Devotionals Daily News Today

“Semester finals are Friday, and I really need your prayers,” a fellow church member stated. I had heard similar prayer requests from other members. Each time I thought, You need to study, not pray. As far back as elementary school, learning came easy to me. I had difficulty understanding why others struggled with what I perceived to be simple assignments. They don’t apply themselves, I surmised. I had recently completed my master’s degree in education with high marks. The only thing...

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29 NKJV). Responsibility and accountability aren’t the most popular words in our vocabulary, are they? Yet each of us has a responsibility for the part we play in all kinds of things— from family to work to civil duties. And God not only cares about these things, the Bible is clear, we will be held accountable ...

As a little girl I loved Easter. What’s not to love? My sister and I always got a new “Easter outfit” which included a frilly dress of our choosing, lacy socks, shiny new patent leather mary janes, a hat and even little white gloves. No, I’m not nearing 80, that’s just the way my mom wanted to do things. Coloring enough eggs to exhaust a barnyard of chickens, we were artistic geniuses. The night before the big day we’d be filled with butterflies of anticipation for the beautiful, lo...

My husband has always been one to get up early. But me, I would always say I wasn’t a morning or a night person — I was a day person. However, when God impressed on my heart to write a book, we had three small children at the time and since I fell into bed exhausted every night, I discovered the best alone time was early before my kids got up. At first, it was a big challenge. But on lazy mornings when my body was talking very loudly to me, my spirit would say, “You know how much you love...

"The dullest pencil ... remembers better than the sharpest mind." My co-worker, and friend, Ted Cramer, says that all the time, and it is very true. We all like to think we can remember whatever it is we are supposed to remember without having to write it down. If we are honest with ourselves, we know better than that. I have made enough trips to the grocery store at this point in my life to know that if I go, I better write down everything I need to pick up. Having a written list saves the emb...

FaithGateway March 23, 2021 Imagine if Jesus stood before you with a golden envelope. The envelope contains an invitation to know and experience Jesus like never before. To discover Christ in His breathtaking beauty, His staggering strength, His wondrous power, and the depths of His relentless love for you. Would you take the envelope? Or would you say, Eh, I’m good. I don’t like the packaging. Not for me. To be honest, for most of my life, that’s h...

My soul ached, and I didn’t know how to fix it. I knew God could, but how? I knelt in front of my antique dresser and sent a silent plea to heaven. As if a light turned on in my heart, I felt hope. God is enough. The thought comforted me like few others had. He would get me through this—a situation beyond my control to fix. This “storm” may linger, and the “lightning” may still crack. But God would be with me through the downpour. I had hope that the sun would break through the clo...

A story that haunts me is Jesus’ encounter with a nameless, wealthy young man as he made his final journey toward Jerusalem. Here was an important civic leader, a youthful climber with a prestige, bearing, and bank account that would have been the envy of many older men in Judea. But there was a hollowness in his chest that led him ever so close to the God adventure of a lifetime. For all his status and personal wealth, this man had a hungry heart. The gospel of Mark tells us that he ran to J...

Dolores Rivera had a dream, one that contained a message from God. She dreamed of a pillowcase slowly falling, and its four corners grabbed her attention. Some weeks later, she heard of a town called Dolores, Colorado, a few miles away from a place called the Four Corners. The Four Corners is a unique location where Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah meet geographically. God called her to go to the Four Corners and pray. After months of prayer, Dolores saved enough money for an airline tic...

"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" Mark 8:36 (ESV) I stood behind one more servers table, peering into the eyes of a woman Id never met. But I knew our experience would forever change my effectiveness in ministry. Its not a proud moment when you discover, after many years of Christian service, you really werent serving in the name of Jesus. Up until a few days before that fateful night, I thought I was ministering the Gospel by merely serving peoples ...