Today’s Reflection A brother asked Abba Rufus, “What is interior peace, and what use is it?” The old man said, “Interior peace means to remain sitting in one’s cell with fear and knowledge of God, holding far off the remembrance of wrongs suffered and pride of spirit. Such interior peace brings forth all the virtues, preserves the monk from the burning darts of the enemy, and does not allow him to be wounded by them.” —Edited by Keith Beasley-Topliffe, The Upper Room Spiritua

Today’s Reflection God is bringing forth the kingdom of God not by our right utterances, but by our actions. What God and the world need are our loving, kind actions. Our living grace is what God can use to transform the world. —Caroline Vogel, As Yourself: The Sacred Work of Embodying Grace (Upper Room Books, 2026) Today’s Question Have you ever seen God use someone’s good actions to transform the world? What happened? . Today’s Scripture Which of these three, do you think,

Today’s Reflection As Christians, we have a variety of ways to address poverty. Engaging with Scripture and poverty during Lent, like you’re doing now, means we must also ask essential questions about the role we have in alleviating poverty. —Elizabeth Mae Magill, When Did We See You? A Lenten Exploration of Poverty and Wealth (Upper Room Books, 2026) Today’s Question What can you and your church do to help alleviate poverty in your community? Today’s Scripture Its rulers giv

Today’s Reflection We talk a lot in the church about loving God and loving our neighbors, but we do a horrendous job of learning and practicing what it really means to love ourselves. —Caroline Vogel, As Yourself: The Sacred Work of Embodying Grace (Upper Room Books, 2026) Today’s Question How do you balance loving God, your neighbors, and yourself? Which of these do you do the worst job of loving? Today’s Scripture You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and wi

Today’s Reflection Abba Zeno said, “If a man wants God to hear his prayer quickly, then before he prays for anything else, even his own soul, when he stands and stretches out his hands toward God, he must pray with all his heart for his enemies. Through this action God will hear everything that he asks.” —Edited by Keith Beasley-Topliffe, The Upper Room Spiritual Classics: Writings of the Desert Fathers & Mothers (Upper Room Books, 2017) Today’s Question How do you pray for

Today’s Reflection I encourage us to notice our own resistance to receiving help. We feel like we shouldn’t need it. We don’t want it. This scripture offers us the opportunity to acknowledge our needs and accept that God is calling us to let others provide for those needs. —Elizabeth Mae Magill, When Did We See You? A Lenten Exploration of Poverty and Wealth (Upper Room Books, 2026) Today’s Question Do you struggle to accept help from others? What is one thing you will ask fo

Today’s Reflection A soldier asked Abba Mius if God accepted repentance. After the old man had taught him many things, he said, “Tell me, my dear, if your cloak is torn, do you throw it away?” He replied, “No, I mend it and use it again.” The old man said to him, “If you are so careful about your cloak, will not God be equally careful about God’s creature?” —Edited by Keith Beasley-Topliffe, The Upper Room Spiritual Classics: Writings of the Desert Fathers & Mothers (Upper R

Today’s Reflection A brother at Scetis committed a fault. A council was called to which Abba Moses was invited, but he refused to go to it. Then the priest sent someone to say to him, “Come, for everyone is waiting for you.” So he got up and went. He took a leaking jug, filled it with water, and carried it with him. The others came out to meet him and said to him, “What is this, Father?” The old man said to them, “My sins run out behind me, and I do not see them, and today I

Today’s Reflection To everyone’s surprise, the judgment rests entirely on care for those who are poor, strangers, sick, and in prison. . . . These people in need are Jesus. Whatever we do for people in need, we do for Jesus. —Elizabeth Mae Magill, When Did We See You? A Lenten Exploration of Poverty and Wealth (Upper Room Books, 2026) Today’s Question What is one actionable step you can take to care for the least of these—for Jesus—this Lent? Join the conversation . Today’s S

Today’s Reflection What are the Christian obligations of those who are poor? Do we want to take on these obligations? How do our material possessions influence our closeness—or distance from—God? —Elizabeth Mae Magill, When Did We See You? A Lenten Exploration of Poverty and Wealth (Upper Room Books, 2026) Today’s Question How can you solidarity with the poor this Lent? How might the spiritual practices of fasting and asceticism bring you closer to God? Join the conversation

Today’s Reflection Of course, we can get stuck in the past, hanging on to old hurts and slights, old wounds and disappointments, abuses and disasters. The prophets want us to remember the faithfulness of God in the past but not to linger there. —Larry J. Peacock, The Living Nativity: Preparing for Christmas with Saint Francis (Upper Room Books, 2018) Today’s Question What do you need to let go of so that you can prepare for the new thing God is doing? Today’s Scripture See,

Today’s Reflection We often fall short because our new year intentions depend so much on our willpower and our efforts without being grounded on, rooted in, or supported by the pull and push of the Spirit. —Larry J. Peacock, The Living Nativity: Preparing for Christmas with Saint Francis (Upper Room Books, 2018) Today’s Question How are you inviting God to guide your intentions for the year ahead? Today’s Scripture Youths will become tired and weary, young men will certainly

Today’s Reflection Hold on to the assurance that God is with us. Hold on to the signs from the past year that give hope and promise. —Larry J. Peacock, The Living Nativity: Preparing for Christmas with Saint Francis (Upper Room Books, 2018) Today’s Question What assurances of God’s presence give you hope and promise? Today’s Scripture I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, will give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation that makes God known to you

Today’s Reflection There is nothing in this world, irrespective of its power, that is going to stop God’s salvation plan. God’s determination to set free and usher salvation is unstoppable. Evil and darkness do not overpower good and light forever. —Sidwell Mokgothu, Light from Afar: An Advent Devotional from Around the World (Upper Room Books, 2023) Today’s Question What evil powers will be overthrown when God’s salvation is complete? Today’s Scripture Creation itself will

Today’s Reflection [Ukrainian soldiers] “are fighting not because of hate for our enemies but out of love for our families, our homes, and our land.” Hatred might be a mighty fuel, but it runs out soon. Love is the fuel that remains. —Nadiyka Gerbish, Light from Afar: An Advent Devotional from Around the World (Upper Room Books, 2023) Today’s Question Who do you love most? What would you do to shelter them from harm? Join the conversation . Today’s Scripture No one has great

Today’s Reflection While looking at yet another money-raising initiative to help a war-afflicted family on Facebook, I thought that, maybe, instead of trying to guard our hearts from any outward-looking strong emotion, we must make sure that our guarded hearts never grow insensitive to the suffering of God’s people around us. —Nadiyka Gerbish, Light from Afar: An Advent Devotional from Around the World (Upper Room Books, 2023) Today’s Question Sometimes we try to guard our h

Today’s Reflection There will be no peace without justice. It is only when justice thrives that the poor, lowly, humble, powerless, vulnerable, and weak are safe in the hands of those who hold power. No more predators and victims. —Joel Bengbeng, Light from Afar: An Advent Devotional from Around the World (Upper Room Books, 2023) Today’s Question Is peace with justice something that can only happen in the next life? How might it be accomplished on earth? Join the conversatio

Today’s Reflection In Latin America, the invitation to pray to God for restoration is an act of collective hope. The hope lies in the path of liberation for all those who are poor, lonely, disrespected, destroyed, misunderstood, put down, killed. —Cláudio Carvalhaes, Light from Afar: An Advent Devotional from Around the World (Upper Room Books, 2023) Today’s Question Do you pray with and for others? What kind of liberation are you praying for? Join the conversation . Today’s

Today’s Reflection When we hesitate to voice our questions, even to those closest to us, the spinning logic wheels in our mind can distract us from experiencing the reality of God. We produce questions that are impossible to answer. —Mary Lou Redding, While We Wait: Living the Questions of Advent (Upper Room Books, 2002) Today’s Question What questions of faith do you struggle with? What might happen if you decided to accept that we all have doubts? Join the conversation . T

Today’s Reflection We are given the privilege of reminding one another over and over. . . . In as many ways as there are people, we need to say to one another from the heart, “Blessed are you. God comes into the world through you.” —Mary Lou Redding, While We Wait: Living the Questions of Advent (Upper Room Books, 2002) Today’s Question When have you reminded someone that they are important to you and to God? Join the conversation . Today’s Scripture When Elizabeth heard Mar