Daily Devotion 08/20/26

Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 — Believers are urged to admonish the unruly, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone, refusing to repay evil with evil and instead pursuing what is good for all people.
Devotional: The worship team described in the opening of this sermon was not perfect. They stepped in while others were out, doing things they had not done before. And yet their willingness to show up mattered more than their polish. The same is true in how we engage the broken people around us. We do not need a perfect script or a flawless testimony to be useful. We need patience. We need consistency. We need the willingness to stay present with someone through the long and messy middle of their story, not just for the moment of their breakthrough. Faithful presence is itself a form of proclamation.
Reflection Questions:

• Have you ever given up on someone too quickly because change was not happening on your timeline?
• What would patient, long-term investment in someone's spiritual journey look like for you?

Practical Application: Think of someone you have been praying for who has not yet responded to the gospel. Recommit to that relationship today. Send them a message, pray for them by name, and release the outcome to God.