Blog Archives - Bible Inspired

Sincere Love

8/31/2020

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." -Romans 12:9 (NIV)

It is easy to talk about what we believe or what we want to do. However, it takes more effort to live out these beliefs. We can say we love everyone, but is it sincere? Do we live in a way that shows this love?

God is love and we can experience and show love because of Him. We are called to live for God. As Billy Graham said, "We aren't only called to become Christians; we are also called to be Christians." We need to be sincere in our love of God and love of others. We need to hate evil and hold on to God's goodness. This should just be in our words, but throughout our lives!

Be sincere in loving God and then sharing His love with others in your actions!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love. Help me to be sincere in my love for You and for others. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Never Lost or Abandoned!

8/30/2020

"But in Your great mercy You did not put an end to them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and merciful God." -Nehemiah 9:31 (NIV)

Sometimes we feel lost and alone. When we have these feelings, we can choose to be filled with despair or we can see them as opportunities. God is there with us, so what do we choose?

When we feel lost and alone, we should choose to seek God. God is with us and He is gracious and merciful. He will not abandon us. Anytime or anywhere, we can talk to God in prayer and we can listen for His response. We can find comfort in His grace and mercy and we can move from despair to confidence and joy in Him!

When feeling lost or abandoned, turn to God because He is there with grace and mercy for you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for never losing or abandoning me. Help me to always turn to You and know that You are with me. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Refreshed & Revived!

8/29/2020

"I spread out my hands to You; I thirst for You like a parched land." -Psalm 143:6 (NIV)

Where I live we had a wet spring, but during the summer it has been dry. The grass is brown and crunchy and the plants in the garden begin to droop in between watering. Like the psalmist says, the land is parched and waiting for a beneficial rain!

There are times when our souls feel parched. When we feel like we are becoming shriveled, brown, and crunchy. We may feel our spirits drooping under the weight of whatever we are struggling with in our lives. It is during these times that we need to take heart, have faith, and call out to the Lord. We need to spread our hands and, more importantly open our hearts. After we call on God, we need to allow Him into our lives and trust in His power. Only He can quench the thirst in our souls. He will refresh us, revive us, and bring us through our lowest, driest times!

When feeling low and parched, call on God and allow Him to quench your thirst and revive you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being with me and for quenching the thirst that is in my soul. Help me to trust in You and Your power in my life. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Not Always Easy...

8/28/2020

"Turn my heart toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain." -Psalm 119:36 (NIV)

When we make decisions, we often have a tendency to focus on ourselves. What would be best for us, for our families, for the people we know and care about? Basing a decision on these factors may be easy, but it may, at times, also be selfish. Sometimes we need to do what doesn't come as easily.

God calls us to love and care for those around us, even if those around us do not always show us love and care. It can be hard to be loving and generous in the face of unkind behaviors, but we cannot share God's love if we respond with the same unkind words or actions. Instead, we need to talk to God and ask Him to make our hearts like His, to help us fulfill our calling. When we talk to and trust in God, He can help us do the right thing, even if it is not always the easy thing!

Talk to God so your heart is ready to do the right thing, even if it is not easy!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and strength. Help my heart to always be centered on You and Your will. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Believe, Proclaim, & Act!

8/27/2020

"For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." -Romans 10:10 (NIV)

People can claim almost anything. We can say we are committed to certain causes or believing in certain things, but we need to do more than just talk. We need to believe, proclaim, and act!

If we are to believe and be believable, we need to start with our hearts. We need to allow God to fill our hearts. As we experience God in our hearts, we can proclaim what He does in our lives. We can tell others with the words we speak, but we also need to show God's presence in our actions. We can believe in our hearts, proclaim with our mouths, and then show it in our actions!

Believe with your heart. Proclaim God's glory in your words, Show God's presence in your actions!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for filling my heart and life. Help me to show Your presence through my actions. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Rest in Him!

8/26/2020

"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety." -Psalm 4:8 (NIV)

A peaceful night's sleep can help us feel and perform at our best. However, a lack of peace sometimes keeps us from getting a good night's sleep. We need rest for our bodies, but we also need peace. Fortunately, there is a place to find both!

When we are stressed and distraught, we need to find peace. When we cannot find sleep, we may search for peace to help us calm down and rest our minds and bodies. We can search for peace, but we will not find true peace in this world. To find a peace that will give us rest, we need to go to God. By talking with God, listening to Him, and trusting in Him, we can find the peace that goes beyond anything this world could ever give us. God's peace can allow us to rest in Him now and forever!

Find peace and rest in a relationship with God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the peace that You give. Help me to trust in You and to find rest that restores my body and soul. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Look for It, Share It!

8/25/2020

"The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love." -Psalm 33:5 (NIV)

Watching the news can be depressing. The more we watch, the more we may doubt the world around us. We may be hard-pressed to see true righteousness and justice. Yet, we know God is love and that He is in the world!

No matter how hard we may think it is to find, righteousness, justice, and love are in the world. We can try to find these things on our own. However, it is easier to see them when we are talking to and listening to God. We may want to watch the news to be informed, but we need to be sure we are talking time with God. When we walk with and talk to God, we can learn and experience righteousness, justice, and unfailing love. As we know God, we can spread His love and help people experience righteousness and justice through God. We can look for it and then share it!

Know God. Know His righteousness, justice, and love and then share it with the world!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your righteousness, justice, and love in the world. Help me to see You and spread Your love, righteousness, and justice throughout the world. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Tip of My Tongue!

8/24/2020

"Before a word is on my tongue You, Lord, know it completely." -Psalm 139:4 (NIV)

There are times when there's something I want to say, but the words just won't come. I know what I want to say or the words are on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't get them to come out the right way. Fortunately, when we go to God, we don't need the perfect words!

We should go to God. We should talk to Him through prayer. Even if we don't have the perfect words, the right questions, well-formulated plans, or coherent requests, God knows us. He knows what we want to say. More importantly, He knows what we need. Even though the words may be on the tips of our tongues, God already knows our hearts, thoughts, and needs. We just need to trust Him!

God knows what is on the tip of your tongue. Trust His response!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for knowing me and wanting what is best for me. Help me to always trust You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Spread the Good News!

8/23/2020

"Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." -Romans 12:11 (ESV)

One of my daughter's favorite animals is the sloth. We have seen sloths up close and have learned about their habits. The sloth spends much of its time in the trees, moving slowly. When we serve the Lord, we don't want to be slothful!

When we are serving God, we don't want to "stay up in the trees." We cannot say in the church building and expect to reach the world. We need to meet people where they are at in order to share the Good News! We also cannot move slowly in our service. We do not know when Christ will return, so we should not wait tto help others find salvation. We need to be on fire for God, spreading His Good News of salvation throughout the world!

Be fervent and on fire for God and don't wait to spread the Good News!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for saving me. Help me to know when, where, and how to spread Your Good News! In Jesus I pray, amen.

Thanks & Praise!

8/22/2020

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name!" -Psalm 100:4 (ESV)

We face a lot of different things throughout our lives. The year 2020 has presented many challenges for a lot of people. We can choose to dwell on our challenges or we can look for the blessings that God has provided.

In the midst of everything going on in the world, God still blesses us. Because He is in our lives, loving us, and helping us, we should continually give thanks and praise to God! We should praise Him for the simple things that we may take for granted. We should praise God for the miracles He performs. Through it all, we should give thanks and praise to God!

No matter what you face, look for God's blessings and give thanks and praise to Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all that You give me in my life. All thanks and praise to You! In Jesus I pray, amen.

Get Close!

8/21/2020

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." -James 4:8 (ESV)

Over the past several months we have been encouraged to keep some distance between us. Even though there may be distance between us, we have likely found different ways to connect. We may have also taken more time to get closer to and connect with the One that we should never distance from: God!

God is always with us and we never have to keep our distance from Him. We can pray to Him any time, in any place. We do not have to stop praying and we do not need to move farther away. In fact, we need to be closer to Him all the time. We can get closer as we repent and accept the forgiveness He offers through His Son, Jesus Christ. We can get close and stay close to God through any and every thing that we face!

Repent, accept forgiveness, and get closer to God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being here and allowing me to get closer to You. Forgive me and draw me nearer to You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Pray and Stay

8/20/2020

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." -Matthew 26:41 (NIV)

There are a lot of things that I would like to accomplish. Even though I try to do as much as I can, there are times when I get distracted or am off task. The temptation to take a break and play a game or look at social media can get me off track. We may be tempted and get distracted in many areas of our lives, but we need to pray and stay the course!

God knows that we are imperfect and that we will give in to temptation. However, He is also willing to help us stay on track. To be ready for whatever distractions or temptations come our way, we need to pray to God and listen to His direction in our lives. We should find God's plan and then rely on Him to help us stay the course and follow His will. When we pray to God and then stay on His path, we will find blessings and eternity with Him!

Pray to God and listen so you can stay on the path He has prepared for you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for preparing a path for me and for always being ready to help me along it. Help me to listen to You and to stay on Your path no matter what distraction or temptation comes my way. In Jesus I pray, amen.

With Faith

8/19/2020

"For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'" -Romans 1:17 (NIV)

It is impossible for us to see the future. Many of the assumptions and plans we make now will turn out to be incorrect. As we search for ways to move forward in our lives, one of the best practices is to have faith!

God does know what the future holds. He can help us now and for eternity. We can build a relationship with God through prayer and reading His Word. We can listen to Him and we can have faith in all that He promises us. With our faith in Him, we can be assured that we will make it through our future here on earth and to eternity with God!

Have a relationship with and faith in God so He can help you for eternity!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all You do in my life. Help me to continue to grow in my faith and to trust in You now and for eternity. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

For His Name!

8/18/2020

"Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me." -Psalm 31:3 (NIV)

There are many reasons why we do the things we do. Often times, we do things because we want to do them. If we stop and think about our actions, why do we do the things we do?

God loves us, so His actions are rooted in our love. Because we love God, our actions should reflect this love. We should do things for God. Whether it is our jobs, charity, or our daily interactions with friends, family, and strangers, we should act in the love that God has shown us as praise to Him and so others will know His name!

Act out of God's love and in praise of all He has done for His name!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for leading me and loving me. Help me to act with Your love and in Your name so others will know You, too. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Good Neighbors

8/17/2020

"Do not say to your neighbor, 'Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it'—when you have it with you. Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you." -Proverbs 3:28-29 (ESV)

We recently got new neighbors. We liked our old neighbors. We got along and were always willing to lend a hand or keep an eye on things for each other. As we get to know our new neighbors, the lessons we learned from our old neighbors sound a lot like the advice from Proverbs!

Whether our neighbors are very nearby or a little farther away, we need to be ready to be a good neighbor. We need to be ready to lend a hand and to accept help when we need it. We need to plan good things and to trust our neighbors. It is easier to do all these things when we have faith and confidence in God. When we invite Him to be our closest neighbor, we can emulate Him and spread His love as a good neighbor!

Lend a hand, plan good things, and spread God's love as a good neighbor!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being close to me and sharing Your love. Help me to be a good neighbor and to share Your love. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Overcomer!

8/16/2020

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." -I John 4:4 (NIV)

I have a friend whose son's church hosts "Overcomer's" groups for youth and adults. Seeing her posts about the church groups serves as a reminder that we are more than what we are in this moment or in this world. God has called us to greater things and empowers us to be overcomers!

We can look at the world and find reasons to be discouraged. There are people that may try to drag us down. There are depressing events and things that cause spiritual, emotional, and physical harm. Even though we are faced with all of these things here and now, we know that we will outlast this world! When we are with God, we know that He will bring us through these times and will usher us into a glorious eternity with Him. As long as we are with God, we are overcomers!

Be with God and allow Him to empower you as an overcomer!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the strength and power that only You can provide. Help me to be strong and to overcome this world so I can spend eternity with You. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Be Real!

8/15/2020

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." -Romans 12:9 (NIV)

I was recently in an online meeting with some colleagues to discuss school climate and relationships. We discussed how we thought our school built relationships between adults and students in the school. One thing that we all agreed on was the need for relationships to be sincere or authentic. We need to be real in our relationships!

In order to be real with those in our lives, we need to be sure our love is real and sincere. We need to hate evil. We need to hold on to what is good. We need to keep God at the center so He can help us build a relationship with Him and with others. With God, we can have love and give love that is sincere. With God, we can build relationships that are real!

Build a real relationship with God and share His sincere love to build relationships with others!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and Your relationship with me. Help me to share Your love and build relationships with other people. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Suffering & Comfort

8/14/2020

"For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ." -II Corinthians 1:5 (NIV)

When listening to a favorite radio show, one of the hosts said, "When things get the darkest, that is the time to keep moving." In life, we will face difficult times, but we need to keep moving if we want to reach the end. We will experience suffering, but we are also promised comfort!

Jesus came to live on earth as a human. He came and experienced suffering beyond what many of us will ever know. He also experienced comfort, friendship, and joy. As we live our lives, we need to be sure we keep moving and that we move with Jesus in our lives. With Jesus, we may still experience suffering, but we will also experience the comfort that only He can provide!

You will experience suffering, but, with Jesus, you can also experience comfort!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sending Jesus and for he comfort that You provide. Help me to always move through life with You. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Big Catch?

8/13/2020

"'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will send you out to fish for people.'" -Matthew 4:19 (NIV)

A friend recently posted a story about a record-breaking fish caught in Lake Erie. If we want to catch a fish, we need to be sure we are prepared. This preparation varies depending on where we are fishing and what we are trying ot catch. Even if we aren't fishing for fish, we need to be prepared to "fish" for people!

Jesus calls all of us to follow Him. As His followers, we will experience His glory and blessings. We should also prepare to share Jesus with others. However, the people in ur lives will not all respond in the same way or to the same forms of sharing. We need to be prepared with different "equipment" or methods for sharing the Good News. It can also help to recognize different types of people so we can share in a way that better speaks to each of them. As we head out to "fish for people", we need to be prepared, but we also need to take Jesus to help with the big catch of followers for Him!

Take Jesus with you and prepare to "fish for people."

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for calling me and going with me always. Help me to be a good fisherman for You. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Not Just Money!

8/12/2020

"Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless." -Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV)

There are many ways to measure success in life. However, one of the common tools is how much money someone makes or the stuff that they can afford to buy. We often look at things to determine value and success, but we should have a broader view of success!

When we look at our lives, we should not deem success just by money. If we place value and love on money, we will be disappointed. As the saying goes, "Money can't buy happiness." Instead of trying to get more money to be successful, we need to find happiness and success in God. When we trust in Him, we can find more satisfaction, success, and happiness than we could ever find in money!

Find yourself in God and not just money!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the satisfaction, success, and happiness that only You can provide. Help me to always seek and find these things in You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Be a Doer!

8/11/2020

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." -James 1:22 (ESV)

Sometimes we hear of the "lazy days of summer." The warm weather can allow us to enjoy time outdoors. We may find some time to relax and enjoy the longer days. We can enjoy the lazy days of summer, but we need to be sure we don't forget to be doers!

We are called by God to be doers. He talks to us and teachers us. While we need to get rest, we need to be careful that we do not become lazy. We cannot just sit back and listen to God. We need to act on our callings from God. We should go with God as we head out into the world to be doers!

Listen to God and the act on His calling to be a doer!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all that You teach me. Help me to be a doer and to follow Your call. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Why Bother?

8/10/2020

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." -I Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)

I have a list of things I want to accomplish. Some projects move along faster than others. There are also moments when I wonder, "Why bother?" When we start to question our work and the difference we can make, we need to refocus on working for the Lord!

When we set out to go to work or complete a project, we should work for the Lord. As we work for Him, we should be focused so that we are not moved from our goals, His goals. We do not have to ask, "Why bother?" We just need to be sure we are talking to God, listening to Him, and working through Him. Then our work will have purpose!

Work for God and your work will have purpose!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for helping me to have purpose in my work. Help me to keep my goals aligned with Yours. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

"We" Plans!

8/9/2020

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

I recently saw a sign that said, "Stop making 'we' plans with 'I' minded people." Sometimes we want to make plans and include other people, but if we are not on the same page, the plans may fall through. If we want our plans to succeed, we need to be sure we are making "we" or "like-minded" plans!

God has big plans for each of us. We can either benefit from or fight against these plans. The way to benefit from God's plans for us is to be sure we are "like-minded" with Him. We need to commit our lives to God and follow His lead. When our hearts and minds are centered on God, we can be assured that the plans will succeed for our benefit. We can have hope and a future in God's plans, both now and for eternity!

Commit to God and be "like-minded" in the plans He has for you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the plans that You have for me. Help me to be like-minded with my heart set on You so Your plans can give hope and help me succeed. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Dwell With Him

8/8/2020

"One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple." -Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

Many people have been recently quarantined. During this time, we may have spent more time with family than normal. I have seen the posts about parents waiting for kids to go back to school or people waiting to return to work. Fortunately, God doesn't want us to leave His house!

God wants us to be close to Him and we can - no matter where we are at! God invites us to seek Him and to dwell with Him. We can follow God, talk to Him through prayer, and draw closer to Him. We can find Him and His beauty around us in this world. However, we have even greater promises from God! As His children, He not only spends time with us now, but He will welcome us into eternity with Him. We just need to continue to seek Him and build our relationship with Him!

Seek God, build a relationship with Him, and dwell with Him forever!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being with me. Help me to continue to build a stronger relationship with You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Get Satisfied!

8/7/2020

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." -Matthew 5:6 (ESV)

My daughter sometimes gets "hangry." She gets "angry" or cranky when she is hungry. We should be hungry, but not "hangry", for righteousness. We should then want and wait on God to satisfy our hunger and thirst!

We should be hungry and thirsty for all that God has in store for us. We should seek Him without getting angry or cranky but should seek Him. As we go to God, we need to be open and ready to accept what He teaches and provides for us. We need to listen and be satisfied in His wisdom and blessings, then we can live in His righteousness and satisfaction!

When hungry and thirsty for righteousness, go to God and be satisfied!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all that You teach me and provide for me. Help me to hear You and to be satisfied. In Jesus I pray, amen.