Adeola Akinsemoyin @mantha

Devotional by YouVersion

If you were to look at a map of the world, you would see many different countries divided by territory lines. Each of those countries has a ruler who is responsible for what happens in those borders. Ever since the beginning of creation, humans have had ownership as rulers over portions of land.

It can be easy to look at the world and think those rulers alone have ultimate control over what happens within their land. As we look at Scripture though, we see that even though humans rule over various countries—it is God who truly rules over everything.

While many leaders have power over their land and people, God’s Word tells us that only God has true power. He is the One who created everything that exists, so He is the only one who is truly great and powerful. 

Everything on earth and in heaven ultimately belongs to God, and regardless of what happens in the world, God is still the ruler over everything. No matter what earthly rulers decide, God is ultimately in control of everything. This is why God is deserving of all praise and glory for His greatness and power. 

So take some time today to think about the greatness of God who made everything that exists, and yet still desires a relationship with His people. God is not some lofty ruler who makes decisions in a far off place, but He is present in the lives of those who call Him Lord.

Devotional by YouVersion

Prayer is one of the most important habits we can develop. Not only does Scripture command us to pray often, but there are tremendous benefits to building a life of prayer. 

Prayer connects us relationally to God. We can thank God for who He is and what He has done for us during our prayer time. We can ask Him for things that we need.

Even though we know we should pray, we often do not take the time to do it. Unless we set aside time to talk to God, it doesn’t always find a way into our daily schedules. But Paul, the writer of the letter to the Ephesians, urges Christians to build a life of prayer. He says that every occasion is a chance to talk to God.

All of our requests and needs should be given to God. However, our time praying should not only be asking God for things. We should also spend part of our time in worship—thanking God for who He is and all He has done. 

Paul also encourages us to pray for other people. In fact, part of our responsibility towards others is to advocate for them through prayer. We typically remember to pray for others when something negative is happening to them. But God’s Word says we should always be praying for the people in our life.

As we pray, we should not be discouraged when we don’t see immediate change. God is always working in our lives, even if it doesn’t match our desired timeline. We may not receive the answers we want, but we can rest assured that God is always listening and working on our behalf.

Take some time today to pray to God. Thank Him for all He has done for you. Tell Him your needs. Think of a few people in your life that you can pray for. Throughout your week, use every opportunity to pray to God.

Devotional by YouVersion

Before Jesus left His disciples, He spoke words that were both realistic and encouraging: 

“In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NIV

Even though Jesus has won the ultimate victory, He knew there would be a time between His resurrection and return when His people would still be vulnerable to attack. But Jesus spoke with confidence to encourage His followers: He is both willing and able to overcome anything and everything the world might throw at us.

We can withstand any spiritual attack because of who we stand with: Jesus. It is the armor of God: Jesus’ truth, Jesus’ righteousness, Jesus’ peace, and Jesus’ salvation which we wear. He has given us all the protective gear we need… with one notable offensive weapon: the sword of the Spirit.

The Bible is no mere book. It is God’s Spirit-filled, powerful, living, and active tool for change, both in our own hearts (Hebrews 4:12) and in any spiritual battles we may face. We can join in on the offensive against the enemy using this spiritual weapon, God’s Word.

The time you are spending in God’s Word right now is powerful. It is sharpening you and preparing you for whatever happens today so that after all is said and done, you will stand.

Don’t be surprised when you face trouble. Just remember that Jesus prepared you for this day and has given you all you need to face it.

Devotional by YouVersion

From the very beginning, Satan has tried to tempt humanity away from God. He works hard to keep people from knowing the truth about God (2 Corinthians 4:4). Even after a person miraculously comes to faith in Jesus, his battle continues.

You have a spiritual enemy who seeks to discredit and disable you. He aims arrows at you: half-truths and mistruths that discourage and distract, accuse and attack. He whispers accusations about ways you’ve messed up and fallen short. He tells half-truths: things that seem reasonable but sow doubt in God’s promises. He tells us we’re not wanted, not forgiven, and don’t belong. There’s a reason Paul says his darts are “flaming”—they burn.

But just as we first were saved by faith in Jesus, we must continue in that faith by raising up what the apostle Paul calls “the shield of faith.” It means we defend ourselves again and again by choosing to trust in what God says about Himself and ourselves, rather than the lies of the enemy.

Raising up the defensive shield of faith is the best and only defense against the attacks of the evil one. Dart by dart and lie by lie, we name the lies and choose to trust in God’s truth instead.

When the enemy tries to shame you, remember 1 John 1:9 NIV: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive …” 

If he tries to turn your attention towards ambition, pride, or lust, recall Jesus defying him in the wilderness (Matthew 4:4).

In the first century, Roman armor would have been made of metal and treated leather. Today, we might imagine a soldier or police officer's bulky tactical gear with bulletproof vests and helmets. Not many of us wear this kind of head-to-toe protective gear before heading out in the morning.

But the Bible urges us to consider spiritual armor essential. Why?

Because unseen spiritual adversaries exist, and we're vulnerable to their attacks. Here are two vital things to notice about our "armor."
First, God is the one who gives us armor. It's the armor of God. We can't possibly protect ourselves from spiritual attacks. But God supplies all we need.

Second, we don't put on our armor or fight alone. The mental image of the lone soldier standing in an arena against an enemy is not what Paul has in mind. The instructions to put on spiritual armor aren't given to you, the individual—they're given to all of us, together, who make up the church. 

We all suit up together in God's armor, and we stand, pray, praise, and defend… together.

God graciously gives us armor so that when we experience a spiritual attack, we will stand and fight by His strength. Today, imagine standing strong in God's protective armor. How might this imagery influence how you endure and remain resilient in the face of spiritual battles and uncertainties?

Devotional by YouVersion

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your circumstances or wondered why you kept fighting the same struggle? 

Jesus taught us that life as a Christ-follower will be difficult. Our world is filled with broken people who do broken things. There will be trials. 

When Adam and Eve decided to pursue something “good” apart from God, their decision allowed evil to enter the world. This means there is a spiritual battle that we cannot see, and it impacts our everyday lives. 

When we give our lives to Jesus, we join His team—but this also means we become a target of the devil, our enemy. Every bad thing that happens to us is not necessarily a direct attack from Satan—sometimes it’s just a result of living in a fallen, broken world. But there is a spiritual element to every situation because the devil is always trying to draw the world away from God, and he is looking for people to destroy. 

When struggles happen, the devil will try to get you to believe lies about God, your situation, yourself, or other people. He will try to get you to doubt your identity and your God-given authority. But God, who has victory over Satan, is always fighting for you. 

Nothing can overcome God, and so when we rely on God—nothing can overcome us. 

In every situation, we are more than conquerors because God deeply loves us. This is why we don’t have to be afraid of the spiritual fight—God has already won it. We need to remind ourselves of this truth so that way we can withstand the attacks from Satan when they come. 

But attacks will end, because God will win. 

So today, fill your mind with truth. Hold fast to your faith, and guard your heart. Walk in peace toward everyone, and memorize Scripture so that way you can wield it as a weapon against any spiritual attack that comes your way. 

And know that no matter what you face—God is already fighting for you. He is in control, and He will never leave you. He will never let you fall as long as you keep clinging to Him.

When you belong to God, you have the power to subdue, crush, and overthrow anything the devil throws at you. God’s power makes you more than a conqueror.