Kingdom Tension Part 14 Devotionals

Day 1: Renewed Minds in Christ

Devotional When we first come to know Jesus, many things begin to change in our lives. Our priorities shift, our values transform, and our hearts begin to align with God’s. Yet often, one of the last things to catch up is our minds. We still carry old thought patterns, especially when facing difficulties. The Ephesian Christians experienced this struggle. They had made radical commitments to Christ—even publicly burning valuable sorcery scrolls worth a fortune—yet they became discouraged when they learned about Paul’s imprisonment. They couldn’t understand why someone so faithful to God would suffer. This disconnect happens to all of us. We believe God is all-powerful and loving, yet when hardships come, our minds struggle to reconcile these truths with our painful experiences. We think, “If God loves me and is all-powerful, why is this happening?” The journey of faith includes this vital transformation: renewing our minds to understand that God’s power often works differently than we expect. His power isn’t primarily about removing our difficulties but strengthening us within them and helping us grasp the depth of His love. Today, identify an area where your thinking about God needs renewal. Where are you expecting God to work one way, when He might be working in another? Remember, the renewal of your mind is a process, not an event. Give yourself grace as you grow.

Bible Verse

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” – Ephesians 3:16

Reflection Question

In what area of your life are you struggling to understand God’s ways? How might your perspective change if you focused on His strengthening presence within the challenge rather than expecting Him to remove it?

Quote “When you come to know Jesus, things begin to change. There’s no doubt about it. But one of the last things that sort of catches up to everything is our minds. Our minds have to be renewed.”

Prayer

Lord, renew my mind today. Help me to see beyond my limited understanding and trust that Your power is at work in ways I might not recognize. Strengthen my inner being with Your Spirit so that I can rest in Your love even when circumstances are difficult. Amen.

Day 2: Resting in God’s Unfathomable Love

Devotional We often measure love by what someone does for us. If they meet our needs, remove our pain, or make our lives easier, we feel loved. This mindset can seep into our relationship with God, causing us to question His love when difficulties arise. The Ephesians struggled with this when Paul was imprisoned. They couldn’t reconcile Paul’s suffering with God’s love and power. But Paul’s prayer for them wasn’t that God would change his circumstances—it was that they would be strengthened to grasp the immeasurable dimensions of Christ’s love. God’s love for us isn’t based on our performance or circumstances. It’s based on who He is and who we are to Him—His beloved creation. This love is so vast that Paul describes it as having width, length, height, and depth that surpass knowledge. It’s a love we can experience but never fully comprehend. When we truly begin to grasp this love, it changes how we view our difficulties. We stop seeing them as evidence that God doesn’t care and start recognizing them as opportunities for God to demonstrate His faithfulness in new ways. Today, instead of focusing on what God is or isn’t doing in your circumstances, focus on who He is—a loving Father whose affection for you is deeper and more secure than you can imagine.

Bible Verse

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the Lord’s holy people to grasp how wide and long and how high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge.” – Ephesians 3:17-19

Reflection Question

How might your response to current challenges change if you were fully convinced of God’s unwavering love for you? What would be different about your thoughts, emotions, or actions?

Quote “His love for you isn’t based on what you’ve done or haven’t done or your performance or all those things. That’s what we think it is. His love for you is based on the fact that he created you and he just loves you to pieces.”

Prayer

Father, I confess that I often measure Your love by my circumstances. Help me to be rooted and established in the truth of Your unfailing love. Strengthen me to grasp dimensions of Your love that go beyond my understanding, so that I might face every situation with confidence in who You are. Amen.

Day 3: From Discouragement to Deeper Prayer

Devotional When faced with resistance or unexpected difficulties, our natural response is often discouragement. We question our path, God’s goodness, or whether we’ve somehow missed His will. The Ephesian believers felt this way when they learned about Paul’s imprisonment. But Paul offered a different perspective. He urged them not to be discouraged by his suffering, recognizing that their discouragement stemmed from a limited understanding of how God works. Paul knew that God was using his imprisonment to advance the gospel in ways that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. When we encounter pushback or suffering, we have a choice: we can default to discouragement, or we can go deeper in prayer. Prayer shifts our focus from our limited perspective to God’s unlimited possibilities. It reminds us of who we are and whose we are. It connects us to the power source that can strengthen our inner being when our outer circumstances are challenging. God doesn’t waste our difficulties. Like Joseph in Egypt, whose suffering ultimately saved many lives, our challenges often serve purposes beyond what we can currently see. The key is not to get stuck in discouragement but to let it drive us closer to the Lord. Today, if you’re facing resistance or disappointment, don’t let it pull you away from God. Instead, let it push you deeper into prayer, where God can reveal more of Himself and His purposes to you.

Bible Verse

“I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my suffering for you, which are for your glory.” – Ephesians 3:13

Reflection Question

What current situation is causing you discouragement? How might intentional prayer change your perspective on this situation and reveal God’s purposes?

Quote “When resistance comes, when pushback comes, don’t default to discouragement. Instead, go deeper in prayer. Let that drive you closer to the Lord and let his spirit remind you of who you are and whose you are.”

Prayer

Lord, when I face resistance and difficulties, help me not to default to discouragement. Instead, draw me deeper into prayer. Remind me of who I am and whose I am. Help me to see beyond my current circumstances to the greater purposes You might be working out. Strengthen my inner being with Your power today. Amen.

Day 4: Beyond Our Imagination

Devotional We often limit God by the boundaries of our imagination. When facing problems, we mentally cycle through possible solutions, and if none seem viable, we conclude that our situation is hopeless. But God operates beyond the constraints of our imagination. Paul reminds the Ephesians that God is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” This isn’t just a nice sentiment—it’s a profound truth about how God works. His solutions often don’t fit our expected categories. His timing rarely matches our preferred schedule. His methods frequently surprise us. Joseph’s story illustrates this beautifully. Sold into slavery by his brothers and unjustly imprisoned, Joseph couldn’t have imagined how God would use these painful experiences to eventually save his family and many others from famine. Years later, he could tell his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” God’s ability to work beyond our imagination doesn’t mean we’ll always understand or appreciate His methods in the moment. It means we can trust that even when we can’t see a way forward, He is working according to His power that is already at work within us. Today, consider what limitations you might be placing on God based on what you can imagine. Then surrender those limitations and open yourself to His immeasurably greater possibilities.

Bible Verse

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” – Genesis 50:20

Reflection Question

What situation in your life seems impossible from your perspective? How might God be working in ways that exceed your imagination?

Quote “To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. Is that amazing, that verse? Because I don’t know about you, my holy imagination will kick in pretty big sometimes. And I can imagine all sorts of things. And God is able to do even more than we ask or imagine according to his power.”

Prayer

God, forgive me for limiting You to what I can imagine. Help me to trust that You are working in ways that exceed my understanding. Give me patience when I can’t see Your plan and faith to believe that You are using all things—even difficult things—for good. Thank You that Your power is already at work within me. Amen.

Day 5: Carrying God’s Presence

Devotional In the Old Testament, God’s presence dwelled in the tabernacle and later the temple—specific locations where people would go to encounter Him. But through Christ, something revolutionary happened: we became the temple. We now carry God’s presence wherever we go. This truth transforms how we view both ourselves and our circumstances. As temples of the Holy Spirit, we are never alone in our difficulties. The same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells within us, strengthening our inner being and helping us grasp the dimensions of God’s love. The Ephesians needed this reminder when they learned of Paul’s imprisonment. They needed to understand that Paul wasn’t separated from God’s presence in prison—he was carrying it with him, transforming that place into sacred space. The same is true for us in our challenging circumstances. Being aware that we carry God’s presence changes how we navigate difficulties. It reminds us that no situation is beyond His reach because He is already there in us. It gives us confidence that His power is available to strengthen us from within, not just to change circumstances around us. Today, remember that you are the portable presence of God. Whatever situation you face, you bring Him into it. You are built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone. Let this awareness transform how you view your challenges.

Bible Verse

“To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21

Reflection Question

How does recognizing that you carry God’s presence change your approach to difficult situations? What would look different if you were fully aware of His power at work within you?

Quote “We’re the portable presence of God. We’re the temple, the heaven and earth connection. And we are built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. Wherever we go, we take the Lord’s presence with us. We need to be aware of that and the impact that that has.”

Prayer

Lord, thank You that I am Your temple, carrying Your presence wherever I go. Help me to be constantly aware of this reality and the impact it has. Use me to bring Your presence into every situation I encounter today. Strengthen me from within by Your Spirit so that I can rest in Your love and demonstrate it to others. Amen.

Join us at Keys Vineyard Church in person or online or connect with our Bible Institute for more sermons, courses, etc.