In her sermon entitled, "Prayer and Preparation", Pastor Milissa began our series on David and the Psalms by looking at David’s early life, Psalm 23, and the ways God forms us through ordinary experiences, open doors, and transformed hearts.
We invite you to spend the next five days reflecting and praying through this devotional based on that message.
We invite you to spend the next five days reflecting and praying through this devotional based on that message.
Day 1: The Shepherd Who Leads Us Home
Rest: Take 2 minutes of silence and invite God - Father, Son, and Spirit - to draw near to you in this time.
Read: Psalm 23; John 10:11
Reflect: Sheep can be easily drawn away by the promise of greener grass. What looks good in the moment can lead them into danger without them even realizing it. They need a shepherd to guide them, protect them, and bring them home.
David understood this deeply. Before he was king, before anyone knew his name, he was a shepherd. He knew what it meant to lead sheep to green pastures and quiet waters. He knew what it meant to protect them from danger. And through that ordinary work, David came to understand something even deeper: while he was shepherding his father’s sheep, the Lord was shepherding him.
Psalm 23 is David’s prayer of trust. God is not distant or indifferent. He leads, restores, guides, comforts, provides, and stays near, even in the darkest valley.
And generations later, Jesus would say, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Jesus is the Shepherd who comes after us, rescues us, and brings us into life with God.
Where do you need the Lord to shepherd you right now? Pause and talk with the Lord honestly about all of the thoughts and feelings that arise in you as you reflect on this.
Respond: Slowly pray the first line of Psalm 23: “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” Ask God to show you where you have been searching for “greener grass” apart from Him, and invite Him to lead you back into His care.
Return: Spend a moment thanking God for this time, invite Him to continue to speak throughout this day, and close by praying the "Our Father".
Day 2: Prepared in the Ordinary
Rest: Take 2 minutes of silence and invite God - Father, Son, and Spirit - to draw near to you in this time.
Read: 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23:1-3
Reflect: Before David was known as Israel’s king, he was known as the youngest son, the little brother, the one out in the field tending sheep.
No one else may have seen his hidden life as significant, but God did. While David cared for sheep, God was preparing him. He was learning courage, patience, protection, worship, solitude, and dependence. He was learning to guide sheep toward green pastures and quiet waters. Later, he would understand that God had been shepherding him all along.
God often prepares us in places that feel ordinary, hidden, or overlooked. The tasks that seem small may be shaping us for future faithfulness. The skills, experiences, struggles, and responsibilities of today may be part of how God is forming us for what comes next.
What ordinary part of your life might God be using to prepare you right now? Pause and talk with the Lord honestly about all of the thoughts and feelings that arise in you as you reflect on this.
Respond: Name one ordinary responsibility in your life today. Offer it to God as a place of formation, and ask Him to help you be faithful there.
Return: Spend a moment thanking God for this time, invite Him to continue to speak throughout this day, and close by praying the "Our Father".
Read: 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23:1-3
Reflect: Before David was known as Israel’s king, he was known as the youngest son, the little brother, the one out in the field tending sheep.
No one else may have seen his hidden life as significant, but God did. While David cared for sheep, God was preparing him. He was learning courage, patience, protection, worship, solitude, and dependence. He was learning to guide sheep toward green pastures and quiet waters. Later, he would understand that God had been shepherding him all along.
God often prepares us in places that feel ordinary, hidden, or overlooked. The tasks that seem small may be shaping us for future faithfulness. The skills, experiences, struggles, and responsibilities of today may be part of how God is forming us for what comes next.
What ordinary part of your life might God be using to prepare you right now? Pause and talk with the Lord honestly about all of the thoughts and feelings that arise in you as you reflect on this.
Respond: Name one ordinary responsibility in your life today. Offer it to God as a place of formation, and ask Him to help you be faithful there.
Return: Spend a moment thanking God for this time, invite Him to continue to speak throughout this day, and close by praying the "Our Father".
Day 3: When God Opens Doors
Rest: Take 2 minutes of silence and invite God - Father, Son, and Spirit - to draw near to you in this time.
Read: 1 Samuel 16:14-23; 1 Samuel 17:32-37
Reflect: David did not force his way into the palace. God opened the door.
The same young shepherd who had developed skill with music in the fields was brought before King Saul to play the lyre. The same shepherd who had defended sheep from lions and bears would later stand before Goliath with courage. God used David’s earlier experiences to prepare him for unexpected opportunities.
But David’s confidence was not ultimately in his ability. He said, “The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me.” His past became a testimony to God’s faithfulness.
God may open doors in your life too. Sometimes they come suddenly. Sometimes they are surprising. Sometimes they feel far beyond your capacity. But the question is not only, “Am I ready?” It is also, “Has God been preparing me, and will He be with me?”
Where might God be opening a door for you to trust Him more deeply? Pause and talk with the Lord honestly about all of the thoughts and feelings that arise in you as you reflect on this.
Respond: Think of one opportunity, invitation, or challenge in front of you. Ask God whether this is a door He is opening, and ask for courage to walk through it if He is leading.
Return: Spend a moment thanking God for this time, invite Him to continue to speak throughout this day, and close by praying the "Our Father".
Read: 1 Samuel 16:14-23; 1 Samuel 17:32-37
Reflect: David did not force his way into the palace. God opened the door.
The same young shepherd who had developed skill with music in the fields was brought before King Saul to play the lyre. The same shepherd who had defended sheep from lions and bears would later stand before Goliath with courage. God used David’s earlier experiences to prepare him for unexpected opportunities.
But David’s confidence was not ultimately in his ability. He said, “The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me.” His past became a testimony to God’s faithfulness.
God may open doors in your life too. Sometimes they come suddenly. Sometimes they are surprising. Sometimes they feel far beyond your capacity. But the question is not only, “Am I ready?” It is also, “Has God been preparing me, and will He be with me?”
Where might God be opening a door for you to trust Him more deeply? Pause and talk with the Lord honestly about all of the thoughts and feelings that arise in you as you reflect on this.
Respond: Think of one opportunity, invitation, or challenge in front of you. Ask God whether this is a door He is opening, and ask for courage to walk through it if He is leading.
Return: Spend a moment thanking God for this time, invite Him to continue to speak throughout this day, and close by praying the "Our Father".
Day 4: A Heart After God
Rest: Take 2 minutes of silence and invite God - Father, Son, and Spirit - to draw near to you in this time.
Read: 1 Samuel 16:7; Psalm 23:4-6
Reflect: When Samuel looked at Jesse’s sons, he saw what people often see: appearance, strength, height, and credentials. But God said, “People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
David had gifts. He was musical, brave, and capable. But the most important thing God was forming in David was his heart.
Psalm 23 shows us a heart that had learned dependence. David knew God as Shepherd. He knew God’s nearness in dark valleys. He knew the comfort of God’s rod and staff. He knew that God’s goodness and love could follow him even when enemies were near.
Prayer changes us. When we bring our fears, longings, gratitude, and confusion to God, our circumstances may not immediately change, but we are changed. Our hearts are reshaped by the presence of the Shepherd.
What is the condition of your heart before God today? Pause and talk with the Lord honestly about all of the thoughts and feelings that arise in you as you reflect on this.
Respond: Pray Psalm 23 slowly. After each verse, pause and tell God what it stirs in you: comfort, resistance, longing, grief, gratitude, or hope.
Return: Spend a moment thanking God for this time, invite Him to continue to speak throughout this day, and close by praying the "Our Father".
Read: 1 Samuel 16:7; Psalm 23:4-6
Reflect: When Samuel looked at Jesse’s sons, he saw what people often see: appearance, strength, height, and credentials. But God said, “People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
David had gifts. He was musical, brave, and capable. But the most important thing God was forming in David was his heart.
Psalm 23 shows us a heart that had learned dependence. David knew God as Shepherd. He knew God’s nearness in dark valleys. He knew the comfort of God’s rod and staff. He knew that God’s goodness and love could follow him even when enemies were near.
Prayer changes us. When we bring our fears, longings, gratitude, and confusion to God, our circumstances may not immediately change, but we are changed. Our hearts are reshaped by the presence of the Shepherd.
What is the condition of your heart before God today? Pause and talk with the Lord honestly about all of the thoughts and feelings that arise in you as you reflect on this.
Respond: Pray Psalm 23 slowly. After each verse, pause and tell God what it stirs in you: comfort, resistance, longing, grief, gratitude, or hope.
Return: Spend a moment thanking God for this time, invite Him to continue to speak throughout this day, and close by praying the "Our Father".
Day 5: Jesus, Our Good Shepherd
Rest: Take 2 minutes of silence and invite God - Father, Son, and Spirit - to draw near to you in this time.
Read: John 10:11; Psalm 23:5-6
Reflect: David was a shepherd before he was a king. He knew what it meant to guide, protect, provide for, and rescue sheep. He also came to know that while he was shepherding his father’s sheep, the Lord was shepherding him.
But David was still human. As his story unfolds, we see both faithfulness and failure. His sin and weakness would have real consequences. Like David, we are human too. Our failures, fears, and wandering can lead us into danger.
Generations after David, Jesus came as the true and better Shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Jesus did what no human king could do. He went to the cross, took our sin upon Himself, and opened the way for us to live in relationship with the living God now and forever.
Because of Jesus, we can say with confidence: “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” We are loved. We are forgiven. We are provided for. We are brought home.
Where do you need to trust Jesus as your Good Shepherd today? Pause and talk with the Lord honestly about all of the thoughts and feelings that arise in you as you reflect on this.
Respond: Picture yourself as one of the sheep in the care of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Name one fear, failure, or need, and entrust it to Him. Let Him remind you that His goodness and love are following you today.
Return: Spend a moment thanking God for this time, invite Him to continue to speak throughout this day, and close by praying the "Our Father".
Read: John 10:11; Psalm 23:5-6
Reflect: David was a shepherd before he was a king. He knew what it meant to guide, protect, provide for, and rescue sheep. He also came to know that while he was shepherding his father’s sheep, the Lord was shepherding him.
But David was still human. As his story unfolds, we see both faithfulness and failure. His sin and weakness would have real consequences. Like David, we are human too. Our failures, fears, and wandering can lead us into danger.
Generations after David, Jesus came as the true and better Shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Jesus did what no human king could do. He went to the cross, took our sin upon Himself, and opened the way for us to live in relationship with the living God now and forever.
Because of Jesus, we can say with confidence: “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” We are loved. We are forgiven. We are provided for. We are brought home.
Where do you need to trust Jesus as your Good Shepherd today? Pause and talk with the Lord honestly about all of the thoughts and feelings that arise in you as you reflect on this.
Respond: Picture yourself as one of the sheep in the care of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Name one fear, failure, or need, and entrust it to Him. Let Him remind you that His goodness and love are following you today.
Return: Spend a moment thanking God for this time, invite Him to continue to speak throughout this day, and close by praying the "Our Father".