Category: <span>thoughts by Gail Rodgers</span>

This wise quote, “Wherever you are, be there.”  (Jim Rohn) is good advice for every day. Our days are busy and there is a lot going on. The temptation to spend our time focusing on tomorrow, or regretting yesterday, will most certainly rob us of the joy of simply living in this moment today!!

Make a conscious effort today to tune in to what is going on around you. Find delight in beauty where you find it. Notice the fresh smells. Slow down and look around with eyes that see. Listen to the unspoken feelings behind words you hear. Take time to care today. Be present in the moment you are in. Delight in it. Today is a gift …. it’s YOUR present.

This is the day that the LORD has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Find the good in today. Take time to experience the moment. Enjoy the blessings. And in moments that may be a challenge, remember God is right beside you offering His strength and love. Share His love with those who touch your life.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

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Finding the Good in Conflict by Bill Strom

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“Love …. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:5


In the busy day-to-day of life it is challenging to keep precious relationships nurtured. It’s important to be intentional in cultivating the relationships we treasure so that they do not erode like sand slipping down the hillside.

God gives us amazing advice about what selfless love can look like.

1 Corinthians 13:5 holds a beautiful nugget for us:

love keeps no record of wrongs”.

Every family finds irritations in one another. None of us are perfect. Yet how we decide, ahead of time, to respond to those irritations will make a world of difference in our families.

We can resent the irritations and eventually the person; we can count them and point them out and nag about them. Or we can choose to polish up the good things we see and hear and put our focus there. We can ask God for growth in patience and gentleness in both our family members and in ourselves.

Thankfulness is heart changing. Choose early to nurture a love that “keeps no record of wrongs” but finds the good and stores up a “record of rights” in your heart toward one another.

A friend of mine began a “record of rights” for her fiancée. She found the written word powerful and sometimes easier to express.  She started the book without telling him and one day, when he was packing for a trip, slipped it into his suitcase.  He found it when he settled into his hotel room and read the whole thing.  They both love this record of rights because it now serves to help them remember those first words and feelings of love and thankfulness and it helps them choose where to focus today.

Father God, Thank you that You promise to grant me the patience and gentleness that I need day to day. Please help me to look with eyes that see the good and respond with love that polishes up the good in my loved ones. When something needs to be addressed, please help me to address it without a spontaneous outburst and with the attitude of building up our relationship.  Today I ask You to help me choose to focus on the “record of rights” rather than on the things that irritate me. Please help this to be my norm long before irritations have a chance to build a wall in my heart. Thank you for Your unconditional love to me. Please supply me with Your perspective and a truly thankful heart today. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Thought: Choose a relationship you treasure and focus on building it up through applying this Scripture to “keep no record of wrongs.” Ask God to show you how to address anything that truly needs to be addressed if your relationship is focusing on the record of wrongs. Talk to a mentor or a trusted friend if you need help in this.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

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FURTHER READING

•  Love – Devotional on Love by Phil Ware

•  Love You. It’s a Gift! – Marriage Tips from Mike Woodard

Understanding the Spirit Filled Life

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Pay attention to your communication cues today. They have power to build up or to tear down. You choose.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” Ephesians 4:29-30a

Disapproval is a deadly thing that can creep into your relationships without you even realizing it. From simple things such as how a child does a task that doesn’t quite meet your expectation, to looks and attitudes of general displeasure with those around you, daily disapproval can wear a relationship down. Over time, disapproval can completely derail it.

Sighing, rolling your eyes, shaking your head, and withdrawing warmth in your own attitude all convey annoyance when your expectations have not been met in the way you think they should be.

People aren’t perfect. There will be times when issues are important to discuss – but at the right time and in the right way. It’s the issues that aren’t so important that often blow into winds of disapproval stemming from simple annoyance or your own need to control.

Let God’s wisdom guide you in being aware of when you are projecting disapproval. It truly is deadly in its quiet erosion. Listen to your words as you interact. Pay attention to what your non-verbal cues are portraying.

Ask God to help you understand the needs of the other person and then to consider those before your own. This is not easy; yet when disapproval has become a cycle in your relationships it needs to be broken. Take the first step and choose to be a builder.

Heavenly Father, Please forgive me for grieving You with the negativity I can too easily portray. Help me to hold my tongue when I want to be accusing, whiny, or defensive. Help me to choose communication, both verbal and by my actions, that build up the relationships I want to cultivate. Help my own defenses to come down as I allow You to work in me to dissolve disapproval in my responses. Thank you that Your power is available to me to choose to be a builder. When issues do need to be addressed please help me to do it in a wise and loving way. Thank you for Your wisdom. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Listen to your words today. Pay attention to the non-verbal cues you are giving. Be honest with yourself and determine to derail disapproval before it derails you.

by Gail Rodgers
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•   What’s the Tone in Your Home These Days? By Gail Rodgers

•  Blessed Obedience – by Idelette McVicker

•   Bitter Hearts – by Doug Lim

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“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.Proverbs 3: 5 & 6


January is a time when we look ahead and plan into a new year. Sometimes the way is exciting and clear. Other times it may be foggy and uncertain.

God’s word gives us sure footing as we stand on the threshold of a new day. Every single morning His call to us is to trust Him with our day. He will direct our paths one step at a time.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
 in all your ways acknowledge Him,
   and He will direct your path.”
Proverbs 3: 5 & 6

These verses go on to encourage us not to be wise in our own eyes and to walk in ways pleasing to God. The promise of this kind of trust even aids our health as confidence in God will even reduce our stress.

Acknowledging Him in every step and every decision is a wise way to live.

Heavenly Father, Today I want to declare my trust in You and in Your divine ability to guide my pathway. When I don’t know which way to turn  I know You can direct me. Forgive me when I do my own best thinking about solutions and directions without acknowledging Your love for me and Your desire to direct me. Right now I do acknowledge that You alone know what is best. You alone can see around each blind corner and You alone can show me just what steps to take. Thank you for Your steadfast love and Your sure direction in my life. I love You, Lord and I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

by Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission


If you prayed this prayer we would love to hear from you . If you would like to know God deeper we can connect you with an email mentor and/or send you some great links.



Further Reading

•  Stepping Into a Personal Revival

•   Cling to the Lord

•  Salvation Explained


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‘Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:12-15


Life is not always easy.

Everyday letters come to this website from those of you walking through complex, confusing, and even tragic things that have unexpectedly imposed themselves on lives with little or no warning. If you find yourself arising to a day that is in turmoil, consider getting dressed for your day according to scripture.

Whenever you don’t know what to do, do this one thing first — clothe yourself with compassion, kindness and humility.

Pull on gentleness, patience and forgiveness. Wrap the cloak of love around them all as you go. (Colossians 3:12-15)

Deliberately put these things on just as you deliberately put on your clothes. Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen and help you.

As you step into the challenges of today clothe yourself first with these characteristics. Be intentional about keeping them in focus. Be specific in asking God’s help to demonstrate them as you walk. It will impact the day of turmoil and help bring God’s peace.

In a day when peace seems impossible this is the first step to having God’s peace rule your heart. Those around you, who share the difficult circumstances, will be steadied by your presence as you dress in the things only God can give in the measure you need today.

Father God, I need Your Spirit to clothe me with a soft heart today. Though things around me may be hard, may I help bring Your presence into the circumstances of today by being dressed with the characteristics Your Holy Spirit can bring to my life. Stir within me a thankful heart and use my presence to help bring Your presence of peace to those around me. I ask this in the strong name of Jesus, Amen.

Question: How do you keep these characteristics of God in focus?

By Gail Rodgers
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Look to the Source of Help – by Max Lucado

• Help for Hard Times – by Bill Bright

Help for Prevailing Problems –  by Max Lucado


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She wept as she told me of the difficulties in their marriage.

They were pulling in different directions and it was destroying them. We talked long into the night.

Jesus talked about this very thing. He said…

Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. Matthew 12:25

This is a serious thought. Stop for a moment and consider if you are a part of any division that is pulling your home, your church, your relationships or even your workplace apart.

If something comes to mind as you read this, ask God to show you new ways in which you can be oil, rather than sandpaper, in that particular situation.

God calls us as believers to respond differently than the world around us. Sometimes we don’t want to be the first one to make the move toward unity. Sometimes our pride gets in the way. Pulling in different directions while in the same home, church or workplace is a sure recipe for ruin.

Today ask the Lord to help you in the situations that threaten to divide and destroy in your circle. Invite Him in to give you wisdom and humility. Lead by example and work toward unity. Ask Him to help you influence divisive situations around you in a way that will build up and not tear down. Ask Him for creative solutions to issues that are unresolved. His desire for you is wholeness and unity and His Holy Spirit can guide you to that. Trust Him today with the divisions in your life. Don’t be a contributor to “a kingdom divided against itself”.

Prayer & reflection:

Father God, Thank you that You have warned us about division. Thank you that today You are reminding me that my house won’t stand if we are divided against one another. Please help me to be part of the solutions and not just part of the problems. Give me Your wisdom and humility and resourcefulness to help us pull in the same direction. Let me model Your way to the world around me. I trust You today to help me work toward unity where I walk. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

by Gail Rodgers
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My Husband No Longer Loves Me and is Going to Leave

Romance – Keeping it Alive

•  Setting a Proper Foundation for Marriage, Family and Life 

Why is my Marriage in a State of Conflict?


 

thoughts by Gail Rodgers Thoughts by Women


Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call to Him.Psalm 4:3


The sharply dressed young people lined the room. They looked fresh, eager and expectant, as they stood ready to step into their new roles. These were the teaching teams for the schools in the villages. They knew they had a unique opportunity to help shape the lives and the future of the children in this corner of Central America.

For two and a half hours I watched them each step forward and declare out loud to one another and to those of us there that they were setting themselves apart this year to be completely dedicated to God in their roles.

Their leaders gathered around each one and prayed earnestly for them. With hands turned upward toward God they received the blessings prayed over them.

With repentant hearts they went to one another to ask for forgiveness in places where relationships were not right. God’s presence was there!

Then they turned and with the others present they gathered around their leaders and prayed for God’s blessing, strength and wisdom for them in the year ahead. I was moved by the depth of sincerity and by the deep awareness of their need for God to be the one who led them into this new school year.

Openly they set themselves apart to be His vessels in this place. I was challenged in my own heart. “Set apart”. What does that look like for you and for me today as we head into this new year?

I thought of Psalm 4:3 where it says,

The Lord has set apart him who is godly for Himself. The Lord will hear when I call unto Him.”

God has set us, as believers, aside for Himself. He calls us to live godly lives in open repentance and forgiveness, in open declaration that we seek Him in all we undertake to accomplish.

As I go about my day this means I will keep my heart open to His Spirit. I will guard my heart attitudes, my thoughts and my schedule as I ask Him what is on His heart for me to do today.

Set apart” for God Himself. “Set apart” to be active in the family business of giving His love away. “Set apart” from the noise of my day to listen to the quiet voice of His Spirit.

Today you and I are “set aside” for the greater purposes of His plans. “Set apart” from the rest of the world to hear and obey His voice in the places our feet go today.

Heavenly Father, thank you for Your divine plans and purposes that are part of my life. Thank you that You have called me to be set apart for You. May I be aware today of being Your vessel. What is on Your heart today, Lord? I present myself to You to be available to step into Your story today. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

What has God set you apart for this year?

by Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

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Willing to Love, Able to Save by Bill Strom

• Cry of the Hungry and Thirsty | A Perspective on Adversity by Lynn Mosher

Differences – by Roy Lessin

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God’s strong hands will hold you on the ride of your life!

The picture is worth a thousand words! The tiny boy sits on the quad. Grandpa knows the thrill of the ride and is eager for the Little One to experience it. Yet the Little One is frightened.  Oblivious to Grandpa’s strong hands holding him, covering him; he doesn’t see the loving face turned down to sooth him. He doesn’t know he is completely safe, completely held securely by his delighted Grandpa.

Each day God invites you to embark on an adventure with Him; to trust Him when you are fearful; to feel the wind of His Spirit in your hair as you go. It may only be a ride around the block to bring loving care; it may be an off-road ride where you trust His loving hands to hold you over the wild hurtles of life.

God’s delight in you is more than sentimental softness. It is God with you! He is so much bigger than you! So stay for the ride; give your fears to the Mighty One and enjoy the adventure. You are safe in God’s hands!

“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.Zephaniah 3:17

Father God, So often I feel like the Little One, afraid of new ventures, loud noises, and unfamiliar places. It is easy to let fear push me back to what is comfortable. Please give me faith today to trust You with my fears; to know You hold me securely and lovingly and that You delight in sharing the adventure with me. Thank you that You are right with me, so mighty and yet so tenderly loving. Give me joy in the journey as I rest in Your hands. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Challenge: Look for some way today to step out in your faith adventure and trust God as you carry His love to someone in your circle of influence.

by Gail Rodgers
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•  The Path of Most Resistance by Daniel Forster

•  God is My Delight by Katherine Kehler

•  The Thrill of Obedience –  by Charles Stanley

 

 

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Prayer for God to continue His work in the hearts of those I love.

I thank my God every time I remember you… being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.I have you in my heart… and this is my prayer:

*that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
*so that you may be able to discern what is best
*and be pure and blameless until the day of Christ
*filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ –
to the glory and praise of God.”

Philippians 1: 3-6 & 7-9

Prayer & reflection

Father God, I thank you for ______________ and for the desire of his heart to follow You. I know there are many distractions in the day-to-day life that could draw his focus away from You. Thank you that You promise to carry on the good work that You have started in his heart and bring it to full completion.

Thank you that, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, You are able to accomplish this in ____________’s heart.

Please help his love for You to grow and draw his heart to Your word. Give him an increasing desire to spend time listening to You through the Scripture and through quiet times in Your presence. May Your word grow in increasing priority to him and may You offer him deep treasures from the times he spends in Your word. Grant him an ever-increasing knowledge and depth of insight that comes from You as he seeks to determine his steps each day.

Father, grant Him discernment by Your Spirit so that he will be able to discern what is best in each and every situation and walk confidently because You are whispering in His ear. May his eyes be open to deception and may His mind be covered with the truth of Your word and the wisdom of Your heart.

Father God, please keep his heart pure and his spirit free from rebellion in any form. Grant him humility and peace in his interactions with others. Grant him wisdom to understand what is happening in the spiritual realm. Help him to keep his heart and mind, his eyes and his lips clean and yielded to You daily.

Fill __________ with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus. As he walks may His heart have a continual “yes Lord” attitude in all he does. May his life bear the fruit of one who is yielded to You. May his prayers be powerful as he allows Your word to abide in his heart. May the thirsty and dying all around find refreshing through his encouragement and his demonstration of Your love.

Please protect him with the covering of Jesus. Thank you that Your angels camp around him as he goes out each day. May Your presence amaze and strengthen him as You accomplish more than he could ask or imagine by the power of Your Spirit in him.

I pray this in the powerful name of Jesus, with thanksgiving, amen.

by Gail Rodgers
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Further Reading

How to Pray

Sample Prayers

Praying with Confidence


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From the Bible comes this beautiful and powerful Prayer of David.

A perfect prayer to write out and keep as a daily prayer throughout 2024.

Psalm 25:4 & 5

Show me your ways, oh LORD,
teach me your paths.

Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long
.”

God CAN be trusted to reveal truth to our hearts, guide our steps and show us the way to go.

All day, every day He can be relied upon to be your God and your Savior in whom you can place your confident expectation.

Happy New Year!

By Gail Rodgers
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Visit our NEW YEAR Section

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/

 

thoughts by Gail Rodgers Thoughts by Women


Kathy thought about the approaching New Year as she filed away the boxes of last year’s paperwork. There were things she would like to do differently in this new year.

Oh, there were the usual things most of her friends were claiming as their New Year’s Resolutions:

•    Lose weight
•    Stop smoking
•    Take more time for relationships
•    Set goals

The list went on. The office was filled with laughter and the prospect of hope for change that a new year would bring.  Yet Kathy knew, in a week or so, the chatter would turn to the broken resolutions and very few of the hoped for changes would become a reality. She wanted something more for her life.

That night Kathy picked up her Bible and read Psalm 25. It was full of hope and an expectation of change that only God could bring to her life. She read it through a couple of times and underlined some verses that seemed to jump off the page, bringing fresh hope to her heart.

Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. Psalm 25:4&5

The second time she read it through it struck her… here was her New Year’s resolution!

This would be the prayer of her heart every day in this New Year. She grabbed a recipe card and wrote out the words, letting them soak into her soul. This was the change she wanted in her life… to keep her focus daily on the path God wanted her to walk in hope and in faith.

Take a little time over the next few days and read through Psalm 25 yourself. Consider reading it every day for a week and ask God to make the promise of hope come alive to your heart. Write verse 4 & 5 on a card or a sticky note and place it where you will see it regularly. Memorize it and let it soak into your soul and change your life.

Father God, Thank you for the promise of hope You bring to my heart and my life. I do lift up my soul and my life to You now. I want to trust in You more fully this year. Tune my ears to hear Your voice more clearly. Teach me Your path and guide me in Your truth. In these changing days I need to discern Your ways for me. Help me to put my hope in You, not just occasionally or when I am in a hard place, but every day all day long. Thank you that You are God, my Savior! I ask this in the strong name of Jesus, amen.

May God guide us as we face another challenging year!

by Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

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FURTHER READING

•   Salvation Explained


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“He restores my soul…” Psalm 23:3

The coffee table was full of nicks and scratches. There were rings on its surface from hot cups being placed there. It looked tired in our living room. I suggested we get rid of it. My husband knows wood and he pointed out how sturdy and strong it actually was. “It just needs restoring”, he said and took it to his workshop. When he brought it back it was lovely. Some of the scratches and rings had not come out completely but the way it was sanded and polished they actually enhanced the piece of furniture. Restored!

God knows our own hearts get nicked and scraped and stained by the weariness of life at times. We carry on and do our best. We bolster our courage and find the good. Yet we get tired, and our souls can get dry and parched. For many, it’s not an unfamiliar feeling now, in these days of Covid, as the landscape of uncertainty prevails.

Psalm 23 is a treasure. A lifeline. Take some time to camp on it today. Google the whole Psalm, or open your Bible, and let the words steep into your soul like tea steeps in a pot.  Do it every day this week. You will feel the remarkable difference in your soul.

    • Find a bit of quiet, a place of solitude and ask God to speak to you.
    • Read it slowly.
    • As you do, let the scratches and nicks in your heart be exposed.
    • Acknowledge the shadows of loss you feel.
    • Thank Him that even in the valleys He is there. He will never leave you nor forsake you.
    • Exchange your fears for fresh confidence that He will lead you in the right paths.
    • He will guide you along the way as you follow Him.
    • Even in the midst of struggle, with the enemies of fear and doubt and anxiety, He promises to give provision for what you need, right now, in this moment, today.
    • As he pours His refreshing over you, your heart can find the stepping stones of joy and thankfulness that will keep you moving forward.
    • His goodness and His mercy will follow you. Stop and offer Him your gratitude in the quiet place.

As you let this Psalm of comfort wash over you, you will find your soul being refreshed. As you return to this oasis, and sit in the quiet of His word over you, your soul will be restored.

Father God, I can feel the parched weariness from all that is going on in our world right now. Help me to take a step to move into a place of quiet. I need You. Speak to my heart and mind as I make a point to sit with You this week and let Psalm 23 restore my soul. Thank you that You desire for me to live in fresh confidence in You, my Good Shepherd, even as I journey through the valleys. In the strong name of Jesus I pray, amen.

By Gail Rodgers
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Broken but Made Beautiful

Beauty out of Brokenness

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“May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)


Christmas is coming! There are loved ones to see, gifts to give, baking to share. We prepare our homes for the celebration. Yet even more important than this outward preparation is the preparation of our heart. The Advent season is a beautiful reminder to prepare our hearts, as we prepare our homes, to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus! Today we light the first of the four candles in the Advent wreath, the candle of Hope.

Is your heart filled with hope? Do you have a confident expectation of your tomorrow? What happens when the road ahead is filled with loss and stress weighs your shoulders down? When confident expectation in life’s tomorrow dwindles, what can you do? How can you walk in hope when you feel hopeless inside?

In one word the answer to confident expectation is “JESUS”…the Jesus of Christmas.

Hope in Jesus comes from more than just a belief that He was once a baby in a manger. This hope in Him has been called “an anchor for the soul”. It is something deep within that secures you through the storms of life. Putting your hope in Jesus will give you these four things.

Hope for Help

We are invited to come to Him and confidently ask for help. Hebrews 4:16 tells us, “to come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

Hope to Overcome

Things that leave one feeling powerless and hopeless come in many forms. With Christ’s strength you can overcome great obstacles, and faith in Jesus gives hope and help to overcome. 1 John 5:4 says, “and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4)

Hope for Power

Sometimes in life we find ourselves with a task that simply looks too big for us. We do not just need a cup of God’s strength added to our own; rather we need His strength in us to do what we need to do. He will give it! 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Seeing our weakness as the entry point of God’s strength gives access to His power!

Hope for Eternity

When we put our faith and hope in Jesus, it not only gives us help, strength and power where we walk today but it also gives us hope for life after death. It is a confident expectation of the ultimate “tomorrow”.

The God of Hope sent His son to be our Savior. He is only one prayer away. If you want the confident expectation of His strength and wisdom in your today and His help and hope for your tomorrow, you need only ask. Just tell Him…

Dear God, I have gone my own way and have put my hope in so many things that have disappointed me. Thank you that you sent Jesus, that first Christmas long ago, to be my Savior. I believe He came for me. Forgive me and come into my life today. Show me how to live in the confident expectation of how You can impact my life, my character and my circumstances. I place my hope in You right now and ask You to make Yourself known to me in my life right where I walk. I thank you. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen

How do you feel going into this Christmas season? Excited? Scared? Joyful? Lonely? Worried or delighted? How will you invite God’s hope into your situation?

How do you feel going into this Christmas season? Excited? Scared? Joyful? Lonely? Worried or delighted? How will you invite God’s hope into your situation?

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission


If you prayed this prayer we would love to hear from you . If you would like to know God deeper we can connect you with an email mentor and/or send you some great links.



Further Reading

•  Christmas Articles

•  Christmas Prayers

•  Christmas Quotes


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thoughts by Gail Rodgers Thoughts by Women


A tear glistened in the corner of her eye. She had never been told God’s love was for her personally.

Oh how she wanted to believe God loved her. But she felt she had no right to ask Him anything. She had never acknowledged Him before. And life had been hard. Choices of others and her own choices had left deep pain and scars on her heart. Oh, very few knew and she held it all together in an amazing way. But she knew it was often by a thin thread… and she longed to feel that love and acceptance by God; that peace. But she felt so undeserving… so separated from His love. She didn’t know God’s Word, the Bible, actually addressed that very feeling. It told her that nothing could separate her from God’s love.
It was for her too!!

Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:39

Do you feel separated from God’s love? No matter what has happened in your life up to this moment, remember that there is no dimension, no action, no power, no place out of His reach; there is nothing that is a barrier to God’s love for you. Believe it. It is the first step to understanding who you really are. It is the first step to hope and to healing. Believe it! Hear Him call your name!

Prayer:
Father in Heaven, Thank you that you love me! Thank you that you have seen my life from the beginning to this very moment and there is nothing hidden from you. Through all the good days and all the bad days you have been there, loving me and waiting for me to accept your love. No matter how unworthy I feel today, help me to believe that nothing separates me from your love. Help me to grow in understanding your love and learn to accept myself as loved by You! Teach me to see myself as you see me! In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•  There is Nothing Beyond Your Reach – by Mark Doyle

•  HE IS! – a powerful poem about God

The Gift of Forgiveness – by John William Smith


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thoughts by Gail Rodgers Thoughts by Women


I pray that the eyes of your heart may be opened in order that you may know … His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion and every title that can be given…” Ephesians 1:18-23


It’s easy to lose sight of the power that is our God’s as we watch the evening news and manage day to day life. Yet “Thine is the power”, holds as true today as it did when Jesus’ took that step out of the grave! His power over the rulers and authorities in the spiritual realm is real. We can participate in that power because of the presence of His Spirit in our lives as believers.

“…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Acts 1:6-8

The despair that draws the life out of us is in direct contrast to the mighty power of God which can pour life into us. Our spiritual eyes need to be open so we can see God’s mighty power at work around us. His power works to bring life where it seems to be ebbing away. Resurrection power is the heritage of the believer!

God’s transforming power flows into us when we open our lives to Him. He reorders our lives by His power and for His glory. When we feel powerless in situations that seem impossible, we can ask God to break through the darkness with His power to intervene and move what is required…because the power belongs to Him!

Dear Father in Heaven, Thank you that all power in Heaven and in Earth belongs to You. We often feel powerless as we look around our world. Increase our faith to ask for You to intervene with Your power to transform situations and lives, so that Your glory and Your love is broadcast to those around us. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

by Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

• Transform My Heart –  by Phil Ware

Being Transformed – by Kathy Cheek

Be Transformed by Sherry Yarger


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thoughts by Gail Rodgers Thoughts by Women