Be Still: Daily Devotional

Today is September 2.


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 144.  


Praise be to the Lord my Rock, 
     who trains my hands for war, 
     my fingers for battle. 
He is my loving God and my fortress, 
     my stronghold and my deliverer, 
my shield, in whom I take refuge, 
     who subdues peoples[a] under me.
Lord, what are human beings that you care for them, 
     mere mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath; 
     their days are like a fleeting shadow. 
  

David, the shepherd king, wrote this song around the time he ascends to rulership over all of Israel. David had experienced a lot in his life: war, peace, violence, blessing, betrayal… As you come to prayer today, consider for a few moments some of the most significant of your own personal formation…. See if you can recall a formational – for good or bad - experience from each decade of your life. 
   
As David considers his own life, he writes this: what are human beings that you care for them?” As David reviews his past, he is struck by how fleeting our lives are. Do you ever consider things like that? How does it make you feel to listen to David’s words: “they are like a breath, their days are a fleeing shadow…”? The phrase Memento Mori means “remember that you will die”, and for Christians, it’s not meant to be a dark or depressing thought. Rather, it’s meant to orient us: to our fragility, to this temporal world, and to the reality of eternity in God’s kingdom. Listen to the text again and consider these things: 
   
When we are oriented towards the reality that it is from dust that we have come, and to dust that we will return, we become more oriented away from temporary things, and toward eternal things. For some who are listening, the idea of our own death may feel uncomfortably close. For others, it might feel unimaginable. What might it look like today to acknowledge, that God’s care is toward us, that He is mindful of us, even though we are ‘mere fragile mortals’?

Music: Our Victor and Peace - Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

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Today is September 1

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 Ephesians, chapter 1.

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

As we come to an end of our week, can you reflect on what it means that Paul prays that we would ‘know God better’. That we would know His hope, and His inheritance, and His power? Do you feel – today – like you know Him this deeply?

Sometimes, there are seasons of faith where you might feel an incredible closeness to God… and deep sense of knowledge of His character. There are also seasons of faith where you feel far off. Where you feel like you don’t know God well at all. Maybe you don’t feel like you ‘know’ hope. Or power. You don’t know what it means to be called to the riches of his glorious inheritance. Listen again, and allow yourself to be honest about how you feel as you come to God today.

Would you allow this prayer of St Paul to hold you up and draw you nearer to God today? From the ancient church, believers have prayed this prayer forward for other believers – for us even! Paul prays in a verb tense that implies he asks and keeps asking and keeps asking… that this prayerful request is ongoing. Pray for yourself today, to know God better. And pray also for generations of believer still to come… pray forward… that they would have the eyes of their hearts enlightened to the truth of who God is.

Music Credit:
"More than Anything" - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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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.

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is August 29.

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 gospel of Matthew, chapter 1.  
 

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. 
 

As you come to prayer today, is there any part of Joseph’s experience in this reading that you might identify with? Scripture tells us that Joseph was a faithful man, a kind man… AND clearly, a man who’s plans had been radically interrupted by God. No one anticipates having their life turned upside down by the call of God. Can you recall a time in your own life where you experienced the interruptive call of God?  
  
When we listen to familiar passages like this one, sometimes we forget that our sisters and brothers who experienced these things didn’t know ‘the rest of the story’. They said yes without knowing the full picture, the whole history of which they were a part. When Mary said yes to the angel, and when Joseph was obedient to God’s commands… they had zero idea what was going to happen. Their YES was given out of obedience to God, trust in God’s character, and faith in God’s power. Listen again, and try to imagine what it would be like for Joseph. 
  
As we come to an end of our time of prayer, ask God for the kind of faith that Joseph demonstrated when he said YES to God… not knowing what was ahead.

Music: "For Your Cause" Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is August 28.


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 Amos, chapter 9.  
 

“In that day  
         “I will restore David’s fallen shelter—  
         I will repair its broken walls  
         and restore its ruins—  
         and will rebuild it as it used to be,  
      so that they may possess the remnant of Edom  
         and all the nations that bear my name, 
           declares the LORD, who will do these things.  
 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD,  
         “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman  
         and the planter by the one treading grapes.  
         New wine will drip from the mountains  
         and flow from all the hills,  
        and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. 
  
         “They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.  
         They will plant vineyards and drink their wine;  
         they will make gardens and eat their fruit.  
      I will plant Israel in their own land,  
         never again to be uprooted  
         from the land I have given them,”  
            says the LORD your God. 
  
 
Welcome to prayer today. As we begin, take a few quiet moments to consider these promises from God, who says: I will repair, I will restore, I will rebuild……. Are there places in your life right now where you feel needy of God’s repair, restoration, or rebuilding? Hold those things before Him. 
  
As you listen to this text again, consider the faith, hope, and love they would stir up in the hearts of those who heard them in ancient days. And ask God to stir up your own faith, hope, and love…  
 
We are a kingdom people… believing in God that He is making all things new. Talk to God as we close our time of prayer… bringing to Him all of the places in your life where you feel personally in need of repair or restoration… and all of the places where the world around us is crying out for repair and restoration.  
 
Music: "You Speak" -Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is August 27.


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 gospel of John, chapter 15.  
  

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  
  

Have you ever felt like you didn't belong? Maybe at a wedding where you didn't know anyone else but the bride, or at work where everyone seems to leave you out. Or you may even feel that way in your own family. Everyone experiences times when they feel alienated from others. No one likes feeling different. Call to mind a situation where you yourself felt as if you didn't belong. 
  
God created us for connection. As you hear these words of Jesus again, listen for a particular phrase that stands out to you, and talk to the Lord about what it brings up for you. 
   
The next time you feel like you don't belong, try to remember that you are not alone.  
You are meant to stand out as a beacon of hope in the darkness.  As we end our time of prayer, ask God to draw near to you, and to remind you of his faithfulness.

Music: Restore - Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is August 26.


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 Nehemiah, chapter 9.  
  

On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God.  
 

The Israelites had just spent time reflecting on God’s faithfulness and the trials he has sustained them through. In looking back, they could see how their disobedience had caused all of the calamity that had come upon them, and how His hand had guided their ancestors through war, slavery, and desert wandering. They read the scriptures and meditated on them, and their response was penitence, confession, and worship. When you consider what God has brought you through in your life, what kind of response rises up in you?  
  
The Israelites had endured great instability and unrest, and had allowed their love for God and obligations to God to be neglected, including their regular observation of the Sabbath. As you hear the passage again, think about your own relationship with God. What aspects of your own devotion have you neglected?   
  
As we close our time of prayer today, take a few moments and confess your sin of neglect to God and ask him for a renewed desire for and love for his word? Ask him to come by his spirit to give you a pure heart toward him again. 

Music: Come Now Is The Time To Worship - Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is August 25th

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 Psalm 133.

1 How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
3 For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.

This is a simple couple of verses, but a challenging thing to take from paper into real life. As we begin our time of prayer, would you be willing to bring the places in your own heart where you are not feeling ‘unified’ with other Christians in your life?

So listen to the scripture again, and consider a time where you experienced the ‘good and pleasant’ reality of Christian unity that goes beyond all of our division and diversity. And keep in mind as you listen: this psalm was written to a people who were unique in being God’s chosen people. But the church of Jesus – the New Testament church – wasn’t a single culture . It was a new family, a family marked by not dividing walls of insider and outsider, but marked by: Jesus.

As we end our time of prayer today, talk with God about places where you experience division within church at large. Ask God for wisdom and instruction about how to walk forward in the most Christ-honoring way possible.

Music Credit:
"Make Us Like Jesus" (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

More at pickerill.casa

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.

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

More at pickerill.casa

Today is August 22.


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 Philippians, chapter 3.  
 

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.   
 
 
St Paul had what we might call a stellar resume’ when it came to religious zealousness. He had, he wrote, lots of reasons to be confident in his own achievements. But of course WE know that all of these things he did – all of these human achievements, accomplishments, were aimed at a prize he realized was – as he calls it – garbage. He came to realize that his achievements actually were working contrary to the purposes of God. Before he met Christ, he was a persecutor of Christians. Take a moment and imagine the feelings Paul may have wrestled with emotionally and spiritually when he considered who he was before he met Christ. 
  
So often, we listen to scripture as though it’s a play, not a description of reality. Paul is St Paul, the Apostle Paul, Saul the Pharisee… but Paul is also just an ordinary guy. Some 1st century guy with a radical call from God that totally interrupted everything he had been so convinced was true. Listen to the words of this letter again, and ask God to make you attentive to what Paul may have been feeling as he wrote these words.
  
When I listen to Paul, I hear a man rescued. A man who had his certainty interrupted by faith, and who had his religion interrupted by grace. When I listen to Paul, I have a feeling that I need to be interrupted, yet again, by a vision of Jesus. That I need to remember that so much of what I hold dear is pretty much garbage. That gaining Christ isn’t some religious acquisition, but an entrance into a radical, life-changing, soul-charging, eye-opening, heart-filling life with God. If you feel tired, worn out, or weary today… end your time of prayer talking to God about what it means to come to Him, and to learn His ways, and to experience the same knowledge of Christ that Paul himself had.

Music: "All Who Are Thirsty" - Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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