Be Still: Daily Devotional

Today is September 4

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 Matthew, chapter 6.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.

This is, for many of us, a familiar prayer. Simple, even. How is your prayer life these days? Are you regularly turning to the Lord, speaking to him, and listening?

Listen again to this prayer, the prayer model Jesus gave to his disciples and to us. Try to listen to each line, really being attentive to what the scripture is saying. Pay attention to what word or phrase stands out to you today.

If you are feeling disconnected with an intentional habit of prayer, take some time today to think about how you might reengage. For some, simply writing out this prayer, from Matthew 6, every morning would be a great start. For others, starting a simple journal of conversation with the Lord could be helpful. Keep in mind that Jesus orients to something incredibly important in just the first two words: we are praying to Our Father! He is good, and gracious, and generous, and he loves you as a good father loves his children.

Music Credit:
Our Father - 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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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 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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Today is August 31

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 book of Jonah, chapter 2.

1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.
2 He said:
“In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.
4 I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’
5 The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, LORD my God,
brought my life up from the pit.
10 And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Jonah is a story filled with irony… the Bible Project refers to it as an ancient satire. Jonah is a prophet, called by God to deliver a message to Ninevah… and he does the exact opposite. God literally tells Jonah to go east… and Jonah runs as far west as he can. He boards a boat, gets caught in a storm, and while the pagan sailors discern rightly that there’s something spiritual happening, Jonah the prophet puts his blood on their hands when he suggest the sailors just dump him overboard. Jonah is serving as an example of someone who is doing the exact opposite of what they’re supposed to do. Is there any part of this story that you can identify with? Have you ever heard God say go east… only to run in the opposite direction?

Listen to the story again, considering that this is really only the beginning of Jonah’s resistance to God’s heart, and God’s commands in this story.

“But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit…” Over and over, in absurd ways, Jonah is a story of God’s willingness, God’s desire even – to rescue! He rescues Jonah – the disobedient and complaining prophet. He later rescues the whole city after they repent. The story of Jonah tells us something important about our proclivities to run from God and God’s grace… and about God’s constant pursuit of those He loves. Talk to the Lord now about His constant pursuit of you… and if there are places where you know you are running away from Him, talk to God about that as well…

Music Credit:
"Slow to Anger" - Vineyard Soul (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 30

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 146.

6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful forever.
7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free,
8 the LORD gives sight to the blind,
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow...

This psalm makes a lot of statements about who God is: God is maker. Faithful. He upholds and nourishes and sets free. He gives sight, lifts up, and loves. God watches over and sustains. And he does these things not just for me or you. But for those in our world who are often unseen, vulnerable, and disregarded. Our news is filled with images of refugees standing at borders. Of fatherless children being mistreated. Of oppression, of hunger. The pain of the world is so hard to absorb… it can be tempting to turn away, or to feel paralyzed. Talk to God about how you feel considering this today in prayer.

Let’s listen again to this psalmist reflect on God’s character, and point us to God’s response. Let’s listen again, considering that you and I are called – as the church – to be the body of Christ in the world. His hands, and His feet… Every Christian is a part of the corporate church. Every Christian has the opportunity to reflect the heart of God to a watching world, and to a world that needs the care of God. Listen again and consider: how might you – as a representative of God through His body the church – become a more faithful representation of this psalm:

None of us are makers, we are made. And none of us can save the world, Jesus did. But we can partner with the work of Christ in the world. We can help to give food, to lift up, to love and watch over, to sustain… Invite the Lord, as David did, to search you and know you today. Invite the Lord to be present to you as you take inventory of your own partnership with the work of Christ. Invite the Lord, as we end our time of prayer, to speak to you about ways He might be inviting you further to be his hands, and his feet, in the world around you today.

Music Credit:
"Form Us" - Vineyard Soul (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 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.

18 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. 19 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.

20 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. 21 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.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 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 Credit:
"For Your Cause" Vineyard Worship (UK) (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.

11 “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,
12 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.
13 “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,
14 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.
15 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 Credit:
"You Speak" -Vineyard Worship (UK) (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 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

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Today is August 24th

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 book of Colossians, chapter 1 – the MSG version.

15 – 18 We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

18–20 He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

…all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe-people and things, animals and atoms – get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies… as we begin our time of prayer, invite the spirit of God to draw even nearer to you, and to sort out any places that feel broken, or dislocated.

This passage of scripture has thousands and thousands of pages of commentary written about it – it is so full and rich! As you listen to it again, listen for just one simple word or phrase that the Lord might highlight for you…

Take the phrase or word that the Lord called your attention to and write it down so that you can reflect on it throughout the day. For me, the phrase is: He holds it all together. This is a true statement about God that gives me right perspective, a proper vision. Talk to God as we end our time of prayer about the phrase he drew your attention to. Ask Him for insight, and also ask Him to remind you to recenter yourself on Him over the course of your day.

Music Credit:
"All for You Jesus" - 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