Tag: racism

Devotions, Teen Devotions

👧👦 Teen Devotional — Day 103

Rooted & Raised

Jesus Speaks to Me Through His Word

📖 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
 —Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

Jesus speaks clearly through Scripture. The Bible is not just an ancient book or a collection of religious teachings—it is how Christ reveals His heart, His truth, and His will. When you read God’s Word, you are not simply gaining information; you are encountering the voice of Jesus.

There are times when Scripture brings comfort, reminding you that you are seen and loved. Other times it brings conviction, gently correcting your direction. Sometimes it gives clear instruction, and other times it provides wisdom that unfolds slowly as you grow. In every case, Jesus is using His Word to guide your steps and shape your thinking.

Knowing Christ means learning to listen to Him through what He has already spoken. His Word helps you discern truth in a noisy world, steadies you when emotions are overwhelming, and gives direction when the future feels uncertain. As you spend time in Scripture, patterns begin to form—your values shift, your perspective deepens, and your faith becomes rooted rather than reactive.

You do not need to understand everything immediately. Growth comes through consistency, not perfection. Each time you return to God’s Word, the Holy Spirit helps you hear Jesus more clearly and apply His truth more faithfully. Over time, Scripture becomes familiar, trusted, and life-giving.

Prayer:
 Jesus, thank You for speaking to me through Your Word. Help me listen with humility and apply what You teach me. When I feel unsure or overwhelmed, guide me through the truth You have given. Teach me to know You more deeply as I walk in Your Word. Amen.

Children's Devotionals, Devotions

🧒 Children’s Devotional — Day 103

Rooted & Raised

Jesus Teaches Me Through His Words

📖 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
 —Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

Jesus teaches you through the Bible. When you hear His words, read them, or listen to someone read them to you, Jesus is helping you learn how to live and how to follow Him.

Jesus’ words help you know what is right and what is wrong. They help you understand how to love others, how to forgive, and how to trust God. When you feel confused or unsure, His words are like a light that helps you see where to go.

You don’t have to understand everything all at once. Every time you listen to God’s Word, the Holy Spirit helps you learn a little more. Over time, Jesus’ words stay in your heart and help guide your choices.

The more you listen to Jesus, the more you learn to know Him. His words help you feel safe, loved, and cared for every day.

Prayer:
 Jesus, thank You for teaching me through Your Word. Help me listen, learn, and follow You as I grow. Thank You for guiding me and loving me every day. Amen.

Devotions, Women's Devotionals

🌿 Women’s Devotional — Day 103

Rooted & Raised

Jesus Reveals Himself Through His Word

📖 “But you, when you read, may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.”
 —Ephesians 3:4 (NKJV)

Knowing Christ is inseparable from knowing His Word. Scripture is not merely a source of encouragement or instruction; it is the primary way Jesus reveals who He is. Through His Word, He shows you His heart, His priorities, His compassion, His holiness, and His faithfulness.

There are seasons when the Bible feels familiar and comforting, and seasons when it feels challenging and confrontational. Both are gifts. Jesus uses Scripture to affirm truth, expose what needs healing, correct what has drifted, and anchor you in what is eternal. His Word does not merely inform your mind—it shapes your inner life.

As a woman, you may approach Scripture with questions shaped by responsibility, pain, joy, or longing. Jesus meets you there. He speaks into your real circumstances, not theoretical ones. Through His Word, He reminds you who you are, whose you are, and how you are called to live in a way that reflects Him.

Knowing Christ through Scripture requires time and attentiveness, not perfection. You are not meant to rush through His Word, but to return to it again and again, allowing it to dwell richly in you. Over time, His words begin to steady your emotions, refine your discernment, and strengthen your faith.

Jesus still speaks. He speaks clearly, faithfully, and truthfully through what He has already given. As you open His Word, you are not simply reading—you are listening to the voice of the One who loves you and desires to be known.

Prayer:
 Jesus, thank You for revealing Yourself through Your Word. Help me approach Scripture with humility and expectancy. Teach me to listen carefully, receive truth faithfully, and walk in what You reveal. Let Your Word shape my heart and draw me into deeper knowledge of You. Amen.

Devotions, Family Devotionals

🏡 Family Devotional — Day 102

Rooted & Raised

Jesus Listens When Our Family Prays

📖 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”
 —Matthew 18:19 (NKJV)

Prayer is one of the simplest and most powerful ways a family can grow closer to Jesus together. When your family prays, you are not performing a ritual or repeating words—you are speaking to a Savior who listens with care and attention.

Jesus listens when families pray with joy and thanksgiving, and He also listens when prayers come from worry, confusion, or need. He hears parents seeking wisdom, children learning to trust, and hearts coming together in agreement. Even when prayers are short or imperfect, Jesus is near and attentive.

Knowing Christ as a family means learning to bring everything to Him together—decisions, concerns, hopes, fears, and gratitude. Family prayer teaches trust, unity, and dependence on God. It reminds everyone in the home that they are not carrying life’s burdens alone.

As your family continues to pray together, prayer becomes more than a habit—it becomes a shared relationship with Jesus. Over time, hearts soften, faith grows, and your home becomes a place where Christ is welcomed and trusted daily.

Prayer:
 Jesus, thank You for listening when our family prays. Teach us to come to You together with honest hearts and trusting faith. Help our home grow closer to You as we seek You in prayer and learn to depend on You every day. Amen.

Devotions, Teen Devotions

👧👦 Teen Devotional — Day 102

Rooted & Raised

Jesus Listens When I Pray

📖 “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”
 —Psalm 145:18 (NKJV)

Prayer is not about saying the right words or sounding spiritual. It is about speaking honestly with Jesus and trusting that He listens. When you pray, you are not talking into the air—you are speaking to a Savior who is near and attentive.

Jesus listens when you pray with joy and gratitude, but He also listens when your prayers are messy, uncertain, or filled with questions. He hears you when you don’t know what to say and when all you can offer is silence or a sigh. Nothing you bring to Him is ignored or dismissed.

Knowing Christ means learning to talk to Him openly and truthfully. Prayer is where relationship grows. It is where trust deepens and where you learn that Jesus cares about every part of your life, not just the “spiritual” parts. He listens because He loves you, not because you pray perfectly.

As you talk with Jesus regularly, prayer becomes less about obligation and more about connection. Over time, you begin to recognize His presence, trust His heart, and rest in the knowledge that you are heard.

Prayer:
 Jesus, thank You for listening when I pray. Help me come to You honestly, without fear or pretending. Teach me to trust that You are near and that You care about everything I bring to You. Amen.

Children's Devotionals, Devotions

🧒 Children’s Devotional — Day 102

Rooted & Raised

Jesus Listens When I Talk to Him

📖 “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.”
—Psalm 145:18a (NKJV)

Jesus loves when you talk to Him. You don’t need special words or long prayers. You can talk to Jesus just like you talk to someone who loves you and cares about you.

When you pray, Jesus listens. He hears you when you are happy and when you are sad. He listens when you are scared, confused, thankful, or excited. Nothing you say is too small for Him to care about, and nothing you feel is too big for Him to handle.

Jesus is always near. You can talk to Him in the morning, at school, before bed, or anytime during the day. The more you talk to Jesus, the more you learn to know Him and trust Him.

Jesus listens because He loves you, and He wants to be close to you every day.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for listening when I talk to You. Help me remember that You are always near and that I can talk to You anytime. I love You. Amen.

Devotions, Women's Devotionals

🌿 Women’s Devotional — Day 102

Rooted & Raised

Jesus Listens When I Pray

📖 “In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.”
 —Psalm 138:3 (NKJV)

It is easy to wonder, in the quiet moments, whether God is truly listening—especially when prayers feel unanswered or when words run out before peace arrives. Yet Scripture assures us that Jesus is not distant or distracted. He listens attentively, not only to carefully formed prayers, but also to whispered cries, weary sighs, and silent tears.

Jesus listens when you pray from strength, and He listens when you pray from exhaustion. He hears you when faith feels confident and when it feels fragile. Prayer is not a performance that earns His attention; it is an invitation to draw near to the One who already knows your heart. Nothing you bring to Him is insignificant, and nothing you carry is too heavy for His care.

Knowing Christ deepens as you learn to pray honestly. In prayer, you are not required to have clarity before you come—clarity often comes after you have been heard. Jesus listens with compassion, responding not always by changing circumstances immediately, but by strengthening your soul, steadying your heart, and reminding you that you are not alone.

As you continue to talk with Jesus, prayer becomes less about getting answers and more about abiding in His presence. You begin to trust that even when the way forward is unclear, He is listening, working, and drawing you closer to Himself.

Prayer:
 Jesus, thank You for listening when I pray. When my words are few or my heart feels heavy, remind me that You are near and attentive. Teach me to pray honestly and to rest in the assurance that You hear me and care deeply for every concern I bring to You. Amen.

Devotions, Family Devotionals

🏡 Family Devotional — Day 101

Rooted & Raised

“Our Family Is Learning to Know Jesus”

📖 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.”
 —Deuteronomy 6:6 (NKJV)

New Theme (Days 101–200)

“Knowing Christ”

Moving from being formed by the Holy Spirit into walking closely with Jesus Himself—His words, His heart, His ways.

Knowing Jesus is not just something individuals do—it’s something a family can grow in together.

Jesus desires to be part of your home life your conversations, your decisions, your struggles, your celebrations, and your everyday moments.

A family that knows Jesus does not just talk about Him— they learn to walk with Him.

The Holy Spirit helps families know Christ by reminding parents to lead by example, not perfection, helping children learn who Jesus is through love and consistency, guiding conversations toward truth and grace, shaping family values around Christ’s words, helping forgiveness come quickly, strengthening unity when stress arises, teaching everyone to pray together, and keeping Jesus at the center of the home.

Knowing Jesus as a family does not mean every day is peaceful or easy. It means every day is lived with Christ invited in.

Small moments matter: reading Scripture together, praying before decisions, talking honestly about faith, forgiving one another, and choosing love when it’s hard. These moments shape hearts.

A family that seeks to know Christ together becomes a place where faith is lived, not just taught.

Talk About It Together:

  • What does it mean for our family to know Jesus—not just know about Him?
  • How can we invite Jesus into our everyday family life this week?

Prayer:

Jesus, we want to know You as a family. Help us walk with You in our home, listen to Your words, and follow Your ways together. Teach us to love one another as You love us and let our family grow closer to You each day.
Amen.

Devotions, Teen Devotions

👧👦 Teen Devotional — Day 101

Rooted & Raised

“Jesus Invites Me Into Relationship”

📖 “No longer do I call you servants… but I have called you friends.”
 —John 15:15a (NKJV)

New Theme (Days 101–200)

“Knowing Christ”

Moving from being formed by the Holy Spirit into walking closely with Jesus Himself—His words, His heart, His ways.

Christianity is not just about believing the right things. It’s about knowing the right Person. Jesus Christ.

Jesus does not invite you into a distant, transactional faith. He invites you into relationship. That invitation is personal. He knows your thoughts, questions, struggles, fears, and hopes.  He sees the parts of your life no one else sees.  And still—He calls you His friend.

Knowing Jesus means spending time with Him, listening to His words, trusting His heart, following His ways, being honest with Him, and allowing Him to shape who you are.

A servant follows orders without understanding. A friend walks closely and learns the heart behind the words. Jesus wants you to understand why He leads you the way He does. He wants you to know His character—His love, truth, mercy, and faithfulness.

A relationship with Jesus does not mean you will never struggle. It means you never struggle alone. You don’t need to perform to earn closeness with Him. You are invited to walk with Him as you are—and be changed as you follow.

This new journey is not about knowing more facts. It’s about knowing Christ more deeply.And Jesus Himself is leading the way.

Talk About It:

  • What do you think it means to have a real relationship with Jesus?
  • What gets in the way of spending time with Him?

Prayer:

Jesus, thank You for inviting me into relationship with You. Help me walk with You honestly and faithfully. Teach me Your heart, Your truth, and Your ways so I may know You—not just believe in You.
Amen.

Children's Devotionals, Devotions

🧒 Children’s Devotional — Day 101

Rooted & Raised

“Jesus Is My Friend”

📖 “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”
 —John 15:14 (NKJV)

New Theme (Days 101–200)

“Knowing Christ”

Moving from being formed by the Holy Spirit into walking closely with Jesus Himself—His words, His heart, His ways.

Jesus is not far away. Jesus is not just someone you read about in the Bible. Jesus wants to be your friend. A friend listens to you. A friend cares about you. A friend helps you. A friend stays with you.

Jesus listens when you pray, cares when you are happy or sad, helps you when things are hard, forgives you when you mess up, and stays with you always.

You can talk to Jesus anytime—when you wake up, when you play, when you feel scared, or when you are thankful.

Jesus loves you, and He wants you to know Him and walk with Him every day.

Talk About It:

  • What would you like to tell Jesus today?
  • How can you talk to Jesus like a friend?

Prayer:

Jesus, thank You for being my friend. Help me talk to You, listen to You, and follow You every day. I love You, Jesus.
Amen.