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A Daily Bible Reading Guide to Transform Your Life
The sumac has come to life in shades of fiery crimson. I stare at it from my perch by the window and open God’s Word with a sense of expectation. A few weeks ago, I started a new daily Bible reading guide, and this devotional is leading me straight to the Lord. I’ve been learning from Patsy Burnette for years, and when she released her 365-day devotional book Sweeter Than Honey, I jumped at the opportunity to draw near to God with Patsy. I have not been disappointed. Sweeter Than Honey walks the reader through the full Bible in one year—reading chronologically, which is a compelling way to read through…
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11 Encouraging Bible Verses About Failure
A sycamore leaf falls into my hand—brittle and tawny, the color nutmeg. The creek unfolds in shadowy shades of black, and I breathe deeply as my cares fall away. Pulling out my Bible, I begin making a list of Bible verses about failure. I recently failed in an endeavor that was important to me. I need God’s Word to encourage me and help me press forward. We all face failure, and it can leave us feeling paralyzed and defeated. Today, we’ll take a closer look at 11 Bible verses about failure. I encourage you to soak in these Words and ask God to illuminate them in your heart. God wants…
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How to Hear God’s Voice: 4 Keys
Do you want to learn to hear God’s voice and stay in step with him as you make decisions? God wants to reveal himself to us and teach us how to discern his quiet whispers. How to Hear God’s Voice Today, we’ll begin by discussing the most common ways God speaks to us. Then, we’ll explore a practical way to create space for listening to God. Let’s start with the ways God often speaks. 1. God speaks through his written Word. Most reliably, God speaks through his written Word. Has a Bible verse ever jumped off the page as if it were written just for you? Have you ever felt…
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How to Keep Walking With God Through Dark Seasons
Days are growing shorter. For our family, shorter days include more time together within the fawn-colored walls of our living room. I’m learning to appreciate the rhythms of indoor seasons. I also know I’ll soon face winter days when walking with God through the darkness feels difficult. Not long ago, on one of these cloudless black evenings, I looked across the room to see my husband walking across the dining room with our little girl standing on his feet. Sweet Bekah’s little body moved wherever her daddy moved as her feet rested on his much larger feet. I immediately thought about the way God wants us to cling to him.…
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10 Transformational Scriptures on Alignment With God
I sit by the sliding glass and force myself to stay for ten minutes of silence and semi-solitude. I’ve been sitting by this glass intermittently for several years now, trying to incorporate rhythms that will teach me how to have a deeper relationship with God. Today, I pull out my Bible in search of Scriptures on alignment with God. Scriptures on Alignment With God Our lives are transformed when we come into alignment with God. As God shapes our hearts to look more like his heart, our desires begin to mirror his desires. We see breakthrough in our prayers because we are praying according to God’s will. Let’s look at…
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“Has God Abandoned Me?” (12 Promises From God)
I sit in the canyon where the granite is ribboned with a thousand shades of earthy beige. I’ve come to this canyon to find answers and seek direction for my life. Feeling alone and uncertain, I whisper painful words to the wild Wyoming sky: “Has God abandoned me?” I’ve endured some rough years, and I can’t help but wonder what God thinks about my life. Is he looking at me with folded arms and a disappointed scowl on his face? Is he rolling his eyes and writing me off? I surely deserve to be written off. I’ve been living for myself and not for him. From where I’m sitting in…
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5 Practical Ways to Sit at Jesus’ Feet
Shadows of maple leaves move like water on the lawn. Lost in their dance, I step out of my cares for just a moment, and my heart feels light for the first time in weeks. More than anything, I’m desperate for space to step back, breathe, and sit at Jesus’ feet. I wish I were better at going with the flow and living with open hands, willing and eager to receive whatever happens to cross my path. Unfortunately, every time we hit a bump in the road, I call it crisis mode and come unhinged. I’m well aware of Jesus’ words: “In this world, you will have trouble . .…
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Scripture About God’s Presence: 7 Verses With Applications
The morning glories are climbing the neighbors’ porch beams when I stop along the road and come to a realization: I have not been attentive to God’s presence lately. I’ve been hustling and striving and failing to stay in step with him. After returning home, I pull out my Bible in search of Scripture about God’s presence. I want to remain attuned to him throughout all my moments. Scripture About God’s Presence: 7 Bible Verses Below are the verses I find, writing them in my journal and soaking in the transformative truth of God’s Word. If you want to become more attuned to God’s presence, I invite you to spend…
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How to Show Gratitude Toward God When Life Is Tough: 3 Practical Ways
After the coffee brews, the final drops patter into the pot like rain filling a bucket or thoughts collecting in the secret place. Our days have been full here lately, and I’m desperate for some space to let my soul breathe. I utter a quiet prayer for insight on how to show gratitude to God and close my eyes as thunder echoes in the distance. We all face seasons when life feels overwhelming. We want to give thanks in all circumstances, but it’s not so easy when life doesn’t work out according to our plans. It’s easy to get caught up in all that’s wrong in our lives and forget…
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3 Ways to Hold on to God When You’re at the End of Your Rope
Someone tied a ragged rope swing over the creek last summer. I walked by that rope all winter, its frayed edges hanging grey and frozen over icy water. Sometime in the middle of those long winter months, the old rope started to remind me of the truth I needed when the sun hid its face for weeks on end: Sometimes you have to reach the end of your rope and lose your grip before you realize God was holding onto you the whole time. It’s not easy to hold on to God when your life falls apart and your grip loosens. But maybe the best news of all is this:…
