I’m Being Followed!

Goodness and mercy follow all my days,

And this crown of beauty will never fade.

Devotion

Have you ever followed someone—like your mom or dad or a friend—so you could give them a big hug? It’s fun to picture God’s goodness and mercy following us like that! In fact, God’s love is following you right now. He is always with us: on days we are happy, on days we cry, on days we feel kind of blah, and on days we are so excited we can’t stop running and dancing!

Prayer

Dear God, You love me so much You follow me—every day! The Bible doesn’t say that Your punishment or anger follow me but that Your mercy and goodness follow me. I am thankful that the beauty of Your love never ever fades. Amen.

Activity

Look up the definition of mercy in a dictionary or on a computer. When has someone shown you mercy lately, or when have you shown mercy to someone else?

We hope this plan encouraged you. Learn more about Crowned With Glory by Dorena Williamson here.

God Has Big Dreams for Me!

Imagine all the possibilities—where I can go and what I can be!

Devotion

Do grown-ups ask you sometimes what you want to be when you grow up? It’s fun to dream about the future, isn’t it? God loves to put desires in our hearts about where we want to live, what we want to do, and who we want to be. Then when we follow Him, we are following what He wants and what we want! Imagining God’s plans for us is one of the best things we can do.

Prayer

Dear God, I love imagining the future! Most of all, I love thinking about all the good things You are calling me to do and to be—things I might not even know about yet. Help me to dream big for my life because I know You have the biggest dreams of all! Amen.

Activity

Look through magazines or newspapers and circle all the jobs you see people doing. Are there any jobs that you couldn’t do? (Hint: Nope! Not if God is calling you to that job!) Now go back and circle in a different color the jobs you especially dream about doing. What makes you excited about doing those jobs?

Shine Like the Stars

I’m confident and one of a kind.

I won’t let anyone dim my shine!

Devotion

We can be confident in who God made us to be! Sometimes people say hurtful things about us or tease us. Sometimes we think bad things about ourselves. But what other people say or what we say never changes what God says: That we are His precious masterpiece and He loves us forever and ever.

Prayer

Dear God, I am confident that I am who You say I am! No matter what, I know what is true about me—that You made me to shine! Amen.

Activity

How do you feel when you feel confident? Happy, scared, excited, hopeful?
What do you look like when you feel confident? Look in the mirror and make a confident smile.
What do you sound like when you feel confident? Say something positive about yourself in a confident voice.

Stay Alert

Have you ever let your guard down when you shouldn’t have?

Maybe you got lazy. Maybe you got distracted. Maybe you cared too much about someone else’s opinions. Maybe you got tired of standing your ground.

Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, would understand. He left everything to follow Jesus. He loved, trusted, and believed in Jesus. But when being associated with Jesus threatened His own security and reputation, Peter denied Him—three times.

Thankfully, Jesus forgave him, restored him, and even empowered him to preach at Pentecost—the day that 3,000 people were baptized and the early church began.

It was that Peter who wrote:

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If we’re going to resist the enemy, we must stay on both the offensive and defensive.

The Offensive: Stay alert. Stand firm. Be strong. Read God’s Word. Seek God-centered community. Fight for time and connection with God. Remind yourself that there are others fighting this battle with you.

The Defensive: If someone is twisting the truth, call it out. If you notice an injustice, do something to help. If your enemy the devil is wreaking havoc, have the courage to fight for good.

For the times that you’ve already let your guard down, don’t allow yourself to stay stuck in guilt or shame. We’ve all had moments where we’ve slipped. Ask for forgiveness and keep moving forward.

What did Jesus do after He was raised back to life? He found Peter. In fact, he cooked breakfast on the beach for Peter! He gave Peter another chance, and even established him as a leader.

So stay alert. And remember: God is also fighting for you.