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Author: Nathaniel Colt

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Learn 8.4 Devotionals (for Sunday 6/19) – Tuesday

 

Key Ideas

 

Faith Fact

I believe God can answer prayer.

 

Faith Verse

John 14:12 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done.”

 

Question of the Day: How has God used you to help someone?

Read about It

Read: James 2:14–17

Sometimes God allows us to see people’s needs so that He can use us to help them. Imagine seeing a kid at school who has torn-up clothes, no food for lunch, and holes in his shoes. You think, “I feel sorry for this kid.” But then you do nothing to help him. What good is it if you see a need but don’t do anything about it? That’s what these verses in James are talking about.

Our faith in God should lead us to pray for people and to see people where they are. God may also place it on our heart to help people. We can believe God will answer our prayers for other people, and sometimes we are part of His answer! Listen and be open as the Holy Spirit leads you.

Talk about It

 

Question 1. What are the two things verse 15 talks about a person not having?

Answer 1. Food or clothing (James 2:15)

 
Question 2. What happens when we see a need but don’t offer to help someone in need?

Answer 2. Answers may vary.

 
Question 3. When was a time God spoke to you to help someone?

Answer 3. Answers may vary.

 
Question 4. When was a time God used someone to help you when you had a need?

Answer 4. Answers may vary.

 
Question 5. Who may God use you to help this week?

Answer 5. Answers may vary.

 

 

Pray about It

Dear God, thank You that my life can be used to be a blessing to someone. God, let me see people the way You do and let me listen for You to lead me to help. Give me a heart of compassion that leads to action and helping others. Amen.

 

 

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Learn 8.4 Devotionals (for Sunday 6/19) – Monday

 

Key Ideas

 

Faith Fact

I believe God can answer prayer.

 

Faith Verse

John 14:12 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done.”

 

Question of the Day: What prayers do you need God to answer?

Read about It

Read: 2 Kings 6:14–23

The prophet Elisha believed God could—and would—answer his prayers. In the Bible story, Elisha prayed for three miracles and God did each one. First, an enemy army found Elisha’s hiding place, and Elisha prayed his servant would see God’s army protecting them. Next, the enemy attacked, and Elisha prayed they would go blind. Finally, Elisha led the enemy to Israel’s king and prayed that they would be able to see again. God answered all his prayers! Elisha told the king of Israel to have mercy on the captured soldiers, feed them, and send them home.

Elisha could have been scared when a whole army came to his city looking just for him. Instead, he was brave, because he knew he could ask God for help. God can answer our prayers too!

Talk about It

 

Question 1. Why was Elisha’s servant scared when he went outside early in the morning?

Answer 1. “There were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere.” (2 Kings 6:15)

 
Question 2. What did Elisha’s servant see after the Lord opened his eyes?

Answer 2. “The hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.” (2 Kings 6:17)

 
Question 3. Why did Elisha ask God to make the enemy soldiers blind?

Answer 3. So they would not attack and Elisha could lead them safely to the king of Israel.

 
Question 4. What does this story teach us?

Answer 4. God answers prayer. We can ask God for specific things. God is protecting us in ways we can’t see. Other answers are possible.

 
 Question 5. What is one prayer you need God to answer?

Answer 5. Answers will vary.

 

 

Pray about It

Dear God, thank You for loving me so much that You hear and answer my prayers. Help my faith to grow, and open my eyes to Your miracles all around me. Amen.

 

 

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Learn 8.3 Devotionals (for Sunday 6/12) – Thursday

 

Key Ideas

 

Faith Fact

I believe God can heal.

 

Faith Verse

John 14:12 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done.”

 

Question of the Day: Have you ever prayed for someone to be healed?

Read about It

Read: 1 Peter 2:24

When Jesus died on the Cross, He didn’t die only so that our sins can be forgiven. He died on the Cross to overcome death and sickness also. Jesus did that for each one of us because He loves us so very much. Nothing is stronger than He is! When we pray to Jesus, we can ask Him to heal us or anyone else. We can believe that Jesus will heal them because of what He overcame on the Cross.

Talk about It

 

Question 1. Can we experience healing today?

Answer 1. Yes

 
Question 2. How can we experience healing?

Answer 2. Answers may vary.

 
Question 3. Besides healing, what else did Jesus’ death on the Cross do for us?

Answer 3. Made a way for our sins to be forgiven (1 Peter 2:24)

 
Question 4. When have you prayed for someone and Jesus healed them?

Answer 4. Answers may vary.

 
Question 5. How do you feel knowing Jesus’ death on the Cross provides healing for us?

Answer 5. Answers may vary.

 

Pray about It

Dear Jesus, thank You for dying on the Cross so my sins may be forgiven and I may experience the gift of healing. I know that You overcame death and sickness when You rose again. Thank You that today we can experience Your power of healing. Amen.

 

 

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Learn 8.3 Devotionals (for Sunday 6/12) – Wednesday

 

 

Key Ideas

 

Faith Fact

I believe God can heal.

 

Faith Verse

John 14:12 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done.”

 

Question of the Day: When was a time that you didn’t know what to say when you prayed?

Read about It

Read: Romans 8:26

Have you ever had a time where you had no clue about how to pray for someone or something that had happened? Maybe you found out someone was sick, or maybe something really scary or bad happened. Everyone experiences those times. That’s when you can trust God’s Holy Spirit to lead you, direct you, and even pray for you! Although we may not know what to pray for, God does, and we can turn to Him. Let’s choose to always pray to God and trust in who He is.

Talk about It

 

Question 1. Have you ever had a time when you didn’t know what to pray for?

Answer 1. Answers may vary.

 
Question 2. Who can we rely on during those moments?

Answer 2. God’s Holy Spirit

 
Question 3. Did you know that you can allow the Holy Spirit to pray for you? How does that make you feel?

Answer 3. Answers may vary.

 
Question 4. What is something you can ask the Holy Spirit to pray with you for right now?

Answer 4. Answers may vary.

 
Question 5. When was a time God has helped you when you didn’t know what to do?

Answer 5. Answers may vary.

 

Pray about It

Dear God, thank You that in times when I don’t know what to do or say that I have the Holy Spirit as my Helper. Amen.

 

 

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Learn 8.3 Devotionals (for Sunday 6/12) – Tuesday

 

Key Ideas

 

Faith Fact

I believe God can heal.

 

Faith Verse

John 14:12 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done.”

 

Question of the Day: When have you stopped what you were doing to help someone?

Read about It

Read: Matthew 14:13–21

Jesus was getting in a boat so He could go somewhere to be alone, but then He saw a large crowd of people behind Him who had followed Him from several towns. Many of these people knew that Jesus had the power to heal them. In that moment, Jesus could have continued on to a place to be alone, but He stopped to help people who were in need. He got out of the boat and healed those who were sick. Later in this story, Jesus performed one of His most famous miracles and fed more than five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish.

The beauty of this miracle of healing is that Jesus stopped what He was doing to be with the people and meet them where they were. As believers, we know that Jesus is always with us through the Holy Spirit. When we are sick or hurting, we can turn to Him and find He is already with us and wants to meet our need.

Talk about It

 

Question 1. What was Jesus originally going to do in this story?

Answer 1. Get on a boat to be alone in a remote area (Matthew 14:13)

 
Question 2. What did Jesus do when He got off the boat?

Answer 2. He had compassion toward the people who had followed Him and He healed the sick. (Matthew 14:14)

 
Question 3. Why do you think Jesus had compassion toward the people?

Answer 3. Answers may vary.

 
Question 4.When did you need to stop what you were doing to help someone?

Answer 4. Answers may vary.

 
Question 5. How can you respond to people the way that Jesus responds to them?

Answer 5. Answers may vary.

 

 

Pray about It

Dear God, thank You that You are never too busy for people. Thank You for Your heart of compassion toward those who seek You. Thank You that you meet us where we are. God, help me respond to others in that same way. Thank You that whenever I need You, You are already right there. Amen.

 

 

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Learn 8.3 Devotionals (for Sunday 6/12) – Monday

 

Key Ideas

 

Faith Fact

I believe God can heal.

 

Faith Verse

John 14:12 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done.”

 

Question of the Day: What is something you need or have needed healing from?

Read about It

Read: 2 Kings 5:1–14

Has God ever asked you to do something, but you wanted to do things your own way instead? In today’s Bible verses, a strong and mighty warrior named Naaman suffered from a disease and he wanted to be healed. He went on a mission to find someone who could heal him, and he found the prophet Elisha. The prophet gave him simple instructions: Go wash seven times in the Jordan River. However, the warrior responded in anger. He didn’t want to do what Elisha said because he wanted Elisha to heal him in a big way. When his soldiers encouraged him to simply obey what Elisha had said, Naaman finally did and was completely healed.

There will be times in our life that God tells us to do something, and we may not want to do it. In those times, we need to have faith, trust in what God says, and ask Him for help to obey.

Talk about It

 

Question 1. What did Naaman suffer with?

Answer 1. Leprosy (2 Kings 5:1)

 
Question 2. Whose house did Naaman go to for his healing?

Answer 2. Elisha (2 Kings 5:9)

 
Question 3. How many times was Naaman to wash in the Jordan River?

Answer 3. Seven times (2 Kings 5:10)

 
Question 4. How did Naaman respond at first to what Elisha had said?

Answer 4. He went away in anger. (2 Kings 5:11–12)

 
Question 5. What happened after Naaman did what Elisha had told him to do?

Answer 5. He was completely healed. (2 Kings 11: 4)

 

 

Pray about It

Dear God, thank You that You still heal people today. I pray that when You tell me to do something, that I will respond in obedience and not in anger. God, help me keep my heart in tune with what You are saying. I thank You that even when we respond in anger, You still offer us healing if we choose to follow You. God, help me to obey Your voice always. Amen.

 

 

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Learn 8.2 Devotionals (for Sunday 6/5) – Thursday

 

Key Ideas

 

Faith Fact

I believe God can do great things.

 

Faith Verse

John 14:12 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done.”

Question of the Day: What does the word faithful mean to you?

Read about It

Read: 2 Timothy 1:3–5

Think about your family for a moment. Have your parents or your grandparents been Christians for a while? Maybe you are the first person in your family to accept Jesus into your life and are changing your family’s history. There is power in creating a line of believers in your family and in praying for the next generation coming up. Did you know that even today, you can be investing in the future of your family by praying that God will use each member of your family and speak to them in a powerful way? God wants your family to love and follow Him.

Talk about It

 

Question 1. What type of faith was talked about in 2 Timothy 1:5?

Answer 1. Genuine faith

 
Question 2. Today’s Bible reading was written first to Timothy. Whose faith did Timothy share?

Answer 2. The same faith as his grandmother Lois and mother, Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5)

 
Question 3. How often does Paul remember Timothy in his prayers?

Answer 3. “Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.” (2 Timothy 1:3)

 
Question 4. Why is sharing faith with the next generation important?

Answer 4. Answers may vary.

 
Question 5. In what ways can you begin investing in the next generation now?

Answer 5. Answers may vary.

 

Pray about It

Dear God, thank You that I can learn and grow from people You have placed in my life. I pray that I will listen to their advice and follow in their footsteps. God, I pray that even now You will begin to use my life to encourage kids who are younger than I am, so that they will follow You. Amen.

 

 

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Learn 8.2 Devotionals (for Sunday 6/5) – Wednesday

 

 

Key Ideas

 

Faith Fact

I believe God can do great things.

 

Faith Verse

John 14:12 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done.”

 

Question of the Day: What is something you can trust God with?

Read about It

Read: Matthew 21:21–22

When we read these verses, we might think they mean that we can ask God for anything: even if we ask for a million dollars and just believe, it will happen! The truth is that when we pray and ask God for anything, we can trust that He hears us and that He gives us what we need. We can trust that He is God our Father and loves us so much. Although we may not get specifically what we ask for, we know that He will never let us down and that He will give us far more than we need. We can have faith and trust in His goodness. Let’s pray that our heart will line up with what He desires for our life and be filled with trust in who God is.

Talk about It

 

Question 1. What does Jesus say we need to have in Matthew 21:21?

Answer 1. Faith (Matthew 21:21)

 
Question 2. What can we pray for?

Answer 2. Anything (Matthew 21:22)

 
Question 3. Does God always answer our prayers the way we want?

Answer 3. No, but He always knows best and we can trust in Him.

 
Question 4. What is something you can do when you are struggling with doubt?

Answer 4. Answers may vary.

 
Question 5. Who is someone in your life you trust and can talk to about the Bible and God?

Answer 5. Answers may vary.

 

Pray about It

Dear God, thank You that I can pray to You about anything. God, give me faith to know that although sometimes things may be different from what I think they should be, I can trust that You always know what is best. You are amazing, God! Amen.