We are focusing on loving one another for the “National Day of Prayer” in America.
Our generation is living in an unprecedented time of hatred. Many have turned away from God because they don’t know that His true nature is love. God is love. (1 John 4:8).
The words in Matthew 22:39 reveal the Lord’s second greatest commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” God has called us to love all people purely and unconditionally. It is by God’s amazing love and grace that souls will be drawn into a relationship with Jesus Christ.
His love is enough to conquer anything. Evil may be increasing on the earth, but love overpowers it all. As we love one another as Christ loves us, we will see the world begin to change.
Let’s pray for our nation and for all the nations of the world to grow in Christ’s love.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for loving us perfectly and not giving up on our nation. Keep Your hand upon our country and help us to love each other as You love us. Bring unity and a spirit of brotherhood upon our land. Let love begin growing throughout every city in America. Let Your perfect love rule in the hearts of all Your children and let us be an example to those who do not know how to love yet. Let us all walk together in our diversities as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Let all races be treated equally with respect and honor. Awaken countless souls with Your love and let the greatest spiritual awakening spread across our country. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.
Jesus deeply loves children. I learned about His love for children when I was a little girl. There is a song we sang at church in my childhood years that touched my spirit.
In my Sunday school class, we would sing these words: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world…red and yellow, black and white. They are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.”
In the Bible, we see that Jesus had very strong feelings about the importance and care of children.
Christ’s love for the children is the reason we are beckoned to pray for and care for the needs of the hurting kids around the world. One of our true purposes as followers of Christ is to partner with the Lord and help meet the needs of children who are suffering.
There are wonderful ministries we can partner with to help hurting children. “One Million Home” is a ministry that is helping orphanages around the world to shift their model and they are helping reunite many children with their families. This ministry provides grants (finances) to orphanages and helps to place orphaned children in loving homes. I truly believe Christ is using this ministry to help eliminate the suffering of children and we are at the cusp of seeing a tremendous breakthrough in the orphan crisis.
You can view the video about the vision of One Million Home at the end of this post and you can visit their website: https://1millionhome.com/orphanages/.
Let’s pray for the protection of children in our world every day.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Touch every hurting child with Your healing hands and heal the broken places in their hearts. Bind up their wounds and let their spirits soar again. Surround these children with a legion of angels and protect them from abusive people. Use the body of Christ to bring an end to child hunger and bring a breakthrough for the orphan crisis in our world. Bring freedom to every child in bondage and raise up more adoptive parents for the children who need a loving home. Release every child from harmful situations and shield them with Your love today and forever. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.
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Over three decades ago, while standing in front of approximately a hundred and fifty people on April 27, I looked into Michael’s eyes and said, “I do.” I was a young nineteen-year-old girl, without a clue of what those two simple words really meant. The most important thing to me at the time was the passionate love I had for the one who had swept me off my feet. I couldn’t imagine my life without Michael. With a simplistic attitude, I made a commitment to love my husband as long as we both live.
The first few months as husband and wife were very much like a honeymoon vacation. We were inseparable and giddy as we began our new life together, but as the months grew into years, challenges began to arise. Job losses after our children were born and other real life issues came to test our love; and we approached seasons in our marriage that seemed impossible to overcome.
At one point when our children were very young, we lived separately for a few weeks to figure out how to mend our broken relationship. Even with the challenges, neither of us ever completely gave up.
At the lowest point, we both agreed to place our marriage in God’s hands and asked Him to teach us how to really love each other. We each began to look to Christ, and step by step things began to change in our marriage. We learned to embrace the differences in our personalities. We learned that where one of us is weak, the other is strong. We learned that there is a divine purpose for our opposite strengths and weaknesses.
We learned that genuine love is built on the ability to accept the other individual with flaws and all. Once we learned those lessons, then the real beauty of marriage began to grow in our relationship. All masks came down and a mutual trust developed that is indescribable.
As a couple that did not give up during our younger years, Michael and I learned that love isn’t a fleeting emotion based on feelings. In reality, real love is a selfless commitment and it’s most evident when we face trials.
Looking back, I can remember a time when I had a horrible flu virus and Michael’s love for me was so strong. I was probably the sickest I’ve ever felt in my life. My head was pounding with pain and my body ached terribly. As he patiently spooned chicken soup into my mouth to help me gain strength, Michael’s tenderness and gentleness spoke volumes of his love for me.
Along with my recollection of Michael caring for me during sickness, there are countless stories laced with joy woven into the past thirty-four years where love has shown itself as the powerful force in our relationship.
While looking through some of our photos, I saw a picture taken on the front porch of our friends’ vacation home in North Carolina. The picture struck me instantly and served as the perfect analogy for the way our marriage has grown so beautiful and comfortable.
With Christ’s help, our love has become like relaxing on the front porch of a cozy home as we experience the exhilarating beauty that brings rest to the soul. The thing that brings us rest in our souls—unconditional love—happens to be the very same thing that brings out the most awesome beauty of marriage.
With every year of life, I grow more grateful for what Christ did for mankind. He died an agonizing death to redeem us and give us eternal life. Jesus paid it all and took the penalty for our sins. This is good news that ought to be shouted joyfully to the world. Jesus said, “It is finished.” We do not ever have to agonize over our failures or mistakes again. There is nothing more awesome about life than Christ’s magnificent gift of the cross.
The resurrection of Christ is the only hope for our world. Christ redeems our lives and restores all that’s broken as we trust Him.
This morning, I received a new picture of a precious little girl we began sponsoring through a ministry (mercyandgracecharity.com) in Andhra Pradesh, India at the end of 2018. This picture is another beautiful reminder to me of Christ’s redeeming love.
Years ago, we were in a season when we barely had enough food to eat. It was about nine years ago when Christ rescued our family out of a difficult season of lack. While we were very financially broke, I hung onto the hope found in a relationship with Christ and marched around my house enthusiastically declaring, “I will help orphans!” Because of Christ’s redemptive love, my longtime dream of helping orphans in Africa and other parts of the world came to fruition after the Lord led my husband to a new career in 2010.
The risen Christ is our redeemer. He saves us and then transforms the most difficult circumstances into something incredibly beautiful as we live by faith. All these years after I declared my desire to help orphans, I am celebrating the amazing gift of the cross and the beauty He creates in the lives of the ones surrendered to Him.
Beloved Jesus,
You are beautiful. You are amazing. You are incredible. Thank You for the glorious gift You have given mankind by dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Thank You for bearing the indescribable pain so that we can live eternally. Thank You for Your love that allows us to live freely and fully alive. Thank You for coming into the world and offering us salvation and letting us live in Your love for all eternity. Lord, we know we could never repay You for what You have done for us, but we choose to come to You with humility and sit at Your feet. We worship and adore You for all that You are. Your love lifts our countenance. Your love gives us hope. Your love heals our broken hearts. Your love allows us to give to the ones in need, to share the good news with the lost ones, and to forgive the ones who have hurt us. Your love conquers all of the darkness and awakens our souls. We will be eternally grateful for You. We love You with all of our hearts and pray in Your name, Christ. Amen.
Have a blessed Easter and rejoice in all Christ has done for you.
Our hearts are hurting for the ones affected by the terrorist attack at two mosques in New Zealand. We are filled with compassion for the community of people in Christchurch.
Every time there is a senseless tragedy, the Lord’s words about prayer (Matthew 6) offer us a hopeful way to pray. There are fourteen words from the Lord’s Prayer that bring great comfort in times of trouble: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on EARTH as it is in HEAVEN.” Hope exudes from those words, because we know that Christ’s will is meant to be on the earth in the same way that it is in HEAVEN.
Let’s join together and pray for HEAVEN’S agenda to touch the people in New Zealand.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being our healer and rescuer. Please draw near to those who were affected by the tragedy in Christchurch, New Zealand. Let Your presence surround those who are suffering and bring peace to those who have been deeply traumatized.
Place Your hands around every hurting person and give them serenity to replace the turmoil. Be their refuge and strength continually. Bring solace to those who are mourning and bring healing to those who are injured. Bring comfort and hope to the ones feeling hopeless.
Pour out Your Spirit in a mighty way and wash away the pain with Your love. Strengthen the medical staff as they work to help people heal from the trauma. Let Your will be done in New Zealand as it is in HEAVEN. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.
It was morning time. Christ’s presence could be felt strongly as I sat on my porch, reminding me of the refreshment that comes in communing with Christ. Christ’s voice enveloped my spirit and beckoned me to draw close to Him.
In my heart, it was though Christ was speaking these words: My heart yearns for you to sit at My feet. One glance from you makes My heart leap. I want your love more than anything else. All that your soul needs is found in Me and My love. Come enter into a beautiful love story with Me. Let My love carry you through life’s challenges. Come find refreshment and rest forever in My perfect love.
After a morning of stillness, I was refreshed once again by the love of Christ and ready for a new day of living in Him. The love of Christ is always the answer and truly the way to find peace in a chaotic world.
Beloved Jesus,
Thank You for refreshing our souls with Your love. Help us to draw near to You every day. Let us carry this message of Your beautiful love to a broken world that so desperately needs You. We love You and are waiting for Your return. I pray in Your mighty name, Jesus. Amen.
As I ponder the memories of the past year, the defining theme of 2018 could be summed up in the word, “yielded.” It was a year of allowing Christ to stretch me more and fully accept His callings for my life. The most defining moment for me was standing on a mountaintop at ‘Fields of the Wood,’ a Bible-themed park, on my 53rd birthday. It was a significant birthday and God confirmed His plans for my life in amazing ways that day. It’s no coincidence that the biblical symbol of the number fifty-three is “faithful witness.”
While standing on the mountaintop, the sky was blue like beautiful pools of water and the golden rays of sunshine were radiantly shining down as I stretched my arms toward HEAVEN.
I wept as I prayed: “Lord, I am Yours. Take me and use me however You desire. I will go wherever You lead me…together with my husband.”
It was one of the most powerful moments of my life as I stood on a concrete platform in the shape of the cross, surrounded by the flags of the nations. I knew in that moment I was truly yielded to the unknown possibilities, realizing I had no idea where Christ would lead us. The only thing that mattered in that moment is the confidence in knowing I am His and my soul is completely free to do what He placed me on the earth to do.
This journey of living the yielded life in Christ is not about us—it’s all about Him. Our failures and brokenness do not determine whether or not God will use us for His glory. In fact, the more broken the vessel is, the more Christ’s Holy Spirit can flow through us.
Wrong mindsets say our flaws disqualify us from being used by God, but the Holy Spirit says: Broken people make the best examples of the wonder-working power of God.
Last year, Christ embedded it into my heart that only His opinion matters. Christ freed my soul completely from fear of anyone’s opinions of me.
So here I am, a fifty-three-year-old woman, ready for new adventures and ready to be the most faithful witness for Christ that I can be. After this life is over, I cannot imagine a greater reward than hearing Christ say: “Well done, MY good and faithful servant.”
What about you? Are you ready to say, “YES” to whatever Christ has for your life? God is ready to take full responsibility for the life of the ones fully surrendered to Him. A yielded heart is one of the keys to true contentment. When we are yielded to Christ’s will for us, He is faithful to chisel away the sins in our hearts and lead us to the new beginnings in store for us.
Life will not be perfect until Christ’s return, but it is deeply fulfilling within our souls when we simply lay everything down and quit trying to figure things out. Let’s live totally yielded to Christ in 2019 and do the things on His agenda for our lives.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for filling us with Your Holy Spirit and leading us with Your guiding voice. Please help us to surrender every part of our lives to You and let us walk by Your Spirit. Let us seek You wholeheartedly and live for You with a singleness of heart. We lay aside all of our selfish ambitions and yield ourselves to You completely. Let us keep You as our highest priority every day. Help us to live each moment guided by Your Holy Spirit so that we can make a difference in the world. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.
I’m remembering my grandfather’s legacy of love and faith today on his birthday. He passed away at the age of ninety-six in 2012 and he left an eternal impact on my life.
As I’ve been pondering Poppy’s life, I thought about how he was a beautiful example of a man standing on the promises of God and living a truly blessed life.
Poppy was not perfect—because no man on Earth is flawless, but he loved Christ with all his heart and kept his priorities in the proper order. He was a man of prayer and faith.
At his funeral, one of the speakers shared about how my grandfather was the kind of prayer warrior that would get up in the middle of the night to pray for an urgent prayer request. Poppy walked by faith so well and his life continues to inspire me even all these years after his death.
There is a verse in the Bible that comes to my mind when I think of Poppy. Deuteronomy 5:33 says, “Walk in all the way that the Lord has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.”
Poppy could have lived a tragic life. His earthly father passed away on his 11th birthday and left him fatherless. However, he chose the high road and he let God fill the void in his heart after losing a parent at such a young age.
The tragedy in Poppy’s childhood did not prevent him from living abundantly. Poppy surely prospered in his life. He had a rich marriage with my grandmother for seventy-two years. He stayed committed to her and loved her through the good times and through the hard times. He was a man of courage and a man of honor. He loved his family and friends so very much.
God’s promise of an abundant life was fulfilled for my grandfather because he walked closely with his heavenly FATHER and depended on Him for everything.
God keeps His promises. The blessings promised in the Bible come forth in our lives when we trust Him and live fully surrendered to Him. May you be inspired by my grandfather’s life to trust Christ and stand on His promises in 2019.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thanks so much for Your goodness and thank You for the countless promises in the Bible. Help us to keep our eyes focused on You and let us stand on Your WORD every day. Give us confidence to do the things You’ve called us to do and let us take steps of faith toward the callings You’ve prepared for us. Let us turn away from idols and love You more than anything else. Help us fulfill all the purposes You have for each one of us and lead us to all the new beginnings You have for our lives. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of my greatest heroes. My soul is deeply touched every time I listen to Dr. King’s famous speech, “I Have a Dream.” Few people have inspired me more in my pursuit of living a life of purpose. His simple message of love and unity has the power to transform lives and communities. His words spoken in 1963 are just as relevant now as they were then.
May Christ touch your soul as you read the following excerpt from Dr. King’s famous speech.
“I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
Let’s honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy by spreading love everywhere we go and let us treat all people with the honor they deserve.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your everlasting love and for the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Let us rejoice in knowing that every person is treasured and created equally. Help us to always show honor to every human and let us lovingly embrace our differences. Help us be gentle with one another and let the fruit of the Spirit grow daily in each of our lives. Clothe us in humility and let our love for one another be what draws lost souls into Your kingdom. Bring unity among us and let us serve each other in true kindness. Above all, let us love You with all our strength and let us love our neighbor as ourselves. I pray in Christ’s name. Amen.
May freedom ring today and every day.
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As we celebrate Christmas, let us reflect on all Christ has given us. Apart from Christ, we would be destined for a hopeless existence. His gifts to us are limitless…His love, peace, joy, faith, and the never-ending list of heavenly treasures are the greatest blessings of life.
I can imagine the perfect Christmas gift for us to give Christ would be to continually allow His Spirit to produce abundant fruit in each one of our hearts. In the coming year, let’s pray without ceasing and give Christ every part of our lives.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank You for the gift of Christ. Thank You for sending Your son to save the world from darkness and to give us eternal life. Thank You for all that You give us and thank You for enabling us to live with an abundance of hope, joy, peace, and love. Let us live a life led by Your Holy Spirit and take hold of every gift You have given us through Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate our amazing Savior and share Christ’s love with the hurting people in the world. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.
