Devotionals for the Heart: Be prepared to fight against our mortal enemy

Know Your Enemy: Be Prepared!
A devotional by Leslie Bake

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”—1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)

I walk my year and half-year-old Cocker Spaniel weekly on a lovely, wooded path near my neighborhood. It’s almost always busy with plenty of other dog walkers, stray cats, deer and occasionally a vulture or two.

With repeated exposure, I’m hoping my young dog will grow accustomed to the stimulation and simmer down. He is always on the leash and he’s still learning. There have been moments when we encounter a German Shepherd, and the owner and the calmer canine graciously step aside as I gather my fussy 30 pounder in my arms and continue on the path. I keep my dog close, reprimand him, and yank him into submission when we pass the equally terrified cats staring us down. I do my best to keep my dog safe and train him.

That’s a lot like what God’s Word (The Holy Bible) does for me when I am navigating a world of frightening rulers, the authorities, the powers of darkness in this world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. I’m still learning to stay focused on the Lord, and there are days when I’m still frightened. However, as long as I’m on my “leash”, I know God is leading and guiding me. Otherwise, I am all over the place, distracted, and fighting the wrong battles.

Yes, we are in a battle. Our enemy deceives, kills, lies, steals and destroys (John 10:10). He studies us to identify our weaknesses and prowls around like a roaring lion, patiently waiting for the perfect time to devour us. That’s not melodrama. That’s the Truth. See our anchor text above for proof. The entertainment industry is one of many ways in which Satan gains a foothold in our minds.

I remind you of this reality not to scare you, but to prepare you.

Satan (the devil, our enemy) works hard to keep families broken, marriages in ruin, all of us anxious and distracted from God. He wants us bickering, divided, and full of self-righteous pride. I recommend you read The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis and any book by Neil T. Anderson (especially The Bondage Breaker) if you remain skeptical about the reality of demons and how they work.

How do we overcome the enemy and his demons?

Jesus Christ did the first part with the crucifixion and resurrection (John 3:16-17), which crippled the fallen angel (Lucifer/Satan), but didn’t kill him. Why didn’t Jesus annihilate him? It was not the right time. We know this because in Luke 8:26-39, Jesus commanded a legion of demons out of a man, but the demons begged not be sent to the Abyss, which is referenced in Revelation. Jesus sends the demons into the pigs instead. The book of Revelation portrays the future victory Jesus has over Satan, his demons and all evil.

The good news is that Jesus has defeated Satan, so he remains under God’s authority with limited power. When Jesus returns, evil will be permanently annihilated. But until then, we believers are under God’s protection and must do our part. How can we do our part? Glad you asked! Read on…

We must saturate our minds with the truth of The Holy Bible, and at times, speak them out loud. I have found that speaking Scripture is helpful when I feel under attack from the enemy because I know the devil can’t read my mind but he can hear my spoken words. We must pray daily for protection. We must apply God’s Truth to our lives every day because the enemy watches us closely. The Bible says in James 4:7 (NIV), “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

The Bible also says in Ephesians 6:13 (NIV) that we are to “put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” When we continue reading this passage in the Bible found in Ephesians 6:14-18, we discover that we are called to, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Our offensive mode is knowing Scripture so well that we can fight the deceiver’s lies by proclaiming Truth. The sword of the spirit blocks those flaming arrows of accusations, lies and schemes. Our defensive mode is staying on our leash, close to Jesus and living righteously. These battle plan directions are clear, but not easy to follow. Righteous living is our best protection, but that’s hard work. Are you willing to live righteously? This means living obediently according to the teachings of God’s Word.

Satan is determined to destroy the church and the individuals within. One could argue that he already has. Wake up, Church! Spiritual warfare is mandatory as a collective body within the church and for individual believers in God. Our adversary aims his fiery arrows at those devoted to the Lord because they are sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with whomever and wherever they can.

This is not a game. There are no spectator seats. You must decide to either take up your cross and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24-26) or fall prey to Satan. Following Jesus is not a lukewarm decision. The choice is easy if you truly love the Lord and do the work of maintaining a relationship with Him.

Satan, the god of this world, delights in our complacency before the Lord, our half-hearted attempts at prayer and our refusal to repentant. Maybe you need to take the Bible seriously. Maybe you need to renew your commitment to the Lord. Maybe you need to confess sin. Remember: You cannot choose sin and then beg a Holy God for protection from the evil one. Only when we confess our sin, repent, experience forgiveness and submit to Him as our Lord and Savior are we covered.

Stay on the leash and close to God with righteous living. Stay near to the Good Shepherd (Jesus Christ, as stated in John 10:11-18) and keep your ears tuned for His voice. Don’t allow evil to frighten or distract you. Stay the course.

Let’s Pray:

Dear God,

We are so very grateful for your redemptive work at the cross and for your victory. Thank You for your loving protection under the shadow of your wings. Forgive us for not living righteously. Forgive our sins. Forgive us when we fail to remain alert to Satan’s cunning lies. You have given us all the tools we need for victory in this battle. Help us use them effectively.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

~*~
Song of Reflection #1: “Mercy Tree” by Lacey Sturm. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “God So Loved” by Jaci Velasquez. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #3: “Thank You Jesus for the Blood (Live)” by Charity Gayle. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #4: “I Will Wait for You” by Dr. Juanita Bynum. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Leslie Bake grew up Lutheran in Des Moines, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an undergraduate degree in English, and with a new understanding of what a relationship with the Lord could look like. 

She spent a few years reporting and editing in small town journalism and then began pursuing a master’s degree at Iowa State University in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Then she got married and later went through a divorce, which deepened her relationship with God and transformed her life.

Leslie taught English as a second language for three years at Kansas State University, then returned to writing and earned a master’s degree in creative non-fiction in Pittsburgh. Her memoir will eventually be published. It details the process of how the Lord created beauty from the ashes of divorce.

Pittsburgh is also where she met and married her second husband. They are now the parents of two wonderful children—one in fifth grade and one in first grade.

Leslie and her husband make their home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Leslie has been a stay-at-home mom for the past 11 years and actively growing her writing career alongside her two growing children.

She now maintains a monthly blog of her own and is working toward expanding her writing ministry on Substack. Her heart’s deepest desire is to help others connect with God through writing.

~*~
Connect with Leslie:
Substack: lesliebake.substack.com
E-mail address: Leslie.bake@yahoo.com

Devotionals for the Heart: We should remember the miracle of Christmas

The Miracle of Christmas
A devotional by Leslie Bake

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”—Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

When my mother was employed as a secretary in the chaplaincy department at the Iowa Methodist Medical Center, she told me that she made it a priority to visit the neonatal ward a few floors above her office during the Christmas season.

She said she needed to visit the newborns to remind herself of how Jesus Christ came into our world as an innocent newborn baby who was crying and helpless. Why is this baby Jesus so important at Christmas?

First, Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in a virgin named Mary. God was beginning a whole new work in His creation. The infinite, unlimited God took on the limitations of humanity so that He could live and die for the salvation of all who choose to believe in Him. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, had to be free from the sinful nature passed on to all human beings by Adam. Therefore, the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, not to violate her, but to gift her with pregnancy despite the fact that she had never been with a man. Secondly, because Jesus was born of a woman, he was a human being. He was both fully human and fully divine.

Of course it's not logical by our human reasoning. Nothing about the birth of Jesus makes sense. That’s why it’s a miracle. Neither Mary nor Joseph who was engaged to marry her, realized that God had chosen them to be a part in His sovereign plan. Mary had no idea that God picked her to be an unwed mother. Joseph had no idea that he had been tagged as Jesus’s earthly father and that he was to move forward with his plans to marry his beloved when she was pregnant with a child who was obviously not his. That’s why angels visited them to explain those baffling events.

But what they did know and were sure of before they came together in marriage, was the history of God’s faithfulness. Their parents taught them this truth. Joseph and Mary were Jews and among God’s chosen people. They grew up listening to their religious leaders reading the prophesies from Isaiah 9:6 in the Old Testament and several others stating that God would send a Messiah through the lineage of David. This was why Mary and Joseph chose their faith in God over their feelings that could convince them otherwise. They decided to obey Him and trust God’s special plan.

God knew we needed a Savior to save us from our sin. True to His humble character, God sent His Son, Jesus, as baby born not to a wealthy and powerful king and queen in a beautiful palace with servants to wait on him, but to peasants in a village in the middle of nowhere called Bethlehem in a shelter that housed animals. Jesus came with no fanfare or celebration, but quietly one Holy night.

God sent Jesus to make our Christmas season joyful! Jesus came to Earth to save us because we can’t save ourselves from sin and its consequences. No matter how good we are, we can’t eliminate the sinful nature present in us. Only Jesus can do that. Jesus came to deliver people not only from their oppression but also from themselves. Jesus was God in the flesh, so that’s how God was (and still is) among us. When we can fully grasp the gravity of our entitlement, our rage, our selfishness, pride, and indifference, we are able to more deeply appreciate the gift of Jesus. Let us remember that He came to give us peace, joy and love.

Call to Action:

When the Amazon delivery of your Christmas order is late, when the malls are teaming with holiday shoppers, when the check-out lines are endless, remember how deeply entrenched our culture is in materialism, and why we need Jesus.

When the Starbucks drive-through line is 20 cars deep and you are running low on caffeine and patience, close your eyes, breathe deeply and remember that instead of feeding your addictions, you can turn to Jesus for rest and peace.

When you are struggling to find that expensive gift to impress the relative who already has everything, instead of falling in the trap of competition and comparison, remember that Jesus has already given you and them everything needed to worship and adore Him.

When families and loved ones gather to rip open your beautifully wrapped gifts that makes a mess in your lovely home, remember how messy your sin is and the forgiveness that Jesus offers you.

Even as adults, we remain messy and stinky in our sin. Our crying has not ceased, either out of grief for a broken world or from selfishness when we don’t get our way. Most importantly, we are still helpless and need a Savior to take our sins upon himself. This is why we have Jesus Christ.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You and praise You for sending your only son, Jesus, to us when we were in a mess of sin and didn’t realize it. We didn’t know we were miserable until the healing hand of Jesus was on us, forgiving us and setting us free from sin’s bondage. Help us to remember what this Christmas season is about and not allow materialism and consumerism to distract us from the real gift of your presence among us now and forever. In Jesus’s Name we pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “The Heart of Christmas” by Matthew West. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “For Unto Us” by Point of Grace. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #3: “His Plan” by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Leslie Bake grew up Lutheran in Des Moines, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an undergraduate degree in English, and with a new understanding of what a relationship with the Lord could look like. 

She spent a few years reporting and editing in small town journalism and then began pursuing a master’s degree at Iowa State University in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Then she got married and later went through a divorce, which deepened her relationship with God and transformed her life.

Leslie taught English as a second language for three years at Kansas State University, then returned to writing and earned a master’s degree in creative non-fiction in Pittsburgh. Her memoir will eventually be published. It details the process of how the Lord created beauty from the ashes of divorce.

Pittsburgh is also where she met and married her second husband. They are now the parents of two wonderful children—one in fifth grade and one in first grade.

Leslie and her husband make their home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Leslie has been a stay-at-home mom for the past 11 years and actively growing her writing career alongside her two growing children.

She now maintains a monthly blog of her own and is working toward expanding her writing ministry on Substack. Her heart’s deepest desire is to help others connect with God through writing.

~*~
Connect with Leslie:
Website: lesliejoybake.com
Substack: lesliebake.substack.com
E-mail address: Leslie.bake@yahoo.com

Devotionals for the Heart: How to serve God and spend time with Him

How to balance serving God and spending time with Him
A devotional by Leslie Bake

“As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”—Luke 10:38-42 (NLT)

Which is more important? Scripture memorization or observing the Sabbath? Fasting or prayer? Service or worship?

Trick questions! These are equally important disciplines. The better question becomes how one finds proper balance.

A study of Mary and Martha, found in the Gospel of Luke 10:38-42, may shed some light on this issue. In this Bible story, Jesus Christ and His disciples were passing through a village called Bethany where Martha and Mary lived. They were close friends of His who were preparing a fine dinner for Him. They loved Jesus and were eager to serve Him, but in different ways.

Hospitality was a social requirement in first century Jewish culture. It was shameful to turn anyone away from your door. Perhaps Martha’s family went above and beyond this requirement. Martha wanted to please and do the right thing. We can applaud her for that. She was detail-oriented, organized and efficient. Martha was a whirlwind. I can only imagine the sparkling silverware, glittering plates and glasses were set on a fine white linen tablecloth, expensive wine was chilling, and the appetizers were about to come out of the oven. But the vegetables weren’t going to chop themselves and the meat needed to be tenderized and marinated. Mary appeared to be doing nothing as she sat at Christ’s feet, listening to Him speak. To Martha, this seemed wrong because they were the hostesses and there was work to be done before they could get comfortable with their guest.

Did the preparations consume Martha? Did she lose sight of why she was doing them? Did she want Mary to be exactly like her? I wonder how Mary felt about Martha’s demand. Let’s read about it in Luke 10:40-42 (NLT): But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

How do you think Martha felt after Jesus gave her a diagnosis, rather than giving her what she wanted (maybe praise for working so diligently)? Do you think Jesus was criticizing Martha for her hard work? No. He wasn’t putting the sisters in opposition to each other. He was helping Martha adjust her priorities.

Jesus was also affirming Mary’s choice to sit at His feet and learn. He welcomed and encouraged everyone to listen and learn from his teachings, which included how to deal with worry and anxiety. Maybe He wanted Martha to sit down long enough to ponder Matthew 6:25-30 where we learn not to worry about what we will eat or drink but instead trust that God will always take care of our needs.

Contemplating and studying God’s Word (The Holy Bible) is never wrong. Showing hospitality is never wrong. There is a time and place for both. What’s wrong is judging someone for not responding exactly how you would. In a works-based, result-oriented modern day culture, shame is thrust upon those of us who dare to sit at the feet of Jesus, but when we do, we are rewarded with peace and joy. I do it in solitude to avoid distractions, and remember the words of my precious mother, who used to say, “I get my marching orders when I take the time to pray and ask God for direction.” Whether it’s five minutes or two hours, the discipline of sitting at Jesus’s feet in stillness is always beneficial.

Both personality types of Mary and Martha are needed for God’s kingdom work. The action-oriented people need appreciation for accomplishing practical work. The contemplative, worship-oriented people need appreciation for their wisdom acquired during hours of study and prayer.

Attention to detail is necessary, but it’s also easy to allow it to turn into worry. The next time you feel overwhelmed like Martha, take a five-minute pause. Remember that Jesus told us to not worry about anything. Sitting at His feet indicates humility and submission in faith to His loving authority.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

You are faithful and merciful. Forgive us when we lose sight of what’s important. Forgive us when we allow the distractions to consume us. Help us shift our focus to you. Give us a hunger to sit at your feet and learn. We thank You for patience and your unconditional love when we fail. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “First Things First” by Consumed by Fire. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “The More I Seek You” by Kari Jobe. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Leslie Bake grew up Lutheran in Des Moines, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an undergraduate degree in English, and with a new understanding of what a relationship with the Lord could look like. 

She spent a few years reporting and editing in small town journalism and then began pursuing a master’s degree at Iowa State University in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Then she got married and later went through a divorce, which deepened her relationship with God and transformed her life.

Leslie taught English as a second language for three years at Kansas State University, then returned to writing and earned a master’s degree in creative non-fiction in Pittsburgh. Her memoir will eventually be published. It details the process of how the Lord created beauty from the ashes of divorce.

Pittsburgh is also where she met and married her second husband. They are now the parents of two wonderful children—one in fifth grade and one in first grade.

Leslie and her husband make their home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Leslie has been a stay-at-home mom for the past 11 years and actively growing her writing career alongside her two growing children.

She now maintains a monthly blog of her own and is working toward expanding her writing ministry on Substack. Her heart’s deepest desire is to help others connect with God through writing.

~*~
Connect with Leslie:
Website: lesliejoybake.com
Substack: lesliebake.substack.com
E-mail address: Leslie.bake@yahoo.com

Devotionals for the Heart: We should not become weary in doing good

When Loving Others and Doing Good is Difficult
A devotional by Leslie Bake

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

—Galatians 6:7-9 (NIV)

I’m a natural encourager because I thrive on encouragement from others.

Encouragement and affirmation are like oxygen to my soul. When someone notices how much time and effort I put into a project and compliments me, it’s a blessing and I’m grateful. But what happens when my encouragement and affirmation of others are met with silence? What if I am doing my best in a difficult situation only to feel insulted or criticized?

If I’m honest, not all my motives are pure. Sometimes I encourage others because I want to earn favor with them. But when those whom I have tried to love, encourage and affirm do not receive it well or do not reciprocate, I feel empty and offended. Lately, I’ve asked myself, “Am I searching for validation, affirmation and love through others instead the Lord? Am I expecting others to do what only the Lord can do? Am I offended that I’m not receiving the same encouragement I think I am so generously giving?” The answer to all the above is, “Yes.”

It is easy to become offended. It’s easy to allow hurt and bitterness to take over our hearts when we do good things but see no tangible results. We must pause and ask ourselves why we are offended. How do we deal with this in a way that honors God?

The Lord revealed to me that I was walking in selfish, conditional love that is easily disappointed when my expectations are not met. John Bevere, founder of Messenger International, is also an author. He explains this in his book, The Bait of Satan: Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense. Bevere said, “Without God we can only love with a selfish love—one that cannot be given if it is not received and returned. However, agape loves regardless of the response. This agape is the love Jesus shed when He forgave from the cross.”

In Galatians 6:9-10 (NIV), The Apostle Paul writes, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Bevere explains this Biblical truth further when he says, “You need to realize that when you sow the love of God (agape) you will reap the love of God. You need to develop faith in this spiritual law—even though you may not harvest it from the field in which you sowed, or as quickly as you would like.”

The love that caused Jesus Christ to die for us is the same love that has sent the Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us every day. The power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that saved you and can be yours every day. Having begun a life with Christ, you have a reservoir of power and love to call upon each day for help to meet every challenge or trial. You can pray for God’s power and loving help as you need it.

God sees every good deed we do and knows our motivations better than we do. We need to go to Him in prayer to check in with ourselves. Are we giving encouragement to others, affirming and loving others from an outpouring of love for our God, or to gain favor?

I realized that I needed to let go of the bitterness festering in my heart simply because some people did not reciprocate my “generous encouragement” the way I hoped they would. My tendency is to expect others to do what only He can do, and sometimes others are so consumed by their own challenges unknown to me that they have nothing to give. When I feel empty and hopeless, I am learning to shift from those feelings to God’s promise in Isaiah 40:31 (NIV): “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Here's what I’ve learned: When we are mired in bitterness, our guard goes up like the walls that surrounded ancient cities. Our energy is consumed by making sure no further offenses occur. Yet, if we refuse to risk feeling offended again, we are not capable of giving unconditional love. The paradox is that loving unconditionally gives others the right to offend us. How do we find the strength to love unconditionally?

You focus on the truth in Galatians 6:7-9 and also Romans 5:8 that states that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Christ didn’t wait for us to reciprocate His love because He knew we weren’t able to do this without Him.

Is there someone who has offended you, whether they realize it or not? Is there a friend or family member whom you have tried to love, yet he or she consistently rejects you? Ask God to pour agape love into your heart. He is the source. You can’t love people unconditionally without His help. Focus on who God’s character and His Sovereignty. Ask God to remove the pain and bitterness from your heart so that you can love with a pure heart. This may take some time and healing, but the freedom you will experience is worth it.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Forgive us for harboring bitterness in our efforts to love others who can’t or won’t reciprocate. We need You, Jesus. We ask that You replace our expectations of others with unconditional, agape love for them. We ask for an outpouring of Holy Spirit power to do this. Help us come to the place where we trust You, not our flesh, to protect us from offense. 

In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “Forgiveness” by Matthew West. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “The Jesus Way” by Phil Wickham. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #3: “How Beautiful” by Twila Paris. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Leslie Bake grew up Lutheran in Des Moines, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an undergraduate degree in English, and with a new understanding of what a relationship with the Lord could look like. 

She spent a few years reporting and editing in small town journalism and then began pursuing a master’s degree at Iowa State University in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Then she got married and later went through a divorce, which deepened her relationship with God and transformed her life.

Leslie taught English as a second language for three years at Kansas State University, then returned to writing and earned a master’s degree in creative non-fiction in Pittsburgh. Her memoir will eventually be published. It details the process of how the Lord created beauty from the ashes of divorce.

Pittsburgh is also where she met and married her second husband. They are now the parents of two wonderful children—one in fifth grade and one in first grade.

Leslie and her husband make their home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Leslie has been a stay-at-home mom for the past 11 years and actively growing her writing career alongside her two growing children.

She now maintains a monthly blog of her own and is working toward expanding her writing ministry on Substack. Her heart’s deepest desire is to help others connect with God through writing.

~*~
Connect with Leslie:
Website: lesliejoybake.com
Substack: lesliebake.substack.com
E-mail address: Leslie.bake@yahoo.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Why we should pray to God instead of worrying

God Answered My Prayer . . . Now what?
A devotional by Leslie Bake

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

—Philippians 4:4-7 (NLT)

Less than a year into living in our home, which is perched halfway up a mountain and battered by 45 mph winds during storms, we need to replace shingles on our roof. Our homeowners’ insurance covers only three-fourths of the cost, and the remaining balance—several thousand dollars—has caused us significant anxiety.

Yet I forgot to pray. Worry consumed me.

We shared this concern with my dad and his family. While I failed to pray about it and only worried, my husband mentioned the issue to them. They offered to help cover what insurance wouldn’t. At first, he was hesitant. Was the offer conditional? My husband had several questions he didn’t get the chance to ask.

Nevertheless, a check arrived. While I know my husband appreciated the gift, he also admitted he struggled with receiving it. He’s not alone. Many of us hesitate to accept monetary or tangible gifts. We think we should handle difficulties quietly. We don’t want to burden others. Accepting help feels like revealing incompetence or weakness. We worry that we owe the giver something to make things even.

I knew the proper response was gratitude. I promptly wrote a “thank you” note to my family and thanked my Heavenly Father (God) too. Due to this experience, I couldn’t help wondering—was there another lesson God was teaching us?

Much has been written about how to respond when our prayers seem unanswered and God appears slow to respond or even denies our requests. In those moments, we’re encouraged to move forward with thankfulness and praise, trusting God’s perfect timing. But how should we respond when our prayers are answered right away? Do we simply thank Him and move on to the next request? Yes, but I believe more is required of us.

When my mother-in-law visited earlier this year, I gave her Robert J. Morgan’s book Worry Less, Live More: God’s Prescription for a Better Life. It is a biblical guide to overcoming anxiety. Soon after that, my Bible Study Fellowship group ended for the summer. I didn’t want to go two months without accountability—that’s never ended well. So, I looked for other church-based studies, but none fit into my schedule. One of them focused on the Bible book of Philippians, which I sensed I needed. I prayed that another opportunity would come up.

Then my husband returned from visiting his mom. Sitting on our kitchen table was the book I had given her. “She wanted me to return it to you,” he said. There it was again—Philippians. The Holy Spirit was clearly drilling something into me, especially Philippians 4:6–7 (NIV) that says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

As we wrap up my message today, I’d like to share a quote by Morgan from his book Worry Less, Live More: God’s Prescription for a Better Life. He said, “When worry barges into our brains, it brings along a gang of accomplices—discouragement, fear, exhaustion, despair, anguish, hopelessness, pain, obsession, distraction, foreboding, irritation, impatience—none of which are friends of the Holy Spirit. We have to throw the bums out of our hearts and minds. Prayer is how we open the door, shove them out, and let the peace of God rush in to secure our thoughts and feelings.”

A few days later, after I decided to not attend another church’s summertime Bible study, another neighbor—a homeschooling mom active in a local church—offered to lead a Bible study for me and a few other neighborhood moms. Our boys often play together. And the study she suggested? Philippians. I immediately sent her a “thank you” text. But then I wondered—what’s the next step? What is required of me now? God revealed the answer to me in one word: obedience.

How do we treat God less like a cosmic vending machine and more like the Creator we depend on and trust? With every answered prayer, we should be developing a deeper level of trust, trust that emboldens us to pray bigger and bolder prayers. I recommend keeping a prayer journal to write your prayers to God, make your requests to Him then record the dates of how and when God answers. During dry seasons, when you feel unheard, return to these pages to remember God’s faithfulness.

We also need to thank God for revealing His character—His faithfulness and provision—especially when we struggle with doubt. We need to fight back against the enemy’s lies with truth and renewed confidence that God is who He says He is.

We should also look for ways to bless others and listen for The Holy Spirit’s leading then we should obey God and follow His lead. I send encouraging prayers—usually starting with my husband and kids. I’ve written more “thank you” notes. I even volunteered to lead our Sunday School class. Finally, we need to ask ourselves: What is God teaching us about worry through answered prayer?

He knows our needs, but He waits for us to seek Him humbly. Pastor Timothy Keller said, “Worry is when we don’t trust God to get it right. We have not surrendered our own agenda and we want God to get on board and make it all happen according to our plan. It’s a form of pride.”

How have you responded to God when He answers your prayers? Do you pause to rejoice and thank Him? What is He teaching you through them?

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

You are our faithful provider in all things. You know our needs before we ask. Thank You. Help us release our pride and forgive us for trying to hold on to our agendas. You are sovereign. Your ways are always better than our ways. Keep our hearts and minds open to what you are teaching us through answered prayer. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Somebody Prayed” by Crowder. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Leslie Bake grew up Lutheran in Des Moines, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an undergraduate degree in English, and with a new understanding of what a relationship with the Lord could look like. 

She spent a few years reporting and editing in small town journalism and then began pursuing a master’s degree at Iowa State University in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Then she got married and later went through a divorce, which deepened her relationship with God and transformed her life.

Leslie taught English as a second language for three years at Kansas State University, then returned to writing and earned a master’s degree in creative non-fiction in Pittsburgh. Her memoir will eventually be published. It details the process of how the Lord created beauty from the ashes of divorce.

Pittsburgh is also where she met and married her second husband. They are now the parents of two wonderful children—one in fifth grade and one in first grade.

Leslie and her husband make their home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Leslie has been a stay-at-home mom for the past 11 years and actively growing her writing career alongside her two growing children.

She now maintains a monthly blog of her own and is working toward expanding her writing ministry on Substack. Her heart’s deepest desire is to help others connect with God through writing.

~*~
Connect with Leslie:
Website: lesliejoybake.com
Substack: lesliebake.substack.com
E-mail address: Leslie.bake@yahoo.com

Devotionals for the Heart: What I've learned about pain and faith in God

Why does a good God allow so much pain?
A devotional by Leslie Bake

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”— John 16:33 NIV

Have you ever noticed how quickly we try to eliminate physical pain and suffering, especially in the western world?

Those of us who are mothers are quick to dose our kids with Tylenol, Ibuprofen or Dimetapp to bring down a fever, quiet a cough or Pepto Bismol for the tummy ache? We take medication to ease our pain. In this culture, we will do whatever it takes to avoid suffering. The devil has sold us the lie that whatever is comfortable and easy is what we should desire and seek after.

On my prayer wall is a poster from Voice of the Martyrs magazine displaying three people walking a small footpath to a village, each carrying a bundle of Bibles in baskets attached to their backs. It’s a remote location in Africa where Bibles are illegal, and yet Christians in Muslim-dominated areas are willing to sacrifice their lives to smuggle copies of this life-changing book into these places.

Isn’t it fascinating how radically different suffering is viewed from one side of the globe to another? When self-pity and frustration over “not having enough time” to read and study my Bible overwhelm me, one glance at that poster reminds me to snap out of it and surrender to the challenges God puts in my path and view them as growth opportunities.

I tread very carefully when sharing my suffering, because I don’t want to come across as seeking pity, but I have suffered loss. I lost a grandmother to breast cancer who, from my youthful perspective, consistently showed me the love of Jesus Christ. I was at the cusp of understanding basic theology from confirmation classes while watching her suffer from chemotherapy treatments, praying God would heal her. God said no. Her death shattered my faith for several years. Infidelity and other problems plagued my first marriage as I asked God to heal my husband’s addictions. God said no, and it changed the trajectory of my life. In my second marriage, I lost a pregnancy after many prayers that it would continue. God said no. I watched my precious mother suffer from ovarian cancer for five years, and despite all my prayers for healing, God said no.

What about you, friend? What are you enduring right now? What’s keeping you awake at night? Has your suffering felt like God’s punishment? Sometimes suffering is directly related to our sinful choices. But nevertheless, our pain always has a purpose. God taught me so much by not answering my prayers the way I wanted, and He gave me so many more answers of “yes” than the dreaded “no”.

Multiple blessings abound on the other side of our sufferings. Trials teach us patient endurance and obedience. Difficulties enable us to comfort others. Suffering connects us to others in a way nothing else can. It is the means to a unique sharing with Jesus. God lovingly weaves enough struggles into our lives to keep us dependent on Him. The Bible says in James 1:2-4 (NIV), “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

We can’t know the strength of our character until we see how we react under pressure. I admit that I don’t always respond “gently” or “sweetly” when I’m under pressure. Just ask my husband. He will tell you that I’m still working on that. It’s easy to show kindness and gentleness when everything is going well, but are we still willing to make the effort to be kind when others treat us unfairly? That’s a tough one. It’s easy to give up, lose heart and quit when you’re overwhelmed.

For me, my daily challenge is writing time. It’s easy for me to blame my family for lack of writing time when it feels like their needs and maintaining a house are consuming my time and energy. But God always melts away my resentment and helps me view mothering from a more grateful perspective. As I pray to Him, I become more aware of small pockets of opportunity when writing is possible rather than scrolling on social media.

The Bible describes the many challenges, hardships and sufferings of the Apostle Paul whose God-inspired writings give us insight on the why and how of suffering. Let’s read Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV). He said, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 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.”

We are to fix our hope not on this life, but on the life to come. Our temporary sufferings shall pass. Don’t forsake your eternal reward because of the intensity of today’s pain. Your temporary weakness allows the resurrection power of Jesus Christ to strengthen you moment by moment.

Friend, what is your “hard” right now? What’s your “something” that God has allowed in your life to keep you seeking Him? Do you have a special needs child? Are you struggling with caring for aging parents? Are you dealing with chronic illness? Are you taking a difficult but required class? Hardships are part of the human condition. We cannot avoid them in this sinful world. We need to meet each other’s struggles in kindness and compassion and prayer.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father,

I sense in my spirit a heaviness in believers who are crying out to You in their suffering. Please hear our prayers and comfort us in our sorrow, in our frustration and in our overwhelm. You promised us that in this life, there will be trouble, so we ask, Lord for Your comfort and peace that You also left with us. Help us sense Your presence and develop that patient endurance.

In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Ooh Child” by Donnie McClurkin feat. Kirk Franklin. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Leslie Bake grew up Lutheran in Des Moines, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an undergraduate degree in English, and with a new understanding of what a relationship with the Lord could look like. 

She spent a few years reporting and editing in small town journalism and then began pursuing a master’s degree at Iowa State University in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Then she got married and later went through a divorce, which deepened her relationship with God and transformed her life.

Leslie taught English as a second language for three years at Kansas State University, then returned to writing and earned a master’s degree in creative non-fiction in Pittsburgh. Her memoir will eventually be published. It details the process of how the Lord created beauty from the ashes of divorce.

Pittsburgh is also where she met and married her second husband. They are now the parents of two wonderful children—one in fifth grade and one in first grade.

Leslie and her husband make their home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Leslie has been a stay-at-home mom for the past 11 years and actively growing her writing career alongside her two growing children.

She now maintains a monthly blog of her own and is working toward expanding her writing ministry on Substack. Her heart’s deepest desire is to help others connect with God through writing.

~*~
Connect with Leslie:
Website: lesliejoybake.com
Substack: lesliebake.substack.com
E-mail address: Leslie.bake@yahoo.com

Devotionals for the Heart: How to wait on God's answers to your prayers

What Are You Waiting For?
A devotional by Leslie Bake

“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”—Psalm 5:3 (NIV)

What breakthrough are you hoping for? What is your next season of life for which your prayers have so far gone unanswered?

We are instructed to lay our requests before God. Psalm 5:3 says, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”

As followers of Jesus Christ, we can expect to go through seasons of waiting, which is one of the hardest disciplines to learn. Culture teaches us instant gratification and self-reliance, so when our hopes and plans don’t happen on our timetable, how do we respond?

How do we wait expectantly and patiently as Psalm 5:3 instructs? By developing a daily habit of prayer and Scripture reading. By thanking God daily for the many blessings and gifts He has already given us. By praising and worshiping God daily for who He is and what He is going to do. Blending all these practices together is the key to keeping our focus on Him and not our perceived lack.

God uses challenging circumstances of waiting to draw us closer to himself. He may allow us to go without our need or desire to help us grow more dependent on Him. He may want us to learn that we need Him more than having our immediate desires met.

At the time I’m writing this devotional, my husband and I are praying daily for an offer on our house. The weeks are dragging by, and we are on a timetable, so our discouragement is weighing on us. My brilliant nephew who just graduated cum laude from college is searching daily for his “real job.” Another friend of mine is struggling in a difficult marriage. How long, oh Lord, how long? Four times the phrase “How long” is repeated in Psalm 13. I really appreciate this description of despair because it shows me God’s understanding.

Frustration and despair will consume us if we don’t turn to prayer and read God’s word—daily, or even hourly, if necessary. In fact, if God has given us the wonderful gift of time in the waiting, we need to take advantage of it and dig into His word for peace, clarity, guidance, and direction.

Prayer and scripture reading also keep us focused on the bigger picture of who God is. That means asking the right questions. Rather than demanding answers from God about what we should do, we need to shift our focus to who God is. The world wants us to focus on ourselves and what we think we ought to have accomplished or are entitled to. What God is teaching us in this season of waiting is equally important as our prayers and that includes complete dependency on Him and not on our own efforts.

God can’t prepare us for the blessings He has planned in His perfect timing if we refuse to slow down and listen to his guidance and direction through prayer. Stripping us of distractions and unhealthy relationships or control is sometimes His way of slowing us down.

Why does God seem slow to act on His promises? The burden of waiting can feel like a thousand pounds weighing on our shoulders. But often, we are the stubborn and impatient one. Sometimes God is waiting on us to cooperate with Him while He is behind the scenes, actively preparing answers to our prayers.

David, a man after God’s own heart, accused God of being slow. However, the Lord in His loving graciousness, did not take those accusations personally. The Lord told Samuel to anoint David for the throne of Israel at age 16. However, his start date wasn’t until age 30. During that time, David went through the entire range of ugly emotions of anger and fear to despair, depression, and doubt while on the run from an insanely jealous King Saul. David poured all those emotions out in a significant portion of the Psalms. If God hadn’t allowed 14 years of chaos in David’s early life, we would not have the comfort today that those Psalms provide as we endure our 21st century challenging situations and intense emotions.

God knows our need. God has known of our need while he was knitting us together in the womb. Our prayers do not remind Him to “get it together.” We need to pray our prayers to remind ourselves of who God is. The same God who spoke the Earth into existence and scattered the stars has our backs.

When that breakthrough finally comes, it may not be what we hoped for or expected, but we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that only God could have done it, and we give Him all the glory and honor.

Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father, forgive our impatient demands. You are God and we are not. Give us a sense of peace and comfort while we wait. You will give us your best at the proper time. Thank You for using the challenges of our lives to draw us closer to You. Thank You for all the blessings you have already given us that we have been overlooking. In Jesus's Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “While I Wait” by Lincoln Brewster. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Leslie Bake grew up Lutheran in Des Moines, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an undergraduate degree in English, and with a new understanding of what a relationship with the Lord could look like. 

She spent a few years reporting and editing in small town journalism and then began a master’s degree at Iowa State University in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Then marriage. Then a divorce, which deepened her relationship with God and transformed her life.

She taught ELL for three years at Kansas State University, then returned to writing and earned a master’s degree in creative non-fiction in Pittsburgh. Her memoir will eventually be published, and it details the process of how the Lord created beauty from the ashes of divorce.

Pittsburgh is also where she met and married her second husband. They are now the parents of two wonderful children, one in fourth grade and one in kindergarten, and they make their home in West Des Moines.

She now maintains a monthly blog and is working toward expanding her writing ministry. Her heart’s deepest desire is to help others connect with God through writing.

~*~
Connect with Leslie:
Website: https://lesliejoybake.com/
Substack: lesliebake.substack.com
Email: Leslie.bake@ yahoo.com

Devotionals for the Heart: When God interrupts your life as you know it

When God Interrupts Our Plans
A devotional by Leslie Bake

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

—Acts 8:30-31 (NIV)

How many of us appreciate interruptions?

It depends on the day, our patience level, what we’re trying to get done or put off. Some of us create a structured schedule with every hour planned while others don’t mind more flexibility and spontaneity. If you’re like me, you prefer a balance of structure and freedom.

Sometimes the interruptions take the form of detours and delays, like road closures, and it’s difficult to stay calm while our GPS re-routes to what feels like the “long way” to arrive at our destination.

God wants us to be ready and available for His “interruptions” from what we might consider our productive and important work. We need to obey as the Holy Spirit redirects our plans. It’s part of the surrendering process. The key is in recognizing the interruptions and responding not in frustration, but in humble submission. But anger or fear can get the best of us if we are consumed with our own agendas. Don’t mistake an interruption from a distraction. Distractions are not from the Lord and tempt us away from where we know our focus needs to be.

Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is interrupted from her simple peasant life when the angel of the Lord appeared to announce her forthcoming pregnancy (Luke 1:26-56). Interruptions can be upsetting and bewildering when we think we are already doing what we believe the Lord has called us to do. We’re on schedule. Everything is going as planned until the Lord interrupts us and changes our whole life like He did for Saul on his way to Damascus. Read about it in Acts 9.

Let’s delve a little deeper into Scripture, focusing on Acts 8:26-40. During the first century A.D., persecution against followers of Jesus Christ scattered the apostles and other believers away from Jerusalem. This interruption of their every day life was the beginning of the Christ-followers beginning to witness to people about Jesus “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In one case, Philip developed a successful preaching ministry to great crowds in Samaria, but the Holy Spirit interrupted this gig and told him to go to Ethiopia. It’s not exactly a hop skip and a jump away. Ethiopia is located several miles south of Samaria and probably the last place Philip expected to go, but he obeyed God and traveled to this destination on what may have been a hot, uncomfortable desert road.

During his journey to Ethiopia, Philip encountered an Ethiopian eunuch in a chariot. The Holy Spirit prompted Philip to approach the eunuch, who was reading the Bible book of Isaiah. The eunuch was frustrated because he didn’t understand what he was reading. Let’s read what happens next in Acts 8:30-31…

“Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

It was the perfect setup for Philip to share the gospel. When we share the gospel, we should start where the other person’s concerns are focused. Then we can show how God’s Word applies to those concerns. What lesson can we learn from all of this? Follow God’s lead, even if seems inconvenient and feels like a delay or a demotion. At first we may not understand why, and maybe we never will, but we must trust that God’s plan will have the greatest kingdom impact.

As a Bible Study Fellowship small group leader, I must monitor 45 minutes of time together on Tuesday mornings for our discussion. The children’s program is active during this time so that moms can enjoy adult fellowship, but most littles are anxious to re-unite with moms, so moms are encouraged to leave immediately to pick up their kids. This particular year, my kids are in a public school, so I myself don’t need to rush off. This was a blessing one Tuesday morning when a new, elderly group member was assigned to me. Instead of leaving with everyone else right at 11 o’clock as I normally do, the Holy Spirit told me to stay with my new member and help her make the appropriate adjustments on her phone so that I could contact her. Half an hour later, she was set up on my group contact app and appreciative.

Interruptions are not setbacks, failures or delays, but a re-direction of our time and energy. Think of them as a nudge from God to forsake our agendas and joyfully surrender to His. Giving up our own expectations and control does not come easy. Neither does self-denial, yet life presents no higher calling than giving up our agendas for the Lord’s.

Let’s Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, help me recognize when You are re-directing my plans and expectations for teaching me something new and furthering your Kingdom. Help me surrender my agenda to You and remain sensitive to your promptings of where to go and what to do. Forgive me for those times when I have deliberately ignored you out of fear or frustration. You were sovereign then and You are sovereign now. Thank you that no amount of my sin ever blocks your plans for my life and for those around me. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song for Reflection: “I Know the Plans (Audrey’s Song)” by Damaris. Listen here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Leslie Bake grew up Lutheran in Des Moines, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an undergraduate degree in English, and with a new understanding of what a relationship with the Lord could look like.

She spent a few years reporting and editing in small town journalism and then began a master’s degree at Iowa State University in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Then marriage. Then a divorce, which deepened her relationship with God and transformed her life.

She taught ELL for three years at Kansas State University, then returned to writing and earned a master’s degree in creative non-fiction in Pittsburgh. Her memoir will eventually be published, and it details the process of how the Lord created beauty from the ashes of divorce. 

Pittsburgh is also where she met and married her second husband. They are now the parents of two wonderful children, one in fourth grade and one in kindergarten, and they make their home in West Des Moines.

She now maintains a monthly blog and is working toward expanding her writing ministry. Her heart’s deepest desire is to help others connect with God through writing.

~*~
Connect with Leslie:
Website: https://lesliejoybake.com/
Substack: lesliebake.substack.com
Email: Leslie.bake@ yahoo.com