Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: ROMANS 12:9-21; 1 PETER 4:7-11

After a long week of boring classes and demanding homework assignments, I was very excited when the weekend arrived. I was free to enjoy myself, at least for a few hours. I didn’t have any big plans—one of my new college friends was coming over, and we were going to watch an episode of a TV show together.

When we finished the episode, my new friend invited me and my roommate over to her dorm room. This gesture of kindness might seem small, but it meant a lot to me. She made popcorn for us to share, talked with us about life, and even offered to make us hot tea in her microwave.

My friend’s hospitality was simple yet incredibly thoughtful. Everything from the freshly-popped popcorn to her words of encouragement made our evening special. Her example serves as a reminder that hospitality doesn’t need to be complicated or extravagant. In fact, it can be quite simple, as long as it comes from the heart.

Throughout the course of Jesus’s ministry, many people demonstrated hospitality. For example, Martha invited Jesus into her home (Luke 10:38), and an unnamed man hosted Passover in his home for Jesus and His disciples (Mark 14:12-16).

Even thousands of years later, we can have an incredible impact on others by showing hospitality to believers and nonbelievers alike. Our acts of hospitality don’t require four-course meals, countless hours of cleaning, or elaborate decor. Hospitality simply requires a servant’s heart—a heart transformed by Jesus and filled with His hospitable love. • Grace McCready

• What comes to mind when you hear the word hospitality? Do you automatically think of something elaborate, like a fancy dinner party? Hospitality is often much simpler (Luke 10:38-42; John 21:1-14). Can you think of a time someone showed you simple hospitality, perhaps by inviting you into their space, offering you food, or even just making you feel welcome and included?

• Remember, we can show hospitality to others because Jesus has shown the greatest hospitality to us— welcoming us into His family by dying on the cross and rising from the grave for us. Jesus even said that He was going to the Father to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-3). What is one thing you could do to show hospitality to somebody this week?

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:8-9 (NIV) 

READ: GENESIS 1:1-19; PSALM 19:1; COLOSSIANS 1:15-22

Have you ever put together an aquarium? If not, you may be surprised how many requirements have to be met to create an ideal habitat for fish. Some species require fresh water, others salt. Some thrive with companions; others prefer to live alone. Temperature must be adjusted, a bubbler installed, and the right kind of food provided. If your fish are going to survive, you need to plan your aquarium very carefully.

God paid even more attention to detail when He created the earth. When we examine all the provisions He made for us to thrive on our beautiful planet, we find He created Earth specifically, with a very intentional design in mind. When God created, it wasn’t out of haphazard loneliness or boredom, but out of love! Consider just these few details that make it possible for plants, animals, and humans to live:

• God created oceans full of water to sustain us, as well as the weather patterns required to cycle it in various forms across the entire earth.

• God created a way to recycle oxygen through photosynthesis so we’d never run out of breathable air.

• God covered the earth in a protective atmosphere.

• God set the earth in motion with precision. If our globe rotated slower, the longer days and nights would result in extreme temperatures and lock our water supply in a solid or gaseous state.

• When God tilted the earth on an axis, He extended the growing season far into the north and south.

Isn’t God amazing? None of the other planets in our solar system can claim even one of these life-sustaining qualities, yet ours has them all! When we study God’s handiwork, we can see how wise, purposeful, and creative He truly is—and how much He truly loves us. • Michelle Isenhoff

• Sometimes our world feels chaotic. That’s why it can be helpful to slow down, examine creation, and notice God’s great care in all the intentional details He designed. Though our world has been broken by sin, we can still see God’s goodness in it, and we have the assurance that Jesus will return one day to make all creation whole, free from the effects of sin. How can beholding creation and studying it through science help us remember that God cares for us?

For the LORD is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. “I am the LORD,” he says, “and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:18 (NLT) 

READ: JOSHUA 23:3; PSALM 61:2-4; ISAIAH 54:17

I clutched the blankets over my face to muffle my sobs. I didn’t want my family to hear me crying. We had a good day together, and right now everyone was healthy in our family. But when the lights were out and I lay in bed, my heart was aching, burdened. So I let the tears flow until my body trembled with each breath.

Flashes of the past few years played in my mind. Scenes of hospital rooms, moments of utter fear, and the long road we had traveled in the recovery, only for the whole process to repeat itself all over again. In the course of the last four years, my dad had battled Covid, pneumonia, blood clots, cancer, four strokes, and more. The revolving door of “He’s getting better” and “We might lose him” had taken a toll. I thought I’d already broken and wept over these things. Yet here in the darkness, after a good day when all was well, I lay here, my heart crumbling all over again.

The devil wanted to use the pain in my past to make me anxious and fearful. But the more I thought about it, I realized those painful moments were not memories of defeat. In each terrifying time throughout my dad’s long health battle, God had carried us through. He had performed miracles. He had brought healing and answers. He had never left us. He had been our Rock, our Comfort, our Strength.

In that moment, the tightness in my heart loosened, and a feeling of peace came over me—my crippling anxiety lost its grip. The very memories that the devil wanted to use as a weapon against me were now reminders of God’s faithfulness. I don’t have to live in this fear. I have a refuge in the Living God who will never leave me, never forsake me. • Madison Mae

• As humans, we often struggle with fears about the future, especially when we remember painful experiences we’ve had in the past. How can remembering God’s faithfulness help us feel less afraid?

• Can you think of a time you experienced God’s love and help in your life? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this!

• Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), and He has promised never to leave us. He died and rose again so that He could always be with us! And while He lived among us on earth, He experienced all the brokenness of human life, so He can truly empathize with whatever we’re going through. When thoughts of the past feel overwhelming, we can ask Jesus to help us see how He has faithfully been with us through the hard things we’ve experienced. Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about any fears or painful memories that come to mind, and imagine Him sitting beside you and weeping over the things that have hurt you.

• Sometimes we need help bringing our fears and painful memories to God, and this is perfectly normal. Who are trusted Christians in your life you could share your thoughts and feelings with—people who will listen with compassion, pray with you, and show you God’s love?

• Sometimes our bodies learn patterns of fear and anxiety, especially when we go through seasons of grief and turmoil. It can be a long process for our bodies to relearn healthy patterns of rest, but Jesus is ever gentle and patient with us. He stays with us on the journey and never lets us go, even in moments when anxiety seems overwhelming. And He wants to help us feel better in lots of ways, not just through prayer and Scripture, but also through the care and expertise of other people. When you’re struggling, who is a trusted adult you could talk to?

• If you need someone to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time). 

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

READ: ECCLESIASTES 3:1-15

I love winter. There’s something about the chill in the air, the freshness I feel when I step outside, and the way everything feels still for a moment. But right now, we’re just starting to enter fall and honestly this past summer felt like it would never end. It was long, hot, and it just kept going.

And I think we can all agree that’s how life feels sometimes too. There are seasons that stretch longer than we expected. The kind where you start to wonder if things will ever shift again. The waiting seasons. The heavy seasons. The “I thought I’d be out of this by now” moments.

But Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that there’s a time and purpose for everything under heaven. God’s loving, intentional timing is woven into every rise and fall, every loss and gain, every quiet and every storm. The God who commands the earth to change from one season to another is the same God who loves you and is guiding the seasons of your life.

Just like the weather eventually changes, so will your season—nothing in this world is eternal except for God Himself. What feels endless today will one day be something you look back on, and you might even be able to see the ways God was at work.

You may be in a time of breaking or a time of building. A time of silence or a time of speaking, but none of it is forever. Seasons are meant to move. Even when it feels like summer will never end, fall is already forming.

God doesn’t waste time; He transforms it. So I encourage you to embrace the work God is doing in your current season. Embrace the discoveries, the quiet moments with God, and the hidden growth. Embrace the cold or hot mornings. Because whether you feel it or not, God is with you in every moment, and His glory is still shining through.

And one day, when the air shifts and your season changes, you may be able to see the ways He was faithful through it all. Every season has a purpose, even the ones that feel too long.

God is in them all. • Maddison Willett

• Where do you see God at work in your current season?

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) 

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13; HEBREWS 4:14-16; JAMES 1:12-18

Do you ever just feel overwhelmed by temptation? Our world is packed with opportunities to sin. Temptation seems to be around every corner. Each day, when we look at our phones or go to school or even just spend time alone with our thoughts, we can be faced with jealousy, greed, lust, and so many other enticements to sin—to doubt God’s goodness and go our own way instead. James 1:12-18 talks about the struggle we all have with temptation and trusting God. James says there are two possible responses to temptation in our lives.

First, we can respond by blaming God (verse 13). It’s easy to become frustrated when we’re tempted because sin lies to our hearts and seems so good. Even if we know that a particular sin is not right, it’s easy to doubt God’s goodness in those moments.

That’s why James points out a second, better way to respond: rather than doubting God’s goodness and blaming Him for the temptations we face, we can respond by trusting in the character of God. James says, “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters” (verse 16). In other words, don’t let your sinful desires lie to you. Instead, James points out two important truths about God’s goodness: (A) all the good things in our lives are really gifts from God (verse 17) and (B) God is never the cause of our temptation (verses 13-14).

God is good, and His character is unchanging. We have a God who cares for us and made a way for us to know Him through Jesus. A God who loves us so much that He is always working for our good, even through the messiest of situations (Romans 8:28-39; James 1:2-4, 16-18). A God who knows how difficult temptation is, who empathizes with us, and who resisted every temptation on our behalf so He could die in our place and rise again, making the way for us to be forgiven.

Whenever we face temptation, James reminds us not to give in and blame God. Because no matter the temptations or trials we face, God is good, and we can always turn to Him for hope and “receive mercy and find grace to help us” (Hebrews 4:16). • Phil Cox

• When we’re tempted to sin, how could it be helpful to remember that God loves us, He is good to us, and He has already provided forgiveness and made us new through Jesus?

• We’re not meant to struggle alone. Jesus invites us to come to Him with everything we’re facing, and He also calls us to share our struggles with each other. Who are trusted Christians you can be honest with about temptations and sins in your life?

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 (NIV) 

READ: PSALM 46; EPHESIANS 5:19

Music is one of the best parts of life. People have been making music since all the way back in Genesis, and every culture since then has created new rhythms and melodies. We memorize our favorite lyrics, get songs stuck in our heads, and sometimes even make playlists to be the soundtracks of our lives.

The book of Psalms is actually a collection of songs, and it’s also the longest book in the Bible. But, even though it’s long, it’s a great book to start reading because it’s already broken up into small individual pieces. It consists of 150 psalms (or songs), and you might recognize some of the words because lots of worship songs in churches today take lyrics right out of the psalms.

Some psalms are structured more like hymns. Some are written more like wise sayings, such as Psalm 1. Some read like a prayer journal, crying out to God for comfort, rescue, or forgiveness. You can find psalms that praise God for who He is (Psalm 145), look in wonder at His works and creation (Psalm 19), pour out heart-cries to Him in unfiltered lament (Psalm 13), and thank Him for victories and blessings (Psalm 46). The psalms cover every aspect of life—the good and the bad—pointing to God as our hope in all of it.

One amazing thing about the psalms is that they were written hundreds of years before Jesus came and lived among us, but they foreshadow Jesus (Psalm 22, for example).

So, consider opening up your Bible and flipping to the psalms. Read one, and fill yourself with the lyrics. You could even try making up a melody and singing a verse or two. Who knows? It might just become the soundtrack of your day. • Abby Ciona

• What is your favorite type of music? Do you have any songs stuck in your head right now?

• Music was God’s idea! Why do you think God included songs in the Bible? How can music help us understand His heart, fill ourselves with His Word, and express our honest emotions to Him?

• Consider taking some time to read one of the psalms mentioned above and consider: What is the psalmist saying about God? How might this psalm point to the hope we have in Jesus, who is God?

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7 (NIV) 

READ: MATTHEW 6:6-13, 25-34; ROMANS 8:18-39

I have recently experienced the joy of having prayer after prayer answered with a “yes.” It feels wonderful to know God is listening as I cry out to Him—and He cares enough to give me the things I ask for. But what about those times when we pray and pray and never get the response we’re hoping for?

When I see God’s “yes” to my prayers, I feel so close to Him. I smile as I look toward the sky, imagining Him looking down at me. But when I pray and things don’t work out the way I want them to, it’s easy for me to feel alone. Sometimes I feel like I have to figure things out by myself, like no one is going to help me. It can be hard to remember God is with me always—in the good times and the not-so-good times.

So, I turn to His Word. God knows that we need reminders of His love, and He tells us over and over again that He will never leave us. Just because He doesn’t seem to be intervening in the ways we want Him to, that doesn’t mean He’s ignoring us or He doesn’t care. The truth is, He loves us so much that He laid down His life to save us, and He is always working for our good—even when we don’t see it (John 5:17; Romans 8:28).

It can be hard to pray and then have things work out differently than we wanted them to, but Jesus is eager to remind us that He is still with us, and He is still working. • Emily Acker

• Can you think of a time you saw God answer a prayer with a “yes”? What happened? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this!

• Sometimes God’s answer to a prayer is “no” or “wait,” and we may never know why. But we do know He loves us and cares about us so much that He came to rescue us from sin and death, even though it cost Him His own life. When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave, He demonstrated the fullness of God’s unfailing love, and He made the way for all our hurts to be healed and all our needs to be fulfilled. When Jesus returns, all God’s people and all of creation will be made new and whole, finally free from sin and its effects! Until that day, we can see glimpses of this wholeness as we pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Consider taking some time to pray about whatever is on your heart today. God invites us to be totally honest with Him about what we want Him to do, and He promises to act for our good, in His perfect timing.

Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (NIV) 

READ: JOHN 3:16-17; ROMANS 8:1-17, 32-39; HEBREWS 4:14-16

I attend a Bible study with women who are older (and wiser) than I am. Sometimes their stories surprise me. One of these women, who I’ll call Larissa, recently shared a memory from years ago. While at university, she needed a white dress to wear for a ceremony. Since she didn’t have one, she decided to sew one herself, borrowing a sewing machine from a friend who lived in her dorm. But the finished product turned out badly. Larissa took the dress home on her next visit to recruit help from her mom. After taking apart the dress and remaking it entirely, Larissa’s mom begged her not to try sewing ever again.

Although we laughed at the story, Larissa told our group she’d never improved her sewing skills because her mother didn’t give her a second chance. In fact, Larissa had never even attempted to sew another project. I began to wonder, What if God responded the way Larissa’s mother had when we make mistakes? What if He didn’t provide mercy and extend another opportunity when we fail? What if God never gave second chances—or third or fourth or…?

The good news is, God has provided mercy through Jesus Christ. Once we’ve put our trust in Christ to forgive our sins, we no longer face condemnation—ever. We receive the righteousness of Jesus in exchange for our unrighteousness. As Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We have been delivered from the death sentence our sin deserved. And now, as God’s forgiven children, we get to enjoy freedom!

Since Christ gave Himself as the “sin offering” (Romans 8:3), we don’t have to be afraid that we will exhaust opportunities to join God in His work. We can step out in faith, knowing that if we fall flat, God will pick us up and help us try again— because we can never wear out God’s grace! He helps us grow in our walk with Jesus by giving second (and more) chances to His children. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Have you ever felt like you messed up so badly that God wouldn’t give you any more chances? God knows that we aren’t perfect and that growing in Christ is a lifelong process—one that will only be completed when Jesus returns (Philippians 1:6). How could remembering that there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ” help us accept ourselves where we are today?

• How does keeping our eyes on Jesus, instead of our shortcomings, make it possible for us to keep running the race He has marked out for us? (Hebrews 12:1-3)

• Consider taking a moment to ask God to help you notice where He is giving you another chance.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NIV) 

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-8; PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11

After months of training, I was ready to run my first 5K. I invited someone I’ll call Flora to race too. She liked to run and agreed to join me. I looked forward to challenging myself and spending time with Flora. Back then, I mentored young women in their faith in Christ. Flora had joined my Bible study, and I wanted to get to know her better. This could be a good opportunity for that.

Before the race, Flora mentioned a comment that her boyfriend, who I’ll call Eric, had made about her. She tried to laugh it off, but it sounded hurtful. In fact, Eric seemed to make discouraging comments to Flora often. I wondered if their relationship was unhealthy.

“Flora, do you feel secure in your relationship?” I asked on our way to the race.

“Hmm…I’ll have to think about that,” she answered.

We didn’t discuss this again for a while. But later she surprised me. “Remember you asked if I felt secure in my relationship?” Flora said. “I thought about that and realized I didn’t. I broke up with Eric.”

I hadn’t aimed to break them up. I just wanted the best for Flora. And now, I felt relieved to see her more at peace and more content.

Flora had put her trust in Jesus to forgive her sins and give her a new life with God. I wanted the best for her as she grew in her faith, but—even more—God wanted His best for Flora too. When we enter a relationship with God, He becomes our Father. He desires the best for His children, and that extends to our relationships with others. Sometimes God brings good into our lives by giving us joyful, loving relationships. Other times, He grants us wisdom through His Spirit to leave relationships that cause harm. Through it all, we can trust His unfailing love for us. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Which relationships in your life build you up? Consider taking a moment to thank God for these.

• Can you think of any relationships that tear you down? What steps might God be inviting you to take to love with “knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians 1:9)? Do you need to have some honest conversations to address the problems? Is there someone you need to take a step away from, at least for a time? Consider taking a moment to ask God for guidance; He wants to lead you. Additionally, who are trusted Christians in your life you can share your concerns with—people who’ll listen with compassion and help you discern God’s direction?

This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment. Philippians 1:9 (WEB) 

READ: EPHESIANS 5

Did you know that God-honoring romantic relationships can be a great place to learn more about God’s love? In my own life, God has used my relationship with my fiancé to teach me more about my relationship with Him.

First, when I consider how much my fiancé and I love each other, I’m reminded of how much more God loves both of us. As we love and serve each other, we are reminded of the ways Jesus loves and serves us—even sacrificing His own life for ours (Ephesians 5:2; 1 John 4:19).

Second, I’ve learned how well God knows me. Sometimes, when we’re on a date, my fiancé will ask if I want to split mozzarella sticks, and I’ll debate and then refuse. He’ll go ahead and order them for himself and, lo and behold, guess who actually wants mozzarella sticks? This simple way my fiancé knows me so well pales in comparison to how deeply God knows me (Psalm 139; John 10:14).

Third, my relationship with my fiancé has been a reminder that God made people to be in community (Genesis 1–2). This doesn’t always mean romantic relationships, but sometimes it can. Some Christians are called to marriage, and we’re all called to singleness for at least part of our lives, so romantic relationships are one way—but not the only way—Christians can experience community (1 Corinthians 7).

Ultimately, marriage points to Jesus because the church is the bride of Christ. A faithful, loving marriage between a husband and wife offers a picture of the kind of love Jesus has for us (Ephesians 5:25-33). He died for our sins and rose again so we could be with Him forever, enjoying His presence, working alongside Him in His kingdom, and resting in His unconditional love. As Christians—whether we are single, married, or dating—we are intimately loved by the one who knows us better than we know ourselves. • Naomi Zylstra

• What does the gospel have to do with our approach to romance? What does a relationship centered on Jesus look like? (If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 6:11-20; 7:39; 13:4-7; 2 Corinthians 6:14-15; Hebrews 13:4.)

• What questions do you have about dating and marriage? Who is a trusted Christian adult in your life— such as a pastor, counselor, or parent—you feel comfortable talking to about these things? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.)

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Ephesians 5:2 (NLT)