Day 1
Faith Fact
With God, I am never alone.
Faith Verse
Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere -in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Question of the Day:
How powerful is God?
Read:
Acts 16:16–18
When we think about God, we naturally think about Him from a human perspective. But, we can’t even begin to understand how powerful God is. Paul got to see God’s power at work though. God’s power was shown when Paul used Jesus’ name to drive the evil spirit out of a slave girl. God is omnipotent, which means all-powerful. There is nothing and no one in the earth or in the spiritual realms who can stand against Him! We can be thankful that we serve a God who is so powerful. We have nothing to fear because He is always with us.
Think about it:
Question 1. What do we mean when we say that God is omnipotent?
Answer 1. God is all-powerful.
Question 2. Who did Paul and Silas meet as they were going down to the place of prayer?
Answer 2. A slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future (Acts 16:16)
Question 3. Why did Paul get so exasperated (upset)?
Answer 3. The slave girl followed them every day shouting. (Acts 16:17–18)
Question 4. What happened after Paul spoke to the demon inside the slave girl?
Answer 4. The demon instantly left her. (Acts 16:18)
Talk about it:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•What is something you are afraid of?
•Do you believe that God is more powerful than Satan and his evil powers? Why or why not?
•What helps you handle your fear?
Pray about it:
God, I’m so thankful to know that I follow an all-powerful God. Help me not to be afraid because I know You are with me. Amen.
With God, I am never alone.
Faith Verse
Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere -in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Question of the Day:
How powerful is God?
Read:
Acts 16:16–18
When we think about God, we naturally think about Him from a human perspective. But, we can’t even begin to understand how powerful God is. Paul got to see God’s power at work though. God’s power was shown when Paul used Jesus’ name to drive the evil spirit out of a slave girl. God is omnipotent, which means all-powerful. There is nothing and no one in the earth or in the spiritual realms who can stand against Him! We can be thankful that we serve a God who is so powerful. We have nothing to fear because He is always with us.
Think about it:
Question 1. What do we mean when we say that God is omnipotent?
Answer 1. God is all-powerful.
Question 2. Who did Paul and Silas meet as they were going down to the place of prayer?
Answer 2. A slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future (Acts 16:16)
Question 3. Why did Paul get so exasperated (upset)?
Answer 3. The slave girl followed them every day shouting. (Acts 16:17–18)
Question 4. What happened after Paul spoke to the demon inside the slave girl?
Answer 4. The demon instantly left her. (Acts 16:18)
Talk about it:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•What is something you are afraid of?
•Do you believe that God is more powerful than Satan and his evil powers? Why or why not?
•What helps you handle your fear?
Pray about it:
God, I’m so thankful to know that I follow an all-powerful God. Help me not to be afraid because I know You are with me. Amen.
Day 2
Faith Fact
With God, I am never alone.
Faith Verse
Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere -in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Question of the Day:
What is the cost of following Jesus?
Read:
Acts 16:19–24
We never know what we may be required to give up because we choose to follow Jesus. We never know what we may be required to stand up for because we choose to follow Jesus. The cost of following Jesus is different for everyone. We may never experience the persecution the Early Church had to face or fear for our lives because we are Christians. But are we willing to pay that cost if that’s what it takes?
Paul and Silas were willing to face making people upset, being beaten, and even going to prison because they knew that following Jesus was worth it. Would we be willing to do it? We need to be willing to give up anything and stand up for what we believe in any time. It will always be worth any cost to follow Jesus.
Think about it:
Question 1. Who journeyed with Paul on this missionary journey?
Answer 1. Silas (Acts 16:19)
Question 2. Why was the slave girl’s master so upset with Paul and Silas?
Answer 2. He believed they destroyed his ability to get wealthy. (Acts 16:19)
Question 3. What happened to Paul and Silas because God healed the slave girl?
Answer 3. An angry mob formed, they were beaten, and thrown in prison. (Acts 16:22–23)
Question 4. What were Paul and Silas doing in jail around midnight?
Answer 4. They were praying and singing songs of praise to God. (Acts 16:25)
Talk about it:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•Have you ever had to stand up for what you believe in? What happened?
•Have you ever been bullied or made fun of because you are a Christian?
•Do you believe it is worth being treated poorly or being unpopular to follow Jesus? Why or why not?
Pray about It
God, thank You for giving us so many examples in the Bible of strong Christians. Help me to have the courage to be willing to pay any cost to follow You. Amen.
With God, I am never alone.
Faith Verse
Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere -in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Question of the Day:
What is the cost of following Jesus?
Read:
Acts 16:19–24
We never know what we may be required to give up because we choose to follow Jesus. We never know what we may be required to stand up for because we choose to follow Jesus. The cost of following Jesus is different for everyone. We may never experience the persecution the Early Church had to face or fear for our lives because we are Christians. But are we willing to pay that cost if that’s what it takes?
Paul and Silas were willing to face making people upset, being beaten, and even going to prison because they knew that following Jesus was worth it. Would we be willing to do it? We need to be willing to give up anything and stand up for what we believe in any time. It will always be worth any cost to follow Jesus.
Think about it:
Question 1. Who journeyed with Paul on this missionary journey?
Answer 1. Silas (Acts 16:19)
Question 2. Why was the slave girl’s master so upset with Paul and Silas?
Answer 2. He believed they destroyed his ability to get wealthy. (Acts 16:19)
Question 3. What happened to Paul and Silas because God healed the slave girl?
Answer 3. An angry mob formed, they were beaten, and thrown in prison. (Acts 16:22–23)
Question 4. What were Paul and Silas doing in jail around midnight?
Answer 4. They were praying and singing songs of praise to God. (Acts 16:25)
Talk about it:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•Have you ever had to stand up for what you believe in? What happened?
•Have you ever been bullied or made fun of because you are a Christian?
•Do you believe it is worth being treated poorly or being unpopular to follow Jesus? Why or why not?
Pray about It
God, thank You for giving us so many examples in the Bible of strong Christians. Help me to have the courage to be willing to pay any cost to follow You. Amen.
Day 3
Faith Fact
With God, I am never alone.
Faith Verse
Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere -in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Question of the Day:
How can you have joy all the time?
Read:
Acts 16:25–29
Paul talked a lot about being joyful or rejoicing in times of persecution in the letters he wrote that are in the New Testament. This passage of Scripture is a great example of him living that principle out in his own life.
Think about it. Paul and Silas had just been badly beaten and now they are sitting in a prison. They had no clue if God would save them or if they would be stuck there for the rest of their lives. How would you act in that situation? Maybe we would cry, complain, or feel hopeless.
That’s not how Paul and Silas reacted at all! They began praying and singing to God. The Bible says that the other prisoners were listening to them. Even in prison, they had the chance to impact others and they weren’t going to miss out on that opportunity.
Joy isn’t the same as feeling happy about what’s happening around us. We can choose to have joy at all times just like Paul and Silas because we know that God is omnipresent. That means that God is everywhere all at the same time. He is always with us. Our circumstances may change, but God always remains the same.
Think about it:
Question 1. What do we mean when we say that God is omnipresent?
Answer 1. God is everywhere at the same time.
Question 2. How late at night was it when Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God?
Answer 2. Around midnight (Acts 16:25)
Question 3. What happened in the prison because of the massive earthquake?
Answer 3. The prison was shaken, the doors flew open, and the chains of the prisoners fell off. (Acts 16:26)
Question 4. What did the jailer do when he thought the prisoners had all escaped?
Answer 4. He was about to kill himself. (Acts 16:27)
Talk about it:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•What is something that makes you happy? Can you depend on it to last forever?
•What is the difference between happiness and joy?
•Why can we have joy at all times?
Pray about it:
God, thank You for giving us joy that doesn’t go away because things around us are bad. Help me to choose to find joy at all times because You are with me. Amen.
With God, I am never alone.
Faith Verse
Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere -in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Question of the Day:
How can you have joy all the time?
Read:
Acts 16:25–29
Paul talked a lot about being joyful or rejoicing in times of persecution in the letters he wrote that are in the New Testament. This passage of Scripture is a great example of him living that principle out in his own life.
Think about it. Paul and Silas had just been badly beaten and now they are sitting in a prison. They had no clue if God would save them or if they would be stuck there for the rest of their lives. How would you act in that situation? Maybe we would cry, complain, or feel hopeless.
That’s not how Paul and Silas reacted at all! They began praying and singing to God. The Bible says that the other prisoners were listening to them. Even in prison, they had the chance to impact others and they weren’t going to miss out on that opportunity.
Joy isn’t the same as feeling happy about what’s happening around us. We can choose to have joy at all times just like Paul and Silas because we know that God is omnipresent. That means that God is everywhere all at the same time. He is always with us. Our circumstances may change, but God always remains the same.
Think about it:
Question 1. What do we mean when we say that God is omnipresent?
Answer 1. God is everywhere at the same time.
Question 2. How late at night was it when Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God?
Answer 2. Around midnight (Acts 16:25)
Question 3. What happened in the prison because of the massive earthquake?
Answer 3. The prison was shaken, the doors flew open, and the chains of the prisoners fell off. (Acts 16:26)
Question 4. What did the jailer do when he thought the prisoners had all escaped?
Answer 4. He was about to kill himself. (Acts 16:27)
Talk about it:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•What is something that makes you happy? Can you depend on it to last forever?
•What is the difference between happiness and joy?
•Why can we have joy at all times?
Pray about it:
God, thank You for giving us joy that doesn’t go away because things around us are bad. Help me to choose to find joy at all times because You are with me. Amen.
Day 4
Faith Fact
With God, I am never alone.
Faith Verse
Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere -in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Question of the Day:
Who is affected by the choices that you make?
Read:
Acts 16:30–34
Do you ever think about how the choices you make affect others? You might have thought about how they affect your friends and family, but what about people you don’t even know? Paul and Silas’s choices affected all the prisoners who heard them praying and singing to God. They also had the chance to literally save the life of the jailer who was keeping them in the jail.
Paul and Silas could have just thought the jailer deserved to die and allowed him to hurt himself. Instead, they stopped him from killing himself and they did something even greater for him. They told him about Jesus and he and his whole household became believers! We may never know how many people are affected by the choices we make, but we need to do our best to make sure our choices are affecting people to know more about Jesus.
Think about it:
Question 1. What was the first thing the jailer asked Paul and Silas?
Answer 1. “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30)
Question 2. What did Paul and Silas tell the Philippian jailer to do in order to be saved?
Answer 2. “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” (Acts 16:31)
Question 3. What did Paul and Silas do for the jailer and his family?
Answer 3. They told the jailer and his family about Jesus and baptized them (Acts 16:32–33)
Question 4. What did the jailer do for Paul and Silas?
Answer 4. Cared for them, washed their wounds, brought them into his house, and gave them a meal. (Acts 16:33–34)
Question 5. Why did the jailer and his entire household rejoice?
Answer 5. Because they all believed in God (Acts 16:34)
Talk about it:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•Have you ever seen your choices affect someone else?
•Share a time when you positively affected someone else.
•Share a time when you negatively affected someone else.
•How can we make sure the choices we make point people toward Jesus?
Pray about It
God, thank You for showing me how important my choices are to others. Please help me to make choices that have a positive effect on others and point them to You. Amen.
With God, I am never alone.
Faith Verse
Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere -in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Question of the Day:
Who is affected by the choices that you make?
Read:
Acts 16:30–34
Do you ever think about how the choices you make affect others? You might have thought about how they affect your friends and family, but what about people you don’t even know? Paul and Silas’s choices affected all the prisoners who heard them praying and singing to God. They also had the chance to literally save the life of the jailer who was keeping them in the jail.
Paul and Silas could have just thought the jailer deserved to die and allowed him to hurt himself. Instead, they stopped him from killing himself and they did something even greater for him. They told him about Jesus and he and his whole household became believers! We may never know how many people are affected by the choices we make, but we need to do our best to make sure our choices are affecting people to know more about Jesus.
Think about it:
Question 1. What was the first thing the jailer asked Paul and Silas?
Answer 1. “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30)
Question 2. What did Paul and Silas tell the Philippian jailer to do in order to be saved?
Answer 2. “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” (Acts 16:31)
Question 3. What did Paul and Silas do for the jailer and his family?
Answer 3. They told the jailer and his family about Jesus and baptized them (Acts 16:32–33)
Question 4. What did the jailer do for Paul and Silas?
Answer 4. Cared for them, washed their wounds, brought them into his house, and gave them a meal. (Acts 16:33–34)
Question 5. Why did the jailer and his entire household rejoice?
Answer 5. Because they all believed in God (Acts 16:34)
Talk about it:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•Have you ever seen your choices affect someone else?
•Share a time when you positively affected someone else.
•Share a time when you negatively affected someone else.
•How can we make sure the choices we make point people toward Jesus?
Pray about It
God, thank You for showing me how important my choices are to others. Please help me to make choices that have a positive effect on others and point them to You. Amen.