“Baooon!  Baooon!”  With a worried look, our two-year-old grandson turned his face toward me then pointed to the ceiling. “Baooon!”  he repeated, pointing to his blue birthday balloon that had drifted to the vaulted ceiling. “I’m sorry, but Mimi can’t reach it.”  “Baooon!” he determinedly pointed, fretfully looking at family members. Then, I noticed his daddy leave the room and return with an extension rod. Soon, the balloon was in my grandson’s hands and he was grinning ear to ear looking at his father.  Are you fretting today? Are you looking for others to help you? Sometimes our Heavenly Father is the only One who can help us. Look to Him. Call on Him. If you don’t know what to pray, pray whatever is on your heart. You can also find “Prayers for Different Occasions” to help you get started. Whatever you pray, know that your Heavenly Father is listening and cares deeply for you.

“I can’t be the Christian I’m supposed to be. I can’t overcome this sin.” Have you ever said those words?  If we sometimes feel incapable of being the Christian we want to be, we’re not alone. The Apostle Paul, who was instrumental in helping spread Christianity, once referred to himself as the chief of sinners. Here’s the good news. God knows that we can’t live the Christian life by self-effort. That’s why He reminds us in Galatians 3:5 that He’s provided us with His Holy Spirit. We don’t please God by trying to improve our old self. We please God by learning to walk by faith in Him. We’re not short on godly provisions. Instead of saying we can’t live the Christian life or we can’t accomplish what God’s called us to do, we can ask Christ to fill us and accomplish His work through us. Then, we can practice walking by the Spirit. Will we walk by the Spirit perfectly 100% of the time? No, because our fleshly nature will oppose the Spirit. (Galatians 5:17) and we’ll struggle against spiritual forces of darkness/wickedness (Ephesians 6:12). But we can practice walking by Christ’s Spirit, confident that God is at work perfecting us. 

Lord, thank You for PROVIDING us with Your Spirit by whom we can walk and fulfill all You’ve entrusted us to do. 

“…does He who PROVIDES you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”  Galatians 3:5

Does the prevalence of evil in our society cause you to be fearful for loved ones or perhaps even yourself? Recently, after speaking at a church, a mom confided in me that she feared for her child. Part of her fear was because she had been molested as a child. Part was due to the moral decline in our nation and the increase in lawlessness.  What hope was I able to give her?

PRAYER:  Jesus teaches us to pray, “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” We can pray that daily for our loved ones and ourselves. We can pray that for our nation, that the unsaved and those who are blinded by evil and who are deceived will open their eyes and hearts and turn to the Truth and Light.

The BIBLE. The Bible is a safeguard that teaches us what to do and not do. We can teach our children to respect and obey God and His Word which will keep them from walking in evil ways.

ETERNAL SALVATION.  We can’t escape all evil influences, but, 2 Thessalonians 3:3 comforts us that the Lord is faithful, and will strengthen and PROTECT us from the evil one. How we need that at this time!

Which of the above three could you strengthen to safeguard you and your family from evil?

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your Word that shows us how to live, for being able to pray to You, and for Christ’s faithfulness to strengthen and protect us. 

TIP: Record prayers for loved ones here as a reminder of God’s faithfulness.

Things aren’t always what they seem.  And, simply because things appear one way in a moment of time, it doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way.  Case in point: Jesus. If we’d been in Jerusalem when Jesus was hanging on the cross, we might have concluded: “Jesus failed.”  However, what appeared to be Jesus’s lowest moment was in fact God’s highest plan being accomplished. Three days after Jesus’s death on the cross, God raised Him. So the moment was really: “God’s plan succeeded. Jesus won.”  Isaiah 52:13 prophesied, “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be HIGH and LIFTED UP and greatly exalted.” Jesus is seated at the right hand of God – HIGH AND LIFTED UP – greatly exalted. The next time you feel like a failure and that God’s plan isn’t working, remember Christ. A moment doesn’t define you or your destiny. Look up and pray in faith and trust to your Heavenly Father who can move mountains and bring success out of defeat and positive changes in your circumstances.

We praise You, Lord Jesus, HIGH, and LIFTED UP; greatly exalted. 

Can you imagine the conversations that took place after God raised Jesus from the dead? Some didn’t believe it at first. Others couldn’t help but acknowledge His resurrection when they saw Jesus, touched Him, and observed Him eating fish. He wasn’t a ghost. He wasn’t a figment of their imagination. Five hundred people witnessed seeing the resurrected PRINCE OF LIFE. In other words, Jesus IS LIFE and He walked right back into their life. Is the PRINCE OF LIFE walking in our life? Are we aware of His presence? Are we experiencing His peace within ourselves? Are we mindful that just as He is alive and not in the grave our loved ones who have died are not dead, but alive, and that we won’t be dead even after our body is in the grave? The Prince of Life is with us when we walk the corridor of death. We and our loved ones will never be alone. We need not fear.

Lord Jesus, we praise You, the ever present PRINCE of LIFE. 

“…you put to death the PRINCE OF LIFE, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.” Acts 3:15

Have you ever called a psychic hotline or used Tarot cards to find out your future? If so, you’ll be encouraged to know there’s a better option. Ezekiel 13:7 tells us not to seek knowledge by means of divination (Tarot cards, psychic hotline, etc), but rather to look to “…Jesus the Nazarene, who was a PROPHET mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,” Luke 24:19. Yes, God tells us to look to Jesus and the Bible for wisdom, insight, and comfort and to trust Him for today and tomorrow’s needs. When we want to know the future and want to know what to do, we are to read the Bible and to pray. Jesus is the One we are to seek. He is the One we can trust.

CHECK OUT:  Prayers for Different Occasions

Jesus, You are God’s PROPHET who speaks the truth. May we seek You and find rest for our souls knowing You are present with us today and tomorrow. 

Some time ago a friend asked if she could borrow a purse. The next day when she returned it, I noticed the price tag dangling from it neither of us had noticed. I thought of the old show Hee-Haw and Minnie Pearl who wore hats with price tags dangling from them. If only my thoughts had stayed there. Instead, they turned to sin dangling from my life. Me, walking around with sin that is perhaps unnoticed by others, but that God sees. Rather than focus on a dangling price tag on a purse, my Heavenly Father directed me to be concerned about sin dangling from my life. What about you? Is dangling sin a problem in your life? Hebrews 12:1 tells us, “lay aside the sin that entangles.” Learn how to do that in my book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion.

Are you familiar with the Rolling Stones’ 1965 song “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”?  Keith Richards and Mick Jagger’s lyrics, “can’t get no satisfaction” resonated with people in the 1960’s and also today. But do you know who has found satisfaction? God. First John 2:2 says, “He (Jesus) Himself is the PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”  The word propitiation means satisfaction. This verse tells us that Jesus satisfied God’s righteous requirement that sin be dealt with rather than ignored. How did Jesus do that? He substituted His life for ours. How incredible! If we haven’t thanked Jesus lately for satisfying God’s righteous requirements of the law, now would be a good time to do that. 

Jesus, thank You for sacrificing Your life and being the propitiation for our sins. We love you so! 

“Abby shakes her head all the time,” I commented to my husband about a dog we used to have. Hi. I’m Debbie Taylor Williams with UpLIFT. Keith and I spent several days discussing how Abby was shaking her head. Then, someone mentioned she might have an ear infection.  We immediately took her to the vet who confirmed she did. We felt horrible that we had missed Abby’s sign to us. Signs are important and there is someone else who has given us signs that we don’t want to miss: Jesus. Matthew 24 records the disciples asking Him, “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered them. The signs are recorded in the Bible. Do we know them? Are we paying attention? Are we ready for Christ’s return? If you’re not sure, here are resources to prepare you for Christ’s return.