“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” ~Matthew 6:10 In the very first verse of this prayer, Jesus first gives God the reverence He deserves.  Next, Jesus comes into agreement with God concerning the establishment of His heavenly kingdom on … Continue reading Day 30 – Heaven on Earth →

“...Love your neighbor as yourself.” ~Matthew 22:39 How well we love others depends on two very important things.  The first is how we define love. What does love mean to us? The second is how well we actually love ourselves. There is one particularly well known scripture which defines love from God's point of view.  … Continue reading Day 29 – Love Is… →

“Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. ~Matthew 22:37-38 Throughout this devotional I've written time and time again about how much God loves us. Truth be told, the Bible is a love story about a … Continue reading Day 28 – Our Everything →

“From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." ~Matthew 4:17 The word repent, as used in the bible, is a translation of the original Greek word “metamelomai”. It means to "change one's mind or attitude about”.  It’s important that we confess our sins, but it’s equally … Continue reading Day 27 – Repent and Return →

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” ~Colossians 3:13 Right before Jesus taught the disciples how to pray in Matthew 6, He said something that we should not overlook.  He says this in verse 8: …”for your Father knows … Continue reading Day 26 – Forgiveness Is For You →

"Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.  Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” ~2 Corinthians 12:9 Whenever I went through difficult … Continue reading Day 25 – The Gift of Grace →

“He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”” ~Matthew 13:33 When yeast is added to flour, it causes the dough to rise.  It changes the nature of the dough.  Without the … Continue reading Day 24 – All of You →

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost." ~Matthew 18:12-13 When I started writing this devotional, it was my prayer that it would reach a lot … Continue reading Day 23 – Leaving the 99 →

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”~Matthew 13:45-46 One of my favorite gospel songs is “More Than Anything” by Lamar Campbell.  A part of the song says “I love you … Continue reading Day 22 – The Most Important Thing →

"Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!”  ~Mark 4:34 When we are faced with difficult issues, it's awfully easy to lose hope in God, especially when things don't change as quickly … Continue reading Day 21 – Peace, Be Still →

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” ~Romans 12:2 NIV The word "transformed" is the English translation of the Greek word metamorphouste, which means metamorphosis.  Everytime … Continue reading Day 20 – Spiritual Metamorphosis →

Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.  Psalm 25:17 Whenever I’ve gone too long without food, my stomach starts to growl to remind me that it’s empty.  My body is putting me on notice that it needs food.  Of course, I really don’t need the reminders.  Being hungry is an … Continue reading Day 18 – The Source of All Comfort →

“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’  He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.” ~John 6:5-6 Jesus performed many, many miracles during His short … Continue reading Day 17 – God Already Knows →

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." ~Matthew 26:41 There are moments in life where we honestly don’t know how to surrender a situation, a person or ourselves to God.  Have you ever been in a situation where you simply could not … Continue reading Day 16 – Sin and Surrender →

 "Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach."  ~Proverbs 22:17 I've grown to understand the tremendous benefits of stillness, slowing down and unplugging from it all so that I might hear God better. It has deepened my relationship with God and changed my life … Continue reading Day 15 – The Danger of Distraction →

"..the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” ~James 1:3-4 When we're praying about something and the answer doesn't seem to be anywhere in sight, being patient and trusting God can be a challenge. Some call this place "the waiting." … Continue reading Day 14 – The Path to Patience  →

"Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight." ~Proverbs 4:6-7 We reap what we sow.  I’m sure you’ve heard this saying at some point in your life.  Decision by decision we determine our … Continue reading Day 13 – The Wonder of Wisdom →

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all.” ~Proverbs 3:5-7 MSG Life can be really tough sometimes.  Life can … Continue reading Day 12 – Learning to Trust →

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  ~John 15:5  I used to write my prayers in journals, where I poured out my heart to God.  I still have those journals.  From time to … Continue reading Day 11 – A Place to Stay →

“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. … Continue reading Day 10 – Good Soil →

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”  John 14:27 All of us are petitioning God for different things.  It may be healing for ourselves or someone we love, a job, money to pay … Continue reading Day 9 – The Source of All Peace →

Nature is a phenomenal teacher.  There are many instances in the bible where God uses nature to teach us about Himself and His infinite power and wisdom. These lessons help us grow and mature spiritually and thrive in a difficult and  turbulent world.  Last year, near the end of 2019, I sat on my patio … Continue reading Day 8 – Making Room for More →

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” ~Romans 8:28 God has given us many promises in scripture, but this particular scripture just makes my heart sing.  I simply love this promise of God.  I return … Continue reading Day 7 – Clarity of Purpose →

“For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” ~Matthew 20:28 Jesus was the perfection of divinity clothed in humanity.  Legions of angels stood at His command, yet He humbly and compassionately served those in need wherever He went.  Knowing … Continue reading Day 6 – Selfless Service →

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who the Father will send in my name, will teach you all the things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  ~John  14:26  “But when the, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.  He will not speak on His own, … Continue reading Day 5 – The Power to Obey →

"If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to Him in prayer." ~Job 11:13 I receive daily prayer texts on my phone every morning.  This particular morning, I read through the prayer quickly, and walked off to do something else when the Holy Spirit gently posed a question to me.  "Did … Continue reading Day 4 – The Heart of Prayer →

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~John 3:16 I love giving and receiving gifts. The most special gifts I've received were the ones where it was evident the giver had taken special care in selecting … Continue reading Day 3 – The Character of Love →

There are no coincidences when it comes to God.