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5 Kingdom Advancement Prayers for Our World
God’s kingdom is the realm in which he rules and reigns. His kingdom has come to earth in part, but we are all awaiting the day when Jesus returns and reigns in full. Until that time, we can join together in praying kingdom advancement prayers for the world. 5 Kingdom Advancement Prayers for the World Matthew 6:10 reads: “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus’ words lead us to consider: Just what does it look like to pray for his kingdom to come on earth? Undoubtedly, part of this prayer includes shifting from self-focused prayers to world-focused prayers. Reverend Newman Hall writes: “Man’s worship, apart from…
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How to Embrace Change: 8 Mindsets to Help You
It happened on a balmy August evening with locusts droning on like a reminder that the earth would keep spinning, even if my world had shifted in an uncomfortable direction. It was time to learn how to embrace change, and it wasn’t going to be a lesson that came easily. We will all face seasons of drastic change in life, and that August evening threw me like few others. In a matter of minutes, every dream I’d been dreaming – every plan I’d been carefully laying down like a piece of some giant puzzle – fell to the wayside, and I was left alone with a radically shifted set of…
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How to be Brave when God Calls You to Follow
Some conversations remain imprinted on our minds in the precise location where they took place. Hard conversations with friends. Phone calls that change everything in the blink of an eye. Faith-filled conversations that shift paradigms in our minds and call us to learn how to be brave in new ways. As last summer drew to a humid close, I remember precisely where we were walking when a close friend asked how I felt about an impending season of immense difficulty. Our family was on the brink of change, and it wasn’t going to be change that came softly and easily. It was a change that was going to require me to…
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10 Bible Verses About Passion and Purpose in Life
I sit along the trickling creek as ribbons of fading daylight twirl through a canopy of maples. I’m here to talk to God about my life, and I’ve brought my Bible in search of Bible verses about passion and purpose in my life. Life has been full and blessed lately. The house is filled with the noise of children. Our days are spent splashing in this creek and riding bikes along the winding path. We are surrounded by blessings. These days with the kids also offer very little downtime. If I’m not preparing a meal for someone, I’m cleaning up or scooping food into a little mouth. If I’m not…
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Help, I Feel Like I Don’t Fit in
The scents of vanilla bean body spray and cherry blossom lotion waft through the door before I even enter the room. I hear them laughing, talking about children, and discussing essential oils as I pass through the threshold. It’s my first meeting with the Moms’ Group, and familiar anxiety rises in my chest. I wonder where I’ll sit and immediately feel like I don’t fit in here. I scan the room as I wait in line to fill out my nametag. My box-like letters look like they were penned by an eight-year-old boy, while the other women etch their letters with elegant calligraphy. Awesome. Why did I not take cursive…
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3 Reasons You Might Have “Misheard” God’s Voice
I vividly remember staring into the forested landscape and wondering how I’d missed it. I’d been planning and preparing and seeking God’s voice for months. When life took a turn in an unexpected direction, it was blatantly clear that the whisper I thought was God’s voice was not his voice at all. Most of us will “miss it” at some point. We will believe we’re hearing from God, step out in faith, and end up slamming into closed doors. Perhaps you’ve been here, too. It might be regarding a job, a relationship, or a risky venture that everyone says is crazy. Most likely, you did all of the right things. …
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Stepping Out in Faith: How to Take the First Step
I have always struggled with new beginnings. Stepping out in faith can feel terrifying when we’re afraid we might fall flat on our faces. Starting anything new often feels awkward, and this is challenging for most of us. Whether I’m launching my first blog post, running the first mile of the morning jog, or starting a new job, I don’t love the first small steps. At times, I feel this way when I sit down to write and have no words. There’s a saying among writers that goes something like this: “Write or do nothing.” In other words, when you designate a time of the day to write, you have…
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Safe With God: When God’s Will Feels Risky
Throughout most of my adult life, I’ve held onto the maxim that declares, “The safest place in the world is the center of God’s will.” I take it to mean that whenever I’m walking in God’s will, I am also safe with God. A few months ago, our family walked through a tough loss. The loss led me to question much of what I believed about God. For the first time in many years, I didn’t feel safe with God. Following God had led me to a valley so dark that I felt anything but safe. Safe With God? As we navigated our loss, I was struck by the words…
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5 Reasons to Stop Seeking a “Balanced” Life
Do you feel frustrated by the lack of balance in your life? Most of us have had this experience. Let’s talk about why the idea of a “balanced life” might not be God’s plan for us. 5 Reasons to Stop Seeking a Balanced Life Recently, I went for a walk with a friend who was visiting from out of town. She had been serving the least of these in the far corners of the earth, and I had been chasing down the elusive ideal of a balanced life while mothering and writing. She asked how I was doing, and I told her I was feeling a little out of balance. Life…
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Recovering From Church Hurt: 6 Steps Toward Healing
Not long ago, I received a message from a friend who was dealing with deep church hurt. She told me that after being hurt so deeply, she was never going back to church. As we talked about the issue that had caused division, we recognized that all people are broken. When we’re hurt by the church or other Christians, it’s vital to remind ourselves that no one is perfect. We’re all on journeys toward maturity, and hurting people hurt other people. In some ways, we are all hurting, and this truth can help us extend grace to others when they let us down or hurt us. Recovering From Church Hurt…
