Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: ISAIAH 55:8-9; PHILIPPIANS 2:12; HEBREWS 11 In middle school, I was open in sharing my faith with friends, and they openly shared their beliefs with me too. It was fun having conversations about what we believed in and why. That is, until my friends started asking me more difficult questions, like, Was the Garden of Eden story true? Did the flood actually happen? Why would this man named “Je...

READ: 1 KINGS 3:4-14; 1 JOHN 1:9–2:2 “What are you afraid of?” Ask ten different people, and you will likely get ten different answers! Our fears are very personal to us, depending on our past experiences. Still, one of the most common is the fear of failure. In the Bible, Solomon also feared failure. He was called to follow in the footsteps of Israel’s greatest king, his father David. It was a da...

READ: PSALMS 19:1-6; 96:5-6, 11-12 Dominic stepped out of his car into the crisp, cold air. It had been in the teens during the night, and the weather felt as cold as the relationships in his home. Things had gotten tense between his parents, and he needed time to think. Dominic pulled on his gloves and zipped up his coat as he headed for the muddy hiking trail. Ever since his dad had taken him ou...

READ: EPHESIANS 4:2; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:14; JAMES 5:7-8 I’m going to be honest—I am terrible at being patient. I get frustrated with long lines, slow computers, and people who walk at a snail’s pace but take up the whole sidewalk so there’s no way to pass them. I also get impatient when I feel like God isn’t listening to my prayers. Doesn’t He know how much I need the thing I’m asking for? Doesn’t...

READ: PSALM 103:4; ROMANS 8:38-39; COLOSSIANS 2:13-15; 2 PETER 3:8-13 Life digs a pit and throws me, kicking and flailing, inside. I hit the bottom hard. There’s no escape, so I call out, “Lord, save me! I’m not meant to exist in this pit. I know Your plan is good!” I sit down and wait for my Savior, expectant for His face to appear over the edge. Time passes, and I fidget, wondering why it’s taki...

READ: PROVERBS 27:9; ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12; 1 JOHN 4:19 Sometimes it’s hard to share the thoughts and feelings weighing most heavily on our hearts. Maybe we’re struggling with depression, bullying, a parent’s divorce, the death or illness of a loved one, or the sins we are most often tempted by. We might feel embarrassed or ashamed that we feel the way we do. We might worry how others might react. W...

READ: PSALM 23; JOHN 10:10-18 In college, I shared an apartment with a buddy. We lived in complete poverty: we owned a couch, a desk, a chair, and an old TV. Late one afternoon, I fell asleep on the floor. I heard some noise and assumed it was my roommate rummaging around. It wasn’t. A guy had broken in by slicing a hole through our bedroom screen. Even though I heard him, I pretended to sleep, wh...

READ: PSALMS 37:23; 119:105, 133; MATTHEW 28:16-20; ACTS 18:1-4 “What are you going to do when you grow up?” While this question can be fun to ask a small child, it becomes more stressful as you inch closer to graduation. Everyone seems to expect you to have an answer—as though there is only one “right answer.” Perhaps you find yourself exhausted with all the questions, feeling a mounting anxiety...

READ: EXODUS 33:11; JOHN 15:13-15 Most of our friendships begin by meeting someone new and getting acquainted with that person. A stranger remains a stranger until we start to get to know them. This can happen through conversations, shared activities, or interacting in group settings. As we grow closer to someone, we may refer to them as an acquaintance and eventually a friend. As love and trust a...

READ: DEUTERONOMY 31:6; PSALM 46:1; ISAIAH 41:10 When I was little, I was terrified of dogs. Going to family or friends’ homes was always a nightmare when I knew they had a dog. However, one thing that comforted me was knowing that my parents or older siblings would be there with me. I wasn’t alone. I had experienced that if I went to them for protection, they would pick me up, away from the “dang...

READ: EXODUS 20:1-6; 32:1-8; PSALMS 86:12; 135:5-7, 15-18 Over and over again in the Bible, God condemns the worship of idols. The Israelites, God’s chosen people, struggled with idolatry. Even though they repeatedly witnessed God’s power and saw Him work mightily on their behalf, they still turned to human-made images and worshiped them. They turned to statues and other false gods for protection,...

READ: HABAKKUK 1:1-11; 2:3, 14; 3:11-19; REVELATION 21:1-5 Ever heard of Habakkuk? This book of the Bible isn’t preached on or discussed very often, which is a shame because it’s a fantastic gem in Scripture. Like the other eleven minor prophet books, Habakkuk provides a snapshot of Israel’s history, one that reveals not only God’s plan but also relates to us today. The prophet Habakkuk prays a pr...

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; JOHN 14:26-27; 15:10-13; 1 JOHN 4:7-19 I was already asleep when my grandpa called, asking for help with Grandma’s diaper. I don’t feel especially loving when sleep-deprived, but the quiet stirring of God’s Spirit within me assured me what the next step was. I slipped on a sweater and puddle boots and stumbled down the darkened dirt road between our house and their snug log...

READ: LUKE 15:11-32; COLOSSIANS 1:11-14; 2:13-15; 1 JOHN 1:9–2:1 There was no going back. Talia took a step forward, reached out, and grabbed the berry. It was as black as night, blacker than any berry in her home realm, and plump with juice. “What are you waiting for?” the mage asked. “I’m not sure,” she said. “Was my life really all that bad?” “Your father was keeping you from being happy, right...

READ: JOHN 8:1-11; ROMANS 3:23-24 I don’t even know why we need to have this conversation. Although I didn’t say that thought out loud, my eyebrows slanted halfway toward my nose and my arms wrapped tightly around my chest declared exactly what I was thinking. Why in the world we had to have a discussion about what music we listened to in youth group, my sophomore self couldn’t figure out. I’d shu...

READ: GENESIS 18:1-15; 21:1-3; HEBREWS 11:11 Have you ever trusted a friend and then found out they were not trustworthy? Maybe you confided in them, spilling your guts about something personal. And, even though your friend promised to keep it to themselves, they didn’t. Or maybe you’ve been an untrustworthy friend to someone else. When someone has broken the trust of another, it’s a serious probl...

READ: MATTHEW 6:8; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7; 1 PETER 5:7 The other day, I was so frustrated. I had misplaced three things that were important to me and my family. One was my bank card. I always put it back in my purse, but for some reason it wasn’t in there, and neither was my paycheck, which I hadn’t taken out since I got it. Finally, the last thing was my earbuds. I know, I know—they aren’t that import...

READ: GENESIS 2:2-3; EXODUS 20:8-11; MATTHEW 11:28–12:8 Life’s busy—we all know that. Between school, friends, part-time jobs, and extracurriculars, by the end of the day, we’re burned out. And then we have to start homework. God knows our lives are busy. That’s why He created Sabbath. God invented all kinds of rhythms in nature. Night and day, the different seasons, and the tides of the ocean all...

READ: JOSHUA 1:9; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-8; HEBREWS 4:14-16 Anxiety can haunt you in many forms. When I was 10, I was officially diagnosed with anxiety. It was minor compared to other cases. I sometimes got stressed over social interactions, feeling like I might’ve said something mean, and stressing that everyone hated me for something that wasn’t even that bad in the eyes of someone else. It made me fee...

READ: MATTHEW 4:1-11; 26:36-56; 27:27-46; HEBREWS 4:14-16 When was the last time you were hungry? I’m not talking about your typical hunger; I’m talking about the “I haven’t eaten a single thing in over a week” kind of hunger. Most of us have not had to experience this level of hunger, and it’s mind-boggling to consider how Jesus did this willingly—not just for a week, but for forty days! Matthew...

READ: JOHN 4:7-42; 7:37-39; 10:10-11 I stand in a large room, staring at a table. About twenty cups, ranging from jeweled goblets to simple glasses, are arranged before me. I walk to the table and pick up the biggest, fanciest goblet. The word “Money” is laid out in beautiful jewels. The drink inside tastes like soda. It satisfies my thirst for a moment, but soon my mouth is dry once again. I take...

READ: GENESIS 1:1-3; PSALM 102:25-27; JOHN 1:1-3; EPHESIANS 1:4-6 Before the stars in radiance shone, Before anyone had ever seen or known The beauty of a sky at night, Before there was even dark or light, You were there. Before the earth had shape or form, Or the sea was told its bounds, Before the hills were adorned with trees And never had a plant been found, You were there. Before the waters t...

READ: MATTHEW 5:14-16, 1 CORINTHIANS 3:6-9 Do you know that painful feeling when you turn on a light first thing in the morning or in the middle of the night? When you’ve been in a dark room for a while, light stings your eyes and makes you want to keep them closed. In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a l...

READ: LUKE 15:1-4; ROMANS 5:5; 1 JOHN 4:7-21 God loves you. If you’ve grown up in church, you’ve probably heard that a thousand times (I hope!), but it’s always worth repeating. So what does it mean that God loves us? To get the most accurate picture of God’s love, we can look to Jesus, who is God. Love is, at its core, selflessly giving oneself to someone else. Jesus did this for us when He came...

READ: JOHN 15:12-15; ROMANS 12:9-10; GALATIANS 6:2 I’ll never forget Valentine’s Day my freshman year of high school. There was a boy in my English class who was super cute, and even though we hadn’t ever uttered more than a greeting to each other, I kept my hopes up that Valentine’s Day would spark something more. On my way to catch the bus that morning, I found a balloon bouquet on my porch. Gid...