Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: MATTHEW 5:43-48; LUKE 6:27-28; ROMANS 12:9-21

Ordinary students—like me—kept to themselves in order to avoid fists or knives. Paralyzed by fear, teachers ignored bullying because it was dangerous to interfere. Only blood and severe violence forced school administrators to act.

Why was I singled out? I didn’t know. For some reason, the gang leader hated me, and her minions made my life miserable. At first, I ignored the elbow in the ribs in the hallway or a basketball slammed against the back of my head in the gym. The badgering escalated because silence conveyed weakness.

My parents had their own problems. I couldn’t share mine. I wasn’t a fighter, and neither were my friends. I had no backup.

At church, the youth pastor challenged us to read the Bible and trust God. Unconvinced that God was more than a distant-energy-cosmic-thing, I didn’t think much of Him. However, I started to read Matthew, and when I read Jesus’s words to love your enemies, I laughed. Love your enemies? Pray for those who persecute you?

But I couldn’t shake off the idea, so I decided to try it. I bought a glittery card with a poem about friendship. My stomach churned so hard I thought I’d vomit when I handed the card to the gang leader and ran away.

She never said one word to me. In fact, I barely saw her the rest of the semester, but the threats stopped. I was no longer pushed, shoved, or spit on. She called off the gang.

It was the first time I saw God working in my life, the first time I saw the power of His Word. It was a miracle. • Gretchen Carlson

• Today’s devotion is a true story of God doing a miracle in the author’s life. But every bullying situation is different, so if you’re being bullied or seeing bullying happen, don’t go it alone. In addition to talking to God, tell a trusted adult so they can help you figure out what steps to take.

• Jesus loved us even while we were still His enemies (Romans 5:6-11). If you know Him, He lives in you and empowers you to love others with that same love. How can Jesus’s love affect the way we view people who hurt us? After talking with a trusted adult about your situation and discerning next steps, consider talking about ways you can love your enemies in your situation.

[Jesus said,] “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” Matthew 5:44 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 32:8; PROVERBS 3:5-6; ISAIAH 30:21

Life is full of choices—big and small. Sometimes we feel confident about what to do, but other times we’re unsure which path to take. Thankfully, God invites us to trust Him for guidance. All throughout the Bible, we find His invitations. Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us not to lean on our own understanding. Our perspective is limited, but God sees the bigger picture. When we submit our ways to Him, He promises to make our paths straight. That doesn’t mean life will be easy, but it does mean He will lead us in the right direction.

Psalm 32:8 gives us another assurance: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” God’s guidance is not cold or distant—it comes from His love and care for us. The truth is, God loves us so much that He came and lived among us in Jesus. Through His death and resurrection, He made the way for us to be in closest relationship with Him. And one of the blessings of that relationship is His guidance.

Isaiah 30:21 says we will hear a voice behind us saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” God’s Spirit gently directs us when we listen. His guidance may come through prayer, Scripture, wise counsel, or circumstances—but it always points us closer to Him.

I remember facing a decision that felt overwhelming. I prayed, searched Scripture, and asked God to show me the way. Over time, He gave me peace about the choice I needed to make. Looking back, I can see how His guidance protected me and opened doors I never expected.

When we lean in to God’s guidance, we discover that He is faithful. Jesus doesn’t just show us the path—He walks with us every step of the way. • Martha Karas

• Can you think of any ways God has guided you in the past? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.

• What decisions or situations are weighing on you today? Consider bringing these to Jesus in prayer, asking Him to help you notice how He is leading you.

• Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you grow in discerning God’s guidance?

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 (NIV)

READ: JONAH 1–4

When you think of the prophet Jonah, what comes to mind? Getting swallowed by a huge fish? Running from God? A certain movie with talking vegetables? What you might not know is how the story of Jonah points us toward the gospel. Although Jonah is known for his reluctance to preach to the people in Nineveh, his story still shows God’s mercy and foreshadows the Messiah—the promised rescuer who was to come. And we now know that Messiah is Jesus.

First, both Jesus and Jonah sacrificed themselves to save others. Jonah chose to be thrown off a ship in the midst of a storm to save the other sailors— because he knew that his sin had caused the storm. Jesus chose to sacrifice Himself on the cross—because He knew that He was without sin, so He could save us sinners (Romans 5:8; Hebrews 4:15).

Second, both Jonah and Jesus also found themselves in the depths for three days. For Jonah, this meant being in the belly of a big fish. Jesus spent three days in the tomb after His death on the cross. Then, both returned from the depths after three days. Jonah was vomited by the fish on to shore, and he went on to (reluctantly) share God’s message of repentance with the people of Ninevah, which ultimately led to Gentiles repenting and being saved. Jesus rose from the grave, defeating sin and death forever and saving all who put their trust in Him—both Jews and Gentiles!

These similarities and connections are no accident, and they’re just the beginning of the ways the book of Jonah points to the gospel. The whole book intentionally points toward Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. God the Father sent both Jonah and Jesus out of His great love for us. But Jesus is better than Jonah (Matthew 12:41). Jonah was only human, but Jesus is both fully human and fully God. While Jonah was a reluctant prophet who did not have much love for the people he preached to, God the Son willingly came and dwelled among us, sacrificing His own life on the cross so that we could be saved from sin and live with Him forever. • Naomi Zylstra

• Did anything about today’s devotion surprise you? If so, what?

• While reading the book of Jonah, did you notice any other connections between the story of Jonah and the story of Jesus?

• For more about the gospel, the good news of Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.

[Jesus said,] “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:40 (NIV)

READ: MARK 4:35-41; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-13

Life can feel like a storm—friendships changing, family struggles, church drama, schoolwork piling up, or just general uncertainty about the future can all send us reeling. Anxiety often sneaks in when we don’t know what’s coming next. But Jesus offers us something the world can’t: peace that goes beyond understanding.

In Philippians 4, Paul reminds us that we can bring our worries to God in prayer. When we do, we find His peace guards our hearts. And Jesus Himself, on the night before He went to the cross, told His disciples, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). The peace of Jesus is like an anchor holding steady in rough waters.

This doesn’t mean storms disappear. It means we don’t face them alone. Jesus’s presence steadies us, reminding us that He is in control. He died on the cross and rose from the grave to save us and secure our eternal future with Him. That means, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can rest—even when life feels uncertain.

I’ve experienced moments when life felt overwhelming, like waves crashing over me. But when I turned to God in prayer, I found His peace calming my heart. He didn’t erase the situation, but He reminded me that He was with me, holding me steady.

Hebrews 6:18-19 says, “We who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.” Jesus’s peace is not fragile—it’s strong enough to carry us through the hardest days. When we anchor ourselves in Him, we discover a security that no storm can shake. • Martha Karas

• In Philippians 4:7, what do you think it means that Jesus’s peace transcends or surpasses understanding?

• How can spending time in prayer and Scripture help us anchor our hearts in Jesus’s peace? (Hint: read Matthew 6:25-34.)

• Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus, following Philippians 4:6 as a guide—thanking Him for ways you’ve seen His goodness and asking for His help with whatever is weighing on you.

• God designed the church to comfort and encourage each other in difficult times. Who can you talk to about the storms in your life—maybe a parent, pastor, youth leader, friend, or counselor?

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (NLT)

READ: JOHN 19

If you search “famous last words,” you’ll read the final thoughts of a variety of people throughout history— thoughts that range from sad to crass to funny to hopeful.

Jesus has seven recorded statements from the cross, but His final statement summarizes His saving work: with His last breath, Jesus announces, “It is finished” (John 19:30). It’s a startling end to the life of the greatest person who ever trod the planet. And yet, on the surface, the three-word sentence seems rather basic.

But picture Leonardo DaVinci painting the Mona Lisa. He has spent many years perfecting his painting. There’s the blend of colors, the smile, the eyes, the shading. Finally, after completing his masterpiece, I imagine DaVinci puts down his brush, sits back in his chair, and announces, “It is finished.”

That’s the sense of Jesus’s words. He had come down from heaven, become a human, lived a perfect life to fulfill the requirements of the law. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He declared that there was nothing more for Him to do to make sinful people righteous before a holy Father. As Christians, we are His masterpiece—the work is already done (Ephesians 2:8-10).

The implications of this are huge. There is nothing left to do, nothing left undone. Jesus completed the task—dying on the cross and then rising from the grave—so there is nothing left for us to earn. Jesus’s righteousness covers those who put their faith in Him (Romans 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Virtually every other religion offers salvation through works, but Christianity relies on Christ’s work to provide our salvation from sin and death. Jesus removed all doubt with His final words on the cross: “It is finished.” • Mike Hurley

• When Jesus died and rose again, what work did He finish?

• Why is Jesus the only one who can finish the work of salvation in us? (Philippians 1:6)

• Because Jesus rose from the dead, His words on the cross weren’t really His last. And this is good news! Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. John 19:30 (CSB)