Day 30 of 30

Wednesday

May 6

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

DEVOTION: All first responders who are committed to take up their cross and follow Christ daily are commanded to disciple others and teach them to do the same. Over these last 30 days I have felt this burden more, and pray that you have as well. While we may not be persecuted here as other believers around the world, we should not be any less committed or willing to head the call. It is worth the cost. “All over the world we encountered committed followers of Jesus who trust even His toughest teachings. They understand that anyone who wishes to save his life must first be willing to lose it… These believers don’t just live for Jesus, they live with Jesus every day” (“The Insanity of God – A True Story of Faith Resurrected” by Nik Ripken). My family and I have prayed, and were willing to go wherever God might lead us. In that, we explored the mission field oversees, but ultimately heard God’s calling for the mission field among our country’s first responders. This is a subculture that does not typically turn to Christ for their strength, but needs Him all the same. My fellow first responders cannot earn their way to heaven through their service and sacrifice to their communities, but must fully surrender to their loving Savior who paid the ultimate price for them. My prayer is that they would hear their true calling and come to have a saving faith in Christ. I also pray that many leaders will rise up in first responder agencies all over the country and see this as their mission field as well. Join me in the calling to be fearless and faithful for Christ alone.           

Q. Are you willing to not only live for Jesus but also live with Jesus every day? Are you willing to go wherever He leads you? Are you willing to “be faithful, even to the point of death” (Revelation 2:10)?   

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PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 29 of 30

Tuesday

May 5

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind. 

DEVOTION: Over and over again, strong men of God in the Bible needed to be reminded to not be afraid. Fear is one of the most powerful forces that prevents a Christ follower from fully committing, serving, and devoting their life to God almighty. We are afraid of giving up control in our life. We are afraid of what He might ask us to do, or where He might call us to go. We are afraid of rejection, or what others may think of us. The Holy Spirit in us is not bound by any of these fears. “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear” -Franklin D. Roosevelt. What we fear reveals what we value most. “Jesus is better than all the pleasures, possessions, and pursuits of this world put together” -David Platt.   

Q. What are you valuing most? What fears do you need to overcome? What fears do you need to give to the Lord? 

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PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 28 of 30

Monday

May 4

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Let all that you do be done in love.

DEVOTION: These are bold final instructions from Paul to the church of Corinth, who were compromising the gospel and living similar to those in the extreme self-pleasing culture around them. How much more could he emphasize the need to be strong in YOUR faith? Peter gave the same instructions to be “watchful” and “firm in your faith,” and then explained why this is so important. He reminds us that “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8-9). The strength and absolute resolve in Christ that you are called to have is essential in this sinful world but cannot be achieved on your own. You must remember to “put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11) and “let all that you do be done in love,” knowing you will “have tribulation” but Jesus “overcame the world” (John 16:33). 

Q. Are you constantly watchful and firm in your faith, or are you influenced more by the world? 

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PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 27 of 30

Sunday

May 3

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: Luke 9:23-24 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”

DEVOTION: There is nothing in life more challenging, and rewarding than following Christ. Here we get a glimpse into what is expected of us in order to follow Him. “To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only Him who goes before and no more the road which is too hard for us…. ‘and take up his cross.’ Jesus has graciously prepared the way for this word by speaking first of self-denial. Only when we have become completely oblivious of self are we ready to bear the cross for His sake. If in the end we know only Him, if we have ceased to notice the pain of our own cross, we are indeed looking only unto Him.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer from “The Cost of Discipleship”.    

Q. Are you willing to daily deny yourself, bear the cross for His sake, and follow Him wherever He leads you? 

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PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 26 of 30

Saturday

May 2

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

DEVOTION: Knowledge of God’s word should drive you to love Him more, serve Him more, and disciple others more. “All the words in the Bible are God’s words. Therefore, to disbelieve or disobey them is to disbelieve or disobey God Himself… It is not only true that all things necessary to become a Christian, live as a Christian, and grow as a Christian are clearly presented in the Bible. It is also true that without the Bible we could not know these things” – Wayne Grudem. If you desire to be equipped for life and “every good work,” then you must turn to the source of all truth and wisdom to become a disciplined “man of God.”     

Q. Do you desire to be a “man of God… thoroughly equipped for every good work?” Do you seek God’s word as the source of all truth and wisdom to become that “man (or woman) of God?”

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PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 25 of 30

Friday

May 1

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: Colossians 1:10 That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 

DEVOTION: While this scripture gives instruction for how to live your life as a Christ follower, it really has far more to do with your greater purpose and calling to glorify God with all of your actions. Dependence on Christ, obedience to His word, and good works that are pleasing to Him is the path towards “increasing in the knowledge of God” and understanding His will. You should not seek the “knowledge of God” for the sake of knowledge alone. Your daily time in the living word of God (Hebrews 4:12) should cause you to walk worthy of the Lord.   

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Q.  Do you walk worthy of the Lord, glorifying Him through your actions? Does your daily pursuit of God through His word cause you to love Him more and serve Him more?   

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PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 24 of 30

Thursday

April 30

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: James 1:22-25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

DEVOTION:Those who hear the word and are not changed by it, have deceived themselves and do not know Christ. Your faith in Christ should be visible through your actions and obedience to God’s commands. “If your faith hasn’t changed you, it hasn’t saved you (2 Corinthians 5:17)” -James McDonald. “We make time for what we truly value. We build habits and routines around the things that really matter to us. This is an important principle to understand as we seek to build our lives around the gospel. Do you want a cross centered life? A cross centered life is made up of cross centered days.” -C.J. Mahaney 

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Q.  Has your faith in Christ changed you? Do your actions and priorities reflect someone that is committed to Christ alone?    

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PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 23 of 30

Wednesday

April 29

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.

DEVOTION: If we are to follow Jesus’ example (John 13:15), then seeking and saving the lost should also be our greatest desire and burden. Our hearts should break for those living in sin and destined for hell. This burden should outweigh our passivity and fear of rejection. “We need to have a burden like Jesus had for the people of Jerusalem. Scripture describes His heartfelt burden as He looked out over Jerusalem one day and wept (Matthew 23:37). The apostle Paul echoed that same sentiment in (Romans 9:2-3)” -Greg Laurie. “Winners of souls must first be weepers of souls” -C.H. Spurgeon.   

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Q.  Do you have a burden for seeking and saving the lost? If that is your purpose and calling as a follower of Christ, what do you need to do to align your heart and desires with His?  

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PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 22 of 30

Tuesday

April 28

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: 1 Corinthians 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. 

DEVOTION: Personally, this is the most inspiring and challenging verse for me. At first glance the statement Paul makes here may sound prideful, when in fact it is a humble statement we all should proclaim. I desire to live a life for Christ worth imitating, and so should you. In order to do that, “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27). This is done through progress, not perfection. “Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress” (1 Timothy 4:15).      

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Q.  Are you daily living a life for Christ worth imitating? Are you leading others well by imitating Christ yourself?  

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PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 21 of 30

Monday

April 27

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: Philippians 3:17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 

DEVOTION: Christ followers should have a more spiritually mature mentor to follow their example. “God seems to have hardwired us for imitation… We grow through imitating, like the apostles imitating Jesus, and like Timothy imitating Paul” -Jeramie Rinne. This mentor should have a solid foundation in Christ, and His word, like the wise man who built his house on the rock. They should see Jesus (John 13:15) and the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17) as their ultimate example and source of truth, and be willing to show you how to walk in the same way. You must be prudent on who you follow “because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14).   

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Q.  Do you have a mature Christian mentor? Who are you following, and are they leading you towards the narrow gate that leads to life, or are they leading you through the wide gate that leads to destruction?

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PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 20 of 30

Sunday

April 26

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: 2 Timothy 2:3-4 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

DEVOTION: Our hardships train us to be battle-ready, “as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” We are to “be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).  This is a call to be on duty for Christ at all times. “A soldier must leave behind the comforts of home and his personal “affairs” to fully devote himself to his duty. Anything less puts the mission in jeopardy. A war is underway, and God’s people are meant to be involved as participants, not spectators” – Dr. David Jeramiah.   

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Q. Do you view your hardships as training and opportunities to grow in Christ? Do you follow Christ with the same dedication, commitment, and discipline as a soldier would follow his commander onto the battlefield?   

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 19 of 30

Saturday

April 25

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: 2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 

DEVOTION: Generational discipleship is God’s plan. There are four generations of committed Christ followers illustrated here; Paul, Timothy, Faithful Men, and Others. It is clear that the gospel was never intended to just be received, but instead a calling to teach others all that God commanded, and then instruct them to do the same. This is done most effectively through one-on-one relationship, and meeting them wherever they are currently in their walk with the Lord. It’s never too late to start teaching others how to become lifelong disciples for Christ.   

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Q. Who can you come alongside and teach to become a disciplemaker themselves? 

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 18 of 30

Friday

April 24

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.

DEVOTION: “Go… and make disciples” was the clear expectation and command from Jesus to those who follow Him. Discipleship is “teaching” (v.20) other people to follow and obey Christ. He has chosen to use us to reach others in His great redemption plan. Jesus knew that fear could keep us from following this command, and so He left us with the promise, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (v.20). We should have a sense of urgency to go and make disciples for our lives are brief and our days are numbered (James 4:14, Psalm 90:12). 

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Q. Who are you currently discipling (teaching) to follow and obey Christ? When was the last time you discipled someone? What is keeping you from discipling more people?

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 17 of 30

Thursday

April 23

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: John 15:16-17 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.

DEVOTION: The command to “go and bear fruit” was given to you as a follower of Christ. He has “chosen and appointed you,” and given you a clear mission that should “remain” and continue on until He calls you home. What an honor and responsibility. This is only possible through a personal abiding relationship in Christ. “The passion for souls that compelled Christ towards the cross begins to compel us, and we follow in His footsteps even where they lead us away from our own comfort or happiness, so that we can devote our lives to winning the souls Christ has taught us to love” – Andrew Murray. 

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Q. Were you aware that God’s command to “go and bear fruit” was given to you? Have you stepped up and followed Christ in this command, or have you passively believed that only pastors and missionaries are called to go?

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 16 of 30

Wednesday

April 22

Devotion from a police officer:

READ: John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

DEVOTION:  Love is the most significant evidence and visible mark of a disciple and follower of Christ. This is a supernatural love manifested through the Holy Spirit in us. It cannot be manufactured ourselves or achieved in good works. This love is realized through surrendering our life to Christ, who first loved us. “I believe it would not be too much to say that all of creation, all of redemption, all of history hang on these two great purposes – that humans love God with all their heart, and that from the overflow of that love we love each other” – John Piper. This love glorifies God, and points others towards Him. 

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Q. Would those closest to you say that love is your greatest attribute? Does the obvious love expressed through you lead others to the hope that is in Christ who first loved us?  

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 15 of 30

Tuesday

April 21

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

DEVOTION: Who are you living for? For yourself, or for Christ? Have you received the amazing gift of grace and salvation that cannot be earned, and is only found in Christ who loves you and gave His life for you? Could you honestly proclaim, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21)? While we desire to grow in the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23, it goes on to describe what is required of a Christ follower. “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (v. 24-25).

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Q. Are your passions and desires for yourself and earthly pleasures, or are they the same as Christ’s because He now lives in you? Do your daily actions and priorities reflect a Christ follower who “walks in the Spirit?”   

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 14 of 30

Monday

April 20

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: 1 Peter 4:19: Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. 

DEVOTION:  We can trust God because of His sovereignty, wisdom, and love. God’s providence and absolute rule over all creation is for His glory, and for our good. We need to humbly submit (1 Peter 5:6-7), and trust in His faithfulness. While enduring suffering, we then actively express our trust in Him though continuing to bear fruit and do good. This prevents us from selfishly dwelling on our circumstances, and puts our focus back on loving God and putting others above ourselves. 

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Q. Do you humbly submit and trust in God’s faithfulness when you face difficult circumstances?   

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 13 of 30

Sunday

April 19

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: ​Mark 1:35: Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 

DEVOTION: Jesus shows us the importance of prayer. Jesus was OFTEN in private prayer to be renewed and refocused on His mission. “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16). If Jesus needed this time regularly with His Father, how much more do we? Another time after Jesus returned from private prayer the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1-4). We must learn the importance and power of prayer from Jesus’ example. 

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Q. Do you “often” withdraw in private prayer?  Do your prayers reflect the example Jesus gave to us and His disciples on how to pray? 

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 12 of 30

Saturday

April 18

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: ​John 14:21: He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.  And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him. 

DEVOTION: Obedience is synonymous with love to Jesus. It’s through our obedience to His commandments that we can truly abide in Christ and follow Him.  In order to be obedient, we must know His commandments. All of the 10 commandments are summarized in these statements, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). The Lord also said, “You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). 

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Q. How well do you understand and keep these commandments? Do you love and seek the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind?       

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 11 of 30

Friday

April 17

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: Acts 4:29-31: Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

DEVOTION: Do you pray for boldness? The disciples in the early church, when persecuted, did not pray for protection or safety but instead prayed for boldness to proclaim the gospel. After being “severely threatened” (v.17), and being commanded not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus (v.18), their immediate response with their fellow believers was to praise the Lord (v.24), remember His sovereignty (v.24-28), and pray for a renewed boldness. This prayer was answered, and through their suffering the church became stronger and more unified.   

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Q. Do you pray for boldness to proclaim the gospel? Do you trust in God’s sovereignty in the midst of suffering?    

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 10 of 30

Thursday

April 16

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: Matthew 7:7-11: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

DEVOTION: We are to pray with great expectation. We should continually seek the Father with earnestness, diligence, and perseverance, while faithfully anticipating His response. We must submit to the will of our loving Father, believing that His response is always for our good, and for His glory (Romans 8:28). If He does not answer our requests, we should hold tight to the promise that “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Q. Do you pray with anticipation for His loving response? Do you believe that God always responds for your good, and His glory?  

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 9 of 30

Wednesday

April 15

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: Psalm 62:8: Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

DEVOTION: Do you trust in God’s sovereignty at all times, good and bad? Do you pour out your heart in prayer before Him; not in order to change Him, but that He might grow you and reveal Himself more to you? Do you see God as your refuge first and foremost, or as a last resort? “Oh that men would understand that happiness does not depend on outward circumstances, but on the state of the heart” -J.C. Ryle.

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PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 8 of 30

Tuesday

April 14

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: Psalm 55:17: Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.

DEVOTION: David was ruler over a mighty nation, and yet he was not too busy to pray “evening and morning and at noon.” “At the very least, speak with God in the morning, before you speak with the world: and speak with God at night, after you have done with the world. But settle it in your minds, that prayer is one of the greatest things of every day. Do not drive it into a corner. Do not give it the scrapes and parings of your duty. Whatever else you make business of, make a business of prayer” – J.C. Ryle.

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Q. Do you use the excuse that you are too busy to pray more regularly? Do your daily prayers reflect belief in an almighty God that controls everything in the universe, and yet also cares about every detail in your personal life?

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 7 of 30

Monday

April 13

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: James 1:2-8: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

DEVOTION: Christ followers will all face various trials to perfect and complete our faith in Him. The patience produced from the trials is not passive, but instead a tough resolve or brave endurance through unwavering reliance on Christ alone. While it is easy to doubt, be anxious, busy, distracted, or resort back to self-reliance in these times, we can instead have an unexplainable joy and peace in Jesus Christ.

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Q. Do you view trials as opportunities to grow and strengthen your faith in Christ? Do you pray for the trial to end, or do you rest in the peace that your faith is being perfected?

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 6 of 30

Sunday

April 12

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: John 15:4-8:  Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

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DEVOTION:  “Abide in Me” means to be completely connected, dependent, and remaining in Jesus daily. “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” The fruit we bear will only take place when the branch is connected to the vine. A branch apart from the vine can do nothing, and will be cast out and thrown into the fire. If we follow, submit and remain in Him, God will be glorified, and we will be His disciples.  

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Q. Does this describe your abiding relationship with Jesus Christ? Are you currently bearing much fruit for His kingdom?  

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 5 of 30

Saturday

April 11

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: James 5:17-18:  Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.  Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

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DEVOTION: Elijah and the power of prayer. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (v.17b). God used Elijah’s prayers to do a miraculous thing in Israel. “The message here in James to the scattered believers is that God still answers prayer, even on a national scale” -Dr. David Jeramiah.

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Q. Do you pray with great expectation? Do your daily prayers reflect belief in an almighty and all-powerful God? 

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 4 of 30

Friday

April 10

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

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DEVOTION: Prayer is the answer. The opposite of peace and thankfulness, is anxiousness and worry. The Greek word for anxious means to have “a mind divided” between legitimate thoughts and destructive thoughts. We must remain in God’s word, and abide in Christ through prayer, in order to guard our hearts and minds.

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Q. What are you anxious about? Is your mind divided? Do you see prayer as the answer?  

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 3 of 30

Thursday

April 9

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: Matthew 11:28-30: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

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DEVOTION: How do we find the rest that is promised twice in these verses? “Come to me... and I will give you rest,” is the acceptance, love, and forgiveness of sin at the moment we surrender our lives to Him for salvation. The weight of our sin is lifted so that we can have a right relationship with Jesus. “You will find rest for your souls,” is the second invitation discovered through a deeper, abiding relationship in Christ. “The secret of perfect rest is entire surrender to Jesus” -Andrew Murray. 

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Q. Have you surrendered your life to Jesus? Are you finding rest through remaining and abiding in Christ alone?

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 2 of 30

Wednesday

April 8

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: Colossians 4:2-3: Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 

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DEVOTION: Regular, meaningful, thankful prayer is the surest marks of a true Christian. When we pray with great expectation for God’s will to be done, He will open doors wherever we are to share the hope of eternal salvation through Christ alone.

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Q. Do the words “steadfast,” “watchful,” and “thanksgiving” describe your prayers? Do you pray for God to open doors to share Christ with others around you? 

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.

Day 1 of 30

Tuesday

April 7

Devotion from a police officer:

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READ: Acts 2:42-47: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

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DEVOTION: The early church turned its world upside down for Christ (Acts 17:6). Prayer was one of the main catalysts for this movement among the early believers. Fellowship was also being expressed through open hearts, open hands, and open homes. When they worshiped and served Him daily, the Lord added to the church and saved more people daily.

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Q. Do your daily priorities reflect living and serving Christ for the expansion of His kingdom? Does your daily prayer and commitment to Christ look similar to these early believers?  

PRAY: Pray to know Christ more, serve Him more, and share Him more.