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

4.7

2929 ratings

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about Today Daily Devotional:

How many episodes does Today Daily Devotional have?

The podcast currently has 2,849 episodes available.

Today Daily Devotional episodes:

September 03, 2018 The Turn of the Heart
Prayer
connects our heart with God’s heart. For many people, the word
heart
represents only their emotions, especially feelings like love,
sadness, and hope. It’s in the mind
that logic resides, many will say. The heart is for feeling and the
brain is for thinking, and the two are often pitted against each
other.
The
Bible teaches, however, that the heart is the center of every aspect
of being human: our reason, our emotions, and our will. The heart
directs our affections, shapes our decision making, and determines
our ultimate allegiances. This is why Jesus said, “Where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
Today’s
Bible reading contains a harsh rebuke of people whose hearts have
turned away from God. It affects all their thinking, decision making,
motives, emotions, and behaviors. The spiritual fallout of a broken
relationship with God is that prayer is rendered ineffective.
But
nestled in this passage are words of hope. No matter how far our
hearts may wander from God, he promises to be near when we turn to
him. That’s because he is always near and caring for us (see
Matthew 28:20; Philippians 4:4-6). One renewing encounter with God
can change everything. And it’s always just one prayer away.
...more
2min
September 02, 2018 Preparing to Pray
Here
is the amazing reality of prayer: It exists because God wants to have
a relationship with you. Prayer begins with God moving your heart to
seek his heart. We don’t initiate prayer; God does. This means that
our prayers are always responses to God’s promptings.
The
scene in today’s Bible reading portrays this fact beautifully. By
knocking on the door to our hearts, the Lord invites us to enjoy a
deep, lasting friendship with him. We would never have known that
Jesus was at our doorstep without his knocking at the door.
The
fact that prayer is a response to God’s initiatives is reassuring.
But this should also motivate us, when possible, to spend time
preparing to pray before actually doing it. It need not be long, but
some recognition of God’s grace, the ground of all prayer, is a
good way to begin. Before we speak, we should listen to the voice
that calls to us. Before knocking on God’s door, we should hear God
knocking on ours. When we prepare to pray, we gratefully acknowledge
that what we are about to do has originated in the heart of God.
So
before you pray, bow before its mystery. Savor the Lord’s grace and
love. Then open the door.
...more
2min
September 01, 2018 What Is Prayer?
This
month we are going to explore the mystery and majesty of prayer. At
first we might think of prayer as mainly “communicating with God.”
That’s a good start, but there’s much more to it.
At
its core, prayer involves an ever-deepening relationship with God.
Prayer cultivates a deep desire for God, the kind of longing for God
that Psalm 84 expresses so well. Through prayer we are able to
actually experience the presence of God.
In
the Old Testament, God’s presence was most evident at the
temple—the “courts of the Lord” poetically described in Psalm
84. The temple was God’s “dwelling place,” the destination of
all who traveled on pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Notice
that the psalmist describes people whose “hearts
are set on pilgrimage.” This highlights the essence of prayer and
the beauty of how we as New Testament believers experience God’s
presence today. Because Jesus has paid the price for our sin and has
opened the way for us into God’s presence, God is now present with
his people through his Holy Spirit living in us. As a result, every
Christian is now a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians
6:19). So we can experience God’s presence through prayer anywhere
and at any time. God has come to us. He is as close as our own
hearts. To meet with God and grow closer to him, all we need to do is
approach him in prayer.
...more
2min
August 31, 2018 Servant Hospitality
What
does greatness look like? People are drawn to celebrities. I can
remember times when I’ve been able to shake the hand of a
celebrity—feeling my heart race and fumbling over my words. Fame
tends to distort our perception of the qualities we should admire and
aspire toward. It is always refreshing to see people who are
able to remain humble even though they have reached great heights in
their life. It is also rare.
If
anyone deserved celebrity treatment, it was Jesus. Yet that is not
what happened. Instead, Jesus came to show us what true greatness
really looks like and what true greatness does. Jesus’ ministry on
earth was a ministry of humble service. There was nothing pretentious
about him. He didn’t expect special treatment. He did not chase
after fame. In fact, on more than one occasion, he told others to
remain quiet about what they had seen him do or hear him say.
What
we learn from Jesus by his example is the importance of putting the
needs of others ahead of our own. Our life is not about the pursuit
of comfort or recognition. On the contrary, in pursuing God’s
purposes, our life is second. This is one characteristic about
Jesus that we can and should imitate. We are never more like Jesus
than when we are serving others.
...more
2min
August 30, 2018 God of Justice
God
takes justice very seriously. Through Isaiah, God declares that the
Messiah’s purpose on earth is to establish justice—and he will
not give up until that work is complete.
We
know today that the Messiah described here is Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, who came to conquer the power of sin in this world (see John
1-10). He came to bring forgiveness of sins and new life. He came so
that we could receive his righteousness and live by it. In following
Christ, we are agents of God’s mission in this world.
Our
part in God’s mission includes leading people to salvation in
Jesus, feeding the hungry, caring for the poor, visiting the sick,
and encouraging the discouraged. This has historically been the
ministry of the church. God brings justice; we point people to the
One whom God sent to establish it. In following Christ’s example,
we help reveal to the world what Christ came to do as the fulfillment
of God’s promise.
There
is no shortage of needs in the world. It can be discouraging and
overwhelming to consider how much injustice seems to prevail. Yet we
cannot let that stop us from taking steps today to join in God’s
mission. Let’s not grow impatient either. God isn’t finished yet.
In the meantime, we can be involved in a small part of what God has
promised, and he will do it. We put our hope in him.
...more
2min
August 29, 2018 Seeing Jesus Through the Crowd
This
is one of several gospel stories in which we see people approach
Jesus in order to help a friend or loved one. So many people had
gathered that the house was full. Some were curious; some were
suspicious; some may even have come to stir up trouble. It was
“standing room only,” and the friends of the paralyzed man could
find no way in. Did no one see their need and offer to let them pass
through? Perhaps we have all been guilty of that—so focused on our
own interests that we can’t see the needs around us.
The
four friends refused to let their friend be overlooked. They decided
to lower him through the roof of the house to see Jesus. It had to be
an incredible group effort. Jesus saw it too, and he recognized the
depth of their faith in going so far to bring their friend to him.
Christians
have had many opportunities to help others. When natural
disasters strike, for example, churches and Christian
organizations have mobilized teams to go out and build or repair
homes, donate food and clothes, and provide funds where needed.
Perhaps you have helped in such efforts, or with community
development or medical clinics. There are needs everywhere!
Let’s
keep our eyes open to see people around us today who need help and
may also need to meet Jesus. They are precious to the Lord and well
worth our efforts.
...more
2min
August 28, 2018 Seeking Shalom in Hardship
Nobody
likes to feel as if their life is stuck on hold. It does not feel
good to be trapped in a situation where you don’t want to be, while
longing for a place you can’t reach. I’ve encountered many people
in situations like that. I have also felt that way myself at times.
Sometimes it lasts for a short season; other times it lasts much
longer.
God
called Jeremiah to be his prophet during a deeply painful time for
his people. Many of the people were in exile—taken far from home,
away from everything they knew and loved. Through Jeremiah, God
urged the people to live in hope, raising families, settling in, and
trusting that the Lord had plans and a future for them.
We,
too, often celebrate that God has plans and a future for us, and we
mustn’t forget that he is with us even if we feel that our life is
stuck. Just as God wasn’t finished with his people in exile, he
isn’t finished with us.
Perhaps
you know how tough it can be to feel stuck on hold. How can you live
into that as a child of God today? What does praying for peace and
prosperity look like right now?
God
can bless you in your situation. What is more, you can be a blessing
to others. God is still with you—even now.
...more
2min
August 27, 2018 Graceful Working Together
If
we are serious about living a life of Christian faith, we must keep
in mind how our actions affect others. We cannot grow in faith all by
ourselves; nor may we forget to tend to the well-being of others.
Even if we have broad diversity, there can be unity when our shared
focus and purpose are about loving God and neighbor. Mutual
hospitality is a vital part of building unity as God’s people.
We
build unity when we look out for one another. This means we are to
help others out, even when it might not be convenient. Paul speaks
directly to believers who are “strong,” including himself in that
grouping, because those who consider themselves “strong” can
easily be tempted to look down on others who are not like them.
Going
even further, Paul says we are to accept one another just as Christ
has accepted us. How did Christ accept each one of us? He accepted us
with plenty of faults.
We
have all experienced being let down by other people, and we have all
been guilty of letting others down. Paul also reminds us that we are
to forgive just as we have been forgiven. And he urges us to put on
the virtue of love because that is what binds us together in perfect
unity.
In
what ways can you share God’s love to help build unity?
...more
2min
August 26, 2018 The Mark of a Committed Disciple
What
is the mark of a Christ-follower? There is great danger if we let our
commitment to Christ get distorted by allegiance to a specific cause
or issue. Jesus was clear that following him is not about political
or power agendas. It cannot be reduced to a theological tradition or
a denominational boundary either. The mark of the Christian,
according to Jesus, is love.
This
is what makes Christianity unique. Love is the essential principle of
the Christian faith, and Jesus is passionate that we show love for
one another.
When
Jesus gives this command, there is no room to read it as optional.
Love is a requirement of being a follower of Christ. And this is no
abstract idea. Jesus makes clear that we are to follow his example.
And through the Holy Spirit, who came to build and grow the church
after Jesus left his disciples and ascended to heaven, we have
Christ’s love in abundance.
Jesus
said that it is by our love for one another that others will know we
are his disciples. Showing Christ’s love is one of the most basic
methods for spreading the good news of Jesus, and yet it is sometimes
the most difficult thing for us to do.
The
command to love one another is to reflect Christ’s love for
us—unconditional and sacrificial. By this, the world will know who
(and whose) we are.
...more
2min
August 25, 2018 The Endless Debt to Love
If
we are trying to live the Christian life and we fill it with
Christian things—Christian books, conferences, music, movies—there
may be something missing. If we leave no room in our life to be
inconvenienced by service to others, we are missing a vital part of
Christlike living. What we do, how we live, and how we treat others
comes down to a matter of love. Paul notes this in our passage today,
describing it as a permanent debt we owe—a debt owed every day.
Love
involves more than an action shown to another person. Love consists
of an underlying attitude and mindset that motivates our actions
toward others. It’s not an attitude reserved only for fellow
believers; it’s also for everyone who is not part of the community
of believers. It is an ongoing theme that Paul continues to talk
about in many of his letters.
Pursue
love today. Let it guide the way you think. Let it be evident in your
patience and kindness. Let it lead you toward forgiveness,
truthfulness, and endurance. In everything you think about today, and
everything you say and do today, let love be the motivation. Filled
with God’s love, we can’t help overflowing with love and care for
others.
...more
2min

FAQs about Today Daily Devotional:

How many episodes does Today Daily Devotional have?

The podcast currently has 2,849 episodes available.

More shows like Today Daily Devotional

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life by Tim Keller

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

16,102 Listeners

Renewing Your Mind by Ligonier Ministries

Renewing Your Mind

5,242 Listeners

Elevation with Steven Furtick by iHeartPodcasts

Elevation with Steven Furtick

15,785 Listeners

Our Daily Bread Podcast by Our Daily Bread Ministries

Our Daily Bread Podcast

977 Listeners

The WallBuilders Show by Tim Barton, David Barton & Rick Green

The WallBuilders Show

2,194 Listeners

Motley Fool Money by The Motley Fool

Motley Fool Money

3,229 Listeners

Exchanges by Goldman Sachs

Exchanges

981 Listeners

Ultimately with R.C. Sproul by Ligonier Ministries

Ultimately with R.C. Sproul

1,329 Listeners

Dante Gebel Live by Dante Gebel

Dante Gebel Live

1,132 Listeners

The Five by FOX News Podcasts

The Five

4,065 Listeners

Your Daily Prayer by Your Daily Prayer

Your Daily Prayer

2,034 Listeners

The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble

The Bible Recap

36,822 Listeners

Morning Wire by The Daily Wire

Morning Wire

26,658 Listeners

In Touch Ministries Daily Devotions by Dr. Charles Stanley

In Touch Ministries Daily Devotions

291 Listeners

Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson by Ligonier Ministries

Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson

1,574 Listeners