Kingdom Tension Part 19 Devotionals
Day 1: Prayer: The Foundation of Gospel Living
Devotional When we think about living out our faith, we often focus on actions—serving, giving, or sharing our testimony. But what powers these actions? For the apostle Paul, the answer was clear: prayer is the essential foundation for spiritual transformation. Prayer isn’t just a ritual or a last-minute emergency call when we’re in trouble. It’s the starting point that sets everything else in motion. Just like a football team establishes the running game to create rhythm and open up other opportunities, consistent prayer establishes a rhythm in our spiritual lives that makes everything else possible. Many of us treat prayer as the Hail Mary pass at the end of the game—a desperate measure when all else fails. But what if we flipped that approach? What if prayer became our first response instead of our last resort? The steady, consistent approach to prayer builds a foundation that yields results over time. Some prayers will be answered quickly; others may take years. The key isn’t immediate results but faithful persistence. When we make prayer our starting point, we align ourselves with God’s will and open our hearts to His guidance. This week, let’s commit to establishing the run game of prayer in our lives—making it our first play, not our last.
Bible Verse
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
Reflection Question
How might your daily decisions and spiritual growth look different if you made prayer your first response rather than your last resort?
Quote Let prayer be your first step, not your last resort, not just the play at the end of the game where you chuck the ball and hope for the best. Establish that run game. Pray, pray, pray.
Prayer
Father, forgive me for the times I’ve treated prayer as an afterthought. Help me establish prayer as the foundation of my relationship with You. Teach me to seek You first in all things, trusting that as I build this consistent rhythm of communication with You, everything else in my spiritual life will flow from that connection. Amen.
Day 2: Seeking God’s Will Through Spiritual Wisdom
Devotional Have you ever found yourself desperately searching for God’s will as if it were a hidden treasure? We often approach God’s guidance like we’re on a spiritual scavenger hunt, looking for signs and wonders to point the way. But Paul’s prayer for the Colossians reveals something profound: the issue isn’t finding God’s will—it’s doing it. He prays they would be “filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” This isn’t just head knowledge; it’s having God’s truth so deeply embedded in our souls that it transforms how we think and act. Spiritual wisdom differs from worldly wisdom. While the world tells us to trust our instincts and follow our hearts, spiritual wisdom often leads us in directions that contradict human reasoning. It requires us to trust God’s perspective over our own limited view. Think about the Israelites in the wilderness. God provided manna daily, but they had to trust Him for tomorrow’s provision rather than stockpiling for the future. Similarly, we must learn to depend on God’s daily guidance rather than trying to figure everything out on our own. Today, instead of asking God to reveal some mysterious plan, ask Him to fill you with spiritual wisdom that helps you recognize His will that’s already been revealed in Scripture and through His Spirit.
Bible Verse
“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” – Psalm 143:10
Reflection Question
In what area of your life are you currently leaning on your own understanding rather than trusting God’s wisdom, and what would it look like to surrender that area to Him today?
Quote Our default is always to take what God says and twist it to fit into our way of thinking. God says no. I want you to lean on me. I want you to trust in me.
Prayer
Lord, I confess that I often try to figure everything out on my own. Fill me with knowledge of Your will through spiritual wisdom and understanding. Help me recognize when I’m defaulting to my own reasoning instead of trusting You. Give me the courage to follow Your guidance even when it doesn’t make sense to my human mind. Amen.
Day 3: From Knowledge to Action: Walking Worthy
Devotional Knowledge without action is like having a map but never taking the journey. Paul prayed for the Colossians to be filled with knowledge of God’s will—not so they could win Bible trivia, but so they could “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” When we truly understand God’s will through spiritual wisdom, it naturally bears fruit in our daily walk. Our decisions, priorities, and interactions with others begin to reflect Christ’s character. This transformation doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a gradual process of aligning our lives with what we know to be true. What does this worthy walk look like? Paul describes it as “bearing fruit in every good work.” But these aren’t just random acts of kindness. The good works that matter most are those that advance the gospel and point people to Jesus. When we serve others, forgive those who hurt us, or show generosity, we’re not just being nice people—we’re demonstrating the transformative power of the gospel. This might not show immediate results. Like a farmer who plants seeds and waits patiently for harvest, consistent gospel living eventually makes an impact. As we walk in obedience to what we know, opportunities to show God’s love multiply, especially when we do this together as a church community. Today, consider how you can move from knowing what’s right to actually doing it. Let your actions be a living testimony of the gospel you believe.
Bible Verse
“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” – Colossians 1:9-10
Reflection Question
What is one specific way you could bear fruit for the gospel this week through your actions, and how might this impact those around you?
Quote Don’t just do a good thing for the sake of being good, do something this week. Serve someone, encourage someone, forgive someone, share Christ with someone that bears fruit for the gospel.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me bridge the gap between what I know and how I live. Show me opportunities to bear fruit for Your kingdom today. Give me courage to move beyond comfortable Christianity into active obedience that points others to Jesus. May my life be a walking testimony of Your transforming power. Amen.
Day 4: Growing in Relationship, Not Just Information
Devotional There’s a world of difference between knowing about someone and truly knowing them. You might know facts about a celebrity—their birthday, favorite foods, or career highlights—without having any relationship with them. Similarly, we can accumulate Bible knowledge without developing a deeper relationship with God. Paul prays for believers to be “increasing in the knowledge of God”—not just knowledge about God. This distinction is crucial. Spiritual growth isn’t measured by how many verses we can quote or theological concepts we understand, but by how intimately we know the Lord Himself. Relationship knowledge comes through experience. It’s developed through consistent communication (prayer), spending time together (worship and meditation), and walking through life’s challenges with God at our side. This kind of knowledge transforms us from the inside out. When we truly know God—His character, His faithfulness, His love—we respond differently to life’s circumstances. We trust Him more readily in difficulties. We recognize His voice more clearly among competing messages. We reflect His nature more authentically to others. Today, ask yourself: Am I pursuing information about God or communion with God? While studying Scripture is essential, let’s ensure our goal is relationship, not just religious knowledge. Let’s seek to know Him, not just know about Him.
Bible Verse
“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” – Colossians 1:10
Reflection Question
What practice could you incorporate into your spiritual routine that would help you move from collecting information about God to developing deeper intimacy with Him?
Quote It isn’t saying growing in the knowledge about God. It says, growing in the knowledge of God. There’s a big difference there. It’s not just about collecting facts, not just about checking boxes or seeing how many verses we can memorize. It’s about actually knowing him. It’s about relationship.
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for times when I’ve reduced You to a subject to study rather than a Person to love. I want to know You, not just facts about You. Draw me into deeper relationship with You. Help me recognize Your presence throughout my day and respond to You with love and obedience. Transform me through this growing relationship. Amen.
Day 5: Living Testimonies: When Others See the Gospel Through Us
Devotional Words are powerful, but actions speak volumes. We can explain the gospel message eloquently, but when people see that message lived out through our lives, it gains a compelling authenticity that mere words cannot achieve. Paul understood that living out the gospel means embodying its transformative power in everyday life. When we respond to criticism with grace, choose forgiveness over bitterness, serve without recognition, or remain joyful in difficult circumstances, we’re not just being good people—we’re demonstrating the reality of Christ’s work in us. This lived-out gospel becomes particularly powerful when we do it together as a church community. Individual testimonies are impactful, but when an entire community lives according to gospel principles, the collective witness becomes undeniable. People may argue with our theology, but they can’t argue with the evidence of transformed lives. Remember, we’re not just trying to convince people of a set of beliefs. We’re inviting them to experience the same life-changing relationship with Jesus that we’ve found. Our lives should make others curious about the hope we have—the hope that Jesus died for us, rose again, and is coming back. Today, consider how your life might be speaking louder than your words. Are you living in a way that makes the gospel visible and attractive to those around you? Let your actions amplify the message of your faith.
Bible Verse
“That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” – Colossians 1:13-14
Reflection Question
If someone who didn’t know you were a Christian observed your life for a week, what evidence would they see of the gospel’s transforming power in your daily choices, attitudes, and interactions?
Quote Let your life be one where people don’t just hear the good news, but they see it lived out through you. That’s where the message gains traction is when we’re living out these lives and when we’re living out the lives, the walk, living them out, living out the gospel.
Prayer
Father, make my life a living testimony of Your gospel. Help me not just to speak truth but to embody it in how I live. Show me where my actions contradict my words, and give me strength to align my life more fully with Your ways. Use me, along with my church family, to make the message of Jesus visible and compelling to a watching world. Amen.
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