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Our Great Big Wonderful God!
First you had trouble sleeping, waking up all hours of the night. Then came the backaches and headaches. The week after that, your chest felt like an elephant was sitting on top of it. Then came the sneezing and coughing, the sore throat, and the fever that wouldn’t go away even with medicine. You can’t…
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Deeper Gratitude and Adoration for God
Dear Heavenly Father, Isaiah 26:3(NLT) says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” There have been many days that I have allowed situations to cause my thoughts to stray away from Your Word. You warn us not to look on the prosperity of the…
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Unload the Extra Weight
James 1:19-24(NLT) “19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has…
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Take It By Faith!
Dear Heavenly Father, In Ephesians 2:10, You call the creation of humanity Your masterpiece. You tell us that we are Your finest work, and You created us as brand new creations in Christ Jesus. You want us to do the good things that You planned for us, and You planned these good things long before…
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What’s on Your Mind?
Philippians 4:8 (NLT) “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” This verse in Philippians 4:8 promotes God’s standard for how we are to steward our hearts…
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What Matters Most
Dear Heavenly Father, In 1Corinthians 12:28(NLT), You tell us, “Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those…
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The Many Faces of Temptation
James 1:13-14(NLT) “13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.” There is one thing Christians must always remember, and it is…
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A Light in Dark Places
Dear Heavenly Father, There are times when I feel lost, abandoned, cheated, lied to, and underestimated. I feel sometimes You don’t hear my heart crying from confusion. I know that’s not the case, but in that moment of sadness and depression, my emotions feel more real than the reality that You’re always with me. We…
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Your Call
Dear Heavenly Father I heard a great teacher say something that was so spot on, and it spoke to my spirit in a new way. He said, “The only way God can use you is if we are willing vessels”. I know that You do not use people in a sense of usurping their free-will…
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Stay Armored Up!
1Peter 5:8-9 (NLT) cautions the believer against the tricks and tactics of the enemy. It says, “8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of…
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Like a Tree Planted by the Waters
Dear Heavenly Father, You tell us in Hebrews 4:12-13 (MSG), “God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away…
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One Touch from God
One of my most fond memories from childhood is that of my big sister singing me to sleep. I would ask her to sing to me almost every night. Seven years my senior, I’m sure she had other things she’d rather be doing than singing the same song over and over until I fell asleep,…
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God Chose Us!
Dear Heavenly Father, The Old Testament prophecy that is written again in Acts 2:17(NLT) says, “‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.” This prophecy is being fulfilled in…
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Our Holy Calling
Dear Heavenly Father, Through the Apostle Paul, You tell us in 2Timothy 1:9(NKJV), “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” You’ve given us the privilege and responsibility to…
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Motivated by God’s Love
Dear Heavenly Father, Regarding Saul, the King of Israel who was handsome, well-built, and tall, You told Samuel in 1Samuel 16:7(NLT), “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”…
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Windows and Doors Knocked Out
Dear Heavenly Father, Sometimes we forget that one of our missions in life should be to learn the spiritual lessons that You have designed for us. Through the Apostle Paul, You tell us in Romans 5:3-5(NLT), “3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us…
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He Will Lead You If You Want to Be Led
Proverbs 16:1-3(NLT) “We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” I absolutely love this time of year, especially the month of November. Not only because…
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Consistent in Our Commitment to God
Dear Heavenly Father, I’ve been thinking about this word consistency. It is defined as conforming to the application of something with steadiness, regularity, and stability. When I think about this word, I am reminded of what You told us in 2Timothy 1:7, that You didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but You’ve given us…
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Out of the Box
Acts 9:15(NLT) “But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.” When I was in high school, I really liked a very handsome boy whose brother had a reputation in our town. Equally handsome, his…
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You Make Our Lives a Thing of Beauty
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving us the Gift of Holy Spirit. Thank You that He dwells on the inside of us, where he can help us most. Because of the Holy Spirit, we can walk in Your power and love in a greater way. In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, the…
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God Has Unlocked the Door
Revelations 3:7-8(NLT) “This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open. 8 “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no…
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Too Fast Too Soon
Dear Heavenly Father, I was a little puzzled by something a person shared with me. She hasn’t been dating her boyfriend very long, only a few weeks, and already he says that he loves her. When I cautioned her about moving too fast too soon, she became defensive and said she didn’t understand my point…
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Enemy of the State
Relationships are very delicate because, to a certain degree, you’re taking on someone else’s heart. It’s an expansion of your territory and influence. The time and energy that is spent towards finding out if you’re a good fit for one another can be filled with highs and lows, so becoming truly comfortable with each other…
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Don’t Put the Blessing before the Relationship
Dear Heavenly Father, Your Son said in John 15:7(NLT), “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” You have promised that if we stay close to You and do the things that You have commanded us to do, then…
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Daughters of the King
Dear Heavenly Father, Your Word tells us in Proverbs 12:4, “A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.” Some of us, especially young women, underestimate the degree to which You hold Your daughters to this standard—the standard of Godliness that is worthy of a…
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The Guide into ALL Truth
John 16:13-15(NLT) 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that…
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He Holds All Things Together
2Corinthians 12:9(NLT) “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” You and I cannot imagine the challenges that the Apostle Paul had to overcome in order to…
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Never Cling to A Man
Dear Heavenly Father, Ephesians 2:10(NLT) tells us, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Thank You for letting us know how You see us, Dear Father. We are Your glorious creation—Your masterpieces, and through Jesus Christ,…
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He Works in Mysterious Ways
Dear Heavenly Father, You tell us in Isaiah 55:8-9(NLT), “8 My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts…And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” You also tell…
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The Choice is Obvious
Deuteronomy 11:22(NLT) “Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the LORD your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him.” As a mother, you want to make sure that you provide enough love, guidance, and support for your children so that when they become mature,…