Practical Pointers Continued: A Two-Minute Devotional...

Practical Pointers Continued…Drawing Closer to Lord Jesus…

They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
Psalms 36:8

Let’s continue with some practical help for establishing a secret place time with God…

• Get comfortable. Don’t let being uncomfortable become a distraction. Grab your favorite mug with your favorite coffee. Open a window or light a candle. Create a calm space. You may be an outdoor lover, and the beauty of God’s creation may enhance your sense of His presence. But once again, don’t let outward distractions divert your attention.

• Bring your Bible and a journal. The Holy Spirit will speak to you, and it is very important to record what you think He is saying to you from His Word and His heart Jeremiah 30:2. You will often want to go back and remind yourself of what He has shared with you, especially if you are in a difficult season of life, walking out of an addiction, or facing illness.

• Keep it simple. Ask Jesus to join you. Truthfully, He has been waiting for you! There is no magic formula, and if there were, your time alone with the Lord would become just another religious thing to do. Instead, you are waiting for the Holy Spirit’s leading, which will in turn, cause you to walk in the Spirit in more significant measure throughout your life Romans 8:14.

• Begin with worship. Worship focuses our heart and mind on the Lord and attunes us to His presence because worship interrupts our preoccupation with ourselves. The psalms are great for praise inspiration. Try singing your favorite worship songs or adore Him with your spiritual language. Playing worship music is helpful for some, but don’t let it become distracting if you use your phone.

• Let the Holy Spirit lead you. We not only cultivate experiencing the Lord’s presence, but we are also growing in letting the Spirit lead us, too. We are learning to be continually filled to overflowing with Him in our lives. Take baby steps. If a thought, picture, or a Bible verse comes to your mind -what do you think the Lord is saying? 1 Corinthians 14:26. One thing might lead to something else, or one Bible verse might reference another until you land where Jesus is leading you. You will seldom lack knowing God’s will for your life when you make these quiet times your priority Romans 12:1-2.

From today’s list of practical pointers, which one spoke to you the most and why?

Remember! This seven-part study is from the 7-Day You Version Plan: Intimacy with God in the Secret Place by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

Practical Pointers: A Two-Minute Devotional...

Practical Pointers - Some Help for a Quiet Time Encountering the Lord’s Presence

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11

Just as you would protect a young seedling from the elements that would destroy it, we need to learn how to cultivate and nurture a quiet time alone with Jesus without distraction. Over the next few days, we will look at some practical tips. Let’s begin…

• Put on your calendar scheduled times alone with God like you would your best friend. Give yourself a good half-hour or more. Without adding to your plate of to-dos, this is not your everyday time with Jesus; this is a separate time to worship and wait upon Him in His presence and hear what He has to say. Not the other way around. Remember, schedule your time when you are at your best.

• Arrange for someone to handle the kids, the dog, your duties, or whatever requires your oversight so that you will have uninterrupted time. From years of leading others into discovering greater intimacy with God, I have found that the folks having the most difficulty scheduling this time are those with young children, especially single parents. Still, it can be done, and your minutes spent being filled up with Jesus’ presence will be so worth your effort to arrange this time with the help of a friend or your spouse. Don’t allow any excuses, no matter what state your life is in now. Growing in God’s felt presence is the best thing you can do for yourself.

• Put your phone in another room and remove every distraction possible. Bring a notebook if it helps to jot down some stray but important reminders that come to your thoughts, so you don’t start obsessing about what you might forget. Crazy, but true. Honestly, almost at the beginning of quieting our hearts with the Lord, our shopping and to-do lists will appear to overwhelm our thinking. Don’t be discouraged if training your thoughts to stay on Jesus takes practice just as the 16th-century monk, Brother Lawrence, so famously wrote. My own obsessive and unhealthy thinking almost robbed me of life itself. It was here, in His presence, that He began to heal and bring order to my thought life. We all get distracted, but His Holy Spirit will help us. We just need to come.

We will continue with more practical pointers tomorrow.

From today’s list of practical pointers, which one spoke to you the most and why?

Remember! This seven-part study is from the 7-Day You Version Plan: Intimacy with God in the Secret Place by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

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What Can I Expect? A Two-Minute Devotional...

What Can I Expect? - Continuing our Look at God’s Secret Place…

Be still, and know that I am God…
Psalm 46:10

We may ask, what can I expect, and is a particular time better than another when meeting God in the secret place? And the big question: how much time are we talking about??!!

The key is to be as free from distraction as possible. What distracts you might not be a problem for me and vice versa. However, God’s Word tells us that when we are still or in stillness before Him, that is when we most experience who He is through His felt presence.

What does God’s presence physically feel like if this is new for you? It might be a sense of calm or peace, a bubbling feeling of joy or fullness, power, or well-being. The Holy Spirit within you knows what you need at that moment and what will carry you through your current circumstances.

Be encouraged to come with your Bible in hand. You will not only sense the Lord’s nearness, but you will also hear Him speak directly to you from His Word. These Rhema (Greek) words from the Scriptures are what Jesus spoke of when He encountered the temptation in the wilderness Luke 4:4. Jesus directly quoted the Word to the enemy then, and in turn, the Lord will give you specific passages for your situations. God’s specific words can be absolute lifelines and weapons against our adversary when facing difficulties Ephesians 6:17.

When is the best time to schedule time alone with God? As pastor Wayne Cordeiro shares, the best time is when you are at your best.* Are you a morning, afternoon, or evening person? Ask yourself this question and arrange your scheduled time with God accordingly.

Finally, how long are we talking about? Thinking it has to be hours on end will keep us from even beginning in the first place! Rather, consider this a meet-up with a friend. You meet to enjoy each other’s company. You might only need a few minutes, or you might need longer. You finish when you sense that time is drawing to a close. Again, you are not bringing your laundry list of prayers; you are coming to experience the pleasure of Father’s company and to hear His heart for you. You and your faith will be oh so strengthened and encouraged.

What do you think is your best time to schedule a secret place time with the Lord, and why?

Remember! This seven-part study is from the 7-Day You Version Plan: Intimacy with God in the Secret Place by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

* Wayne Cordeiro, The Divine Mentor, Bethany House Publishers

Hindrances! A Two-Minute Devotional...

Hindrances - Continuing Our Look at Drawing Closer to Jesus in the Secret Place…

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10

Who or what are the biggest hindrances to our time alone with God? Yes, most certainly our adversary, the devil, and we’ll look at that in a moment, but usually, we are the biggest hindrance.

I don’t know about you, but I know my stuff. I thought I wasn’t good enough or cleaned up enough to approach my Father. I was happy to bring my list of needs, but I didn’t genuinely believe He wanted me just for me, hang-ups and all.

Yet, He bids us to come to Him because we don’t have our act together and never will in our own strength. We see our failings; He sees our potential. We see our weaknesses; He sees what the Holy Spirit’s power can unleash in our lives. We see our sin; He views His shed bled that cleanses it all. We may be afraid that when we finally come, He might not show up. But His Word promises He is already there waiting for us. 

From personal experience and viewing hundreds of lives transformed from their purposefully scheduled times alone in God’s presence, there is no more powerful encounter. Those of us who once struggled with anxiety, shame, insecurities, varied addictions, or any unhealthy behavior have found all the aid, direction, grace, and help we need to overcome life’s hurts and hang-ups Hebrews 4:16.

Because this is true, our adversary, the devil, will use distractions, worries, temptations, and overcrowded schedules to keep us from His presence. We will have to be intentional with our calendars about these times with Jesus and then keep our date with Him. 

You will notice that once you set this time, the kids will have an unexpected baseball practice, the dog will bite the mailperson, and your phone won’t stop vibrating. Hell knows what the power of simply sitting in Jesus’ presence can do for a person. As we read in the gospels, everywhere Jesus went, there was healing, deliverance, and salvation. The enemy doesn’t want all that goodness to come your way. So, dig in, reschedule if you must, but accept God’s invitation into abundant living.

What verse, phrase, or sentence spoke to you from today’s teaching and why?

Remember! This seven-part study is from the 7-Day You Version Plan: Intimacy with God in the Secret Place by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

What Does This Look Like? A Two-Minute Devotional

What Does The Secret Place Look Like?

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Matt 6:6

What does cultivating intimacy with God in the secret place look like? It is time alone with Him, experiencing His felt presence in the Holy Spirit and hearing His voice. It is being available to the Holy Spirit’s supernatural gifts in our lives. It is where we begin to feel safe enough with the Lord to invite Him to heal the wounds and strongholds in our souls (thoughts, emotions, and personality) so that He can help us walk in His fruit – love, joy, peace, and patience. It is what the New King James Version of the Bible calls the secret place in many passages.

And what does secret place mean? The New Testament Greek word Jesus used is Tameion, meaning a closet, a storage chamber, an inner chamber, and a secret room.

Possibly God calls these times alone with Him as a closet or secret place because it is where only you and He privately come together with no one else. There, He has words meant only for your ears from His heart Psalm 25:14. He wants to satisfy, refresh, and provide a bountiful meal for your soul Psalm 23:5.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Revelation 3:20

Why are these quiet times alone with God so necessary to our lives? It is because they are where we encounter God Himself, filling, flooding, and healing our souls-and even our bodies. Where we discover the power of God to overcome and hear His voice giving us needed strength, encouragement, and direction.

This quiet time with Jesus is not where we come to Him bringing our laundry list of prayer requests. No, the Lord is calling us to be with Him for a while and be refreshed by His presence. He longs to spend time alone with us, and it is our highest privilege to respond to Him. The intimacy with Abba-Father that Adam and Eve lost in the Garden, we can regain.

What phrase or sentence did the Holy Spirit highlight to you from today’s teaching?

Remember! This seven-part study is from the 7-Day You Version Plan: Intimacy with God in the Secret Place by Sue Boldt. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

Intimacy with God: A Two-Minute Devotional

DAY 1 – An Invitation to God’s Secret Place

For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
Psalm 27:5

Someone recently asked me what the secret was to my daily effervescent joy and unshakeable peace in Jesus? They wondered why it was that in the midst of a heavy ministry and workload, the hills and valleys of life, and a stage 4 cancer diagnosis that somehow, my heart was full, and I almost always seemed to know what I was supposed to do next?

It wasn’t always this way for me as a longtime Christian. In my mid-thirties, moderate depression colored my life, coupled with an eating disorder and an uncontrollable thought life as my husband pastored a thriving church. I loved God and His Word, but somehow, my life seemed to lack much of what I read in the Book of Acts.

The answer? Intimacy with God in the secret place.

Oh no. Another thing to do. Another Christian box to check off. Nevertheless, King David from the Old Testament and Mary of Bethany from the New Testament treat us with insight into the ONE THING that genuinely matters in our lives. The one thing that our Lord Jesus places the highest priority on: meeting alone with Him.

Nope. Not your regular daily time to pray or read His Word or converse with Him through your day. This is more a scheduled, weekly or so meeting with God that is uninterrupted and long enough for you to sense His felt presence within you and for you to hear His voice speaking to you through His Word or a soft impression on your heart and mind that will always align with His Word.

Jesus reveals the way. His frequent meetings alone with the Father during His earthly ministry empowered everything He spoke and did Luke 6:12.

Let’s keep this practical. Let’s keep it sweet and simple. Because if we walk in this one thing, everything else in life will fall in place. When difficulties and trials come, we will already be positioned in His presence with a fresh word from His heart guiding us. Let’s accept His invitation to come to His feast in the secret place. We won’t be disappointed.

How were you encouraged by today’s lesson?

NOTE: Hey everyone! I thought I would post weekly, over the next several weeks, from the new 7-Day YouVersion Plan that the Lord gave me that just launched this week on the app. Let’s draw closer in our walk with the Lord Jesus together. Adapted from the book: Refresh. Click Here!

Triumph in His Praise... One-Minute Devotional

In the selflessness of the Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - our praise and gratitude not only bring Him glory but also cause us to be participants in His triumph. 

...To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.
Psalms 106:47b

Our God is not egocentric, self-absorbed, or self-centered. Honestly. He doesn’t need us. He doesn’t need our worship. We need our worship of Him. Worship positions us to see God’s face. And as we glimpsed yesterday, the enemy needs to hear us worship our Abba Father.

Many years ago, when I was a young girl, my dad would attempt to teach me to dance. The old-fashioned, ever so elegant dance where I placed my hand on his shoulder that I could barely reach. And with his arm around my young waist, stooping down to reach me, he led me through graceful steps. However, if I looked down at my feet, I would stumble, but when I looked up into his face and trusted his leading and guiding me – oh, what sweet moments. Our walk with the Lord is so much like this dance. Our worship is our looking directly upon His face.

Have you ever walked into a pitch-black, darkened room? You simply need to hit the switch. LIGHT! Darkness flees. That pretty much sums up what happens when we worship and praise. Triumph takes place. We sense the Holy Spirit causing faith to rise in our hearts. Yes, worship is for us. No wonder we find Paul and Silas worshipping when facing down death. (Acts 16:25).

Find a place today where you can be alone with Him. Tell the Lord how much you love Him. You will be hard-pressed to tell me that something did not happen for you: a little bit of triumph and a whole lot of darkness fleeing.

A Faith Walk... One-Minute Devotional

Circumstances are usually never what is really happening...

Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord.
Joshua 9:14

When Joshua led the children of Israel into their Land of Promise, the Lord told him not to make any covenants or pledges with those who would be displaced as Israel removed nation after nation.

Out of nowhere, a bunch of rag-tag men appeared claiming to be from a distant land. Their clothes were tattered, their shoes were worn-out, and of all things, they even had moldy bread. These guys lived just around the corner; the corner God had promised Joshua and his people! Oh, my goodness. Israel did not ask counsel of the Lord.

I have been there too many times. Circumstances are rarely what they seem. We walk by faith and not by sight. The Bible clearly tells us that the unseen matters of the Spirit are far more the real deal than what we can see, taste, touch, smell, or hear.

So let's be people who consult God about, well, everything. No, not necessarily what tube of toothpaste to buy, but just about everything else. Because there is a lot more going on than we can see.

At the Start of This Week and New Year... One-Minute Devo

At the start of this week and brand new year…   

If your life seems out of sorts, off-kilter, or just plain outta-control, recognize that there is something amiss. Most likely, you have taken your heart and mind off Lord Jesus, and you have either lost your balance, lost your way, or lost your sense of direction. Don’t waste another minute of your precious life. Get alone with Him asap, and don’t get up until you have made Him the complete Lord of Your life and asked for a fresh overflow of His Holy Spirit. He will answer. You just need to say “yes” and take the time to get your priorities straight in His presence. I know this from experience!
Psalm 63

Should you already feel defeated before you have even stepped out the door, remember Paul’s words of truth: you are more than a conqueror through Him who loves you! Lean wholly into His amazing love until it drips from your life to others. Too busy? Cool your jets! Everyone around you will sense His peace when you let His peace reign in your heart.
Romans 8:37

This is a week (and year!) of new beginnings, hopes to be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because He Who is in you is greater than anything!
1 John 4:4

Merry Christmas! One-Minute Devotional...

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

For there is born to you this day in the city of David
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be the sign to you:
You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths,
lying in a manger.
Luke 2:11-12

One thing the manger reveals to us – Jesus is inclusive.

Everyone can approach a manger. Everyone can approach Jesus. Everyone.

The only folks who can’t come – those who are excluded – are the ones who think they are too good for a stable, too superior to need help, or too proud to bow their knee. These folks have trouble with Jesus. Sometimes, I am this type of folk.

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me,
and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
John 6:37

Jesus says come, no matter your past, no matter your paygrade, no matter your persuasion about anything. Simply come. The Holy Spirit will do the transforming, and we, myself included, need to stop the judging, the doing, and the trying.

I can’t earn His love, I can’t work for His love, and it is not up to me to get it right because He is the only one who is Right. Genuine freedom begins when I stop trying so hard and lean desperately into His limitless grace.

So, wretched sinner that I am – yet, being transformed by His power – I come to the manger. I come to bow at the animals’ rugged food trough that has now turned into His throne of blazing, sovereign glory. I come with humble praise.

All because, at the manger, He included me.

(From Unwrapping Christmas by Sue Boldt)

One-Minute Christmas Devotional....

Here is Day 12 of my Christmas Devotional: Unwrapping Christmas…

“For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord,
“Let it be to me according to your word.”
Luke 1:37-38

Christmas is about God doing the impossible. These are words we cling to when our life situations seem beyond repair, rescue, or restoration. All our hope is lost, and there can be no good outcome. But with God, nothing is impossible! This truth is the joy of a life of faith in Him who holds the universe, the galaxies, and you and me intimately and handily in His Almighty hands (Isaiah 49:2). He makes all the difference.

Honestly, the Christian need never despair. We may have seasons of lament, wells of tears, and deep sorrow, but despair or hopelessness? Really, never. Certainly, there are valid and varied factors surrounding depression or melancholy. Yet, when we are tempted to go to a dark place, we must recognize that something might be amiss in the spiritual realm. Have we left our vital and intimate walk with Jesus and taken a detour? Have we opened a door for our adversary, the devil? Honest and true. Maybe this is difficult to hear, but those who abide, reside, dwell in, and soak in the Holy Spirit’s presence and His Word cultivate the fertile soil for powerful faith to be planted and grow (Luke 8:4-15). Just like Mary.

Mary, like us at times, doesn’t fully comprehend what is happening to her. What in the world is God thinking? She knows all the implications of her single-parent pregnancy messing with her future. Yet, she trusts the God of her forefathers, knowing that big plans call for big faith. Mary might not understand, but she knows there is a much larger picture, and the One who loves her wildly holds all the details and puzzle pieces (Rom. 8:28).

What are you facing today that has you questioning or takes your breath away in fear? Don’t do another thing until you draw close to Him. Quiet your heart. Wait for His presence. Open His Word. Listen for His voice.  Then respond knowing that with God, nothing is impossible.

Read the rest of the Days of Unwrapping Christmas, available on Amazon and for free on the YouVersion App as a 26-Day Bible Plan or the shortened 7-Day Plan, “A Week of Christmas Wonder.”

God Always Answers Our Prayers... One-Minute Devotional

Here is a devotion from Unwrapping Christmas that seemed to strike a chord in my online Bible Study Group…

“But they had no child,
Because Elizabeth was barren,
And they were both well advanced in years.”
Luke 1:7

There are circumstances in each of our lives where we have prayed and prayed for a particular outcome, and we have yet to see its fulfillment. Am I correct? Zacharias and Elizabeth knew this firsthand in their probably lifelong prayer for a much-wanted baby. However, make no mistake about it. Our Father always answers our every prayer: Yes, No, or Not Yet.

The yes-answered prayers are easy. It is the no and not yet petitions that require greater faith on our part. In such a season, incomparable comfort comes from knowing three truths: He loves me, He is for me, and He knows best. These are real rubber-meets-the-road times of trust for us.

When His answer to our requests appears to be a no, we find our rest in His omniscience and omnipresence. He has a vantage point to view our lives that we can’t even imagine. In the light of time and eternity, these seemingly unfulfilled requests will often make sense later. Think of the old song lyrics: some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered (no) prayers.[i]

Not-yet prayers tell us that Lord Jesus is keeping a different timetable than ours. Delaying Lazarus’ healing caused a greater story – a greater glory – to be revealed. Sometimes, we are not ready for the thing we want, like a four-year-old wishing to drive the family car on the freeway. One request of ours might involve over a thousand people – a ripple effect. Here, God may be lining the puzzle pieces up that we can’t yet see. Some prayers require us to enter spiritual warfare, or yes, the removal of some unhealthy stuff in our lives. He may be calling us to grow in Him before He answers.

Let’s follow Zach’s and Beth’s example. Their prayer was delayed, and they maybe thought it was a no. Nonetheless, they loved and waited upon their King for His answer, trusting Him completely. Let’s do that, too.

[i] Garth Brooks, Pat Alger, and Larry Bastian, Unanswered Prayers, 1990

Unwrapping Christmas... One-Minute Devotional

I love Christmas.

I love everything about this season, from the twinkly lights, the long-remembered carols, the deep blue nights, the hope and joy of family, food, memories to be made, and everything in between.

Yes, it is a season filled with wonder and generosity. Still, all its promise can be lost in our must-do lists, preparing for a celebration when provisions seem slim, or the advent of sometimes-messy family relationships. Instead of refreshment or rescue, Christmas can be a reminder of things or people lost, hopes deferred, or dreams dismantled by the stuff of life. Under the paper and ribbon can be piles of distraction about meaningless details or worry about what the coming year might bring.

But Jesus came…

The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son,
generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
John 1:14 MSG

Yes, He came and moved into the neighborhood. Your neighborhood. My neighborhood. With His first breath, everything in the world was upended – turning right-side-up and providing rescue, freedom, wholeness, and yes, salvation. 

The Savior who created all that is, laid aside His incomparable and inestimable splendor and majesty to move in next door and politely ask if we would simply invite Him in for dinner…

(To be continued tomorrow! This is the introduction to “Unwrapping Christmas” an interactive devotional the Lord gave me. Ladies, you can join me for the full study on either YouVersion or in a women-only Facebook Bible Study Group Click Here. Both men and women can join me on Instagram @crosspointe_biblestudy)

One More Thanksgiving Thought... One-Minute Devotional

So Jesus answered and said,

“Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?
Were there not any found who returned
to give glory to God except this foreigner?”
And He said to him, “Arise, go your way.
Your faith has made you well.”
Luke 17:17-19

We can’t ponder thanksgiving and worship without talking about the ten lepers. Only ONE came back to thank Lord Jesus?? Yet how often have I been guilty of the very same thing?

As we surrender our lives in greater measure to the Lord Jesus, we will find that our gratefulness will become more and more evident. A surrendered life means trusting Him fully with how He will handle the small and large concerns that we face. When we give up control to Him, we begin to recognize that God does know what He is doing. We then get out of the way to let Him reveal His love in ways we didn’t realize before. Gratefulness will become a spontaneous fountain from our hearts and lips. Trust me. I know this from my own life.

Think of gratefulness to Him as the temperature gauge of who is in control: is it me or my Heavenly Father? Ponder that for a bit…

Intentional gratefulness is the greatest cure for discouragement. It beats out the blues. It drowns out the voice of self-pity, and it can be a tool to overcome depression and anxiety. Indeed, there are many factors regarding these instances, but from personal experience and years of offering pastoral counseling, I am hard-pressed to find people who live daily in effervescent gratefulness who are down for the count for very long.

When the thankful, now-healed leper returned to Jesus, he must have immensely blessed the Lord’s heart. Let’s be people who bless our Redeemer’s heart, too.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Thanksgiving Thoughts... One-Minute Devotional

I subscribe to a bunch of home-type magazines. When the Thanksgiving season rolls around the corner, turkey and sweet potato recipes abound, plus articles on cultivating gratefulness in our lives. Yes, indeed.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer
...with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

Scientific research reports that those with grateful, thankful hearts have less disease, less worry, less stress, less of just about every negative in the human condition. Honest. Just Google the subject. Science is learning what God’s Word has said all along as Christian neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf often states.

Thankfulness is key.

In the passage above, Paul isn’t telling us to be thankful for the stuff in our lives that are currently testing us – but to be grateful the Lord Jesus is BIGGER than all our stuff.

When anxiety wants to rule our hearts and minds, the direct antidote is gratefulness and thanksgiving as we earnestly lay our every care and concern at His feet and leave it there. Yes, leave it there with Him and don’t get up until you sense His peace. As a by-product, this is how we better learn to hear Jesus’ voice with clarity and cultivate His felt presence in our lives.

The world on its own doesn’t really know Who to be grateful to. Honestly, it is kind of funny when I read these magazine articles about gratefulness. However, we know where every source of goodness and light in our lives comes from (James 1:17). Keeping at the forefront of our minds, the incredible works He has done in our lives, and all He has given us allow His peace to reign in our souls. Gratefulness recounts that He moved our mountains many times in the past, and He will do it again.

Yes, He will.

The Power of Thanksgiving... One-Minute Devo

There is power in our praise and thanksgiving…

...saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
Revelation 5:12

Praise and worship can open our spiritual eyes to recognize and experience our position with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) because worship interrupts our preoccupation with ourselves. And when we truly enter His presence with our thanksgiving and praise, it opens our spirit to the Biblical truth that we are already hidden in Him and reigning with Him.

Genuine worship causes our faith to rise. Honest worship gets our gaze off our stuff and onto Who He is and who we are in Him. Holy Spirit inspired worship positions us to receive from our Father what He lavishly desires to bestow upon us. When we join the chorus of the heavenly hosts worshipping around God’s throne, our true home – heaven – starts to rub off on us.

It can be so formidable for us who have schedules to keep, dishes to wash, kiddos to chase after, and cars to fix to remember that we are already living in the Kingdom of His love (Colossians 1:13). In our daily stuff, it can be so challenging to remember that we are seated with Him above principalities and powers – the devil and his minions – who would attempt to destroy our lives (John 10:10a). And amid all that assails us, it can be difficult to remember that we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us (Romans 8:37).

Yet, we don’t worship to get. We worship because He is Worthy. Nevertheless, worship reminds us of our actual position in Christ. His cross purchased our entrance into heavenly realms even while our feet are planted here on earth.

What a sublime gift worship is.

His Unbridled Joy... One-Minute Devotional

I grew up not far from the theme park affectionately called The Happiest Place on Earth...

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
John 15:11

Truly, it is a very happy and wonder-filled destination. However, the problem lies when I exit this theme park’s gates and wave goodbye to Mickey. I cannot take the park home with me. This Happy Place is not there for me when tragedy strikes, calamity calls, and confusion reigns.

Jesus is always there for me. His promised joy is always my portion. Yet why did I used to spend so much time feeling unsatisfied – that life was mundane, and my heart feeling flat – even in the best of circumstances? The reason lies in the verses beforehand in John 15: Abiding, remaining, dwelling, and feasting in the Vine.

Dwelling in Jesus’ presence is my life anthem. Honestly, you can read it in everything I write. Time alone with Him, drinking in His presence, saturating in His Word, and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit, is cause for joy that carries one through life’s most trying storms. I am selfish enough that I don’t want to ever lose or forfeit His joy – I lived too long the other way, and I won’t ever go back. 

Note: For the rest of November, most of our devos will be focused on thanksgiving, praise, and worship! Don’t forget, you can pick up your copy of Thirty Days of Thanksgiving, just click here.

At the Start of This Week... One-Minute Devo

At the start of this week.

If the laundry is piling up, your unpaid bills are mounting, and your joy level is plummeting, it is time to get back to the basics. It is time to get back to Jesus. Consistently. Not just a one-time meeting with Him, but make putting Him first in your life, your highest priority. He will walk you through every valley as if they were mountaintops.

If you have messed up, screwed up, and royally and epically failed, He has already forgiven you. Don’t let yourself or the devil keep you in the grasp of guilt. HOWEVER, it is time to really start doing life King Jesus’ way. Has doing your own thing ever really worked? Rarely if at all. He has a better plan, a greater adventure, and life so overflowing you won’t be able to contain it. No joke.

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes to be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because He Who is in you is greater than anything!
1 John 4:4

Worship is Warfare... One-Minute Devotional

Hi Everyone!

Below is a one-day sample of a little Thanksgiving Devotional I wrote: Thirty Days of Thanksgiving-A Month of Interactive Devotions for Gratitude, Praise, and Worship. You can find it on Amazon Click Here and also as a plan on the YouVersion App. Just search for my name on the app.

DAY 3

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, 
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
Psalm 149:6

Let’s be reminded, worship is often warfare.

When we worship, breakthrough takes place in the heavenly realm that can miraculously change circumstances in our physical realm. Yes, worship can do this. There are just too many Bible stories that record this and too many life experiences to discount it.

Our enemy, the devil, and his demons can’t stand it when we worship. It is genuinely the worst sound in their ears. Our praise sends them running. Psalm 149 further tells us that the demonic are bound up. In addition, when we get our eyes off our circumstances and turn them to the One Who is Almighty and reigns supreme, our situations appear minuscule in His hand. Worship aligns our hearts with His heart to hear His battle commands for us. Worship humbles us to know that only He can fight on our behalf. And, worship positions us to win the battle of whatever we are facing.

Instead of getting angry, worship.
Instead of allowing anxiety to rule, praise.
Instead of succumbing to self-pity, lift up the One Who uplifts you.

No, we don’t worship to get. Nevertheless, when we do genuinely worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, fears cease, the enemy falters, Jesus is glorified, and His presence transforms us.

So, whatever you are facing right now, instead of contacting someone else, first go to the throne room. Remember who God is and lift your praise. Stay until you have touched heaven. Ask for a scripture to strengthen you, then see what He does next. Because truly – worship is warfare.

True Confessions... A One-Minute Devotional

In my youth I really, really, really wanted to have straight hair...

Not that I have already attained...but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
Philippians 3:12

I grew up in the era of bell-bottoms, granny-square vests, and stick-straight hair. I am pretty sure some of you reading this don’t have a clue what a granny-square vest is and would wonder who in their right mind would want to wear one. Nevertheless, having straight, long locks was the prerequisite for being considered cool.

I was far from cool. Even though I dressed the part, my hair was thick, unruly, curly, and not the most attractive shade. I straightened my hair with an iron – a clothes iron. I often had dubious scars from getting the iron too close to my forehead and armpits – don’t ask. I bleached my strands into a crazy-orange tone. I duct-taped my bangs, wore curlers the size of gallon coffee-cans to bed, and endured untold teenaged angst. All for my unquenchable desire to look like Peggy Lipton from the Mod Squad – again, don’t ask.

What is motivating our life’s passion now? Really? Is it worth all that time and effort? If it isn’t Jesus, it may be time to stop chasing the wind and find all that our hearts are looking for is His heart alone. We won’t be disappointed. Ever.