Pastor Stephen Dedman

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
What voices are influencing your decisions today, and are they leading you closer to Jesus or further away?

Context
In John 10, Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd. In the ancient world, shepherds had close relationships with their sheep. Sheep learned to recognize the shepherd’s voice and would follow him while ignoring strangers. Jesus uses this imagery to teach an important spiritual truth: those who belong to Him learn to recognize and respond to His voice.

Application
We live in a world filled with competing voices such as culture, opinions, fears, and distractions. Yet the believer’s calling is simple: listen for the voice of Jesus and follow Him. We hear His voice through Scripture, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, and through time spent in prayer. The more time we spend with the Shepherd, the more clearly we recognize His voice.

Truth For The Day
You were not created to wander; you were created to follow the Shepherd.

Pray
Lord, help me recognize Your voice above all the others competing for my attention today. Give me a heart that listens and a life that follows wherever You lead. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬

Question
Is your private prayer life strong enough to sustain you when your faith is tested?

Context
Daniel had risen to a place of great influence in the kingdom of Persia (modern day Iran). Because of jealousy, other officials devised a plan to destroy him. They convinced King Darius to sign a decree making it illegal to pray to any god except the king for thirty days. Anyone who disobeyed would be thrown into the lions’ den.

When Daniel learned about the decree, he did not panic, protest, or compromise. Instead, he did what he had always done; he went to his room, opened his windows toward Jerusalem, and knelt in prayer. The key phrase is “as was his custom since early days.” Daniel’s courage in a public crisis was built on a lifetime of private devotion.

His prayer life did not begin when the danger came; it had already been established long before the threat appeared.

Application
Faith that stands in public is formed on its knees in private. Daniel did not suddenly become faithful when the decree was signed. His consistency with God prepared him for the moment of testing. Many believers want courage in difficult moments, but courage grows out of daily communion with God.

When prayer becomes your regular habit, it anchors your heart when pressure rises. The same God who heard Daniel’s prayers before the decree also sustained him through the lions’ den.

Truth For The Day
Consistent prayer builds courageous faith.

Pray
Lord, help me to develop a faithful and consistent prayer life. Teach me to seek You daily so that when challenges come, my faith will remain steady. Strengthen my devotion and give me the courage to stand for You in every situation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭85‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
Where in your life do you need God to bring renewal and restore your joy?

Context
Psalm 85 is a prayer from God’s people after experiencing His mercy in the past, yet sensing distance from Him in the present. They remember how God restored them before, and now they cry out again, not just for relief from circumstances, but for spiritual renewal. This verse is not a prayer for the lost, but for the people of God who need their hearts stirred again.

Application
It’s possible to know God and still feel spiritually dry. To go through the motions, yet lack joy. To serve, attend, and believe, yet feel distant.

The psalmist teaches us something important: revival starts with recognition. He doesn’t pretend everything is fine.
He doesn’t try to fix himself first.
He simply asks God to do what only God can do and that’s to revive.

Maybe you’ve lost your joy.
Maybe your passion has faded.
Maybe your walk with God feels more routine than relationship. The good news is this: the same God who revived you before can revive you again.

Truth For The Day
God is able and willing to revive my heart again.

Pray
Lord, I need You to revive my heart again. Restore the joy that I’ve lost and renew my passion for You. Forgive me for going through the motions and drawing near with my actions but not my heart. Breathe fresh life into me, and help me to rejoice in You again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.