NEW YORK CAB DRIVER
I’ll never forget the time I spent over an hour sitting in a cab in New York City. When the driver found out I was there to speak at a prayer conference, he said, “You mean to tell me you know God? How long were you going to wait before you told me about God? I need prayer—lots of prayer!”
His words will forever ring in my heart. So often we’re afraid of offending someone with the Gospel, when they might actually be desperate for God.
“You will be my witnesses ... to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:8
Who might be waiting for you to tell them about Jesus?
“Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul.” - Psalm 66:16
Oh, Lord, I pray You would give me boldness to share my faith. Give me eyes to see those who are desperate for You.
GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES
Sometimes we go around in circles wondering what God wants us to do. In moments like these, it helps to go back to the basics.
James 5:13 it says, “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.”
Whether you are going through some tough stuff today, or you are having a really great day, God’s instructions are clear on how we should respond: prayer and praise.
What is the Bible’s prescription for what you should today?
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” - Philippians 4:4
Dear God, teach me to come to You when I’m in need, and offer You praise when I feel joy. May I be faithful to turn to You whether life is easy or hard.
FACING IMPOSSIBLE ODDS
Father God, Today I am facing impossible odds and I feel so weighed down by this world. Lord, please encourage me and speak love to my heart. I know that with You all things are possible! You make a way even when there seems to be no way.
Lord, I claim Philippians 4:13 that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Thank you that Your ways and Your thoughts are much higher and greater than my human mind can even fathom. Give me the faith to trust You. I want to do the impossible!
Amen.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” - Isaiah 55:8-9
NEW APPRECIATION
When my family and I came so close to death, it gave me a whole new appreciation for the people I love. I had a renewed desire to be a good dad and a loving husband. But it shouldn’t take a traumatic event to prioritize the things that really matter.
Ephesians 5:15 says, “Be very careful how you live— not as unwise but as wise.”
Don’t wait until it’s too late to invest in those you love.
Are you giving time to the things that truly matter?
“Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” - Ephesians 5:16
Lord, I am so prone to wander. Give me wisdom and courage to make the most of my time, starting this very day.
GIVE THANKS
When God answers our prayers, it’s only right to say thank you. But it takes faith to thank God for something that hasn’t yet occurred!
When my daughter Jen was recovering from the trauma caused by the accident, she kept praying, “Thank You for healing me and raising me up.” At the time, Jen couldn’t sit up. She didn’t even know she was hurt. Her mind and body were weak, but her faith was strong!
The Bible says to “give thanks in all circumstances.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Do you ever thank God for things in advance? What will you thank Him for today?
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” - Psalm 118:1
Lord, as the troubles of life press in around me today, thank You for Your faithfulness, Your love, Your deliverance, and Your strength.
MESSED UP
Lord Jesus, when I mess up, the enemy wants me to believe that I am condemned and unworthy. But the truth of Your Word pulls me out of the pit. Thank you for being the God of second chances. You redeemed me on the cross which means You paid the price to free me from being a slave to sin.
Just as You came to the Israelite’s rescue, and showed them the way to the promised land, Lord help me to realize that You have a promised land in store for me. I know that You have
a specific job for me to do on this earth that you prepared in advance since the beginning of time (Ephesians 2:10). Amen.
Fully abandoned to You!
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us
from all unrighteousness.” - I John 1:9
Our FEELINGS must bow to our FAITH!
Hello friends! We are continuing the topic of FLIPFLOP and discovering together what that means in our last blog we looked at how we could FLIPFLOP fear into trust.
Today, we are going to learn how our feelings are real but not always true!! Fear can affect our emotions and our responses.
Friend, here is how can We get victory over all of our emotions:
I want to encourage all of us to STOP, DROP to our knees and ASK God for HIS POWER over our circumstances. Jesus wants us all to KNOW who we are in HIM!! The FLIPFLOP is that FEAR will have no GRIP on our lives as well as our emotions.
I love Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go.” Friend, my prayer is that we experience God’s presence today. I would like to challenge all of us to start and end each day claiming this verse over our future.
Let’s pray: Dear Jesus, We feel the trap of fear in our lives these days and we know we need Your help! Our prayer is that we find VICTORY over all of our fears as well as our emotions. We know that nothing is too hard for You! We want to break free of its bondage and experience Your PERFECT PEACE!! Amen.
Choose Trust Over Fear
Friend, last week I introduced you to a new way of thinking. I call it FLIPFLOP. Choosing to live a FLIPFLOP lifestyle is a game changer. When we FLlPFLOP the lies of satan we are bringing truth in and giving truth(GOD) authority over our minds!!
We live in a fallen world, and Satan knows his time is short. He is clever and quick and deceiving (this starts in our minds). He even knows Scripture. He had the guts to tempt Jesus (WOW). We have to replace Satan‘s lies with God’s truth. When Jesus defeated Satan, HE reassured us that He is on the throne (Rest in knowing this TRUTH today)!
Our challenge/goal is to replace fear for TRUSTING in God!!
There is power in Scripture! Take some time to look at the following verses today:
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “ 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.”
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
Let’s pray together:
Dear Heavenly Father, it is an honor to come to you, I need your help this day! I want to TRUST in you. I CHOOSE to focus on you over my fear. Please help me to FLIPFLOP the circumstances in my life that I cannot control. Thank you for coming to my rescue. I PRAISE you! Amen.
FLIP FLOP
Hi friends!! I just wanted to say woohoo and a job well done. I really enjoyed studying the fruits of the spirit together!! But now, drum roll…Summer is here! So, let’s get our FLIP FLOPS on!
What does that mean? Don’t worry, it will be a lot of fun and we will learn together. FLIPFLOP is something that God has taught me. It has been life-changing, so I have to share it with you friend.
God wants this to become our new way of thinking!
We must FLIPFLOP the lies of Satan!! Friend, this is huge and can be done only when we choose to FLIPFLOP the negative thoughts into positive thoughts. What does this look like?
For example:
Lie: I am not good enough.
Flipflop Truth: I am made in the image of God!
Psalms 139:14a says, “I praise you, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Another example:
Lie: I’m not beautiful/handsome enough.
Flipflop truth: The wisdom of the Lord makes me more precious than rubies!
Proverbs 3:13-15 says, “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.”
Dear Heavenly Father,
As you know, Jesus, I have been going through a lot these days and have been battling some different struggles. I need Your help! I choose YOU! I choose FLIPFLOP!
(Sigh, that feels good…) WAY MAKER, I want to turn the negative (thoughts/outlooks) into Your CONFIDENCE and SECURITY this day! If I do this I know you will set me FREE! Amen!
So let’s put our flip-flops on and do a freedom dance!!
GOD-CONTROL
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and SELF-CONTROL.” - Galatians 5:22-23a
Friend,
God wants us to have SELF-CONTROL, or as I like to say GOD-CONTROL.
Jesus modeled self-control and he wants us to have self-control. There is so much for us to learn about this topic from scripture. Let’s take a look together and learn from Jesus how we can have self-control.
Let’s read Mark 14:32-42 says,
“32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and Johnalong with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba,[f] Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
41 Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
God is sovereign and holy! We may not understand why we are called to suffer and do hard things but just as Jesus said, “not my will but your will be done.”
Jesus surrendered His will to His Father. Friends, we should also surrender our will to the father daily.
God sees you and loves you and HE overcame it ALL.
Our challenge is to put on the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) so we are ready for battle. As we continue to seek truth and wisdom, we will learn to fight in the spirit and not in the flesh.
Holy Father, thank you for the gift of SELF-CONTROL! This is a big topic, and I know that I’m going to need your help! Together, I know I can experience a life of SELF-CONTROL! I’m so excited! Father, thank you for the gifts of the fruit of the Spirit. I pray that you would equip me with all of them from this day forward! I can’t wait to see the world in a whole new way! Amen.
STRONG GENTLENESS
“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith faithfulness, GENTLENESS, and self-control.” - Galatians 5:22-23a
GENTLENESS can only be gained through the power of the HOLY SPIRIT and through humility.
This all starts with putting others before ourselves.
Like it says in John 3:30~he must increase, but I must decrease!!
Friend!! How can we achieve this because gentleness is an active word that will equip us with a meek and quiet spirit. This all starts with listening and spending time with God in His word and talking to the Holy Spirit throughout the day. Friend, the quieter we are the more we can hear HIS VOICE OF TRUTH.
For our challenge, I encourage us to know that the Holy Spirit is here to help and guide us. Let’s ask him to help us today!
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of GENTLENESS! I want to be equipped with your GENTLENESS this day! My hope is to reach out and be a selfless light for you. It is an honor to serve you! Thank you, Lord, that when I am weak you are strong. Amen.
GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience ,kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS, gentleness, and self-control.” - Galatians 5:22-23a
Friends, Let’s take a look at Enoch's life in Hebrews 11:5-6:
“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Scripture tells us that Enoch was a man who was FAITHFUL and pleased God. God wants us to rely on HIS FAITHFULNESS. When we are faithful it shows us that the Holy Spirit is working in and through us.
His faithfulness is always reliable, steadfast, and true (let’s take a minute to let that sink in). We are faithful to what we find to be important in our lives. A couple examples being: Family, Work, Worship, Ministry, Etc.
God sees us and wants us to remain faithful because THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
Friend, I want to challenge you to have God’s dreams, heaven bound dreams. Greater dreams than you could ever think are possible.
Let’s pray! Dear FAITHFUL Father, I just have to say, thank you! Thank you for the gift of FAITHFULNESS. It truly fills me with your strength, hope, and courage that I need to face my day. I am so excited to see all that you have in store! My hands are raised in expectation. It is in your name we pray, amen.
CHOOSING PATIENCE
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. - Galatians 5:22-23a
Let’s read this verse a couple of times- James 1:4, “Let PATIENCE have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
Let’s also read the parable of the lost son in Luke15:11-32. This story is an incredible depiction of a father’s PATIENCE. He exemplifies grace and unconditional love for His children. All of these attributes are also given freely to us from our Heavenly Father. Like this father in the story, when we are patient, we will not lack anything!! We may even experience God’s character!! And we will learn the beauty of patience when He reveals Himself to us.
The Spirit produces the fruit of PATIENCE in us, and we can rest in the peace of this promise-Whoo-Hoo!
My challenge is for you to spend 20 to 30 minutes being still with God. (This could be walking, time on our front porch, cooking dinner etc.) I want you to make this a time of gratitude. Thank Him for His patience.
Let’s pray together.
Father, I NEED YOU! I want to experience Your PATIENCE this day. Please show me how. I am going through a lot, but I know that with Your helpwe can CONQUER IT together! Thank You that when I am patient it leaves room for You to work in my life. I want to experience that everyday! Thank you for coming to my rescue. Amen.
THE PEACE OF GOD
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, PEACE, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” - Galatians 5:22-23a
Friend, Just like Jesus and his disciples in the boat- What storm are you battling today? Where does your heart need PEACE? I just want you to know that GOD SEES YOU, and He wants to give you HIS PEACE that surpasses all of our understanding.
God knows the details of your pain, and He can calm your heart and mind just like he calmed the waters! His peace can be freely yours this day because it is a gift from God!! WOW!!
I want to challenge us to be still and KNOW that He is GOD. He will calm the waters in your life no matter how big the storm.
Let’s pray! Dear faithful Father, Wow! Thank you for your PERFECT PEACE! I want to pray that you would help us to experience it as we walk through our day. Thank you that you see us, and that we are not alone! You are our REFUGE! Amen.
“Can I Hear from God?”
People are always saying to me, “I wish I could hear from God.” You can!
Hope starts with a personal relationship with God. Just like me, you might be broken in some way. Maybe your finances are broken, your marriage or your emotions. Maybe you have been through something painful and your life will never be the same again. I want you to know that regardless of your circumstances, you can be healed in your soul with the peace of God. If you have a disability, I want you to know that God can still use you. He doesn’t look down on you. He looks on you MORE. The weakest people have done the most for God... because in our weakness, He is strong!
God wants you to see the potential of who you are going to be with His help.
Every morning when I roll out of bed, I land immediately on my knees and surrender my day to the Lord. I know I can’t take one step without God’s help. Because of my brain injury, I don’t know what day it is or what year it is. I am desperate for God and know I need Him just to get through the day. My prayer is simple and sounds something like this...
“Good Morning, Daddy!
I can’t wait to experience You today! I need You every hour. Please empty me of all my fears and fill me with Your strength. I choose to walk in the power of Your Holy Spirit. I don’t want to miss one plan You have for me today. I know You will equip me to do the things You want me to do. I love being on an adventure with You. You are so fun and exciting! Thank you for using me just as I am. Amen.”
Recently, a beautiful little girl came up on stage to talk to me. She clung tightly to my leg and looked up at me with tears in her big brown eyes and said, “I don’t have a daddy I can call.” I replied, “Oh sweet girl, you have a Heavenly Daddy. He loves you so much. You can talk to Him anytime, any place, and He will listen. He is holding your hand and He will never abandon you!”
Do you need peace, courage, or strength? Ask your Heavenly Father for what you need. His power is available to you, too. He longs to come to your rescue. I am praying that He will cradle you in His everlasting arms and whisper hope in your ear today!
Taken from Hope Out Loud Prayers- Get Yours Today: https://www.hopeoutloud.com/store/p/jens-prayer-book-bundle
Spanish Version: https://www.hopeoutloud.com/store/p/hope-out-loud-prayers-spanish-paperback
Russian EBook Version: https://www.hopeoutloud.com/store/p/russian-prayers-of-hope-ebook
The Lord Carries You
Lord Jesus, thank You that even when I feel alone, I can put my hope and trust in You. Lord, You are walking by my side and holding my hand. I’m so grateful for how You carry me on the hard days. I want to be so close to You that I feel Your heartbeat. Thank You for whispering to me... “I love you. I’ve chosen you. I’ve called you to this. Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am Your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. And I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.” Amen.
The best is yet to come!
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10
Stop Begging and Start Praising!
When Jen was emerging from a coma after her brain injury, the only time her voice sounded clear and uninjured was when she was praying. She would talk to God for hours but didn’t ask for one thing. All she did was PRAISE Him! She would say over and over, “Lord you are so good. You are so faithful. There aren’t words to describe You.” Jen would praise God for healing her and raising her up, even though she could not sit up or follow a verbal command. She was choosing to praise God in advance with childlike faith as if He had already answered. It was in those moments in the hospital that God was teaching me to stop begging and start praising. When we praise God, it puts our focus on who He is instead of our own circumstances.
One night when Jen was in extreme pain, our whole family was kneeling around her bed praying for God to heal her. Her dad was rubbing her feet for over an hour to calm her. Suddenly, Jen started praying out loud,“Lord, did I meet all Your expectations today? Did I fulfill everything You had for me to do today?” She was so broken and in so much pain, yet all she cared about was praising and serving God. My prayers were always, “Lord serve me. Help me.” I had never prayed a prayer like Jen’s before where I was asking God how I could serve Him.
It is such a privilege that we get to have direct communication with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. If you could see Jesus, what would you do? Would you kneel? Would you bow before Him? God is worthy of all our honor and glory and praise.
“When we praise God, we are putting our hope in Him. He is our EXPECTATION! When you put your hope in something, it is what you believe in. When we Praise God, it takes the weight off of our shoulders. It reminds us of WHO He is... the Great I AM! Praise shows a grateful heart. If we don’t praise Him even the rocks will cry out. We were made to praise Him. He deserves our praise. He conquered death for us. He gave us a second chance.”
Stop begging and start PRAISING! I challenge you to try it! You will be forever changed!
GOD’S JOY
Galatians 5:22-23a “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23a gentleness and self-control.”
As Christ followers, JOY is an unlimited gift from God! JOY is renewed day by day.
Friend, JOY is “TRUE” contentment based on our relationship with the Lord and our faith in Him (Let’s stay here for a moment and let that sink in)! By God’s grace, may you experience his JOY this day!
Dear friends, here is our challenge for today:
JOY ACRONYM:
J= Jesus
O= Others
Y= You
I encourage us to live our lives with this mindset!
Let’s pray together! Dear Heavenly Father, WOW!! I am so honored for your gift of JOY!! It means so much to me!! I want to be filled with your JOY this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
DOWNRIGHT DISAPPOINTING
Sometimes our circumstances feel permanent and downright disappointing. It’s easy to dwell on the way things used to be or how we wish they were. But God wants us to look beyond.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
That is our hope! Not what is right in front of us, not the painful realities or even the momentary joys of today, but the wonderful things God has in store for us in the future.
Where are you placing your hope right now?
“For we live by faith, not by sight.” - 2 Corinthians 5:7
Dear God, sometimes it feels like nothing will ever change. Give me faith to believe in the things we cannot see. Remind me, Lord, that the future with You is absolutely amazing.
Does My Pain Have A Purpose?
A few years after our accident, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. This was really tough news for my parents because they found out my cancer was the result of all of the x-rays and scans I had on my head after our car wreck. They felt like I was still suffering because of the sins of someone else. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you are still suffering because of the poor choices someone else made that hurt you.
I saw it differently. I had seen God use my brain injury, and I had no doubt that He could use my cancer too. In fact, I told my parents, “Not many people can relate to having a brain injury, but everyone can relate to cancer. Everyone knows someone who has cancer. God is expanding my ministry! I’m going to share Jesus with every person in the cancer center!” That is exactly what happened. When I went to the UVA cancer center for radiation treatment, I took copies of this prayer book you are reading right now and handed them out to every nurse, doctor and patient I met.
Two years later, I was speaking at a church with my parents, and a precious lady named Florence, wearing a navy blue baseball cap came up to me after the service. I could see that she had lost all of her hair. She hugged me and pulled a tattered and worn book out of her purse. It was my prayer book! Florence had been battling cancer for two years, and one of the nurses at the UVA cancer center had given her my book to give her hope. She said, “I hope it’s ok. I’ve been praying your prayers for two years. I even prayed the prayer in the back of the book to accept Jesus as my Savior!”
Six months later, Florence passed away. At first I was tempted to be disappointed with God, but then I realized that she was completely healed in Heaven, dancing on streets of gold. If I had never had cancer, Florence would not be with Jesus. WOW! That’s how God turns our pain into purpose. Your pain might save a life. God never wastes a tear or a trial. He wants to use your story to change someone else’s eternity. So, whenever bad things happen to you, know this: God is up to something big. He has a great purpose for your story. It may be tough for awhile, but it will all be worth it in the end.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
Taken from Hope Out Loud Prayers- Order Now: https://www.hopeoutloud.com/store/p/jens-prayer-book-bundle
Spanish Version: https://www.hopeoutloud.com/store/p/hope-out-loud-prayers-spanish-paperback
Russian EBook Version: https://www.hopeoutloud.com/store/p/russian-prayers-of-hope-ebook