Bible Verse for Today

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
— Acts 4:31 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Prayer changes us. Prayer calls on God to change circumstances. Prayer is powerful. Prayer brings revival. Prayer transforms God's people and brings about salvation. Prayer makes us bold for the Lord. So why do we find it so hard to find time to pray?

My Prayer...Majestic God, please raise up...

 

For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.
— 1 Peter 2:19 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Unjust suffering! Ouch, even the sound of those words sends a chill up and down my spine. Such a thing doesn't seem fair or appropriate -- and it isn't. Yet we have many brothers and sisters bearing up under pain and unjust suffering because of their commitment and loyalty to the only True God and to his Son, Jesus Christ. Wouldn't...

 

Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
— Acts 4:19-20 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...We can't contain what we've experienced in Jesus. We can't help but tell about what we've heard. No ruler, no threat, has been able to completely stop the voice of God from being heard through his people's witness. Sharing our faith happens out of the overflow of our...

 

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
— 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...What motivates us to do what we do? What drives us to accomplish, to achieve, and to pursue even more? Paul said that love was his compelling force. What would happen in our lives if love was truly...

 

[Jesus said] "When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."
— Luke 12:11-12 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...When we need help most, Jesus promises he will be there and will send his Spirit to give us the words we need. Throughout the centuries, this promise has sustained those facing persecution and ridicule. It helped them...

 

He [Jesus] said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid." Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
— John 6:20-21 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus comes to his disciples to comfort them in one of their worst nightmares -- a storm on the sea. He literally tells them, "I Am; do not be afraid." Two key things are here for us to notice: First, Jesus uses a name ("I Am") that identifies himself with God who delivered...

 

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
— 1 John 4:18 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...While I approach God with reverence and awe because he is the holy and majestic God, I don't have to fear his presence. Because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, I know God is my Abba Father. He longs for me to draw near him. He has shown me his heart by sending Jesus. He has shown me his love by...

 

We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
— Hebrews 10:39 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...I love this description of God's people that precedes "the faith Hall of Fame" (Hebrews 11). When you look at God's people over the centuries, they are not a bunch of wimps, crybabies, and cowards. Yes, they do have their bad moments. But all in all, they are not those who quit on their quest. They are those whose faith has endured and found...

 

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
— Psalm 56:4 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...When all is said and done, there really isn't a whole lot we can trust. Most of us have been hurt at one time or another by a friend who has betrayed our trust. The world economy is volatile and things can turn sour in just a few days. The weather shifts and changes by the hour. But in our world of change, in our heartbreak and disappointment...

 

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
— Psalm 139:9-10 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...I guess for those who find themselves in places they shouldn't be, the abiding presence of God might be a bit terrifying. But I find great comfort in knowing that no matter where I go, from the moment of my conception to the day of my death, God is always there. He is there to guide me and...