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Word for You Today is a free daily devotional for Kiwi youth and young adults Our page is actively monitored between 9am - 5:30pm.

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• contain personal information. We reserve the right to delete posts of this nature and ban members who repeatedly breach our community guidelines. Please be certain that anything you disclose does not compromise your personal safety. Please don't post your phone number or any other personally identifying information to people you do not know. Don't continue any conversation online that makes you feel uncomfortable. Protect your safety and privacy. By joining our discussions, users agree NOT to:

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11/01/2026

‘Spirit of…’ (2)

‘God has not given us a spirit of fear.’ 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

In 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) we read, ‘God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.’ The scene is set. What does God want to fill us with? Power and love. Now, power on its own brings breakthrough, insight and whatever else God uses to move mountains in our lives. But love is also needed: living in a wholehearted, accepting way, looking to put others first, is the best way to live out godly power.

Ultimately, God’s will is for power and love to work together in us. God himself works like that. He is the King of extraordinary power who is motivated by love. The first thing we find in our Bibles (Genesis 1:1) is his power to create the heavens and earth, and us, humans. We are his most precious creation. He used his power to create something who he loves a lot, enough to die in our place, so that we can be in relationship with him.

He’s more than willing to share himself with us; he gives us his spirit freely. And he asks us to mirror his power and love to the world. Our world is bound to change when we take hold of these gifts.

So what now? What can you do today that combines power and love? Where can you take a lead in a certain situation, with loads of love, and see that situation turned around for good?

10/01/2026

‘Spirit of…’ (1)

‘God has not given us a spirit of fear.’ 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

In God’s word it says, ‘Stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord’ (2 Timothy 1:6-8 NKJV). Paul is encouraging Timothy to trust in and embrace the gifts and mission God has given him. In verse 7, the words ‘spirit of’ refer to something human and natural, rather than super–natural. It means an ‘attitude of’, or ‘disposition of’. Paul is telling Timothy that God has given him an attitude of power, love and a sound mind. This means that Timothy is enabled to live out what God wants for him.

The same applies today. We’re invited to have faith in what God’s given us and in the Gospel – both are totally trustworthy. When things go wrong, it means that God has given us the ability to approach them with an attitude of power, love and a sound mind.

So, let’s take the God-given, attitude-changing message of the Gospel and carry it with faith, not with fear. Fear breeds fear. But faith welcomes in hope and the presence of God.

So what now? What’s your fear about a situation in your life? God has given you gifts to make a difference in this situation, and he is completely trustworthy. You are victorious because you have a spirit of power and love and a sound mind. Be encouraged today!

09/01/2026

Loved, regardless

‘Love makes up for many of your faults.’ 1 Peter 4:8 TLB

We’re human and we’re all not perfect: we make promises we don’t or can’t keep; we lose our composure from time to time; we don’t ‘make the grade’ at school or uni or work, we overcommit and then can’t fulfil those commitments; we disagree and have different perspectives. We sometimes mess up big time, with consequences for us and others.

But, when we feel like we’ve messed up and disappointed God, ourselves and/or others, God always has his arms wide open. He’s the parent at the school gate who, when he sees his child has had a hard day, hugs them despite what’s happened. We see this in the story of the Prodigal Son (read Luke 15). God is always for his children and is willing to get involved in their mess, even when they’re covered in regret and pain. He will always run to embrace them, even when they’ve covered themselves in shame.

In God’s word, we read, ‘Show deep love for each other, for love makes up for many of your faults’ (1 Peter 4:8 TLB). Like God and the father of the prodigal, we are called to love people, regardless. This is not always easy, because people may have really hurt us or let us down. Let’s ask God to show us his love for us first, to help us to extend love to those around us. We are all loved, regardless.

So what now? If someone you know is struggling, get in touch just to ask how they are. Letting someone know you’re concerned and there for them can make a world of difference.

08/01/2026

No favourites

‘When you’re invited, take the place of least honour.’ Proverbs 25:6 GWT

Every week in most church services, the front row is taken up by worship leaders, youth pastors, leaders and their families. ‘Why is that?’ we may wonder. Do our brains ever think: ‘Why isn’t that me?’ Or maybe instead we could thank God for their dedication and service? It’s not a bad thought to want to be in a more visible, esteemed position. But what else is in that thought? Did this same thought happen at other times of our lives: at school, where there was always a circle of kids that everyone longed to be a part of; maybe at uni, or even at work, with the Big Names that everyone knows. That desire to be important in others’ minds is one reason people want to be in the circle of ‘special people’ at the centre of most social groups.

As for the leadership roles here on earth, let’s consider what Jesus said, ‘Take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, “Friend, move up to a better place.” Then you will be honoured in the presence of all the other guests’ (Luke 14:10 NIV). If we’re content to be ourselves, then any ‘promotion’ will be good and natural.

God knows our longing to be in the ‘in crowd’. So he meets it himself. We’re all warmly welcomed by our Father. In his Kingdom, there are no favourites, no first-tier or second-tier Christians.

So what now? Zoom in on the front row this Sunday. Which person can you bless or serve in some way?

07/01/2026

Floodlight on your future? (2)

‘I will turn the darkness into light before them.’ Isaiah 42:16 NIV

Yesterday we read that God knows what he’s doing, even if we have no idea of the future. But even though we know this, it can still be hard to move forward. This is particularly true if we’re not yet sure where God is leading us. But God also makes this promise: ‘I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them’ (Isaiah 42:16 NIV). That’s a great promise!

Plus, God encourages us: ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”’ (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV). That’s a reassuring place to start. The apostle Paul writes, ‘I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called…I also pray that you will understand
the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him’ (Ephesians 1:18-19 NLT).

It’s scary to keep going without knowing, and it’s scary having to wait but, at the right time, God will show us what we’re meant to see and do.

So what now? Whether you have some idea of your future or not, ask God to help you see the light he shines on your next step. Keep praying that each day, thanking him in advance.

06/01/2026

Floodlight on your future (1)

‘Be bold and strong! Banish fear and doubt!’ Joshua 1:9 TLB

It’s not easy to trust when we don’t know what’s going to happen. Being uncertain about parachuting is understandable, even though it’s thoroughly tested and safety-checked by an expert before people do it. We know we shouldn’t do risky activities until we’ve been taught by someone much more knowledgeable.

Sometimes we may not trust meeting new people or doing something out of our day-to-day routine. We never really know what to expect in a new job or new friendship, or even when we wake up tomorrow. There’s no way to be an expert on life before we’ve lived it but, wonderfully for us, God isn’t fussed by that whole ‘time’ thing. He knows what’s ahead of us, and he’s far, far more knowledgeable than us.

God wants to help us learn how to trust: ‘I will bring the blind by ways they have not known’ (Isaiah 42:16 NIV). So there’s no need to be scared when we don’t know what lies ahead as long as we’re willing to trust God to guide us through it.

So what now? Is there something (an activity, a life-long dream) you’ve been meaning to do, but you’ve been too freaked out about to try? This is the time to trust God, take that step in faith, and make your dream a reality. He’s with you, saying, ‘Be bold and strong! Banish fear and doubt! For remember, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:9 TLB).

05/01/2026

Use your words!

‘The right words bring satisfaction.’ Proverbs 18:20 NLT

Words are powerful. Whether it’s something blurted out unthinkingly in the middle of a conversation or a carefully thought-out and heavily edited line of poetry, words hold weight. We all know the ‘sticks and stones’ line isn’t entirely accurate (more the ‘words will never hurt me’ part).

Words can hurt, but they can heal too: ‘The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing’ (Proverbs 12:18 NIV). And Proverbs 18:21 (NLT) says, ‘The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences’ – a warning, yes, but an encouragement too. What we say – in sermons or worship songs or while ordering a coffee – can help people immeasurably, sometimes without even knowing it. When God gives us power like that, it’s not helping anybody to hold back from speaking out because of fear; this can be as harmful as being reckless with speaking out.

Knowing that we hold great power with what we say can be daunting, but all we have to do is ask God to guide us to the right things to say. Not every conversation we have will change somebody’s life, granted, but we never know which one might.

So what now? Choose to use your words well. First, pray over the conversations you’ll have today: ask God to bring the right people across your path. Then just talk to those people. It may be a ‘you look nice’ to someone, or asking about someone’s life, or a life-changing conversation with someone who’s struggling.

04/01/2026

Love your body

‘Glorify God in your body.’ 1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV

We may think of our body as a temporary dwelling that wears out quickly. But the Bible calls our bodies a ‘temple’. Our body does a lot for us. When our mind and spirit are over-worked, our body tells us to eat and sleep, making sure we keep going and don’t burn out. And it does the whole breathing thing without being asked! Long story short: our body is a gift. One of the best gifts we’ll receive, not least because God is the giver.

And it’s a gift we can sometimes be ungrateful for. How many times do we wish our body was harder/better/faster/stronger? We forget that the embarrassing belly-rumble in a quiet room is ensuring that we fuel ourselves, so that we have energy to do the amazing things we’re capable of. Let’s admit it, it’s not often we thank God for our body. So, rather than neglecting the ‘temple’ we’ve been given, by not giving it enough rest or the right kind of nourishment, let’s look after it and thank God for it.

Maybe we hate our thighs; let’s thank God that we can dance with them. It’s the mouth he gave us that lets us talk and sing, the eyes he designed that enable us to read and see beauty. He designed our body incredibly. Absolutely incredibly! So let’s look after it as best we can.

So what now? Whenever you catch yourself criticising your body, think of a reason you’re thankful for it instead. Do it tomorrow too.

03/01/2026

Convicts of God

‘Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you.’ Psalm 19:14 CEV

Jesus promised that when the Holy Spirit came, he would convict the world of sin. The word ‘convict’ can seem heavy-handed. But there is a difference between ‘conviction’ (a sense of wrongdoing given by the Holy Spirit) and ‘condemnation’ (a feeling from Satan that we’re rubbish, and God couldn’t love or forgive us). The first says we’ve done wrong; the second that we are wrong.

Conviction means that the Holy Spirit is revealing sin, pointing out what needs to change, in order to protect and help us. God only does it for the purpose of showing us what to disregard, because it brings us closer to him. It’s never to make us feel rejected or unloved. So, conviction isn’t the feeling we get when we are ‘caught out’; that is our own sense of social shame. A test is: if we had got away with it, would we feel the same? Conviction also isn’t ‘fear of punishment’; that’s still selfish at heart. When God prompts us to look at our bad actions, we can tell it’s his influence on us, rather than our own self-preserving egos at work.

To be fair, if ‘conviction’ means God showing us how to get right with him, then however tough it feels at the time, we should be desperate for it.

So what now? Here’s a prayer for today: ‘Lord, show me what I need to apologise for. Convict my heart about things I’m doing against you, and help me turn that conviction straight into repenting and getting right with you. Amen.’

02/01/2026

Your best you

‘Put on the new self.’ Colossians 3:10 NIV

Colossians 3:9-10 (NIV) says, ‘You have taken off your old self…and have put on the new self’. This sounds a little painful. Who wants to take off their ‘old’ self and put on a ‘new’ self? Are we being told to be like another person. Aren’t we supposed to be ourselves and accept who we are?

Let’s look at the bigger picture of this Scripture: ‘But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator’ (Colossians 3:8-10 NIV).

So, we’re being asked to reflect more and more of Jesus, the one who saved us. What does this look like? We need to be willing to work through emotions and actions that aren’t part of us living true to how God made us. Sometimes, God strips back the bad stuff quickly. Other times it doesn’t happen at once, even when we wish we could kick a habit. ‘Being renewed’ is ongoing; it’s ok that it
takes time. God keeps shaping us. And he’s excited by our progress, rather than expecting us to get to ‘perfect’.

So what now? Through Jesus, your old self is superseded by his beauty and goodness. God bless you as you discover more and more of ‘your best you’!

01/01/2026

Time to move forward (2)

‘Who can notice every mistake? Forgive my hidden faults.’ Psalm 19:12 GWT

When our human desires lead us, we can leave a mess in our wake. It’s like we’re blindfolded, unable to see where we’re going or what destruction we create. If we’re aware of the pain and havoc we make, this is a pivotal moment: it’s then that we need to realise our error and choose to change, or we’ll continue in the same unhealthy cycle.

The psalmist said, ‘Who can notice every mistake (Psalm 19:12 GWT)? And Paul the apostle knew that he committed sins without knowing: ‘My conscience is clear, but even that isn’t final proof. It is the Lord himself who must examine me and decide (1 Corinthians 4:4 TLB). Both the psalmist and Paul knew that God alone knew their every wrong, but had chosen to blot out their sins. They didn’t have to remember every single error to know that God had forgiven them for them all. The psalmist asked that God would lead him out from even the sins he couldn’t see, ‘Cleanse me from these hidden faults’ (Psalm 19:12 TLB).

When we realise the mess we’ve made and commit to change, it doesn’t mean that the outcomes and hurts stop existing – we may need to apologise to people or do work to restore a situation. But it does mean that our earthly desires don’t get to lead us anymore – now that we are connected back to our source of life-giving desires, God.

So what now? Be courageous. Ask God to walk with you as you move forward out of unhealthy habits and mistakes. Be blessed today!

31/12/2025

Time to move forward (1)

‘Cleanse me from these hidden faults.’ Psalm 19:12 NLT

Happy new year! Time to move forward! When we learn to drive, we’re not really moving forward safely until we’ve checked for an ‘unseen’ vehicle coming right alongside us the next lane. This space is called a blind spot.

We all have ‘blind spots’: spaces in our lives that are ‘unseen’ to us; unhealthy or unhelpful ways we behave or respond that we’re not aware of; a bias we’re unaware of that trips us up or stops us gaining ground in our lives. These parts are called ‘blind spots’ because we are blind to them. We tend to look out for what’s best for us. We prefer to listen to people who think like us and agree with us, and this makes us less able to see clearly. Others can usually see our blind spots, and God definitely does!

The Holy Spirit knows us best. Here’s what the psalmist said, ‘How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me…May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you’ (Psalm 19:12-14 NLT). And he said, ‘Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life’ (Psalm 139:24 NLT). The psalmist knew he had a blind spot, and he asked God to help him see it.

So what now? As this year starts, ask God to reveal and deal with your blind spots. To give you his eyes to move into healing and victory. It’s time for you to move forward well.

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Our page is actively monitored between 9am - 5:30pm. If you have a query outside of those hours we may not respond until the following day. Community Guidelines

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We reserve the right to delete posts of this nature and ban members who repeatedly breach our community guidelines. Please be certain that anything you disclose does not compromise your personal safety. Please don't post your phone number or any other personally identifying information to people you do not know. Don't continue any conversation online that makes you feel uncomfortable. Protect your safety and privacy.