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Light Candles with God
By: Whitney Hopler

Bible Reading:
“Surely, You will light my candle. The LORD, my God, will lighten my darkness.” – Psalm 18:28, RGT

I often light candles at home to remind myself of God’s presence with me. During my morning prayer and meditation times, looking at a candle’s flame helps me focus on how God enlightens me. After a stressful day, enjoying the glow from a candle helps me receive God’s peace. Anytime I need a fresh dose of hope, I can look at a candle and remember that God’s light is strong enough to dispel any darkness in my life.

Have you ever tried using candles during your devotional times with God? It’s simple to do, and can make a significant difference in your ability to focus on the light God is shining into your life.

Sometimes it’s hard to focus on communicating with God during prayer and meditation. Your mind can quickly drift to your busy schedule, your long to-do list, and all the situations you’re worried about right now. Having a candle in front of you can help center your thoughts on just one important thing: the light of God that’s right there with you. As you light a candle and watch the small flame spark to life, you can let go of distractions by thinking of them burning away from you while your mind clears. Then, as you look into the candle to physically focus your eyes on it, you can spiritually focus your attention on God’s presence with you.

In Psalm 18:28, the psalmist shares a wonderful promise: God himself lights your candles and brightens your darkness. This verse shows that God doesn’t expect you to produce your own light when you feel discouraged by the darkness in this fallen world. Instead, God promises to bring his light directly to you. God is the ultimate source of all enlightenment, peace, and hope. You can rely on God to light your candles by giving you whatever you need in prayer.

As you watch the candlelight during your devotional time, you can pray a simple prayer like this: “God, please shine your light on me today. Give me wisdom for my choices. Send me your powerful peace. Encourage me with the hope I need. Thank you; amen.” Talk with God about the specific ways you need enlightenment, peace, and hope on that particular day. Ask God to help the people you know who need those same blessings as they face challenges in their own lives. Let the bright candle flame remind you that Jesus, the Light of the World, loves hearing your prayers and answering them.

At bedtime, you can dim the lights in your room and sit near a glowing candle. Take a few deep, calm breaths. Look at the gentle light and let it inspire you to release the situations you’re worried about to Jesus. Thank him for watching over you, for helping you with those situations, and for sending his peace to you. Let the soft glow of candlelight remind you that God never gets tired and that God’s light shines on you throughout the night.

Whenever you feel overwhelmed by doubt, fear, or sadness, you can light a candle as a simple yet significant act of faith. Darkness can feel overwhelming, but even a tiny flame shines through a dark room. As you focus your eyes on the light, remind yourself that God’s love and power are far greater than any challenge you face. No matter how dark a situation appears, God’s light always wins. Just like a candle’s light will overcome the darkness in a room physically, God’s light will overcome darkness in your life spiritually.

Lighting candles can help you return to God anytime, anywhere. Let candles draw you closer to the source of all light, who loves you!

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider how using candles can help you focus on God and the light he’s shining into your life, reflect on these questions:

• When you feel stressed or distracted, how can watching a candle flame help calm your thoughts and refocus on God? 
• What area of your life currently feels dark? How does Psalm 18:28 reassure you that God will personally bring light to it? 
• How can creating a simple physical routine, like lighting a candle before you pray, help you build a stronger prayer life? 
• How does knowing that God promises to light your candles (rather than expecting you to come up with your own light) encourage you? 
• How can you share the light of God’s peace with someone in your life who is currently going through a challenging season?

Further Reading:
John 8:12
Psalm 119:105
Matthew 5:16
2 Corinthians 4:6
1 John 1:5

How did today’s devotional speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Crosswalk Devotional discussion.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Rena Lolivier 

Whitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com and on her Facebook author page.

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