And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. From:Luke 2:52 (KJV)
Inspiration
We look to Jesus’ life as an example for our own and see how He grew in stature and wisdom. Our Christian walk is exciting as we continue to grow closer to the Lord and gain understanding regarding His love and plan for our lives. We praise God as we look back on life and see how much closer we are today. When we seek His guidance and wisdom with cheerful, sincere hearts, He bestows instruction and wisdom upon us.
Prayer
Dear God, You provide all the tools necessary for us to grow spiritually. We will take every opportunity to learn and become closer to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. From:Matthew 8:28 (KJV)
Inspiration
God has calmed storms in our lives on multiple occasions. When the winds are fierce, and we feel there is no help to come, God moves the thunder clouds out and restores our peace of mind. He is loving, compassionate, and caring. God never leaves us to fend for ourselves. We are thankful for His love and devotion as He soothes ravenous storms that will destroy us. We lift praises to the heavens for His unfailing love and affection.
Prayer
Dear God, You calm the storms brewing in our hearts and give us peace that passes all understanding. We are thankful for Your love and devotion during our struggles and hardships. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. From:Nahum 1:7 (KJV)
Inspiration
God knows our hearts and carefully listens as we cry out to Him in times of trouble. Daily stresses mount as we move through our routine, yet, we find comfort in our moment-by-moment conversations with our Heavenly Father. How many times a day do we pray? It’s impossible to number the moments we seek His guidance and comfort as we engage in continuous conversation with Him. He knows us by name and understands our struggles. He is always present and willing to instruct our daily steps.
Prayer
Dearest Heavenly Father, We find comfort in our daily conversations. You are present in our lives every moment and reassure us with Your steadfast love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. From:Psalm 107:29 (KJV)
Inspiration
We lose our footing as massive waves of life knock us down. Thankfully, God has the power to calm the restless sea and restore peace and steady ground. He sees rough water on the horizon before we do and prepares our hearts for future disturbances. We turn to Him for guidance, instruction, and wisdom as we encounter challenges in our everyday lives. We are proud to serve a loving, devoted Heavenly Father who loves us deeply.
Prayer
Dear Father, Your love has no boundaries, and we are thankful for Your presence. When we have difficulty standing, You will always restore our spirits. We are grateful for Your never-ending love and devotion. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? From:Psalm 89:8 (KJV)
Inspiration
There is no one greater than our Creator. He moves mountains, parts seas, and remains devoted to each detail of our lives. He celebrates with us during happy moments and cries when our hearts have broken. He is faithful, dependable, merciful, and kind. He has been present since the beginning and will continue to pour unconditional love over us until our final days. We boast of our love for Him. He is exceptional and worthy of our highest praise!
Prayer
Dear God, We are grateful for our relationship with You. You are always present, and we remain humbled as You pour Your steadfast love upon us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? From:Ecclesiastes 7:13 (KJV)
Inspiration
The path of righteousness is straight and narrow, seemingly easy to navigate. Satan despises us and our choice to follow Christ; he places temptations and obstacles in our path, causing us to wander off course and away from the Lord. We make poor choices and resort to a sinful lifestyle, making our straight path distorted and crooked. It makes no difference how we fail or how far we wander; God’s love has no boundaries and cannot be measured. He leaves the ninety-nine to find us; He cleanses our sins and restores our walk with Him. We are blessed to have a loving Father with a compassionate, merciful heart.
Prayer
Dear God, We make mistakes that lead our lives in the wrong direction. Please forgive our sinful choices and restore our footing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. From:Ecclesiastes 7:14 (KJV)
Inspiration
Our earthly lives abound with seasons of happiness and sorrow, delight or bitterness. All seasons bloom according to God’s plan for our life, and we must rely on His wisdom to make it through the darkest days. We praise God on good days and bad days because we are devoted to His will. We recall His blessings in our darkest hour and find peace in His wisdom. We know that His plan for us is always good, and He will reassure us during our darkest seasons.
Prayer
Dear God, You are good to us all the days of our life. When rough times are in season, we cling to our love and find peace in Your plan for us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. From:Isaiah 25:4 (KJV)
Inspiration
God is a refuge, shelter, and place of rest for His people. Let us remember to follow His example. Our world abounds with countless souls who seek to find Him, and we must make ourselves available to witness in His name! We will make room in our busy schedules to talk to a friend who’s hurting, minister to a needy community, or speak to a stranger who has never heard about Jesus. We always have time to be a shelter for others.
Prayer
Dear Lord, You have shown us how to comfort one another. Please guide us to help someone in need today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me. From:Psalm 38:21 (KJV)
Inspiration
We call out to the Lord in moments of weakness and despair! We know He is always present and listening; His heart breaks when we feel shattered and broken. God was there before we asked for help and knew what we needed before we did. He is dependable and will never forsake us at any point in time. We rejoice in gladness, lifting praises to Him name; He has always been an awesome God.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for always being present whether we call out to You or not. You know what we need before we ask; thank You for never forsaking us in moments of despair. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. From:John 13:34 (KJV)
Inspiration
Wow, this is a difficult command to live up to! He asks the disciples to love one another as he loved them. We should love one another as Jesus loves us. This is a task that we will never be able to complete, but it is a lofty goal that we MUST aspire to. If we keep this in our hearts and minds, the love we share will be tremendous and inspire others to live the same. We must try!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I am constantly amazed that you believe in me after failing to love other people as you have commanded. Jesus taught me how to treat others, and I ask that you strengthen my understanding and compassion, my willingness and action, and fortify them all with love. I know that I do not deserve it Lord, but I pray today to commit to serving you as you see fit. I pray this with love in my heart for you. Amen.
House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD. From:Proverbs 19:14 (KJV)
Inspiration
We may consider prudence as an irreplaceable trait for a man, but this blessing holds true for a woman also. A prudent wife is of great worth and a wonderful gift from God. Great families need more than wealth for prosperity. They also need the blessing of virtuous women, for by their character, diligence, reputation, and training, families are helped to greatness. Great women make great families. Finding an average wife is easy; finding a great wife is like searching for hidden treasure.
Prayer
Holy God and righteous Father, please bless me as I seek to discern your will in my decisions today. I recognize that each breath that I take is a gift and that each success is because of your grace. Please use me to your glory and help me find your path for my life. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. From:1 Timothy 2:9 (KJV)
Inspiration
Specifically, this refers to how women dressed and cared for their hair. Then, as now, church gatherings were not an appropriate time to dress seductively or for attention. Clothing styles vary, and tastes change based on time and culture. All the same, how women (and men) dress should be appropriate for worship of God. Paul’s point is not that certain hairstyles are necessarily sinful; rather, the message and the motives are. In the culture of Ephesus, braided hair was a luxurious status symbol. In that era, it required much time and financial costs. This was the equivalent of modern hairstyles requiring significant time and cost. Those who put so much energy into hairstyles suggest that their emphasis is on themselves, rather than on worshiping God.
Prayer
Father, I will dress with modesty and respect because through the costly gospel of Jesus that’s the type of heart a redeemed woman in Christ has – modest, respectful, godly, self-controlled, knowing I am precious to God . . . beautiful. Amen.
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. From:Psalm 147:3 (KJV)
Inspiration
You will experience loss and betrayal. There will be times when you feel brokenhearted. We live in a fallen world, so it is expected that we will experience pain and hurt. However, those who believe in the Lord will find relief in him. The Bible tells us he is close to those who are brokenhearted and he saves those who feel crushed in spirit. When you are hurting, call out to Jesus. He is always faithful and he will give you peace.
Prayer
Dear God, I am brokenhearted. I am overwhelmed with sadness. You understand pain as your son suffered on the cross – be near me, O Lord. But, Father, I know I can call on you and you will give me peace and rest. You see my pain and you will give me the strength I need to overcome this trial. Turn my mourning into gladness, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. From:Romans 8:28 (KJV)
Inspiration
When our employment is suddenly terminated, the most natural human reaction is panic, and that is understandable. We might further question how a loving God could let such a thing happen. “I mean, doesn’t God know I need….?”, etc. The fact is, God does know. So, we find ourselves with the opportunity to have instead a super-natural reaction: Trust. Trust doesn’t mean that we’re not confused, or sad, or even mad, but it does mean that we understand in our heart of hearts that God sees the big picture, God’s got this, and will cause all things to work together for our good, even the loss of a job. Truth.
Prayer
Lord, I know sometimes stuff just happens, whether it seems right to me or not. Sometimes I honestly don’t know how to deal with that fact. I am asking You here in this moment to help me trust in Your perspective of my situation, as well as in Your capacity to cause everything to work together for good in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. From:Ephesians 5:4 (KJV)
Inspiration
It’s hard to control the tongue. It doesn’t take any effort at all to grumble and complain, or to lapse into profanity or dirty jokes. There is a constant flood of that kind of talk in our culture, and we can easily be swept along in it. How can we resist the flood? By replacing negativity and coarse talk with thankfulness, as our text says, “but rather thanksgiving.” Instead of grumbling about our job, we can thank God that we have one. Instead of criticizing our spouse, we can focus on their strengths and how much they mean to us. Resist the flood by being thankful, and your God-honoring talk will be a lighthouse to those around you.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I so easily get swept up in the negativity and ungodliness of the conversations around me. Teach me to resist that flow by being thankful instead. In Jesus’ name, amen.
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) From:2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)
Inspiration
Faith is not an on-and-off action. It’s not something we do today, and forget tomorrow. Faith, for the believer, is a lifestyle. It determines our actions and motives. Our faith in Christ is what defines our very beings. Every day requires faith because of the world we live in. We live in a world that constantly tries to challenge our belief in God and His promises. Our lives can only be affirmed and assured by Christ, and Christ alone. In Christ we have peace, assurance, and confidence to take on every day. Faith can be seen as the gateway through which we receive it.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I just want to thank you for all you’ve done in my life. Father, I know I cannot live this life of faith on my own. I pray that I may always be conscious of your assurance for my life, with every day that passes. May I always be conscious of your faithfulness, Lord, and may it always be the source of my confidence. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. From:Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
Inspiration
Do you remember learning in school about if-then conditional statements? For example, IF you wash your clothes, THEN they’ll be clean. In today’s verse you may be asking “What things will be given to me?” Jesus had just spoken of the magnificent ‘clothing’ of the lilies, the food and drink we all need, and how our Heavenly father knows we need these things. Jesus then calls us, you and me, to rest in the knowledge of God’s love as we live and work, affirming that ‘if’ we actively seek His reign in our lives, and live accordingly, ‘then’ all these things are guaranteed. Truth.
Prayer
Lord, I ask You to help me live according to the principles of Your kingdom. I want to get this right, believing in Your words that things will fall into place as I get my priorities straight, with the help of Your Spirit. Reign in me, Lord. Amen.
