Lent 2021 Daily Devotion (Page 3)

SATISFIED READ: John 6:1-15 REFLECT:Take a moment to practice gratitude.List five things you are grateful for—beyond what might be obvious or common answers. PRAY: Miracle worker, you fed 5,000 people until they were satisfied. At times I wonder, am I ever truly satisfied? Am I always reaching, planning, or wanting for more? Am I always hustling for my self-worth,…

REMEMBER READ: Psalm 42:1-6 REFLECT:Remember a time when you felt truly yourself.Where were you and what were you doing? Remember a time when you felt closest to God.Where were you and what were you doing? PRAY: God of yesterday and God of tomorrow, you gave us the gift of remembering so that we might learn from the past, practice gratitude, and remember who we are.…

STONES READ: John 8:47-5 REFLECT:People throw stones at that which they do not understand.What is something you have struggled to understand that you could learn more about? PRAY: Patient Jesus, when you walked this world so many people did not understand. They tried to pin you down with logic, throwing stones at their confusion, throwing stones at what they did not…

WAIT READ: Psalm 130 REFLECT:What do you wait for in this life?What do you long for?Make a list of these things. PRAY: Holy God, I am waiting for the sun to rise. I am waiting for the day with no more pain. I am waiting for peace and joy like a river. So as I wait, give me the will to move my feet. I will watch for morning. I will watch for morning. Amen. — Prayer by…

FREE READ: John 8:31-32 REFLECT:When you think of the word free, what comes to mind?What things in this world prevent you from being free—spiritually, mentally and emotionally? PRAY: God of truth, I long to be free. I long for an untethered heart, for an unbound mind, for the freedom to move toward you with every breath. Help me to see where I am confining myself.…

GATHERS READ: Psalm 147:1-11 REFLECT:When was a time when you felt gathered in?How can you be a gatherer alongside God in your own life? PRAY: God of wide arms, sometimes I feel scattered, a little like an outcast, a little too familiar with the edge. I long for you to gather us up and pull us together into community, into you. For you are the God of the…

THIRST READ: John 7:37-44 REFLECT:What in your life feels like water— thirst-quenching, healing, renewing?What leaves you thirsty? PRAY: God of renewal, you invite me to the water’s edge. You invite me to drink big, messy, two-handed gulps of your living water. You invite me to wade in, to float, to no longer feel thirsty. I want all of that. I want it more than I…

Dwell READ: Jeremiah 7:1-7 REFLECT:When do you feel the closest to God?When do you feel the furthest from God? PRAY: Holy God, it is easy for me to go through the motions, to say the words without feeling, to act the part without conviction. But I don’t want a life that lacks feeling or conviction. I want people to know I’m a Christian by my love, not by an outward…

Name READ: Mark 5:1-10 REFLECT:Take inventory of your soul. What do you carry that weighs you down?What do you carry that brings you to life?Know that God sees it all, and calls you by name. PRAY: Gracious God, you see me when I am down, and you invite me to tell you about it. You ask me, “What is your name?” And in that moment, I can respond with the lies that cover…

SPEAK OPENLY READ: John 7:1-13 REFLECT:What prevents you from speaking openly?What would it look like to be empathetic to your neighbor, affirming of all, and still authentic to yourself when you speak? PRAY: Holy God, there are all sorts of narratives about what it means to be a Christian. I am quick to defend myself, but am I quick to defend you? Do not let me be…