Journaling is vital to our spiritual well-being. As technology replaces memory, any reflection initiated by God is rare. We tend to view journaling as triggering pain rather than avoiding it. Distractions, entertainment, and propaganda are more comfortable than being still and knowing God (Psalm 46:10). Is the fight to focus worth it? Deep within our souls, we know that encountering …
“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) This verse has to be one of the most discouraging in the Bible. I never have been or ever will be perfectly obedient. Fortunately, the Hebrews’ writer explains that rigorous obedience to rules never makes anyone perfect (Hebrews 10:1). So how am I perfect, even as my Father …
Like oil and water, fear and love don’t mix well. Where there is love, fear flees. Where there is fear, love waits. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). Our world has become a scary place: dread and foreboding fill our inbox and texts. We desire to “be anxious for nothing” and …
Sometimes the noisiest place I can be is in the silence of my own thoughts. With so much changing information around us, it is no wonder that it’s difficult to settle my mind. Prayer, a promised source of solace and relief, becomes especially scattered when I am distracted by so many conflicting opinions. I desperately need a reset button within …
Holy Father, The evil one seems to be coming out of the woodwork. All around me, I see his handiwork: rioting, theft, suicide, cancer, and failed marriages. All point to the work of the destroyer (John 10:10). We recognize his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11). Diverting my thoughts with videos and social media isn’t the battle plan for Your people. You …
By: Amanda Taylor Walker For the past six weeks, I have been in a cycle of fear, faith, rationale, and back to fear. For most of my life, fear has been a struggle for me. But I have not experienced this type of cycle before now. In my battle, it has been a fear versus faith cycle. However, in this world …
By: David Haladay – Trinity Christian School, Lubbock TX Watch what you listen to Mark 4:24 “Consider carefully what you hear.” News is a business that uses mind-influencing experts to get you to watch their broadcast. We can watch to gain information, or get “hooked” into the trap. These news items are designed to be negative. As you meditate on …
I recognized the spirit of fear from my experiences in Asia. Massive and arrogant, he boldly swaggered through my mind’s eye, even while our little group prayed fervently for our world. As I watched, he suddenly began to shrink, smaller and smaller until he became microscopic in size. Suddenly, a single, diseased cell appeared in the scene, and this spirit …
My mother was not a harsh woman. She was a quiet individual, only comfortable with lifetime friends. While others flew off the handle, Mother kept her peace. But when she wanted to make a point, my mother did so — in poignant one-on-one conversations. I experienced many of those conversations for she had a higher value on who I was …
“I struggle with depression.” “My thought loops with negative self-talk.” “I can’t seem to shake these feelings of inadequacy.” I hear comments like these all the time. Although our lives are among the most prosperous on the planet, our thoughts swirl with famine and dryness. Why is this? I believe the kingdom of fear is alive and well in our …
