Today is January 8

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.  

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”   
  
Today’s reading is from Psalm 69.

Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.
I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
looking for my God.
Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.
You, God, know my folly;
my guilt is not hidden from you.


This psalm is a cry for salvation, both from being ‘in over my head’ with something, as well as from ‘my folly, my guilt’. As you enter into prayer today, consider what it is you need to be saved from? Is there a place in your life where you feel out of depth? Is there an area of guilt, or sin that has a hold on you?
  
Do you ever forget to call out to the Lord in times of great need? Do you feel ashamed when you are struggling, or embarrassed about some ‘folly’ - some situation where you should of known better?

The Bible is full of people who feel as though they’ve ‘lost their foothold’, and who yet call out to God. Listen to the psalm again, and ask God to highlight a particular word or phrase for you to pay special attention to.
  
Our psalmist sounds so exhausted. He is worn out. His throat is parched. His eyes fail, looking for His God. And yet. He calls out to the Lord! And the Lord: He inclines, and He hears his cries. God demonstrates His love by continually inclining his face toward us, by inclining His presence toward us, by inclining his grace toward us. Allow yourself today to experience the gaze of God’s loving presence upon you. And – if you know someone who feels like ‘their eyes are failing, looking for God’... intercede for them by name this week.

Lord God, Almighty and Everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music: Sing Out - Heaven and Earth - (YouTube)

Today is January 7.


The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.    
  
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”     
    
Today’s reading is from the Book of Ephesians, chapter 4.    
   

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.   
1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children. 
 
  
I am glad you are taking time to Be Still today. As we enter into our time of prayer, consider these three incredible words from the passage we just read… perhaps three words you missed while paying attention to everything else: Paul says that you are ‘dearly loved children’ of God. Which implies you love God dearly. How near – or far – do you feel to a dearly loved Child of God right now? 
   
Paul is speaking to the Ephesian church – giving them a specific example of what it means to ‘follow the example’ set before us by Christ himself: in our speech, and treatment of one another. You may notice that the words Paul uses in the first bit are action words. They are not only things we might feel…. They are feelings we might express in the way we treat others: being unwholesome, or crude. Bitterness or anger or rage – which all too often spill out sideways into our actions. As you listen to the reading again, I’d encourage you to do so with humility and curiosity: is your speech generally filled with compassion and forgiveness? Is the way you talk to and about others generally helpful to them? Or might you have succumbed to the temptation of anger? Bitterness? Slander or gossip? Be honest before the Lord. 
   
One the one hand, our culture today can sometimes be experienced as a purity patrol…. Where our speech gets policed and we’re afraid to say the wrong thing! On the other hand, our culture today has a problem with angry and bitter and untrue speech – social media platforms and online comment sections are proof of that. Paul doesn’t just tell Christians to ‘be nice’ or ‘don’t say mean things’. Paul says: you’re supposed to have the same heart for others that He has for you: a heart of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. This week, and maybe forever – when you go to open your mouth or post online… as yourself: is this kind? Is it compassionate? Is it helpful? If not… do I need to practice forgiveness in some area?

The Bible says that the things that come out of our mouths reflect the state of our heart. That’s not always a pretty picture. This year, if you struggle with your patterns of speech, with coarseness, with anger, or with gossip… be serious about your commitment to follow the way of Christ – as God’s dearly loved children. 

Today is January 6th.  
  
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.  
  
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”   
  
Today Christians throughout history have celebrated the Epiphany, the commemoration of the Magi’s visit, the first manifestation of Christ as savior of Gentiles as well as Jews. Epiphany is among the church’s oldest and most important celebrations.  
  
Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2.  
  
Matthew 2:1-3, 7-12 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him… 
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 
  
 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 
  
The Magi were the wise and learned of the day. They were astronomers and astrologers—the two were one in the same in the ancient world—who believed that what they saw in the heavens were a sign of God’s activity on earth. The larger point is that from the beginning, Jesus wasn’t just born king of the Jews—he was king of Kings, one who is worthy of worship of all people. As you think about your relationship with God, have you seen something, a sign perhaps, that brought you to your knees to worship Jesus? What brings you to worship Jesus today?   
  
The Magi brought treasures to Jesus that were costly. They brought the finest gifts and presented them to Jesus. They took considerable time and risked their lives to travel many miles. As you hear the passage again, consider, What costly offering can you joyfully give to Jesus today?  
  
Matthew 2:1-3, 7-12 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him… 
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 
  
As you continue through your day, consider how you might seek Jesus and worship him with the gifts that you have.    
  
Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  
  
Music: Doxology Anthem (Lord We Praise You) - Vineyard Worship 
DOXOLOGY ANTHEM [Lyric Video] | Vineyard Worship 

Today is January 5th.

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from Psalm 13.


How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.


The writer of this song feels forgotten by God. The experience of being forgotten is as old as memory. It’s something that is like a wrestling of thoughts. God you say you love me, but if you love me then why are you not answering me? Have you wrestled with doubt? What are you wrestling with today?

The Psalmist says it’s also like a sorrow in the heart, a sadness, to feel forgotten. Have you ever experienced a spiritual depression in your life?

As you hear the Psalm again, pay attention to how the song moves from sadness to seeking, to asking, and then to believing.

As you walk through your day, can you incline your heart to trust in God’s unfailing love, can you allow your heart to rejoice in your salvation?

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music: Faithful One - Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.

1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.

Today is January 2nd.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 1.

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).


The first followers of Jesus were seekers. Jesus didn’t call these first two disciples to follow him. Jesus turned around and Andrew and his friend were already following him. They must have been curious whether what was said of Jesus was true—that he was the Son of God. After spending the day with him they were convinced that he was the One. If you could spend a day with Jesus, what would you ask him? How do you think Jesus might respond to your question?

Jesus gave Simon a new name. He called him Peter, which means “rock.” Renaming is a way of saying, “I’ve given you a new identity. I have a purpose for you. As you hear the passage again, consider the new identity has God have given you. What name or word does Christ speak over you to redefine your purpose?

Andrew’s encounter with Jesus grew into a contagious faith. He went and told his brother all about it. As we close our time, consider something that has happened recently that you are thankful for. Can you make a commitment to share that with someone today?

Lord God, Almighty and Everlasting Father, You have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with Your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of Your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music: Draw Me Close To You - Heaven and Earth Worship

Today is January 1

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.  

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”   
  
Today’s reading is from the book of Numbers, chapter 6.


The Lord said to Moses,  “Tell Aaron and his sons,‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites." Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you;  the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;  the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”


In the Old Testament, the act of priestly blessing was a sacred thing. A priest would stand above the people, stretch his arms over them, and speak the blessing of God over God’s people. The picture we hear in these words should call to mind favor, and blessing, and kindness. The Psalmist echos this lean when he wrote about God: “You INCLINED and heard my cry”. Consider for a moment, this first day of the new year, what it means that God’s blessing toward you is His own inclination to draw near to you? Can you quiet your heart, and turn your attention toward God to receive His presence this new year?
  
Listen again and pay attention to the words that the Lord gave Moses for Aaron. Words like: blessing, keeping, shining, graciousness, peace. As you listen to this short text, imagine yourself standing ‘under the blessing’ of God.
  
Many people start a new year with thoughts of resolutions: what is it that we can do for ourselves? Instead, consider entering this year asking God simply for the grace to remain under His blessing. We are, as the hymn goes, ‘prone to wander, prone to leave the one I love’. Can you, this new year, ask God for strength, faith, and conviction to simply remain under His grace? To be constant recipients and givers of His peace? As we end our time of prayer, I’d encourage you to pray and offer your obedience this year to the Lord, and ask for both his leadership as well as His blessing.

Music Credit:
"Shalom" - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)

Today is December 31st for 2025.


Hey friends, can we together take a moment to make some space to be thankful to all of the folks around Vineyard Columbus who helped co-create the Be Still devotional this year? This marks the full completion of Be Still – we have 365 days of devotional and it’s all thanks to the hard work of the team here. You know who you are. Thank you. 
 
If Be Still has been a grace to you, please take a moment right now to rate us with five stars and drop a friendly comment in. When you give Be Still five stars, the algorithms make it more visible for those who are looking, so it’s simply a way of making something that’s been a gift to you easier for others to find. 
   
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence, and pray: Come, Holy Spirit. 

May God’s peace and presence be to you in 2026. Do not fear, the Lord is near. And all manner of things shall be well. 

Music: "Christ The King" - Heaven and Earth Worship

Today is December 30th.

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. 

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the book of Titus, chapter 2, the MSG version.

  
11-14 God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness. 
 

One of the fruits of Advent is that we are given birth to a new life. It’s not just that Christ is born. We are reborn! This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. Reflect for a moment on the places where new life is growing in you right now. Where do see have joy, or peace, or love in your life?  

We think of repentance as a painful process of denying pleasures. Paul, in this passage invites us to think about repentance as embracing more of God’s new life in us. He is motivating us to repentance by reminding us that repentance actually leads to more life. He says, We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God honoring life. Consider how turning away from indulgence might actually lead you to more life in Christ. 

As we close our time, take a moment and ask God for more of his life to replace the old places of sin and death in your life. Ask his life to fill you and move in you so that you may be free from your old dark life and energized into this new, good life in Christ.  

Behold… what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 

To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever! The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Amen.

Today is December 29

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the book of John, chapter 1.


“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.


The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Think of a light that cannot be overcome, a light that cannot go out. You might think of an intense light. Maybe a spotlight shining up into the night. Or a powerful laser that has an intense beam. Or even stronger, the light of the sun. But the light of Christ starts as a different kind of light. It’s more like one of those trick birthday candles that gets blown out but then a few moments later relights on its own. Think for a moment about how the light you see in Christ is more like a candle that is fragile light, but one not easily extinguished.

Isaiah puts it this way, A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. This sounds like the life of Christ in the world doesn’t it? In his death he was bruised but not broken. His light was smoldering but not snuffed out. How is that true of the light of Christ in you? Where do you see faith smoldering in your life? Where is there a small sign of smoke, even if no flame?

As we close our time of prayer, ask God to breathe on that wick. Ask him to blow on those embers. Ask that the flame might burst forth again into the night of the world around you.

Behold… what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever! The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Amen.

Music: "Eternal Light" - Heaven & Earth (YouTube)