Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. I Thessalonians 5:16-18 If you’ve read this verse and thought, “How do I really do that?” then you’re not alone. Should you never leave your prayer closet? Should…
You know that pit that forms in your stomach when you’ve made a mistake? When I was a child, I loved to help my mom carry groceries from the car into the house. I do not know what it was about the weekly process that was so enjoyable to me,…
“Is there anything else you need?” the waitress asked. I thought to myself, “Lady, you have no idea.” Every part of me screamed, “YES! I have so many needs!” But instead, I answered, “More coffee, please.” Have you been there? The answer should have been “More calm, please.” When the storms…
There have been times in my life when the words would not formulate in order to pray to the Lord. I believe there are two Biblical truths for when we find ourselves unable to pray. One is to know that the Holy Spirit is interceding for us; He is our…
Welcome to the Restore Me from Hurting to Healing Bible Reading Challenge You’ve experienced brokenness on some level. I don’t know if you’ve lost a loved one, experienced disease, or encountered heart-breaking circumstances. Maybe the suffering has been long, and the wound in your heart feels like a gaping hole,…
Have you ever felt like you needed a reset in your prayer life? Whew. I’m glad I’m not the only one. For the last month or two, I’ve been working at a feverish pace, and this weekend when I began to think about how I’d like to pace myself until…
A Prayer of Thanksgiving Dear Father, We humbly come before you with grateful hearts, Praising You with all our being, For we know that every good and perfect gift Comes from You- the One who never changes. We recognize those good things, both large and small, With which You’ve blessed…
She, too, had lost her daughter, though her circumstances were completely different than my own. Her note began: “I know you are a praying woman.” Wow. I felt honored to receive her prayer request, but my heart sank as I read the desperate details. I whispered, “Jesus, have mercy. I don’t…
I rushed into the store to get last-minute items to host a birthday party. Reaching into my purse, a sudden sinking feeling washed over me. I forgot the list! Quickly I called my daughter. “I think I left my list on the counter. Could you take a picture of it and…
“How’s your prayer life?” she asked me. My heart immediately sank in recognition that my dear friend’s question came because she knew me. She knew that if I was fighting discouragement, then I was most likely struggling to pray like I needed to, even like I wanted to. My prayer life…
Life on planet Earth is complex, isn’t it? I’ve been reading the book of Psalms almost every day for several years. Some days, I just read one or a few verses, and other days, I read several chapters. Last week, I read Psalm 69. And then I read it again….
Praise God No Matter What “God is good. All the time. All the time. God is good.” Just yesterday, someone explained to me the meaning of these words in his life in reference to a responsive reading his pastor had often shared. We don’t have to feel good for these…
