Latest Devotion
On Autopilot
By: Lisa Hodgins
Monday, December 1, 2025
"Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36 (NLT)
In 2008, there was a CBS news article about a flight captain and a first officer who overshot their destination in Hawaii. It occurred because they both fell asleep while the plane was on autopilot. The good news was they were awakened by a control tower after they failed to land at the proper destination. They were able to turn around and still land safely, but other flights stuck on on autopilot didn’t end as well.
We all have spiritual routines we like to follow, things like our prayer time, reading God's Word, and which church service we prefer. But if we're not careful, they can become mindless rituals, and we end up on spiritual autopilot.
We've all had a spiritual "dry spell" in our walk with the Lord, but we can't remain there. If we do, we may get stuck on autopilot! Instead, we must diligently seek God's presence and be sure we're staying connected to other Christ followers.
Some reasons why "spiritual autopilot" is dangerous:
1) The enemy knows our weaknesses and has no problem exploiting them. He will lie to us and attempt to sow discontentment. His real goal is to tempt us into slowly moving away from God.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
2) We’ll miss out on what God wants to show us, and we'll miss out on the opportunities He wants to give us.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
3) If we don't halt our descent, some may choose to walk away from their faith.
“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and, in your name, perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" Matthew 7:22-23
4) We may view church as a place for entertainment instead of a place we go to for instruction.
“Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22
Let's be sure to evaluate ourselves and make sure we aren’t stuck on spiritual autopilot. Eternity is so important, it's vital we remain alert and intentional about our final destination!
Read: Matthew 26:41, Acts 2:42