Today's Verse from Heartlight

Today's Verse - Mark 8:36 (KJV)

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 02:00:00 -0500

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Advertising, easy online purchasing, and social media lead us to chase after so many worldly things. We feel like we're lacking if we don't have all this stuff, or thousands of likes, or all these friends and followers on social networks. However, only one thing is needful. Having a fist full of dollars, a post that has thousands of likes, a magnificent estate, and a lot of prestige don't mean a whole lot in life if we've gone to your eternal address without the LORD. Lying awake at night only to find ourselves in a barren place where Christ does not dwell, and life is not found, is horrifying - worse than our worst nightmare, horrifying and forever. Let's not lose our life, our soul, our meaning, to chasing after what is not lasting and can only satisfy for a moment until we achieve the next bigger and better thing.

My Prayer...

Father, help me keep my priorities in order, my life holy, my love genuine, my heart open to your will, and my desires free from covetousness for things that don't last. I ask for the Holy Spirit's help so my own self-seeking, greed, ambition, and pride do not blind me to what is most important in my life - my walk and my relationship with Jesus. In his precious name, I pray this, as I seek to find what is truly and lasting life. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - Ephesians 5:25-26 (KJV)

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 02:00:00 -0500

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

—Ephesians 5:25-26 (KJV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

For husbands, there is sacrificial love in our purpose with our wives, and purpose in our sacrifice as we give up our wills to help our wives as they are molded to become more like Christ by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18) . We are to give up ourselves to actively love our wives. Jesus is our example here, and he gave up everything to serve and bless us (Mark 10:45). His example demonstrates our purpose in our relationship with our wives. Just as Jesus sought to make us holy and beautiful in God's sight, so also we should love our wives with that same purpose. Our motives are to be equally as sacrificial and pure in surrendering our rights to bless and love our wives (Philippians 2:6-9). As Paul reminds all believers, and specifically husbands in their relationship with their wives, that we, too, are to submit ourselves to bless our wives. This does not mean, however, spinelessness; it means service and sacrifice to bless and bring glory to Christ in how we love and serve the ladies in our lives!

Video Commentary...

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My Prayer...

Holy God, help our families to be full of love. May this loving service begin with me, today, in my family. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Today's Verse - Ephesians 6:4 (KJV)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 02:00:00 -0500

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

—Ephesians 6:4 (KJV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

It seems that many mothers have an inside track with their children because of the bonding that occurs in a child's earliest days and weeks of life with her, both in the womb as they hear her voice and feel her comfort, and after delivery, as she nurses and suckles her child. So, I find it interesting that God commands fathers to be about the work of spiritual nurture with their children, yet they are to do it without exasperating the child with overly harsh discipline. I don't believe Paul means to exclude mothers, but he emphasizes the importance of a strong, gentle guiding hand from a man who is not overly harsh, but still has expectations. No, I think Paul assumes most moms will do their part in training and instructing children. However, the father's influence and intentional training of each child are also essential for the child to know the father's love and see that both parents support the proper direction the child should take in behavior, faith, and life. Dads, we have the awesome opportunity to help our child know a father's love so they can come to know the love of our Father in heaven.

My Prayer...

Abba Father, may my children come to find your love in the way that I instruct, nurture, discipline, and train them. Thank you for providing your church family, which can offer support, love, nurture, and help when a child does not have the blessing of two loving and godly parents. No matter who is raising a child, we pray that they can lead them and love them in the way that points them to you, our Father. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Today's Verse - Psalm 68:4-5 (KJV)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 02:00:00 -0500

Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

—Psalm 68:4-5 (KJV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

I can't help but think of what James, Jesus' brother, said:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:27).

Jesus demonstrated the Father's heart for the marginalized in his ministry by making time to love, serve, heal, welcome, and bless widows (Luke 21:1-4), lepers (Mark 1:40-45), children (Matthew 19:13-15), the afflicted (John 5:3-8), and the oppressed (Matthew 4:24). Now it is up to us, his people, his disciples, to continue the work of Jesus as his people, his bodily presence in our world today.

My Prayer...

Father, may our lives, our compassion, and our ministries reflect your heart for those who need care, protection, and love. Give us eyes to see these needs more clearly and hearts that respond more certainly so that we can demonstrate your love to people more fully. We pray that as we respond, the Spirit will lead us to do things that bless others, and we ask that you give us wisdom to know how best to demonstrate your love to all people. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Today's Verse - Psalm 103:13 (KJV)

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 02:00:00 -0500

Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

—Psalm 103:13 (KJV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Compassion!
Not pity, not anger, not shame, not impatience, not intolerance, not rejection, none of this is what God, our Father, longs to share with us. We know this because today's verse declares it. We know it even more by the way Jesus treated children in his busy and overly-scrutinized ministry:

He welcomed them and placed his hands on them to bless them (Matthew 19:13-15).
He took the children into His arms, placed His hands upon them, and blessed them (Mark 10:13-16).
He welcomed little children, and held them up as examples for us to follow (Luke 18:15-17)

God cares for our pain, loneliness, emptiness, abandonment, and mistreatment. God cares for us when we are overlooked, neglected, minimized, and pushed aside. God loves us and longs to share his compassion with us. He chose to enter our world and demonstrate his love for us in Jesus.

My Prayer...

Father of mercies and God of all compassion, we thank you not only for knowing and caring about our struggles, but also for sending Jesus to us and for living in us through the Holy Spirit. Because of your mercies, we know your love, grace, and forgiveness. Because of your compassion, we know your might and power released to us and in us through your gentle presence. May your Spirit of compassion be found in our relationships so others can recognize that this grace comes from you. Through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, and through Jesus our Savior, we pray. Amen.

Today's Verse - Proverbs 23:24 (KJV)

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 02:00:00 -0500

The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

—Proverbs 23:24 (KJV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The greatest gift I can give my father - whether as a son or daughter - is to be like my Father in heaven, full of righteous character, gracious compassion, and faithful loving kindness. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can become people who are characterized by "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). Such character qualities as these honor both our Father and our earthly fathers. As children of God, let's live into those qualities, asking for the Spirit's help, and use those qualities and the character of our lives to bring our earthly fathers joy and our Heavenly Father delight!

My Prayer...

Holy and righteous Father, may my life please you and bring honor to my father and his name. I know, dear Father in heaven, that if I please you, it will make my earthly father's heart glad. Please help me as I seek to know and serve you in ways that better display your character in my life. May this bring honor to my earthly father and his reputation, and bring delight to you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Today's Verse - Philippians 3:20 (KJV)

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 02:00:00 -0500

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

—Philippians 3:20 (KJV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

No matter what any passport says, if we are a disciple of Jesus, there is no earthly country that can hold us, no borders that can fully claim us, and no flag that flies above us that can spiritually contain us. We belong to Jesus and are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. We have more in common with the believing aboriginal tribesman of Indonesia, the Christian refugees from Africa; the Bedouin brothers and sisters in Egypt; the Spirit-filled Brazilian housewife and her husband; the high-rise believing business person in Hong Kong; the thousands of believers in India, Pakistan, and Asia; and the hundreds of thousands of Christ-followers scattered throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean Rim; than we have in common with your next-door neighbors if they don't know Christ Jesus as their LORD and Savior. And because we are citizens of that holy and heavenly Kingdom, we eagerly await the arrival of our King and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So we live on tiptoe in this world, looking to the horizon, anticipating and awaiting the arrival of our coming King!

My Prayer...

Glorious God and Father, we look forward to the day when people, more people than any of us can count, folks from every nation, tribe, people, and language join the angels and elders around your throne and worship Jesus in joy, together forever (Revelation 7:9-11). Make all of your scattered children from all over our world one, as we await our Savior. We ask you LORD Jesus, please come quickly, and in your name, we pray. Amen.