Go for a God Chaser, Not Just a Church Goer.
It’s so important to place your heart in the hands of the one who created it!
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Relentlessly Pursuing God in Every Season
Go for a God Chaser, Not Just a Church Goer.
It’s so important to place your heart in the hands of the one who created it!
If you love this quote, please share on your social media!
Check out our devotionals and tshirts HERE.
I just want you to know how incredibly sorry I am for what you went through.
No, I probably don’t know you or the things you experienced, but I do know you didn’t deserve to be hit like that. I know you didn’t deserve for that person to touch you inappropriately, and I know you didn’t deserve the mental abuse that tangled your mind in a web of lies that you find yourself 20 years later still trying to untangle. I’m so sorry for the pain that you carry around in your heart that’s just kinda there.
There’s times when everything is fine, maybe you even go weeks or months without thinking about it because you’ve learned the art of suppression, but then it comes to visit in the quiet of the night, taking you back to that exact moment where you thought your world was ending.
You’ve heard the story of King David right? Many simply fail to connect the dots because of everything he accomplished in his life, but he too, was one of those “forgotten” kids who experienced the pain of neglection. In Psalm 27:10 King David tells us, “Even when my mother and father forsake me, the Lord will take me up.” King David wasn’t raised in a warm and fuzzy home, in fact, he knew rejection like the back of his hand as he walked through life, because he was the byproduct of sin and infidelity. (Psalm 51:5) but GOD still included him into his family, (read the book of 1 Samuel.)
David submitted his life to God and God still did unimaginable things with him, because God wanted and loved David all along.
You see, even though his mother or father did not want him, God seen him and had a purpose for his life, long before he was even conceived in his mother’s womb. It’s crazy isn’t it? We all have a Father who loves us that we will get to meet one day, even if you never know that kind of love on this earth.
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King David submitted his life to God, and watch what He did with it. Look at the generations who came from King David (Jesus came from his bloodline.)David still felt the better sting of rejection (read the book of Psalms) and struggled with it from time to time, but the good news is He knew Papa God.
He knew the one who loved him and chose him before he was born. He knew the one who redeemed and set him apart. He submitted everything to God, and God made something beautiful out of an rejected, unwanted child born out of infidelity. Likewise, GOD is going to use your life, all of the broken pieces, and He’s going to turn it into a perfect tapestry. Your job is to go into the world, with boldness and courage, and LOVE. Give what you never received. Build the kind of home you always longed for. Wait on the kind of love God has ordained for you and refuse to settle for someone who doesn’t treat you right. Be love to a child who needs to feel it. Be kind to strangers. Help others in every way that you can. Be the change you want to see in the world.
Just because you came from a broken home doesn’t mean the rest of your life is broken.
You are where this pattern stops because you recognize your worth and how much the creator of the ENTIRE world loves you. You are going to find people who love you. You are going to make a difference in someone else’s life. You are going to learn to heal and forgive because you know the God who loves you. He’s crazy about you friend, and He’s going to make something beautiful come from something very broken. Just you sit back and watch. Rest in His love for you today and every single day to come and the realization that you were CHOSEN by God himself to be here.
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1. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.~Ephesians 4:2
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Blog written by: Jane Merson (The Unrivaled Road)
Sing it with me: “What you want; baby, I got it. What you need; you know I got it? All I’m askin’ is for a little respect when you get home (just a little bit)…”
But, you know what? I’m looking for more than “just a little bit.”
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Girls, we are all too quick to dismiss instances when we are disrespected in relationships, are we not? I know I’m guilty of it. I reason with myself that I can’t expect too much, or that I haven’t made my boundaries or expectations clear, or that I am not worthy of more. I put up with hurtful comments or way-too-fast physical advances because I would rather keep the guy around than go back to being single again. A guy’s behaviour maybe mirrors what I’ve seen in other relationships or in the movies, so I justify it and learn to live with it. But enough of that. We are daughters of the King and should be treated as such.
No guy is perfect (and nor are we, girls) but there are good, honorable, God-fearing men out there who want to pursue you and love you as Christ pursues and loves the church.
These men take the time to get to know you and build your trust.
These men develop friendship through emotional and spiritual intimacy first, and earn the right to physical intimacy.
These men are intentional, purposeful, honest, and patient.
These men see your beauty, beyond just make-up and dress-code.
These men hold doors open, carry your heavy items, and protect you.
In 1 Timothy 3, we read about the characteristics of men who are called to be leaders in the church. Now, we may not all be destined to be a pastor’s wife, but should we not still be looking for a man of equal character? God calls men to be above reproach; to be faithful to their partner; to exercise self-control and wisdom; to have a good reputation and not be prone to excessive drinking or violence. Men should be gentle, not always picking an argument or wishing to get their own way, and they should not place so much value on money that it detracts from more worthy things in life.
But these things don’t come easily, or naturally, so, girls, let’s be praying for our men. Pray that God would raise up men with characteristics like those listed in 1 Timothy 3. Pray that men would find their identity in their Heavenly Father, first and foremost, so that they can grow into godly men and godly fathers. Pray that godly men in our churches would set the example for younger generations and be willing to mentor and invest in these men. Rather than us sitting around complaining that there are few men that meet the criteria, let’s be the spiritual force that intercedes on their behalf.
We, also, should be endeavouring to be the best version of ourselves and develop a good character, for a man who reflects these godly characteristics is also attracted to such. If we want to be respected, we should be respectful in response.
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Are we honouring the man who has expressed an interest in us, even though we do not share his interest? Are we honest when we turn down a man or break-up with him and convey our feelings with love and honesty, rather than turning it into a slanging match? Politics, Twitter feuds, even news stories often respond in spite, anger or disgust. Let’s, instead, be respectful in our approach and response to men, and remember that we are just as fallible as them.
So, girls, my point is this: don’t settle for less because it is the only attention you have been shown in a while, or because you really like the guy and are willing to overlook some of his lazy habits. There will absolutely be times that failings and mistakes will need to be forgiven and forgotten – by both parts – but do not let it start out that way. Start as you mean to go on. Wait for the man who will see the beauty and hidden wonder in you. Wait for the man who will allow you time to trust him and feel safe with him. Wait for the man who will treasure you for all your hidden potential. Wait for the man who will wait for you: wait until he finally meets you; wait until he knows you and has resolved in his own heart that he wishes to pursue you with intentionality; wait to be physical with you to protect your purity and his.
“…And I ain’t lyin’ (just a little bit) When you come home; you might walk in and find out I’m gone. I got to have (just a little bit), a little respect (just a little bit)…” (Respect – Written by Otis Redding, Sung by Aretha Franklin)
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“Quick!” the girl grabbed my hand and pulled me beyond the curtain, “The ceremony is beginning!”
I sensed the curtain swoosh closed behind me, leaving only darkness and the smell of incense. A bell sounded close by, together with the distinctive sizzle of a match. As my eyes adjusted to the candlelight, I saw faces—women—encircled on the ground around a low platform. A hum arose amidst them, and then, a chant: “Your love is all I long for; your face is all I seek, for you will satisfy my heart and hold me when I’m weak.”
Something inside me turned cold, yet—what could be wrong? I looked closer at the women. Clearly, they had spent considerable time and effort preparing their looks for the occasion. As I pondered this, the rustle of paper disrupted my reverie and I realized that each woman was unrolling a poster before the platform. I leaned toward the nearest poster, only to see the image of a man gazing back at me. A rock star maybe? What kind of ceremony was this!?
“And now,” a voice broke my thoughts, “we sacrifice!”
“WHAT?!”
The others looked at me.
I hadn’t meant to yell.
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“That’s what we do.” Someone explained, gesturing to the others laying costly items on the platform amongst the posters, “We sacrifice our time, money, mental energy, peace of mind, and pieces of our hearts on this altar, to the guys we worship. Do you not also practice Guydolatry?”
“Good grief, no!” I denied. “Don’t you know what scripture says about idolaters?”
“But look,” she said, pointing. My gaze followed her manicured fingernail to the altar, and what I beheld in the candlelight turned my heart heavy as stone, and twice as cold:
I was on that altar.
My time. My energy. My resources—or more accurately, God’s resources, entrusted to me.
Feeling ill, I turned and fled past the curtain and back into the daylight.
How could this be? I’ve been a content single; I don’t even “date”! Certainly, I haven’t burned incense to any posters. But what if idolatry could be more subtle than that?
Remembering the Bible in my bag, I opened its pages to see what it said about how to recognize an idol:
Colossians 3:5 says “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry (ESV).” Meanwhile, Ephesians 5:5 (ESV) warns “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
If covetousness is idolatry, how do we know what signals covetousness? According to other scriptures, there are at least three red flags: envy, lust and discontentment. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with desiring to marry a Godly husband. But when we recognize envy, lust or discontentment surfacing in our thoughts concerning relationships, it’s a good time to nip guydolatry in the bud.
Serving God through sacrificially loving and serving others, including the guys in our lives, is one thing. That’s a sacrifice to God, as our whole lives should be. But when we allow something or someone to cut in on our relationships with God, for instance through opening ourselves to inordinate distraction or through making choices which go against God’s will for us, we sacrifice to another what belongs to God, and miss His best for us.
Idols are anything to which we attribute honor that belongs to God, like the Israelites did when they praised the golden calf as their deliverer from the Egyptians. Similarly, idols are anything that we expect will do for us what only God can do. Whom do we expect to save us, to rescue us from hardships including loneliness, to satisfy our hearts and to make everything okay? Looking to guys for these things is certain to fail, because humans are just that—human. Sure, God can provide a husband as an earthly companion, protector and provider, but nothing could change the fact that the only enduring, satisfying, failproof Companion, Protector and Provider is He, Himself.
I looked up from the Bible, suddenly aware of its wonderful news for the other ladies behind the curtain:
Someone worth worshiping already loves us like crazy.
And He knows us so well. He created us for relationship—with others, and most amazingly, with Himself. So, our hearts are safe with Him. Having recognized an idol (or guydol), turning back to God in a position of surrender is the first step to guydol-free living. When we surrender ourselves to God, we belong entirely to Him—attractions, dreams, desires and all. We can give these attractions, dreams and other thoughts back to Him again and again, turning our minds to Him.
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This is part of taking every thought captive and giving it to Christ, which is another key to guydol-free living. This isn’t always easy, because idols are appealing. They’re physical, tangible and immediately present. We can see them, touch them, talk to them face to face. But they can’t save us, or love us back the way need. Worshiping them only leaves us disappointed and minus the sacrifices we offered them.
Christ, however, offers the real version of what we were seeking all along. He loves us more than any guy could, is 100% unblinkingly faithful, and has vowed to be with us forever—which is something no human could promise. That means He wants to spend the rest of His life with us! So much, in fact, that He went to the cross so that He could. Now He’s Someone to sing about!
Patricia Engler is a young writer with a three-fold passion for Christian apologetics, outdoor adventure, and Dutch licorice. Mostly, she desires to walk with God and bring others along. When not typing undergraduate papers, dreaming about global missions, or trying to build homemade outdoor gear out of dental floss, she may often be found wandering along Canada’s west coast, looking contemplative. And eating licorice.
By: Jenna Martin
I have always been the kind of person that wants to be in a relationship. For most of my life I found singleness to be intensely painful because, to be honest, it felt like the waiting room where you sit until some guy enters the picture and your real life starts.
For most of my life I felt like I was in that waiting room.
I’ll start out by telling you a secret: I was believing a lie from the enemy. The truth is, God doesn’t put His children in waiting rooms. Real life begins once we start following Him.
About a year ago God started working in this area of my heart. As strange as it may sound, He was coaching me in how to be single. I want to share with you some of the things I did that helped the process and made my future relationship better at the same time.
“What do you look for in a guy?”
I’m not even sure how many times I either asked or was asked that question during high school and college. It seems harmless enough—a girl can dream, right?
The flip-side is that the person we are describing when we answer that question does not exist. We are creating them in our minds like a book character.
I stopped making these lists because God was asking me to completely trust Him that a) He would allow me to meet someone someday and b) that his person would be someone I would like (God wants us to like our spouses and significant others!). He’s used Matthew 7:11 more than once to remind me that He had something good in store for me:
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
My “list” eventually came down to two bullet points:
Without a list, my boyfriend didn’t have some abstract concept to live up to, and I didn’t have some fictional character to compare him to. I can just love him and appreciate him exactly the way he is.
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There’s a lie running absolutely rampant in the Christian community, and it’s the lie that being in a relationship only has pros, and singleness only has cons. You know what people who are married or in relationships don’t always tell you?
Doing life with another person is hard.
Sure, it’s great, but it’s so much harder than only having to take care of and accommodate yourself. Sometimes another person’s dreams conflict with yours.
Or maybe certain things about their personality conflict with yours.
Sometimes they even…gasp…hurt your feelings.
I had a friend who was willing to divulge the more difficult parts of her marriage to me, and I will always be grateful to her for that. It helped me get away from my “grass is greener” mentality.
God once put a question in my head that stuck with me: What if the grass doesn’t ever get any greener than the grass I have you in now?
He wasn’t trying to steal my hope; He was opening up my eyes to the lush greenness of where I already was. He was letting me know that if I was discontent in singleness, I was going to be discontent with a guy.
Contentment is a lifestyle, and so is discontentment.
Striving to live a life of contentment has allowed me to see how truly great my boyfriend is. It has allowed me to see the beauty of our relationship rather than compare us with other couples, and it has allowed me to look back at my time as a single person and be truly grateful that it happened…not grateful that it’s over.
I did a lot of praying for my future husband. Of course, I didn’t know for sure that I was going to get married, but statistically it was likely, and so I prayed for him. Eventually I made a pretty smooth transition from praying for a faceless guy, to praying for my “friend,” to praying for my boyfriend. When we started dating, I was already in the habit of praying for him. It felt so right that I feel I would be amiss not to recommend that you try it out.
During these prayer sessions I didn’t stop there. I prayed for everything I could think of: friends, family, myself and my own future. Each time I also made sure to include a prayer for contentment and fulfillment exactly where God had me.
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He listened.
I started praying for contentment right around the time singleness stopped feeling painful.
I dedicated time to building up my friendships and getting better at my hobbies. This was right about the time I got serious about my blog and about writing in general.
Aside from being a more interesting person to be around, pressing into your friends and hobbies will make life more enjoyable.
Every time I talk about singleness, I feel like I’m not done until I use the word “stewardship.” Around a year ago I became very aware that I had more time (since I wasn’t dedicating any to a relationship) and I needed to steward that time well.
I highly recommend stewarding it by doing big, crazy things for God, since you don’t have anyone you’re responsible to. While I was single I applied for my dream ministry internship (which I got!), did missions in a foreign country for a summer, and started planning a future that was all mine, free from anyone else’s input.
I figured out what I wanted my life to look like, at least vaguely, and from there I was able to keep watch for someone who might be able to keep up! And when I found him, it kept me from making him the only, or at least most important, thing in my life.
While I was single I focused on getting to know Him and His love better. I grew in my prayer life, learned about the Bible, and devoted myself to the things He was calling me to. It got to the point where I only wanted a guy in my life if he enhanced my feelings of closeness with God.
When I finally found that, it was the sweetest thing in the world.
Something I had to learn the hard way is that a relationship with another person—no matter how awesome that person is—will never completely satisfy. It can’t. We have a God-sized hole in our hearts, and it is unfair to expect another human to fill it.
The only thing that can satisfy the human heart is the One who created it. He loves, satisfies, understands, and cherishes like nothing else can, and He is the only One who will never, ever disappoint.
He is extending to all of us the opportunity to go on a wonderful adventure: the adventure of knowing Him. All we have to do is say yes.
And that is more important than anything else in this world.
About the author: My name is Jenna Martin and I run a blog over at jennalynnmartin.com. I’m a senior at Texas A&M studying youth development. I hope to work in youth ministry full-time someday, but I also want to write full-time, so we’ll see what happens! Some things I absolutely adore include writing, cats, sunrises, and making people laugh.
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By: Karen Yango (author at I Am KYT)
There seems to be a ludicrous belief that all single people are unhappy, sad, lonely and desperate, but it’s a lie. Singleness is not a poisonous state to be in. Our single season can be one of growth, freedom, and beauty. As a seasoned single, I have learned a few lessons that have truly impacted me.
Being single is not a death sentence.
Being single was not always easy. Yes, I had those moments when I would throw a pity party for myself. In college, especially before I found a relationship with Christ, it was difficult to be single and content. People seemed to get booed up left and right and having “bae” was all part of the college experience. I didn’t want much, just a simple hug, a valentine, a chocolate and a buddy to go eat with…
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As time passed, I would continue to envy those with relationships. I had a desire to date without understanding God’s standards. Eventually, my desires combined with my lack of knowledge of God’s truth led me to enter a relationship that was not for me. You all know exactly what I mean, there are things that God says don’t touch and instead of listening, we get closer and closer and closer until it burns us.
My heart was hardened towards God, I was lukewarm; I wanted to have the label of Christian without having the fire and power of God to fuel my life. A desire that is not matched with God’s will can consume us and poison our lives.
Don’t enter a relationship out of a desire that does not match up with God’s will for your life.
When I renewed my vow to God and became intentional with my faith, my whole view of relationships and single seasons changed. I finally understood the importance and significance of relationships. The world makes it seem as if relationships are casual happenings BUT God does not see it that way at all. The person we choose to spend the rest of our life with is not a light issue and it cannot be chosen in a place of desperation, ungodly desire, and confusion.
Together, you and your mate should glorify the Lord more than you could separately. Marriage is more than hugs and kisses but is a covenant that is pure and that should exemplify Jesus’s love for the church.
It can be very easy to be narrow-minded and short-sighted when it comes to relationships. Sometimes, we forget that our decision on who to partner with affects others. I have learned that the decision that I make in regards to my lifelong partner may affect generations to come.
Marriage is sacred and should not be taken lightly. Relationships and marriage must be done with God’s help if we want it to last and be successful. There is no need to rush out of our single season to enter a situation that was never meant for us.
My single season has allowed me to take a step back and really learn how to date in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. I have learned my role as a woman in a relationship and how God intended men to pursue. I have had the time to pray over my desires and ensure that they are Godly standards and not just worldly preferences.
Use your single season to understand God’s intention for relationships and marriage. This is the time for you to set your standards straight so that no one can sweet talk you out of them
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I can honestly say that the discontentment and burning desire to be in a relationship is no longer alive. That’s not to say that I have no desire for a relationship and marriage…no no no. But what this does mean is that I am content. I am content with being in the season that I am in as I know that this season is necessary to get me to the next one. There is danger in jumping out of seasons too fast. I have let go and let God mature me into the woman He needs me to be for the future family and husband that He will provide.
Marriage is hard and it is not for the faint-hearted. Fortunately, God provides all the necessary tools to make marriage a beautiful journey. Let’s trust that the Lord will carry us through.
Be content in your singleness. You are in this season not because God has some evil plan to keep you single forever, but maybe because it just isn’t the right time. Allow God to be God and sit back. Don’t you want the King of kings to write your love story?
So often we fall into this pity party and we forget that life has so much to give. I can’t dwell on my lack when God has a lot for me TODAY. Instead of focusing on what I don’t have, let me focus on the passions and gifts God has birth in me. We are women of purpose, let’s not sit around waiting for a man, get up and go!
There are many things that you can do in your single season that you cannot do once married. Instead of dwelling on your lack, go and pursue the passions God has placed in your heart. The kingdom needs you to end your pity party and join the task force.
Trust God’s Plan
I hate to be the downer, but what if you never get married? Would you stomp your feet, and turn your back on God. Now, I am not saying that this will happen to you. If it is God’s plan for you to have a mate than surely you will have one. But have you ever asked yourself that question? And when you did, was your first response ” God forbid” and then you brushed it off. If you brushed it off? Why? Why is it that we tend to shy away from that question? The question is black and white.
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I have always had a desire to have a marriage and to raise a family and I believe that God will give me the desires of my heart. But if I end up unmarried, I believe that God is still in control and has a better plan for my life. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” ( Jeremiah 29:11)
If marriage is not in God’s plan for your life, that is nothing to be scared of because that was not your BEST plan.
God is too good for me to turn my back on Him. My first desire is to pursue God with passion and zeal. Without Him I am nothing, a husband does not take the place of Christ!
Pursue Christ, not for the blessings but for Him. Understand that God’s plan is the best plan for your life even if it doesn’t look like your own desires. God will give you joy and peace through any season of life. Trust in His abilities to transform desires that you thought could not be changed.
There is beauty in entrusting God and giving Him control over my love life. Instead of being stressed about my single status, I am able to enjoy God’s presence and the present that He has created for me. Why should I cry when I can laugh and enjoy TODAY. My God, there is so much right in front of us if we just open our eyes to see it.
Let’s Cherish our today. Enjoy and be content in your singleness. Let’s be so in love with God that we are willing to let go of our desires to follow His. Being single is not a death sentence but an amazing journey of growth, preparation, and freedom.
Stay blessed,
Its been a while since I completely poured out my heart in a blog post.
Many of the blog posts I write on here are for you, but today, this one is for both of us.
I need healing, and you may be reading this right now because you do too.
A dear friend of mine just the other day told me not to be afraid to share my testimony because it had the capability to touch a hurting world, but I often coward at the thought of sharing where I’ve been, and I cringed with tear-filled eyes as I think back on certain parts of my past.
I’m a vivid dreamer, and when I wake up from nightmares with clammy hands and feet and watery eyes, pain comes rushing in like a flood and ravels me in a web. Maybe you experience this too.
Sometimes the pain of abuse and neglect resurfaces in our daily life, long after the incident took place. Sometimes our “fight or flight” kicks in, and we become an ocean of emotions as we go about in our daily lives.
How often do we stop and just allow ourselves to feel the pain?
We disguise it behind activities, behind work, behind our phones, behind a smile.
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We allow so many things to fill the void rather than dealing with what our hearts are trying to work out in order to bring healing to us.
Just recently God told me there was pain that I needed to allow myself to feel rather than covering it up and refusing to deal with it.
The beautiful thing about life is that pain is only temporary, fortunately for us. Pain does not last forever.
People will come and go in your life, but we have a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
People may lie on you, manipulate you, and try to damage your reputation, but we have a God who vindicates the cause of the righteous.
You may discover the people you loved so much and cared for more than anything in your life may just not be capable of love, but that has nothing to do with you.
There is nothing wrong with you when people refuse to see your worth, there is something wrong with them.
The pain we experience will either cause you and I to become better or bitter.
Daily we decide whether to set ourselves in a prison and deny ourselves the joys of life while the key dangles within our reach, or we can choose to truly move on, let go, and live the life God intended for us.
Sometimes you think by “letting go” you are teaching someone a lesson, you’re teaching them to never hurt you again, right?
The truth is, letting go means, “I forgive you, but I need God to bring healing to my heart and your distraction is getting in the way.”
Your heart is a masterpiece, and you don’t deserve anything less than to be respected, loved, and appreciated.
Sometimes it’s the people who shouldn’t hurt us. Sometimes pain manifests in the form of a family member, a spouse, or a lifetime friend, but you don’t deserve to carry that pain with you any longer.
You and I deserve better, God has called us to make decisions in life that are for our betterment.
Sometimes there is nothing else we can do but allow ourselves to come face to face with the pain we’ve experienced and allow God to minister to us and love us well.
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He will take you from glory to glory, and He will give you exactly what you need to get through this season in your life.
The truth is that you don’t “need” anyone in this life except for Christ and the good news for us is He is the one that will never leave. We literally cannot escape His love. (Psalm 139:7-12)
So today I encourage you as I am encouraging myself, may we let God love us well. May we let God heal our hearts of the pain we’ve experienced in this life. May we allow God to render beauty from our ashes. May we begin to realize our incredible worth and stop giving people discounts. May we stop running back to the people, places, and things that are not good for us.
May we grow better, not bitter.
God has a plan for our lives, and this pain is playing its part in our destiny. This pain is molding us into the person we are meant to be. This pain is a transfer of power, because it’s only when you’ve been there, that you can really reach those who are there.
May we allow God to love us well.
He is the great physician after all. He is Jehovah Shalom, the prince of peace.
I love you my beautiful brothers and sisters in Christ. I am praying for your today.
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” ~Psalm 43:5
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By: Monique Hatcher
If you’re anything like me, you might have grown up in a church where you saw people openly praising God by shouting and “catching the Holy Ghost”. As a young girl I thought the more uncontrollable the person was, the greater their worship was to God. I really didn’t know any better back then. I’m not coming against expressing praise and worship to God through song, dance, lifting of hands, bowing, standing, rolling on the floor, or any of that.
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I now know that true worship begins after the music stops playing and the choir stops singing. True worship is a condition and posture of the heart, and the fruit of it is a life obedient to God. True worship manifests itself in a life surrendered to God and His ways, and it’s active long after you drive out of the church parking lot. It’s not bound to the four walls of a church building. True worship effects change in the life of the worshipper, and it will radiate out and provoke change in others. Worship to God is a decision to act on His Word, in the face of adverse situations and circumstances. It is a call to walking in the spirit and not yielding to our fleshly nature.
Do you really want to know what true worship looks like? Let me give you a few examples that you may encounter in your daily life. Worship to God will cause you to be at peace with someone who cuts you off in traffic, instead of cursing them out. Worship to God will cause grace to much more abound when your co-worker gossips about you, instead of you giving them a piece of your mind. Worship to God is putting the toilet seat down after your husband leaves the bathroom, instead of nagging and fussing at him. True worship puts you in a position of humility, and it’s a sure-fire way to kill the flesh daily. It takes you to a whole other level of submission and obedience to God. True worship doesn’t need to be pumped and primed, in order to happen. It is a posture of the heart and it totally envelops the heart of God. It’s a lifestyle of praise and thanksgiving to God for making grace and mercy available to us through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. I worship God because He loved me when I cared nothing about Him. My lifestyle of worship will always be the evidence of the Holy Spirit Who lives on the inside of me. It will draw others to Christ and His saving grace. It reads in John 4:24:
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
When we worship God from our hearts, an exchange takes place. We surrender our failures, imperfections, flaws, and insecurities in exchange for His Love, forgiveness, righteousness, and peace. The very heart of God is revealed to us through worship and it causes a strong desire to become more like Him. Worship allows us to become intimate with the Lover of our souls and to experience His unconditional Love for us. We may enter into His presence feeling unworthy like filthy rags, but as we yield ourselves to Him, His loving and kind nature overwhelms us.
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We should strive each day to worship God with our actions and words. We must allow the undeniable Love of God to saturate our hearts and minds, and begin to develop an attitude of worship. Our worship to God can be expressed through us on our jobs, in our homes, at the grocery store, etc. His presence is with us everywhere we go and He has given us the capacity to Love like He does, with His Love that is shed abroad in our hearts. Let’s commit daily to being outward expressions of the heart of God and demonstrators of the Love that He has for each and every one of us. Here are a few scriptures that you can meditate concerning worship:
Hebrews 12:28-29 “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Psalm 86:9-10 “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.”
Revelation 14:7 “He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
Let’s all live a lifestyle of true worship!
About the author: I’m a single Mother of two daughters who loves to encourage, inspire, and uplift others with the Love and wisdom of God. It is my prayer that each person who reads my motivational messages of truth, based on the Word of God, will experience completely healed, transformed, and renewed lives. It is my hope that each person will reach their full potential in Christ Jesus. I am a member of All Nations Worship Assembly in Chicago, Il. The overseers are Drs. Matthew and Kamilah Stevenson.
Visit her blog HERE: