A Prayer for God to Bring You through an Exhausting Life PhaseBy Keri Eichberger “The Sovereign LORD is my strength.” – Habakkuk 3:19 "I'm tired of singing the same old ‘tired' song," I confessed to my friend Chelsey last week. And she wasn't the first to hear this tune fall from my frustrated lips. I've felt exhausted since I can't remember when. Did it begin when the twins were born, boosting our family of five to a full house of seven? Or was it when I turned forty, and my body began to ache in all sorts of new places while my hormones whacked out with crazy fresh flips and dips, crashing my energy around right with them? Or, maybe it's simply the compounding years of overstuffed schedules and overcrowded calendars, causing a slow and steady, wear down of my fragile body, soul, and spirit. All are amounting to bottom-out exhaustion. And with no sign of relief. In my world anyway. Because who am I kidding, I'm not getting any younger, the twins have thirteen plus years left at home. And honestly, the reality is, there will always be something. I know you feel that. I came across Habakkuk 3:19 in my attempt to refuel my sunken strength and journal out these thoughts in my morning quiet time. And what spoke to me is this... The Lord's control is my strength. When I'm worn down from trying to control situations, people, their hearts, and responses (my kids mainly)–and I'm depleted of strength–I regain strength by releasing control back to God. I reclaim his strength by acknowledging that I am not in control. Yes, I have been wasting energy while I have assumed control. Sabotaging myself of the strength I'm desperate for. The sovereign Lord (the God that is actually in control), he is my strength. Because he strengthens me as I let this truth, the truth of his sovereignty, leak into my life, penetrate my heart, cover my thoughts, and flow through all my circumstances that I'm trying to control and play God of. My self-controlled surroundings all the while wear me down. It occurred to me that the majority of my exhaustion stemmed from my relentless attempt to control my swirling circumstances instead of resting in a steady, sturdy–yet sometimes brisk–walk of God's will for my life. Trust me, I know from personal day-in-and-out experience that a lot of your busyness you can't budge. But you can shift the focus of your heart in the midst of what's wearing down. And so can I. When we're beyond tired, our bodies feel frail and fragile. Our souls are weighed down with a long season of suffering and discouragement. When we are flat out exhausted and feel the burden press deeper with no relief to be seen on the visible horizon, and a sliver of strength seems impossible to come by, we need to remember that it is the sovereign Lord who is our strength. I need to remember it right now. Friend, together with me today, will you release your cares in your current season to his control? Consider and reflect on every detail that's weighing you down at this very moment, and speak your trust in him over each concern. Your trust that every little bit is in his hands. And allow the truth of his love and control to restore strength to your soul as you rest your heart in his unconditional care. The more you release your load to him, the more you will feel the load lighten. As he carries you one day at a time, one sovereign step at a time. Until at last you are free. Free from the heavy chains of your difficult phase.  It's true we can't guarantee how long each weary phase will linger. But rest assured, we most certainly can guarantee God will always carry, support, and sustain us as we release control and the heaviness to him and rest in the strength of his almighty sovereignty. Let's pray: Lord, I come to you exhausted. Weary and worn down. And I need your strength. God, I don't know when what's wearing me down will end. But I do know that you love me. I do know that you are in control. And if I can just acknowledge that you are in control, and not me, then I can release the weight, bit by bit, ounce by ounce, and rest in your care. And then regain some strength. Help me rest in this truth. That my strength is in you and who you are. Sovereign. Yes, my strength is in the truth of your loving, sovereign control. I am so thankful that you are carrying me with your love, control, and strength. I am thankful that your rest is always awaiting me because of it. Help me rest in your power. Help me rest in your love. Help me rest in you. In your Almighty name, Amen. Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/FOTOKITA Keri Eichberger is a Jesus-loving Kentucky girl. She is married to her best friend, Mike, and has a full house of five kids. After years of writing for an online audience, Keri became ordained through Southeast Christian Church, giving her life to full-time ministry. She is the author of Win Over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar With the One Who Overcomes, and has a passion for sharing faith-filled encouragement through devotional writing. Connect with Keri at KeriEichberger.com or Instagram. Teach Us to Pray is a FREE prayer podcast hosted by iBelieve writer Christina Patterson. Each week, she gives you practical, real-life tips on how to grow your faith and relationship with God through the power of prayer. To listen to her episode on What to Pray in the Morning for a Worry-Free Day, click below! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer for God to Bring You Through an Exhausting Life Phase – Your Daily Prayer – May 9 appeared first on GodUpdates.

May 6, 2024 What if Your Greatest Limitations Are ... a Gift?SARA HAGERTY  Lee en español "The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance." Psalm 16:5-6 (ESV) We all have them. Many of us keep a running list of those things barely out of our reach. We daydream about … When the baby will finally sleep through the night.When the potential new job will mean money might not be so tight.When the newest treatment will cure what's been ailing us.When that complicated family relationship will improve. By filling our minds with fantasies of when these things will change, we subtly resent our limitations. We despise the injury, the growing list of bills, and the unique needs in our home that slow us from the pace we'd like to keep. We work fiercely (often subconsciously) to overcome limitations. No wonder we're so tired. Verses like Psalm 16:6, which says "the [boundary] lines have fallen for me in pleasant places," feel distant and out of reach when we feel underpaid, overtired, and full of responsibility yet parched in heart. Several years ago, this verse came within reach for me on a family vacation. Each summer, my family of nine drives two days across the country to dig our toes in the sand and fill our lungs with sea-salt air alongside cousins, aunts, uncles and Nana. One particular year, after we arrived, I crawled into bed sick and barely emerged for the entirety of our vacation. From my bedside, I heard stories and saw pictures of the days at the beach but didn't experience them with my family. It was in this bound space - watching the others around me live what I couldn't have and resenting that for days - that I eventually heard a subtle invitation from God. He asked me to consider that my daydreams for my life, both for that vacation and also in my everyday world, perhaps weren't what He had for me. In Psalm 16:5, David said, "You hold my lot." This verse moved from words on a page to something written into my life: God has something for me every day, even my most limited ones. Confined to my bed at the beach, God had whispers for me that still echo through my head and across my limitations today. He met me there. I was isolated, sick, alone in my room ... but I was held. Out of years of beach trips, that was one of the most significant because of my brush with the God who holds my lot. I didn't walk the beach for hours that year, but I met with God, the One who made the ocean. Daily, hourly, I often live as if I know what is best for me, and I daydream toward that end. All the while, God is allowing limitations into my life such that the deepest parts of me may grow into believing that "I have a beautiful inheritance" (Psalm 16:6). Might your limitations be inching you toward a brush with Him? God, thank You for meeting us inside of our limits - inside of our tiredness, sadness, overwhelm and not-yets. Help us see You rightly here in our limitations. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS Learn to see the beauty and peace God provides in the midst of life circumstances that you once thought held you back. Grab a copy of Sara Hagerty's new book, The Gift of Limitations. ENGAGE Connect with Sara at SaraHagerty.net and on social at @sarahagertywrites. Enter to WIN your very own copy of The Gift of Limitations by Sara Hagerty. To celebrate this book, Sara's publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We'll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, May 13, 2024.} FOR DEEPER STUDY 2 Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (ESV). List two or three limitations that come to mind as you read this devotion. How have you viewed those limitations in your life? What would it look like for you to see them instead as restrictions God is allowing so that He might reach into deeper parts of your heart and life? © 2024 by Sara Hagerty. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post What if Your Greatest Limitations Are … a Gift? – Encouragement for Today – May 6, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

May 7, 2024 Entrusting Our Children to God’s Faithful CareELIZABETH LAING THOMPSON Lee en español "When [Jesus'] family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.'" Mark 3:21 (NIV) Every mother has a moment (or 10) when she thinks, My kid is in trouble. I'm stepping in to save the day. Even Mary the mother of Jesus had such a moment - when Jesus was in His 30s! Early in Jesus' ministry, His influence expanded rapidly - and controversially. Scripture tells us, "Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind'" (Mark 3:20-21, NIV). I picture the scene unfolding something like this: One of Jesus' brothers tells Mary, "Jesus is gathering huge crowds, stirring up controversy - and, Mom, He's too busy to eat." Mary's eyes narrow. "He isn't eating? He's taking this too far. Let's bring Him home." The Gospel writer Mark tells us when Jesus' family arrived, He was mid-sermon. Rather than stop preaching, Jesus reminded His listeners - and His family - of His purpose. He said, "Who are my mother and my brothers? ... Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother" (Mark 3:33-35, NIV). I wonder how Mary felt hearing those words. Years earlier, a prophet had warned that though Mary's son would be great, a sword would pierce her soul (Luke 2:35). Perhaps this was one of those soul-piercing moments. Jesus reminded Mary that He had a higher purpose, and God's will came first. Perhaps Mary had expected her son to pursue an earthly crown, but that wasn't God's will. Jesus knew His path would instead lead to earthly conflict, criticism and a cross. Being close to Jesus - being family with Jesus - meant embracing God's will no matter how difficult it felt. Mary had to face her fears and entrust her son to God's care. This year, I understand Mary's struggle more than ever before. My oldest child, my miracle baby - God's gift to us on Christmas night of 2005 after years of infertility - is graduating high school. Like Mary, I am watching my child step into adulthood and pursue God's purposes independently. Every mother faces transitions like this, moments when our motto must change from "save the day" to "pray all day." Like Mary, we may watch our children walk paths we wouldn't have chosen. Like Mary, we may watch our children endure difficulty or pain. Like Mary, we may long to hold them close rather than let them go. But best of all, like Mary, we can trust that God has known our children since before we did. He has loved our children since before we did. He has a purpose and will for their lives. Even when we aren't holding our kids' hands, their heavenly Father is. Even when we have to let our children go, God never does. Father, Your will is good, and Your heart is trustworthy. Please give me peace as I entrust my loved ones to Your care. In Jesus' Name, Amen.  OUR FAVORITE THINGS We want to reach more women like you. At Proverbs 31 Ministries, we exist to help you remember that God is still making a way. Help us continue to provide free biblical resources to you and other women like you by donating today. Donate! Elizabeth shares about trusting God through infertility and other life detours and delays in her book When God Says, "Wait." ENGAGE Elizabeth sends Bible studies and devotions to her newsletter friends, and she'd love to connect with you on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY Luke 1:46-49, "And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me-holy is his name'" (NIV). How has God cared for your children or loved ones when you couldn't be there yourself, and how does it build your trust to remember those moments? Share your thoughts in the comments. © 2024 by Elizabeth Laing Thompson. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Entrusting Our Children to God’s Faithful Care – Encouragement for Today – May 7, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

May 8, 2024 You Are Not AloneEMILY MORROW  Lee en español "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)  There's nothing better than sitting in the shade of a big oak tree, looking up as dappled sunshine dances in the leaves. As a "crunchy" mom, I'm an advocate for "green time over screen time" - which means getting my boys outside as much as possible to explore together this big, beautiful world that God has given us. My kids love to collect acorns. I marvel at how inside every acorn is the seed of an oak, one of the mightiest trees, ready to come forth. However, the acorn first needs to break down, fall apart, crumble - die to itself so that the first weak, green sprout has space to emerge. Otherwise, this tender sprout will remain trapped inside the hard shell and never see the light. God asks us to die to ourselves (Matthew 10:39; Romans 6:6) and often allows us to go through struggles so that we can grow closer to Him. About 10 years ago, I went through the worst bout of anxiety I have ever experienced. I let it take control of my life. And while I was going through that, I couldn't see any reason God would allow me to walk through such a trial. Fast-forward 10 years, and my son has just come out of a long period of anxiety that so closely aligned with my own, right down to the need for assurance at 3 a.m. My son's middle name is Oaks. Saying his name reminds me of that acorn. It reminds me of the time I went through all that anxiety and fear, the darkest period of my life, when I was falling apart and couldn't see why any of this was happening. Really, God was preparing me to burst forth like an oak tree - equipped with knowledge and experience to be able to help my child who also struggles with fear and anxiety. God has granted me an opportunity to share empathy and understanding. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Maybe you don't struggle with anxiety but with loneliness or grief from losing a loved one. Maybe you're exhausted by motherhood or you're struggling with your faith. Maybe you feel like your life isn't going how you thought it would. Whatever it is, I want to encourage you that time and time again, I have seen God use my hurts and challenges to grow me so I can be a comfort to someone else. Friend, God is shaping you and growing you; this isn't for nothing. You are not alone. Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessings You've given me. According to Your perfect will and timing, please grant me grace to overcome the hardship I'm facing now. Give me the peace to know that You are in control. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS If you're ready to explore “crunchy” living and remove toxins from your life - both chemical and mental - grab a copy of Emily Morrow's new book, Really Very Crunchy, and discover a healthier, more sustainable life. ENGAGE Connect with Emily on her website or on Instagram, YouTube or TikTok. Enter to WIN your very own copy of Really Very Crunchy by Emily Morrow. To celebrate this book, Emily's publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We'll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, May 13, 2024.} FOR DEEPER STUDY Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (NIV). How can you bless someone who is walking through a hardship today that may be similar to something you have experienced? © 2024 by Emily Morrow. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post You Are Not Alone – Encouragement for Today – May 8, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

May 9, 2024 Before You Make That Decision ... Read ThisLYSA TERKEURST  Lee en español "How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word." Psalm 119:9 (NIV) Is there a decision you're wrestling through today? Maybe you're considering a job change, a relationship boundary you need to set, or which events to say "yes" and "no" to this month. Even if it's not one of these things, chances are there is some decision you're praying about, thinking about or anticipating. Here's what I know: The two most powerful words we can say are "yes" and "no." How we use those words not only communicates our decisions but also the intention of our hearts and the direction of our lives. We don't want to overthink every decision we have to make, but we don't want to underthink either. Like Psalm 119:9 instructs us, we can instead bring God into our decisions "by living according to [His] word." So here are a few questions to help you think through your decisions: What will lead you closer to God's best for you instead of detouring away? What decision is supported by the wisdom of trusted friends who lean on God's Word and listen to God's leading? When you ask for advice about this decision, are you withholding any necessary details, hoping other people will agree with you rather than challenge you? When you think about this decision, do you feel more peaceful or panicked? Is this a decision that feels good for today but could have negative long-term consequences? What will this decision cost you, and is it a cost you're willing to pay? Friend, I feel an urgent need to hold your hand and tenderly guide you toward godly wisdom. Sometimes the wise answer won't feel convenient. Sometimes the wise answer won't feel fair or fun. Sometimes the wise answer will require you to trust God patiently and not try to make something happen on your own. But if you and I want to live in the fruitfulness of being wise people, we must choose wisdom over and over in our daily lives. We won't always get this right. In fact, there is no choice that will turn out perfectly in every way. Every decision is a package deal of both good and challenging outcomes. But as long as we seek to please God with our choices, we don't have to be paralyzed by fear about not making the exact right decision. We don't have to be perfect; we just need to be obedient. God's promises are not ultimately dependent on our ability to choose well but rather on His ability to use us well. It's not about you getting every decision right. It's about staying close to God and letting Him lead you through it all. Friend, you can pre-decide right now that no matter what choices seem attractive today, you will go with what most closely aligns with God's Word. Dear Lord, I trust You beyond any fear I have of making the wrong decision. Today, I hand over all my uncertainties to You. Steady my heart as I navigate decisions I have to make. Reveal Yourself to me. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS Our days can feel like an endless string of choices to be made and options to be weighed. And if we're honest, sometimes when our thoughts stop swirling and our feet stop moving, we wonder if we're even getting it right. Are the countless decisions adding up to a life that counts? Introducing our newest study ... Proverbs: Everyday Guidance for Making Everyday Decisions, starting May 27 in the free First 5 mobile app. Click here to get the study guide! ENGAGE Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY Psalm 119:10, "I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands" (NIV). How could you seek the Lord with all your heart in a decision you're trying to make? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments. © 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Before You Make That Decision … Read This –  Encouragement for Today – May 9, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.