Hello Beautiful People!
Dear Lord,
I need you right now. I am tired, I am worried, I am at the end of my rope. Right now I don’t think I can continue on this track. Please release me from this anguish and if you choose to have me go through this season I will continue to praise you even when I can’t speak. When my heart is heavy and my voice is quiet I will still raise my hands to you in praise, Lord Jesus. I will come to you every single day and thank you for my circumstances because I know that you will never fail me or forsake me. Heavenly Father I know that I am safe in your presence.
1. Your image of God is the most important thing about you
It’s the source of your well-being.
Scientific research shows that our gut-level beliefs about God change our brain circuits.
When we worship the true God with our hearts it activates brain pathways and turns on higher brain regions that help us to become more like Jesus — more compassionate, wise, humble, and confident.
But lower views of God correspond with activity in more primitive brain regions involved in selfishness, fear, and anger.
The Bible describes the significance of this too. In John’s gospel we read that knowing the true God and Jesus Christ is how we experience eternal life (17:3). And Paul warns that if we exchange the truth of God for distorted images of him then our minds will become darkened and we will be ruined by sin (Rom. 1:28-31).
Our heartfelt image of God is not just our theological concepts about God, it’s also our emotions, unconscious attitudes, and bodily demeanor toward God.
But for many of us, our image of God has been damaged by childhood wounds, emotional deficits, and/or low self-worth.
Instead of seeing the smiling face of a God who loves us, we might see a frown or a blank stare from a God who judges us or is distant.
It’s easy for us to project onto God. We want to believe that the Lord is always loving, but sometimes we aren’t able to.
Jesus is the one who corrects and heals our trust in God. As we look to him and his ambassadors who are gracious, wise, and empathetic, we’ll experience a renewed sense of trust and understanding of God’s love.
In the image above we’ve listed attributes of God’s love for you. If any of these are hard for you to believe in your heart, take a moment to pray and ask Jesus to help you trust and experience his love in this area. You might also want to talk to a friend or spiritual director who can minister God’s love to you through gentle listening and empathy.
Say it with me:
I am not willing to let the opinions of others define who I am.
I am wonderfully made in my Fathers image. (Psalm 139:14)
I am worthy. (John 1:16)
I am accepted. (Ephesians 1:5-7)
I am loved. (Jeremiah 31:3)
I am a daughter of the King. (2 Corinthians 6:18)
We need to arm ourselves with these truths, His truth, so that we are not deceived by the lies of this world. Stop comparing yourself to others and stop comparing yourself to who you used to be. Ground yourself in His word so that you begin to see yourself as our Heavenly Father sees you.
Take a long hard look in the mirror today and remember whose you are!
God doesn't ask us to walk this life of faith alone. We will never be perfect on this side of heaven. Allow Him to help you, guide you, lean into His grace, and be open to His unconditional love.
I was trying to find out why I have been having headaches so regularly, not how I will die from swelling of the brain and meningitis.
Irrational fears creep in just the way Google tries to play doctor without any real qualifications.
That's how fears are; they come sweeping in unannounced and unwelcomed.
Fear is such a strong emotion that it overrides your intelligence to distinguish between valid fears and fake ones.
Peter from the bible lived in fear of man before the Holy Spirit filled him with power in the upper room (Acts 4:8). Peter denied Christ three times when three different women declared he was with Christ. He blatantly denied Jesus in fear of his own life (Luke 22:54-62). We can't judge Peter because we have also denied Christ not with our words but our actions and unbelief.
Here is a cool fact: Peter denied Jesus outside the High Priest's Temple Court, and a few chapters later, God fully redeems Peter; while he was preaching, the Sadducees throw him in front of the High Priest at that exact Temple Court, and this time he took a stand for Christ (Acts:4-6). I love how God redeems his people!
2. Fear can cripple us if we are not renewing our minds in the Word of God
Here are three tips to start releasing fear and embracing faith!
1. God is for you. God fully loves you. Embrace your identity in Christ (Psalm 23:6).
2. Man will leave you empty, but Christ will equip you for your calling (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).
3. You are safe and secure in the presence of God (Psalm 91:1-2).
Distractions are all around us and it can appear that God is hiding from us. However, I love how Priscilla Shirer put it in her Voice of God Bible Study, ‘...remind yourself of His (Gods) intention. Trust His heart. He’s not hiding 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 you. He’s hiding 𝐟𝐨𝐫 you. Remember, even the bread crumbs are important and intended to nourish you in a necessary way. Seeking is not worthless but rather a valuable part of your journey.’
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴!
Matthew 7:7 tells us, ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.’
God has and continues to use various ways to communicate with his children. But people in the Old Testament didn’t get all confused when He spoke to them in fact they didn’t even really question it was Him. I have to admit that when I’m trying to seek out God’s purpose for my life I tend to get flustered, confused, and want a clear cut ‘𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.’
However, it doesn’t work like that today. I find so much comfort in the fact that God loves us, loves me so much that He has permanently given us the Holy Spirit to be in relationship with us. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴. It takes us being still and intentional about our relationship with Him through His word, through the church and through community in order for us to truly hear Him.
It may not be a clear sign like a rainbow or a dove or even a pillar of fire but friend, when you rid yourself of the distractions of this world, you better believe those tiny bread crumbs from our Heavenly Father are going to appear a lot bigger in your life! Those steps you are taking may not be the smoothest but they are intended to grow you spiritually and build your faith.
As you walk through today how are you going to wear your faith for others to see and hear that you are seeking God first?
Jesus is always the answer to my worldly troubles. “And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:39
Redemption – means to save something.
Jesus has redeemed us from this broken world. We can find redemption on the cross of Christ because of what Jesus accomplished for us. Sometimes, our imperfections can overwhelm us and make us feel disqualified, but thankfully God is in the business of redeeming all that may seem lost.
We may think that we are not educated enough to qualify for specific jobs or that we are not good parents because other Instagram moms ‘have-it-all-together,’ and well, the only thing we have together is our messiness. I know. Life is hard sometimes.
I must stop and breathe and remind myself that I am not doing this alone. I have a higher power that I can rely on, and his name is Jesus Christ.
The first step in redemption is surrender. Surrender what is out of your control. God can work through our imperfections if we are willing to surrender to him.
Then be obedient to the direction he gives you. If he has called you to speak, then how are you using your voice? If he has called you to step out, look for ways you can. No longer let what the world says is disqualified put you out of the game. God says you are more than a conqueror!
Bible verse: “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude” Psalms 32:5 NLT.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-18
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. Believing prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven—healed inside and out.
James 5:13 -15 MSG
We are constantly pelted with social media and influencers telling us it’s okay to be anything other than who we’ve been made to be.
Why? What narrative are we trying to write? Whose approval are we trying to gain?
As a Christian I will continue to stand firmly on the truth that I was made in my Heavenly Father’s image and anyone or anything that tries to tell me otherwise will not find me arguing with them but continuing to stand on and in the truth. We were each, individually made in His likeness and intricately made for His glory. So why do we want to or allow outside forces to convince us otherwise?
Today is the day to take a stand sis and be proud and walk tall that you are made for His glory!
Has life seemed hard to handle lately? Maybe you’ve had every obstacle thrown your way and you feel like you’re cracking under the pressure.
Or maybe it hasn’t been anything big. You just feel down and don’t know what to do.
Whatever it is, Jesus can handle it. Giving over your burdens to Him is a surefire way to bring peace back into your life. He is there for you, friend.
‘This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!’
I will not dim my light for my Heavenly Father so that I can fit in…
I will not dim my light for my Heavenly Father so that I can get ahead…
I will not dim my light for my Heavenly Father so that I can score that dream job…
I will continue to shine and not hide who I have been called to be in His Name!
God, investigate my life;
get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
then up ahead and you’re there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can’t take it all in!
- Psalm 139: 1-6 MSG
I’m entering a new chapter in my life…again! Can you believe it? I’m scared, I’m excited, I’m overwhelmed but I knew this was coming. My Heavenly Father has been preparing me for this next venture and has been working on my heart. He has pushed me beyond what I thought I could handle, He has encouraged me through various situations, and has provided the support system I need to get the job done.
I may not feel it is the right time but I am putting my full faith and trust that it is the right time because He is making it happen.
Be encouraged today as you forge ahead into the unknown and walk into your next chapter.
✨As Christians, what do we do when we’re faced with scoffers and division-makers? Let’s learn from the book of Jude.
Firstly, it’s important to remember that you will encounter these people if you’re putting yourself out there for Christ in any way — those who scoff at the name of Jesus and look down on our way of life.
Jude 1:18-19 says, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions. It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.”
3. Don’t be surprised when you are faced with these people.
But how do we deal with them and the ridicule? Jude goes on in verses 20-22 to say:
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt.”
So if you’re dealing with scoffers and division-makers, directly or indirectly, here’s how the Lord instructs us to react:
1️⃣ Focus on maturing in your faith. Continually build your relationship with Jesus and don’t let the ridicule hold you back from Him.
2️⃣ Pray in the Spirit. Make it a habit to pray Spirit-filled prayers directed by the Holy Spirit Himself. These are the prayers filled with power.
3️⃣ Stay in the love of God. Focus on His love for you and let His love pour from you for others, whether they’re ridiculing you or not.
4️⃣ Wait on the Lord. We have much to do here on Earth, but the end goal is the return of Christ and eternity with Him. Keep your mind on the prize of Jesus.
5️⃣ Have mercy. Mercy for the scoffers. Mercy for the division-makers. Mercy for those who doubt the Lord. Give grace like our Father does.
Time to go back to creating what God inspires. It’s time to get inspiration back.
“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” Psalm 127:2
While in prison, Paul wrote a letter to his friend Philemon. In it he said something I found to be profound!
“Prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through prayers I will be graciously given to you.” Philemon 1:22
Even while still in prison, Paul was preparing for his release BEFORE his prayers for freedom had been answered.
This is faith.
What are you praying for? Are you preparing for it to happen? Or half-heartedly hoping that it may come about someday?
4. Prepare for what you pray for
✨Believe in God’s word as it does not come back void!
When you believe and know in your heart the God you serve you know that all things will work togather for your Good and in your favor!
Nothing can stop what God already have in store for you, the only person who will be able to stop you is you if you don’t believe that God will come through! So thank God in advance for what he have done and about to do.✨
To the one who feels invisible, insecure, and insignificant, we want to remind you that none of those words are true about you, even if they feel like they are.
Some days we ache for someone to hold our hand, to encourage us, and to cheer us on to keep going when we spend our days pouring out our hearts before the Lord… silently serve and no one ever notices… struggling to keep the faith because life is so heavy…
But friend, your moments aren’t unseen by your Savior.
Psalm 33:18 says, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love.”
We can remember again today that His steadfast love is the one we hope in, not in the people around us. They may fail us time and time again or maybe never notice at all, but we don’t live for their approval or applause but for the One who gave His life for us.
Today, we will get up again, believe again, pour out our prayers again, walk by faith again and hope again because we know that Jesus is the one whom we are living for and He is and always will be worthy.
God doesn't just listen to our prayers; he stoops down to meet us where we are, looks into our eyes, and focuses all his attention on each one of us. As we experience God's faithfulness to answer our prayers, our love for Him grows as does our desire to spend time with him and be obedient to his will.
I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! (Ps. 116:1-2 NLT)
If you are discouraged, remember that God is near, listening carefully to every prayer and answering each one in His timing to give you his best. Make it a priority to set aside time to acknowledge your desperate need for Him; thank Him for His faithfulness in the past, then wait expectantly for heaven to intervene in your history here on earth.🙏🏻❤️
Do you know that Jesus wants to be more than your Savior; He yearns to be your friend? Scratch that - He wants to be your BEST friend! He not only declares His intentions but proves how far He's willing to go to prove that they're true:
There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. John 15: 13-15 NLT
Jesus is the best friend we could ever have. He loves us just the way we are - He knows everything about us and still accepts us completely.
We see how far Jesus is willing to go to be friends with us, but what part do we play in this friendship? How do we show our desire to be friends with Him? He tells us in the passages above that obedience to His Word is the answer.
Friend, do you realize that Jesus shares EVERY secret His Father has ever given to Him through the pages of Scripture? He wants to share them with you as you spend time with Him - have you taken Him up on His offer?
If you think your past disqualifies your chances of being used by the Lord, I'm here to tell you that's a big fat lie!💯
The Bible's filled with transformation stories that prove the darker the past, the greater glory our redemption story brings to God. No person apart from Jesus Himself shaped the history of Christianity as much as the man we meet as Saul, who later became the apostle Paul.
Saul was a good Pharisee who knew the Scriptures and sincerely believed that the Christian movement was dangerous to his Jewish faith. Thus, he hated the Christian faith and persecuted Christians without mercy. But on his way to Damascus, a personal encounter with Jesus changed his life forever. Saul, the former persecutor of Christians, became Paul, the passionate preacher of the Good News to both Jews and Gentiles.
👉🏻Friend, please don't miss the fact that God did not waste any part of Paul—his background, training, citizenship, mind, or even weaknesses. Are you willing to let Him do the same for you?🤔 You will never know all God can do with you until you allow Him to have all that you are❣️
Friend, no matter what your feelings say, joy is ALWAYS available through your relationship with Jesus:
These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. (John 15:11 NASB)
This verse from John's Gospel packs three valuable lessons for us about joy:
👉🏻Our joy is secure because it is Jesus' joy we rely upon, not ours, per the pronoun in front of joy, "My."
👉🏻Jesus' joy sustains us through the highs and lows of life, saving us from the roller-coaster ride of moods shifting between joy and discontentment.
👉🏻Jesus qualifies the abundance of His joy and reiterates His desire for our joy tanks to be forever full.
Joy is internal stability, a settled assurance, and quiet confidence in God's sovereignty that promotes a posture of praise; it's available through a constant connection to the Word, both the Person and the print.
When a Christian's life lacks joy, that's a signal that something's off-kilter. Either we're walking outside God's will in disobedience or neglecting our relationship with the Word. If you're feeling empty today, ask yourself this question:
🤔What am I trying to put in the place that Jesus alone can fill?
🙏🏻Lord, may we never take for granted the immeasurable sacrifice You made so that we could experience the joy and privilege of new life in Christ❣️
Aren't you glad that your inability to understand is not an accurate measurement of what Your God can do:
"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. Isaiah 55:8 NLT
Thank You, God, for the numerous and unimaginable ways you promise to come through for us when we make up our minds to believe that Your Word is true!
The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm." Exodus 14:14 NLT
When circumstances have you backed into a corner, you can choose not to fear because God is with you, will provide for you, and protect you. (Deut. 31:8; Josh. 1:9). There will never be any trouble, heartache, loss, or suffering that Your God's loving hand cannot bring you through, my sweet friends❣️
The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng: Psalm 68:11 NIV
It is an incredible gift to serve my Lord by proclaiming His Word alongside these talented women I'm privileged to call my friends!
All I can think about is the deadline looming before me as I stare at the contrast between the starkness of a blank screen and a blinking cursor. I whisper out loud, Lord, I don’t understand what’s going on; creativity flows freely and often profusely when I’m casually enjoying Your presence, yet words evade me when facing a deadline.
Oh, the woes of a writer’s life! They are as varied as the words we write. However, we all have one goal as faith-writers — sharing words that compel people to follow Jesus. Ours is a privilege that comes with divine accountability, which can be more than a little intimidating.
I’ve discovered my bouts with perfectionism and writer’s block described above are often connected to this sacred duty. Fear of saying the wrong thing clogs up my creativity and ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. I wonder if this might be an “Aha!” moment for you. If so, I’ve got great news!
Friend, there is no end to the resources God will provide when His purpose and our passion collide. As my thirst for His Word and yearning for revelation grows, so does His generous supply of biblical resources.