Be Still: Daily Devotional

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 September 20. 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy 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 Haggai, chapter 2.   
  
6 “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”   
   
God points out that the gold and silver are his. God is demanding what is rightly His not so He can store it up for himself and count it, or build statues of himself so that people bow down and show their reverence to him. He's planning a place for His peace for the people. A place to restore what was lost to sin. Where do you go to restore what has been lost to sin?  
  
What if we used all of God's silver and gold to glorify him? Can you think of a better use for it? What if instead of wrapping it around our necks and arms, we worked together to build a place of perfect peace on Earth with it.  
  
What can you give back to God today that is rightfully His? Silver? Gold? Time? Energy? Love? Give something back to God today, no matter how insignificant it feels.  
  
Music: "Restore" - Samuel Lane/Vineyard Worship  
Restore - Samuel Lane [lyric video taken from The Difference] 


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 September 19  

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 1 Kings, chapter 10.  
 
1 When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the LORD, she came to test Solomon with hard questions. 2 Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. 3 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king t 
o explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, 5 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed.   
6 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 7 But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. 8 How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.”   
  
The Queen of Sheba wasn't expecting to be so impressed with King Solomon. She, a woman of great wealth, traveled very far to see this famed kingdom for herself. She had heard the rumors, but when she arrived, she was overwhelmed. "How happy your people must be!" she saw even servants wearing remarkable clothing. What she witnessed was a society that began with the creating of a temple to God, built itself up by following the instructions of God, and maintained itself by mutual trust and obedience to God. As we enter our time of prayer today, consider the connection between happiness and putting God first. 
  
God was at the center of their existence and they followed him faithfully. Think of the unity they felt, the way they were thriving by trusting and serving God, and maintaining justice and righteousness. Think about what would it be like to live in a society that was so just it was overwhelming. 

When we put God first in even the smallest ways, things fall into place. As we close our time of prayer, ask yourself, What is one thing I can do to today put God first in my life?   

Music: "Christ Above Me" - Vineyard Worship (UK) 
CHRIST ABOVE ME [Official Lyric Video] | Vineyard Worship feat. Kate Cooke 

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 September 18  

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 Hebrews, chapter 9.   
  
6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!  
  
The Israelites did all of these things to cleanse their consciences. They had to atone somehow, for the way they were disappointing a perfect God. But, it didn't work. All of the sacrifice, all of the effort, all of the blood, and they still had to carry the weight of their own sin and shame with them every day. Take a moment and reflect on any of that kind of weight you might be carrying today. 
  
We don't have to present sacrificial blood for our sins anymore. And we don't need to carry the burden of sin and shame. Jesus came so we didn't have to do either. He came so that you and I could walk around with our heads held high, as his followers, serving Him. Listen to the passage again with this in mind… and consider the freedom Christ brings to us… 
   
Jesus’ will was perfect, and no part of him was subject to doing the wrong thing. What do you think it would be like to walk through life knowing the Father abided in you and guided your every step. Since Jesus lived a perfect life, we pay attention, and try to live as close to the way He did as possible. Some people struggle to feel like they are enough, because they still carry the weight of the sin and shame that Jesus sacrificed himself to free us of. They race and climb, trying to make themselves feel like they've made it. But what if that feeling never comes? All the money, and power, and friends don't satisfy our need for enough of God's love. Why do we just keep pushing ourselves until we break, to get more of these things? Should we slow down for a second, and think about what truly makes us enough? 

Music: "Nothing But The Blood" - Joshua Miller 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC5tuDuJka8 

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 September 17.


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 Colossians, chapter 3.  
  

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  
  

This scripture points up... listen to the words: you have been raised. Set your heart on things above. Do you find that all too often, your mind and your heart gets pointed down, on what this passage calls ‘earthy things’? Give the Lord some space right now to reorient you. You might want to begin by listing things out to the Lord that are occupying your heart and your mind. 
   
I often forget that my life is ‘hidden with Christ in God’. I may know that verse by heart…. And yet not allow it to be a foundation for my day-to-day life. Listen to this brief passage again, and pay attention to a single word or simple phrase that stands out to you.  
   
This scripture reminds us who we are: what is true of Christ is true of us. He was raised, so we are raised—already. We are hidden with Christ, we are made alive in Christ. Even now, our minds and our hearts are meant to be directed toward this eternal reality. What are some ways you can interrupt your day with a reminder to re-direct your heart and mind toward Christ. Maybe an alarm on your phone? Maybe a midday walk and prayer? As we end, think of one way you can practically remind yourself today to set your mind and heart on things above.

Music: You're All I Need - Heaven and Earth - (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

Today is September 16.


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 Romans, chapter 3.  
  

9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written:  
  
         “There is no one righteous, not even one;  
         11      there is no one who understands;  
         there is no one who seeks God.  
      12 All have turned away,  
         they have together become worthless;  
         there is no one who does good,  
         not even one.”  
      13 “Their throats are open graves;  
         their tongues practice deceit.” 
         “The poison of vipers is on their lips.”  
         14      “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”   
      15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;  
         16      ruin and misery mark their ways,  
      17 and the way of peace they do not know.”   
         18      “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  
  
 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. 
  

As we come to prayer today, let’s begin with a consideration of ‘becoming conscious of our sin’. Remember: we do this only under the covering of God’s grace! Take a few moments right now and invite God to search you, to know you, and to reveal to you any area of sin or proclivity to sin that might be under the surface of your life. 
   
This text tells us that the law is useful not to help us be obedient, but to help us recognize our LACK of obedience. The law gives us a test that we simply cannot pass on our own strength. Listen to the scripture again and pay attention to the strong way it speaks to our sinful nature. 
 
Do you often consider the power of God’s grace? Take time right now to recognize how wonderful and freeing it is to be a people who are forgiven by grace… not by works. Consider the love of God toward you that He would offer Himself to pay the debt you cannot pay. And allow God to convict you of any area – any hidden or secret ways – that need to be confessed to the God of all grace.

Music: You Have Our Yes - 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

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 September 13 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy 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 32.  
 
 
      1 Blessed is the one  
         whose transgressions are forgiven,  
         whose sins are covered.  
      2 Blessed is the one  
         whose sin the LORD does not count against them  
         and in whose spirit is no deceit.  
       3 When I kept silent,  
         my bones wasted away  
         through my groaning all day long.  
      4 For day and night  
         your hand was heavy on me;  
         my strength was sapped  
         as in the heat of summer.  
       5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you  
         and did not cover up my iniquity.  
         I said, “I will confess  
         my transgressions to the LORD.”  
         And you forgave  
         the guilt of my sin.  
  
 
It’s not easy to reflect on our own sin... and actually acknowledging our sin is sometimes even more difficult. The psalmist writes that we are blessed, though, when we acknowledge our sin, confess it, and see forgiveness. As you enter into prayer, can you invite the Lord to help you see one area of sin that is present in you? It might be an action, or an inaction. It could be an attitude, or a behavior. Take a few moments to examine your heart and your choices and see what God calls to your attention. 
  
Scripture gives us a tool – confession – that helps us navigate our way through and past our sins, or sinful patters. Confession is the act of speaking honestly about our areas of brokenness... and is accompanied by repentace... which is the act of turning away from sin toward holiness. Listen again, and prepare your heart for the opportunity to pray a prayer of confession to the Lord. 
  
God forgives the guilt of our sins. With this truth in mind, we’ll end our time of prayer in confession....... can you talk to the Lord about what has come to mind? …............ Take time now to ask God for His gift of forgiveness, and abide with Him as you experience His grace. 
 
Music: "You're All I Need" - Heaven & Earth 
You're All I Need (feat. Paul Cullen & Mallory Headings) 

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 September 12 

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 Hebrews, chapter 3.  
 
1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” a bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.  
  
What have your thoughts been fixed on this week? What has occupied your concerns? Take a few moments of quiet now to review the worries, desires, and preoccupations that are filling your mind... 
  
The author of Hebrews exhorts us to fix our thoughts on Jesus. He reminds us that God is faithful, that he is worthy, that we can be confident in him. Listen again to this scripture, and to the confidences the author gives us about the character of God. 
  
For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. So often we forget that it is God who holds everything together. Whare are things in your life, right now, that you feel a need to master, or control, or fix? Can you invite God, the builder of everything, into those things? As we end our time of prayer, offer them over to the Lord. 
 
Music: "Sing His Name" - Vineyard Worship 
Vineyard Worship | Sing His Name (ft. Alexandria Faison, Tina Colón Williams & Tim Brown) | Live 

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 September 11 

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 1 Kings, chapter 3.  
 
7 “Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”  
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.  
  
Solomon prayed to the Lord for a discerning heart, in order to govern in wise ways... and the scripture tells us that the Lord was pleased to answer this prayer. Solomon needed wisdom, he says, because he felt like ‘only a little child’. As we enter into our own time of prayer today, what is a place where you feel that way... a situation where you are in need of wisdom or discernment for a task ahead of you that you don’t feel equipped for? Talk to God about this. 
  
When you find yourself – like Solomon did – in over your head... is it your first inclination to be humble, and to ask God for what you need? Or is your first inclination to power through? To try to be more than you are? To fill gaps that you know you can’t fill? As you listen again to these words, listen for Solomon’s humility...  
  
As we close our time of prayer, talk to God about places or situations where you need a wise and discerning heart. Bring any places of overwhelm to Him... 
 
Music: "God of Rest" - Vineyard Worship  
GOD OF REST (Dios Del Descanso) | Official Lyric Video feat. Tina Colón Williams | Vineyard Worship 


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