THE UPPER ROOM DEVOTIONAL 11TH JANUARY 2026, SUNDAY MESSAGE
Today’s Reading
Ephesians 3:14
Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us. – Ephesians 3:20 (CEB)
I began placing sticky notes that shared a quote or Bible verse in my daughter’s lunch box when she was in fourth grade and continued the tradition through her middle school years. At some point during middle school, the kids at my daughter’s lunch table began asking, “What does your dad have to say today?” What started as something special for my daughter became an opportunity to share with her friends. I was part of their day but never knew it.
When I learned how important this had become to my daughter and her friends, I marveled at how such a simple act accomplished more than I ever intended. I remembered Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, where he wrote that God “is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine.” We may never know the true impact of our actions, but God does. God uses simple acts to accomplish great things.
It has been six years since my daughter was in middle school, and she still has all the notes in a box by her bed. I never knew how much those notes would mean to her and her friends, but God knew and placed on my heart the desire to write them every day. As Paul reminds us: God’s power is at work within us.
Thought for the Day
Through my small acts, God will do more than I can imagine.
Prayer Focus
Parents of middle-school children
Today’s Prayer
All-powerful God, guide us in the things we should do to honor you. Amen.
The Upper Room Devotional 11th January 2026 is a daily devotional magazine published in more than 30 languages and 100 countries around the world. The daily meditations are written by readers of the magazine and others interested in sharing their faith experiences through writing—both laity and clergy, published authors and new writers. Read More