Friends, thank you for your patience. Due to a mix-up this past week, we did not send out each daily devotional on schedule. To ensure you don’t miss them, I’m sending the complete set of last week’s devotionals together this morning. I hope you’ll still take time with them — whether you read one each day or reflect on them all at once, may they be an encouragement as we continue in our Sacred Rhythms series.
Sunday, Sept. 28
Title: Rooted and Grounded
Scripture: Ephesians 3:17 — “...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.”
Reflection:
Paul doesn’t pray for the church to have more money, influence, or power. He prays that Christ would live in their hearts, and that their lives would be rooted and grounded in love. These images of soil and foundation point to depth and strength. Roots go deep so a tree can withstand storms. Foundations stay firm so a house won’t collapse when shaken.
Our world offers many false foundations: success, possessions, reputation, and even busyness. These may seem to provide security, but they quickly fall apart when life becomes uncertain. God’s love is the only foundation that is wide and deep enough to keep us steady. Being rooted in love means our lives draw strength from God’s grace, not from the shifting sands of culture.
Application: Sit quietly with your feet on the ground for five minutes. Imagine God’s love as the soil that roots you and the foundation that steadies you.
Writing Prompt: Where do I feel tempted to ground my identity outside of God’s love?
Prayer: God of love, anchor me firmly in your presence. When storms rage, may I stand secure in you. Amen.
Monday, Sept. 29
Title: Love Stronger than Fear
Scripture: 1 John 4:18 — “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear...”
Reflection:
Fear is one of the strongest forces that shape our world. It drives politics, affects relationships, and fuels division. Fear makes us believe we must protect ourselves at all costs. It whispers that “those people” are dangerous or unworthy. It convinces us that safety comes from walls, weapons, or silence. Fear is effective — but it is not faithful.
John reminds us that perfect love casts out fear. Love does not deny that danger or difficulty exist, but it refuses to be ruled by them. Love takes courage: the courage to extend compassion when fear says, “Turn away”; the courage to speak truth when fear says, “Stay silent”; the courage to show solidarity when fear says, “Protect yourself.” When we are grounded in God’s love, we can live from a place of courage instead of captivity.
Application: When you observe fear surfacing today — in the news, a conversation, or inside yourself — pause and say aloud: Love is stronger than fear.
Writing Prompt: How has fear influenced me lately? What might it look like to act from love instead?
Prayer: Courageous God, cast out my fears with your love. Help me act boldly, not timidly. Amen.
Tuesday, Sept. 30
Title: The Breadth of Love
Scripture: Ephesians 3:18 — “...to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth...”
Reflection:
Paul’s language reaches for the uncontainable. He adds layer after layer, as if to say: God’s love cannot be measured. It extends beyond our divisions, surpasses our failures, exceeds our hopes, and goes deeper than our wounds. Every barrier we create — race, class, nationality, politics — is overcome by the limitless love of God.
This matters because we often reduce love to fit within our comfort zones. We assume love only applies to those who look like us, think like us, or live near us. But Paul reminds us that Christ’s love is too vast to be limited by our fears or prejudices. It holds together people we would separate, forgives what we would condemn, and includes those we would leave out.
Application: Show kindness today to someone outside your usual circle — a neighbor, coworker, or stranger you often overlook.
Writing Prompt: Where have I imposed limits on God’s love — for myself or others?
Prayer: God of immeasurable love, expand my heart. Help me see others through the depth of your compassion. Amen.
Wednesday, Oct. 1
Title: Strengthened in the Inner Being
Scripture: Ephesians 3:16 — “...that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit.”
Reflection:
We live in a culture that values external strength—achievements, appearances, and visible success. But Paul prays for something different: strength within the inner being. This is the kind of strength that cannot be faked or made up. It is the quiet resilience that comes from God’s Spirit working deep inside us, holding us together when everything else seems to be falling apart.
There are seasons when we appear strong on the outside but feel empty inside. That’s when we need this prayer the most. The Spirit strengthens us, not by taking away our struggles, but by renewing us amid them. God meets us in our weariness and breathes new courage, endurance, and hope into us. Inner strength is what helps us keep showing up with love, even when we feel stretched thin.
Application: Take a slow walk or pause outside today. With each breath, invite the Spirit to renew your strength.
Writing Prompt: Where do I feel most drained right now? How can God’s Spirit refresh me from the inside?
Prayer: Spirit of God, breathe strength into my soul. Renew me with your power and peace. Amen.
Thursday, Oct. 2
Title: Love that Breaks Silence
Scripture: Proverbs 31:8 — “Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute.”
Reflection:
Love is not a passive feeling. It is active, brave, and willing to sacrifice comfort for others. When Proverbs urges us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, it reminds us that love must have a voice. Silence may seem safer, but it often supports the status quo. Silence allows injustice to continue. Silence leaves the vulnerable on their own.
To be grounded in love is to allow that love to break our silence. It involves showing up where others turn away, lending our voices when others are silenced, and letting compassion outweigh fear. Love calls us not only to feel but also to act — to live in solidarity with those on the margins.
Application: Take one action for justice today — sign a petition, make a call, or check in with someone who feels unseen.
Writing Prompt: Where am I being called to replace silence with witness?
Prayer: Loving God, grant me the courage to let your love speak through me. Help me be present where others feel alone. Amen.
Friday, Oct. 3
Title: Solidarity in Love
Scripture: Romans 12:15 — “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”
Reflection:
Grounded love reveals itself in shared life. Paul’s instruction to rejoice and weep with others is more than just empathy — it is solidarity. It involves allowing the experiences of others to shape our own. It means celebrating joy as if it were our own and carrying grief as if it were our own. Love bridges the gap between “me” and “you,” inviting us into one another’s lives.
This kind of solidarity requires humility. It asks us to set aside self-interest and be present. Sometimes love means joining the celebration; other times it means sitting silently beside someone’s tears. In both cases, love says: You are not alone. I am with you.
Writing Prompt: Who in my life needs me to show up in solidarity — whether in joy or grief?
Prayer: God of compassion, ground me in your love so I may rejoice and weep with others as you do. Amen.
Saturday, Oct. 4
Title: Filled with All the Fullness
Scripture: Ephesians 3:19 — “...to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Reflection:
Paul concludes his prayer with a vision almost too grand to grasp: being filled with God’s fullness. Notice the paradox: he prays that we would know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. It reminds us that God’s love is not something we master with our minds but something we receive with open hearts.
Being filled with God’s fullness means living so immersed in Christ’s love that it overflows from us. It influences our words, our choices, our relationships, and even our priorities. It’s less about having the perfect answers and more about becoming a vessel through which God’s love flows into the world.
Application: End your day by naming three ways you experienced God’s love this week — then thank God for each of them.
Writing Prompt: When have I felt most “full” of God’s presence and love?
Prayer: God of fullness, fill me with your love until it overflows into every word and action. Amen.