"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." 1 John 5:14
When prayers go unanswered many of us utter accusations to God. “I thought You cared?” “Why is this happening to me?” “Are You there?” We wonder if God even exists, much less that He cares. It is easy to become distressed and angry with God over this one issue—prayer.Whether we admit it or not we..."For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21
Food. Alcohol. An affair. Shopping. Exercise. Obsessions with hobbies or a job. Too often, instead of looking to God and the relationships He’s placed in our lives, we look to other things to fill the emptiness and ease the confusion we feel. But how well we live hinges entirely on our..."... I (Jesus) have called you friends...." John 15:15
Did you know that Joseph Scriven penned the song, What a Friend We Have in Jesus? I remember singing that song a lot as a child. “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!”How do we cover our sorrow in prayer? Simply begin dialoguing with Jesus about the pain in your life. Tell Him..."Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes." Psalm 37:7
"But Mommy, I want it now," cried little Suzie as she threw a temper tantrum in the middle of the aisle. Leaving the toy store together, Suzie’s mom wondered where she went wrong. Have you ever felt that way—wondering why your child was so impulsive and needed everything now?Later that evening,..."But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you." 1 Peter 5:10
The story of Leah has always intrigued me. Read Genesis 29:15-30. Leah gave so much to her husband, seven children for starters! And yet she was always second best. Maybe she was plain or lacked a sense of humor, or any number of things that made her less appealing than her sister. Whatever..."No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us." 1 John 4:12
From time to time we lack security. We don’t feel safe. We can even wonder, “Does God really love me? How could He after all I’ve done?” When the trials of life press in… He often seems even further away. Welcome to the danger zone. It’s where evil whispers lies in your ear. Evil tells you..."Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind." Ecclesiastes 4:6
Tranquility—a little peace and quiet—I need more of it. Do you? For the average American woman rest has become an illusive dream. More often than not we are stressed with the double burden of working a full-time job and taking care of family. For most it is pretty overwhelming and exhausting. When..."Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware." 1 Corinthians 12:1
The Lord wants us to clearly know that He has given every believer spiritual gifts. It’s as if He doesn’t want to leave us any room to say, “I really would serve You if I could, but I just don’t have anything to offer.” By the power of the Holy Spirit within us, He has given each one of us unique..."He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8
What would we do without lists? They are everywhere! The grocery list…the carpool list…the Target© list…the school activities list…and the list goes on and on. We even find a list - of what to do and what not to do - in the Bible! Ten things on that list to be exact (Exodus 20:1-17).With every..."Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:20
Since sin entered the world, wars have been fought for a wide variety of reasons. World wars have been fought over ruthless leaders carrying out acts of genocide and today war rages across various parts of the world between terror cells and the countries seeking to destroy them. War is inevitable..."Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." Psalm 62:8
Trusting God to reveal His dream in your life and give you hope often requires an extraordinary act of willpower. It’s kind of like one of those “trust falls,” where you fall backward into the arms of someone you trust to catch you. You give up total control and place absolute trust in that person..."But when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth…" John 16:13
Have you ever found yourself wishing the Lord would suddenly appear in your living room with step-by-step instructions for your life? Perhaps you’ve thought, “If God can speak directly to Abraham, Moses, Mary, and Paul, why not me?”Sometimes it’s hard to believe in what can’t be seen. Sometimes it’...
