“Then I prayed, then we prayed.” Have you ever had a time when you were passionate about what you were doing, and you felt like nothing could stop you? But somehow, the back door was left open for negative voices and negative words to infiltrate the momentum and stifle our enthusiasm. We paused our work…
“Nail It” With Nehemiah, Part 3/6
“The God of heaven is the one!” What do you do when the enemy’s voice is loud and relentless? The surprising answer for many to the above question is, “I don’t know, exactly.” How do we even know what the enemy’s voice sounds like? The enemy’s voice will sound like this: An accusing voice that…
“Nail It” With Nehemiah, Part 2/6
“End this disgrace!” What comes to your mind when you think of shame? Shame is a feeling of pain or humiliation brought on by people or situations that are beyond our control. Our foolish behavior can also bring on shame. When we do not address the shame we feel, our shame works against us, and…
“Nail It” With Nehemiah, Part 1/6
“Grant me success today.” Who doesn’t want success? Success at work and play. Success financially and relationally. Success with a presentation and while making a proposal. Success in the big and the small. Success in every facet of our lives. We want to “nail it,” whatever “it” is. When reflecting on our lives, we want…
To Sabbath or Not To Sabbath – LOVED IT Blog
What does Sabbath rest look like for us today? Enjoy this “Loved It” blog about having a rhythm of a day of rest, while I take a break and work on next week’s new series called Nailing It With Nehemiah: Practical Practices With Incredible Impact (beginning Monday, April 15). This “Loved It” blog is from…
Knowing Our Place: Praying Through It, Part 5/5
“Let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace.” What comes to your mind when someone tells you to “know your place?” We can try to put someone in their place with our words or actions, or we can be made to feel out of place by others’ words or actions. In trying to achieve…
Being Prepared: Praying Through It, Part 4/5
“Keep watch and pray.” How does prayer prepare us for what lies ahead? There are times when we know what is coming—the impending surgery, divorce, or move. But even in our knowing, there are hundreds of unknowns. Will the surgery be successful? What will my life look like after the divorce? Will we be able…
Profess the Truth: Praying Through It, Part 3/5
“You desire truth in my inmost being.” Are confessing and professing the same thing? We confess our sins. We profess our belief. We confess to others when we have wronged them. We profess to others how much we love them. When we confess, we also are professing. Professing and confessing are both declarations of truth….
Having Power: Praying Through It, Part 2/5
“Holy is your name.” Do you know the power you have? One of the wildest power trips I have ever experienced was driving a snowmobile. The speed control was literally at my fingertips, unlike the pedal of a car under your foot. With the wide open spaces of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, it was open…
Be Persistent: Praying Through It Series, Part 1/5
“Always pray and never give up.” How long are we to continue praying about a particular situation? We are an impatient society thanks to next-day delivery and immediate access at the touch of a finger. We no longer need to wait until next week for the cliffhanger to be resolved; we can binge-watch an entire…