A Prayer for When the Hurt Is HeavyBy Christine Perry "From the end of the earth I will cry to You‚ When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I." Psalm 61:2 NKJV I don't know what is going on in your life‚ but I do know that no one goes through life unscathed. Some of my darkest and heaviest moments were moments of loss - the loss of a dream job‚ the loss of a relationship‚ the loss of family members. The Lord does not promise an easy life. In fact‚ in John 16:33‚ Jesus said‚ "These things I have spoken to you‚ that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer‚ I have overcome the world.” But where do we go when our hearts are heavy? Did you see the first part of John 16:33? It says‚ "that in Me you may have peace." Deuteronomy 33:27 says‚ "The eternal God is your refuge‚ and underneath are the everlasting arms...” Although we may wrestle with why God has allowed certain things to take place‚ He offers Himself as a refuge. He is not scared or unprepared for your questions‚ tears‚ or anger. His hands are strong enough to hold us when we are falling apart. I want to encourage you to do what David did and wrote about in Psalm 62:8‚ “Trust in Him at all times‚ you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." Pour out your heart and your hurt to God. And when You are struggling to trust Him‚ like we all do‚ ask Him to help you trust Him. 2 Timothy 2:13 says‚ "If we are faithless‚ He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." If you find yourself struggling to pray today‚ I understand. Life hurts. It sometimes leaves us incapacitated and speechless. I want to encourage you that God never stops working. John 5:17 says‚ "In his defense Jesus said to them‚ ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day‚ and I too am working.'" And God does restore and heal. I want to pray for you‚ even if you cannot join me. I want you to know you are not alone. Let's pray: Dear Heavenly Father‚I pray for my brothers and sisters who read this prayer today. Father‚ You see exactly what they’ve gone through and what they’re currently going through. You also see their hearts and the hurts they are carrying. Father‚ You made our hearts‚ and You know how to heal them. Father‚ I pray that You would give them the strength to pour their heart out to You. Help them to trust that You still work all things together for good and that this is not the end of their stories. Father‚ please remind them that You will help us‚ sustain us‚ and uphold us with Your righteous right hand. Remind us that we are never out of your sight. Please remind us that You have not forgotten us and that our names are engraved in the palm of Your hand. Father‚ I ask that You help us come to You with all the hurt in our hearts. I pray that when we don’t have the words to pray‚ Your Spirit will make intercession for us. God‚ we need You. I ask that You will carry us and all our hurts when it gets too heavy. I pray that You would heal the hurt and strengthen the hearts reading this prayer today. Lord‚ I know You love us‚ and You are for us. Please remind us of this truth when we have forgotten it. Would You also give us a tangible reminder of this today? Please pick us up when we have fallen or been knocked down by life. Please also hold us close when we try to run away. Allow us to have the strength to wrestle through things in our hearts with you. You are our Father‚ and You know exactly what we need. Please be our refuge and our very present help in time of need. Thank You for hearing our prayers and being a good Father‚ even when we doubt it. You are good‚ and You do good. Thank You.I pray all this in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus. Amen! Photo credit: Unsplash/Anh Nguyen Christine is just a lady who was given the gift of being raised in an incredible family. For reasons unknown to her‚ God has blessed her with an amazing life full of beautiful friendships‚ remarkable experiences‚ and a love from Him that is completely underserved. She desires to encourage others and share hope as we journey through the highs and lows of life. Christine is the author of How I Met Peace and For the Weary Life Traveler‚ a 31-day devotional. Check out more of Christine’s work at her website:  Learning to be fearless and her Patreon. 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 When the Hurt Is Heavy – Your Daily Prayer – March 13 appeared first on GodUpdates.

March 13‚ 2024 Living With Unmet LongingRACHEL MILLER  Lee en español "Jesus replied‚ ‘Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh‚ bubbling spring within them‚ giving them eternal life.'" John 4:13-14 (NLT) Picture this: Jesus has just finished a long hike through a hot desert. He arrives at an unfamiliar town and sits down by a well. A woman approaches‚ alone‚ to draw water. He asks her for a drink. As Jesus often does‚ He takes an everyday experience and turns it to reveal a deeper truth. Just as our bodies communicate our needs through physical sensations like thirst‚ our desires alert us to spiritual and emotional needs. Fear is meant to drive us to security. Loneliness is meant to drive us to connection. The woman Jesus met in John 4 had many "soul needs." She had zero friends‚ had been through five marriages‚ and her current "boyfriend" wouldn't commit to her (John 4:17-18). Like this woman‚ you and I know the pain of living with unmet longing. Maybe you've been single longer than you'd like‚ and you're afraid you'll end up alone (this was my story!). Maybe you've always wanted to have kids‚ and it feels like time is running out - I've been there too. Or maybe you're tired of asking God for physical healing‚ or you've given up on your dream career. But no matter how hard you try to ignore the desire‚ it won't go away. This is no accident. God designed us for companionship‚ purpose and abundant life. Our longings reveal the architecture of our souls. And yet one of the realities of living in a broken‚ sinful world is that our hopes and dreams are not guaranteed to happen - or to happen when we want. Jesus knows unmet longing is often a tension to live with‚ not always a problem to solve. He highlights our physical cravings by saying‚ "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again" (John 4:13). He also knows we have spiritual "thirsts." And He offers us a life-changing‚ radical solution: living water‚ a source of joy that will satisfy the deepest cravings of our souls. "‘But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh‚ bubbling spring within them‚ giving them eternal life'" (John 4:14). In John 7:37-39‚ Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as "living water." Simply put‚ God gives Himself to us. He gives us His companionship‚ His peace‚ His acceptance‚ His steadfast love. Yes‚ His gifts are good. But our infinite longings can only be satisfied by relationship with the infinite God Himself. If you're living in the tension of unfulfilled desires‚ I hope God grants your heart's longings. But even better‚ may this chapter of your story forge unshakeable faith in the God who waits for you by the well. May even your greatest disappointment become the deepest point of connection with your Savior. God‚ You know my hopes‚ dreams and disappointments. I have deep needs only You can meet. Please forgive me for putting my confidence in Your gifts instead of in You‚ the Giver. Help me know that You see me. In Jesus' Name‚ Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS If you or a loved one is in a long season of waiting‚ get a copy of Rachel Miller's new book‚ When It Hurts to Hope: Honest Conversations about Living with Unmet Longing. ENGAGE God wants to hear from you! Start having honest conversations with Him by downloading Rachel's free "Prayer Guide for Unmet Longing." You can also connect with Rachel on Instagram at @rachel.s.miller! FOR DEEPER STUDY Proverbs 13:12‚ "Hope deferred makes the heart sick‚ but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life" (NIV). What are a few symptoms that you're feeling heartsick because of a delayed dream? What is one step you can take today to experience "a longing fulfilled" (Proverbs 13:12)? Share your thoughts with us in the comments! © 2024 by Rachel Miller. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews‚ NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Living With Unmet Longing –  Encouragement for Today – March 13‚ 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

In what’s being called a “landmark decision‚” NHS England announced it will no longer prescribe puberty blockers to individuals under age 18 in England at gender identity clinics. “Puberty blockers aka sterilization drugs will no longer be prescribed to children in Britain‚ due to potentially severe negative effects‚” Elon Musk wrote. WATCH: Puberty blockers aka sterilization drugs will no longer be prescribed to children in Britain‚ due to potentially severe negative effects pic.twitter.com/koqS21tTjk — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 12‚ 2024 The decision comes after a review found there was “not enough evidence” they are safe or effective. Just in: Children will no longer be prescribed puberty blockers at gender identity clinics. NHS England has confirmed pic.twitter.com/O8P8NuhcgH — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) March 12‚ 2024 The Guardian reports: The government welcomed NHS England’s “landmark decision”‚ which it said was “in the best interests of children”. NHS England made the announcement in response to the results of a public consultation on the ban‚ which it first proposed last June‚ and a review of available evidence by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice). A spokesperson said: “NHS England has carefully considered the evidence review conducted by NICE and further published evidence available to date. “We have concluded that there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty suppressing hormones to make the treatment routinely available at this time.” “England’s National Health Service (NHS) has BANNED puberty blockers for kids because they lack evidence to support the safety and clinical effectiveness. This is a massive win for both child safety and sign that sanity may return‚” Robby Starbuck said. England’s National Health Service (NHS) has BANNED puberty blockers for kids because they lack evidence to support the safety and clinical effectiveness. This is a massive win for both child safety and sign that sanity may return. Our film‚ The War On Children exposes just how… pic.twitter.com/ZOkvRPSUky — Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) March 13‚ 2024 “England just banned puberty blockers in minors – because gender dysphoria is a mental health disorder. Affirming a kid’s confusion isn’t compassion. It’s cruelty. Truth &; compassion aren’t in tension‚ they actually go together‚” Vivek Ramaswamy commented. WATCH: England just banned puberty blockers in minors – because gender dysphoria is a mental health disorder. Affirming a kid’s confusion isn’t compassion. It’s cruelty. Truth &; compassion aren’t in tension‚ they actually go together. pic.twitter.com/oleGCU9VoD — Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) March 12‚ 2024 From BBC: An interim report from the review‚ published in 2022 by Dr Hilary Cass‚ had earlier found there were “gaps in evidence” around the drugs and called for a transformation in the model of care for children with gender-related distress. Dr Cass’s review follows a sharp rise in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service (Gids)‚ run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust‚ which saw an increase from 250 per year to over 5‚000 in 2022. Puberty supressing hormones – more commonly known as puberty blockers – work by suppressing the release of hormones that cause puberty and are often prescribed to children questioning their gender as a way of stopping physical changes such as breast development or facial hair. Fewer than 100 young people in England are currently prescribed puberty blockers by the NHS. They will all able to continue their treatment. NHS England held a public consultation on their usage and last year introduced an interim policy which stated they should only be given as part of research trials or in “exceptional circumstances”.

This article originally appeared on WND.com Guest by post by Bob Unruh  Already held for more than 4 years Nigeria has established‚ over many years‚ a solid reputation for allowing its Islamic radicals to persecute Christians through kidnapping‚ assault‚ torture and murder. A report not that long ago from Catholic News confirmed Islamist militants over the last decade or more have killed “at least 52‚520 Nigerian Christians.” The violence is carried out by the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency‚ which targets Christians and faces little pushback from the government there. That report also noted that over the same time period‚ 18‚000 churches were set on fire‚ and 2‚200 Christian schools were burned. Government officials and structures‚ including the courts‚ often are complicit‚ through the decisions they make regarding the violence‚ and now a new strategy is being uncovered: a campaign to take Christian children from orphanages and indoctrinate them into Islam. The report comes from International Christian Concern. It has just reported that 16 Christian children from Du Merci Orphanage were taken into government custody and have been ordered to remain there. The case dates to 2019 when Nigerian officials raided the Christian orphanage and police officers from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) confiscated 29 children and moved them to government-run facilities. “While in government custody‚ authorities split the children up‚ including siblings‚ and forced them to recite Arabic‚ study Islam‚ and attend prayers in a mosque. Since the children had Christian names‚ authorities reassigned them Muslim names‚” the report explains. The orphanage director‚ Solomon Tarfa‚ has been fighting the government abductions since they happened‚ and has defeated government accusations of kidnapping and abduction that authorities leveled against him as part of their attack. The latest anti-Christian court decision came from the Kano State High Court‚ where a judge said he has “too many cases” that are more important. He ordered the orphanage officials and government officials to reach a settlement outside of court. Tarfa actually was jailed for an extended period on a government charge that a document he got from the government itself was fake‚ then an appeals court acquitted him of all charges. The report explained many of the children who arrived at Du Merci are through a friend of Tarfa‚ a doctor who is asked to perform abortions. “The doctor refers these women to Du Merci‚ who offers to take the children and allow the mother to reclaim custody later if she chooses to do so‚” the report said. Tarfa continues to insist on freedom for the 16 children remaining in government indoctrination as well as reparations for the damage by government officials‚ including the total destruction of the orphanage building. Copyright 2024 WND News Center

The Illinois Capitol Building was placed on lockdown Tuesday afternoon due to an alleged gun threat. “The Illinois Secretary of State Police received notice of a threat involving the Illinois Capitol Building. Out of an abundance of caution‚ the Illinois Secretary of State Police issued a lockdown order and are currently conducting a sweep of the building‚” Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said. NOTICE: The Illinois Secretary of State Police received notice of a threat involving the Illinois Capitol Building. Out of an abundance of caution‚ the Illinois Secretary of State Police issued a lockdown order and are currently conducting a sweep of the building. pic.twitter.com/BF6JO0HR4i — Secretary Alexi Giannoulias (@ILSecOfState) March 12‚ 2024 The building was given the “all-clear” around one hour later. #Update: All-clear! https://t.co/ujpRESocTW — BlueRoomStream (@BlueRoomStream) March 12‚ 2024 Daily Mail reports: Local news station WICS reported that the lockdown was lifted shortly after. Photos show police cars surrounded the building while they conducted a sweep. Illinois lobbyist Dan Johnson said on X he is inside the building‚ ‘I’m locked in a legislative office in the Illinois Capitol complex while there is a building lockdown from someone calling in a threat with a gun.’ Lieutenant Governor of Illinois Juliana Stratton said‚ ‘I am on-site at the Illinois State Capitol and just witnessed firsthand the bravery and expertise of the first responders on the scene.’ The lockdown has since been lifted after it was discovered to have been a false alarm. There were no reports of any injuries and investigators have declined to provide further details of what triggered the initial threat. Illinois Capitol building is placed on lockdown over 'gun threat' https://t.co/bdd7xFd8IL pic.twitter.com/Of23H8E308 — Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) March 12‚ 2024 “The Illinois State Capitol Building is no longer under lockdown. Thank you to our Illinois Secretary of State Police for their quick response today. Our first responders go above and beyond to keep us all safe with their bravery and service. That’s Illinois strong‚” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said. The Illinois State Capitol Building is no longer under lockdown. Thank you to our Illinois Secretary of State Police for their quick response today. Our first responders go above and beyond to keep us all safe with their bravery and service. That’s Illinois strong. — Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) March 12‚ 2024 WATCH:

Donald Trump on Tuesday secured enough delegates to clinch the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. In a late-night update‚ The Hill reported that Trump had 1‚221 delegates. 1‚215 are needed to win the nomination. Breaking News: Donald Trump has won enough delegates needed to clinch the 2024 Republican Presidential nomination. pic.twitter.com/gxaBLzYGDA — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) March 13‚ 2024 #BREAKING: President Trump has now received enough votes to OFFICIALLY clinch the GOP nomination for President of the United States LET’S DO THIS! pic.twitter.com/ypgDGmagDR — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 13‚ 2024 The Hill reports: Trump is expected to notch at least 1‚215 delegates — the minimum number needed to secure the Republican nod. Ahead of the Tuesday primaries‚ Trump had been awarded 1‚077 delegates‚ according to DDHQ‚ meaning that he needed at least 138 delegates. Between the Georgia‚ Hawaii‚ Mississippi and Washington state GOP nominating contests‚ there were 161 delegates up for grabs. Though Trump wasn’t expected to face any serious primary challenge on Tuesday given that rival Nikki Haley had dropped out of the GOP primary last week‚ it was unclear if the former U.N. ambassador would continue to pick up votes as a form of protest to Trump. The Tuesday primaries also capped off one of the least surprising Republican presidential contests. Despite the fact that a crowded field of GOP candidates ran against the former president for the nomination‚ all but two — Trump and Haley — remained by the time of the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23. Trump secured victory in the Georgia GOP primary. JUST IN: President Trump Wins Georgia Primary pic.twitter.com/2sLcPSEw41 — Matt Couch (@RealMattCouch) March 12‚ 2024 And Mississippi: Trump wins Mississippi Primary pic.twitter.com/Hwb99c3Wkr — The_Badged_Patriot (@Badged_Patriot) March 13‚ 2024 And Washington: BREAKING: Trump Wins Washington State Primary‚ Clinching GOP Nomination for 2024 via @gatewaypundit https://t.co/CLynEy89Bl — The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) March 13‚ 2024 Trump is expected to also win Hawaii: President Trump will likely secure the final delegates needed to officially become the GOP Nominee tonight after Hawaii and Washington results come in. Quite poetic that @realDonaldTrump will clinch the delegates needed to win the GOP primary today — on my birthday! MAGA!!! — Alex Bruesewitz (@alexbruesewitz) March 13‚ 2024 Donald Trump issued this message after securing the GOP presidential nomination: A Message from President @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/8MUs8b448D — Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) March 13‚ 2024 Joe Biden clinched the 2024 Democrat presidential nomination‚ setting up a rematch of the 2020 election. BREAKING: Joe Biden and Donald Trump win Mississippi presidential primaries. Biden earned the 2024 Democratic nomination‚ while Trump is on pace to secure the Republican nomination. https://t.co/8gVDHoZbVE — The Associated Press (@AP) March 13‚ 2024 Per NBC News: Former President Donald Trump has secured enough delegates to seal the Republican presidential nomination‚ NBC News projects‚ setting up a 2024 rematch with President Joe Biden‚ who clinched the Democratic nomination earlier Tuesday night. Trump came into Tuesday’s contests in Georgia‚ Hawaii‚ Mississippi and Washington as the presumptive nominee after vanquishing all his primary opponents‚ while Biden faced little opposition in his primary. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley ended her bid for the Republican nomination last week after winning just one state on Super Tuesday. Trump’s projected victories Tuesday night pushed him over the 1‚215 delegate mark — the “magic number” needed for a majority at the GOP’s July convention in Milwaukee. Those delegates will be bound by party rules to support him‚ even as he faces looming court cases in four separate indictments. The general election starts with Biden seeing his favorability dip below 40% in a spate of recent polls‚ below Trump‚ who also remains unpopular. While Biden ran ahead of Trump in virtually every major poll in 2020‚ recent polls have shown the race virtually tied‚ or with Trump holding a slight edge‚ with voters raising concerns about Biden’s age and Trump’s legal woes.

Historical Events 483 - St Felix III begins his reign as Catholic Pope 1878 - Oxford University defeats Cambridge University in their 1st golf match 1964 - Turkey threatens Cyprus with armed attack 2012 - 28 people‚ including 22 children‚ are killed in a motorway bus crash near Sierre‚ Switzerland 2013 - Argentine Catholic Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (76) is elected the new pope‚ taking the papal name Pope Francis 2022 - 75th BAFTA awards: Best Film "The Power of the Dog"‚ Best Director Jane Campion‚ acting awards Joanna Scanlan‚ Will Smith More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1870 - Albert Meyer‚ Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1929-38)‚ born in Fällanden‚ Switzerland (d. 1953) 1906 - Frank Teschemacher‚ American jazz clarinetist and alto-saxophonist‚ born in Kansas City‚ Missouri (d. 1932) 1914 - Bob Haggart‚ American dixieland‚ swing jazz‚ and session double bass player‚ and composer ("What's New?")‚ born in New York City (d. 1998) 1929 - Bill Cunningham‚ American fashion photographer (New York Times)‚ born in Boston‚ Massachusetts (d. 2016) 1937 - Terence "Terry" Cox‚ British drummer (Pentangle; Duffy's Nucleus; Humblebums; Charles Aznavour)‚ born in High Wycombe‚ Buckinghamshire‚ England 1940 - Candi [Canzetta Maria] Staton‚ American gospel singer ("Young Hearts Run Free")‚ born in Hanceville‚ Alabama More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1271 - Henry of Almain‚ English crusader (b. 1235) 1911 - John J. Toffey‚ American Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient (b. 1844) 1973 - Stacy Harris‚ Canadian born actor (NOPD‚ Doorway to Danger)‚ dies at 54 1987 - Gerald Moore‚ English pianist (Am I Too Loud)‚ dies at 87 2001 - John A. Alonzo‚ American cinematographer (pioneered handheld work‚ lighting techniques and HD video development)‚ dies at 66 2016 - Hilary Putnam‚ American philosopher‚ dies at 89 More Famous Deaths »

A Tennessee elementary school teacher arrested in September 2023 on charges of raping a 12-year-old boy is now facing a 23-count indictment for grooming at least 21 more children‚ according to police. Alissa McCommon‚ a [...] The post Married 4th Grade Teacher Pregnant By Student Charged With Grooming 21 More Children appeared first on The People's Voice.

Kate Middleton’s life is in “grave danger” following unexpected complications following surgery earlier this year and the royal family’s decision to put her in a medically induced coma‚ according to a member of Prince William’s [...] The post Palace Aide Admits Royals Placed Kate Middleton In ‘Medically Induced Coma’ appeared first on The People's Voice.