Daily Devo

Listen to today’s devo!

The whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love. (Eph. 4:16)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 4:16

Watching the body of Christ in action on Sunday mornings is a heart-warming sight. The greeters’ smiling faces and hearty handshakes make us feel welcome. As we gather in the sanctuary, we nod hello to one another. The praise and worship team leads us into God’s presence through song. As we are invited to give, we worship the Lord with our tithes and offerings. The pastor delivers the sermon, and the congregation listens and receives encouragement. It is easy to become so accustomed to these services that we miss their importance. On Sunday mornings, we get to observe the body of Christ in action: serving, singing, giving, praying, and feasting on God’s Word.

Corporate worship plugs us into the body of Christ and allows us to witness the amazing way it ministers both to God and to itself. The apostle Paul showed us a picture of how God made us to have a relationship with himself and others. When we engage in corporate worship, we place ourselves in the position to grow and be built up along with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

God desires for us to interact as a body. Being in community is one of the ways God has chosen to foster our spiritual maturity. If you are not in fellowship with other believers, perhaps your local church offers Sunday school classes, small group meetings, or Bible studies.

Identify a way to interact with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Lisa Riggs serves as associate professor of English and literature at Oklahoma Wesleyan University. She enjoys visiting with family, writing poetry, and painting landscapes.

© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching. (Eph. 4:14)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 4:14-15

Now more than ever, we are being bombarded by information. The internet, social media, and television spew unending images and sound bites. If we are not well-grounded in our beliefs, we can easily be knocked off course by the latest trend or theory. Young people are particularly vulnerable to being overwhelmed or confused. Poll today’s young people on fundamental questions—“Is Jesus the only way to salvation?” “Is abortion really immoral?”—and their answers can be horrifying. Is the reason that we are somehow failing to impart truth to the younger generation because we ourselves are not grounded in truth?

Paul used the metaphor of rough seas to exhort the Ephesians to attain spiritual maturity in Christ. Being grounded in truth will provide stability against the tossing seas of today’s competing worldviews. Only by immersing ourselves in the knowledge of God can we anchor our faith against the world’s confusing onslaught. The only way to progress from infancy to maturity is to learn more about the Lord and to draw closer to him.

Our God is a great communicator. He has given us his Word as a source of truth and guidance. The more time we spend in the Word, the more we will come to know him and his will for our lives. When we become grounded in the truth, we can be used by God to influence others.

Create space in your day for reading and meditating on God’s Word.

Lisa Riggs serves as associate professor of English and literature at Oklahoma Wesleyan University. She enjoys visiting with family, writing poetry, and painting landscapes.

© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. (Eph. 4:7)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 4:7-13

Many years ago, when I applied for graduate school, I did not have a clear career path; I just knew that I loved academia and wanted more of it. When my advisor offered me a teaching assistantship, I cringed because I did not think teaching was for me; however, from the moment I stepped into my first classroom, I knew that this was what I was meant to do. It took a push for me to even try it, but teaching had been my God-given destiny all along. Today, I have the opportunity to influence the upcoming generation and speak truth into young people’s lives. What an immense blessing!

According to the apostle Paul, Christ has not only extended his grace to each of us, but he has also given us gifts to be used in ministering to the body of Christ. His marvelous plan is for us to use our specific gifts to build up one another. When we are reaching out in love to support and mentor our brothers and sisters in Christ, we truly begin to function as his body and become unified.

What are your gifts? Are you using them to minister to the body of Christ? Paul’s list includes ministry-type roles: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. What are your natural abilities? God gave them to you for a reason.

Ask the Lord to show you how to use your gifts.

Lisa Riggs serves as associate professor of English and literature at Oklahoma Wesleyan University. She enjoys visiting with family, writing poetry, and painting landscapes.

© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Eph. 4:3)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 4:3-6

The Christmas season has just gone by, with all of its parties, get-togethers, and family gatherings. These celebrations sound so idyllic, but we all know that gatherings can be stressful, especially when personalities conflict or when old resentments flare. Yes, this can happen right in the middle of Grandma’s superb Christmas dinner. It is a sad characteristic of many human beings to be argumentative on the one hand and overly sensitive on the other. We are convinced that we are right and others are just misled. When others disagree with us, we become defensive. In short, when people gather, interactions can become thorny.

When such tensions or disputes occur in the body of Christ, peace, Christian unity, and the work of the kingdom are disrupted. The apostle Paul encouraged the Christians in Ephesus to cultivate unity because he was anticipating the challenges of maintaining harmony between Jewish Christians and converted Gentiles. The only way God’s plan for humankind could succeed is for the body of Christ to operate under a mantle of cooperation and peace.

Just like our families gathered for Christmas dinner, the body of Christ is comprised of an amazing variety of personalities and opinions. Our mission is to extend goodwill and peace to all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Yes, we may all be different, but we are family.

Make unity with all fellow Christians a priority, no matter the differences.

Lisa Riggs serves as associate professor of English and literature at Oklahoma Wesleyan University. She enjoys visiting with family, writing poetry, and painting landscapes.

© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Eph. 4:1)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 4:1-2

As an English professor, one of the hardest things about the new year is buckling down to teach after the nice break and Christmas festivities. Launching a new semester in the dead of winter is a motivational challenge for teachers, but imagine what it is like for young adults to have to return to the pressure and grind of coursework. What keeps me going is my God-given calling to teach and mentor young people. I am blessed to teach at a Christian university where I am encouraged to witness and minister to my students.

The apostle Paul admonished us “to live a life worthy of the calling.” Here he appeared to be referring to our general calling to conduct ourselves as children of the Most High God, but a bit later in this passage, he pointed to specific callings and gifts. Perhaps this year, instead of committing to various New Year’s resolutions—to lose weight, exercise more, or pay off credit cards—we should examine our lives in terms of our callings.

At the threshold of this new year, let us ask the Lord for direction on what he wants us to do. Are we walking in a manner worthy of his calling? What is a worthy use of our time and gifts? Ask the Lord to make his calling for your life clear.

Resolve to answer God’s calling on your life in this new year.

Lisa Riggs serves as associate professor of English and literature at Oklahoma Wesleyan University. She enjoys visiting with family, writing poetry, and painting landscapes.

© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! (Ps. 81:1)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 81:1

The wall words in my kitchen say, “Today, I choose joy.” And I must choose joy intentionally—especially on days that I wake up with a headache, dread the happenings my day promises to bring, or am flooded by other less-than-joyful thoughts. I can wallow in frustration or pain, or I can choose joy. I can proclaim God’s strength that will help me conquer the day and begin my day shouting the love of God with everyone I meet.

Some Christians shout because of sins forgiven. Others shout because of healing from physical pain. Still others shout because God gives good gifts. They are the ones who choose joy! All these gifts that we shout about are not just for God’s people. He is holding out his hands to all, waiting to pour love, strength, and power into every life.

Does God neglect to hear the shouts of praise because we have not bragged on his works in our lives? We may be thankful inwardly for everything God does but may hesitate to share it with others. I say, “Shout!” Shout in the grocery store. Shout in the church. Shout while you are waiting at the doctor’s, and shout in your home. Whenever we brag on Jesus, that is shouting—even if we do not raise our voice. Praise the God of Jacob!

Brag on Jesus with a shout!

Pamela J. Kuhn’s favorite word is joy, and her favorite place is anywhere that holds books and sells tea. Her husband, RB, is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University.

© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

For this reason I kneel before the Father. (Eph. 3:14)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 3:14-21

He worked on the railroad, but more importantly, he was a man of God. He didn’t drop his love for God off at the church doors but carried it with him as he left. When he began to have issues with his knees, the doctor said he had never seen knees like his—they were as thick and tough as an elephant’s knees. Why? Because he had spent so much time on his knees interceding for his family, church family, and friends. He was faithful to take their needs to his heavenly Father.

Paul spent much time on his knees, too. In his words, “I kneel before the Father.” His prayers weren’t for show, but were earnest prayers for fellow Christians. He prayed for strength, that they would comprehend the magnitude of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. Paul loved the church at Ephesus and showed his love by the fervent, focused prayers he prayed for them.

We often think to pray for those who have physical, financial, or spiritual needs. But how often do we think to pray that our loved one’s roots will grow deep in the love of Jesus. That they would have a glimpse of how much God loves them. Most of all, that they would grasp the faith needed to believe God answers over-the-top prayers.

Remember that the best gift we can give to others is prayer.

Pamela J. Kuhn’s favorite word is joy, and her favorite place is anywhere that holds books and sells tea. Her husband, RB, is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University.

© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph. 3:21)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 3:20-21

My father is eighty-nine and in a care home. He calls my husband every evening for prayer. One evening my father asked him to make a list of things for which he should be thankful. He remarked, “I can’t think of what to praise God for when I pray.” My husband was honored to make that list and my father can continue giving glory to God.

Paul is praising God in the last verse of Ephesians 3. If anyone had reason to grumble, it was Paul. He was flogged and beaten numerous times and put in prison. He was involved in shipwrecks. He had a physical issue that God did not heal even though he had asked him three times. He was even stoned! He could have grumbled and complained. But he didn’t. Paul chose to focus on a long list of things for which he could praise God.

We, too, must praise God, regardless of the storms in our lives—whether they are of our own making or brought on by an outward source. We should praise when it seems like the devil is flogging us with temptation, when health issues beat us down, and when our circumstances have us feeling like we are imprisoned. Remember, God is in the midst of our storms! Raise your glory banner high! Then others will follow your habit of praise.

In every situation—even the tough ones—give God glory.

Pamela J. Kuhn’s favorite word is joy, and her favorite place is anywhere that holds books and sells tea. Her husband, RB, is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University.

© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

And to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:19)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 3:18-19

My mom and dad were gone, and this Pennsylvania girl wanted to make potato candy. This sweet, mashed potato and confectionary sugar combination, rolled out and spread with peanut butter, was a favorite in our family. I scooped a healthy portion of potatoes into the bowl and added some sugar, but soon realized my candy was runny and not forming dough. I added another large scoop of potatoes and kept beating, but the mixture was still runny. After adding a third scoop of mashed potatoes produced similar results, I realized I was filling my bowl with the wrong ingredient. I needed more powdered sugar, not potatoes.

Paul was aware there were many outside influences with which the Ephesians could be filled—much like today. Riches, position, popularity were all the things that could fill their hearts, but God wanted them to be filled with himself—with his presence. Only then would they find complete fulfillment in Christ.

We cannot be filled before we know with whom we want to be filled. Otherwise, we’ll end up filled with the wrong ingredients, like my bowl of potato candy goop. Study the attributes of God. He knows all, sees all, is everywhere, and is merciful. And he desires to fill you. Empty your heart of unnecessary ingredients; allow God’s fullness to dwell within.

Fill yourself with Christ, leaving no room for worldly pleasures.

Pamela J. Kuhn’s favorite word is joy, and her favorite place is anywhere that holds books and sells tea. Her husband, RB, is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University.

© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

May [you] have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. (Eph. 3:18)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 3:17-18

We measured the area, width, depth, length, and height for the coffee cart we had ordered for my kitchen. However, when my grandson began assembling it, we realized the measurements were only for the main part of the cart, not the towel rod on the side. We had to remove it from the cart for it to fit properly. The problem? We had failed to consider all the measurements.

Paul’s prayer includes asking God to help the Ephesians understand how “wide, long, high and deep” Christ’s love measured. They knew Jesus had come to earth as a baby, lived a sinless life, and died for their sins. That is love. Deep love! Paul was not praying that the Ephesians would love God more. He was praying they could grasp the magnitude of God’s love. A love that is hard for our human capabilities to understand.

When we come to a knowledge of how wide, long, high, and deep God’s love is, it is then we can begin a relentless and fervent passion to know him more. God’s love sent Jesus to earth. Jesus’ love sent himself to the cross. The Holy Spirit’s love sent himself to live in us. Like Paul, our prayer should be to grasp the amazing love of Christ. The Christ of the manger, yes, but also the Christ of the cross.

Trace the love of Christ; it can never be fully understood.

Pamela J. Kuhn’s favorite word is joy, and her favorite place is anywhere that holds books and sells tea. Her husband, RB, is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University.

© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.