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Pray So God’s Love Can Bless You
Jesus Christ said in John 16:33(NLT), “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” As we examine what is happening all around us, we can see that even though this…
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What Happens if Your Faith Isn’t Where It Needs to Be?
Just when you think you’ve gotten a clear understanding of what it means to walk by faith, something happens in your life to make you feel you’re almost back at square one. This is exactly what happened to me the day after having the most impactful prayer session I’ve…
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He Will Exceed Your Expectations
The man you think you’ll marry, when everything is said and done, will most likely look completely different than the vision you hold in your head. This is often true with the perfect job, the ideal house or the car you’ll have. Proverbs 19:21(NLT) says, “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will…
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Punishing Ourselves for the Past
The other day, I ran into a woman that I hadn’t seen in over 15 years. I didn’t see her at first, but she recognized me and immediately made her way to where I was standing. It was so good to see her. We hugged each other and the first words out of her mouth…
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BE the Change You Want to See
In Nehemiah 8:10(NLT), the prophet had to remind God’s people who they were and to remember who God is to them. Nehemiah said, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t…
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Wax in Our Spiritual Ears
Dear Heavenly Father, There are two things that I hear frequently from some of my brothers and sisters in Christ. The first is “I can’t hear God!” or said another way, “God isn’t speaking to me?” This implies that You are not communicating with them, and that can’t be true. You speak to us every…
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Private Lives Brought to Light
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, taught a very powerful lesson in Matthew 6:16(NLT), and although he taught it in the context of the spiritual practice of fasting, it can be used in many other areas of our spiritual lives, namely, marriage preparation. He told the disciples, “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious,…
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Happy in the Lord
Dear Heavenly Father, Sometimes we experience personal sadness because we look at ourselves and find fault. We don’t like our physical appearance or find some other attribute that we dislike. These kinds of feelings are sometimes intensified if we don’t have a special or significant person in our lives—someone that might reinforce the positive. You…
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Driven to God
Psalm 86:1-7 (NLT) “1 Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help. 2 Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. 3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly.…
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Be Strong in God’s Grace
God said in 2Corinthians 12:9(NLT), “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” He spoke these words to the Apostle Paul at a time when Paul was dealing with a troubling situation. He sought the Lord three times to remove this vexing problem, and 2Corinthians 12:9 is the spiritual strategy for…
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Stand Firm on the Promises of God
Exodus 23:20-22(NLT) “20 See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. 21 Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is my representative, and he will not forgive your…
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Igniting A Spark in His Heart
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT) tells us, “9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” This is a great verse for anyone questioning whether God is in their corner when it…
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The Irony of Weakness
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NLT) 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”9 So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships,…
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You Will Find Rest
Matthew 11:28-30(NLT) 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke…
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The Secret of Living in Every Situation
Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT) 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with…
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Ten Years without Coming Close
Over the holidays a friend told me she took her ex-boyfriend out for lunch. He’d been in town for the holidays, and since both have moved on and still remain good friends, they decided to catch-up. During dinner, he told her that he realized shortly after their break-up he’d messed up a really good thing…
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Let’s Clean House
Saturday’s are my ‘clean house day.’ It’s the only day during the week that allows me time to make sure most of the house is clean the way I like it. My mother had all girls. She was never fooled by the surface cleaning we used to do in a hurry when we were younger.…
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Keep Love in the Front Seat
Monica Green handles pressure very well. Some would say it comes from single-parenting two children, one of them with autism and the other high-schooler struggles with anxiety sometimes. Monica handles it all while keeping a smile on her face. Her bosses and coworkers love her; they are like family. When her long time employer was…
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Spiritual Nutrition to Start Your Day!
As God’s people, we should make it our business to focus on the positive and steer clear of the negative. It’s no secret that today’s environment makes this more challenging, but it’s all the more reason why Christians should champion the goodness of God. And the one thing we learn very early in the faith…
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Dealing with A Breakup Over the Holidays
Who would break-up with someone over the holidays? It seems unusually harsh, but it does happen. The holiday season notoriously brings merry cheer, but it is also a time of reflection for many people. It’s when couples who are dating begin to examine their relationships more closely, and they…
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Protecting the Perimeter
Hurricanes are among the most powerful and deadliest forces in nature. Some of their effects, such as storm surges and flooding, are perhaps the most dangerous and destructive aspects. The inland effects of winds and heavy rains can also damage businesses, homes, and communities. People are now more aware than ever of how devastating hurricanes…
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God Will Protect Us!
As parents, we go to great lengths to protect our children, taking whatever measures necessary to ensure their safety. Child car-seats, toddler safety gates, cabinet latches and locks, and furniture bumpers are just a few of the tools we use, and we should. Things like security systems, fire and carbon monoxide detectors, and lockable safes…
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Financial Woes During the Season of Giving
This is the time of year where many of us think about money or our finances. It’s the holidays, and they often come with gift-giving, travel, and entertaining. It can be very stressful, especially if you’re already stretched financially. Philippians 4:19 gives us a promise from the Father. It tells us that He will supply…
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Building Intimacy
One of the chief purposes of relationships is to teach us about God’s love. Heavenly Father is a God of love. His Word tells us that He IS love, and because we are His children, we should take on His divine nature and make it our own. We should live love. Colossians 3:12-14(NLT) says, “12…
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Good Enough to Date but Not Good Enough to Marry
Many in modern society think it’s an antiquated notion for a man to only have a relationship with a woman he considers worthy of marriage. Heavenly Father is not interested in our opinions regarding the laws and statues He has created. They are drenched in His love, and they are for our overall benefit. God’s…
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This Is A No-No!
Some people are of the mindset that if you truly love each other in a marriage, then you won’t walk out of it so easily; if you give up on the marriage, then it wasn’t real love in the first place. This is a harsh judgment, but it is reasonable in one respect; because it…
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The Lord Is My Helper
Hebrews 13:5-6(NLT) “5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” 6 So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” Some of the biggest…
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Feeling Unloved
She said she felt unloved at home. When her husband asked why she cheated on the marriage, this was her response. His name is Jeff, and he is what most of us would coin as the quintessential ‘good man’. He’s handsome, handy, and loves being at home. He’s kept a steady job for years and…
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Agree with God and Be at Peace
The other day, I happened to see a Christian friend I haven’t seen in a while. I asked him how he was doing, and he said, “I can’t complain, because I keep my mind on God’s peace all the time.” I thought this was one of the best responses I’ve ever heard. Often when you…
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The Ebbs and Flows of Single Life
About a year ago, a friend of mine traveled a good distance to hear a very popular young prophet preach. She came back from her spirit-filled evening fueled with exhilaration and excitement. The prophet declared that within the next year, many of the single women attending that evening would be either married or engaged. My…