The sun is just starting to rise outside my window. I’m walking on my treadmill and wishing for coffee. While I’ve managed to get my feet moving this morning, I’m having trouble getting my mouth to...
God, Sometimes this world is hard to understand. And even when we trust you, our hearts still ache. So we come to you today asking for the hope we need. Hope that sees past the here-and-now...
From time to time, we simply pause to share what's going on in our lives and pray for each other here. Let's do so today. You can share a need. Or express thanks. Or maybe a little bit of...
I sip my coffee and think of you.
I type these words and think of you.
I do.
And I pray for you too.
I may not have seen your face.
But I know the One who made it.
I may not have heard your voice.
But I know the One who speaks to your heart.
And He LOVES you.
I feel it when I pray for you…this deep, glorious, "that one's mine and I'll fight for them" love.
I also feel joy. You delight Him.
Praying for you, praying with you, is one of my favorite things.
I love how God brings our hearts together in the ways that matter most, wherever we are. And whatever you need today, I'm asking Him to give it to you.
We're praying for each other on (in)courage today. Would you like to stop by to share a need in your life or take time to encourage someone else? To get there, just click here.
God,
Today I'm especially thankful for…
the one reading these words,
the feel of autumn in the wind,
the hand of my husband in mine,
the laughter of friends,
the grace that keeps me going,
the whispered prayers you've heard,
the feeling of waking up from a nap,
the smell of coffee,
the goodness of home here…
and the hope of Home forever with you there.
Amen.
reposted from the archives
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
Let's keep saying thanks together. What's one thing you're grateful for today?
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written with love for you by holley
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I read the words on a day when I want to pull the covers back over my head. Surely I'm the only one who ever has those days.
And then there it is…
"I believed in you, so I said, 'I am deeply troubled, Lord.' " Ps 116:10
I think of how I might say it…
"I believed in you, so I said, 'I'm fine, just fine, Lord.' "
A smile starts to catch the corner of my lips. I laugh at myself a little, at how I imagine the God who spoke the world into being can't handle my emotions–all of them.
So I climb out of bed and tell Him how I feel afraid and wonder if I have what it takes. I tell Him I wish I had more courage, more love, more time and energy. I tell Him all of it all day long.
I don't fake a smile.
I don't pretend it's okay.
Because I believe in Him.
It's an act of faith, like a child running to her father and saying, "Daddy, it hurts!" What father would turn away? Not ours.
I climb into bed that night, tuck the sheets in around me, lay my head on the same pillow where it rested when I first read those words. I drift to sleep not fearing monsters under my bed (or inside my head) because I'm covered by grace and I know that He knows.
All of it.
On days like this, it seems the sweetest miracle isn't that I believe in Him.
It's that He–impossibly, stubbornly–believes in me.
Let's pray for each other. To let us know how we can pray for you, just leave a comment. And please take a moment to pray for the last person on the list too (remember to click "next" on each page until you get to the end). If you're an e-mail subscriber, click the "leave a comment" link below instead of replying to the e-mail.
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Life is hard sometimes–
crazy, mixed up, messed up.
There we are in the middle of it all.
You know what it's like, Lord.
So we ask for your help this week…
When we face fear, give us courage
For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, "Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13
When we feel stress, give us peace.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
When we falter, give us strength.
I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Thank you for promising in anything we face, you'll give us everything we need. Amen.
Let's pray for each other. To let us know how we can pray for you, just leave a comment. And please take a moment to pray for the last person on the list too (remember to click "next" on each page until you get to the end).
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written with love for you by holley
p.s. It's my birthday.
grace undeserved and beauty that wraps itself around our messy lives to make us whole again,
joy that arrives like a candle and reminds us brighter days will come,
laughing until we cry and crying until we laugh,
how you hold us close in a way our hearts can feel,
for the glorious, golden leaves outside my window,
and the wind that sounds like a whisper calling my name.
The trees lift their hands as if to answer back.
I close my eyes and listen.
Everything I hear, the high and low, sounds to me like one word repeated…
grace, grace, grace.
Let's say prayers of thanks this week. What are you grateful to God for?
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If you're hurting right now, I'm thinking of you. And wherever you are, whatever you're going through, this is my prayer for you…
Lord,
Thank you that you are not only the God of sunny skies but the rain in our lives as well.
So I come to you on behalf of your daughter whose heart is hurting. I ask that you would draw her to you.
Shelter her with your love,
protect her with your peace,
keep her safe in your strength.
May every drop that falls bring forth life, growth, and unexpected beauty like spring flowers after storms.
Wherever she may be as she reads these words, may she know she is loved and prayed for…
You know how many hairs are on her head and how many cares are in her heart. So I place your daughter in your loving hands and ask you to bless and strengthen her today–and every day until brighter days are here again.
Amen.
God will tenderly comfort you…He will give you the strength to endure.
II CORINTHIANS 1:7 TLB
Let's pray for each other as we face life's storms. To let us know how we can pray for you or someone you love, just leave a comment. And please take a moment to pray for the last person on the list too.
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p.s. You can find more encouragement for life's storms in Rain on Me: Devotions of Hope and Encouragement for Difficult Times. And just for you, it's 20% off with my friends and family code (holley20) on DaySpring.com.
I'm thinking of you this evening,
thinking of all of us,
and how insecurity can chase us
but God whispers instead–
"Stop, rest, come.
Let me hold you close.
Let me tell you what your heart needs to hear…
You're enough because I've promised you all you need.
You belong because I've chosen you.
You're beautiful because I made you.
You've got a purpose because I'm directing your life.
You're secure because I've got you–
and I'll never let you go."
I may not know what waits for you this week but I know the One who will be with you every moment and I'm asking Him to give you all your heart needs most.
Let's pray for each other. To let us know how we can pray for you, just leave a comment. And please take a moment to pray for the last person on the list too.
Would you like to leave a comment or Subscribe by Email?