Reflect on passages from the First Nations Version of the New Testament and engage Scripture through the voice and cadence of Native storytellers. Hearing the Bible from an Indigenous perspective matters. Creator’s story has always spoken to every people and every land. These devotionals draw from stories of community, wisdom of elders, and the land itself, reminding us that Creator’s hope is given to be shared.
Whoever you are and wherever you come from, you are welcome in this circle. May these daily readings renew your spirit and remind you that Creator’s hope walks with you wherever you go.
This is part of a series of devotionals for Indigenous Peoples Month written by the Indigenous Ministers Association of The Evangelical Covenant Church. Click here to read more.
A Fire for the Weary
When You Feel Spiritually Empty
“The time for the full meaning of the ancient festival had now arrived. They had all gathered together in one place, when suddenly the sound of a great windstorm came from the spirit-world above and could be heard throughout the house where they were sitting. They saw flames of fire coming down from above, separating and resting on each of their heads. The Holy Spirit had come down upon them and began to fill them with his life and power. New languages began to flow out from their mouths, languages they had never learned, given from the Holy Spirit.” – The Good Story Continues (Acts) 2:1–4, First Nations Version
There are times when hearts feel dry, like the desert in drought. Prayers become whispers, and the spirit feels dim. Many Indigenous communities understand this spiritual exhaustion when the fight has been long and healing has not yet come.
Acts reminds us that the Spirit came when the people gathered. The fire did not fall on just one—it rested on all. Not on the strongest, but on the present. Not on the powerful, but on the willing.
This is Creator’s way. The sacred fire does not need us to earn it. It only needs us to make room. In our homes, in our circles, in our weariness, the Spirit descends. In Indigenous ways, the fire is a symbol of presence, community, and transformation. Let it rise again, even in tired hearts.
Even when the flame feels low, the ember holds power. A heart that shows up in weariness is still worthy of fire. There is no need to strive or perform—only to make room. The Spirit meets those who gather, especially the ones who feel empty. The sacred flame will return. There is still a fire for those who are tired.
Prayer
Creator, breathe on the weary. Rest your flame on the tired ones who keep showing up. Light their hearts again not only for power, but for peace, unity, and healing.
Carried by the Spirit
When You Do Not Know What to Pray
“In the same way, his Spirit helps us in our weakness, for our prayers are often empty words, but Creator’s own Spirit groans deep within us, without words, making our weak prayers strong. The one who sees into our hearts knows the Spirit’s thoughts and prays with us in our weakness, so we can become who he created us to be.” – Small Man to the Sacred Family in Village of Iron (Romans) 8:26–27, First Nations Version
There are times when words fail. Grief, confusion, or deep tiredness can silence even our strongest prayers. In Indigenous experience, much has been carried in silence—tears without words, pain without explanation. But we are not alone in this silence. The Great Spirit carries what we cannot say. Like smoke rising from a sacred fire, the groans of our hearts rise to Creator.
In many Indigenous traditions, prayer is not always spoken. It is deep listening. It is danced, sung, drummed, or held in sacred silence. So even when your voice is quiet, your spirit speaks.
When words are gone and only silence remains, the Spirit still understands. Every tear, every ache, every unspoken cry is seen. Prayer is not measured by volume or eloquence but by the heart. Even sacred stillness is a kind of prayer. The Spirit is already near, already helping carry what feels too heavy to hold alone.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, thank you for knowing my heart when I cannot speak. Pray through me. Carry what I cannot carry alone. Let your peace find me even in the quiet.
Strength for the Silent Ones
When You Feel Invisible
“For the Great Spirit has chosen the foolish to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong. He has chosen the ones the world looks down on, those who seem to have nothing to offer, to bring to nothing the ones the world looks up to.” – First Letter from Small Man to the Sacred Family in Village of Pleasure (1 Corinthians) 1:27–28, First Nations Version
In this world, people are often overlooked. Some are seen as unimportant. For generations, Indigenous voices were silenced, stories ignored, and contributions erased. This pain is not only historical, but also personal.
But the Good Story says Creator sees what others miss. The ones the world pushes aside, Creator lifts up. The quiet servant, the faithful elder, the unseen helper, these are the ones chosen. Creator sees the heart.
This is not just a message for Indigenous peoples, but for all who feel invisible. You are not forgotten. You are not disqualified. The Creator honors the humble and gives strength to those the world dismisses.
Not all strength is loud. The quiet ones, the faithful ones, the ones who keep showing up without applause are known and honored by Creator. What the world overlooks, the Spirit uplifts. Even in silence, the soul can shine with power. Being unseen does not mean being unworthy. Heaven sees what others miss.
Prayer
Creator, thank you for seeing the ones no one else does. Remind us that your eyes are on the obedient, the faithful, the unseen. Lift those who feel small and let them know they are chosen.
Healing in the Waiting
When the Answers Do Not Come Quickly
“So be patient, my sacred family members, until our Honored Chief appears. Look at the worker in the field who patiently waits for the seasonal rains to fall so the land can bring forth its fruits. In the same way, you must also be patient and stand firm, for the appearing of our Honored Chief is close at hand.” – He Leads the Way to the Sacred Tribes (James) 5:7–8, First Nations Version
Waiting can feel endless. We wait for healing. For justice. For reconciliation. Indigenous communities have waited across generations for treaties to be honored, for systems to change, for restoration to come.
Yet Creator calls us to wait like farmers, people of faith who trust his earth and the seasons. In Indigenous traditions, we do not force the land, we walk with it. In the same way, we walk with Creator’s timing. Your waiting is not wasted. Something is growing, even if you cannot see it yet.
Waiting is not wasted. Even when nothing seems to be changing, something sacred is unfolding beneath the surface. The slow seasons are not a punishment but a preparation. Trust that Creator is at work in unseen ways. Healing often takes root before it ever blooms. Let patience become a place of peace.
Prayer
Creator, help us trust your perfect timing. Let us wait with faith like our ancestors waited for the rains. Strengthen us in times of waiting. Let our hearts grow steadily with hope.
The Strength of Our Ancestors
When You Feel Like Giving Up
“We are surrounded by a great cloud of truth tellers who have shown us what it means to trust the Great Spirit. So let us lay to the side everything that weighs us down and the broken ways that so easily wrap around our legs to trip us. And let us run as if we are in a long-distance race, setting a steady pace and heading toward the goal. This means we must keep our eyes on Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the trailblazer of our spiritual ways, the one who was first to reach the end of the trail. The joy that lay before him gave him the strength to suffer on the cross and willingly bear its shame. He now sits at the Creator’s right hand in place of greatest honor.” – To the People of the Tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Hebrews) 12:1–2, First Nations Version
When the road feels long and the burdens too heavy, it is tempting to stop walking. Many in Indigenous communities know this weariness—the kind that sits in your bones from generations of struggle, survival, and resistance. But this word reminds us that we are not alone on this path. We are surrounded by those who came before us: elders, ancestors, and spiritual warriors. They form a sacred cloud of witnesses, cheering us forward from the spirit realm. Their prayers strengthen our steps and their faith fuels our own.
Even if you are not Indigenous, you walk with someone’s legacy behind you. You are part of a greater story. When you keep going, you honor those who cannot.
And ahead of us? Creator Sets Free (Jesus) is our trailblazer. He made a way when there was none. So do not give up. Let every step be a testimony of your strength, and theirs.
The journey may feel long, but no one walks alone. Ancestors walk each step with us. Their prayers still echo; their strength still carries. Even when the path is steep, hope remains. Each step forward honors the ones who came before and clears a way for those yet to come.
Prayer
Creator, help us keep walking even when we want to stop. Thank you to those who paved the way before us. May their witness give us courage, and may we run with endurance toward your healing.
Blessed Are the Peacemakers
When Conflict Surrounds You
“Creator’s blessing rests on the ones who make peace. It will be said of them, ‘They are the children of the Great Spirit!’” – Gift from Creator Tells the Good Story (Matthew) 5:9, First Nations Version
In a world full of division and noise, peacemaking is radical. It is not passive, it is powerful. It requires humility, strength, and deep love for people and the land.
Indigenous cultures have long upheld the value of restoring balance. Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of a right relationship with self, others, creation, and Creator. Whether in family, community, or nation-building, the peacemaker does not ignore pain; they listen, speak truth, and offer healing.
This call is for all people. Creator’s blessing rests on those who seek peace, even when it is costly. Those who carry peace into conflict carry the Spirit of Creator. A gentle voice can shift the atmosphere. A heart rooted in peace plants hope wherever it walks.
Prayer
Great Spirit, make us peacemakers in a world of violence and division. Teach us to walk with integrity, to speak truth with grace, and to restore balance wherever we go.
Nothing Can Separate Us
When You Feel Unloved or Far from God
“One thing I know for sure. Nothing can separate us from Creator’s love. Not death or life. Not spirit-messengers or dark spirit-rulers. Nothing from the spirit-world above or on the earth below. Nothing today or in the days to come. Not one thing in all creation can separate us from his great love, a love that is ours in the Chosen One, Creator Set Free (Jesus), our Honored Chief!” – Small Man to the Sacred Family in Village of Iron (Romans) 8:38–39, First Nations Version
Some have been told they are not worthy; they are too broken, too lost, too far gone. Others feel abandoned by people, by the church, by systems, even by faith. For many Indigenous people, this pain is tied to deep historical wounds—churches that silenced culture, families torn apart, sacred traditions misunderstood.
But Creator’s love cannot be stopped by human hands. It is not erased by shame or distance. Nothing can separate us from it. This promise is for all. No matter your background, your failures, your doubts. Creator’s love is bigger than the pain, stronger than the past, and closer than your next breath. Creator’s love will heal you and fill you with hope.
There is no distance too great for the love of Creator to reach. No wound too deep, no silence too long. The Spirit draws near in love that never fails. Nothing in creation can erase what has already been written in love—your name, your worth, your belonging.
Prayer
Creator, let your love break through every wall. Silence every lie that says we are unworthy. May we remember every day, in every place, that nothing can separate us from you.
Hope That Cannot Be Taken
When the World Feels Heavy
“‘He will perform a wiping of tears ceremony, for death will be no more. There will be no sorrow, or weeping, or pain, because these former things have faded away.’ Then the one on the seat of honor spoke again. ‘Behold,’ he said, ‘I am making all things fresh and new.’ Then he added, ‘Write these words down, for they are true and trustworthy.’” – Book of the Great Revealing (Revelation) 21:4–5, First Nations Version
This world can feel too heavy to carry. Violence, loss, injustice—it is easy to wonder if restoration will ever come. Indigenous peoples have carried centuries of grief—of stolen lands, languages, and children. But still they rise. Still, they sing. Still, they dream of a day when all things are made new.
Revelation reminds us that the day is coming when Creator will make all things right. Tears will be wiped away. The old pain will pass. This is not wishful thinking; it is Creator’s sacred promise. For all people, in all nations, this hope is the anchor. The One who sits on the throne has not forgotten us. Healing is coming!
Hope is not a fragile thing. It is rooted in what Creator has promised to restore. Even when the world feels broken beyond repair, healing is already on its way. Every tear is counted. A new day is coming, one that cannot be taken away.
Prayer
Creator, thank you for the promise that sorrow is not the final word. Wipe our tears. Heal our communities. Make all things new, starting with our hearts.
