Fasting Devotional – Day Eighteen Wednesday, January 28, 2026 Title:  Mary Surrenders to God’s Plan Text:  Luke 1:26–38 Written by:  Heather Lambert   Thoughts: Luke 1:26–38  Surrendering All Do you ever feel so insignificant, so unnoticed?  Do you feel a cry in your heart that screams out, “Am I invisible?”  Do you wonder if you matter?  Consider the In this passage, young virgin,  Mary.  She is a very young woman, probably a teenager who is promised to be married to Joseph.

Fasting Devotional – Day Seventeen Tuesday, January 27, 2026 Title: Daniel Surrenders His Safety Text: Daniel 6 Written by: Heather Lambert   Thoughts : Daniel 6 tells the story of a faithful man placed in an impossible position. A new law is passed—one designed not to promote justice, but to trap him. For thirty days, no one may pray to any god or person except the king. The penalty is severe: death in the lions’ den. Daniel is faced with a choice. He can temporarily adjust

Fasting Devotional – Day Sixteen Monday, January 26, 2026 Title: Jeremiah Surrenders His Plans Text: Jeremiah 1:20 Written by: Kathy Elbert   “The word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’ ‘Alas, Sovereign LORD,’ I said, ‘I do not know how to speak; I am too young.’”   Thoughts: I doubt Jeremiah ever imagined that his life would lead him into the role

Fasting Devotional – Day Fifteen Sunday, January 25, 2026 Title: Isaiah Surrenders His Sin & Future Text: Isaiah 6:1–8 Written by:  Danny Castaneda   Thoughts: Isaiah 6 opens during a hard season. It says it was the year King Uzziah died, which mattered because it was a time of loss and uncertainty for the people. But in the middle of that, Isaiah doesn’t see chaos. He sees the Lord sitting on the throne, high and lifted up.   That reminds me of my own life when I moved from

Fasting Devotional – Day Fourteen Saturday, January 24, 2026 Title: Job Surrenders His Right to Understand Text: Job 38-42 Written by: Dawn Houston   Thoughts: Job has lost everything.  He begins to question what he has done to deserve such heartache and suffering.  In Job 38-42, God begins to question Job.  Who are you to ask why?  Who are you to question my wisdom?  God goes through a list of things that only he, in his divine power, could accomplish.  He laid the foundatio

Fasting Devotional – Day Thirteen Friday, January 23, 2026 Title: Esther Surrenders Her Safety Text: Esther 4-7 Written by: Heather Lambert Thoughts: I often hear myself and others praying, “…and Lord, keep us safe”  or “watch over us” or “protect us.” The idea of safety and the Lord’s protection provides comfort and reassurance for us all.  We trust God to keep us safe, to keep those we love safe, and to protect our lives as we know them.  What if we were called to surrender

Fasting Devotional – Day Twelve Thursday, January 22, 2026 Title:  Hezekiah Surrenders the Threat Text:  II Kings 19 Written by:  Kyle Ford   Thoughts: Today’s Bible verse, 2 Kings 19, is the King of Judah’s, King Hezekiah, response to the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem.  Hezekiah was receiving messages from the king of Assyria, Sennacherib, threatening him to try to scare him into surrendering the city.  Hezekiah sent for God’s prophet, Isaiah, who sent back an encouraging mess

Fasting Devotional – Day Eleven Wednesday, January 21, 2026 Title: Elijah Surrenders His Weariness Text: 1 Kings 19 Written by:  Glenda Spence I Kings 19:4 He said, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”    Thoughts: When Elijah examined the apparent failure of his work, he instinctively set the blame on his own unworthiness. It was because he was a sinner, like the rest of his ancestors, that the work seemed to fail. After all his effo

Fasting Devotional – Day Ten Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Title:  David Surrenders Revenge Text:  1 Samuel 24; 26 Written by:  Jennifer Bogan   Thoughts: In I Samuel 24 ,  David is hiding from King Saul, who is trying to harm him. Saul unknowingly enters the cave where David and his men are hiding. David has the perfect chance to get revenge, but he refuses to hurt Saul. Instead, he secretly cuts off a piece of Saul’s robe to prove later that he spared his life. When Saul leaves

Fasting Devotional – Day Nine Monday, January 19, 2026 Title: Hannah Surrenders her Desire Text: I Samuel 1-2 Written by: Bonnie Winthrop   Thoughts: 1 Samuel 1-2 teaches us about Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, who not only suffered from her inability to bear a child, but also from the relentless mocking of her heart-breaking circumstance, by Peninnah, Elkanah’s other wife. Amid her misery and longing, she calls out to the Lord in desperation, vowing to Him that if He would gra

Fasting Devotional – Day Eight Sunday, January 18, 2026 Title: Ruth Surrenders her Future Text: Ruth 1-4 Written by: Sarah Hale   Thoughts: Ruth was the loyal daughter-in-law of Naomi. Naomi and her husband Elimelek along with their two sons had relocated to Moab. While living there both sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. As time passed Naomi’s husband as well as her two sons passed away. When it was time for Naomi to return to Bethlehem, she encouraged both Orpah an

Fasting Devotional – Day Seven Saturday, January 17, 2026 Title: Gideon Surrenders His Fear Text: Judges 6-7 Written By: Brian Lambert   Thoughts: Surrender often begins in the quiet places where fear, insecurity, and self-doubt hide. Judges 6–7 introduces us to Gideon not as a bold warrior, but as a fearful man threshing wheat in a winepress—hiding from the Midianites and trying to survive unnoticed. Yet in Gideon’s weakness, God speaks one of the most surprising declaration

Fasting Devotional – Day Six Friday, January 16, 2026 Title:  Surrender at Sinai Text: Exodus 19-20 Written by: Teresa Gatlin    Thoughts: Surrender is often misunderstood as weakness. When the words, “I surrender” are spoken, we often think of surrendering to an enemy or opponent, giving oneself up to the power of another. In most cases this would be a negative thing, but holy surrender is not giving ourselves to an enemy, it is finding freedom in letting go and submitting t

Fasting Devotional – Day Five Thursday, January 15, 2026 Title: Surrender at the Red Sea Text: Exodus 14 Written by: Kelly Lambert   Thoughts: Reading Exodus 14, I can feel the panic in the moment. Israel is free, yet freedom suddenly feels dangerous. The Red Sea is in front of the Israelites, and Egypt is behind them, and there is no clear path forward. They cry out to God, but fear quickly turns into doubt and complaint, a response that most of us can understand. They had a

Fast Devotional – Day Four Wednesday, January 14, 2026 Title:  Moses Surrenders His Excuses Text: Exodus 3-4 Written by: Wayne Hale   Thoughts: At age 80, the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a burning bush that wasn’t actually burning up. When Moses approached the bush, God called him by name from the bush. As Moses came closer, God said, "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground." God then told Moses He had seen the misery of His people in Egypt, and

Fast Devotional – Day Three Tuesday, January 13, 2026 Title: Jacob Surrenders Control Text: Genesis 32:22-32Written by: Todd Houston   Thoughts: As a bit of history, Jacob was born to Isaac and Rebecca and was a twin to his brother Esau.  Jacob had a history of taking advantage of situations, like when he made a deal with Esau for his birthright over a bowl of soup.  Later, he deceived his blind father to get the family blessing.  Both of these situations caused severe tensio

Fast Devotional – Day Two Monday, January 12, 2026 Title: Hagar Surrenders her Despair Text: Genesis 16; 21:14-21 Written by: LeChelle Smith   THOUGHTS : We can learn a great deal about God’s grace and mercy though Hagar and her despair.   She not only had to endure this type of pain once, when Sarai mistreated her but again when Abram sent her away.  Hagar showed her surrendering by obeying the very people who mistreated her.  While she did run away initially due to her mist

Fasting Devotional - Day One Sunday, January 11, 2026Title: Abraham Surrenders Isaac Text: Genesis 22Written by: Brian Lambert   Thoughts: There are moments in the life of every believer when faith is no longer theoretical - when trust must move from confession to obedience. Genesis 22 brings us to one of the most profound pictures of surrender found anywhere in Scripture: Abraham placing his promised son Isaac on the altar. Isaac was not just Abraham’s child; he was the tang

For many, Christmas is full of joy - lights glowing, familiar songs playing, tables full of food, filled with laughter. But for others, the season arrives with a quiet ache. An empty chair. A silent phone. Traditions that now feel heavy because someone is missing. Grief has a way of intensifying during Christmas, and if you’re feeling that weight, you are not alone—and you are not failing. The Christmas season has a way of magnifying loss because it reminds us of what once wa

Each December, our homes, neighborhoods, and cities come alive with colorful lights. We hang them on rooftops, wrap them around trees, and place them in windows as a sign that “Hope has come!” But Christmas light is more than a seasonal decoration, it is a reminder of a deeper truth: God sent Jesus as the Light who breaks through the world's darkness (John 1:9, NKJV). And because Christ lives in us, we now carry that same Light into every environment, conversation, and relati