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Devotions — Week of August 30, 2026

Three days from this week's message — daily refocusing on Jesus, why we keep coming to prayer and Scripture, and why we should never settle for less than Christ.

Can You Still See Jesus?

Acts 10:9–16 and Luke 10:39–42

Peter had many things happening around him. He was traveling, facing uncertainty, and living in a time of persecution. Yet Acts 10:9 tells us that he went up on the housetop to pray. Peter made time to seek the Lord.

This is a helpful picture of what devotions are: daily refocusing on Jesus.

Jesus also commended Mary for sitting at His feet and listening to His teaching. Martha was busy with many important things, but Jesus said that Mary had chosen “the good portion.” Our greatest need is not simply to do things for Jesus. Before we serve Him, work for Him, or speak about Him, we need to spend time seeing Him, listening to Him, and remembering who He is. The gospel reminds us that Christianity begins with Jesus. We are not saved because we worked hard enough for Him. We are saved because He came for sinners, died for our sins, and rose again. Daily devotions do not earn His love. They help us keep looking at the Savior who loved us first.

Perhaps the question for today is simple: Can you still see Jesus?

Life can become crowded with responsibilities, worries, ministry, work, and even good things. We can become so busy doing things that we forget to look again at Christ. But there is nothing more important than returning to Him.

Questions to Consider

What distractions or responsibilities most often keep you from spending time focused on Jesus?
Do you tend to think more about what you are doing for Jesus or about who Jesus is and what He has done for you?
What does the gospel tell you about why you can come confidently to Jesus today?
As you read Scripture, what do you learn about Jesus—His character, His work, His promises, or His love for sinners?
What would it look like for you to “choose the good portion” today?

Prayer Prompt

Thank Jesus for coming to save sinners and ask Him to help you slow down, see Him clearly, and enjoy time in His presence today.

When You Lose Heart and Get Hungry

Luke 18:1 and Matthew 4:4

Why do Christians need regular time in prayer and Scripture?

Because we lose heart and we get hungry.

Jesus taught His disciples that they “ought always to pray and not lose heart.” Prayer is not merely another task to complete. We need it because we grow weary. We face discouragement, weakness, fear, and temptation. When our hearts grow faint, Jesus calls us to keep coming to Him.

We also need the Word of God because our souls need food. When Satan tempted Jesus, He answered, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Just as our bodies need regular nourishment, our souls need to be fed by God's Word.

The gospel gives us an even deeper reason to come. Jesus did not leave us to find our own way to God. Through His death and resurrection, He brought His people to God. We pray because of Jesus. We read the Scriptures because they bear witness to Jesus. We come hungry because He is the Savior we need.

When you lose heart, do not merely try harder. Look again to Christ.

When your soul feels hungry, do not settle for things that cannot truly satisfy. Feed on the Word that points you to Christ.

A Christian never graduates from this need. We will always need grace. We will always need to hear God's Word. We will always need to turn our hearts again toward the same Jesus who saved us.

Questions to Consider

Where are you most tempted to lose heart right now?
When you feel discouraged or spiritually weak, where do you usually turn first?
How does remembering what Jesus has done for you change the way you face discouragement?
Have you been regularly feeding on Scripture, or has your soul been going hungry?
What is one practical time today when you can pause, pray, and refocus on Christ?

Prayer Prompt

Bring your discouragements and spiritual hunger to Jesus. Thank Him that He gives grace to the weary, and ask Him to strengthen you through His Word and help you keep coming to Him in prayer.

Don't Settle for Less Than Jesus

Luke 19:3–5 and John 5:39

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. The crowd stood in his way, so he ran ahead and climbed a tree. He did not settle for being unable to see Christ. He made every effort to get a glimpse of Him.

That is a helpful picture of the Christian life. Daily devotions can sometimes be difficult. There are days when reading Scripture feels hard. There are days when prayer feels dry. But we should not settle for a life in which we never look to Jesus.

At the same time, devotions are not about finding a substitute for Christ. We do not come to prayer or Scripture looking primarily for a spiritual feeling, a new revelation, or a message about how great we are. We come to behold Jesus. The Scriptures point us to Him, and the goal is to keep looking at the same Savior who converted us.

There is also an important gospel truth in Zacchaeus's story. Zacchaeus was seeking to see Jesus, but what changed his life was that Jesus saw him. Jesus stopped, looked up, called him by name, and said He would stay with him.

That is the good news for us as well. We are not saved by our devotional discipline. Reading the Bible cannot earn eternal life, and praying more cannot make us worthy of salvation. Jesus is the Savior. He died for sinners, took their punishment, rose from the dead, and calls people to Himself.

So, Christian, seek to see Jesus every day. Read His Word. Pray. Keep looking to Him.

And remember this: the reason you can seek Him is because He first came seeking sinners.

Questions to Consider

Have you settled into a pattern of rarely thinking about or intentionally looking to Jesus?
What obstacles make it difficult for you to spend regular time in Scripture and prayer?
Are you seeking Jesus Himself, or are you mainly seeking encouragement, inspiration, answers, or a better feeling?
How does John 5:39 remind you that the Bible's purpose is ultimately to point us to Christ?
How does the fact that Jesus saw Zacchaeus help you understand the gospel?
If you are a Christian, how does remembering Jesus' death and resurrection give you confidence to keep returning to Him?
What is one specific change you can make this week to help you daily refocus on Jesus?

Prayer Prompt

Thank Jesus that He is not merely a source of inspiration but the Savior who came for sinners. Ask Him to help you seek Him in Scripture and prayer, to remove whatever keeps you from looking to Him, and to keep your heart fixed on Him day by day.

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