Month: October 2026

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Discipleship Devotional #10: Intimacy with God Value – God Speaks & I Can Hear Him

Sadly, hearing God has at times been a subject of both controversy and frustration in the Body of Christ. Here at Authentic Joy, we believe that from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible records a God who actively communicates with His people. Not just through what is recorded in the Bible, but personally through angels, dreams, visions, prophets, and His voice audibly and in our hearts. Hearing God is the birthright of the sons and daughters of God. He is speaking.

This week, meditate on the following scriptures:

Isaiah 30:21- (NLT)

20 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. 21 Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. 22 Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, “Good riddance!”

John 10:27-29 (ESV)

 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

John 16:13-15 (NLT)

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

You may recall that a value is something that we do not just believe with our head but that we also have experienced in our heart. We do not just want to believe these scriptures are true. We want to have walked in the experiential reality of hearing God’s voice.

REFLECTION

  • Do you experience hearing God’s personal communication to you in your own unique way?

Based on your honest responses to the above, do the following:

  1. Repent of any areas of disbelief. If you have given up on experiencing what the Bible says you can, repent.
  2. Use your imagination to create a vision for what it would look like to hear God’s voice more clearly or more often. How would you feel? What would you ask Him? How would it affect your identity, faith, and witness? Write it down.
Copyright 2026, Matik Nicholls. All rights reserved.
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Celebrating 100,000 Plan Completions + New Plan

Hello everyone!

Here at Authentic Joy we have been celebrating an amazing milestone – 100,000 people have completed Authentic Joy Bible plans on the YouVersion app! Wow! Who would have thought? Not me, I’ll tell you that.

When I started this journey, I was just trying to find a way to use the talents God had given me to serve people. I figured I could write, so I started writing these blogs. Then somehow, by divine providence, I got the opportunity to be a content creator for YouVersion. Years later – 100,000 completions. God is just amazing! I am so privileged to get to play a small part in the spiritual growth of thousands of people from all over the world. I can’t lie, it feels good. It feels good to be a part of something that is of eternal value.

So, to celebrate we are launching a new plan, based on my life verse – Matthew 11:28-30. It’s called Rest for the Weary Soul. Here’s a link to the plan.

Many of us feel weary and heavy burdened. Societal unrest, financial pressures, work stresses, and family challenges can weigh on our minds. Anxiety and fear fill the media and infiltrate our hearts. But Jesus tells us to come to Him and find rest. This plan is a call and a reminder that there remains a deep and abiding rest for our souls in Jesus. The reflections are designed to lead you to encounter Jesus in Scripture as He speaks to our wearied souls and offers us rest.

I hope it blesses you!

To see all of our plans, click here.

Copyright 2026, Matik Nicholls. All rights reserved.

PS: Please pray for us at Authentic Joy as we press into a season of growth.

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Discipleship Devotional #9: Intimacy with God: Heart Values – God Is Near

As we continue to explore intimacy with God, this week we will look at the heart value – God Is Near.

Meditate on the following scriptures:

John 14:18-20 (ESV)
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)
19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Psalm 139:7-10 (NLT)
7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

Hebrews 10:19-22 (ESV)
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Matthew 1:23 (ESV)
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).


You may recall that a value is something that we do not just believe with our head but that we also have experienced in our heart. We do not just want to believe these scriptures are true. We want to have walked in the experiential reality of God’s Presence with us.
So, the questions we can ask ourselves here are:

REFLECTION
• Do you experience the Presence of God with you in your day-to-day activities?
• Is He with you in your car, on the job, in your family time, watching over you as you sleep?
Based on your honest responses to the above do the following:

  1. Repent of any areas of disbelief. If you have given up on experiencing what the Bible says you can, repent.
  2. Use your imagination to create a vison for what it would look like to experience God’s nearness 24/7. How would you feel? Write it down.
  3. Make a habit of inviting the Holy Spirit into your day. In the morning when you wake up. As you drive to work/school. While you eat. In the meeting. Before you go to sleep. Ask Jesus to make your heart tender to the Presence of the Holy Spirit.