Philippians 1:1–11 What to Pray When You Don’t Know What to Say From a young age, most of us were taught the basics of kindness. Say please and thank you. Be considerate. And always, always write a thank-you note. Paul, writing from a prison cell, did exactly that. His letter to the church in Philippi is unlike his…
They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green. Psalm 92:14 I’m 37 years old and I still haven’t made it as a TikTok star! Does my life even matter? Okay, so maybe that’s not something you’d say. Me neither. But sometimes, if we’re being honest, I think many of us quietly assume that our most fruitful years—the ones where we do things that matter—happen when we’re young. When we have energy. Vision. And an…
But Martha was distracted with much serving. Luke 10:40 ESV The Enemy of Intimacy How often do you get your cup of coffee, light a candle, turn on some peaceful worship music, and crack open your Bible… only to grab your phone and check a quick email, respond to a text, or see how many likes your…
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4, ESV A few years ago, one of my teenage sons had emergency spinal surgery to remove a lemon-sized tumor, that mercifully ended up…
I watched her take the stage—poised and confident—though I knew she was fighting butterflies inside. She stood before the judges, ready to defend her senior thesis, the culmination of her high school years. And as I sat there, holding back tears, I couldn’t help but think of where it all began. It felt like just…
The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV Seek Out Silence One summer, I found my soul in a depleted state. We’d moved to a new town…
Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. John 12:3 NIV From Nearness to Extravagant Worship At the beginning of Jesus’s public ministry, Mary and Martha invited Jesus…
When You said, “Seek My face [in prayer, require My presence as your greatest need],” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I will seek [on the authority of Your word].” Psalm 27:8 AMP Could it be that our restlessness and lack of satisfaction in life is a result of our disobedience to…
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 NKJV I’ve struggled with being so distracted during my quiet times with God lately. There has been so much going on in the…
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”Proverbs 16:3 NIV We were in the middle of talking through a big decision, something I really wanted for our family. And then my husband said something that stopped me. “You want this, and it’s an admirable thing. But it would add more…
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. John 15:9–10 ESV A Traditional Irish Blessing May peace and plenty bless your world With a joy that long endures. And…
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Galatians 3:14 NIV A deeply close relationship with God, one in which you enjoy His withness and are sustained by His strength, is something the enemy…
When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. Psalm 32:3–4 MSG Don’t Grow Cold I was in a counseling session with my long-trusted therapist. Some might call it an emergency therapy session. I’d emailed her a desperate message after something…
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4:18 NKJV Her life on earth was ending. Despite our multiple attempts to gently correct the legalistic, merit-driven faith of her childhood, this woman we loved rejected the idea that salvation was found by grace alone. Instead, she clung to the idea that she needed to earn her way to heaven….
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13, NRSVUE Hope Holds Us What do you have in your in-between space? A mustard seed of faith among an overgrown tangle of doubts or fears?…
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