Bible Reading: Jeremiah 29:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Kenya ran to her room and quietly shut her door. Kneeling beside her bed, she began to pray.

One thing Kenya had learned from her grandma was how to pray. She had watched her grandma pray many times. If someone was sick, Grandma prayed. If someone was hurt, Grandma prayed. If someone was sad, Grandma prayed. If everything was awesome, Grandma prayed.

Kenya loved God, and she knew that God loved her too. She knew He cared about everything that was going on her life.

"Dear God, thank You for loving me and for listening to me when I pray. I'm so glad I can trust in You. My grandma is having surgery this morning. Please keep her safe and help her new knee work better for her. In Jesus's name I pray, amen!"

Kenya bounded out of her room and ran outside to play. She knew that God had heard her prayer and that He was taking care of her grandma.

"Kenya, Grandma is on the phone," Mom called to her later that day.

Kenya came running and took Mom's cell phone. "Hi, Grandma. How are you feeling? I prayed for you this morning."

"I could feel your prayers. Thank you for praying for me. The surgery went well and I will be able to leave the hospital soon."

"Yay! I can't wait to see you, Grandma. I love you!"

"I love you too, Kenya."

During devotions that evening, Kenya and her parents talked about prayer. "Isn't it awesome that God wants to have fellowship with us?" said Dad. "He is a personal God. He cares about each one of us individually. He wanted to have a relationship with us so much that Jesus died for us so we could have eternal life with Him. We can pray to Him anytime, and He will listen to us and let us know He cares."

Kenya smiled when Dad asked her to pray. "Dear God, thank You for loving us so much that you would want to talk to us. Thank you for caring about our concerns and worries. Help us keep our eyes on You and to listen and obey. In Jesus's name I pray, amen!"

"Amen!" Mom and Dad said in unison.

-Lisa Fuller

How About You?
Do you pray? Prayer is talking to God. You can talk to Him anytime and anywhere about anything that's on your mind. You can share your worries with Him, and you can thank Him for good things in your life. God wants to have fellowship with you--He wants you to talk to Him and know He's listening. He loves you and cares about your concerns. Spend time talking to God today and remember to thank Him for all He has done.

Today's Key Verse:
The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. (NLT) (Psalm 145:18 )

Today's Key Thought:
God listens when you pray

Bible Reading: Galatians 3:26; 4:6-7; Hebrews 2:11

Marisol folded her pajamas and placed them in the top drawer of a white dresser. There was also room for her underwear, socks, and a photo of her mom and brother. Her jeans and a pair of shorts went into the drawer below, and she hung her three T-shirts in the small closet. Marisol placed the stuffed bunny a volunteer had given her on the bed, then sat down on the pink flowered quilt.

Beverly, her sponsor, knocked on the door. "Can I come in?"

"Sí," said Marisol. "Yes." She needed to remember to speak English.

Beverly sat beside Marisol. "The towels, shampoo, and soap are in the bathroom. If you need anything else, let me know."

"Gracias--thank you." Marisol smiled, but inside she wanted to cry. What she needed was Mami and Jorge, her brother. In this country, she was like an orphan, living with people she didn't know.

Several months ago, Marisol's family decided she'd be safer in the United States than in El Salvador, where gangs of men and boys attacked and hurt people. They couldn't afford for all three of them to make the long trip, so they sent Marisol with strangers. Ever since she'd left home, Marisol felt alone and scared.

Beverly put her hand over Marisol's. "I can only imagine how frightened you must be, but remember, you have family here."

Marisol understood more English than she could speak, but she was confused. "Mi familia, my family…" She tried to remember the correct words. "No está aquí--is not here!"

"But there's another family you're a part of," said Beverly. "Didn't you tell me you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior?"

Marisol nodded. Her family walked to church every Sunday. They thanked Jesus for their food before eating, and each night, Mami, Marisol, and Jorge thanked Jesus for protecting them.

Beverly smiled. "Then you are one of God's children and belong to His family--the church! You aren't alone." Beverly hugged her tight.

"En serio?" asked Marisol.

"Really," answered Beverly.

Marisol gave Beverly a small grin. She wouldn't stop missing Mami and Jorge, but it felt good to know she had family here too.

-Bonnie Carr

How About You?
Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Have you trusted Him to save you from sin? If so, you are part of His family--the church. Families help and support one another. No matter how far away you are from your parents, grandparents, brothers, or sisters, you can find family in the church. You are a child in God's family!

Today's Key Verse:
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (NLT) (John 1:12)

Today's Key Thought:
You are a child of God

Bible Reading: Ephesians 6:18-20

A hairy body landed with a thump on the bed beside Eden, barking furiously.

"Be quiet, Daisy," murmured Eden sleepily. Daisy barked again. Annoyed, Eden pushed the dog away. "Leave me alone!" Daisy bounded off the bed and ran out of the room.

Suddenly…THUMP! Daisy returned and pounced on Eden, dashed away, and then came back and pounced again and again, all the while barking loudly. Eden sat up with a huff. "You dumb dog," she grumbled. "Go away!" Daisy ran to the door and barked, looking back at Eden.

Eden sniffed. Smoke, she thought. I smell smoke! She scrambled out of bed and ran into the hall just as her parents came out of their room. They all hurried out to the yard, and then Dad called 911. Eden sat on the curb and gently stroked Daisy's soft fur while they waited for the fire trucks to arrive.

The next morning, Eden's friend Amy ran up to her at school. "I'm surprised to see you! I thought you'd stay home today to clean up."

"There wasn't much damage, and Mom says the insurance people will send a cleaning crew. We have a lot to be thankful for!"

"The news said your dog woke your family up," Amy said. "That's amazing!"

"Yeah, it seems the smoke alarms we had were defective, so it's a good thing we had Daisy. We could've all died of smoke inhalation!"

As Eden looked at her friend, a thought struck her. I know I would have gone to be with Jesus if I'd died in that fire, but what if it had happened to Amy? She doesn't know Jesus. Eden remembered how mad she'd gotten at Daisy for trying to get her out of bed, but the dog had kept at it. Daisy didn't quit even though I didn't listen to her the first time, Eden thought. But when I tried to talk to Amy about Jesus and she didn't seem interested, I gave up. I need to be more like Daisy and keep praying for Amy and trying to help her know more about Jesus.

"It was scary, but I know I would have gone to be with Jesus if I died," Eden told her friend. "Even when bad things happen, I have peace knowing He saved me."

-Hazel W. Marett

How About You?
Do you talk to your friends about Jesus and let them know what He's done for you? Even if they don't want to hear it at first? Sometimes people respond to the good news of the gospel right away, but other times it can take months or even years of talking about Jesus and showing them how He's changed your life. Don't give up. Keep praying for your friends, and trust God to use you to help them know more about Jesus.

Today's Key Verse:
[Pray] that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. (NKJV) (Ephesians 6:19)

Today's Key Thought:
Keep telling others about Jesus

Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:13-15; 9:10

When Malik got home from school, he plopped down on the couch and eagerly turned on the TV to watch the next episode of a show called "Treasures of the Deep." It was about the discovery of treasures found in the sea, and Malik loved to imagine what it would be like to find treasure and get rich.

Halfway through the show, Dad walked in. "What show is this that you've been so interested in lately?" he asked.

Malik hit the pause button, and his eyes shone as he told his dad all about the treasures found in the ocean and how he hoped he could be a treasure hunter someday. "I like the water, so I think it would be great to hunt treasure deep down in the ocean."

Dad smiled. "Why not start hunting treasure right now?"

"How can I hunt treasure now?" Malik asked in disbelief.

Mom came in and set a plant by the window. "I think your dad's teasing you."

Dad laughed. "I guess I am--a little. But you actually can hunt treasure of a different kind right now--wisdom."

"Oh, that's right," said Mom. "The book of Proverbs describes wisdom as being more precious than gold or valuable jewels. You could hunt wisdom, Malik."

"How do I do that?" asked Malik. "By studying hard in school?"

"That is important," Dad said, "but another verse in Proverbs says, 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.' We can only have wisdom by knowing God, and He reveals Himself to us in the Bible. It tells us about His goodness and greatness and power and how we need to trust in Jesus to be saved from sin. The Bible is full of treasures from God. You can dig deep into it by reading it yourself and by listening when we learn about it together at church."

"Right!" Mom nodded. "It's okay to dream of being a treasure hunter as long as you know the treasure of wisdom is far more precious than anything you'd ever find in the ocean."

Malik grinned. "I'll start treasure-hunting as soon as this episode is over! The book of Proverbs sounds like a good place to start."

-Vicki L. Reinhardt

How About You?
Do you want to be a treasure hunter? There's no greater treasure than the wisdom that comes from God. In order to have that wisdom, the Bible says you need to know Jesus as your Savior. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.) Then, as you read the Bible and learn about it at church, He will fill you with the wisdom of His truth and promises. Wisdom is more valuable than any other treasure you could find. Start hunting for it today!

Today's Key Verse:
She [wisdom] is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. (NIV) (Proverbs 3:15)

Today's Key Thought:
Wisdom is a treasure

Bible Reading: John 11:32-36; Revelation 21:1-4

Avery looked around with tears in her eyes. Everything still felt surreal. How could this be happening?

"Oh, sweetheart," her aunt whispered as she hugged her, "I want you to know that he loved you."

Avery couldn't believe she was at her uncle's funeral. He had been so young and healthy and full of life. Then, just like that, he was gone, and he wasn't coming back.

The next few months were hard for the whole family, and Avery was no exception. She loved her uncle, and she couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that he wasn't with them anymore. More than that, she couldn't understand why God would take him so suddenly. He was a good man, a Christian who loved his family and did what was right.

One afternoon as she was in her bedroom weeping softly, Mom walked in. "What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked.

"I just don't understand," Avery cried. "Why did God take him so soon? His family still needs him."

"To be perfectly honest with you, I don't know either," said Mom. "There are some things we just won't understand here on earth, and I'm afraid this is one of them. We just have to trust that Jesus will be with us through this and remember that He has conquered death and will make everything right again one day, just as He has promised us in His Word."

"I know that, and I do believe it," Avery said. "But is it okay that I'm still sad? I know he's in heaven and he's happy, but I miss him. My friends from church say I should just be happy for him and not think about myself." Avery sniffled again.

"It's perfectly normal and okay to be sad," Mom answered. "Jesus cried when His friend died, and He knew that he would soon be raised from the dead. There is nothing wrong with weeping or feeling sad when we lose someone we love."

Avery nodded. "Okay, good. Sometimes it helps to cry and admit when I'm sad."

Mom hugged her. "Anytime you need someone to talk to, I'm here. And remember, you can talk to Jesus about your feelings too. He understands."

"Thanks, Mom," Avery whispered. "With God's help, we're going to get through this."

-Madison Blizzard

How About You?
Have you lost someone you love? Do you feel sad about a tragedy in your life? Maybe it wasn't a tragedy, but something that made you really sad. Remember, Jesus cried, and it's okay for us to cry too. He understands and cares about our emotions. One day He will wipe all our tears away, but until then, He is with us when we cry. Talk to Him about your feelings, and don't be afraid to talk to an adult about them too.

Today's Key Verse:
Jesus wept. (NKJV) (John 11:35 )

Today's Key Thought:
It's okay to cry