Daily Devotions with Pastor John David Mull of Shepherd of The Valley on the three-year Lectionary Readings. Lectionary C, 2nd Sunday After Pentecost.

Luke 8:26-39

JP-  DEVOTION

This collection of reflective, quiet instrumental music is for Christian reflection and prayer.

All Will Be Well

“Good Girl Gospel” is a worshipcore anthem dripping with sin and salvation, told through the aching voice of a siren who knows her place — on her knees, willingly. This isn’t a love song. This is devotion with bruises. A cinematic blend of dark pop, moody industrial, and sultry gospel vibes, it tells the story of a girl who doesn't need heaven — she’s already found her god, and he's not forgiving. With whispered prayers, pulsing synths, and a confessional breakdown that hits like Sleep Token in silk and chains, this is for anyone who's ever begged to be broken — beautifully.

Let the choir moan.
Let the body obey.
Let the Good Girl Gospel begin.

Good Girl Gospel

Beside Still Waters is minimal and subtle to emphasise a mood of quietness and stillness. Sparing use of synthesiser pads, guitar swells and ambient bells sounds over an ambience of running water recorded at John Forrest National Park create the serene mood that I wanted to capture. The title and theme recall the first few verses of Psalm 23 written by King David:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;
he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake."

Beside Still Waters

Letting Go is an instrumental piece aimed at encouraging the listener to literally be still, reflect and let God take control. A popular saying when I was a young believer was ‘let go and let God’, and still is a helpful reminder for me. I invite you to make yourself comfortable in a quiet place and reflect as you listen to this calm and reflective music.

Letting Go draws on Psalm 46:10 and is a continuation in this encouragement in devotion, and deals with the concept of detachment:

“Be still, and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth!”3

The Israel Institute of Biblical Studies has this to say regarding the term “be still”:

In the original Hebrew of this psalm, the word is harpu, from the verb RFH רפה meaning “to let go, to release”. A more literal translation of harpu would be "cause yourselves to let go". The implication here is significant. Rather than merely being passive, we are instructed to actively let go in order to know that God is in control and to objectively know the saving power of God in our lives.

Letting Go

This track "Waiting" features sparse piano chords, arpeggiated guitar, synthesiser pads and a peaceful melody, all against the ambience of a gently burning fireplace. I invite you to listen to the music as you pray and reflect, and be renewed in strength by His grace. 

The Virtue of Waiting
“…what then shall those things be which are prepared for such as wait for Him? The Creator and Father of all worlds, the Most Holy, alone knows their amount and their beauty. Let us therefore earnestly strive to be found in the number of those that wait for Him.” St Clement of Rome

Waiting

Believe And You Will See, as the name suggests, is an encouragement to step into the realm of faith and thereby be enlightened and awakened to what God is wanting to reveal to us.

Recorded in my home studio, this instrumental piece features ethereal pads, serene guitar swells and a gentle arpeggio for a tranquil relaxing mood. I invite you to listen to the music as you pray and reflect, and be lifted up in faith.


Is your faith low, or even non-existent? Do you have questions or doubts? Faith is a gift God has given us, and through our response in prayer we draw nearer to the Great Initiator, who wants us to know his love for us in an ever more profound and deep way. It is in prayer that God reveals himself as a personal and loving Father. It is in prayer that we grow in understanding, love and patience. By making that step of faith in prayer the truth becomes more real and we see more clearly.

The following passage is from The Glenstal Book of Prayer:

“Prayer is the movement of the Holy Spirit in the human heart through which God reaches out and embraces human beings. It is a duet of love in which the action of the Spirit inspires and sustains us in the darkness of faith.

It is an inward call from Christ who dwells within the depths of the human soul, and who longs to be known and loved there. It is the exciting adventure of the search for God’s presence and the endless joy of rejoicing in it when it is found.

It is the growing perception of the infinitely gracious, infinitely merciful Source, the Father who reveals the beauty of his face to the inner eye of the heart and the sweetness of his voice to the inner ear attuned to listen”.

Believe And You Will See

ARES I - DNB MIX

Today's Word for the Day is "Broken." If you listen to Word for the Day on audio and have never checked out the video, you can do so on our YouTube channel at&nbsp;. To receive your Word for the Day by e-mail, go to&nbsp; to sign up.

Broken

Daily Devotions and Weekly Messages from God's Word with John David Mull - Christ-follower, husband, and father.  Pastor of Shepherd of the Valley Church in West Des Moines, IA.

Moments of calm to provide a place of stillness before God.

Hi. I'm Tom. I enjoy teaching and developing leaders most of all. I love to see life change in people as a result of their involvement in ministry. To me, there is nothing more exciting and motivating than to see someone connect with God and begin to live out His purpose for their life.

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