Encouragement Archives - Page 2 of 30

December 20, 2017

A Prayer for the Hearts Who Ache this Christmas

Christmas brings great joy and incredible highs.

But, it can also bring deep sadness and heartbreaking lows … mostly because of relationships. Loved ones who’ve betrayed us. Hurt us. Abandoned us.

Satan uses these pain-filled places to steal our joy and draw us away from the very peace Jesus came to give.

So, how can we effectively navigate heartache and hurt during this season?

Prayer and Love … the love of Jesus.

His love in us enables us to overcome the grief, heartache and hurt. It’s our choice. We can choose to live steeped in anger and bitterness. Or we can choose to surrender our hurt to Jesus. The only One who can truly take it and transform us through it. It’s when we truly understand and live in the extravagant, lavish love of the Father that we can surrender the grief and forgive the hurt.

Below, please find a prayer taken from my new Bible study, “I Am Loved: Walking in the Fullness of God’s Love.” If your heart aches this Christmas, please pray this prayer. Personalize it. Make it your own.

Heavenly Father, I confess that my perception of love is so vastly different from Yours. Oftentimes I view people’s actions through the lens of my wounded soul. I sift people’s words through the hurt piled up in my heart. I know deep down inside that I don’t understand Your love. Help me surrender my inaccurate, preconceived notions of love. Open my heart to receive and embrace authentic love … Your love … the kind of love that laid down its life for me. Enable me to comprehend the vastness of this love. Soak it deep into the marrow of my bones so that it becomes one with my soul, and I truly live loved. And then transform my heart from the inside out with Your love so that I can be a glowing example of Your lovingkindness. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, enable me to walk in that love, in any situation, in any relationship, anytime, anywhere. Help me to believe the best and forgive the worst. May I reflect the fruit of Your love in all I say and do. I ask this in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

God’s Word says the prayers of His daughters are powerful and effective.

If you’re hurting and prayed this prayer, leave a short comment letting me know. No need to share details. I know these are hard things to share. Later this week, I’ll pray for you by name. And, if you have a few moments, pray for a few of the names in the comments, and I ask for your prayers as well.

I trust God will answer our prayers and do a mighty work in our midst. I believe that by the power of His Holy Spirt, WE WILL BE GLOWING EXAMPLES OF GOD’s LOVINGKINDNESS wherever Christmas finds us!!

Merry Christmas!

************************

If you’d like to watch my entire session 1 video of I Am Loved, FaithGateway is offering it for free here as their Bible Study of the Week.

Week 1 Video - I Am Loved by Wendy Blight.

Also, I hope you’ll join us for our Online Bible Study at Proverbs 31 Ministries. It kicks off January 22 and you can sign up here so you don’t miss a post.

I Am Loved by Wendy Blight - an online Bible study with Proverbs 31 Ministries.

See you in the New Year!

36 Comments Filed Under: Encouragement, I Am Loved, Prayer

November 22, 2017

“I Am Loved” Faith Proclamation for You

Happy Thanksgiving week!!

I always love this week because it’s often a slower-paced week, good for resting and relaxing. I pray you find some time to rest and spend time with friends and/or family.

Before I share my news, if you’re looking for the winner of Suzie’s giveaway from my last post, I announce the winner at the end of today’s post.

I have some fun news to share with ya’ll. I know you, like me, LOVE God’s Word and Bible study. In a few weeks, my next book releases. It’s a study of 1 John entitled I Am Loved: Living in the Fullness of God’s Love. You can read a sneak peek at Week 1’s study here.

Over the next weeks and months we’ll have some fun giveaways and surprises for you. So watch your inbox! If you’re not already a subscriber, join us here. I’d love to also have you join our launch team. Get more info here.

Today, I’m sharing a faith declaration I created for the study. I thought Thanksgiving would be a great time to be grateful for, and declare God’s promises over, our hearts.

In the near future, when time allows, I will make this declaration available in a printable. But, for today, I pray you’ll take a few minutes, sit quietly with the Lord and speak these precious promises over your heart. May confidence and strength rise up within you as you remind yourself of who and Whose you are.

“I Am Loved” Faith Declaration

Abba Father, I proclaim this day …

I am forgiven redeemed, cleansed, and sanctified by the blood of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:7; Ephesians 1:7)

My body is the temple of the God’s Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

I am an instrument of God’s righteousness, yielded to Him for His service and His glory. (Romans 6:13)

I am a vessel of His goodness, mercy, love, and grace. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)

The devil has no hold on me and no power over me. Fear cannot control me. Anxiety cannot overwhelm me. I am a blood-bought daughter of the One True God. (1 John 4:4, Revelation 12:11)

I will stand steadfast in the Commander of heaven’s armies. Every battle is His, and by His power, no weapon formed against me shall ever prosper. (Psalm 91:7-8)

I have overcome Satan, and I crucify my flesh, my pride, my ego, and desiring my own way to the glory of my Father in Heaven. (Romans 8:31-38)

I receive in all its fullness the mind of Christ, and I stand on and commit to walk in the truth that my heart, my mind, and my body belong to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:12-16)

I am a covenant child of God Most High. Bought with the blood of Jesus. I will contend for my faith. I not waver. I will be bold and brave, standing confidently in who and Whose I am. (1 John 3:8; Hebrews 2:14-15; Psalm 91:13)

I am a daughter of the Conquering King. Greater is He who lives in me than he who lives in the world. I know this. I believe this. I commit to live this. And because of this, I will live a life of victory that brings honor and glory and praise to my King. Amen.

I’d love to hear YOUR favorite promise from the Faith Declaration!! Please take a minute and leave it in the comments.

P.S. Churchsource has the best price today on I Am Loved and you can save an EXTRA 15% and get FREE shipping with Promo Code: HOLIDAY15.

***** Winner of Suzie’s giveaway is Valerie who posted on 11/7 at 12:00 pm. Valerie, please e-mail me with your full name and mailing address so Suzie can mail you her devotional. *****

Blessings,

SaveSave

47 Comments Filed Under: 1 John, Bible Study, Encouragement, Spiritual Growth

November 6, 2017

When You Are Tempted – Suzie Eller Message and Giveaway

Hey friends! Before I introduce you to my friend, Suzie Eller, I’m announcing the winner of “Living So That” from last week’s giveaway. Thank you for taking the time to share your favorite verses to pray, and how you pray them. I will be copying many into my journal … so many good ones.

WINNER of “Living So That” is Lisa S. who posted on 10/31 at 9:19 p.m. Lisa, please e-mail me at deuteronomysix@aol.com with your full name and mailing address.

Okay, now it’s time to meet my friend and fellow Proverbs 31 Ministries author, Suzie Eller. She’s written a beautiful new devotional, “Come With Me: A Yearlong Adventure in Walking with Jesus.” After you read her post, be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy. You can find more about her devotional book by clicking here.

Incredibly Loved and Made for More

“When you are tempted, remind the enemy — and yourself — that you are incredibly loved and made for more. ~ Jesus”

We tend to think of temptation as BIG.

When I think of temptation, I tend to think of BIG things. It’s cheating. It’s stealing something that’s not ours. It’s something news headline worthy, or at least fodder for local gossip.

Yet that’s not normally our greatest temptation. Instead, our greatest temptations come in ways that no one sees. We are tempted to discouragement. We are tempted to give up. We are tempted to look at ourselves and see a mess.

Those temptations may not be defined as BIG, but they pile up like mountains in our heart and thoughts. They get in the way of God’s best for us, and they trip us up.

Just this past week I was tempted.

No one saw it. If I wanted, I could push it down, down, down where I didn’t have to acknowledge it. Rather than be ashamed of temptation, the truth is we all struggle with it. If I pretend that I don’t, I’m lying to myself (and to you).

It started innocent enough. Richard and I were enjoying a rare night out together. He said something, and I disagreed. I pushed back, and so did he. Before we knew it, it sat between us like a boulder.

I was tempted to make him see it my way.

I was tempted to keep talking until he “got it.”

I was tempted to be angry when he didn’t.

I have to be honest. I was more than tempted. I caved in to all three of those things.

Don’t do it.

Oh, no. Not you! Not the Holy Spirit when I’m fully ready to cave in. After all, I’m right (even though he thinks he’s right).

So, I tried to compromise (because I was tempted, so more caving in).

Okay, I won’t say anything more.

I won’t try to make him see it my way. I’ll just be silent. Deafeningly silent. On the outside, we’ll look like the perfect couple enjoying a night out. Richard will reach for my hand, and I’ll hold it. I’ll nod and maybe say a word or two, but we’ll all be aware that I’m still angry. I’ll be so miserable that he’ll be miserable too.

Don’t do it.

There it was again. That invitation to take a different path. To resist temptation that seemed small, but Jesus knew had the power to create a divot in my heart (and relationship) if I chose.

Temptation isn’t reserved for a few. In Luke 4, the enemy tried to tempt Jesus. Some of the temptations were big, but others incredibly small. Jesus met each with the same response.

He faced the enemy head-on, declaring that His love for His Father was greater than a right-now temptation. He refused to be deceived by one who cared less about his Him, and more about the destruction of His soul.

Jesus understands how hard it is to be tempted. When we are tempted in any way, we are offered an invitation. We are invited to remind the enemy — and ourselves – that we are made for more.

That night I had a choice. First, to acknowledge that every temptation is BIG, when it filters into an enemy’s plan for my heart, or my marriage.

Second, to go the other direction of that temptation.

I reached for Richard’s hand, and said I was sorry.

I still felt I was “right,” but being right was less important than a right relationship with the guy I loved. He saw it one way. I saw it another. We are two different people, and that’s going to happen.

Sure, there are times we have to work through BIG conflict to find what is right for us as a family or in a relationship, but in this instance, it really was small. Even if I was right, it didn’t change anything.

However, realizing that I was made for more than a petty disagreement did change something – it changed me.

It wasn’t the first time I’ve been tempted. It won’t be the last. We all face temptation.

Whether it’s BIG or incredibly small (in the eyes of the world), we are not without help when temptation comes our way. And if we fail – because sometimes we all do – we won’t be tempted to give up or hide, because Jesus offers all of us forgiveness and a fresh start.

Are you tempted?

Look that temptation in the eye. Remind the author of it that you are incredibly loved, and made for more.

Suzie has a free gift for you:

“13 Prayers for Come With Me”, a free PDF to encourage you to accept the invitation to follow Jesus wherever He goes. Click here to subscribe and receive the PDF in your inbox.