Today Daily Devotional

By ReFrame Ministries

Today is a daily devotional that helps God's people refresh, refocus and renew their faith through Bible reading, reflection, and prayer.... more

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How many episodes does Today Daily Devotional have?

The podcast currently has 2,849 episodes available.

Today Daily Devotional episodes:

October 03, 2018 A Shady Grape Arbor
When
I was young, I commuted to school by subway. I walked through a Greek
and Italian neighborhood to the station and would see elderly folks
sitting in the shade of a grape arbor in their tiny front yards,
houses crowded around them, surrounded by the bustle of the city.
There they would sit, glass of wine in hand, enjoying a pleasant
conversation with old friends. I imagined it must have been that way
for them in “the old country” too, where they had come from.
The
word pictures we find in Micah 4 point to full life in the kingdom of
God, which Jesus will fully establish on this earth when he comes
again. Other Bible passages give us similar pictures of peace and
joyful abundance (see Isaiah 25:1-9; 65:17-25; Revelation 21:1-5),
and even now we can see signs and catch glimpses of God’s
sustaining care and his work among us in this world.
The
pressures and hectic pace of life are intensified by the dangers and
deep-seated hatred among nations that we hear about in the daily
news. But for all who are saved, “the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard [our] hearts and [our] minds
in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). We
have a Shepherd who watches over us, and there is no need to fear. We
know that although there is enmity between nations and we will face
struggles in life, God is sovereign and his everlasting kingdom will
prevail.
...more
2min
October 02, 2018 Redeemed From Slavery
The
exodus from Egypt was a pivotal event in Israel’s history. The
prophets and psalmists refer to it often. For the people of Israel it
brought an end to over 400 years of slavery.
It’s
surprising, then, that the Pharisees said to Jesus, “We are
Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can
you say that we shall be set free?” (John 8:33). They prided
themselves on their ancestry, and to them slavery was just something
in their people’s distant past. In Jesus’ teaching, Israel’s
slavery in Egypt was a symbol of slavery to sin, a problem for every
person in all times.
Even
the Israelites in Micah’s day felt that God somehow cramped their
style. The Lord asked them, “My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and
redeemed you from the land of slavery.”
Many
people today, when offered the gift of freedom from sin and release
from death to life, prefer the “freedom” to engage in any kind of
behavior they desire. Even while dragging chains of sin, some think
they can save the world. But, as Jesus said to the Pharisees, unless
we believe in him we will die in our sins (John 8:24). Only in Christ
can we be set free from slavery to sin and death.
How
about you? Are you a slave to your sins and addictions, or have you
been set free through faith in Jesus Christ?
...more
2min
October 01, 2018 Redeemed
During
the Great Depression in the 1930s, when many people didn’t know
where their next meal was coming from, they sometimes had to bring
their last valuable possession (perhaps a memento from their parents)
to get cash at a pawn shop. They would receive a pawn ticket as a
voucher, and then, later, if they could scrape together enough money,
they could redeem their precious item, buying it back “out of
hock.”
As
far as I know, there were no pawn shops in Bible times. But the Bible
tells of people who fell into poverty and had to sell the family
farm, or sell themselves into service, and they desperately needed a
way out. Often it was up to a relative to redeem them (see Leviticus
25:25-55).
My
wife’s grandmother used to tell us of destitute people who would
knock on her door, begging for something to eat. Thank God, she had
enough flour to bake a few extra loaves of bread each week to give to
people who were hungry.
It
is not just sentimentality to say that people who have never felt the
pinch of poverty are sometimes poorer for their constant comfort.
Rich or poor, we are all, in a sense, “in hock.” Our plight is
desperate until we knock on God’s door and beg for his mercy. There
we will find redemption. We will find that Jesus, our Redeemer,
bought us back, at the cost of his precious blood, by dying on the
cross.
...more
2min
September 30, 2018 The End of Prayer
Here,
at the end of this month, we have reached the end of our reflections
on prayer. This reminds me that the word end
can have two meanings. It can mean that something has stopped, and it
can also refer to a main purpose.
So
let’s consider the end of prayer. The traditional conclusion to the
Lord’s Prayer, as prayed by the church for many hundreds of years,
goes like this: “for yours is the kingdom and the power and the
glory forever. Amen.” This expresses the focus of prayer and the
goal of our lives. As in life, the purpose of prayer is to keep us
centered on God—to have our heart turned to the One who has first
turned his heart toward us.
This
is what David prayed for shortly before he died. He acknowledged that
God alone is King. He prayed that the desire to serve God would
always be found in people’s hearts. His prayer at the end of his
life conveys what the end—the main purpose—of our lives should
be: the glory of God.
So
by our prayers and in our lives, let us acknowledge God’s glory.
Let us seek the peace and justice of his kingdom and submit to God’s
greatness. Let us pray that God will use even us to spread his glory
everywhere until his kingdom has finally come!
...more
2min
September 29, 2018 Developing a Passion for Prayer
Earlier
this month, as we reflected on the prayer life of Jesus, we noted how
often he engaged in prayer. The Lord’s passion for prayer is
something he wants us to have as well. In one of his parables Jesus
taught that we “should always pray and not give up” (see Luke
18:1).
Prayer
was obviously a high priority for the apostle Paul, who wrote the
letter to the Colossians. Some of the most beautiful prayers ever
written are found in his letters. Paul’s prayers are magnificent,
not only because of their content but also because he was so diligent
in prayer. He prayed “continually” for others and always thanked
God for them.
Perhaps
this leads you to consider how important prayer is in your life.
Sometimes we think prayer is a gift that some believers have more
than others. Sometimes people who become known for having a
passion for prayer are even called “prayer warriors.”
It’s
true that some people are simply more interested in prayer than
others. But God wants prayer to be a top priority in everyone’s
life. God wants us to experience prayer as a delight, not a duty.
Perhaps
one of the things we should pray about most is prayer itself. If you
ask God to help make prayer more of a priority in your life, how do
you think he will respond? Of course he will say yes!
...more
2min
September 28, 2018 The Assurance of Prayer
A
number of studies have tried to search out the benefits of prayer.
Results often indicate that people who pray are generally happier and
healthier than people who don’t. This may help people to consider
praying more. And people who do pray know that the benefits of prayer
extend far beyond their health and their sense of happiness.
As
we have noted this month, prayer is ultimately about a relationship
we have with God. I am reminded of a definition of prayer that I
found in an old book some years ago: “Prayer is a cumulative life
of friendship with God.”
Just
as a friendship involves and affects two people as they interact, so
does our relationship with God. Today’s Bible reading makes this
clear. On the one hand, we are instructed to seek God, which seems to
imply that prayer happens by our initiative. But our seeking of God
is only possible because God first says, “Come, all you who are
thirsty, come to the waters.” God calls, and we answer. Prayer is
our enjoyment of a banquet already prepared by God. We pray not
because we must, but because we may.
As
we turn to the Lord, we find the One who has already turned to us in
mercy and who freely pardons. This is the assurance of prayer—and
also its greatest blessing.
...more
2min
September 27, 2018 Prayer as Self-Talk
A
news article reported the frightening experience a woman had as she
spent a day with friends on a boat. She was tossed overboard when the
boat hit a large wave. At first, she didn’t think this was
dangerous. She thought the boat could easily circle back to pick her
up.
But
this occurred late in the day, as the sun was setting. The low-angle
sunlight was reflected by every wave, making it nearly impossible for
searchers to spot her. Then a stiff wind, combined with the sounds of
other boats, muffled her cries for help.
As
night quickly fell, she knew that her only hope was to swim to a
nearby island, and she was eventually rescued from there. The article
reported that as she swam, she did two things: she pleaded with Jesus
to help her, and she told herself repeatedly that she was going to
survive.
That
sounds similar to what the writer is doing in Psalm 42. As he prays
earnestly to God, he also tells himself to put his hope in God.
Sometimes prayer includes this kind of self-talk. As we plead with
God, we preach to ourselves.
When
you pray, tell yourself to believe and trust in God! Sometimes we
need to hear the gospel spoken to us by the sound of our own voice.
...more
2min
September 26, 2018 Silent Prayer
We
might think of “silent prayer” as communicating with God not by
speaking words aloud but by saying them in our minds. But prayer does
not always require words. In fact, Jesus cautioned that using “many
words” in prayer could become like babbling (see Matthew 6:7).
Being
still, without using words, can help us reflect on the majesty,
power, beauty, love, and other characteristics of God. We need to be
clear, though, that this is different from meditation that views
silence as a way to empty the mind of thoughts and to connect with
one’s “inner self.” The command to “be still” in Psalm 46
has nothing to do with that—and is actually the opposite.
Notice
that the words “be still” in verse 10 are immediately followed by
the instruction to know God. Prayer helps us grow in our knowledge of
God, and knowing the heart of God is what enables us to be still in
his presence. As Psalm 46 indicates, God is both powerful and
kind. Our troubled hearts are quieted when we find our refuge in him.
Some
Bible versions include the Hebrew word Selah
after verses 3, 7, and 11 in Psalm 46, and that may help
us understand this point. Scholars aren’t sure what Selah
means, but it seems to signal a pause and perhaps a time of
reflection.
Practice
being silent in God’s presence. Quiet reflection intensifies prayer
as the mind is filled with thoughts of God.
...more
2min
September 25, 2018 Evening Prayer
Yesterday
we reflected on the importance of starting each day with prayer.
Today we’ll look at how valuable it is to pray at the end of the
day.
Evening
prayer has a dual focus. On the one hand, we look back on the events
of the day with gratitude and confession. We thank God for his
abundant goodness, and we ask forgiveness for the sins we have
committed that day.
On
the other hand, we look ahead to the nighttime and ask God to protect
us as we sleep. As we recognize our vulnerability and dependence on
God, we entrust ourselves to his watchful care: “He who watches
over you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:3).
Psalm
31 includes both of these elements. Here we find a prayer for
deliverance as well as an expression of trust. It’s been said that
the words “Into your hands I commit my spirit” served as a
bedtime prayer that Jewish parents taught their children. It’s the
prayer Jesus spoke just before dying on the cross (Luke 23:46). As he
closed his eyes in the sleep of death, he placed his trust in God.
Because
of Jesus, we have the assurance of forgiveness and the certainty of
God’s watchful love. So before you sleep, talk to the Lord. Thank
him for his grace, and place your fragile life in his strong hands.
...more
2min
September 24, 2018 Morning Prayer
At
one place in his book Mere
Christianity, C. S. Lewis suggests that each morning
starts the same way for everyone. When we wake up, thoughts about
what we hope to accomplish that day flood our mind. Lewis writes that
our plans for the day resemble wild animals that rush toward us.
I
don’t know if this describes how a day typically begins for you.
But Lewis goes on to describe something that everyone should
experience each morning. He encourages us to pay attention to another
reality: the deeper life we have in Jesus Christ. Instead of fretting
over the concerns of the new day, we should allow God’s peace to
flow into us.
That
sounds like a wonderful description of morning prayer. It’s what
Psalm 5 describes as being a two-way conversation between us and God.
We speak, and we listen. We pray, and we wait. We act, and we
receive. We begin the day with God.
Morning
prayer sets the tone for the day that follows. If the morning begins
with worry, that will only increase as the day moves along. But if we
start out by enjoying time with God and receiving strength from God,
we will more likely remain in his peace as the day continues. There’s
no better way to begin the day than with prayer.
...more
2min

FAQs about Today Daily Devotional:

How many episodes does Today Daily Devotional have?

The podcast currently has 2,849 episodes available.

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