Latest Devotions
Comparing Apples
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23a HCSB “But each person should examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself alone, and not in respect to someone else.” Galatians 6:4 HCSB “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.”…
Dealing with Dementia
“Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commands.” Deuteronomy 7:9 HCSB “He remembered us in our humiliationHis love is eternal.” Psalm 136:23 HCSB On a recent walk in a local park, one of our…
Creating a Vision
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18 KJV “The Lord answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it.” Habakkuk 2:2 HCSB Having clear and meaningful direction for our lives helps us to succeed and…
Sun and Moon
“Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars.” Psalm 148:3 HCSB “When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the array of heaven—do not be led astray to bow down and worship them. The LORD your God has provided them for all people everywhere under heaven.” Deuteronomy…
Trust in the Tough Times
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 HCSB “The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. I will…
The Value of Time
“Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17 HCSB “Now concerning that day or hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son—except the…
Humility
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12 HCSB “…And all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5 HCSB I learned the word “humble” in 3rd grade when reading Charlotte’s Web. It…
Eternal Life
“This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent—Jesus Christ.” John 17:3 HCSB I’m so thankful to know that I will spend eternity in heaven with the Lord. It’s a promise for all who believe in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I…
Connection
“When Thou saidst, Seek ye My face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.” Psalm 27:8 KJV “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 HCSB My word for 2024 is Connection. I long to be closer to the Lord, my family,…
A New Year
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Then the One seated on the throne said, ‘Look! I am making everything new.’ He also said, ‘Write, because these words are faithful and true.’” Revelation 21:5 We’re heading into…
The Innkeeper
“and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 HCSB “Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid…
The Many Names of Jesus
“But you,” He asked them again, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered Him, “You are the Messiah!” Mark 8:29 HCSB “Then He said, ‘Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, “I am He,” and, “The time is near.” Don’t follow them.’ Luke 21:8 HCSB…
Mother Mary
“The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:18 HCSB “Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus.” Luke…
Accepting Myself
“But who are you, a mere man, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Romans 9:20 HCSB “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” Romans 5:8 HCSB…
Timely Traditions
“Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ. Now I praise you because you always remember me and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.” 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 HCSB “There is an occasion for everything,and a time for every activity under heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1 HCSB We’re heading into the busy holiday season with…
Discipline
“As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed and repent.” Revelation 3:19 HCSB The D word. How we want to avoid discipline! When I was younger, my parents could just give me “the look” and I’d start crying. Loving parents discipline us to protect us from harm and to help us…
Up from the Pit
“I waited patiently for the Lord, and He turned to me and heard my cry for help. He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure.” Psalm 40:1-2 HCSB “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be…
Conversations with God
“Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2 Here is a devotion I wrote which was previously published in Living Well: 365 Daily Devotions for a Balanced Life by Carole Lewis. Although prayer has always been important to me, even when I was a teenager, it’s only been since joining First…
Surrender
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Psalm 55:22 HCSB “He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you. Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to…
God’s Timing
“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the Lord.” Lamentations 3:25-26 HCSB “The course of my life is in Your power; deliver me from the power of my enemies and from my persecutors.” Psalm 31:15 HCSB We…
Living on Purpose
“For I know the plans I have for you’—this is the Lord’s declaration—’plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 HCSB “Mankind, He has told you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to…
Better Together
“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:20 HCSB “Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10 HCSB “But if we walk in the light as He Himself…
Not Ready
“Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the man who carries out evil plans.” Psalm 37:7 HCSB “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but man cannot discover the work God…
Car Wash
“I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on paths they have not known. I will turn darkness to light in front of them and rough places into level ground. This is what I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16 HCSB…
My Soul Be Still
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10 ESV “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.” Psalm 86:11 ESV Many times the tasks on our to…
Lots of Learning
“a wise man will listen and increase his learning, and a discerning man will obtain guidance —” Proverbs 1:5 HCSB “The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it.” Proverbs 18:15 HCSB Learning can be overwhelming at times. When I taught first grade, my students were learning how…
Grace and Space
“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” Exodus 34:6b ESV “Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10 HCSB “Your every action must be done in…
When God is Quiet
“Lord, I call to You; my rock, do not be deaf to me. If You remain silent to me, I will be like those going down to the Pit.” Psalm 28:1 HCSB “God, do not keep silent. Do not be deaf, God; do not be idle.” Psalm 83:1 HCSB We all experience times when God…
Spring Forward
“Light is sweet, and it is pleasing for the eyes to see the sun.” Ecclesiastes 11:7 HCSB “For the Lord God is a sun and shield.The Lord gives grace and glory;He does not withhold the goodfrom those who live with integrity.” Psalm 84:11 HCSB This weekend, we set our clocks ahead one hour. Daylight Saving…
Sowing Seeds
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.” Luke 8:11 ESV “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” Luke 8:15 ESV Lord, You know which way to go.You know just…
Lightbulb Moments
“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21 ESV “My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.” John10:27 HCSB I love the lightbulb moments sent by the…
Heart-Focused Living
“Your every action must be done with love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14 HCSB “Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be achieved.” Proverbs 16:3 HCSB Each day, we have an opportunity to live our lives in a way that is pleasing and honoring to the Lord. We can use our gifts and actions…
Stay Close to Jesus
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 HCSB “Jesus answered him, ‘What I’m doing you don’t understand now, but afterward you will know.’” John 13:7 HCSB “Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” 1 John…
Pray and Wait
“I wait for Yahweh; I wait and put my hope in His word. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning—more than watchmen for the morning.” Psalm 130:5-6 HCSB How often do we want our prayers answered immediately? We long to know what’s next in our lives. Maybe we’re pleading for the…
GIVE UP and PICK UP
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 First and foremost, let’s remember that Jesus gave us more than we…
STRONG
“The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.” Exodus 15:2 “Search for the Lord and for His strength; seek His face always.” Psalm 105:4 My word for 2023 is STRONG. It stands for:…
Jesus is Eternal
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible…” Colossians 1:15-16a HCSB Jesus lived on earth in human form for about 33 years. When we picture Jesus, we often see Him as the baby in…
Blessed Assurance
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” John 10:28-29 HCSB “For I am persuaded that not even death or…
Be Yourself
“For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.” Psalm 139:13-14 HCSB I have a magnet on my fridge that reads “Be yourself—Everyone else is…
Living Life with Gratitude
“The Lord is my strength and my shield;my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.Therefore my heart rejoices,and I praise Him with my song.” Psalm 28:7 HCSB Every day will have some struggles and strife, but there are still blessings to be found. Whether it’s the moments with friends and family, a walk in…
Sharing Space
“Your every action must be done with love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14 HCSB “And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” Ephesians 4:32 HCSB I often joke that the only reason my husband and I are still together is that we keep running into each…
When We’re Not Sure
“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,their refuge in a time of distress.The Lord helps and delivers them;He will deliver them from the wicked and will save thembecause they take refuge in Him.” Psalms 37:39-40 HCSB “Do not fear, for I am with you;do not be afraid, for I am your God.I will…
A Heart for Service
“’No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money.’” Matthew 6:24 HCSB “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for…
Pray Without Ceasing
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV Here’s part of a prayer I found recently in an old journal. I wrote this just over 17 years ago… Dear Lord, today Jacob starts first grade! He’ll be away…
Keep Moving
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26 HCSB “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 HCSB…
Share Your Bounty
“One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water.” Proverbs 11:24-25 HCSB “If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his…
Intonation
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 ESV “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4 ESV A guest post from my son Josh, written on the occasion of his Youth Group Senior Banquet for his high school graduation: Hello. I am going to…
Friendly Escapes
“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts.” Ecclesiastes 4:9 HCSB “Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the sweetness of a friend is better than self-counsel.” Proverbs 27:9 HCSB For the first time in our 40+ year friendship, my friend Candace and I escaped for a…
Protection
“For He will conceal me in His shelter in the day of adversity; He will hide me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high on a rock.” Psalm 27:5 HCSB “We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not…
Clear Signal
“We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.” Hebrews 2:1 HCSB “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:22 HCSB Recently, I took a driving trip alone to my son’s home. On the way, I…
Hymn Sing
“My lips will shout for joywhen I sing praise to Youbecause You have redeemed me.” Psalm 71:23 HCSB “Sing to Yahweh, for He has done glorious things.Let this be known throughout the earth.” Isaiah 12:5 HCSB Today I got to do two of my favorite things: 1. Hang out in a big red barn, and…
Eye Health
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness—how deep is that darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23 HCSB “I will not set anything…
Counting the Days
“Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” Psalm 90:12 HCSB “Don’t say to your neighbor, ‘Go away! Come back later.I’ll give it tomorrow’—when it is there with you.” Proverbs 3:28 HCSB I recently saw these words on social media: “Don’t count the days. Make the days…
Graduation
“Listen to counsel and receive instruction so that you may be wise later in life. Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the Lord’s decree will prevail.” Proverbs 19:20-21 HCSB “And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you may approve the things…
Truth
“Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for You all day long.” Psalm 25:5 HCSB “‘God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’” John 4:24 HCSB We all go through trying times in our lives where we become…
All In
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5 HCSB “Above all, fear the Lord and worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things He has done for you.” 1 Samuel 12:24 HCSB “If we live, we live for the Lord;…
Transitions
“The end of a matter is better than its beginning; a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit.” Ecclesiastes 7:8 HCSB “Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I…
Holes
“The one who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever rolls a stone—it will come back on him.” Proverbs 26:27 HCSB “He redeems your life from the Pit;He crowns you with faithful love and compassion.” Psalm 103:4 HCSB The hole is back! For months, our lawn was full of colorful utility flags and…
Bonus Birthdays
“For by Wisdom your days will be many,and years will be added to your life.” Proverbs 9:11 HCSB “Teach us to number our days carefullyso that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” Psalm 90:12 HCSB Just over a year ago, I believed I was going to be two years older than I actually would…
Moving On
“I will instruct you and show you the way to go;with My eye on you, I will give counsel.” Psalm 32:8 HCSB “May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance.” 2 Thessalonians 3:5 HCSB “But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in…
Sharing Your Spiritual Stories
“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write down on a scroll all the words that I have spoken to you,” Jeremiah 30:2 “‘Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind…
Peace in Suffering
“But as it is written: What eye did not see and ear did not hear, and what never entered the human mind— God prepared this for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 HCSB “Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.” 2…
Begin Again
“Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19 HCSB ‘”For I know the plans I have for you”—this…
Love
“The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8 HCSB Every day we must remember to love… Love is being available when times are good or bad.It’s giving high fives, handholds, and helping to carry the burdens of others while showing them how to hold on. Love…
The Long Winter
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.” Genesis 8:22 HCSB “The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18 HCSB Winters can be cold and full of snow. At times, we experience personal winters where…
Conflict Resolution
“…walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us.” Ephesians 4:1b-3 HCSB Even after being married for over half of our lives, my husband and I still don’t agree or even…
Dates and Dreams
“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement.’… So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the Lord…
Transformation
“We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 HCSB My family’s word for this year is transformation. Romans 12:2 states, “Do not…
The Reason
“Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 “Death, where is your victory?Death, where is your sting?Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the…
Christmas Morning
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17 ESV “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 HCSB “Thanks…
God’s Gifts
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.” 2 Corinthians 9:15 “Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning.” James 1:17 The Lord’s gifts come to all of us; each as differently as the person…
Life After Loss
“The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18 “Therefore, let us then approach God’s throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.” Hebrews 4:16 Life After Loss Life after loss is not the same. There are…
Homemade
“Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us;establish for us the work of our hands—establish the work of our hands!” Psalm 90:17 “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men,” Colossians 3:23 Homemade items are the best! They’re full of thought and love, skill…
Thanksgiving
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;His faithful love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34 “Rejoice always!Pray constantly.Give thanks in everything,for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 This year’s Thanksgiving gatherings will again be different than in past years. Instead of big get-togethers, the gatherings will be much…
Thanksgiving Tree
“Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks and praise Your glorious name.” 1 Chronicles 29:13 HCSB “Hallelujah!Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 106:1 HCSB Do we decorate before Thanksgiving or wait until the day after? So many debate this question. What if we chose something in…
Prayer Walks
“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2 I enjoy walking and talking with the Lord. The time we spend…
Fun Together
“Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 “but honor the Messiah as Lord in Your hearts. Always…
Best Friends
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.” Proverbs 17:17 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” James 5:16 Candace and I met the…
SMILE
“A joyful heart makes a face cheerful,but a sad heart produces a broken spirit.” Proverbs 15:13 “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17…
Uniquely Designed
“For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was…
Volunteer
“‘In every way I’ve shown you that by laboring like this, it is necessary to help the weak and to keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, for He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”’” Acts 20:35 “For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this…
Sisters
“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’and call understanding your relative.” Proverbs 7:4 I’m older than my…
Encourage Others
“For I want very much to see you, so I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” Romans 1:11-12 “Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement allow you to live in harmony with one another, according…
Amazing Love
“I will rejoice and be glad in Your faithful lovebecause You have seen my affliction.You have known the troubles of my life and have not handed me over to the enemy.You have set my feet in a spacious place.” Psalm 31:7-8 “For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things…
Time in Nature
“The earth and everything in it,the world and its inhabitants,belong to the Lord;” Psalm 24:1 HCSB “Our Lord and God,You are worthy to receiveglory and honor and power,because You have created all things,and because of Your willthey exist and were created.” Revelation 4:11 HCSB One of the best places we can go when we feel…
MOMdays
“Then He replied, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” Exodus 33:14 “Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:9 Mondays are MOMdays for me this season. Life is busy and overwhelming at times. There are extra…
Walking Right Beside Me
“I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.” Leviticus 26:12 HCSB “House of Jacob, come and let us walk in the Lord’s light.” Isaiah 2:5 HCSB When we’re buried in the mire of life and everything seems impossible, let’s move closer to the Lord. He wants to be…
Quiet Worship
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10 ESV At times, worship doesn’t look like singing and praising the Lord for others to hear. When the world seems heavy and we are struggling to get through each moment, we…
The Messy Middle
“Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,for I take refuge in You.I will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wingsuntil danger passes.” Psalm 57:1 HCSB “Do not fear, for I am with you;do not be afraid, for I am your God.I will strengthen you; I will help you;I will hold on to…
Trust in the Lord
“When I am afraid,I will trust in You.” Psalm 56:3 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and do not rely on your own understanding;think about Him in all your ways,and He will guide you on the right paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 When my husband was scheduled for a recent surgery, we asked the Lord to…
Savoring the Season
“This is the day the Lord has made;let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 “The grass withers, the flowers fade,but the word of our God remains forever.” Isaiah 40:8 Every season has its own gifts. We can take time to look at the beauty in each day and savor the current season…
Create
“For it was You who created my inward parts;You knit me together in my mother’s womb.I will praise Youbecause I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.Your works are wonderful,and I know this very well.” Psalm 139:13-14 “For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so…
Summer Fun
“You set all the boundaries of the earth;You made summer and winter.” Psalm 74:17 “From the rising of the sun to its setting,let the name of Yahweh be praised.” Psalm 113:3 “Happy are the people with such blessings.Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.” Psalm 144:15 The Lord delights in our joy and wants…
Broken Glass
“Many adversities come to the one who is righteous,but the Lord delivers him from them all.” Psalm 34:19 “God is our refuge and strength,a helper who is always foundin times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1 Recently, I broke a glass bowl while emptying the dishwasher. Shattered fragments flew everywhere…This reminded me of a time when my…
Independence Day
“For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.” Galatians 5:13 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 “Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in…
Slow and Steady
“You reveal the path of life to me;in Your presence is abundant joy;in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.” Psalm 16:11 “The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit,but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.” Proverbs 21:5 By doing small things consistently, we create confidence, comfort, and connections that will remain even when…
A Father’s Love
“As a father has compassion on his children,so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:13 “The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly,and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him.” Proverbs 23:24 “Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training…
Simplify
“…God is not a God of disorder but of peace…” 1 Corinthians 14:33 “But godliness with contentment is a great gain.For we brought nothing into the world,and we can take nothing out.” 1 Timothy 6:6-7 Too many things complicate our space. Too many busy activities take the energy we could use for more rewarding adventures.Complicated…
God’s Grace
“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more…
Taking the Stairs
“A man’s steps are established by the Lord,and He takes pleasure in his way.Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,because the Lord holds his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25 (ESV) “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make…
Porch Chair Prayers 