“On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. … When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to... Read more
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:12-13 NIV Pray Lord, sensitize me to others and their needs. Observe Is God challenging you to adjust your outlook or attitude? When we adopt a positive attitude, it directly impacts our outlook, personalities, and relationships. With... Read more
“The woman said, ‘I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus told her, ‘I AM the Messiah!’ … The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone.” John 4:25–26, 28 Pray Lord, let me clearly observe truth in your Word and properly apply it to my life. Observe When we’ve learned something we are excited about, we want... Read more
Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” Esther 4:15-16 Pray Lord, remove my distractions and help me focus on truth from your Word. Observe Our... Read more
“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Pray Lord, open the eyes of my heart and help me discern truth from your Word. Observe We all make commitments to do—or not to do certain things throughout our lives. Unfortunately, many of our commitments fall by the wayside within thirty days of making them. When we’re put to the test and worldly pressure intensifies, we are subject to... Read more
Abigail wasted no time. She quickly gathered 200 loaves of bread, two wineskins full of wine, five sheep that had been slaughtered, nearly a bushel of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 fig cakes. She packed them on donkeys and said to her servants, “Go on ahead. I will follow you shortly.” 1 Samuel 25:18–19 Pray Lord, enlighten my mind with truth as I seek inspiration and guidance from your Word. Observe Popular culture places achieving goals over... Read more
“But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.” Ruth... Read more
In today’s “fast-paced” culture, we often find ourselves multi-tasking — attempting to text, tweet, post, email, and carry on a conversation — all at the same time. All the while, our minds are bouncing from topic to topic, never slowing down long enough to consider who or what we are neglecting or overlooking. “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” James 1:19 I’m sure I am... Read more
At some point, we all have worn masks to hide our “real selves” from the outside world. In fact, we often go to painstaking efforts to construct a captivating masquerade to show those around us the “self” we think they really want to see. It’s likely, at some point in your life, you too have worn a mask out of fear that people wouldn’t fully accept or like you — if they knew the “real” you. “And no creature is... Read more
What we choose to focus on can make a significant difference in our outcomes. We can concentrate on the positive aspects of our situations or embrace a negative viewpoint. We can adopt a worldly focus or choose to focus on our faith and hope in Jesus Christ. No matter what life circumstance we are facing, it’s important to always exercise faith-filled courage when determining our focus. “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on... Read more
Courage for Life
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