Author: Ken Crawford

“Repentance is a change of willing,
of feeling and of living,
in respect to God.”
– Charles Finney

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock Eternal.
Isaiah 26:4 (NIV)

When we see mountains we feel small, knowing not only how much larger it is than we are, but also how much longer it has been here than we have been. But the Lord was long before any mountain and will be long after it has melted into nothing. He is the only rock of security and stability. All the forevers we have are found in him.

Eternal Father, who is and was and will be forever, I find comfort in the trust that you are and will always be my God, my Redeemer, my Savior, my Shepherd, and my Father. I commit all my tomorrows to you. In the name of Jesus my Lord I pray. Amen.

The Serenity Prayer is a prayer that asks God to grant acceptance, courage, and wisdom for things in our life we can’t control. This prayer is one of the most well-known today, especially the shortened version below. 

Written by Reinhold Neibuhr in the 1930s, this prayer has been widely used in sermons, Sunday school groups, and studies. In the early 1940s, the group Alcoholics Anonymous began to use a shortened version of the Serenity Prayer in their twelve-step program. 

How often have you seen The Serenity Prayer on a card or on a magnet and simply read the inspirational words without fully grasping its message? It’s a powerful prayer, and we truly need to believe in each phrase for its wisdom to enhance our lives. Be inspired to live with serenity through faith in Christ with these Bible verses about giving God our anxieties.

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
As it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His Will;
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him
Forever and ever in the next.
Amen.

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
— 1 Peter 1:8-9

Can you trust what you don’t see? Of course! What kind of question is that? Our lives depend on what we cannot see — things like gravity and the air we breathe, just to name two. Faith in Jesus is as natural as faith in each of those things. The problem is that our hearts are skeptical. We find it hard to believe that anyone divine would love us so much. Our experience says, “If it seems too good to be true, it is.” That skepticism is just the twisted form of the response God longs to see from us: “inexpressible and glorious joy.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve tasted both. I prefer joy over skepticism!

What joy fills my heart, Father, when I anticipate what it will be like to be in your presence — to have you wipe each tear from my eyes and to have you introduce me again to those I love and to those I’ve only known by reputation. Please never let me outlive that sense of anticipation and never let that hope dim in my heart, no matter what else may happen in my life here. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
– Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV)

The sentiments of this verse often seem foreign and strange, but among those who closely study persecution, believers in Christ are enduring perhaps the greatest amount of persecution in the history of Christianity. For those of us who live in cozy places where belief is tolerated and Christians are just considered out of vogue or a bit out of touch, we need to be thankful that our lives make enough of a distinction from our culture to be noticed, even if it’s a bit unfavorable. But at the same time, we need to pray for other believers throughout the world who are undergoing the wrath of hell for the faith.

Lord and Redeemer, we have many who call on your name with faith in Jesus who face persecution and hardship every day. I pray that they will not lose heart and give up their confidence. I pray that you will bring deliverance from this time of persecution. I pray that their sufferings will be the source of powerful witness so others will come to see the great value of Jesus and our allegiance to him. This I pray in Jesus’ precious and holy name. Amen.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
– 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 NLT

I love the variety that God has placed in his creation. I love the variety of people that have answered the call of Jesus. I am amazed at the different abilities the Spirit has given God’s children. Yet, in this variety, I realize that there is one constant: the One True and Living God. All this variety is necessary for us to get a glimpse of the profound complexity and generosity of God, the very God who knows all of us intimately as his children who all bear some striking resemblance to their Creator.

I am amazed, Almighty God, at your nearness and your vastness, your gracious love and your eternal complexity. I am humbled, dear Father, that you would make me from my mother’s womb to be in your image and to fulfill your divine purpose in some important way. Please help me remember both my uniqueness and my connectedness to your nature and to your work in the world. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

[Paul said,] “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.”
–  Acts 20:22 NIV

A rocket is propelled by rocket fuel. A follower of Jesus is compelled by the Spirit of the living God and the love of Jesus. So let’s honestly look inside our hearts and ask ourselves this important question: “What compels and propels me?” All sources of compulsion and propulsion other than the Spirit of the living God and the love of Jesus will either run out on us or burn us out and destroy us. What is my fuel?

Father God, you bought my freedom from sin at the cost of Jesus. You have filled me with your Spirit to empower me and inspire me to do your will. Help me discern the false sources I depend on to fuel me, motivate me, and propel me. I want to be compelled and propelled only by your Spirit and the love of Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

“Live as though Christ died yesterday,
rose from the grave today,
and is coming back tomorrow.”
– Theodore Epp

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.
– Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

The goal in Christian communication is not just clarity. The goal is not just to be understood. The goal is not just to be truthful. The goal is to be appropriate, encouraging, and building up others based on what the needs of the other person are.

Tender Shepherd, give me a heart that is pure so that my words may be pure. Give me a heart that is kind so that my words may be kind. Give me a heart that is full of joy and encouragement so that I may share these with those you bring to my path and with whom I share conversation. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
— 1 Chronicles 16:11

After restoring the presence of God to their people through the Ark of the Covenant, David and Asaph gave the people a song (1 Chronicles 16:7-37) to perpetually remind them of the importance of seeking God’s strength and presence (face) because:

• Our strength is found in the Lord’s presence (Psalm 27:2 Corinthians 12:8-10; Ephesians 6:10).
• Our grace and mercy come from the Lord’s loving presence (Isaiah 63:7-9; 2 John 1:3).
• Our hope centers on seeing the Lord face-to-face in his presence and knowing him even as we are known by him (1 John 3:1-2).

As children of God, we can look to the Lord and his might. We don’t have to rely only on our strength and wisdom to chart our paths. As we seek the Lord’s face while leaning on his gracious and powerful presence, the Lord leads us with his Spirit, empowering us as he works in our lives for our ultimate good (Romans 8:12-17, 28-29).

O Lord, I know you created me uniquely as you fashioned me in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-17). Yet I know I can never have the freedom or creativity in my life that you long for me to discover unless I first seek you and your strength. Please bless me with the assurance of your nearness as I seek you with all of my heart and use my abilities in creative ways to bring you glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others.
– Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)

Do you remember one of the earliest questions in the Bible? “Where is your brother Abel?” To which Cain responded: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Paul’s answer is a clear and undeniable yes! We must look to the interest of others and not just our own. Yes, we are responsible for helping the homeless, the helpless and the weak.

Father, teach me to love your family as you do. I get so caught up and distracted with my own world and my own problems that I forget to notice those who are hurting around me. Help me to grow more aware and more attuned to those needs so you may minister through me. In the powerful name of Jesus I pray. Amen.