Inspiration

When I’ve let my schedule get out of control, it’s my soul that suffers the most. Other things suffer for sure. My family time. My attitude. My stress level. But the deep sadness in my soul is the hardest of all to shake.

If you can relate to feeling this way, pray this prayer with me tonight...

Father God, I know it is not Your desire for me to walk around with the heaviness of an overwhelmed schedule and an underwhelmed soul. Give me wisdom on how to spend this one life. Because how I spend this life is how I am spending my soul. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

To all my Jesus girls - may we let this truth guide us continually: We aren’t called to live according to the norm, just doing what comes naturally.

We are called to rise above. Be set apart. Be different. Be pure in every way.

“All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:3 NIV).

I think one of the biggest tools Satan uses to keep people from growing in their faith and following after the dreams God has placed in their hearts is the lie that we have to do everything right before God will pay attention to us.

We have to pray long and lofty prayers.

We have to set aside chunks of time in the wee hours of dawn to do in-depth Bible study.

We have to have a seminary-level knowledge of the Bible and be able to do expository preaching on any and every subject that might come up in our conversations with others.

Once we reach this pinnacle in our faith, then God sits up, takes note of our devotion, and pays attention to us.

No! That’s not the way it works!

Yes, God wants us to pray, read our Bible, and tell others about Him. But He wants us to do those things as a natural response of a heart that delights in our relationship with Him. God loves each of us and wants to spend time with us, not because it’s on our to-do list but because we desire to stay in contact with Him throughout our day. He wants to be there for us. He wants to fill in the gaps where each of us falls short.

What beautiful truth to begin our day with.

Too many of us think that finding the reason God placed us here on earth will come in one lump assignment with a big title and complete job description. But I believe that discovering our purpose will unfold slowly, like a seed planted in the deep ground.

Each day, a seed embraces the task placed before it. Today it might have to embrace the dark soil it has been pushed into. Tomorrow, it might be not resisting the water that makes it literally disintegrate and fall apart. And then in a week or two, a green shoot pushes up and out of the deep, dark, messy place. Eventually, the seed sprouts and reveals what it was always meant to be. The seed’s potential is unlocked and its purpose is revealed through embracing each and every circumstance God brought its way.

Isn’t it glorious how nature doesn’t resist God? May the same be said of us as we seek to live our lives wholly for Him.

Father God, today we choose to embrace exactly where we are, even if it is hard and messy. Thank You that we can trust You are working every single thing together for good. We believe that we are safe in Your embrace. Amen.

If Satan is tempting you to question God’s plan and His goodness tonight, pray these words out loud:

Dear Lord, I know that You are good. And You are good at being God. I’m so thankful that You know what I need and what I don’t—even when I don’t understand. I’m choosing to trust You in the midst of uncertainty and look for Your hand in every situation. Help me see Your "yes,” “no” and “later” answers as Your certain protection and guidance for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

Lord, thank You for all the very real ways You’ve changed me over the years. It hasn’t always been an easy transformation process, but I know it’s so necessary because my deepest desire is to become more and more like Your Son, Jesus. Today, I’m clinging to Your promise that You'll complete the good work You began in me. And I declare my trust in Your plan. In Your Holy Name, Amen.

Can I whisper a truth to whatever hurt is in your heart today? Deserting Jesus right now will not give you any of the comfort or relief you are looking for.

Hope is only found in Him.

Stay with Jesus. Filter your situation through the reality of His love. And whatever you don’t understand, can’t process or feel like you can’t bear one more day … declare His name and speak His hope over those hardships.

Here is a prayer you can pray today if all you want to do is run:

Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that all the power I need is in the name of Your Son, Jesus. I declare His name to be higher than any name I have given this situation. I will not declare hopelessness or fear or anxiety, or anything else threatening to make me run from Jesus. I declare all hope, all courage, all assurance, all power in Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dear Lord, help me see the assignments and people that You’ve placed right in front of me. Life can be so chaotic sometimes, but I desperately want to unrush my schedule so I can love those You have entrusted to me. Show me how to slow down and leave sacred space for relationships. I want to follow Your example of staying focused on connection and compassion. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Have you ever had a big situation in your life where you just couldn’t process why God would allow this to happen? Or maybe even a small annoyance like losing your keys or having a flat tire on a morning you really needed to be somewhere.

It’s so tempting to wallow in the why.

Asking why is perfectly normal. Asking why isn’t unspiritual. However, if asking why pushes us farther from God rather than drawing us closer to Him, it is the wrong question.

If asking why doesn’t offer hope, what will?

The what question.

In other words: “Now that this is my reality, what am I supposed to do with it?”

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (NIV)

I like to call this verse “directions on where to park my mind.”

Instead of wallowing in why did this happen, I can choose to say:

This is my reality, now what am I going to do with it?
What can I learn from this?
What part of this is for my protection?
What other opportunities could God be providing?
What maturity could God be building into me?

Switching from the why to the what question paves the road to parking our mind in a much better place.

Is it always easy? Nope.

But is it a way to find a perspective beyond situations where we feel God has allowed something in our lives we don’t understand and we absolutely don’t like? Yes.

Dear Lord, I want to process everything I face in life through the filter of Your love. I know You love me. But sometimes it’s just hard to understand the circumstances that come my way. I find myself consumed with trying to figure things out rather than looking for Your perspective and trusting You. Thank You for this new way to look at things. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Sweet sister, I want you to remember this truth tonight: Our Lord doesn’t whisper shameful condemnations.

Spiritual convictions, yes. Personal condemnations, no.

May His voice drown out all of the other voices in your life right now—including your own. May you hear Him clearly above all the noise. And may He help you discern between His convictions and the devil’s condemnations.

In the midst of processing deep hurt, I have learned to turn to truths that anchor me to the reality of who God is. Truths like:

He is the One in whom I find comfort and reassurance: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

He is right here with me in the midst of my trouble, I am not alone: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

He is the One who can use my tears to water the soil of my heart so that it can one day be a harvest of joy: “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” Psalm 126:5 (NIV)

May these truths act as an anchor for your soul today no matter what is going on in your life. He is with you. He is for you. And He loves you more than you can possibly know.

I’ve spent my life trying to keep my raw emotions in check.

You know what I mean by raw emotions, right? Those irrational feelings we hide from most of the world but spew on those we love the most.

I love Jesus, and I love my family … passionately! But sometimes I get thrown for a loop emotionally, and it’s the people I love most that pay the price.

Learning to navigate those raw emotions is kind of like peeling back the layers of an onion. If I find something ugly, I have to ask myself a crucial question. Am I going to let this define me or refine me? If this raw emotion defines me, I’ll feel defeated. If I let it refine me, I’ll be motivated to make positive changes.

God doesn’t want me to give into my raw emotions. He wants me to be refined into the hope-filled woman I’m meant to be.

--Lysa TerKeurst (all of the above)

"... turns out that sometimes Christmas trees? Can be a whole lot like those darn fig trees that have no blossoms... Turns out? That rejoicing in the Lord happens while we still struggle in the now.
Struggling and rejoicing are not two chronological steps, 
one following the other, but two concurrent movements, 
*one fluid with the other* -- rejoicing *even though we still struggle,*
rejoicing moving with and through the struggle.
As the cold can move you deeper toward the fire,
struggling can move you deeper toward God, 
who warms you with joy.

*Struggling can deepen joy.*
*Even though.
Even now.*
Even though the fig trees have no blossoms
and though the Christmas tree aches a bit empty,
even though there are no grapes on the vine,
and no struggle-free days,
even though the olive crop fails,
even though I fail,
*even though so much fails*
— even now I will rejoice in the Lord."
- Ann Voskamp