So often we regard Christianity as a list of don’ts. Don’t gossip, don’t let the sun go down on your anger, don’t frustrate your children... There are all true biblical mandates. They are great guides to living and leading a peaceful life in harmony with God and those around you.
 
But have you ever felt bogged down by the “don’ts”? Or feel like you fail at every turn? If you’re focusing on what not to do that can easily happen...

“Pray without ceasing.” This was one of the apostle Paul’s final admonishments to the people in Thessalonica. To apply the concept to our lives today seems close to impossible! However, even with a busy schedule, I’ve found easy ways to incorporate more prayer time into my life and you can too!

If you want to increase your prayer live, here’s five simple things you can do to become a praying person...

I made a decision the other night that God was going to have the last word on this year.  In fact, I wrestled the year out of the hand of the enemy of my soul and made a declaration of how 2021 was going to end for me.

It was not going to end in depression and frustration. It was not going to be remembered – or forgotten – as a loss.  

​Let the voices arise in the new year!
 
Let your voice arise! Arise and shout! No matter how you are ending 2021, enter 2022 with a shout. No matter how messy this past year has been, arise and shout! Let your voice be heard in 2022.

​Has the Lord redeemed you? Has he saved, healed, or delivered you? We all have something to shout about, something to give God praise.
 
2022 will be a year of gathering...

“‘You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.’” Luke 1:45 NLT
 
Nothing is impossible with God. It’s what the Christmas story is all about. Natural, seen-with-the-eye situations meeting the divine. Holy earth-meeting-heaven moments that transform people and situations in ways beyond comprehension.

Are you feeling uncertain? Wondering what the future holds? The world isn’t safe, and neither, according to C.S. Lewis, is God. Good, yes, but “safe”? The mountains shake before him! The demons run in fear of him!
 
But for me, and for you, the name of the Lord is a strong tower...

Feeling lonely or depressed this Christmas - or just wanting to experience a new aspect of God during this holiday season? There’s hope built into the Christmas story that can lift you out of depression and into a deeper relationship with God. Look deeper at the miracle of the baby in the manger and you’ll find a way to exchange your sadness for joy, your loneliness for a friendship with the Savior. My new 5-day devotional on YouVersion (and coming soon on iDisciple) makes it easy to experience "God with us" at Christmas! 

Do you look forward to family gatherings or cringe at the thought? Being in close quarters with unsaved loved ones can add stress to the holiday season – especially when it seems like anything you say or do bounces off their hearts with no affect, or worse, creates conflict in the relationship. With the holiday season approaching, you may be wondering how your family gatherings will turn out this year.
 
I’ve been watching a TV show recently, and in a moment of heartache the female lead stated, “Maybe love isn’t enough..."

Ever hear of the “1 in 60” rule? For every degree a plane veers off its course, it misses its destination by 1 mile for every 60 miles flown. Multiply that by the hundreds or thousands of miles in a typical flight and any pilot will tell you that a one-degree error can have disastrous results.
 
Life, with its twists and turns can easily throw us off course. 2021 with its pandemic challenges may have moved the needle on your year...

​A friend passed away this week. She was old enough to be my mother, but we had bonded over our mutual love for Jesus. Our relationship deepened when we met for coffee a few years ago and she shared her life story with me. She was writing a book about her life and was seeking my advice.
 
Her life was a testament to the goodness and faithfulness of God. Her hope was to inspire a younger generation to reach out to God, to trust and depend on Him, even as she had over many years. 
 
I’ll never forget that coffee date...