“I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”
— Luke 1:38
There comes a point when listening becomes responding.
This week, you’ve made space to hear from Jesus, slowed down enough to pay attention, invited Him to reveal what may be getting in the way, and asked Him to show you your next step.
Today is about saying yes—and asking who that yes is for beyond you.
Mary could not have known everything her yes would mean. But she made herself available to God and His purposes: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Her yes was deeply personal, but it was never only about her. God was at work through her for the sake of others.
The same is true for us. Jesus never intended His work in us to stop with us. The grace, love, truth, hope, and good news we receive from Him become things we carry into the places where we live, learn, work, and play.
Your yes may lead you to someone you already know—a family member, friend, neighbor, coworker, classmate, or teammate. It may lead you to notice someone you normally overlook, meet a need, share what Jesus is doing in your life, or help someone else take a step toward Him.
Yesterday the question was: Jesus, what are You asking me to do? Today it becomes: Jesus, what do You want to do through me? Who are You sending me to?
READ
Read Luke 1:26–38 slowly.
Notice what Mary hears, the questions she asks, and how she responds.
Then read verse 38 again.
What does Mary’s response reveal about her posture toward God?
ASK
Jesus, You have my attention. Today I give You my yes.
Take what You have been doing in me and use it for Your purposes. Open my eyes to the people around me and where You are already at work. Jesus, I’m saying yes to You.
Show me what You want to do through me and who You want to send me to. Amen.
LISTEN
Sit quietly before God for several minutes. Think back to the next step you discerned yesterday. Now consider how Jesus might want to work through you as you take that step.
Who is Jesus placing on my heart? Who around me might He be inviting me to love, serve, encourage, or share with? Where is He already at work?
RESPOND
Look back over what you’ve read, heard, and written this week.
Write down your responses to:
- WHAT am I saying yes to?
- WHO is Jesus sending me to?
- HOW and WHEN will I put my yes into action?
Jesus, I give You my yes. Work through me and give me courage to go where You send me. Amen.
"Come, follow me..."— Mathew 4:19
We often want God to show us the whole plan. Where is this going? What will happen next? How will it all work out? But Jesus often gives us something much simpler: an invitation to take the next step.
When Jesus called His first disciples, He didn’t give them a detailed map of everything ahead. He simply said, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19). Their first step was clear, even though everything that would follow was not.
That is still the nature of following Jesus. He leads, and we learn to recognize His voice and respond to His direction. We may not know where every step will take us, but we can trust the One who is leading.
That’s part of what you’ve been practicing this week. You’ve made space to listen, slowed down enough to pay attention, and invited Jesus to reveal anything getting in the way. Now comes another question: Where is He leading me?
Your next step may not be big or dramatic. In fact, it may be something Jesus has already been bringing to your attention. It may involve something He wants to change in your life, a conversation you need to have, someone to serve or encourage, an opportunity to pursue, or a need you’ve noticed.
You don’t need to figure out the whole road ahead. Today is simply about discerning: What is Jesus asking me to do next?
READ
Read Mathew 4:18-22 slowly.
Notice what Jesus asks of Peter, Andrew, James, and John.
Read it again.
How do they respond to Jesus’ invitation? What word, phrase, or detail catches your attention?
ASK
Pray: Jesus, I want to follow You. I don’t need to see the whole path; I just need to recognize the next step.
Help me notice what You have already been putting on my heart and be attentive to Your invitation.
Jesus, show me what You are asking me to do. Amen.
LISTEN
Sit quietly before God for several minutes. Don’t strain for a big answer. Simply pay attention to what Jesus brings to mind.
What has Jesus been stirring in me? Is there something He has already been asking me to do that I’ve delayed, dismissed, or overlooked? Where does He seem to be leading me?
RESPOND
Based on what you heard, write down as specifically as you can the next step you believe Jesus is asking you to take.
Jesus, confirm or correct what I think I’ve heard, make my next step clear, and prepare my heart to respond. Amen.
“Search me, God and know my heart”
— Psalm 139:23
Sometimes the biggest things keeping us from Jesus aren’t obvious.
We may think of barriers such as sins or bad choices. But good things can get between us and God, too—a crowded schedule, the need for approval, our work, success, comfort, our smart phones, even relationships, responsibilities and ministries we deeply value can occupy a place in our heart that belongs to God.
Other obstacles may be things we’d rather not look at—resentment we’ve held onto, a habit we’ve excused, a fear that controls us, or something Jesus has asked us to do that we keep avoiding.
That’s why David prayed, “Search me, God, and know my heart” (Psalm 139:23). He didn’t assume he could see everything clearly himself. He invited God to reveal his blind spots—and the things he might rather not see.
Jesus doesn’t bring these things into the light to shame us, but because He loves us and wants us to be free. His invitation isn’t simply, Look at what’s wrong with you. It is, Let Me remove what is keeping you from more of Me.
READ
Read Psalm 139:23-24 slowly.
Notice what David asks God to do—and what he is willing for God to reveal.
Read it again, making the words your own. Pause after each phrase.
What words or phrases draw your attention?
ASK
Pray: Jesus, You know me completely—better than I know myself. Search my heart and show me anything that is getting between You and me.
Reveal what I’m holding onto, avoiding, pursuing, or allowing to take Your place. Give me courage to see what You show me, humility to admit it, and grace to surrender it to You.
Search me, God. Show me what needs to change. Amen.
LISTEN
Sit quietly before God for several minutes. Don’t try to make a list of everything you’ve done wrong. Simply pay attention to what He reveals.
What might be keeping me from Jesus? What am I holding on to too tightly or reluctant to surrender? Is there something I need to confess? Notice your inner response, too. What feels difficult—or freeing—about letting God search your heart?
RESPOND
Write down what Jesus revealed. Confess what needs confessing. Release what needs releasing. Receive His forgiveness and grace.
Jesus, change whatever needs changing in me. I want nothing to keep me from You. Amen.
“Be still, and know that I am God”
— Psalm 46:10
Hurry has a way of taking over our lives. There is always somewhere to go, something to finish, someone who needs an answer, or another thing demanding our attention. Even when our bodies stop moving, our minds may keep racing.
But Jesus never seemed hurried. He lived with enormous demands around Him, yet He made time to withdraw and pray. He rested. He listened. He stopped for people others passed by. He was interruptible. He lived at the pace of His Father rather than the pace of the crowd.
God’s invitation to “be still” is more than an invitation to move more slowly. It is an invitation to release our grip—to stop striving long enough to remember who God is and who we are.
Slowing down creates space to notice God’s presence. It helps us recognize what is happening inside us, see the people in front of us, and become more attentive to what Jesus is doing around us. Today, resist the urge to rush through this time with God. You don't have to accomplish anything. Simply become present to the One who is already and always present with you.
READ
Read
Psalm 46 slowly. Don’t rush to understand everything. Pay attention to the images, words, or phrases that draw your attention.
Read it again, even more slowly. What word or phrase invites you to linger? Sit with it for a moment. Why might it be catching your attention today?
Then read verse 10 again, pausing after each phrase: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
What might God be inviting me to release, remember, or simply rest in?
ASK
Pray: Jesus, I bring You everything that is rushing through my mind and everything I feel pressure to accomplish. Quiet the hurry within me. Help me to be still and release what I am trying to control and become fully present to You.
Jesus, slow me down. Teach me to live at Your pace. Amen.
LISTEN
Sit quietly before God for several minutes. Breathe slowly. Relax your hands. Let your body become still. Don't try to accomplish anything during these few minutes. When your mind races toward what comes next, gently return your attention to God. Allow Him to show you: What you are rushing through right now. What you might notice if you slowed down. Where He is inviting you to release control and trust Him.
RESPOND
Choose one intentional way to slow down today—put away your phone for a period of time, take a slow walk, eat without multitasking, give someone your full attention, or leave some margin between activities.
What will you do differently today because Jesus is inviting you to slow down? Write it in your journal.
Jesus, help me resist the pull of hurry and stay present to You and the people around me today. Amen.
“Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”
— 1 Samuel 3:9
We spend much of our prayer time talking to God. We tell Him what we need, what we’re worried about, what we hope He will do. But prayer isn’t meant to be a one-way conversation. Sometimes the most important thing we can do is stop talking and listen.
When young Samuel heard his name being called in the night, he didn’t immediately recognize God’s voice. Three times he got up and went to Eli, assuming Eli had called him. Finally, Eli realized what was happening and gave Samuel a simple response: “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”
Notice that Samuel didn’t tell God what to do or say. He simply made himself available to hear it. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Listening to Jesus isn’t just about receiving information or getting an answer. We listen because we belong to Him—and because we intend to follow wherever He leads.
God may bring a Scripture to mind. He may expose something in us that needs to change. He may place someone on our heart. He may redirect our plans, give us a next step, or simply remind us that He is near. And sometimes we may sit quietly and hear nothing obvious at all. Listening is still worthwhile. We are learning to give God our attention—the way we do with someone we love.
Today, don't rush to fill the silence. Become attentive. Ask God to speak, and give Him room to do it.
READ
Read 1 Samuel 3:1–10 slowly.
Imagine yourself in the story.
Notice Samuel’s posture toward God and Eli’s simple instruction to him.
Read verses 9–10 again. What word or phrase catches your attention?
ASK
Pray: Jesus, quiet the noise around me and within me. Help me recognize Your voice and distinguish it from all the others competing for my attention. Give me ears to hear, a heart ready to obey, and the courage to follow wherever You lead.
Speak, Lord. I’m listening. Amen.
LISTEN
Sit quietly before God for several minutes. You might open your hands as a physical sign that you are available and open to Him. Don’t strain to hear something or try to make something happen. Simply become aware of what rises to your attention as you sit with Jesus. Notice where your mind goes, what stirs in your heart, or what you find yourself returning to.
What might Jesus be saying to me? What comes to mind—a verse, person, question, conviction, or invitation?
RESPOND
Write down what Jesus brought to your attention.
What do you want to carry with you throughout your day?
Jesus, help me remember what You brought to my attention and keep listening for Your voice. Amen.
