thoughts by Gail Rodgers Archives - Page 2 of 16

Published January 13, 2024

Praying the Scripture

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
Used by Permission

A New Year Prayer

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
Used by Permission

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

A Different Kind of Resolution

Published December 30, 2023

A Different Kind of Resolution

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

Restored!

“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
Used by Permission

The Candle of Hope

“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?

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

I Don’t Deserve It

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

“Thine is the Power”

“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

How to Trust God

The radio played as I drove home sifting through the thoughts of my day.

Suddenly a quote caught my attention. I missed who it was credited to but it was good.

“No one is born a winner or loser, but each one is born a chooser”.

“How true,” I thought as I maneuvered through the traffic. I was a chooser…in every area of my life. Oh, I may not always choose my circumstances, but I would always be in charge of choosing my responses to those circumstances.

God gently nudged my heart and I began to think about some of the thoughts I was choosing to entertain about circumstances in my day. He reminded me that a response in life always begins with a thought. Some of my thoughts toward people and circumstances in my day were rather negative, critical and impatient. Left alone these thoughts would surely spiral me down and impact my responses in the same way. The choice was mine. God’s Word came to my mind.

“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5b

God is so good to remind us that we need to take stock of our thoughts. Thoughts are the seeds in our lives that result in actions and responses. We choose to let them stay or to take them captive and throw them out.

I realized the events of the day were sowing seeds in my mind and heart of things I did not want growing in my life. God used that quote on the radio to remind me that I was a chooser. I knew the kind of responses I wanted in my life and these thoughts would not get me there.

God’s Holy Spirit is our helper. He draws us on to be what we, in our own strength, cannot be. He helps us toss aside the seeds that would bear sour fruit if left unattended.

Where are your thoughts today? Be aware of what you are choosing to dwell on from your day or even your yesterday.

Seeds always grow up and bear fruit. Paying attention to what parades through your mind puts you in a pro-active position. Before thoughts of irritation and frustration grow into angry, bitter roots, choose to ask God’s Holy Spirit to help you take those thoughts captive and to respond to your circumstances with His grace and love and His wisdom.

Father God, Thank you that You have equipped me with Your Holy Spirit to live day by day. Today I ask You to help me take captive thoughts that will spiral me down and cause me to react in ways I don’t want to. Help me to remember I am a chooser. Where I have neglected to choose in the past and roots have grown that I wish hadn’t, help me to have wisdom to know now how to weed them out. I look to You today to help me tend the seeds that come into my heart and mind and to choose what I will let grow. Amen. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Question: When do you find it toughest to trust God?

by Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

The Ripples of Your Journey

“…you be an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

I stood on the shore and watched the kids throw rocks into the water. Whole fistfuls of pebbles flew through the air. Each one hit the water with the same result…ripples. Ripples that circled out and intersected with the other ripples, going far beyond the spot where each stone landed.

We are like the pebble. No matter how influential or insignificant we see ourselves, we each send out ripples that circle out further than we ever dream.

Words and deeds of kindness or cruelty, gentleness or abrasiveness, generosity or greed, all ripple out and touch other lives far beyond the boundaries we think they go. Our families, co-workers, neighbors, and even strangers are often touched by an act or a word of ours that we never thought would go that far.

We do influence, we do touch others, even when we are not aware of it. God even reminds us of our ripples…

“…you be an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

As you go through your day today be reminded that you are sending out ripples. You have no idea how far they will go. Ask your Heavenly Father to help you bring His heart of love and grace into your setting and be conscious of the ripples you are sending out.

Heavenly Father, I sometimes forget that I am an influence in the places I walk each day. Help me today to be aware of the ripples I send out with my words and conversations and even with my tones. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit today so that the ripples from my words and actions touch and encircle those around me with strength and encouragement. Help me to be an example of love and faith and purity today because You have placed me in this very spot to bring Your love to the people around me.?In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

Whatever

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17

She passed the coffee order to him with a cheery, “Have a good day!” His tone of annoyance was evident in his reply, “Whatever!”

I was next in line. The girl grimaced as I stepped forward and smiled. We both had taken note of the stagnant answer. I wondered if the young man was counting the days until Friday. Some days can have that effect when life seems to settle into a pattern with little or no expectation of adventure.

Sipping my coffee I read those words from Colossians and thought of the short encounter I had just witnessed:

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

The “whatever!” answer to the coffee girl gets turned on its head by this verse. God Himself asks us to say and do “whatever” as if we are representing Him; as if we are doing or saying it in His name and with a heart of gratitude!

The challenge is intriguing. It’s practical and could be very powerful. Could it actually put a sense of adventure into our days? Could you envision doing your routine, unexciting tasks of this week as a representative of the Almighty God? Could you do them with a grateful heart even when the doing does not particularly inspire you? What if your words were spoken and then you added “and I am saying this in the name of Jesus”. Would it change what you were about to say? Would it impact how you would act?

O Lord, please give me Your wisdom as I do the “whatever” today. Would You help thanksgiving to rise up within me? Thank You that I do not need to be tossed about by the dramatic nor the mundane things going on around me. Help me to do what‘s in front of me, and speak to those around me with the awareness that I am representing You. Change my focus as I fill my mind with Your wisdom. Let peace and joy spill over in this week’s chapter of my story and may others be touched by You, through me, in the “whatever” of my week. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Thought: Make a choice. Today choose to use the mundane, stagnant “whatevers” as a launch pad to change the way you do and say what you do and say. And then give thanks for those mundane tasks and encounters. You just never know where this change of attitude could take you, especially when you invite Jesus to empower those sayings and doings with His strength. There is adventure waiting as you write the chapter in your story this week through a conscious awareness of the “whatever”.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

What’s Going on in Your Heart?

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Have you thought lately about your role as the “gate-keeper” of your heart? You play an active role in what you open the door of your heart to and what seeds you allow in the soil of your mind. What goes on in your heart and mind is not simply thoughts and feelings that come and go at random.

Yes, each one of us plays a role in the guarding of our hearts. Have sour attitudes, harsh words, fear or negativity been too close for comfort lately? God tells us how important it is to tend our hearts — the very well from which our words and attitudes spring. When that role is neglected we will find uninvited emotions and words taking root. With no attention to guarding what goes in, there will also be little attention to what comes out.

Invite God to help you guard the wellspring of your soul today by paying attention what you let settle into your heart and mind. He reminds us how important it is.

Father God, I confess that I have not paid enough attention to what is going on in my heart and mind. I’m sorry for the negative reactions this often causes me to have. Remind me, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, to guard my heart today. Help me to acknowledge what I allow to parade through my thoughts and to choose wisely. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Take the next step here, in allowing the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

The Root System

Sue was pretty happy with her life. She had been telling herself for months that she was really OK. The hurt and pain of the previous months were gone now, or so she thought. Life was settling into routine again and it felt good! She was glad the confusion seemed to have lifted and she could see clearly again. That’s why her response came as such a surprise to her.

Her new boss knew nothing of the past pain of being passed by for that promotion or the lies that had been told about her in order to justify the hurtful decision. It was all just a part of the past now she had thought. Until today, until her boss made a seemingly innocent comment and the hurt and anger welled up with a fresh vengeance that surprised even Sue herself. Some words sprang out, unbidden. Words that did not help her position in her new job. Words that did not leave the Christian testimony Sue so deeply desired to show. A bitter root. Justified perhaps by the storms of life, but nevertheless a root that would continue to fester and spring up in her life if not dealt with.

We all get them! Hurts that go down into the depths of our soul and fester there. God even talks about bitter roots. He says:

“Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.” Hebrews 12:15

If you get bumped in life and find that a bitter root has been disturbed and springs up with in you, take action! When caught by surprise by a root system that you did not think was in your heart, dig it out! Ask God to take the hurt and pain and replace it with His peace.

Some roots get dug out all at once. Other roots go little by little as we begin to recognize their presence and ask for God’s help in dissolving it. Ask Him to reveal to you each time that root gets nudged so you can recognize it and call on His help in ridding your heart of it.

Dear Father, Thank you that you know the habit I have of hanging on to roots that I need to let go of and place in your care. Nudge my heart today to get rid of those old roots of fear, anger and hurt. Help me today to turn each difficult challenge into an opportunity to reach for your strength so that no new roots take hold in my life. Amen.

by Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

Choose Carefully

Do you ever feel like God has not lived up to your expectation in some particular circumstance of your life? Perhaps you have believed… yet nothing has happened. When you feel confused and wondering if God has let you down, you have a choice to make.

You can choose to be offended at God’s seeming silence and disinterest and allow doubt to slip into your heart… or… you can choose to believe God loves you with a lavish love and has your best interest at heart… even when things seem to make no sense to you.

Jesus addressed this very thing. In His words to John the Baptist He says what our hearts still need to hear today…

“Blessed are those who don’t doubt me.” (Matthew 11:6 The Living Bible)

Times come to all of us when God’s activity in our lives seems to make no sense. We wonder at the circumstances we find ourselves in and we may sometimes even feel abandoned by God. We could easily slip into doubting our great God.

Yet God tells us…

He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)

He has lavished His great love on us. (1 John 3:1)

He cares about the burdens we carry and invites us to cast them on Him to carry for us.
(1 Peter 5:7)

He invites us to learn His ways and find rest for our weary and burdened souls.
(Matthew 11:2)

If your heart is heavy today because you feel confused about what God is doing in your life, know that you have a choice to make.

You can let doubt in Him slip in and permeate your soul… or you can let these truths penetrate your heart. Each will bring its own result. Choose carefully.

Jesus promises you will be blessed when you choose to keep trusting Him even when it seems to make no sense. Ask Him to help you keep your fragile faith intact and leave your hand in His. He will be true to His word and you will be blessed as you trust our faithful God.

Father God, Today I call out and ask You to increase my faith. It feels tattered and worn in the confusion of my present circumstance. Help Your truths to penetrate my heart and my mind. Help me as I choose to trust You, my faithful God. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

People!

You are an influencer!

Oh, the world may not follow your fashion sense or tweet your quotes – but in the circle of people you touch, you are an influencer.

In your home, at work, as you go about your business, even on the phone, you have opportunities to make a difference, to influence.

Our words, our tones, our attitudes impact how each encounter plays out through the entire week.

Kindness and courtesy are often overlooked in our busy interactions. Words can push down rather than pull upward even with those close to us. As we hurry to meet deadlines we forget that God actually warns us that in the hustle and bustle of the day our hearts can begin to get hard.

That’s why He tells us to encourage one another daily. It’s not merely a nice suggestion. The God of the Universe, who created us, knows we need each other more than we think. We all need the listening ear that shows care. We all need encouragement. And we need it to keep our hearts from becoming hard in this world of self -focus and “me first”.

“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3: 12 & 13

“O Lord… I don’t particularly look forward to some of the interactions in my week. Please help me to be willing to offer bits of encouragement as I go through my day. Help me hear beyond the words and listen to the hearts, even in the busy passing of information. And Lord, help me to see the encouragement You send my way too. Don’t let me overlook it or minimize it, but capture it and thank You for it. Use it to change my perspective this week as I choose to be an influencer for good. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Today put a higher value on encouragement. Take note of the words and the people who give you a push to something higher. Thank God for that spark of encouragement.

Then be intentional about offering encouragement too. Small acts of kindness can reap big results. You may not always know if you have helped to keep a heart from becoming hardened but the act of encouraging will also guard your own.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

The Wrestling Match

She understood God loved her. She believed He had her best interest at heart. Connie never doubted His goodness. But she never knew there was an enemy of her soul. She never understood she could be armed and ready in her faith to resist him and stand firm. She didn’t understand how to be proactive in her faith, rather than just reactive in her circumstances.

Could this wall she was feeling in her marriage be more than just the seven year itch that people told her was normal? She didn’t like the irritating edges that ran between her and her husband like sandpaper these days. The arguments were so silly yet they seemed to blow out of proportion so fast. It simply wasn’t like them. She asked God for patience every day. Yet the wall seemed to grow.

Then she read it in God’s Word, the Bible. It jumped off the page.

“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:10 & 11

There was a battle going on alright and it was clear that it was not simply between her and her husband. Spiritual forces were at work. God sounded the alarm. He gave His assurance that His mighty power was enough to handle the struggle. He would equip His people.

Connie saw the unusual edginess in her marriage in a new light. When the irritation began to rise within her she breathed a prayer asking God for His mighty power to overcome the powers at work to divide her household. She saw her husband in a different light now, not as her opponent. She silently asked God to pour love for him into her heart. Connie took a stand against the devil’s schemes.

Look around your life. Is there a situation where you find yourself repeatedly struggling with another person? Do you find yourself constantly in a wrestling match which leaves you defeated and deflated? Is the reaction between you out of proportion to the grievance? Know that your enemy is not the other person. Know that the Lord’s mighty power can equip you to rise above the conflict.

Not every argument is a scheme to divide your household… but be aware when you are struggling with another person and ask God to make you strong in His mighty power.

by Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

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

Further Reading

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

Happy New Year!

May God guide us as we face another challenging year!

FURTHER READING

“He restores my soul…” Psalm 23:3

FURTHER READING

“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)

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?

Further Reading

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

Further Reading

Further Reading

The radio played as I drove home sifting through the thoughts of my day.

Further Reading

“…you be an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

Further Reading

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17

Further Reading

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Further Reading

Further Reading

Further Reading

You are an influencer!

Further Reading

Further Reading