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PWTE Daily Devotion

Better Man

by Pastor Mark Moreno

The famous Benjamin Franklin challenged himself with a pretty crazy daily routine. Today’s image features his schedule. Most notably, he started off each day asking, “What good shall I do today?” and in the evening, he asked, “What good have I done today?”. His aim was to follow his 13 virtue daily improvement plan.

Interestingly enough, we all do a version of this. We try to better ourselves by eating right, working out, studying, working and living a life as a “good person”. In fact, you can find all sorts of different people that have a plan for you to follow and it will make you a “better man” or “better woman”. It often comes with a price tag.

This isn’t really how a Christian approaches life. Mostly because try as we may, we just can’t keep the routine up. We fail, we backslide, we just plain give up after a while. Even if we have the discipline to stick with such a routine, our spirit never really yields from being stubborn and selfish.

The bible passage of Micah 6:8 is famous,

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”.

Being a better person is not found in a to do list, it is looking at the “It is DONE” list! Jesus is our Savior, and He did what we could not: He lived without sin and followed God the Father’s will. He laid down His life for you and me! He has given us forgiveness, life and salvation. He has done it all for us!

That may beg the question, “What do I do?” and this is where Micah comes in: To do justice and to love kindness is to apply God’s Word and will to your life. To recognize God is at work in your life so that you may indeed be better. You certainly won’t do it perfectly, but you will have Jesus walking with you and giving love.

My prayer is that you do strive to be better, not for your own sake, but because your family and friends need you to be at your best! And that happens when Christ is the focus of your life!

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado

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PWTE Daily Devotion

The Power of Our Prayers

by Desiree Bustamante

Our prayers are more powerful than we imagine.

“After the believers prayed, the place where they were meeting shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak God’s message without fear.”
Acts 4:31 Easy-to-Read Version

American White Pelicans migrate each spring to their breeding grounds across the Northern Plains and Canada. Along the lake’s edge, they often huddle tightly together, even though they have an entire body of water to roam. What looks like crowding is actually strategy. By clustering side‑by‑side, they form a single massive shadow—a “super‑pelican.” Fish beneath them mistake the dark shape for safety, unaware of the danger above. Then, in perfect unity, the pelicans dip their long bills into the water and scoop up the fish, gathering much needed nourishment.

There is a holy echo of this in the life of believers. When Christians join together in prayer, our unified voices create a spiritual force that pushes back darkness. United prayer can break chains of fear, doubt, and confusion. It strengthens our courage to proclaim the victory of the risen Christ so others are not left hopeless in the grip of death’s shadows. Praying together opens space for God’s power to move in ways far beyond what we could imagine—bringing healing, advancing His Kingdom, and aligning our hearts with His will.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray continually and to never lose heart. He showed them how to pray, and Jesus Himself prayed often—confident that His Father heard Him every single time.

God hears you too. Whether you pray alone in quiet moments or join your voice with a community of believers, your prayers rise before Him. Do not stop praying for the lost, the hurting, or even for your own weary soul. He hears you, He loves you, and He responds in His perfect way and time.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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PWTE Daily Devotion

Kicking Up Your Feet

by Pastor Douglas Brauner

An Invitation to Rest

There’s a small child inside all of us, a child who can’t sit still.

In my last congregation, my staff gave me a tough time for having squirrel moments. If my body wasn’t moving, my mind was. There is much to think about and much to do.

We wrap our minds around what we did, what we’re doing, and what is to come. There is always a project that needs to be completed, a mission which occupies both our minds and our actions.

Like a small child, we are in perpetual motion. The child in this picture looks relaxed and calm. I’m grateful that my phone camera has a fast shutter speed. Even when I took this picture, he was in motion.

“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.”
Genesis 2:2 English Standard Version

The God of perpetual motion rested on the seventh day. His rest doesn’t mean he was inactive, it means he enjoyed what he had made, already having declared creation “very good.” In our understanding of time, God stopped, kicked up his feet, and was actively enjoying the work of his hands.

Through Jesus, God invites us into HIS rest. In fact, God has declared our rest holy. He invites us not only to enjoy his work of creation, but our redemption. Like his Father, Jesus had completed his work, not of creating, but of redeeming his fallen creation.

Now the Spirit whisper into your ear, “Kick up your feet and rest with the Father who created you and with the Son who redeemed you. Through Jesus you are very good! Rest, laugh, and enjoy what you truly are; a child of God!”

This might be a time of perpetual motion for you as you face challenges, whether positive or negative. It might seem counter intuitive to hear the Spirits voice to kick up your feet. However, the invitation is there for you today.

Don’t be alarmed that if you kick up your feet, God surprises you.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado