dealing with the pains of my past I want to see a comeback I want to feel Your song My soul needs to hear a note of hope Here I am, calling to the Light Feeling Your life reaching To my broken and healing soul Fighting for a fresh, new start J...

READ: MATTHEW 9:10-13; ROMANS 7:21-8:14 Several years ago, I came down with the flu. Throughout the day I could feel all the classic symptoms coming on—fever, body aches, headache, cough—but I sure didn’t want to believe it. I commanded my body, “Thou shalt not be sick!” And after work I decided to climb a mountain (a small one) to sweat that sickness right out of my system. I forced my body up th...

READ: ROMANS 5:8-19; 1 JOHN 2:1-2 How often do you think about words? Words are tools for describing reality, and sometimes, the reality is so deep and important, whole books of words hardly scratch the surface of the idea’s fullness. In that case, we sometimes try to come up with a single word to wrap all the parts of an idea in a tidy package. One of these big words is “atonement.” This one word...

READ: PSALM 32:1-5; 1 JOHN 1:7-9; 4:18 I watched as a droplet of shimmery liquid slipped to the floor. Regrettably, I realized too late that I shouldn’t have painted my nails while sitting on the carpet. What would my landlord say about this mistake? The carpet had looked new when I moved into the apartment. Would he charge me extra for marring the property? I tried to blot the nail polish with a...

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6-7 Have you ever visited a bulk food store for groceries? More and more of these environmentally-conscious shops are popping up as a way to help reduce waste and save money. There are lots of items you can buy in bulk from big bins and dispensers, instead of buying these same items in small, disposable packages. In many cases, when people go to a bulk food store they bring t...

READ: PSALM 55:22; MATTHEW 11:28-30; 1 PETER 5:7 Have you ever had an ache or pain that wouldn’t go away? It can be utterly exhausting—physically, mentally, and emotionally. I experienced this when I was pregnant with my son. Especially in the last few months of pregnancy, my belly was HUGE. It was so big that people wouldn’t believe me when I told them I still had a couple months until my due dat...

READ: COLOSSIANS 3:12-17; 1 PETER 3:15 Have you ever wondered how to go about sharing your faith with friends and family? It can be scary and a bit confusing, but God is ready to help us. Sharing Jesus with others involves more than talking. It involves the ways our whole lives—both our words and our actions—show the good news of Jesus. In very practical terms, it’s important that while we share o...

READ: ISAIAH 2:1-5; 9:6; ROMANS 3:23-24; JOHN 14:25-29 Have you ever wondered why there is always a war going on somewhere? War causes so much death, so much destruction. It ravages the land, destroying plants, animals, and towns…but the greatest tragedy of war is the loss of human life. From powerful leaders to low-ranking soldiers to defenseless civilians—including the elderly, small children, a...

READ: EXODUS 17:7-15; ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12 Standing on the peak of the mountain outcropping, Shalish scanned the battlefield. The noonday sun glinted off armor as the battle raged on in the valley below. Lord Nissi, the great voice who had led them through both sea and desert, had trained Shalish and several of her friends for years. But the throes of their first combat were more taxing than they h...

READ: PSALM 23; JOHN 10:10-16 Shepherds were not held in high regard in ancient Israel. They spent most of their time outdoors, the sheep didn’t smell great, and the job could be pretty dull…until it wasn’t. One part of a shepherd’s job was to defend the flock against wild animals looking for a meal. Shepherds had to protect the sheep and guide them to safe pastures. In the Old Testament, David wa...

READ: ZEPHANIAH 3:17; JOHN 3:16; EPHESIANS 2:8-10 “Does God really love me?” If we’re honest, this is a question we ask often. And the answer is a resounding yes! God loves us very much! But what do we do when it doesn’t feel like God loves us? One thing we can do is remember the evidence of God’s love for us. After all, He knows we need reminders, and He doesn’t scold us for needing to hear it ag...

READ: EPHESIANS 1:4-14; 2:4-10; 4:21-25 I am a full-fledged adult, and I still don’t feel like I know what to do when I let people down. Of course, I understand that we live in a world that’s been broken by sin so we all hurt others, whether intentionally or unintentionally. That’s just part of life until Jesus returns. But letting others down still gets to me. As a Christian, I know that I’m supp...

READ: GENESIS 1:27; PSALM 139:13-16; EPHESIANS 5:1-4 The human body is amazing! Did you know that the human heart, which is only about as big as a clenched fist, pumps over 4,000 gallons of blood a day? Or that human eyes are protected by seven interlocking bones? Or that the palms of your hands are sort of skid-proof so you can get a grip on things? God created the human body in His image with th...

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; HEBREWS 4:14-16; 12:15 Have you ever dealt with an ant infestation? If you start noticing a couple ants creeping in the cracks, it might not seem like a big deal. But if you ignore the problem, it will only get worse. Soon you’ll have ants all over—in your bathroom, in your bedroom, in your kitchen, even in your food! An ant infestation is a big problem; it can even make pe...

READ: GENESIS 1:26-27; 2:15; JOHN 6:25-29; COLOSSIANS 3:23 Did you know that work is part of God’s loving plan for us? Work is a good thing. The first thing God did after He created Adam and Eve was give them work to do. It was only after humans sinned that work became difficult—and sometimes frustrating—but that doesn’t mean we can’t find joy and satisfaction in our work. God Himself works, and s...

READ: JOHN 3:16; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-22 The tomb was not Jesus’s final resting place. When He was killed on the cross, that was not the end. Three days later, Jesus rose to life again. The stone that had been placed in front of the tomb was rolled away, and His body wasn’t there anymore. Jesus lived. The disciples were amazed when they found out about this—even though Jesus had told them He would...

READ: PSALM 32:7-8; ISAIAH 42:16; LUKE 1:78-79; JOHN 1:1-12 Merrick lifted the candle as he clutched his tunic. He felt the sand underfoot as shadows danced on the cave walls. “Beautiful, yes?” Father’s voice comforted him and pushed him to ignore the darkness. Yes, it was breathtaking—like a hidden world. “All this time,” Merrick said, fixing his eyes on the glittering ceiling, “the cave went far...

READ: ROMANS 5:6-8 There is no greater way to show love than to be willing to give up everything for someone else. That’s what Jesus did for us. He loved us so much that He gave up everything, including His life, for us. Romans 5:7 says it’s rare for someone to give up their life for a deserving person, but it’s even more rare for someone to give up their life for a person who doesn’t deserve it i...

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; 1 TIMOTHY 1:12-16; 2 PETER 3:8-18 “Just be a little more patient with me…all I’m asking is that you let me figure things out, let me grow, let me work on myself a little and become better at this…” Have you ever been in a place where it felt like everyone was pushing you and no one had any patience when it came to your growth? Have you ever felt like you needed to do someth...

READ: PSALM 32; 1 JOHN 1:8-2:2 Weighed down By a wrong I should not have done Trying to hide it Hoping no one will ever know Guilt eating me Guilt over secrets on top of the wrong Can’t go on like this Spending my life lying is no way to live I let You in God, I’ll share my secret with You This is what I’ve done I’m sorry and I want to move on Released from the shame I feel free to go forward with...

READ: SONG OF SONGS 2; 8:6-7; EPHESIANS 5:25-32 Today we’re looking at a book in the Old Testament called Song of Songs. Many readers are confused when they find this love poem in the Bible. It talks about the passionate love between this husband and wife, written in a way that no one speaks today. But the poem honestly shows love and sexual desire without embarrassment or shame. Some scholars mad...

READ: PSALMS 1:2; 119:103-105; 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17 Have you ever canned food? Throughout much of history, people have canned and preserved food—often in glass jars. This has been an important way for people to get nutrition, even in less-than-ideal times like winter or natural disasters. In a way, memorizing Scripture is like “canning” truth from God’s Word to store in our hearts so that we always h...

READ: ISAIAH 56:5; ACTS 11:26; 1 PETER 4:16 Do you know what your name means? Across cultures, names have meanings, and when we give names to babies, those meanings can be a beautiful way to communicate love and care for the newest members of our families. Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches.” But here’s the thing: we don’t choose our own names. We receive them whe...