Tag Archives: trust

3 Quick Prayers for When You Feel Overwhelmed

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Dear Jesus, I am overwhelmed. My mind is racing as I contemplate my to-do list and decide where to start. Reveal what I should prioritize, and give me the wisdom to know if there is something I should clear from my schedule. Bring clarity to my mind. Help me feel confident about my choices regarding how to spend my time. Help me put forth my best effort in all my upcoming responsibilities.  Thank You for caring about even the most minor details of my life and for being beside me every step of the way. In Your name I pray, Amen.

Dear Jesus, my schedule seems almost unmanageable right now. I feel unprepared to tackle my numerous appointments, commitments, and obligations. Remind me that You will give me the ability to accomplish all You have called me to do. Keep me encouraged through complicated times. Please take away the fatigue I am experiencing. Refresh and revive my soul. Energize me as I complete my tasks. Thank You for being who You are. I am grateful for Your promise never to fail or forsake me. You are so good, and You have good plans for me. In Your name I pray, Amen.

Dear Jesus, keeping a positive mindset with all the chaos and confusion around me is challenging. When I fix my eyes on the world’s problems, please help me focus on You instead. I am so grateful that You promise us peace beyond our understanding. Empower me to embrace Your perfect peace and allow it to radiate from my speech and actions. Direct my thoughts, guide my decisions, and help me calmly respond to crisis situations as they occur. Thank You for the blessing of Your nearness and for loving me so perfectly. In Your name I pray, Amen.

Your Faith is Something Else

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One day we will all stand before God. I secretly hope that when I have the beyond-words experience of standing in His presence, He will tell me my faith was something else.

Okay, not so much a secret anymore, but allow me to tell you why that phrase appeals to me.

The account of the Canaanite woman who approached Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter is found in Matthew 15:21-28. 

She cried out for Jesus to help her, and His disciples urged Him to send her away. This is when Jesus reminded them that God had sent Him to take care of the lost sheep of Israel first. 

The Canaanite woman could have felt ignored and given up. Instead, she knelt before Jesus and again asked for help. This time, He responded directly to her with a reminder that the Israelites were to take precedence. He said, “It’s not right to take bread out of children’s mouths and throw it to dogs.” This comment would likely be perceived as an insult in today’s context. However, He was using this example to explain the priorities of His ministry, and the Greek word He used for a dog was not a derogatory term. And remember, this is Jesus we are talking about; insulting her would not be His intent. In verse 27 (ESV), she quickly remarked, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” And Jesus’ reply? “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” Scripture tells us her daughter was healed at that instant. 

Using the word ‘great’ to characterize the Canaanite woman’s faith is high praise from Jesus! Countless Bible versions of this passage use that same adjective. Still, I will always be enthralled by the Message version’s wording for this particular account: “Oh, woman, your faith is something else.” 

How did the Canaanite woman’s faith attain the ‘something else’ label? Even though Jesus did not immediately acknowledge or answer her request, she stayed focused on what she knew: that Jesus was a healer who had performed miracles for numerous people. She did not allow doubt, social norms, or onlookers’ reactions to prevent her from confidently and boldly begging Jesus to attend to her non-Israelite daughter. The Canaanite woman set a powerful example of staying strong in her faith while pressing for recognition and resolution for her suffering daughter.

There are reasons God does not answer all of our pleas right away. God loves us so much that He has a masterfully-designed plan for each of our lives that teaches us to become more Christlike. Sometimes those life lessons require a wait. It is up to us to decide how our faith will be affected by waiting. With His help, we can learn to wait well.

I aspire to live out a great faith like the Canaanite woman did. A faith that trusts there is a growth opportunity attached to the wait. A faith that persists and perseveres. A faith that God will specifically describe as “something else” when I someday stand before Him. I acknowledge that intentional prayer and work are required before I earn that compliment. Today is the perfect day to begin.

Bloom Where You Are Planted – new vlog

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Hello, friends! I’m praying for you to feel extra hopeful and encouraged in your faith today.

This vlog is an encouragement to bloom where you are planted at this time – even if it is somewhere you weren’t expecting to be!

To view my most recent vlog, please click the link: https://youtu.be/FnhvDAFetnk

Morning Thoughts

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If they form their opinion about you without knowing the facts, their opinion doesn’t matter. On the other hand, if they form their opinion about you while knowing the facts…their opinion still doesn’t matter. 😉

Let’s talk about God’s opinion. That is the one that matters. 

Here is a tiny glimpse into how highly He thinks of us: He loves us so much that He sent His son to die for us. He loves us so much that He redeems us, restores us, and renews us. He loves us so much that He gave us unique gifts, personalities, and stories to share with the world. 

We can rest knowing that is His opinion of us!

But also… let’s not rest so well that we are content to say, “This is just who I am,” because God gives us daily opportunities to evolve into the person He created us to be. 

“God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.” Max Lucado

I have two challenges for myself and you! 

1. Let’s not allow anyone’s opinion of us to affect our attitude. 

2. Let’s obey God as He lovingly shapes us to become more like Christ. 

Here is a new phrase I’m going to embrace, and I invite you to embrace it, too: “You can think what you want about me. I’m over here doing my best to become all God created me to be.”

Have a great day, Friends!

Lord, You Make All Things Work Together

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Dear Lord, thank You for faithfully listening to our prayers. You care about every single one of our requests and heart cries. Your Word says we can confidently bring our burdens to Your throne and that You will equip us with Your mercy and grace. Enable us to release bitterness, unbelief, or anything else that might prevent Your mercy and grace from having their full impact. Help us remember that You are ceaselessly concerned about our lives and that while You might intervene in an entirely conspicuous manner, there will also be times when Your work will be behind the scenes and, therefore, not as visible. When we can’t see Your hand and the wheels You are setting in motion, may we still have an unwavering belief that You are actively moving. Open our hearts to what You are teaching us in the midst of trials.

In our world today, confusion and chaos can sometimes threaten to overwhelm us. When we find ourselves in that position, Lord, help us to set our minds on You, the Prince of Peace, instead of the problems. Remind us that You have given us access to Your matchless, perfect peace. Empower us to wait expectantly for Your peace to wash over us and to protect us from strife in even the most difficult circumstances.

Help us to rest in the promise that You always cause all things to work together for our good. Remind us that what we think is good might be different from what You know is good and that Your definition of good supersedes our definition. Assure us that You are sovereign, have everything under control, and are for us, not against us. 

Lord, thank You for Your unfailing love for us. Help us surrender to Your will, way, and wisdom. 

In Your holy name we pray, Amen.

Hebrews 4:16, Philippians 4:7, Romans 8:28

New Song: Jesus, Here’s My Broken Heart 🎵

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I would love to share a new song with you. And I just have to share this too: I wrote it in less than two hours. (For me, that’s crazy! Songs usually take me much, much longer to finish.) I almost felt like God just dictated the words and the music, and I wrote it down! It was something I will never forget!!

If you listen to this song and it touches you, it would mean so much to hear from you! Maybe you can relate…I feel a little vulnerable after writing songs and blog posts and putting them on the internet for anyone to hear/see, so it is a huge encouragement to hear feedback!!

I truly hope you are blessed by this song and these facts: we are immeasurably loved by God and He wants to heal our broken hearts. He is just so good.

Lyrics: Another sunrise, another opportunity. But Lord, You know that lately it’s been hard to see Your light through the darkness and Your peace in the world’s mess. Oh, Jesus, won’t You help me

Jesus, here’s my broken heart. I place it in Your hands. And when I try to take it back from You, help me to trust Your flawless plans – even when I don’t understand.

This burden’s heavy and I am feeling weak. Seems like the world’s noise tries to drown out the words You speak. You promise comfort. You promise rest. Oh, Jesus, won’t You help me?

Jesus, here’s my broken heart. I place it in Your hands. And when I try to take it back from You, help me to trust Your flawless plans – even when I don’t understand.

You’re the only One who truly knows my soul. You knit me together – only You can make me whole again. Won’t You help me?

Jesus, here’s my broken heart. I place it in Your hands. And when I try to take it back from You, help me to trust Your flawless plans – even when I don’t understand.

Jesus, here’s my broken heart. I place it in Your hands.

Let’s Be Radiant!

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When we become stressed, it can be easy to forget where to place our focus…we unfortunately look inward and attempt to figure life out on our own instead of looking to Jesus for the help He lovingly offers us.

Psalm 34:5 says those who look to Him are radiant and that their faces will never be ashamed.

May we look to Jesus and pursue complete obedience to His way. May our trust and hope in Jesus cause an unmistakable glow to radiate from our lives! 

Dear Lord, may Your Holy Spirit nudge us when it is time to change our perspective. Open our eyes to You and Your way, Lord. We desire to lovingly serve You and reflect Your light. Amen.

Far Beyond Our Comprehension

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God doesn’t think like us. (Thank God😉)

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)

His ways and thoughts are far beyond our comprehension. Sometimes that can be frustrating and cause us to wonder, “What in the world is going on in my life right now?” But it’s good to remember that His love for us is far beyond our comprehension also – which means even when we don’t understand His ways, His deep love for us guarantees He is doing what is best for us. 

Sometimes what God says is best doesn’t make sense in our human way of thinking, but if I know one thing, it’s that God knows what He is doing. 

Let’s choose to trust Him more and more each day.

From Negative to New

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It is not unusual to feel overwhelmed by negative emotions such as anger and sadness from time to time. Let’s be honest: our world is full of complex people and complex situations, so it is understandable when we experience and express complicated emotions. However, it is essential to remember that we are not required to stay stuck in that state! In other words, we do not have to wait for challenging people to start treating us better or for difficult situations to improve before we start reacting in a Christlike manner. (I’m sure we can agree that in some cases, we would be waiting a lifetime!) Therefore, choosing whether or not to let negative emotions have control over how we live is our own decision to make.

When we dwell on anger or sadness, we lose the opportunity to move forward in expectation of what God has in store for us. We may also miss chances to reflect Christ – which is an integral part of our mission on this earth.

So, what can we do when we find ourselves stuck in that unwanted state? Spend time with Him by reading His Word and praying. The Bible is chock-full of treasures for all of us, such as peace, comfort, and love. Talking to God reminds us that He is relational, and He understands what we are going through. Spending time with Him will help us view our circumstances with a fresh set of eyes and a renewed perspective. 

The next time we feel stuck in negativity, let us open His Word and remind ourselves of His many promises. Let us ask God to help us stop wallowing in negative emotions and start welcoming new ones that He is eager to offer us. 

Dear Lord, when we experience negative emotions, help us exchange them for a new, better alternative. We are grateful that You bless us by replacing our anger and sadness with Your extraordinary peace. Thank You for being ready and willing to come alongside us and help us become the people You want us to be. Amen.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Let God Have the Final Say (Our Identity in Christ ~ Day 3 of 3)

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We have a choice to make. We can believe the false identity created by the world’s negative opinions of us, or we can read about, reflect upon, and ultimately receive the identity God bestowed upon us. It takes increased patience and intentional prayer to decide we are going to embrace our God-Authored identity, but we are capable of it with His help.

Philippians 2:5 says, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” That verse and others with the same message make it clear that before we were born, God placed a calling on our lives: to be like Jesus. Continue reading →