Wells Chapel Baptist Church

06/23/2026

The Discipline of Prayer

Scripture
"But Elisha said, 'As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!'" — 2 Kings 2:6 NKJV

Devotional Thought
Yesterday, we began this week by asking a sobering question: what are you leaving behind? We recognized that legacy is not built in a single dramatic moment — it is built in the daily, ordinary choice to walk faithfully with God and with the people He has entrusted to us. Today, we take our first real step toward building that legacy. We are going to look at the first of three spiritual disciplines that Elijah modeled, and that we are each called to pass down to the next generation: the discipline of prayer.

Three times in our passage, Elijah tells Elisha to stay behind. Three times, Elisha refuses. "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" That same exchange happens at Bethel, at Jericho, and at the Jordan. Elisha will not be shaken loose. He is determined not to miss what God is doing. He is not going to be pulled away by noise or distraction. He is pressing forward and staying close, no matter what. That kind of holy persistence — that stubborn, determined refusal to let go — is exactly what prayer looks like in the life of a believer. Prayer is staying close to God. It is showing up even when you do not feel worthy. It is refusing to be distracted by the busyness of life long enough to say, "Lord, I am here. I need You. I am not going anywhere." And here is why this matters for legacy: when the people watching your life see you pray — really pray — they learn something that no sermon can fully teach them. They learn that God is real. They learn that faith is not just a Sunday word. They learn that a person can actually talk to the Creator of the universe and expect to be heard.

Some of us grew up in homes where we never heard a parent pray. Never heard them call on God. Never saw them humble themselves before the Lord in any real way. Maybe that left a gap — a spiritual silence you can still feel. But here is the hope in the gospel: you can change the story. Starting today, in your home, at your table, in your car — you can introduce the sound of prayer into the lives of those around you. You can give the next generation something you may not have received yourself. That is the redemptive power of God at work. And a prayer life does not have to be complicated. It can be as simple as praying out loud before dinner — something personal and honest beyond just "bless this food." It can be praying with your spouse before you fall asleep. It can be saying a prayer over your child before they walk out the door in the morning. It can be calling a friend and praying with them over the phone. The power is not in the length. The power is in the consistency and the sincerity. And over time, those small, faithful moments of prayer will stitch together a mantle that someone else can one day pick up and carry.

Application
Prayer is not just asking God for things. It is also confession — coming before God honestly about where we have fallen short. It is worship — telling God how great He is. It is intercession — praying for others by name. It is surrender — saying, "Lord, not my way, but Yours." When we pray these things in front of the people God has given us to influence, we are doing something powerful. We are showing them what a real relationship with God looks like. And one day, when they face their own valleys, they will remember what it sounded like when you called on God. Those prayers will still be speaking long after you are gone.

Challenge
Today's practical step is this: pray out loud with or in front of someone today. It does not have to be long or eloquent. Before a meal, try something personal: "Lord, thank You for this family. Watch over us today. Help us to honor You in everything we do." Or pray with your spouse before bed tonight. Or send a voice message to a family member saying, "I just wanted to pray for you for a minute." Let someone hear you call on God. Make it real. Make it specific. Let them see that prayer is not a religious routine — it is a living conversation with a living God.

Prayer
Father, I confess that I do not always pray the way I should. Life gets loud and busy, and prayer can end up at the bottom of the list. Forgive me for that. Today I want to recommit to the discipline of prayer — not as a box to check, but as a genuine habit of staying close to You. Help me to pray with consistency and sincerity. And Lord, let the people watching my life learn from what they see — that You are real, You are near, and You are absolutely worth talking to. In Jesus' name, Amen.

06/22/2026

06/22/2026

A Legacy Worth Leaving

Scripture
"And it came to pass, when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal." — 2 Kings 2:1 NKJV

Devotional Thought:
Every person leaves something behind. Whether we ever stop to think about it or not, we are all building a legacy right now — not someday, not when we get things together, but today. The choices we make, the habits we keep, the faith we live out in front of others — all of it is being observed by someone. And one day, what we have passed down will be all that remains of our influence in this world.

In 2 Kings chapter 2, we step into one of the most powerful moments in all of Scripture — the final day of the prophet Elijah's earthly ministry. Elijah knows his time is short. His servant and student, Elisha, knows it too. And as these two men walk together — from Gilgal to Bethel, from Bethel to Jericho, from Jericho to the Jordan River — something holy is taking place between them. A legacy is being transferred. But here is what we need to notice: this moment didn't happen overnight. Elijah's legacy wasn't built in a single afternoon, and it wasn't passed down in one conversation. It was formed over years of walking together. Elisha had watched Elijah pray. He had watched him obey and stand for God even when it was costly and unpopular. He had watched him trust God when everything looked impossible. And because Elisha had stayed close through all of it, he was positioned to receive what God was about to do.

The same principle is true for every one of us. Legacy is not something we build in a dramatic moment. It is built in the ordinary, daily choices we make to walk with God and walk faithfully with the people He has placed in our lives. Maybe today you feel the weight of that. Maybe you look back and think, "I haven't been the spiritual example I should have been." Maybe your own story with your father was painful or complicated, and the idea of legacy feels more like an open wound than a promise.

Here is the good news: Elijah was not a perfect man. He had seasons of deep fear. He had moments of such discouragement that he asked God to take his life. But God still used him. God still built something lasting and holy through him. That same God — the God of grace and redemption — can take your story, broken and all, and make something out of it worth leaving behind. The question is never whether you will leave a legacy. You will. We all do. The only question is this: what will it be?

Application
As you go through your day today, pay attention to what your life is communicating — not just with your words, but with the way you live. The people God has placed around you are watching. Your children, your grandchildren, your neighbors, your coworkers, the younger believers in your church — they are taking in what it looks like to live the life you are living. Ask yourself honestly: if someone followed me around for the next week and watched my habits, my priorities, and my choices, what would they conclude about my faith? Would they see someone who actually trusts God? Would they see someone who takes the things of God seriously? Would they see a life worth imitating? Legacy begins with those questions. You cannot pass down what you do not possess, and you cannot leave behind what you are not building today.

Challenge
Find a quiet moment today — during your lunch break, your commute, or before you go to bed tonight — and take ten minutes to write down three qualities of faith that you want to be known for. Be specific. Do not just write "I want to be a good Christian." Write something like: "I want to be known as someone who prays consistently," or "I want to be known as someone who loves God's Word," or "I want to be someone who is faithful to God's house no matter what." Write those three things down and put them somewhere you will see them every day this week — on your bathroom mirror, in your phone notes, on your dashboard. As we walk through this devotional series together, those three things will serve as the foundation we build on each day.

Prayer
Lord, I come to You today with my whole story — the good parts and the broken parts. I recognize that I am leaving something behind whether I intend to or not, and I want what I leave to point people to You. Forgive me for the times I have been spiritually careless or passive. Help me to see that my daily choices carry weight far beyond what I can see right now. Redeem what is broken in my story. Use my life — imperfect as it is — to leave a legacy of real, living faith for those who are watching. In Jesus' name, Amen.

06/21/2026

06/19/2026

The Light That Will Never Go Out

Scripture:
“The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light." — Revelation 21:23-24 (NKJV)

Devotional Thought:
The light theme in Scripture does not just begin in Genesis — it has a glorious conclusion. In the New Jerusalem, the eternal dwelling place of God's people, there will be no sun, no moon, no electric lights or candles. Because the Lamb — Jesus Christ — is its light. The same One who said “I am the light of the world" in John 8 will be the eternal light of the world that is to come. When you follow Jesus today, you are not just picking up a helpful habit for getting through the week. You are aligning yourself with the source of eternal light. You are stepping onto a path that does not end at the grave — it leads right into the unending, undimmed, glorious light of God Himself. The darkness threw everything it had at the Light — it crucified Him, buried Him, sealed the tomb — and on the third day, the Light walked out of that grave just as bright and just as powerful as ever. That light will never go out. And the invitation that Jesus gave in John 8 — “follow Me, walk in My light” — is the same invitation that leads all the way to that eternal city. The question is not whether the Light is real. The evidence runs from Genesis to Revelation. The question is: what will you do with the Light?

Application:
Following Jesus is not just about getting through today — it is about where the path ultimately leads. Every step of obedience, every moment of surrender, every day you choose to walk in His light is a step toward an eternity where darkness no longer exists at all.

Daily Challenge:
Read Revelation 21:22-27 in full today. Let the vision of eternity fill your heart with hope and fresh motivation. Then write down one specific way you will intentionally walk in the light of Christ this coming week — and share it with a trusted friend or fellow believer who can hold you accountable.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are the Alpha and the Omega — the light of the beginning and the light of eternity. Thank You that the path I am on does not end in darkness but in the unending light of Your presence. On the days when following You feels hard, remind me of where this road leads. And for anyone reading this who has not yet surrendered to You — I pray that today would be the day they step out of the shadows and into Your light. You are worth following. You are worth everything. In Your glorious name, Amen.

06/18/2026

And that’s a wrap! VBS Illumination Station 2026 finished strong last night and we had a great time using John 8:12 as our theme. A big THANK YOU to everyone that helped make this a success! Continue the excitement by joining us this Sunday at 9:30 for Sunday School and 10:30 for Worship.

And remember, it’s only 359 days until VBS 2027! We’re saving a seat just for you!

06/18/2026

Walking in the Light Every Single Day

Scripture:
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

Devotional Thought:
“I am the light of the world"* was not just a statement meant for a crowded courtyard in first-century Jerusalem. It is meant for your Tuesday morning when you wake up anxious. It is meant for your Wednesday afternoon when you face a decision that feels too big. It is meant for your Friday night when temptation is knocking on the door. Following Jesus as the light is not always a dramatic experience — it is often just quiet, daily obedience. Think about what it means to walk in the light of someone ahead of you on a dark path. You do not have to see the whole road at once. You just have to stay close enough that the light they carry illuminates the next step in front of you. That is what following Jesus looks like day to day. But here is the danger for long-time believers: we can drift. Not dramatically, not all at once — but gradually, the daily disciplines that kept us close to Jesus get crowded out by busyness and familiarity. And before long, we are making decisions in our own wisdom, carrying our own burdens in our own strength, and wondering why life feels heavier than it used to. It is because we have gotten too far from the Light.

Application:
The lamp of God's Word only lights your path if you are carrying it. Staying close to Jesus through daily prayer, Scripture, and surrender is not optional maintenance — it is the difference between walking in light and stumbling in the dark.

Daily Challenge:
Before you check your phone tomorrow morning, spend the first five minutes of your day in prayer and reading one passage of Scripture. Do this for the rest of the week and notice how it changes the tone of your day. Start today by reading John 8:12 slowly, three times, and let the promise sink in.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to walk close to You today — not just on Sundays, but in the ordinary moments of this week. Forgive me for the times I have drifted and tried to carry my own burdens in my own strength. Teach me what it means to follow You step by step, trusting that Your light is enough for the next step even when I cannot see the whole road. Be my lamp today. In Your name, Amen.

06/17/2026

The Danger of Closing Your Eyes to the Light

Scripture:
“Jesus answered and said to them, 'Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.'"— John 8:14 (NKJV)

Devotional Thought:
The Pharisees were not ignorant men. They were the most educated, most religious, most Scripture-saturated people in their culture. They knew the law of Moses backwards and forwards. They fasted twice a week and tithed down to their garden herbs. And yet when the very One the Scriptures pointed to showed up in person, they rejected Him. They were not standing in front of the Light trying to figure out if it was real — they were standing in front of the Light and choosing to close their eyes.

That is the sobering nature of spiritual darkness: it does not just mean an absence of information. It means an inability to perceive the truth even when it is standing right in front of you. Knowledge about God is not the same thing as knowing God. Religious activity is not the same thing as walking in the light. The Pharisees had all the right answers and all the wrong responses — because they had never truly surrendered to the One they claimed to serve.

Application:
It is possible to be very busy with religious activity and still be walking in darkness. The question is not how much you know about Jesus — it is whether you have genuinely surrendered to Him. Humility and hunger are what open our eyes to the Light.

Daily Challenge:
Take an honest inventory today. Are there any areas of your life where you are going through the motions — doing the right things outwardly but keeping Jesus at arm's length inwardly? Identify one specific area and ask God to replace religious routine with genuine relationship.

Prayer:
Father, I do not want to be someone who stands in front of the Light with my eyes closed. Search my heart today and show me any place where I have substituted religious habit for real relationship with You. Give me the humility of those who believed — the hunger that says, "Lord, I need You." I do not want to manage my spiritual reputation. I want to know You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

06/16/2026

The Great I AM Stands Before Us

Scripture:
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'"— John 8:12 (NKJV)

Devotional Thought:
When Jesus stood in the temple courts during the Feast of Tabernacles and declared “II am the light of the world," He was doing something far more than making a poetic statement. Those two words — “I am"— carried the full weight of God's eternal name. When Moses stood at the burning bush and asked God His name, God said “I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14).

Jesus was using that same language, standing in the very place where the great temple lampstands had just been burning, and declaring: “I am the fulfillment of everything those lights were pointing to. I always have been. I always will be.“ He was not offering Himself as one option among many, or presenting Himself as a helpful guide or moral example. He was declaring Himself to be the very source of light itself — the One without whom everything is darkness. And His promise is extraordinary: not just a little illumination, not just enough light to see one step ahead, but “the light of life” — life in its fullest sense, as God designed it to be lived.

Application:
Jesus is not a supplement to your life — He is the source of it. When life feels dim, confusing, or directionless, the answer is not to try harder or look elsewhere. The answer is to draw closer to the One who IS the light.
Daily Challenge:
Spend five minutes in silence today and honestly ask yourself: Am I treating Jesus as the source of my life, or as one resource among many? Write down one area of your life where you have been relying on your own understanding instead of His light, and bring it to Him in prayer.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are the great I AM — the eternal, self-existent God who stepped into human darkness to bring light. Forgive me for the times I have treated You as less than You are. Today I declare that You are not just a part of my life — You are the light of my life. Shine in every corner of my heart and every area of my day. I choose to follow You. In Your name, Amen.* ---

06/15/2026

We had a great kickoff celebration yesterday (see pictures below) for our Illumination Station VBS. Join us today from 6:00-8:00 for our first day. We’ll have a meal, crafts, Bible study, recreation and lots of music. We hope to see you there!

We’re saving a seat just for you!