The dictionary defines endurance as “the ability to withstand hardship or adversity, especially the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity.” God’s Word tells us that we need to endure, practice endurance, grow in endurance, etc. (Hebrews 10:36, Romans 5:3-4, James 1:2-4, e.g.) Since most of us focus on the hardship, adversity, and [...]
How merciful God is towards us – towards me! So many times I have allowed myself to be pulled back into the familiar place of confusion with all its unrest; yet, He lovingly leads me back to the place I belong in Him, where there is peace and order and clarity. My prayer is that [...]
What is it that’s always on my mind? The honest answer is that too much of the time I have me on my mind. When I have me on my mind so much, I spend too much time praying for and about me. After all, James 4:2 says that we have not because we ask [...]
Not long ago, as I began waking up and starting my usual process of planning what I was going to do that day, there was a sudden shift of focus. In hindsight, I can only say that the Holy Spirit redirected my thoughts toward God without my being aware of it happening. I thought about [...]
When you first read the title, you might think I’ve gotten it backwards – that it’s my prayer life that affects how I think. Definitely, an effective prayer life affects my thoughts. If you will stay with me on this, however, I think you will come to see that it works the other way, as [...]
I don’t know about you, but I have felt overwhelmed with the enormity of the need in the hurricane-ravaged part of our nation. As bad as the pictures reveal the situation to be, I know that the devastation is much worse than we can possibly grasp from pictures of any sort. I have felt a [...]
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” Mark 1:3 KJV This verse quotes John the Baptist, who is calling the unrepentant ones to get ready for the Lord – to make the way for Him to do His will. I’ve always thought of [...]
Do you ever feel like there are so many things you need to pray about that you can never pray enough to cover them all, even though you pray frequently through your day, as well as during your “quiet time”? Almost every spare moment that you are not required to be thinking about what you’re [...]
As I watched yet another of the negative political ads on TV, I felt sick inside. I began to sense a nudging from the Spirit to pray right away. Though I didn’t respond immediately, He nudged a little harder by giving me a glimpse of the spiritual battle in these campaigns, again reminding me of [...]
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 NIV This is probably a familiar Scripture for most of you. I learned the whole armor of God passage [...]
