Devotionals for the Heart: Learning how to praise God through it all

Learning How to Praise the Lord
A devotional by Hannah Benson

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” –1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

Paul’s admonition in the verse above is easier said than done. Rejoice always? Pray without ceasing? Give thanks in all circumstances? Ha. Surely not!

The Bible doesn’t say that we should rejoice in only “pleasurable”, “some,” or even “most” circumstances. It says we are to rejoice in “all circumstances.”

That’s a pretty tough pill to swallow. Especially when life is traumatic, amid a cancer diagnosis, or when the future is unclear.

You might be thinking, “Well, that’s easy for you to say because you’re not going through what I’m going through right now.”

Maybe.

Maybe not.

A few months ago, my mom was diagnosed with the very beginning stages of ovarian cancer. It came out of nowhere. What followed was the most frightening time of our lives. We were terrified. Were we going to lose our mom? It was the most uncertain time of our lives, a time where we had to surrender everything to God.

Yet in the midst of it all, God drew us closer to His heart. A few months after the initial diagnosis and her second surgery, my mom was preparing to go hear her results. I remember sitting at the dinner table with my family a few days before her appointment. “We need to thank God in all circumstances,” I said, “and that includes cancer.”

During the most frightening time of our lives, God grew our faith and stretched our trust in Him in ways I’d never seen before. Despite the fear and pain of the last few months, how could we not see God? How could we not see His hand in everything?

Even my little brother grew in his faith walk with God in a way I’d never seen before. With tears in his eyes, I remember him telling Mom, “I believe you’re going to be a walking miracle.”

The day our mom went to the doctor to receive her results, he said that he wanted to make a cake with the name of the hospital on it. Had it ever been done before? He didn’t know, but he wanted to make a cake to celebrate even though, at the time, he had no way of knowing what her results would be. The rest of us agreed, saying, “Yes, let’s make a cake!” We said we would put the words, “Give thanks in all circumstances” on the cake as well, because no matter what Mom’s results were, we wanted to praise the LORD.

We had already made the decision to praise God regardless of the outcome. But when her results came back clear, and we received the joyous news that she was cancer-free, don’t you think praising God is exactly what we did?

Even though our story had a happy ending, I know it’s not the same for everybody. But living through one of the darkest, scariest times of my life, I can tell you that choosing to worship God no matter what, well, it’s worth it.

I believe that it is in the darkest times that hope shines the brightest. In a similar way, we notice a candle gleaming in a dark room, but would we even notice it if it were outside where the sun is shining?

Friend, pain will either draw us closer to God or push us further away. It depends on how we choose to respond. No matter what we’re going through today, let’s choose to praise the LORD!

Let’s Pray:
Dear Father God, thank you for giving me reason to rejoice even when all is dark! Please help me to praise you no matter what happens. You are good and kind and hold my future in Your hand. Thank you for hope! In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Praise the Lord” by Micah Tyler. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Hannah Benson is a Jesus-follower who’s passionate about sharing the love of Christ with others. 

From the time she could hold a pen, she was writing. But it wasn’t until she was sixteen that she began to seriously follow God’s calling to write a novel. Hannah is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has at least four novels in the works. For the past five years, she has been involved with her local Biblical theater company. She wants to show others the love of Jesus through the creative arts.

When she’s not acting or working on her upcoming novel, you can find Hannah laughing with her siblings, cuddling her little fluffy dog, or reading books (usually historical fiction or fantasy stories). You can read more of Hannah’s writings on her blog or on her Instagram where she strives to write content that leaves others feeling encouraged.

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Connect with Hannah:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahlynnauthor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Hannah-Lynn-Writer/100073790792576/
Blog: www.loveunconditional.blog

Devotionals for the Heart: God's Music

Then Sings My Soul
A devotional by Wendy Wilson Spooner

“My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.”– Psalm 71:23 (KJV)

You know those days, or even an entire week when you feel like you’re barely making it? When everything seems to come crashing down on you at the same time? Like watching elderly parents suffer, losing a job, a flat tire on the freeway, rude people, your struggling teenager, and that last piece of cake you ate when you’ve already had two servings.

And then you’re in your car worrying about everything and on auto-pilot, you switch to a Christian music station.

MercyMe’s song, “I Can Only Imagine” blares into the air, and before you know it, you’re singing at the top of your lungs while tears pour down your face, as you bask in God’s love while enveloped in His music.

The Scriptures give us some major clues that music can heal us and renew us, and that glorifying Jesus through song can give us the strength to start over and remind us to lean on Him again. It can even bring us pure JOY.

“O Come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.”

–Psalms 95:1 (KJV)

A lot of people listen to music on a daily basis. But what kind of music? Is it your habit to listen to songs that lift you and make you feel better? Even whole?

As I’ve grown older, my soul yearns for songs of peace and praise. Not songs of angst, anger, and sadness or inappropriate content.

Music about the Gospel of Jesus Christ can lift your mood, make your problems seem surmountable instead of insurmountable, and feed your starving soul at its very core.

Not only can Gospel music lift a weary heart, but it can strengthen our faith in God and bring us closer to Him. It can keep us aware of choices we are making and deliver the perfect message at the perfect time, helping us to maintain our connection to Him.

I remember when I was going through a divorce with my two little girls. My worries for them without a father in our home was extremely tough some days. But those were also days—years actually—when we listened to the same uplifting Christian albums over and over and sang our favorite songs that kept us savoring the love of God.

I remember those times so warmly. Even though they were super hard in many ways. And I know it was because of the closeness we felt even as a broken family. Although the father of our home was no longer with us, we were close to our Heavenly Father.

So, the next time you feel like giving up and all is lost, take a car ride, and drive while listening to His music, singing at the top of your lungs until you’re healed enough to go home and start over.

Let the Savior of the world (Jesus Christ) save you through His music. Even though you may already have chosen to be saved in the long run, let Him save you every day through His songs of praise. Through His hymns. Through the love that overcomes you when singing words of His infinite atonement and hope.

Because Jesus came to Earth, lived and died for us, so we can live again with Him!

~*~
Author Bio:

Wendy is a professional Genetic Genealogist by day, a writer by night, and an artist in between. 

Her first book, Once Upon an Irish Summer, is a YA crossover historical fiction novel, the first in a trilogy, traditionally published by Ambassador International, set to release on April 3, 2020 in five countries.

Wendy’s love of history compels her to write the true stories she unearths during her research, and she’s found that truth is indeed, stranger, and way more exciting than fiction.

Wendy writes about family, faith, grief, art, and overcoming the obstacles in life by coming to know who we really are—a child of God, and, the descendant of incredible people who paved the way for us to have the lives we have now—even if they really struggled. She believes in learning from ancestors, honoring them, and then standing on their shoulders to become someone even better.

Wendy is an award-winning author of professional articles and poems, who turned to novel writing to share what she knows with more people.

To learn more about Wendy, her interests, and writing, visit her website at WendyWilsonSpooner.com.

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Connect with Wendy:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.w.spooner
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wendy_W_Spooner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyspooner/

Devotionals for the Heart: Making a Joyful Noise drives away negativity

Make a Joyful Noise
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” – Psalm 100:1-2 (ESV)

Have you ever been slammed with worries and negative thoughts?

I have.

Sometimes I get woken up in the middle of the night, thoughts of my ever growing to do list keeping me from rest. In the mornings before I dive into my quiet time, negative thoughts attack as I prepare to sit down with the Lord.

Sometimes I forget that I am in a battle. The enemy wants to destroy us and to do that, he’ll go after us in our minds. Those negative thoughts and emotions can be so strong that they cause us to forget that we are children of God, we are loved and we need not to worry about what comes.

I forget that the Lord has equipped us all with weapons to defeat the enemy. The ones He is always reminding me to use is worship and praise. When we sing to God, hell trembles. Darkness flees. The enemy shakes; he hates it. He can’t stand to be near it.

In the middle of another attack on my mind, the Lord whispered to me: “You’re being attacked. I want you to sing.”

Immediately I began to sing. The worries and stress that had such a hold on my mind began to lift. I felt lighter, freer. Soon my worries were gone as I was wrapped in praise and worship for my God.

Friend, praise and worship is such a powerful weapon. There are many instances in the Bible were praise and worship were used to change negative situations into more positive outcomes:

For freedom: Paul and Silas singing praises to God were rescued by an angel while imprisoned in Acts 16:25-34 (ESV)

As a weapon: Joshua and the Israelites defeat Jericho in Joshua 6 ... Jehoshaphat defeated Moab and Ammon without a fight in 2 Chronicles 20:18-23 (ESV)

When we praise God through song, we remind ourselves and the enemy who’s in charge. We remember all the things that the Lord has done for us. We remember how much we are loved by God. Instead of being filled with worry and anger, we become filled with gratitude and love for our God.

We cannot be wrapped up in ourselves or our problems if we are lifting our voices in praise to God. It doesn’t matter if you can carry or tune or not, our praise, our worship is beautiful to Him.

So the next time you find yourself being attacked by the enemy, lift your voice in song to the Lord. He will flee and you will have victory.

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

You can always find Alexis outdoors enjoying a walk in her neighborhood, scoping out the newest food truck, hanging out with friends or planning her next trip.

Her church, The Revival Center, and family mean the world to her. They have supported her through the loss of her mother and her own cancer diagnosis.

Alexis enjoys encouraging others by reminding them not to look at what they see, but to always look to God, who is working in the unseen.

Alexis currently writes for several online ministries and launched her first podcast – The Brave Podcast – in January 2020.

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Connect with Alexis:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apeachincali/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/apeachincali
Podcast: http://thebravepodcast.buzzsprout.com
Website: www.apeachincali.com

Thankful Thursdays: God Speaks

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for when God speaks!

Late Wednesday night (August 12), I was trying to focus on scheduling next week's set of devotionals for my blog. But my heart was heavy and my mind was bogged down by the issues that were hurting my heart. After what may have been about 20 minutes of feeling depressed, I felt God speak these words into my spirit:  Listen to "I Bless Your Name." 

So I went to YouTube and I looked up the version of the song "I Bless Your Name" that is performed by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.

As I listened to this beautiful song of praise to God, slowly but surely, I felt like singing praises to God too! As I began to sing with the choir my burdens were lifted, my heart was healing, and my mind was given a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

I was also reminded of the Bible story about Paul and Silas who followed Jesus and preached for Him. The pivotal part of the story takes place in prison where Paul and Silas are shackled is chains. This was after they were beaten by people who thought they were a threat to society. Not everybody wants to hear about Jesus Christ, but Paul and Silas were not afraid to preach the truth. They were not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they were willing to die for the cause of Christ! Their passion for God landed them in a desolate place (a prison cell).

But Paul and Silas did not let the bleakness of their situation rule in their hearts nor stay in their minds. They chose to lift their voices in singing praises to God! And when they praised His Name, God set them free! Literally! Read about it in Acts 16:25-34 (KJV) which says:

"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed." 

This song and Bible story gave me so much encouragement!

 I am so thankful that God is faithful! God speaks ... do you listen?

Love,

Alexis A. Goring, MFA

Founder of "God is Love" blog

Devotionals for the Heart: Praise

The Power of Praise
A devotional by Mirachelle Canada

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” 

–Psalm 40:1-3 (ESV)

I was in desperate need of help. As a new teacher on a three year probationary contract, I needed to pass the math and reading sections of the teacher exam. I had already taken the math test five times, each time getting a score one point away from passing. One. Stinking. Point. I needed two more points to pass the reading, which I had only attempted once.

This would be the last time I had to take both tests in time for my license review, which meant keeping or losing my job. I knew I had studied and done all I could do to pass the tests, but math was not my strong suit. We’d always had a love-hate relationship. Now it was threatening my future.

Then, just before I was able to register for the tests again, the state suddenly decided to take composite scores, which meant that If I could pass the reading test three points above my last attempt, it would offset the math loss and I would be set.

I was excited but also apprehensive because if this didn’t work, I wouldn’t get another try.

The night before the reading test, I got on my hands and knees and cried out to the Lord. Then I felt the need to give everything over to the Lord and just praise Him, no matter what. So I turned on some praise music and praise aloud for several hours. I got a good night’s rest and had no anxiety about the test the next day.

A few months later, the day arrived to call in and check my results. During my lunch break I took a deep breath and dialed the number. A few of my colleagues waited nearby to support me. When my score resounded in my ear I began to laugh uncontrollably with joy and elation. I had passed.

But I didn’t just pass with the three extra points I needed, God also gave me seven points above that. Seven. My favorite number. A number of perfection. God’s number. I felt the full impact of His God-wink.

The Lord had heard my cry and he answered me. Like the the psalmist says in Psalm 40:1-3, God secured my steps, put a song of praise in my mouth, and taught me what it means to let go and fully trust Him.

Now, whenever I get anxious about an outcome, I take pause and remember what the power of praise can do. It once took down the walls of Jericho in Joshua Chapter 6. Through our praise God can do great and mighty things because He is worthy of all praise.

Have you ever felt desperate? Are you in a current situation that seems hopeless? Do you need encouragement through your situation?

Stop. Take pause. Put your trust in Jesus. Pray over the situation, then lift up your voice or play a worship song, and sing for as long as your heart desires. Let your praise rise to the heavens. God hears your cries but He revels in your praise. It brings all glory and honor to Him. He will bring you through to the other side.

I can’t promise you’ll get my same result but I can promise He won’t disappoint you with His results.

~*~
Author Bio:

Mirachelle Canada is a writer, playwright, screenwriter, and theatre director/producer from Northern Virginia, where she teaches television production at her high school alma mater. 

She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Script & Screenwriting from Regent University and is an alumnus of Act One: Hollywood Film & Television Writing Program.

Mirachelle is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, American Fiction Writers Virginia Chapter, The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and Your Novel Blueprint.

She is currently working on her first historical fiction novel set during WWII.

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Connect with Mirachelle:
Website: www.mirachellecanada.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirachellecanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miracan

Devotionals for the Heart: Magnify

A Heart of Praise
A devotional by Karen Lynn Marstaller

“Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!” 
–Psalms 34:3 (ESV)

According to my paraphrase of the Dictionary.com definition for the word “magnify,” to magnify means to “enlarge, or make bigger.”

I think that daily to-do lists that many people have may look something like this: Wake up, work, drive, cook, clean, babysit, study, wash, ad infinitum. Our to-do lists never end!

My tendency is to make my to-do list longer and more ponderous. A total of 15 or 20 items seems pretty normal. Surely I’ll get more accomplished that way, right? By the end of the day, that comfy recliner is looking pretty good.

David (a character in The Holy Bible) had a to-do list that was real simple—magnify the Lord, get together, exalt His name.

All through his psalms, David’s voice is loud and clear. He cries out his needs to the Lord, and then he praises God. He praises God, and then he cries out for deliverance. Threaded through his heart’s cries are his wonder and amazement at God’s great power and might, His tender mercy and grace, His forever love and radiant joy.

If David, who is described in the Bible as being a “man after God’s own heart,” chose to magnify the Lord, then I will too!

When I awaken, I sing for joy (Psalms 149:5). In John 12:12-13, the people went out to meet Jesus shouting, “Hosanna!” Nobody cares how loudly (or off-key) we sing our praises when we’re driving to and from work. The people on your mass transit commute might notice, but you’ll figure a way out to praise the Lord without disrupting the peace. While I’m in the privacy of my own home, I like to hum “Jesus Loves Me” while cleaning up the house or folding clothes. It cheers me up every time!

Isolated places to worship allow our hearts to soar as we unite with the Holy Spirit in praise, but David calls us into community worship, as well. This happens in our churches all the time and we are blessed by our moments in His house.

But what about all the other places where we come face to face with people who crave a gentle touch from the Lord?

The cashier at the grocery store is paid to be pleasant and courteous, but how often is he or she treated disrespectfully and unkindly? A simple smile, a gentle word or a prayer breathed deep inside share the Father’s love in ways we can never understand.

Who else would benefit if we decided that today that we will magnify the Lord? The hospital chaplain, who pours out his life for the people who come to him for answers? The beleaguered schoolteacher, who just spent $72.37 of his or her meager paycheck to buy paper, pencils, and pens for his or her 127 students?

A smile goes a long way in cheering a fussy baby. Deliberately holding the door for someone is an attention-getter. Magnify Him. Our servant heart offering a cup of cold water to someone who’s dying of thirst provides a taste of the abundant Life that we enjoy.

I have a friend who carries bottles of water in her car during the summer time. She never goes out to run errands unless she’s carrying a fresh bottle. And she never returns to her car with it. But that simple gesture (along with her genuine smile) magnifies the Lord.

Going for a jog is great exercise. Make one tiny little difference. Wave at that neighbor of yours who is housebound, but who struggles out to her front porch every morning to watch her world wake up. Magnify the Lord with her.

Jesus met the needs of ordinary people when He walked on this earth. He stopped, He spoke to them, sometimes He fed them, and He touched their lives. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 tells us to continue what Jesus started. Even though 2,000 years have passed, the message is the same: go, disciple, baptize, teach.

While we’re going about our Heavenly Father’s business, let’s do what David did: Magnify the great and mighty name of the Lord!

~*~
Author Bio:

Karen Marstaller is a retired high school teacher who spent most of her career challenging creative students to write. 

Her heart is for her readers. She writes to encourage them, to make them laugh, to show them that life is a beautiful journey, and regardless of their past, to show them that there is joy ahead if they will just keep looking.

Karen and her husband live in central Texas in a sweet little home that they completely remodeled. They enjoy spending time with their family, which includes seven precious grandchildren.

Most of all, Karen writes in obedience to the command to love your neighbor, to offer a cup of water to those who are dying of thirst, and to comfort others with the comfort she has received.

Thankful Thursdays: God's Light

It's Thursday and I'm thankful for God's Light in the darkness!

If I’m going to honest, a lot of real world situations have been weighing heavily on my heart lately. But true to how AWESOME God is, He returned the lyrics of a song to my mind. It’s a song that I haven’t heard since I was a child listening to WGTS 91.9 FM.

God often uses this method to encourage me. It usually goes like this: God breaks through the darkness with His Light by sending song lyrics into my mind, I look up the lyrics on YouTube and then listen to the song only to find out that its message is exactly what I needed to hear in that situation!

The song that God brought to my mind this morning is “Praise the Lord” and the video that I watched on YouTube featured a LIVE performance of the song by Russ Taff.

It truly encouraged my mind and reinfused HOPE into my heart as God's Light broke through the darkness. After listening to this song, I was reminded to focus on what truly matters (living for Jesus Christ and knowing that in the end, HE wins!). The song also reminded me to remember my true identity as a child of God. We are His creation. He loves us with ALL of His Heart and He has unlimited resources to help us through any and every trial that we may face here on Earth.

Life is easier to deal with when you have Jesus Christ in your life and rely on God. His power is greater than every force of evil. He is the Light in the darkness. There’s always hope when God is in the picture and the GOOD NEWS is that God is always in the picture!

I’d like to share the song with you too. Watch it via the video below:

God bless you, sweet friends.

Love,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of "God is Love" blog