A Bible Study for Women Who Want to Stay Spiritually Lit in a Burned-Out World
š Overview:
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish virginsāfive brought oil, five didn’t. When the bridegroom arrived, the unprepared were left scramblingā¦ and shut out.
This study isn’t about fear. It’s about readinessāabout recognizing when your soul is running low and learning how to refill before the moment comes. Because, if we’re honest, most of us are better at checking our phones than checking our oil.
The oil represents what you personally carry: your relationship with God, your obedience, your faith, your surrender. You can’t borrow someone else’s. You can’t pass it off. And when Jesus returns, what you have (or don’t) is what you bring with you into the banquet.
This seven-day devotional is for the woman who loves Jesus but feels like her spiritual tank is flashing E. Whether you’re experiencing exhaustion, distraction, or just need a reset, this challenge is for you.
āļøš Let’s Start With the Word
Before we dive into the daily devotions, here is the full parable from which this entire study is drawn:
Matthew 25:1ā13 (NIV)
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.
The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
šÆļø Teaching Moment:
The Virgin parable is not about lamps and oil aloneāit is about the unseen parts of our faith. The oil symbolizes readiness, obedience, intimacy, and sustained devotion to Christ. It represents the internal spiritual work that no one else sees but God always honors.
The wise virgins were prepared because they had cultivated a lifestyle of watchfulness. They expected a delay. They brought oil because they knew the process of waiting often reveals who’s been filled and who’s been faking.
The foolish virgins weren’t punishedāthey were unprepared. And the most sobering line in the parable? “I don’t know you.”
Jesus isn’t impressed by outer activity. He’s moved by inner devotionāthe kind that stores up oil in a secret place and seeks Him not just in crisis but in daily life.
Let this study be a reset. A challenge. A personal oil check.
Because the banquet is comingāand your oil is your invitation.
š§ Extra Insight: What Oil Symbolizes in Scripture
Oil throughout the Bible represents:
- The Holy Spirit (anointing and empowerment)
- Consecration (setting apart for God’s purpose)
- Healing and refreshing
- Light and readiness (lamps filled and burning)
You’ll find oil mentioned in the anointing of kings, the lighting of the tabernacle, and the healing of the wounded. In every case, oil is God’s provision to prepare, empower, and illuminate.
š What’s Inside:
- 7 Scripturally rooted devotions with depth and grace
- Daily reflection questions + journal prompts
- Real-life applications for moms, ministry leaders, and everyday believers
- FaithSips tone: thoughtful, slightly witty, deeply real
- Great for personal quiet time or small group study
šÆļø Day 1: What’s In Your Lamp?
Scripture: Matthew 25:1ā13
Devotion: Your lamp is your life, your witness, your walk. And your oil? That’s your time with God, your obedience, your worship, and your ongoing surrender. The wise women brought oil because they expected to wait. They didn’t just show up; they stayed ready.
Reflection: Where am I expecting God to move, but I’m not prepared for the wait?
Application: Carve out 10 minutes to sit in silence and ask the Lord, “Am I spiritually full or barely flickering?”
God’s Joy Connection: God finds joy when we live expectantly. Faith is not just showing upāit’s showing up ready.
Transparent Question: If Jesus returned today, would my lamp be burning? What’s one thing I’m doing that’s draining my oil?
šÆļø Day 2: Why They Didn’t Share the Oil
Scripture: Matthew 25:8ā9
Devotion: This part of the parable can feel harsh. Why didn’t the wise virgins share? Because they couldn’t. Oil is not transferable. Your relationship with God is yours alone. You can pray for others, but you can’t obey them. You can encourage them, but you can’t carry their calling.
Reflection: Have I been trying to ride on someone else’s faith or calling?
Application: Ask God to show you where you’ve been relying on the spiritual oil of others (a mentor, pastor, influencer) instead of cultivating your own.
God’s Joy Connection: God delights when we take ownership of our faith. It shows Him we want Him for ourselves.
Transparent Question: Am I depending on someone else’s walk with God to get me through? What would it look like to build mine?
šÆļø Day 3: The Ones Who Went to Buy Oil
Scripture: Matthew 25:10
Devotion: When the foolish virgins realized their lamps were out, they ran to buy oilābut it was too late. Spiritual urgency isn’t panic; it’s preparation. They weren’t wicked; they were distracted, caught up, busy, and missed the moment.
Reflection: Am I spiritually sleepwalking? What is keeping me distracted?
Application: Identify one time-consuming thing you can cut or limit this week to make space for God. Start small, but start.
God’s Joy Connection: God rejoices when we return before the door closesānot in fear, but in faith.
Transparent Question: If Jesus returned tonight, what would I regret? What am I doing today that shows I’m living ready?
šÆļø Day 4: What the Oil Actually Is
Scripture: Zechariah 4:1ā6
Devotion: Oil often symbolizes the Holy Spirit, anointing, consecration, and obedience. It’s not just emotion or inspirationāit’s evidence. Is there fruit in your life? Is there transformation? That’s oil.
Reflection: Is my spiritual oil producing light or just smoke?
Application: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you one area where He wants to produce fresh fruit in your life.
God’s Joy Connection: God smiles when we ask for the oil and expects it to change us.
Transparent Question: Do I know the Holy Spirit personally or just conceptually?
šÆļø Day 5: Living With Overflow
Scripture: Psalm 23:5
Devotion: “My cup overflows” isn’t a brag; it’s a testimony. When your lamp is full, others feel the warmth. Your overflow blesses your kids, your spouse, and your circle. But overflow only comes from consistent filling.
Reflection: Am I pouring from a full place or from exhaustion?
Application: Pick one life-giving thing (worship, rest, journaling, Scripture) and do it daily for the next 5 days.
God’s Joy Connection: God gets joy when we live from overflowābecause it means we’re drawing close to Him.
Transparent Question: What am I prioritizing more than time with God? How is that affecting my overflow?
šÆļø Day 6: The Banquet Door
Scripture: Luke 13:25ā27
Devotion: In both Luke and Matthew, Jesus speaks of doors being shutānot to punish but to protect what is holy. The banquet is about intimacy. It’s not just who knew about Jesusāit’s who walked with Him.
Reflection: Do I know about Jesus, or do I know Him?
Application: Write a prayer that reflects your desire to know Jesus more intimatelyānot just to be saved, but to walk closely.
God’s Joy Connection: Jesus desires a relationship. Our readiness is an invitation to join Him at the table.
Transparent Question: If I had to describe my relationship with Jesus in one word, what would it beāand why?
šÆļø Day 7: Keeping the Flame Lit
Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:6
Devotion: Paul tells Timothy to fan the flame. Because even when we’re filled, the flame can flicker. We need to stir up what’s been placed in us. Oil + fire = light.
Reflection: Have I been intentional about tending my flame?
Application: Write down three things that stir your spiritual fire. Commit to doing at least one each week.
God’s Joy Connection: God delights when we nurture what He’s planted. He gives the oilābut we choose to tend the flame.
Transparent Question: What’s one area of spiritual neglect in which I’m ready to surrender and reignite in my life?
š Closing Summary + Prayer
You’ve spent seven days in deep reflection. You’ve checked your oil, tended your flame, and realigned your heart.
Lord, fill our lampsānot just for today but for every season ahead. Let us live full, ready, and litānot for show but for You. Help us trim our lamps daily, not out of fear but because we long to enter Your joy. Amen.
š£ Share Your Journey
We’d love to hear how God met you in this study! Share your biggest takeaway or favorite day using the hashtag #OilCheckChallenge on Instagram and tag @faithsipswithfelicia.
Let’s encourage one another to stay lit for the long haul.
Print Download Version
You can download the printable The Oil Check Challenge: A 7-Day Faith Refill here:
šš¼ Click to download Oil_Check_Challenge_Devotional.docx
š Hello,
Hi, Iām Hello Felicia (no bye felicia here š), a physician assistant turned creative content writer, coffee and tea enthusiast, and Christ follower. I help moms (and the professionals who serve them) find peace in the chaos through bite-sized encouragement and bold faith. Welcome to FaithSips.com, where motherhood meets Scripture and Grace.
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