For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. — 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) What’s wrong with me, Lord? As I prayed, I struggled to find the right word to describe my emotion. Depressed felt too strong. Discouraged didn’t fit either. Searching through an online thesaurus,…
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. — Mark 1:35 (NIV) Prayer should be easy. Through prayer we have immediate and constant access to the Creator of the universe (Isaiah 40:28). He takes time to listen,…
But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. — 2 Corinthians 1:9b KABOOM! Wondering what caused the crash, I ran to the window. Completely unperturbed by the sound, my husband peacefully scattered corn for the deer who grace our property. Seeing nothing amiss, and nothing to…
“Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” — Matthew 17:20 (NIV) I just want to quit. I have recently prayed these…
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.”— John 15:1 (NIV) Years ago a friend gave me a plant as a housewarming gift. I’ve never been good with plants, but I tried very hard to take care of this one. I faithfully watered it every couple of days and made sure it…
Jesus said to her , “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.— John 11:25-26a (NIV) Please God, bless everyone and help me to be good. Please let there be no fires or other…
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” — John 10:11 (NIV) Sheep have a bad reputation ~ for being stupid. So it can be somewhat disconcerting to know God often likens us to sheep in the Scriptures. To be fair, sheep do possess certain characteristics which may…
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”— John 8:12b (NIV) I hope you won’t think less of me…but I started decorating for Christmas at the beginning of November. I know, I know, I usually wait until after Thanksgiving. But over…
Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. — Psalm 116:2 (ESV) I struggle with prayer. Of all the spiritual disciplines, I find this the most difficult. I’ve often felt guilty about my prayer life. For all the times I promised to pray for someone,…
