First15 Devotional

I think one of the hardest things to do in life is to live with joy in the midst of trials and challenges. It’s so easy to let life dictate to us our emotions and state of being. But in God, there is a joy available to us right where we are, no matter how good or bad the situation may be.

Today we’re going to make space together to simply open our hearts and minds to receive the joy of the Father. I hope and pray that you find real, life-changing joy in God’s presence today.

Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 126:5-6, and today's worship is No Longer Slaves / We WIll Not Be Shaken by Jonathan and Melissa Helser

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Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11 to find real rest is for YOU. 

First15’s brand-new devotional book called Rhythms was written with you in mind. 

Each day of this 28-day devotional invites you to break away from your normal rhythm of waking, eating, working, and sleeping to discover a spiritual rhythm that, when practiced, will lead you into a more vibrant, abundant life in every way that matters.

Jesus wasn’t kidding when he said you can find rest in the midst of the craziness of life. He can give it to you, and Rhythms will guide you in that direction.

We’d love to send you a copy to say thanks for your donation of $27 or more today.

So please request your copy today at supportfirst15.org — and thank you for your donation to help create more content that helps more people connect with God each day!

In our third day of looking at Joy, we’re going to take time today to look at David’s statement in Psalm 16:11, where he describes a “fullness of joy.”

There is a greater fullness of life available to you and in me in God that most of us will ever experience. To experience more of God almost always requires laying down more of the things of the world. But if we, today, will give a greater measure of our hearts over to God, we’ll find greater joy than we could have imagined experiencing this side of heaven.

May your heart be filled to the fullness today as we experience God together.

Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 16:11, and today's worship is Fullness by Elevation Worship.

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Thanks for listening to today’s podcast on the fullness of joy. I’m Craig Denison, author of First15. 

If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s joy today, I want to encourage you to take some time and worship today, whenever you get a few minutes. Every day on our website, First15.org, you’ll find a song to go along with that day’s devotional. You can click the link in the description below to head straight to a time of worship today. 

Have a wonderful rest of your day today, and may God bless you as you seek him. 

As we continue our week of looking at Joy, we’re going to take time today to receive a fresh revelation of how God rejoices over us.

God not only loves you, but he likes you. He rejoices over you, just as you are. I hope and pray that you get a real, tangible sense of God’s joy over you today as we create space in his presence together.

Our Scripture for today comes from Zephaniah 3:17, and today's worship is This Is The Sound by Steffany Gretzinger.

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Thanks for listening to today’s First15 Podcast. My name is Ryn, and I’m a part of the First15 Team. If you haven’t downloaded our brand new First15 app, make sure to click the link in today’s show notes to check it out! One of the new features that you can enjoy when you download the app is our Guided Prayers. We are adding new prayers to our library every month, so if you need a moment of peace with God, let these prayers be your guide!

In a world that knocks us down, joy can feel so elusive. But Scripture is filled with encouragement, that there is a joy available to us in God that transcends the pain and suffering of the world.

This week on the First15 podcast, we’re going to take time every day to open our hearts and receive the joy of the Father, that we could be children marked by the joy of heaven.

May you discover the greater portion of joy available to you through the Spirit as you encounter the heart of your Father this week.

Our Scripture for today comes from Nehemiah 8:10, and today's worship is Refreshing by First15 Worship feat. Nikki Moltz.

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Thank you so much for listening to today’s podcast. 

I hope you sensed a bit of the joy available to you when you set your heart and mind on the goodness of God. We are the children of a good and happy Father. So great is his joy over us, that when we lay everything down and trust him with our hearts, his joy can be our own. 

If joy begins to feel elusive to you today, take a few moments to tap in to the joy of your Father in heaven. Seek to live with his joy as your own. And make sure to come back tomorrow as we spend time looking at how God rejoices over us. 

Have a wonderful rest of your day, and may God bless you as you seek him.

In today’s devotional we wrap up our week on seeking God by looking at the act of seeking God through community. You may be a people person, or a total introvert, but either way, God wants to use his church to encourage you and draw you closer to him. The Lord loves unity in his body, and he longs for his church, his Bride to worship and seek him as one. May God open your heart and mind today to the community in which he’s placed you in this season.

Our Scripture for today comes from Hebrews 10:24-25. Today's worship is Holy Water by We The Kingdom.

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Thanks so much for listening to today’s podcast, the last in our week-long look at living an abundant life. 

And make sure to come back tomorrow, where we’ll start our series on exploring seven different avenues down which we can venture to seek God and experience his presence every day. I know that tomorrow will take us all deeper in our experience and relationship with our good, and loving Father. 

Have a wonderful rest of your day, and may God bless you as you seek him.

As we near the end of our week on seeking God, today we will focus on seeking God in solitude. Our world is a busy place. Our home lives are busy. Our church lives are full. When are you ever alone to simply fix your eyes on the Father, and be uninterrupted by the things going on around you? If we will take up the discipline of solitude, our lives will look very different. Imagine for a second the inner peace and sanity you could gain if you set aside consistent time to seek God in solitude. May you be encouraged to do just that as you experience the nearness of Jesus today.

Our Scripture for today comes from Matthew 14:23, and today's worship is Come Follow Me by Brother Isaiah.  

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Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11 to find real rest is for YOU. 

First15’s brand-new devotional book called Rhythms was written with you in mind. 

Each day of this 28-day devotional invites you to break away from your normal rhythm of waking, eating, working, and sleeping to discover a spiritual rhythm that, when practiced, will lead you into a more vibrant, abundant life in every way that matters.

Jesus wasn’t kidding when he said you can find rest in the midst of the craziness of life. He can give it to you, and Rhythms will guide you in that direction.

We’d love to send you a copy to say thanks for your donation of $27 or more today.

So please request your copy today at supportfirst15.org — and thank you for your donation to help create more content that helps more people connect with God each day!

In today’s devotional, we’re going to explore the act of seeking God through his creation. God wants to use the world around us to declare his glory, goodness and love for us. May we take the time to open our eyes and hearts, to slow down for a minute and behold the beauty of our God in all that he has made.

Our Scripture for today comes from Nehemiah 9:6, and today's worship is 

Mountain to Valley by Jason Upton.

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Thank you so much for listening to today’s podcast. 

I hope and pray that your heart has been stirred to experience God in his creation today. Take ten minutes today to just sit and focus on some element of God’s creation today. And as you do, ask him to reveal something about himself through his creation. Just 10 minutes spent listening to God has the power to infuse your day with an amazing abundance of God’s peace and love. 

Thanks for listening, and may God bless you as you seek him today.

As we continue our week on seeking God, today we’re exploring what it means to seek God through fasting. This may be a new or even unpleasant topic for some, but my hope is that you would be energized and encouraged toward the act of fasting today. There is power in surrender and self-sacrifice for the sake of more of God, and I pray you experience that power as you learn more about this important tool God’s given us to seek him. I’d encourage you to open your heart today in full surrender to anything the Spirit might speak.

Our Scripture for today comes from Ezra 8:23, and today's worship is Blessed Are Those Who Follow You by Chris Renzema

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Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11 to find real rest is for YOU. 

First15’s brand-new devotional book called Rhythms was written with you in mind. 

Each day of this 28-day devotional invites you to break away from your normal rhythm of waking, eating, working, and sleeping to discover a spiritual rhythm that, when practiced, will lead you into a more vibrant, abundant life in every way that matters.

Jesus wasn’t kidding when he said you can find rest in the midst of the craziness of life. He can give it to you, and Rhythms will guide you in that direction.

We’d love to send you a copy to say thanks for your donation of $27 or more today.

So please request your copy today at supportfirst15.org — and thank you for your donation to help create more content that helps more people connect with God each day!

As we continue our series on seeking God, today we’ll explore the intimate closeness of seeking God through prayer. How amazing is our Father that he wants to commune with us? With you? With me? Take a second to fathom how beautiful that truly is. Today, may your heart be stirred to take advantage of the unbelievable gift of prayer as you experience God.

Our Scripture for today comes from Matthew 6:6, and today's worship is Spirit of God by Canyon Hills Worship.

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Thanks for listening to today’s podcast. 

Also, if you ever struggle with your mind wandering in prayer, we have a blog entry that might help you learn how to better center yourself in prayer. 

Thanks so much for engaging with God through First15, I’m so grateful for this space we’re creating together. 

Have a wonderful rest of your day, and may God bless you as you seek him. 

Did you know you have the ability to stir and satisfy the heart of God, here and now? God has given us the ability to choose him here on earth, and nothing blesses the heart of God like his beloved people intentionally turning their hearts toward him. As we examine how to live an abundant life here on earth, today we’ll search out what it means to choose to worship God in our daily lives.

Our Scripture for today comes from Matthew 4:4, and today's worship is Heal Our Land. by Kari Jobe.

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Thanks for listening to today’s First15 Podcast. My name is Ryn, and I’m a part of the First15 Team. If you haven’t downloaded our brand new First15 app, make sure to click the link in today’s show notes to check it out! One of the new features that you can enjoy when you download the app is our Guided Prayers. We are adding new prayers to our library every month, so if you need a moment of peace with God, let these prayers be your guide!

In today’s First15 Podcast we wanted to give you a preview of a new Guided Prayer that our friend Hannah Smith wrote titled, “Renew me with your rest.” Oftentimes when I think about rest and peace I view them as one and the same. But as I read through Hannah’s prayer, I began thinking about how often she refers to action that leads to rest and prays for the grace of God to help her find rest. The first time rest is mentioned in the scriptures is after the work of building the whole world and filling it with life was complete. Hebrews 4:11-12 says, “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” I love that this set of verses makes achieving rest an actionable thing. What I really love about understanding peace and rest rightly is that we can clearly see that peace is a gift from God that helps us endure as we strive towards entering into God’s rest, and rest is the reward He gives us for having held fast to His calling. I pray today that this prayer reminds you that the work to which he has called us is holy and worthy, and that the promise of the reward of rest gives you the courage to keep going.