Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: JOHN 4:24; GALATIANS 3:26-29; REVELATION 7:9-10

Richard Allen was born into slavery in 1760. As an adult, he put his trust in Jesus. He then asked his non-Christian slaveholder to invite preachers to come speak in their home, and he agreed. One of these sermons convicted Richard Allen’s slaveholder that slavery was wrong. So, he invited Allen to buy his freedom. Head held high, Allen purchased his liberty and began looking for work.

As he supported himself in various trades, Richard Allen said, “While my hands were employed to earn my bread, my heart was devoted to my dear Redeemer. Sometimes I would awake from my sleep, preaching and praying.” It was clear God was calling him into ministry.

He got off to a rocky start in Philadelphia, though, when leadership at St. George’s Methodist Church segregated their seating by color, cancelled Allen’s prayer meetings, and even tried to remove African Americans forcibly during prayer. Seeing no other choice, Allen and his ministry partner Absalom Jones resolved to build a place of worship for Black Christians. Allen reportedly told the elders, “You cannot seal up the scriptures from us and deny us a name in heaven. We believe heaven is free for all who worship in spirit and truth.”

This was the humble beginning of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, as well as the first African American benevolent society, and much more. Richard Allen would spend the rest of his life fighting for the church and for an end to slavery and racial prejudice—in court, in print, in practical service during the yellow fever epidemic, and in preaching. Through his work, many came to know the love Jesus has for everyone—and how He defends the marginalized and oppressed. • Abigail Aswegen

• When Richard Allen became a Christian, he said, “I went rejoicing for several days and was happy in the Lord…I was constrained to go from house to house, exhorting my old companions and telling all around what a dear Saviour I had found.” The grace and love of Jesus compelled Allen’s work for his whole life. Where have you seen Jesus’s grace and love in your life? What does it compel you to do?

• Revelation 7 gives us a glimpse into the throne room of God, and here we see people of all nations worshipping Him together. How should this truth affect the way we live now?

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.” Leviticus 26:13 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 1:23; EPHESIANS 2:8-9; COLOSSIANS 1:12-22; HEBREWS 12:2

A few days ago, Keera had been told of the beautiful Golden City where there were no tears. So she had left her home, her family, everything, to seek it out. But when she arrived, she was dismayed to find it was at the top of a huge cliffside. She could just see a bit of light at the peak. Finally, after a long hesitation, she began to climb the Mountain of Sin.

Now, she half clung to the broken handholds, half crawled up the cutting path. But every painful step she took seemed to bring her no closer to the shining light at the top. She made her way along different paths, each one seeming to be a relief to her aching feet at the beginning, but proving to be just as painful later on. She wandered and wandered. One moment she thought she was on the right path, and then she would see a boulder she’d visited minutes or hours before. There were no trees. No plants. No life. The bit of water she found was filthy and not fit to drink.

Cold. Exhausted. Broken. Alone. Keera was pelted with words of misery as she crawled up the sharp rocks. “Can’t…make it!” her aching body told her. Her heart cried out in desperation as she fell to the ground. She began to weep.

Then, through her tears, she saw two bare, bleeding feet stop before her. She looked up to see who the feet belonged to. He seemed to be the kindest, gentlest man she had ever seen. “Hello,” he said in a wonderful voice. “How long have you been wandering here?”

“I’ve lost track,” Keera said, her own voice cracking and dry. “But I thought I was alone. Have you wandered here until you can’t feel anything but pain and cold too?”

“You might say that,” he answered. “There is only one way to the City, but you would need to trust me.” Without hesitation, she said, “I already do.”

Then she felt the man’s arms wrap around her as he lifted her onto his back and began to walk up the steep trail. She heard him gritting his teeth at her weight and felt him wince as each stone pierced his feet. But he kept going. After what seemed like hours, he set her down and said, “We’re here.”

Astonished, she asked, “Why could you find a path and I couldn’t?”

“Because I am the only way to the top. There is no other way, Keera,” he said.

Surprised again, she asked, “How do you know my name?”

He answered, “I know everyone’s name. My name is Immanuel.” Then he smiled the most wonderful smile. “Now, come and enter my kingdom.” • Natalie Crowe

• What stuck out to you in today’s allegorical story? What questions do you have?

• God created us for relationship with Himself, and He longs for us to be with Him in His kingdom of light. Yet our sin separated us from God, like an impossibly steep mountain no one could climb. No one, that is, except Jesus. Matthew 1:23 says Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us.” God’s love for us is so great that Jesus came to live among us and, ultimately, to save us. Only Jesus could defeat sin and death. Fully God and fully human, He resisted every temptation, and He willingly laid down His life for us—suffering a terrible death on a cross. And then, He rose from the dead, declaring that all who put their trust in Him are citizens of His eternal kingdom! For more about this good news, see our "

READ: PSALM 139:23-24; ROMANS 8:15, 28-39; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9; HEBREWS 13:5-6

Exactly one month after receiving my driver’s license, I got into a car accident. Though I was thankful to walk away without serious injuries, this event shook me. I had never been in such a dangerous situation before, especially one in which I was at fault. It took six months to find the courage to drive alone again, and even then, I chose the quietest route possible.

Over the years, I’ve experienced both victories and setbacks with car anxiety. Sometimes fear materializes in panic attacks, when it’s tough to breathe or I lose touch with reality. Other times, my heart races as if I’m about to face a threat.

Perhaps you’ve experienced anxiety before. Maybe it resulted after a frightening situation that left you feeling out of control. Or it’s possible you can’t pinpoint the exact moment when you first felt anxious, but you fight daily for peace of mind.

It’s easy to be frustrated with ourselves—and with God—when we experience setbacks with our mental health. Can good come from these trials?

Thankfully, yes, because we belong to a good God who works all things together “for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Because Jesus died and rose again to save us, we are held securely in His love, now and forever (verses 38-39). When life gets hard, He stays with us, grieving our hurts alongside us and bringing healing.

Throughout my healing process, I began to pray whenever anxiety resurfaced. Sometimes I’d spend the entire drive in conversation with God. This led to deeper peace and the realization that I feel closest to God when I release control and trust Him with my life.

God didn’t create us to live in fear, but He did create us for relationship with Him (verse 15). We can’t control when fear grips us, but we can decide how we respond to it.

When you pray, God may not remove the thing you’re anxious about right away, but He will be with you through whatever you face. No matter what’s to come, He will never leave you. May the truth of His unfailing love and faithfulness provide you with peace. • Hannah Chung

• In moments of doubt and fear, how could it be helpful to know that Jesus is right there with us—and His response to our struggles is characterized, not by criticism, but by compassion and empathy? (2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 4:14-16)

• Do you have any favorite verses or truths about God that bring you comfort and peace? Consider writing one down and carrying it with you as a reminder of His presence with you this week.

• Have you ever experienced a specific anxiety following a stressful event? Sadly, in our world that has been broken by sin, many people experience these things at some point in their lives, and this is nothing to be ashamed of. Instead of hiding our pain, God invites us to be honest with Him and with people we trust so we can experience healing. Remember, God not only works through prayer and Scripture, but also through friends and family, as well as professional counselors, therapists, and doctors.

• If you’re currently struggling with anxiety, whether it centers around something in particular or it’s more general, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about it? If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a on...

READ: PSALM 139:1-4, 23-24; JEREMIAH 23:23-24; 31:3; HEBREWS 4:12-13

As she related her story, my eyes widened. Our friends laughed. And she congratulated herself. This girl, who I’ll call Kelly, had just told us about a trip to the mall. It sounded like she was describing an adventure as she explained how she tried on a swimsuit in the dressing room of a store. Only Kelly didn’t change back into her own clothes and then pay for it. She kept the swimsuit on, put her clothes over it, and walked out of the store—and the mall—wearing a stolen swimsuit.

Our friends admired Kelly for getting away with something. But although she hadn’t been caught shoplifting, she’d still committed a crime. And she’d still sinned.

Kelly and I attended the same church and youth group. We’d known each other as followers of Jesus, having placed our trust in Christ to pay the penalty and take on the punishment for our own sin.

But we all still struggle with sin. Even as new creations in Christ, we still live in a broken world and face temptation. And sometimes we even try to hide our sins, foolishly assuming that not getting caught means we’ve gotten away with something. But these things are still sins, and our loving Heavenly Father notices them all. And even when we manage to avoid some earthly consequences, our choices to sin—whether we’re stealing, lusting, envying, hating, or something else—hinder our walk with Jesus. Thankfully, God loves us with an everlasting love, and He longs to restore us and draw us close to Himself. Jesus died and rose again to make the way for us to be welcomed into God’s family. So, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, nothing—not even our own sin—can shake our position as His children

When sin gets in the way of us experiencing the closeness we have with God, He isn’t waiting to pounce on us for messing up. Instead, God desires for us to draw near to Him and agree with Him about the sin He already sees. As we bring our sin into the light and acknowledge it, according to 1 John 1:9, “he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” • Allison Wilson Lee

• God cares about us enough to take notice of everything we do. He doesn’t want us to hurt ourselves, others, or our fellowship with Him. How can this truth affect the way we view God?

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 92:1-2; 150:1-6; EPHESIANS 5:18-20; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:11

It’s easy to be thankful when we really like the gift. Maybe someone gave you just what you wanted, or maybe school is amazing this year—your friends are awesome, classes are great, and learning has been coming easily. In those times, it feels natural to be thankful. But when life hands us hardships, trials, and even suffering, thanking God might be the last thing we feel like doing.

“It is good,” says Psalm 92, to give thanks to the Lord. Our loving Father invites us to spend time thanking Him because He knows there is power in praise. It resets our perspective, something we all need, especially in the middle of hardship. This is part of His plan for His people. It’s one of His gifts to us.

But, because we live in a world broken by sin, gratitude doesn’t always come naturally. Thankfully, God doesn’t expect us to do it alone. He has called us to encourage one another. His plan includes you and me, speaking life and truth into each other’s waiting ears.

Near the end of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, he tells the believers to speak the language of praise to one another! God knows we need reminders of His love and care, so He instructs us to do it together. It’s a privilege to remind each other of the good news of Jesus—that He died and rose again to save us, that He promises to make all things new, and that He is with us always, working on our behalf.

As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, we come to realize that we need our brothers and sisters to come alongside us, and we want to be there for them too. We can do this often, even daily! We can read Scripture aloud to each other, sing songs of praise together, share verses that have been coming alive to us, tell each other stories of how we’ve seen God working in our lives, and more. There are countless ways we can encourage each other to lift our gaze to Jesus, the one who is always loving us, always showing kindness to us, always walking with us. We can be thankful, together. • Kristen Merrill

• Can you think of a time you felt encouraged to worship, perhaps through others’ contagious joy as they expressed thankfulness to God? What was that like?

• As Christians, what are some ways we can encourage each other to turn our hearts to Jesus in thankfulness? Consider taking a moment to ask Jesus to help you notice opportunities to invite others into gratitude and praise this week.

Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:18-20 (NIV)