January 26-30
Day 1: When Jesus Asks You a Question
Scripture: John 5:6, “When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, He asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’”
Devotional Thought: Sometimes the most life-changing questions are the ones we didn’t even realize we needed to answer. Before Jesus healed the crippled man physically, He asked something much deeper, “Do you want to get well?” At first glance, it seems like an obvious question. But it’s really a question about heart desire. About soul readiness. About complete trust. About whether this man had grown more comfortable in his condition than he was willing to admit.
What if Jesus is asking you the same question today, not just about your physical health, but about your heart, your attitudes, your toxic thought patterns, your unhealed pain? “Do you really want to get well, or have you gotten used to being stuck?” We all carry places in our lives where healing is needed, but healing never begins without being honest with ourselves and Jesus. Jesus is asking, Are you ready to be well?
Soul-Level Reflection:
Prayer: Jesus, You already see the parts of me I try to ignore or numb. Give me the courage to name where I need to be healed. Break through my resistance. I want to be well, even if it’s uncomfortable at first. Meet me in that place with Your grace and power.
Action Step: Write down one area of your life where you feel stuck. Turn it into a question: “Do I want to get well here?” Sit with it during your Chair Time today. Be honest and invite Jesus to ask you any question He wants about that area of your life.
Devotional Thought: Sometimes the most life-changing questions are the ones we didn’t even realize we needed to answer. Before Jesus healed the crippled man physically, He asked something much deeper, “Do you want to get well?” At first glance, it seems like an obvious question. But it’s really a question about heart desire. About soul readiness. About complete trust. About whether this man had grown more comfortable in his condition than he was willing to admit.
What if Jesus is asking you the same question today, not just about your physical health, but about your heart, your attitudes, your toxic thought patterns, your unhealed pain? “Do you really want to get well, or have you gotten used to being stuck?” We all carry places in our lives where healing is needed, but healing never begins without being honest with ourselves and Jesus. Jesus is asking, Are you ready to be well?
Soul-Level Reflection:
- What part of me is hurting or stuck that I’ve chosen to ignore or become numb to?
- Am I truly willing to let Jesus into that place, or have I settled for managing dysfunction because it's familiar?
Prayer: Jesus, You already see the parts of me I try to ignore or numb. Give me the courage to name where I need to be healed. Break through my resistance. I want to be well, even if it’s uncomfortable at first. Meet me in that place with Your grace and power.
Action Step: Write down one area of your life where you feel stuck. Turn it into a question: “Do I want to get well here?” Sit with it during your Chair Time today. Be honest and invite Jesus to ask you any question He wants about that area of your life.
Day 2: When Jesus Asks “Why Are You So Afraid?”
Scripture: Mark 4:40, “He said to His disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’”
Devotional Thought: Fear has a way of sneaking in and convincing us it’s protecting us when in reality, it’s often controlling us. In Mark 4, the disciples were in a storm, waves crashing into their boat, and Jesus was asleep. In their panic, they woke Him, and He calmed the storm with a word. But instead of just calming the storm around them, He asked a deeper question: “Why are you so afraid?”
This wasn’t a rebuke; it was an invitation. An invitation to look beneath the surface to the fear behind the fear. Because storms are inevitable, but fear doesn’t have to be. And when fear becomes the loudest voice in our lives, faith begins to shrink.
So maybe Jesus is asking you the same question today: “Why are you so afraid?” Not to shame you, but to help you uncover the deeper story behind your fear. The story you’ve believed about yourself, your worth, your control, your future. Because what fear often reveals is where trust still needs to grow.
Soul-Level Reflection:
Prayer: Jesus, I don’t want fear to write my story. Help me face what I’m afraid of and name it honestly with You. Show me the deeper truth You want to speak over that fear. Grow my trust in You, even in the middle of the storm.
Action Step: During Chair Time today, sit with Jesus’ question: “Why are you so afraid?” Write down one fear that continues to shape your decisions, emotions, or reactions. Ask Jesus: “What do You want to say to me about this fear?” Listen. Be still. Let Him speak peace into that place.
Devotional Thought: Fear has a way of sneaking in and convincing us it’s protecting us when in reality, it’s often controlling us. In Mark 4, the disciples were in a storm, waves crashing into their boat, and Jesus was asleep. In their panic, they woke Him, and He calmed the storm with a word. But instead of just calming the storm around them, He asked a deeper question: “Why are you so afraid?”
This wasn’t a rebuke; it was an invitation. An invitation to look beneath the surface to the fear behind the fear. Because storms are inevitable, but fear doesn’t have to be. And when fear becomes the loudest voice in our lives, faith begins to shrink.
So maybe Jesus is asking you the same question today: “Why are you so afraid?” Not to shame you, but to help you uncover the deeper story behind your fear. The story you’ve believed about yourself, your worth, your control, your future. Because what fear often reveals is where trust still needs to grow.
Soul-Level Reflection:
- What fear keeps showing up in my life even when I try to move forward in faith?
- What deeper false belief might be fueling that fear, and what truth is Jesus inviting me to trust instead?
Prayer: Jesus, I don’t want fear to write my story. Help me face what I’m afraid of and name it honestly with You. Show me the deeper truth You want to speak over that fear. Grow my trust in You, even in the middle of the storm.
Action Step: During Chair Time today, sit with Jesus’ question: “Why are you so afraid?” Write down one fear that continues to shape your decisions, emotions, or reactions. Ask Jesus: “What do You want to say to me about this fear?” Listen. Be still. Let Him speak peace into that place.
Day 3: Truth That Transforms
Scripture: John 14:6, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Devotional Thought: Sometimes the biggest barrier to transformation is that we think just knowing more will automatically grow us. We assume that if we just learn more truth, we’ll live more like Jesus. But Jesus didn’t say, “I teach the truth.” He said, “I am the truth.” That’s not just a theological statement; it’s a relational invitation. Truth isn’t just a concept to study. It’s a Person to interact with. To know. To trust. To follow. To surrender to.
Yes, knowledge matters. Scripture matters. Doctrine matters. But no matter how refined our intellect or deep our learning, it only brings us to the threshold of truth, not into its depths. Because in the Kingdom of God, truth isn’t just informational, it’s relational. And here’s the miracle of grace: Truth doesn’t just live “out there” in books, sermons, or teachings. Through the Holy Spirit, Truth now lives in you. It doesn’t just inform you from the outside, it transforms you from within.
So when Jesus says, “I am the truth,” He’s not asking you to study harder. He’s inviting you to interact and participate with Him more closely. To know Him, not just facts about Him. To stop trying to master truth and start letting His love master you.
Soul-Level Reflection:
Prayer: Jesus, You are the Truth. I don’t want to just study You from a distance, I want to walk with You, know You, and be formed by You. Help me stop trying to master You (Truth) and instead, let myself be mastered by Your love. Let Your Spirit speak to me, shape me, and lead me into the kind of transformation that only comes through relationship.
Action Step: During your Chair Time today, slowly and prayerfully read John 14:6. Then ask the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, “Where am I treating truth as information, instead of a relationship?” Pause. Listen. Write down what comes to mind and begin inviting Jesus to meet you there.
Devotional Thought: Sometimes the biggest barrier to transformation is that we think just knowing more will automatically grow us. We assume that if we just learn more truth, we’ll live more like Jesus. But Jesus didn’t say, “I teach the truth.” He said, “I am the truth.” That’s not just a theological statement; it’s a relational invitation. Truth isn’t just a concept to study. It’s a Person to interact with. To know. To trust. To follow. To surrender to.
Yes, knowledge matters. Scripture matters. Doctrine matters. But no matter how refined our intellect or deep our learning, it only brings us to the threshold of truth, not into its depths. Because in the Kingdom of God, truth isn’t just informational, it’s relational. And here’s the miracle of grace: Truth doesn’t just live “out there” in books, sermons, or teachings. Through the Holy Spirit, Truth now lives in you. It doesn’t just inform you from the outside, it transforms you from within.
So when Jesus says, “I am the truth,” He’s not asking you to study harder. He’s inviting you to interact and participate with Him more closely. To know Him, not just facts about Him. To stop trying to master truth and start letting His love master you.
Soul-Level Reflection:
- Do I treat truth as something to master or someone to trust?
- In what area do I need to stop studying and start surrendering?
- Where in my life am I inviting Truth (Jesus) to transform me, not just inform me?
- Where in my life have I reduced truth to something I believe about Jesus, instead of something I experience with Jesus?
Prayer: Jesus, You are the Truth. I don’t want to just study You from a distance, I want to walk with You, know You, and be formed by You. Help me stop trying to master You (Truth) and instead, let myself be mastered by Your love. Let Your Spirit speak to me, shape me, and lead me into the kind of transformation that only comes through relationship.
Action Step: During your Chair Time today, slowly and prayerfully read John 14:6. Then ask the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, “Where am I treating truth as information, instead of a relationship?” Pause. Listen. Write down what comes to mind and begin inviting Jesus to meet you there.
Day 4: From Friction to Formation
Scripture: Acts 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Devotional Thought: The early church didn’t just attend services; they opened their lives. They didn’t just hear teaching; they wrestled with it together. They made space for truth to do something in them, not just say something to them.
One of the most overlooked habits in spiritual growth is making space to wrestle with truth with others. Not just hearing a sermon. Not just reading Scripture. But talking about what it’s stirring in you, the tension it creates, the questions it raises, the friction it reveals.
That’s what made the early church so powerful. They didn’t just devote themselves to teaching about Jesus; they devoted themselves to one another. To shared meals, shared prayers, and shared questions. They didn’t just absorb truth in rows; they processed it in circles.
Why does that matter? Because transformation rarely happens in isolation. Tension from Sunday may stir something in you. Friction during your Chair Time may convict you or challenge your patterns. But traction, the movement that leads to growth, often happens when you bring that tension and friction into a trusted community.
You don’t need a classroom to grow. You need a couch. A dinner table. A safe place to say: “I don’t fully understand this.” “This is what I’m struggling with.” “Here’s the question I can’t shake.” You need someone to look back and say, “Me too.” That’s where truth starts to stick. That’s where questions find grace. That’s where transformation begins.
Soul-Level Reflection:
Prayer: Jesus, I don’t want to just hear the truth; I want to be transformed by it. Help me take the risk of community. Help me bring my questions, my confusion, even my resistance into the light. Give me the courage to move from quiet tension into honest conversation. I don’t want to wrestle alone anymore; I want to experience transformation.
Action Step: Reach out to someone you trust, a friend, a group member, or a mentor, and ask if you can process something that’s been stirring in your spirit this week. Start simple: “Can I ask you a question I’ve been wrestling with?” Let that conversation be a step toward spiritual traction.
Devotional Thought: The early church didn’t just attend services; they opened their lives. They didn’t just hear teaching; they wrestled with it together. They made space for truth to do something in them, not just say something to them.
One of the most overlooked habits in spiritual growth is making space to wrestle with truth with others. Not just hearing a sermon. Not just reading Scripture. But talking about what it’s stirring in you, the tension it creates, the questions it raises, the friction it reveals.
That’s what made the early church so powerful. They didn’t just devote themselves to teaching about Jesus; they devoted themselves to one another. To shared meals, shared prayers, and shared questions. They didn’t just absorb truth in rows; they processed it in circles.
Why does that matter? Because transformation rarely happens in isolation. Tension from Sunday may stir something in you. Friction during your Chair Time may convict you or challenge your patterns. But traction, the movement that leads to growth, often happens when you bring that tension and friction into a trusted community.
You don’t need a classroom to grow. You need a couch. A dinner table. A safe place to say: “I don’t fully understand this.” “This is what I’m struggling with.” “Here’s the question I can’t shake.” You need someone to look back and say, “Me too.” That’s where truth starts to stick. That’s where questions find grace. That’s where transformation begins.
Soul-Level Reflection:
- What tension or friction from Sunday or Chair Time this week is still lingering in my heart?
- Where do I need to move beyond reflection and into conversation?
- Who in my life is safe enough to hear my honest questions and help me find traction?
Prayer: Jesus, I don’t want to just hear the truth; I want to be transformed by it. Help me take the risk of community. Help me bring my questions, my confusion, even my resistance into the light. Give me the courage to move from quiet tension into honest conversation. I don’t want to wrestle alone anymore; I want to experience transformation.
Action Step: Reach out to someone you trust, a friend, a group member, or a mentor, and ask if you can process something that’s been stirring in your spirit this week. Start simple: “Can I ask you a question I’ve been wrestling with?” Let that conversation be a step toward spiritual traction.
Day 5: The Question That Could Change Everything
Scripture: John 21:17, “Jesus said, ‘Do you love me?’”
Devotional Thought: After Peter’s denial and failure, Jesus doesn’t lecture. He simply asks one soul-level question three times: “Do you love me?” Because at the core of your relationship with Jesus isn’t performance, it’s love. And love is what Jesus always brings us back to. This wasn’t just about Peter’s past. It was about Peter’s future.
Jesus was restoring his heart, not just reassigning his role. He was pulling Peter out of shame and back into relationship. And that same Jesus asks you the same soul-level question today. Not just, “Do you believe in Me?” But: “Do you love Me?” It’s not a question of feelings, it’s a question of surrender. Because when love becomes the center of your relationship with Jesus, everything else flows from it: your habits, your obedience, your questions, your healing, your mission.
So don’t rush past this question. Sit in it. Let it search you. Let it center you again on what matters most.
Soul-Level Reflection:
Prayer: Jesus, I do love You, but I want to love You more fully. Not just in words, but with my whole life. Help me live from love, not for approval. Let Your love shape my rhythms, my choices, my relationships, and the questions I’m willing to ask. Draw me back to what matters most: You.
Action Step: Write the question “Do you love Me?” somewhere you’ll see it for the rest of today, Saturday, and Sunday, maybe on your phone background, in your journal, in your mirror, or on your calendar. Let that question guide your decisions, your rhythms, and your responses for the next few days, and let it keep pulling you back to the center of your faith.
Weekly Declaration: I don’t grow just by knowing more; I grow by asking better questions. This week, I will create space for soul-level questions, not just to understand truth, but to experience it through relationship with Jesus and trusted community.
Devotional Thought: After Peter’s denial and failure, Jesus doesn’t lecture. He simply asks one soul-level question three times: “Do you love me?” Because at the core of your relationship with Jesus isn’t performance, it’s love. And love is what Jesus always brings us back to. This wasn’t just about Peter’s past. It was about Peter’s future.
Jesus was restoring his heart, not just reassigning his role. He was pulling Peter out of shame and back into relationship. And that same Jesus asks you the same soul-level question today. Not just, “Do you believe in Me?” But: “Do you love Me?” It’s not a question of feelings, it’s a question of surrender. Because when love becomes the center of your relationship with Jesus, everything else flows from it: your habits, your obedience, your questions, your healing, your mission.
So don’t rush past this question. Sit in it. Let it search you. Let it center you again on what matters most.
Soul-Level Reflection:
- How is my love for Jesus showing up in the way I live, lead, rest, and respond?
- Where have I drifted toward performance instead of prioritizing presence with Him?
- Am I letting His love define me, or am I still trying to prove myself?
Prayer: Jesus, I do love You, but I want to love You more fully. Not just in words, but with my whole life. Help me live from love, not for approval. Let Your love shape my rhythms, my choices, my relationships, and the questions I’m willing to ask. Draw me back to what matters most: You.
Action Step: Write the question “Do you love Me?” somewhere you’ll see it for the rest of today, Saturday, and Sunday, maybe on your phone background, in your journal, in your mirror, or on your calendar. Let that question guide your decisions, your rhythms, and your responses for the next few days, and let it keep pulling you back to the center of your faith.
Weekly Declaration: I don’t grow just by knowing more; I grow by asking better questions. This week, I will create space for soul-level questions, not just to understand truth, but to experience it through relationship with Jesus and trusted community.