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Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What is faith? How would you explain it to a friend at recess or lunch?

Here’s a simple way to think about it: Faith means being 100% sure that God will do what he says—even if you can’t see it yet.

A long time ago, there was a man named Abraham. He and his wife were really old—too old to have kids—but God told Abraham he would have a son. That sounded impossible! But Abraham trusted God’s promise anyway.

And guess what? God kept his promise. Abraham had a son named Isaac.

But that’s not the only promise God kept. God also promised to send a Savior. And he did! He sent Jesus—who paid for our sins, rose from the dead, and opened the door to heaven. God did exactly what he said he would do.

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

That means even when life feels confusing or scary, faith holds on to God’s promises. It says, “I don’t know how this will work out, but I know God will help me. He always does.”

God has promised so many good things to his children—that he will always be with them, that he will protect them, and that he will take them to heaven someday. That’s what faith believes—even when it’s hard to see.

And guess what? The Holy Spirit is the one who helps people trust those promises. He works through God’s Word to help believers say, “God’s got me. I trust him!”

So, what is faith? It is being completely sure God will do everything he promised—the things we hope for like heaven, and the things we can’t always see, like how he helps and protects us every day.

Dear God, thank you for giving us faith to trust your promises. Help us hold onto Jesus and look forward to heaven. Amen.

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After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What’s something a kid might want really badly? A new video game? A best friend? More time before school starts again? Everyone has wishes—even people in the Bible.

A long time ago, there was a man named Abram. God had already blessed Abram in big ways—he had land, animals, and lots of servants. God had even protected him from enemies and promised to stay with him. But even with all that, Abram’s heart was still sad. There was something he wanted more than anything else.

What did he want? A son. Abram had no children, and he was getting old. He thought maybe his servant would get everything he owned someday. So Abram did something important: he talked to God about it.

And guess what? God listened. Just like a loving father listens to his child. God took Abram outside, under the starry sky, and said, “Look up! Count the stars—if you can. That’s how big your family will be someday!” God promised Abram a son. But not just a son—a huge family would come from him. And even more amazing—Jesus the Savior would be born from that family line!

Sometimes kids feel like their prayers don’t matter. But that’s not true! Just like God heard Abram, God hears you. He wants you to talk to him about your hopes, worries, and dreams.

We may not always get exactly what we want, but we can trust God always gives us what we need. He already gave us the most important gift—Jesus! Jesus died and rose again to open the way to heaven. Now we have something better than anything money can buy: God’s love and the promise of forever with him.

So, whenever you feel sad or unsure, look up like Abram did—God’s promises still shine bright!

Dear God, thank you for listening to our prayers and giving us Jesus, our Savior. Help us trust your promises like Abram did. Amen.

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[Jesus] said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In one house lived three siblings: Emma, Lucas, and Maya. And just like many brothers and sisters do, they sometimes got into fights over toys or forts or towers they built.

One day, Emma worked really hard to build an awesome blanket fort using chairs, pillows, and big blankets. It was the perfect hideout! But before long, Lucas came running through the room and knocked it over—and Emma started crying. Maybe something like that has happened in your house, too.

Why did it feel like such a big deal? Because when someone works hard on something, it feels really special. But to someone who didn’t build it, it’s just a pile of blankets.

Guess what? Grown-ups can act that way too—but in more grown-up ways. They don’t cry about forts, but they might get really upset about losing money, their car breaking down, or not making enough at work. They might not yell, “My fort!” but they still get frustrated.

Jesus once told a story about a rich man who saved up lots of money and built up barns to hold it all. He thought he was safe and happy. But then—God told him he would die that night. And everything he saved would go to someone else.

The point? Money and stuff don’t last forever. They can’t protect anyone from everything. They can’t save a person from death. But Jesus can.

So, what should people think about money?

Money is helpful, sure. But it’s not the most important thing. Here’s a great way to think of it: Money is like a blanket fort. It’s fun to build. It’s nice to have. But it won’t last forever. And that’s okay—because Jesus will.

Dear Lord, help me not to be jealous when others have more money or nicer things. Remind me that we can’t take those things with us when we die. Teach me to trust in you, because you give me what really matters. Amen. (based on Psalm 49)

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Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have you ever wished you could turn invisible?

Most kids have! Why? Because if you’re invisible, people can’t see you. You could sneak cookies from the kitchen, stay up past bedtime, or play hide-and-seek and never be found!

But think about this: being invisible could also mean doing good things without anyone knowing. Like helping someone pick up their books or writing a kind note—and never telling anyone it was you.

Did you know that the Bible talks about something kind of like being invisible? In Colossians, it says, “You died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” What does that mean?

It means that when you believe in Jesus, something amazing happens: God sees Jesus instead of your mistakes. Your sins? Gone. Invisible. Jesus died on the cross to take them all away. And now? Your future with Jesus is already safe. It’s like you’ve already got a seat waiting for you in heaven. Even if people don’t always see your good choices or love, God sees it all—and he’s proud of you.

So, how do we live like people who already belong in heaven?

The Bible says we should “put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature” and remember that Jesus is our life. That means we care more about the people Jesus loves and care less about ourselves and things for us.

Here’s a way to picture it: Imagine you went on a trip to another country. You had to use their money while you were there. But when it’s time to go home, that money isn’t useful anymore. What do you do with it? You leave it for others who CAN use it!

Think about God-stuff, not just world-stuff. Remember that your old life is gone and now your real life is safe with Jesus!

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26). Amen.

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What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have you ever had a friend tell you about a movie they saw, a vacation they went on, or a game they played that you haven’t? Did you ask, “Was it fun?” or “What was it like?” That’s because someone who’s been there or done that knows what it’s really like.

The Bible book of Ecclesiastes was written by a man named Solomon. He was King David’s son, and he was super rich—maybe the richest ever! So, let’s ask Solomon: “What was it like being that rich?”

His answer? “It wasn’t worth it.”

That’s surprising! Solomon was so rich he had anything he wanted. He had his own zoo, ate with gold plates, drank from gold cups, and sat on a gold throne (1 Kings 10:18-22). But guess what he said? “I hated all the things I had worked for.”

Why? Because Solomon learned something important: Money and stuff don’t make us truly happy. People often believe the lie that stuff will make you happy, money will make you feel safe, and both will help you do whatever you want. But Solomon found out that money doesn’t keep its promises. It might feel good for a little while, but then it fades.

Solomon wants us to remember what really matters: God. He wrote: “Without God, who can eat or find joy? But to the one who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness.”

That’s the big difference between God and people. People try to get more stuff for themselves. But God gives good gifts to others—especially to you.

At the very end of the Bible, in the book of Revelation, there’s something else golden. It’s a street paved with pure gold. It’s not in Solomon’s kingdom—it’s in heaven! Revelation 21:21 says: “The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as glass!” God has a street of gold too—but he’s saving it for YOU.

So, if you know that heaven is your forever home, and God is giving you something way better, why spend your life chasing after money here?

“LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:5-8). Amen.

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One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’” Luke 11:1-4

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

So far this week, we’ve learned two things about prayer:

Now we learn something new: Prayer brings our hearts closer to God—not the other way around.

Some people think prayer is just a way to tell God what we want and then hope he gives it to us. But Jesus gives us a special prayer called the Lord’s Prayer—and it teaches us to pray for things that we probably wouldn’t pray for if Jesus didn’t tell us to!

Let’s look at the Lord’s Prayer and what it really means:

Here’s something amazing: God doesn’t need us to pray these things for his plans to work. He’s going to do what’s best anyway! But Jesus still teaches us how to pray—because he loves us.

It’s like when a parent helps a little child say, “May I please have a banana?” The child is learning how to ask, not just demand. And the parent is happy to teach them because they love them!

God does the same. He teaches us how to talk to him—with love, trust, and the right words. And the more we pray like Jesus, the more we start to sound like Jesus too.

Dear God, teach me your ways. Help me trust you with my whole heart. I will praise you, because your love is great and you have saved me. Amen. (shortened version of Psalm 86)

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I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Last time, we learned that prayer helps us understand God better. This time let’s talk about what kinds of things God wants us to pray about.

In the Bible, in 1 Timothy chapter 2, God tells us four kinds of prayer:

So, when you pray, God wants you to: Ask. Worship. Pray for others. Say thank you.

But here’s something important: God doesn’t just want us to pray for anything we want. He wants us to pray for what he wants—his will.

There’s a kids’ book called Anytime, Any Place, Any Prayer. It encourages children to talk to God whenever they want—and that’s true! But God also tells children in the Bible what kinds of things are best to pray about.

Jesus says it in the Lord’s Prayer: “Your will be done.” And the Bible says in 1 John 5:14: “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

So how do we know what God’s will is? From the Bible! The more we read Scripture, the more we know what to pray.

Here’s a great idea: Open your Bible, read a few verses, and then pray about what you just read. For example, in 1 Timothy 2, God says we should:

You can also pray through a Psalm—like the one below.

Remember, you can talk to God anytime and anywhere—but it’s also great to start with what he’s already told us matters most.

Dear God, I put my trust in you. Show me your ways. Teach me how to live. Guide me with your truth. You are my Savior, and I hope in you all day long. Amen. (shortened prayer on Psalm 25)

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Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” But Abraham remained standing before the LORD and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? The LORD said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Then Abraham spoke up again: “what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.” Once again [Abraham] spoke, “What if only forty are found there?” He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.” Then he said, “What if only thirty can be found there?” He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” Abraham said, “what if only twenty can be found there?” He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.” Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have you ever thought of prayer like placing an order at a restaurant? You tell God what you want, then wait and hope he gives you what you asked for. But prayer isn’t just asking for stuff—it’s talking with God and learning from him. In our three devotions this week, we will see three aspects of prayer.

First, we learn about a man named Abraham. One day, God told Abraham he was going to destroy two very sinful cities: Sodom and Gomorrah. But Abraham prayed! He kept asking God, “What if there are 50 good people? What about 45? What if there are only 10?” And it looked like God changed his mind!

But did he really? The Bible says, “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind.” (Numbers 23:19). So maybe the point wasn’t that Abraham changed God—but that God was teaching Abraham something through prayer.

Think of it this way: a man puts up a shelf in his house. He pushes on it a little to see how strong it is. Then he pushes a little harder . . . and harder . . . until it starts to crack. That’s when he knows how much the shelf can hold!

Prayer is kind of like that. When we pray, we’re pressing on what we know about God. He is perfectly fair and just but also loving and forgiving. How can God punish sin and still forgive people? That’s what Abraham was wondering, and he brought those questions to God in prayer.

So maybe prayer isn’t about changing God’s mind. Maybe it’s about God changing ours. Let prayer become a spiritual exercise, “pressing down” on God’s truth. As we talk to him, we learn to trust him more and understand his heart and his ways better.

Lord, thank you for listening when I pray. When I’m scared or sad, you hear me and help me. You are kind and full of love. Help me trust you more every day. Amen.

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As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Jimmy didn’t like talking out loud—but he loved words. Jimmy had a hard time speaking because he had a big stutter. When he tried to talk, his words got stuck, and kids would laugh. So, Jimmy stopped talking almost completely. From the time he was five to fourteen years old, Jimmy hardly said anything.

But even though he didn’t talk much, he loved reading—especially poems. He wished he could read them out loud, but he stayed quiet. Then one day, Jimmy tasted something amazing for the first time: grapefruit! He loved it so much, he wrote a poem about it for his English class.

His teacher, Mr. Crouch, thought the poem was so good that Jimmy must have cheated. He told Jimmy he had to read it out loud to prove he wrote it, or he’d get an F. Jimmy was angry. So he stood up—and recited the whole poem without stuttering once!

That’s when Jimmy learned something incredible: his stutter disappeared when he said something from memory. From then on, he started memorizing poems, lines from plays, and entire scripts. He even became an actor and won awards. And then . . . he got a super famous job. He became the voice of Darth Vader, the famous villain from Star Wars. Jimmy’s real name? James Earl Jones. The one thing that changed his life forever was memorizing.

And guess what? There’s one thing that can change your life forever, too: God’s Word.

In Luke 10, two sisters—Mary and Martha—had Jesus over at their house. Mary sat down and listened to Jesus. Martha was busy cooking and cleaning. Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the one thing needed: his Word.

So let’s be like Mary. Listen to Jesus. Read his Word. Love it. Learn it. Remember it. Because God’s Word is the one thing that changes everything—for now and forever!

Heavenly Father, help me love your Word more than anything else. Teach me to treasure it every day. Amen.

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We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have you ever heard of something called minimalism? That’s when people try to live with only the things they really need, not a bunch of extra stuff. For example, a minimalist might have just a few outfits in their closet, not tons of clothes. Their garage or room might look really clean and simple.

Some people are minimalists with their money—they only buy what they need. Some are minimalists with their time, they don’t sign up for everything, just what matters most. Some even live without furniture! (Can you imagine sitting on the floor all the time?) But no matter how they do it, the big idea is this: you don’t need a lot to be okay.

And guess what? Jesus talked about this too! In Luke 10:42, Jesus said, “Only one thing is needed.” Just one! So, what is it? Is it food? Water? Air? Those things are important . . . but Jesus says there’s something even more important. It’s the gospel.

The gospel means “good news.” It’s the simple and powerful message that Jesus is your Savior. That’s the one thing we need more than anything else in life!

Why is the gospel so important? Look at what it gives you (Colossians 1 tells us all this!):

That’s a lot of amazing stuff from one simple message!

But most of all, the gospel gives you Jesus. Jesus is the one thing you really need. He loves you so much that he died for your sins and promises to bring you to heaven. Jesus is everything. And that’s what the gospel gives you.

Dear Jesus, thank you for being the one thing I need most. Help me always trust the gospel about you. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

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