Kerusso Daily Devotional

Standing in the door of the plane, with a fierce wind whipping his whole body, Curtis wondered why he’d volunteered for the paratroopers. 

It was glamorous, they said.

It’ll make a man out of you, they said.

Shutting his eyes, Curtis prayed the most honest prayer of his life. He stretched out his hands and took a step...

Lamentations 3:25–26 says, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

Rolling on the ground wrapped in silk, Curtis realized he had followed his instructions to the letter. With his landing, he graded out the highest of anyone in his company.

That story is exactly how we are to interact with our Savior. When we let go, confident that Jesus has us, we have no more pressure on us. He is carrying us to safety.

And we land in the right place every time.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we have so much gratitude for the countless ways you lead us through life. We love you. Thank you for every safe landing, and for holding us safe in the palm of your hand. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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When you’re having a bad day, a run-in with an immensely cheerful person doesn’t always turn that frown upside down. Does it? Commiserating with someone else though—a word literally defined by two or more people wallowing in misery together—that can be a balm to an anxious and worried mind. Sometimes. The relief though, is temporary. 

Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” 

The apostle Paul was talking about more than mere cheerfulness in his letter to the Christian believers of Rome. Nowhere in the Bible does the Lord command us, ‘Thou shalt always be chipper,’ but these wise words from Paul remind us to think—before we sink. No matter what hardships we face, our hope is found in Jesus Christ and this hope is an infinite well of joy we can turn to in times of trouble. 

Paul also reminds believers to be patient no matter what befalls us. Paul was a respected missionary, even honored and admired by powerful officials of his day who didn’t share his Christian beliefs. Despite his good standing, for a period of two years he was in prison—literally chained and under constant guard. And from this depth of experience, he’s able to tell others to be patient in affliction. Whether our chains are literal or figurative in nature, the trials we face can mold our character and build our patience if we choose to let them. 

The most important part of Paul’s message in this verse is the reminder to be faithful in prayer. God is worthy of all honor and praise, but He also knows us, understands our weaknesses, and loves us anyway. On the days life feels too difficult to approach the Lord with a smile on our faces and joy in our hearts, He still wants to hear from us. Prayer is not a sometimes thing; it’s an all the time practice that grows our faith, strengthens our relationship with God, and changes our lives. 

So, be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. 

Let’s pray. 

Lord, you are the source of all our hope, the teacher of patience, and the one who listens to every prayer. Help us to choose joy over despair, patience over exasperation, and to pray faithfully. Sometimes fear and frustration threaten to overwhelm us, but you are near, and we pray you will turn our hearts to you. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

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Since prayer is, by nature, personal, we often want to know how things are going to turn out, even before we start praying. We wonder if God will actually answer our prayer. Maybe not as dramatic as some stories, but still if we’re honest, we would like an answer to our prayer. Why else ask? 

Luke 18:1 says, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”

The fact is, of the 650 prayers in the Bible, 450 of them were answered, at least as the accounts were recorded. Others might have been answered later, but there are indications that—no—God does not always answer a prayer. And this is where our human perspectives can hamper our ability to see the full picture.

Isaiah 55:8 says, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts. Neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.”

From our limited perspective at this moment in time, we might not understand how or if God is answering our prayers. Remember Job and his friends prayed and tried to figure out for some time just what God was up to in this suffering man’s life. The most interesting takeaway from the Book of Job is that, in the end, when God addresses Job, he never once tells him why he suffered.

He basically puts Job in his place by saying that He, God, knows and understands everything, and we obviously do not. It’s worth noting that in Job’s case, God restored everything to him and more. As we read in Luke 18:1, part of our responsibility in praying is perseverance. We’re not supposed to act like children and throw a fit if we don’t get our way.

In those times when we think God is slow in answering us, it’s necessary for us to have some patience. Nowhere are we promised a quick answer or even an answer at all. Sometimes we just have to have faith that God will work everything out for us. 

Let’s pray. 

Father God, like Job, we want to trust you no matter what. Even if an answer to our prayer is slow, we love you anyway and we thank you that you love us for eternity. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Most people at one time or another wonder who they should address when starting a prayer. The Christian concept of the Trinity has caused people to hesitate to pray. It’s like, “Who do I pray to?”

Luke 6:12 says, “One of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”

Interestingly, when Jesus prayed, as recorded in the Bible, He prayed to His Father. This is a difficult concept for many to embrace. How can someone be God but pray to Himself? In some sense, this is a matter of faith. We can’t know and understand everything about the mysteries of God. But we can accept by faith that God the Father was manifest in earthly ministry as Jesus. So He models for us how to pray to the one true God.

In Matthew 6:9–13, we read, “Pray like this, Our Father in Heaven, Your name is holy. May Your holy nation come. What You want done, may it be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us the bread we need today. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” 

That’s from the New Life version, Matthew 6:9–13. And this is the famous Lord’s Prayer. It's when Jesus tells His disciples how to communicate with God. Immediately before the prayer itself He tells them to go find a quiet place and God will see the sincerity of the heart offering a prayer.

He also says something else amazing. God knows what we need even before we ask Him. Confusion over who we are praying to is one of the most commonly asked questions, yet God is not waiting to turn away or shut the door on us if we fail to use some formal greeting. There are plenty of examples in scripture of prayers to God the Father, of course. God exists as God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And the point is, this is not a trick that is set up so that you can fail. The triune God wants to hear from us, and a sincere heart wishing to talk to God will get through just fine.

Let’s pray.

Father God, there are some things that are hard for us to process. We can have assurance that talking with You anytime is available to us and we don't have to be perfect. Thank you for that Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Have you ever felt without hope? It’s a pretty desperate place to be. It’s been said that hope is the one thing a human being can’t be without.

Beth was once accused of some pretty terrible things. She wasn’t guilty of any of them, but it took two years and serious legal hurdles to clear her name. Her future was uncertain.

In the end, she told reporters that her best ally was the Lord. Her story was itself a great witness.

Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Truthfully, God isn’t obligated to do anything for us. He does it because He loves us. That’s it. But within each difficult night and day, it is important that we take the scripture to heart. Keep your joy, be patient, and pray.

If you’re in a dark place, pray to the Lord for help. Even if you’re emotionally exhausted, take the time to simply talk to Him.

He’s promised that He’ll be listening.

Let’s pray.

Oh Lord, may we never be hopeless! May we never be without your love. Remind us daily that You will never leave us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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In the dark days of mid-20th century Europe, a lone German decided to make political waves. His choices put his own life in grave danger.

 Oskar Schindler was a businessman with factories in countries occupied by the Nazis. Jews everywhere were being shipped like cattle to extermination camps. Some of Schindler’s employees were in danger.

What did he do? He saved over a thousand of them by keeping their names on a list of employees necessary to conduct business. By war’s end, he had spent his entire fortune bribing officials to look the other way while his workers remained in their jobs.

 Oskar Schindler took that road less traveled that we’ve heard about.

 Mark 16:15 says, “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”

In another life-and-death matter, for much higher stakes, Jesus has called us who love Him to share the Good News of His sacrifice with others. Sometimes this will place us in danger. Sometimes we will lose friends and alienate family.

None of that matters. All that matters is that lost people who have no other hope for escape will rely on what we tell them about our King.

Let’s pray. 

Lord, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross has given us eternal life. Please keep giving us opportunities to reach others with this Good News. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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As a believer, have you noticed that it’s often easier to stay in God’s will when you’re at home? At work, it can get a little dicey. It’s at work that people see us, and our decisions can have such impact. Not being in God’s will in that setting can be catastrophic.

Romans 8:31 tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Terry Looper is the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company. Once, he was negotiating a sale and was at the finish line when he realized he hadn’t sought God’s will in the matter. He stopped, prayed, and read the Word for discernment. And He was shocked to find that he wasn’t supposed to sell at all!

Looper learned his lesson. Being in God’s will in every area of our lives is the key. It’s great to be godly and led by the Spirit sitting in your den with a Bible open. But it’s not less important to be led by the Spirit in the boardroom, or on the floor of the plant where you work.

People see you. They see what we do. If we want to be sure success finds us, we’d better make sure we’re looking in the right place.

There are no shortcuts to fully being in God’s will.

Let’s pray.

Lord, you bless us in every area of our lives. Thank you for being on our side, all the time. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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It’s no accident that Jesus chose as some of His apostles a group of fishermen from Galilee. These were men who could understand Him when Jesus told them He would make them “fishers of men.” He meant, of course, that they would share the Good News about Him with everyone they came in contact with.

And that’s exactly what each of them did, for the rest of their lives!

John 7:38 says, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Fishing requires patience, and a feel for your surroundings. The men Jesus picked were steady, and used to adapting to shifting opportunities. They were perfect for the work He gave them to do.

Just as Jesus knew what His disciples were suited for in order to build His Kingdom, He also knows exactly the purpose He has for you. You are invited to flow into the River of Life He has created, in order to see the Kingdom grow.

Others will see the life flowing from within you, if you’re willing to follow God.

Let’s pray.

Lord, you invite us to participate in the beautiful future you’ve planned for people everywhere. Help us be willing to look for those fishing opportunities. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Have you ever visited a construction site, or maybe lived near one?

A construction site is a unique kind of mess. Dirt and mud mingle with piles of wood, shingles, and other building materials. Utility flags poke up from the ground like man-made weeds. Trampled grass and dirty sidewalks give further evidence of the work at hand.

Eventually, what began as an empty field will grow into something more: a business, a medical facility, or a home.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Sometimes, in the midst of building our lives, we look around and see only chaos: Our relationships aren’t as blissful as we hoped. Our career isn’t following the upward path we planned. Our health or finances or life circumstances are a mess, and we wonder why our best-laid plans didn’t result in the stable, structured life we wanted.

God does some of his very best work in the midst of our biggest messes, if we invite him in, and step back to let him work in our lives.

Let’s pray.

Lord, what we see as unworthy, undesirable, and impossible—you see as beautiful, lovable, and filled with potential. We invite you to be the master architect for our lives, and to bring a sense of order to our days, and our circumstances. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Scores of people today, even in many of our churches, walk around aimless. They work their jobs and take care of their families, but they struggle to understand what it is that God wants them to do.

He’s told us! As with every other situation, His Word speaks directly to our circumstances.

Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

The Lord requires of us that we have the mind of Christ. That we aim for showing justice and mercy to those we encounter. And notice: we are to love doing these things, not just go through the motions. 

And finally, we are to remember to be humble. There’s only One Who is perfect and that is the Father. In our present state, we are to emulate the qualities that caused His Son Jesus to turn the world upside down for good.

If you ever wonder what your purpose is, start with these awesome words from the prophet Micah.

Let’s pray.

Lord, help us to keep in front of us at all times the simplicity that is in Christ. He shows us the way. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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