Brenda Reid 10/4/25 Brenda Reid 10/4/25

The Power of Forgiveness: breaking the chains that hold us hostage

“But I don’t want to!”

I’ll admit, that was my own response to the Lord when someone offended me. I wasn’t ready to forgive. I had all kinds of reasons to delay forgiveness. I wanted to hold onto the offense, coddle it, and hold it close because I was justified to do so (and others would agree, of course!) There was security and power in holding a grudge. That person wronged me, hurt me, did or said things that were not right. If I forgave them, I would be letting them ‘off the hook’ and that would be wrong…right?

We struggle to do what Jesus asks us because we think that if we forgive, we’re exonerating that person from their offense and we’re removing their accountability for what they’ve done. “Lord, if I forgive them, then they’re getting away with it!” Satan deceives us into that mindset, friends along with the delusion that we have that kind of power. Ultimately, God holds that ‘other’ accountable- He sees and knows. They will stand before Him and answer for what they’ve done. No one gets away with sin. No one. Sometimes the law or the church can successfully bring justice or resolution, but be assured, the offense will not be forgotten, nor will it be dismissed in the eyes of God.

But when it comes to our sons and daughters, our protective parental nature steps up to shield our kids and make sure they’re okay. We will fight for them when they cannot stand for themselves. And we’re even more cautious and hesitant to offer forgiveness because we’re protecting our family and we want justice and to see payment for the offense.

“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Matthew 18:21

When Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18:21). I’m sure Peter thought he was being generous and righteous, taking the higher road, to forgive someone seven times was going above and beyond, right?

But Jesus' response turned that around. “Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:22)

Why would Jesus say that?

You see, forgiveness is not just for the ‘other’ person. Forgiveness is for us who are offended and who struggle with the injustice of it. Forgiving once isn’t enough because those feelings of injustice, hurt, pain, anger, bitterness and more come flooding back into our hearts in ever increasing waves and begin to put distance between us and God. Oh, we justify it by saying we’re holding that other person accountable. But really, we’re poisoning our own hearts in our quest to justify our hurt and bring accountability to the other. Holding that other person accountable becomes our full time obsession and consumes our thinking, our being and steals our joy.

Studies show that harboring unforgiveness has a physical impact on our bodies.

“Chronic anger puts you into a fight-or-flight mode, which results in numerous changes in heart rate, blood pressure and immune response. Those changes, then, increase the risk of depression, heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions. Forgiveness, however, calms stress levels, leading to improved health.” (1)

Unforgiveness can damage us for life and lead to a premature death. It can be all consuming and ruinous. Why would we allow something to have that much power over us?

The act of forgiveness releases that pain, hurt, and poison. But it’s never a ‘one and done’ act. We need to forgive as many times as it takes for our head and heart to recognize and believe that we can trust GOD to hold that other person accountable and to be confident He will bring justice- it’s not for us to ensure. Oh, if laws were broken and restitution is needed, of course it’s important to engage the legal system. But friends, it’s even more important to engage our hearts with the Lord and surrender to His Lordship. Why would we let someone else’s offense damage our relationship with God? Then their offense becomes doubly-damaging.

It is not our responsibility to be the prosecuting attorney in the courtroom of the Lord. That’s just not our job. Essentially, when we do that, we are putting ourselves in God’s place and friends, that’s idolatry. When we refuse to forgive, we are telling God we don’t trust Him to bring justice and resolution. We question His authority, His power, and His lordship in our lives when we cling to unforgiveness. When we hold onto an offense, it becomes the ‘third wheel’ in the relationship and soon, it becomes the focus and God takes a back seat.

Instead, every time we feel that anger, bitterness, and pain bubble up, we need to say “I forgive them.” Say it out loud, say it in your heart, say it to the Lord, and pray that He would help you feel that forgiveness. We need to continue saying it until we truly feel the forgiveness that releases us from the bondage of bitterness that would damage our communion with the Lord. We need to say it until we are no longer consumed by it.

Jesus told Peter to forgive seventy times seven because He knew how an offense and the resulting bitterness linger and unless we’re willing to give it to the Lord and allow Him to be our avenger, we will become hardened, bitter, and a victim of that offense all over again, and again, and again.

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:25

Jesus also told Peter, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25). Think about that! Do we want Jesus to forgive us? If so, then we need to forgive others.

Do you ever feel like your prayers are hitting the ceiling but not reaching the Lord? Could it be you need to do some forgiving?

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37

Now here’s an important parenting moment….of course our sons and daughters have encountered hurt and offense…how do we advise them? And do we carry a grudge on their behalf?

Oh, friends, when someone wrongs our kids, the “Momma bear” can come out and take over, right? But if we want to be an example of Christ to our sons and daughters, we need to model Jesus to them. Jesus forgave those who crucified Him. Think about that. Jesus forgave those who put Him to death. He knew that He held the ultimate power and that one day those same people would stand before Him…His love for them and His desire to see them know and follow Him as Lord and Savior eclipsed everything else. Would Jesus deny them salvation? No! That was the very reason He was willing to die. And friends, that same Savior who holds ultimate power is the One who lives in us. That same power that raised Him from the dead is the same power that works in us (Ephesians 1:18-20). The same Lord who conquered sin and death is the Lord who is in control of every aspect of our life. Why would we set that aside for the sake of holding onto the sinful attitude of unforgiveness?

Do we have a heart for others that, more than earthly justice and payback to others, wants to see lost people saved? Do we want to see lives changed and surrendered to the Lord or are we clinging to our need for personal justice and accountability at the cost of eternity?

True freedom comes by praying for those who have hurt you. Pray for their heart- that they would find forgiveness and purpose with life in Christ. And pray that Jesus would heal your heart and help you forgive. There is so much freedom in forgiveness. There is joy, there is purpose, and there is a pathway to serving the Lord free from the chains of bitterness and unforgiveness. Satan uses unforgiveness to hold us hostage, but freedom is found in Christ and in the forgiveness He empowers us to embrace.

“Forgive. Seventy times seven and keep forgiving until God grants you the freedom from the bondage of unforgiveness.”

The best thing we can do is to pray.

“Oh, Lord, it’s so hard to surrender control over the situations and people who have hurt me. I know I don’t have the ability to bring justice, to make them pay for their offenses, and to restore what was lost. Yet I’m afraid to let go and forgive because it seems counter-productive and in my mind and heart. In my human mind, forgiveness releases them from being accountable. But Lord, I know You see it and You will take it in hand. Psalm 10:14 reminds me, “But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.” I am not Fatherless, Lord, because I have You. I pray that You would see my trouble. See the trouble of (name), my (son/daughter). I ask that You would bring healing and freedom from the pain of the wrong done and from the bitterness and anger that fester. Give us courage and strength to forgive, not just for the other person, but to maintain our relationship with You. Please help us to not allow this to stand in the way of our fellowship with You. So right now, I choose to forgive (name) for what they did and the pain they caused. I forgive them Lord and pray that You would work in their life, bring confession, repentance, and redemption so that (name) would come to know You as Lord and Savior. Help (name) to recognize that hurting others only tightens the chains of bondage that Satan holds over them and to understand that there is boundless spiritual freedom in following Jesus as Lord and. Bring healing and freedom to all of us, Lord. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Pray without ceasing.

Forgiveness: Your health depends on it. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2024, June 20). https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/forgiveness-your-health-depends-on-it

Are you praying for a prodigal? Don’t lose heart. God sees and He hears. Keep laying your burdens in prayer at the feet of Jesus. Trust Him, He is working. You may not see it, but He works in dimensions that are beyond our comprehension. Pray for those friends and associates that interact with your beloved prodigal, that God would use them to bring them to full surrender to Jesus as Lord.

40 Days of Prayer for the Prodigal is a powerful book for anyone deeply in prayer for the heart of their loved one. The book addresses the battle for the heart, mind, and soul of the prodigal through praying Scripture boldly and consistently with faith that God will bring repentance and restoration. Pray the words of Scripture in powerful and effective ways to plead with God about the condition and situation of your beloved prodigal and watch God work!

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Have you read 40 Days of Prayer for the Prodigal? Consider leaving a review! There are so many who could benefit from this resource, let them know! God is moving and working!

Brenda Reid 9/23/25 Brenda Reid 9/23/25

Don’t Ever Stop Praying

Are you feeling weary? Does it seem like you keep praying, day in and day out, asking for change in your son or daughter’s heart, yet, each day goes by all the same? Don’t give up! God is working and it may be there is a wrestling going on in the heart of your son or daughter that you cannot see. Pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to bring conviction and surrender. Pray they would grow weary of the wrestling and surrender to God.

Remember trying to change your toddler’s diaper? At times it was like wrestling an alligator. The rolling and twisting was top rate. It was a battle of strength and agility, parental will pitted against toddler will with grunts, cries, and frustration on all sides. Anyone watching got to see a full-on wrestling match, all in an effort to just change a diaper. The toddler wanted their freedom, they had things to do, messes to make, and naps to avoid. But the parent, the parent just wanted to clean them up and get them out of the mess they were sitting in. They wanted the best for their little one.

God wants the best for us, too. He is willing to step into the wrestling to get us out of the filth we’re sitting in. Maybe that’s just what’s going on in the heart of your son or daughter, a wrestling between their will and God’s. They wrestle and resist, wanting their own way, telling Him He’s unkind, unreasonable, and too demanding of them. He’s restricting their movement, harshing their fun. They don’t see their mess…or if they do, they’re satisfied with it and just want to be left alone. But, yet, they’re wrestling…and that means they’re engaging with God on some level. Don’t stop praying!

Oh, how we want our sons and daughters to be surrendered to God so that He can do His work in their lives, don’t we? Yet, they wrestle. They resist. And if we’re honest, we do the same. We don’t want to be told what to do and heaven forbid God points out sin that needs to be addressed. No one wants to hear that. Yet, we have a loving Father who just wants to clean us up from the mess we’re sitting in. He wants to give us a healthy spiritual life that is reflected in a godly testimony to others. He wants us to live like Jesus.

“We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:3-6

Jesus didn’t wrestle with the Father, He submitted to Him. Even when the Father asked our Lord to surrender His life to pay for our sins, Jesus did it willingly. So when we wrestle with God, we’re not living as Jesus did. We’re fighting God, kicking against His will and defying the Holy Spirit.

Keep on praying. God is working and though we may only see the battle, He sees the heart. He hears our cries..and theirs. He is responding and working in ways we can’t fully understand. He will not let them go, He’ll see it through because they need to be changed. God refuses to let them sit in their filth forever.

Let’s pray Scripture over them today:

Luke 5:12 “While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” Lord, I know you can make [name] clean. I pray You would give them the desire to be cleansed and healed from sin. Draw them to Your side, urge them to ask You for healing and deliverance. Help them to stop wrestling and look to You for rescue, redemption, and restoration. I pray that [name] would pray Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

“Restore to [name] the joy of Your salvation and renew a right spirit in [name].” Ps 51:12 May Psalm 51:17 be the prayer of their heart, “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”

Oh what joy that would bring to my heart, and I know it would fill You with joy as well, Lord, to see [name] surrender to You and be in a right relationship with You.

Lord, conquer the wrestling spirit in [name] and give them the peace and joy that only comes from You. I pray, Father, that they would see You have their best in mind, You want to bless them with joy, hope, and peace. Clean them up, Lord. Give them a heart like Jesus. In His name I pray, amen.”

Pray without ceasing.

Grab your copy today!

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Brenda Reid 9/17/25 Brenda Reid 9/17/25

Helping Our Children Grieve Well

“Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.” Psalm 31:9

No one wants to see their child grieve, it’s heart-breaking. As parents, we just want to ease the pain and reassure them all will be well. We want to see them have joy once again. It’s a helpless feeling and a difficult process to witness. It’s one of those parenting things that no one prepares you for, yet it happens to all of us.

Whether it be the end of a relationship, a broken engagement, the loss of a friendship, the death of a loved one, or the collapse of a dream, it’s all painful and there is little we can do to make it better. Grief is deep and the pain can be life-altering. We need to be careful that we don’t gloss over it with a sweet “it’ll be okay, there will be others” response. We have to be respectful of their experience and carry their grief and sorrow with care. Even if we know for certain that it won’t be a lasting grief, in the moment it is all-consuming and to lighten it with insensitive comments can erode the trust our sons and daughters have for us.

Perhaps it’s grief over sin. We don’t often consider that as part of a grieving process, but it is certainly a valid and Biblical point. Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn” isn’t addressing the death of a loved one, but grief over sin. When we mourn our sin, we align our heart with God’s, Whose grief over man’s sin propelled Him to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin and offer a way of redemption and restoration with God.

As difficult as grief is, we also don’t want to avoid it- God brought it for a purpose. He made our emotions and we are made in His image. We want to help our sons and daughters embrace grief mindfully and process it well.

The grieving process can be equated to crossing a bridge. It’s the transition from what was, the ‘old’ settled place, to what is happening right now- the new, unfamiliar and unsettled place in process, shaky and unfamiliar, to the hope of what will one day be a new normal, a resettledness that, although different, feels comfortable and okay. The catch is, we don’t always recognize that process, nor do we tend to manage it intentionally. Too often we let grief run its course, carrying us along as it does. We become a passenger of its ebb and flow, helpless, just waiting until it settles.

https://www.traininternational.org/blog/blog-post-bridge-of-transition

It’s important that when our sons and daughters grieve (and they will) that we are cognizant of the process (pictured in the graphic above) and we encourage them effectively through each stage. It’s especially crucial in that ‘in between’ stage, because that is often when the anger, depression, and deep loss are felt most keenly and where the one grieving can be struggling the most. It is where the loss is manifested in confusion and hard emotions and it is when our sons and daughters will need wise, effective support.

We can’t just tell them to get over it, to ‘keep calm and carry on’. We have to be intentional in what we say and how we encourage. We may not be able to empathize, but we can show compassion, we can be a source of strength and encouragement, and we can pray them through it.

https://www.adaptconsultingcompany.com/2023/11/01/the-bridges-transition-model/

Grief is a response to the loss of someone or something for which we held a deep love and sense of purpose. Grief can accompany a move from one place to another, a job change, a closed door or the end of a chapter in life. Many MK kids (and even PKs and military kids) experience this grieving process when they move to a new mission field, change churches or change duty stations or leave their home abroad to return to the US for university. It's letting go of what was, even if you’re not ready. It's embracing what lies ahead, even if you don’t want to. It’s the losses. It’s all the goodbyes and farewells, knowing that you may never return. It is one thing to leave home…it’s another to leave and know you will never return to that place. That’s hard to accept. Yet Jesus is in it all- of course He is. He is Sovereign. He is Omnipresent. He is LORD.

As believers, we sometimes chide ourselves for sad or angry emotions, those shown in the ‘leaving, chaos, and in-between’ stages. But, emotions are not sin. Scripture shows us examples of so many of these. Consider Elijah who was burnt out and overwhelmed in dealing with the abuse and resistance of Ahab and Jezebel. God didn’t chide him, He cared for him and gave him rest and nourishment. Consider Naomi, who grieved her husband and sons. God didn't take her to task for grieving, He brought others alongside to walk through the grief with her, Ruth and later, Boaz. Then He blessed her with Obed, a sweet grandson who restored Naomi’s hope and joy.

Emotions are not sin, but wallowing in them and allowing them to become our god is sin. When we allow emotions to rule and overcome us so that they are all we’re focused on and they are what directs our thoughts and our actions, that is sin. When we allow them to be the excuse for bad behavior, bad attitudes, and justification for rebellion, it is sin.

Understand, too, deep grief IS all-consuming. And it goes hand in hand with overwhelming, long-lasting emotions. There is no prescripted, appropriate length of time, after which those emotions settle and evaporate. The process is different for each one. How we choose to handle the process is key.

So what can a parent do?

Identify where your son or daughter is in the grieving process. If parents can take a step back and understand where they are in the grief journey, it can give perspective and guide the support and encouragement.

Support them mindfully. When they’re ready, help your son or daughter honestly look at the transition bridge and identify where they are in it. Helping them to see that what they’re experiencing is normal and there is an end to the chaos and confusion that accompanies grief can help them be a bit more mindful of the emotions they’re experiencing and why. Help them to recognize that there is a progression and they’re not just ‘stuck’. If they have context for what is happening, it can provide some reassurance and hope.

Encourage your children to talk to Jesus, to tell Him all that they’re feeling and how overwhelmed they are with it all. He already knows, but opening that communication with Him enables them to begin to listen to Him. It helps them be honest with what they’re thinking and feeling. Far too often, we bury our grief, hide it from others because it’s not well-received or others don’t understand. We put on a mask to pretend everything is okay. God is in the midst of the process and He has a purpose in it. But that is yet to be seen. Pointing to that fact too soon may exaggerate the difficult emotions. It’s a realization that the grieving one has to recognize in time. Talking to Jesus begins a healing process. Tell them to pray out loud, pray while they’re walking, pray prostrate, pray anytime, anywhere. Open communication with the Lord will begin to transform their heart and mind.

So, how can we manage the grief and the transition from what was to what is to what will be?

Take every thought captive. Much of the battle of grief and depression is fought in the mind. This is not a ‘mind over matter’ approach. That is a tendency to ignore or suppress thoughts and emotions. No, the one grieving needs to acknowledge the emotions and work through them, but they also must be intentional to set their mind on things above (Col. 3). That’s hard in the grieving process and it takes time. Grief makes us vulnerable in so many ways. We need to be intentional that we are spiritually protected and not an easy target for the enemy.

Identify where your hope is anchored. If your hope is set on the resolution or the healing, it is misplaced. When we hope for an outcome, we are far too often disappointed, disillusioned, and crushed once again. Outcomes are inconsistent, they change, they rarely result in what we hope for or imagine. No, our hope must be anchored in Christ, the Eternal One, the All-Sufficient One, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is unchanging…and isn’t that where we want our hope secured? Hope is the eager expectation of something good, and if we know our Bible, we know that this world is not where that is delivered. God’s good is stored up for us in eternity. We have treasure in Heaven, we are part of His family and He’s prepared a place for us to live eternally with Him. When we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, He strengthens and equips us to endure the hardship here because we know He redeems everything and makes beauty out of ashes. He will wipe away every tear. When our hope is anchored in Jesus, we have a steady, unchanging, eternal hope that can weather any storm.

Finally, we must worship in our grief. Worshipping in grief can be a sweet, restorative time between the griever and the Savior. There is something healing about being outside in nature. All of creation knows its Creator and if we sit and listen, we can hear the response of creation to Him. Listen to the wind in the trees, the song of the birds, the chirp and hum of the crickets and bugs. Psalm 96:12 says “Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.” and Psalm 148 calls for all creation to praise the Lord. Darkness and light cannot dwell together. Shut out the noise of the world. Allow the Spirit to speak to your heart. Praise drives away the darkness and helps us refocus our hearts and minds on the Lord. Time outside, spent listening to creation, reading Psalms, and even listening to praise and worship music can be healing.

Grieving can make us more like Jesus. That’s not usually something someone in grief wants to hear, yet, `Jesus was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. He knew the loss of a loved one; His father, Joseph, died at some point during Jesus’ earthly life. God can use grief to deepen our understanding of Him. Deep love for humanity and the grief over sin is what brought Jesus to the cross. God understands our grief and can use it for our good and for His glory.

Don’t be afraid to embrace grief as a gift. Pray for your sons and daughters to embrace it well, to be submitted to the Lord and His refining process, and to praise Him that He is Present and working through it all. He has not abandoned you and He will not. Though we cannot see a way forward, He is the way-maker. Trust Him, lean into Him. Cling tightly.

“Father, grief is so painful. I know you understand because you watched Your Son grieve- the rejection of His peers, the loss of His earthly father, the betrayal of those closest to Him- Peter’s denial three times while He was being beaten and wrongly accused- all of those and so many more. How did You watch and not intervene? Your love for us enabled You to allow your Son to suffer. It was for Your glory and our good. Lord, I hate to see (name) suffer. Yet I know it is in the hard, painful times that we grow closer to You, we understand Your heart more clearly and we deepen our faith. Father, give (name) hope…no just temporary hope, but deep, abiding hope in Jesus. Help (name) to have assurance that no matter what happens here, You have a purpose and a plan forward. Surround them with other believers who will speak into their life, or who will be a quiet strength to support them through the grief. Lord, bring Scripture to mind that will encourage them and help them set their mind on things above. I pray, Holy Spirit, that You would be the Comforter they need, reassuring them that, although things feel out of control, You are very much in control and You are tempering everything that touches them, even the hard and painful things. Oh, Jesus, I know You understand. You are a Man of sorrow, acquainted with grief. You took on all of our sin, our pain, our shame. You carried this grief that (name) is walking through long before the situation ever occured. We can trust You. I pray that You would increase (name)’s faith and trust today. Give me discernment to support them well. Guard my mouth so that the words I speak would bring encouragement, salt, and light. Guide my steps so that the actions I take would be helpful and supportive. Lord, give light to this situation so that we can see Your hand at work and praise you for it. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Pray without ceasing.

Brenda Reid 7/13/25 Brenda Reid 7/13/25

Reflections on Psalm 138: Unashamed Praise

I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;

before the “gods” I will sing your praise;

I will bow down toward your holy temple

and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness,

for you have exalted above all things

your name and your word. Psalm 138:1-2

How do our sons and daughters praise God? Do they do it quietly and secretly, embarrassed or awkward if others are nearby? Or do they praise with boldness and joy, wanting others to see their devotion and passion for the Lord? It matters how you praise.

In Psalm 138, David speaks of praising God with his whole heart. The word for heart is the Hebrew word ‘leb’ and it means “the inner man, will, mind and heart” (1). He praised God with all that he had in him. He praised God with all that he was.

He wasn’t ashamed to praise the living God before the ‘gods’ of this world, the elohim- those rulers, judges and divine representatives at sacred places or those who reflected divine majesty and power, both the tangible and those that abide in the dark presence of the spirit world (2).

Sometimes, if we’re honest, we hold back because we’re afraid of judgment from others or perhaps we’re intimidated or feel awkward. God doesn’t ask us to ‘make a scene’ but He does want us to represent Him boldly and unashamedly.

When do we praise God? Is it only when we feel inspired? Grateful? Joyful? Praise should not be dependent on how we feel. On the contrary, praising God is fully dependent on Who He is, unchanging, eternal, immortal, almighty, forgiving, redeeming, merciful, faithful…you could go on and on extolling His attributes and character. That should be what inspires our praise. Praise should be a daily practice, regardless of our feelings, our circumstances, and our attitude.

Praise has the power to change our perspective and our attitude. It shifts us from a ‘me’ focus to a ‘He’ focus and in so doing, it changes us. It lifts the darkness. It brings God into clearer focus and helps our spiritual mindset become clearer and unencumbered by the cares of this world and the oppression that seeks to derail us. It moves us from a focus on the temporal to a focus on the eternal.

Did you know that darkness cannot abide where praise dwells? 1 John 1:5 “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” That’s why, when we experience dark thoughts, and when oppression is strong, we need to praise the Lord. Step into His presence, sing His praises, give thanks for all He’s done and Who He is. The darkness will flee; it’s incompatible with God’s light.

Psalm 22:3 tells us that God is enthroned on the praise of His people… He inhabits our praise… think about that. When we praise God, we are celebrating, honoring, and immersing ourselves in His presence. No wonder the enemy flees! There is power in praise!

As believing parents, we want our kids to understand and experience a vibrant spiritual life that comes from being redeemed and actively pursuing Jesus. We want to see them consumed with praise for the Lord because He’s done a work in their life. We want to see evidence of spiritual vitality and a passionate commitment to Christ. And God wants to see it, too.

Praise shouldn’t be limited to Sunday mornings. Nor should it be reserved for the ‘good times’ or mountain top experiences. Praise is what kindles and holds fast the mindset of all things focused on Christ. It takes our eyes off of us and our problems and sets them firmly on our Creator and Redeemer who will make all things new (Rev. 21:5) and will reconcile all things to Himself (Col. 1:20). Praise isn’t ambiguous, either. Praise is God-focused, purposeful adoration and worship of our Lord and Savior.

Scripture gives us SO many reasons for praise; here are seven scriptures to pray over our sons and daughters this week, asking the Lord to help them recognize these truths and to fill them with a deep need to rise up and praise His name!

We are made in His image. Even in our fallen human state, surrounded by sin and incapable of pleasing God, we are image-bearers of the Creator. Praise God for His amazing Creation!
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Ps 139:14
God counsels us, even when we’re not aware- He’s working in our lives. Praise God for His eternal wisdom, counsel, and truth.
“I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.” Ps 16:7
God sees our grief. He is the only one who can turn our sorrow and heartache into joy and make beauty out of the ashes of what happens in this fallen, sinful world. Praise Him for His powerful comfort and understanding. Jesus is a man of sorrow, acquainted with grief- He knows; praise Him for that.
“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.” Ps 30:11-12
He is our joy and delight- what else can compare? We can praise Him through music- (even if we’re not musical)! God enjoys our sounds of praise!
“Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” Ps 43:4
He is righteous. He is our hope. He alone is our salvation and His goodness is beyond measuring. Praise the Lord that our God is greater than our minds can ever fully grasp!
“But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord ; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.” Ps. 71:14-16
His redemption is powerful, eternal, and free. Praise God!
“I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- I, whom you have redeemed.” Psalm 71:22-23
There is not a blessed thing in this life that can separate us from His love! There is no distance, power, or authority that can overcome His love and purpose. Not a thing. Praise the Lord for His mighty, eternal, unchanging love!
“For I am convinced that 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 8:38-39

This week, let’s do two things. First, model we need to model what it means to praise the Lord. Do it every day. Do it boldly, with joy! Next, we should pray daily for our sons and daughters to come to a new place of praise and worship for and of God in their own lives. Pray that they learn that it’s more than just motions or out of obligation, but it is a genuine need and command to rise up and praise God because of all He is and all He’s done in their lives.

Pray without ceasing, friends!

H3820 - lēḇ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3820/niv/wlc/0-1/

H430 - 'ĕlōhîm - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h430/niv/wlc/0-1/

Prodigal Prayer

Are you praying for a prodigal? The scriptures above are so appropriate to pray for those who don’t know the Lord or who are rebelling against His presence and purpose. Pray through each verse asking God to melt their hardened heart, open their eyes to see Who He is, open their mind to understand the Truth of Scripture, give them the ability to receive the knowledge of what Jesus did for them and to embrace His redemption and forgiveness. Friends, nothing can thwart the purposes of God and He does not ignore the pleas of His children. Pray fervently, pray faithfully, and watch God work.

Are you looking for more scripture-based encouragement, prayer, and guidance in praying for the prodigal? 40 Days of Prayer for the Prodigal is an excellent resource that will transform your prayer life on behalf of your beloved prodigal.

40 Days of Prayer for the Prodigal addresses the battle for the heart, mind, and soul of the prodigal through praying Scripture boldly and consistently with faith that God will bring repentance and restoration.

The enemy will do all he can and use every power at his disposal to deceive and twist the truth so that anger, rebellion, and disillusionment take hold. He wants nothing more than to drag our loved one into darkness and eternal death.

When readers step into 40 Days of Prayer for the Prodigal they should be ready to battle in prayer like never before. They will prepare their hearts with their own surrender to God and then they will speak the words of Scripture back to God in effective and powerful ways, speaking specifically over the condition and situation of their beloved prodigal. Transformation can begin in the life of the prodigal and in the reader’s own heart as well.

The companion journal is available so the reader can track what they learn and discover along the way. This in-depth, Biblically-centered devotional and prayer guide will lead the reader in deeper understanding of scripture and in effective prayer for redemption and freedom in Christ for the one who still wanders.

link to purchase

Brenda Reid 6/21/25 Brenda Reid 6/21/25

Baby Food vs. Solids

“But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:14

Did you ever bemoan the fact that your kids were growing up way too fast? Did you tell them to slow down, stay little, be your little baby for just a bit longer? I think every parent has struggled with those feelings.

Feeding our kids was one of the most important responsibilities. We started them off on milk, because that’s all their little system could handle. But they grow and change and the next stage is somewhat bittersweet - introducing solids. It’s exciting, a whole new world of flavors, but it’s a mark of another stage of growth. The bottles are washed and put away and forks, spoons, and sippy cups make their appearance.

As a child grows, their need and desire for solids becomes greater. Their appetites change, their tastes mature, and their consumption of more complex foods increases. They don’t just want a bottle, they want what we have on our plate. They’re eager to follow in our footsteps and taste what we enjoy.

Now, think about that in a spiritual context… Do our sons and daughters crave what is on our spiritual plate? And what is it that we are consuming? Is it mature, solid spiritual food that is attractive, flavorful, and nutritious…or are we just snacking on easily-digested, processed, spiritual ‘baby food’? With what example are we leading?

Hebrews 5:14 tells us, “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

That ‘solid food’ is the meat of the word, not the milk. It’s not the ‘easily digested’, pithy words of wisdom that anyone can understand. It’s the deeper precepts and themes present in Scripture. And notice how Paul, the author of Hebrews says, “by constant use” or by “practice”. That is the Greek word “hexis” and it means, “a habit, a power acquired by custom, practice, use.” 1 Constant practice and daily use will help us grow spiritually mature; it will improve our discernment and strengthen our understanding of the Word. It will help us grow and deepen our relationship with Jesus…and it will set an example to our sons and daughters of how to pursue Jesus according to His Word.

Personal checkpoint #1: Are you taking time to study Scripture daily? Not just read it, but really study it, on your own, just you and the Lord?

Spiritual maturity and discernment is dependent on our willingness and daily discipline to study God’s Word. It doesn't just ‘happen’. It’s not ‘caught’ by proximity or gained by spectatorship. That willingness and discipline is individual and personal and it translates into the ability to distinguish good from evil = spiritual discernment.

Consider this, if you learned to play the piano, you practiced daily. Just having a piano in the house didn’t guarantee you knew how to play it or would learn. Listening to piano concertos online or on the radio didn’t improve your skills. Talking about it didn’t make an impact. It was only when you sat down at the piano and began to interact with the instrument that you sharpened your skills. The more time you spent playing it, the better you understood how to play and your relationship with the piano moved from person and instrument to a beautiful collaboration that brought music and joy to the player and to those who listened. You and the piano became ‘one’ in your artistry and use.

When we read AND study scripture on our own, we are moving beyond the pre-digested information that is often available to us and far-too tempting to ‘fill’ us with spiritual ‘calories’ that are shallow or empty. Sometimes, by engaging in these things (a book, a podcast, etc), often while multitasking, we think we’re sharpening our spiritual minds. And there may be some sharpening involved, but consider this… if there were a national emergency, a natural disaster, or some event that cut us off from digital access, how would we continue our spiritual growth? Would we know how to study the Word? Could we do it without the digital world? We MUST learn to study scripture in effective ways.

Bible study CAN be exciting!

A great way to develop strong, effective Bible study is by using the inductive study method. Don’t be intimidated, don’t say you can’t do it (“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Phil. 4:13). Just start. Choose a small passage- just a few verses and follow these steps: (You can try Psalm 23- a familiar passage with RICH truth!)

OBSERVE:
1. Read it, then read it again. Think about the words. Ponder the message.
2. Ask ‘who, what, when, where, how and why’ questions. Make a chart if you like, or just list them out.
3. Write down repeated words and phrases.
4. You can also do a word study. Choose one word, look it up in the Greek or Hebrew (use a concordance), check cross references, and take time to learn what it means and how it’s used in Scripture. Psalm 23 has several words- Shepherd, refresh/restore, shadow of death.
INTERPRET:
1. Is there a theme in the passage?
2. What does the passage mean?
3. Does it point to the gospel and Jesus? How?
4. What attributes of God do you see here? (Note, they may be obvious or they may be implied.)
APPLY:
1. How does this apply to me?
2. What is it that God wants me to learn/do?

Here’s the thing. Deep study of scripture is not quick. It’s not a drive-thru meal, it’s meant to be savored, pondered, and meditated on. You can easily study just one verse and spend an hour or more. You can camp out on the same passage for days. There is no timetable and you’re not being compared to anyone else. The goal is the learning, not the completion. Speed dating isn’t the key to lasting relationships nor is speed study the key to depth of understanding, spiritual maturity, and love for the Lord. Enjoy your time with Him! The more you do it, the more exciting it becomes!

Personal Checkpoint #2: Here’s the opportunity to do some self-evaluation. How would your sons and daughters answer these statements?

“I know my Mom/Dad studies scripture because….”
“My parents demonstrate spiritual maturity by …”
“One way my Mom/Dad demonstrates spiritual discernment is…”
“I want to study Scripture like my Mom or Dad…”

These questions are not to discourage you, but to give you a starting point. No one gets an A+ because we’re all still growing, and isn’t that encouraging? We’re still growing!! It’s never too late to start studying Scripture! Paul shares such great encouragement in Philippians 3,

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14

Our sons and daughters NEED to see us studying the Word and finding joy in it. They need to see that we’re growing in our faith and see the change that it brings in our own lives. We can’t mandate that they study the Word, but we can model it well. Our walk with the Lord is a life-long process and a relationship that will only grow by spending time and investing in learning more about Him. Personal Bible study is a BIG part of that and a practice that will demonstrate to our sons and daughters what we hold most precious. Keep pressing on! Don’t look back to what you wish you had done, what you regret doing, or what you didn’t do well enough… look forward to what God is calling you to - a richer, deeper relationship with Him. Model that for your sons and daughters. Let time in the Word transform you!

Let’s pray for our own spiritual growth and example and the growth of our sons and daughters as well.

“Father God, I know that once I was alienated from You, but because I believe that Jesus died for my sins, was buried, and rose again from the dead, conquering sin and death, I am saved. His death paid the penalty for my sin. I am reconciled through Jesus Christ to You, and I can stand before You holy and without blemish, free from accusation (Col. 3:21-22).”

“You have called me to follow Jesus. Help me to do that well, daily, with intention. I pray that You would give me a hunger and thirst for righteousness and that You would stir in me a desire to study Your Word in depth. Help me to learn more about You, about Your precepts, and about the promises You’ve given me as Your child.”

“I have a deep desire that my son/daughter would follow after You with love, with intention, with a commitment that is unwavering. I want them to know You more and to have a strong faith that is unwavering. I want them to be able to distinguish good from evil and to crave the meat of the Word, not just ‘snacks’ that are easy and pre-digested words from others. Lord, I know I need to model how to study Your Word. Help me to grow so that my life gives evidence of Jesus in me. Help me to continue in my faith, established and firm, and help me to not move away from the hope held out in the gospel in exchange for what is convenient, easy, or shallow (Col. 1:23). I want my words and my life to be in harmony with Your Word.”

“Remove any hypocrisy that might cause others to question my commitment to Jesus. I pray that my words and actions would be in love: showing patience, kindness and selflessness. Help me not to be angry or boastful. I pray that my time in Your Word would take me deeper into understanding Your heart and would give me a depth of knowledge of Your word so that I can discern good from evil.”

“Lord, all of this is motivated by a heart of love and concern for (name). I can’t force them to grow in their faith, only You can motivate that. But I can model a growing faith that is grounded in Your Word. I pray that You would help me to learn how to study Your Word effectively and regularly. I pray that (name) would see and desire the same for their life. I pray all these things in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Pray without ceasing.

If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Lord, Savior, and Friend, reach out! I would love to share with you the hope you can have in Christ! There is strength for today and a freedom from sin, oppression, addiction, and despair! There is powerful hope for eternity in God’s Presence, free from sin, pain, and sorrow. He promises an everlasting peace and joy that this world can’t offer. You can know Him today! Let Jesus change your life!

G1838 - hexis - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1838/niv/mgnt/0-1/

Brenda Reid 5/24/25 Brenda Reid 5/24/25

Battling Destructive Thoughts and Words

“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18

Imagine an old brick house covered in ivy. It looks beautiful and mysterious. The ivy creeps over the walls and the house takes on a different personality as the ivy spreads. But the ivy plant has root tendrils on the vines that penetrate into the surface of whatever it climbs on. Those roots attach the vine to the brick and mortar and begin to draw out the moisture. The vines spread and the leaves cover the walls and windows, blocking out the light. The vines will work their way under siding, in through windows and eventually, the ivy will damage the brick and destroy the mortar, compromising the integrity of the structure. Though it looks ‘pretty’ it becomes a silent enemy that will eventually destroy a house.

The power of words

Words can be similar to that ivy. They may seem innocent at first, just a surface thing that doesn’t do harm. But they can penetrate and cause damage, blocking out the light of Truth and drawing away the Living Water. Words can become dark thoughts that linger and penetrate into the heart and mind and cause destruction.

Our sons and daughters struggle with the battle against destructive words, even if they won’t admit it, because we know we do too…even if we won’t admit it. If asked to remember the kindest thing someone ever said to us, we might take a few moments to recall. But if asked to share the hardest or most hurtful thing, we can almost immediately call it to mind. Harsh words stick like glue.

This world is hard and the messaging that is being thrown at our sons and daughters is brutal. Standards they should attain to, but that are nearly impossible to meet; negative messaging that tears down their self-worth; comparisons that daily steal their joy - it all accumulates and festers. It creates a narrative that becomes their daily soundtrack. Sometimes we recognize the struggle in our children, other times they hide it well, but we know the negative words and messages are bombarding them and making an impact.

As believing parents, we have a responsibility to keep speaking truth into their lives, not just when they need it, but all the time. Will we wait and just ‘admire the proverbial ivy’ while it slowly and steadily destroys them, or will we begin to speak truth in ways that could transform their hearts and minds? Will we begin to tear down the destructive “ivy” of negative words and dark thoughts that would penetrate and destroy? We need to ensure that the messages they are hearing are Godly and right and will impact them for good. We cannot risk them struggling with dark thoughts that become deeply rooted and cause cracks in their spiritual foundation.

We can and should speak truth in love and point them to the power of the cross and the resurrection, not just when we see them struggling, but at every opportunity. There is power in the name of Jesus and the gospel is for everyone, everyday, not just on the day of salvation.

The best way to preserve a house from the damage of creeping ivy is to remove it- all of it. It’s not welcome. It’s destructive. And so it is with the words we choose to listen to, the values we choose to embrace, the practices we choose to engage in. If they are not Godly and we allow them to cling to us and take root, they will begin to change our stability and alter our spiritual integrity and obscure the light of God from our life.

So how do we best combat dark, destructive thoughts?

Scripture says “Take every thought captive” that comes from 2 Corinthians 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Demolish arguments.

What is it that you are listening to? What is trying to define you? What arguments are speaking into your worth and value? Evaluate their truth and pull down those lies from the pit that are trying to root themselves into your heart and mind. Don’t allow them to take hold and do damage.

The arguments are what the Greek calls “logismos” and it means a speculation or imagination (1). Do you see? There is little basis in truth, if any. It’s a guess, it’s an idea, it’s nothing that would hold up in court because there is little to no evidence to support it. Demolish it.

2. Demolish pretensions.

Pretentions are those ‘lofty thoughts’. The Greek word is ‘hypsoma’ and it means an elevated place or thing, or a barrier (2). What are the imagined barriers or those obstacles that situations or people put up in front of us? What are those things that exalt themselves over the truth of Scripture? Are they godly? Are they worthy? Are they deserving of our time, energy, and emotions? If not, knock them down. Detour around them. Break through them. Don’t invest in them because when you do, you’re redirecting your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual resources to something that is not of Godly.

3. Demolish every thing that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.

John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Evaluate the thoughts and feelings against the truth of John 1:1-5. Where do they originate? Do they honor and exalt God? Are they thoughts and feelings God would give you? Do they speak life and light or are they representing darkness, confusion, and oppression? Rebuke any thoughts that do not represent Christ - they are of the enemy and should not have a place in your life. Do not give the enemy a foothold. Tear them down and focus on what is good, just, pure, and lovely (Phil 4:8). If something is set against God, it is not promoting or sustaining the fruit of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). The fruit of the Spirit is a great standard by which to gauge the godliness of thoughts, feelings, words, and actions.

4. Take every thought captive and bring it into obedience.

The Greek word here is aichmalōtizō and it means to conquer, bring under control, or to master (3). We have the ability to ‘pump the brakes’ and stop our wrong thinking. We have the capacity to arrest the wild thoughts, bring an end to the oppressive, accusatory dialogue and to, instead, set our minds on things that glorify the Lord. Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Absolutely!

5. Finally, choose to make our thoughts obedient to that which pleases God.

We must choose to do what the Greek calls hypakoē, which means attentive listening, compliance or submission (4). We must choose to bring our thoughts and feelings into compliance to God’s will, not leave them to the mercy of the arguments and pretensions that set themselves up against God and against His image-bearer.

Colossians 3:1-3 is the confirmation we need.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Set your hearts. Make the choice. Be intentional.

The enemy wants us to live in the darkness of death. He deceives us into thinking that we are condemned and we have no hope. He lures us into lingering in the shadows- but our Savior walks through the shadows with us and it’s because of His light we can see the dangers and be confident of His protection! He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies, Psalm 23. We can rejoice and celebrate because Christ has won! We are redeemed! The enemy holds no power over us unless we allow it, and why would we?

Demolish it. Take it captive. Bring every thought into obedience.

These are the steps to overcome negative, dark, depressive thinking. These are the steps to a victorious mindset. We must choose where we will allow our thoughts to reside. We must choose what we will speak into the lives of others. It is important and urgent that we choose wisely and encourage our sons and daughters with the same.

Commit to pray

“Father, God, You see the struggles I have with my own thoughts and feelings. I know You see (name), too. You understand their struggles, their fears, their doubts and self-doubt. You see the enemy trying to leech living water and spiritual nutrition from them as he entwines his dark thoughts and casts his shadow of worthlessness and doubt. I rebuke this in Jesus name! I pray that You would help (name) to take every thought captive. As soon as those negative, questioning, dark thoughts begin to linger, I pray that they would capture them, rebuke them, and shift their thinking to what is right and true. Speak into them, Lord, their worth as a child of God, chosen and dearly loved. Strengthen them through Your Holy Spirit to demolish the arguments that would set themselves up against Your Word, Your Character, Your Truth. I pray that they would daily, moment by moment, bring every thought into obedience to You and Your will so they can live in victory. I pray that You would bring to mind Scripture that would encourage them. Help them to evaluate what they hear and choose to believe against Philippians 4:8 “...whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].” (AMP) Lord, You are able to transform their mind and I pray You would do that, even today. Let the words of their mouth and the meditation of their heart be pleasing to You, Psalm 19:14. I pray this in Jesus name, amen.”

Pray without ceasing

If you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus and you would like to know more, keep reading! Scripture says we’ve all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Though we live ‘rightly’, do good, give of our time and resources, it’s not enough. Our sin is too great for us to atone for. But Jesus, the Son of God, came in human form to live among us and to be a sacrifice for our sin- for the sin of the world. He lived a sinless life and died on our behalf so that we could be reconciled to God. In our sin, we cannot stand before a righteous and just God- we have no good in us. All of our ‘righteousness’ is just like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). But God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus became the sacrifice for our sin on our behalf. He paid the price for our sin once, for all. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God looks on us and sees Jesus. We are made holy and just. We are acceptable to God because of Jesus’ sacrifice. When we choose to follow Jesus, we make Him the focal point of our life, we pattern our life after Him and we live to serve and please Him. He promises everlasting life in His presence and an inheritance unlike any other. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you are saved.” Romans 10:9 This is not religion, it’s not a set of rules or a checklist of things you must accomplish, it’s a personal relationship with the One True God, the Almighty, Creator of the Universe and lover of our souls. Would you choose to follow Jesus today? Pray this prayer,

“Lord, I know that I’m a sinner. I’ve done many things wrong, thought things that were impure, said things that were hurtful. Lord, I’m undeserving. But I believe Jesus died for my sin. I believe He rose again from the dead, conquering sin and death and that He lives eternally. I confess my sin and ask for Your forgiveness. I want Jesus to be Lord of my life. I ask Jesus, that You would be my Lord and Savior. Forgive me. Cleanse me. Make me new and give me life beyond the grave. Thank you for forgiveness and for the hope of heaven. In Jesus’s name, amen.”

If you prayed this prayer, reach out! I would be so happy to give you some resources and some encouragement! Knowing Jesus truly is life-changing!

G3053 - logismos - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3053/niv/mgnt/0-1/
G5313 - hypsōma - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5313/niv/mgnt/0-1/
G163 - aichmalōtizō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g163/niv/mgnt/0-1/
G5218 - hypakoē - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5218/niv/mgnt/0-1/

Brenda Reid 5/3/25 Brenda Reid 5/3/25

Questioning God

“How long, O Lord , must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.” Habakkuk 1:2-3

Some might think that questioning God demonstrates a rebellious attitude toward God, a lack of fear of Him, or perhaps a weak faith. Others would say it’s not for man to question God, yet God has given us a reasoning mind that, when we don’t understand something, will ask questions and seek truth and wrestle with things beyond our ability to grasp.

We may even hesitate to admit that we’ve questioned God ourselves in the midst of tragedy, pain, loss, or hardship. Why? Why, Lord? Why me? Why now? Why this? Why not healing, rescue, deliverance?

Our limited minds cannot grasp the eternal, limitless mind of God. Yet we try…and then we get angry or bitter towards Him when we don’t get the answers we think we deserve or we fall into despair thinking that we’ve been punished or abandoned. Oh how our minds jump to conclusions!

Just as we explained to our sons and daughters as we raised them, there is a right way and a wrong way to ask questions. The same applies when we talk to God. There is a right way and a wrong way to question Him. Below are some steps to ensure the questioning is with a right heart and doesn’t become accusing and bitter.

First, determine your motivation.
Are your questions coming from a place of truly wanting to know and understand, or are they motivated by bitterness, anger, and a desire to rail at God? Because one is inquiry and the other is accusatory.
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23
Have a heart of humility.
Know your place. Who is God? Who are you? Where do you stand in that relationship? Before we bring any questions to God, we must acknowledge Who God is. We need to humble ourselves before Him.

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’” Isaiah 46:9-10
“Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” Exodus 15:11

A great Biblical example is the conversation between Job and God. Despite all of the suffering God allowed in Job’s life, He was still sovereign and still very much in control. When Job began to question Him, God responded and reminded Job of his position and of God’s eternal nature, perfect wisdom, unmatched power, and sovereign authority:

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
    Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Have you ever given orders to the morning,
    or shown the dawn its place,
Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have the gates of death been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
    Tell me, if you know all this.
“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?
    Let him who accuses God answer him!” Job 38:4-5, 12, 16-18; Job 40:2

Job responded in humility. He understood his place. He realized that the Sovereign God could choose to do whatever He planned. It was not for Job to question, but to trust.

Then Job replied to the Lord:
“I know that you can do anything,
and no one can stop you.”
“You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
things far too wonderful for me.” Job 42:1-3

3. Take time to learn the attributes of God.

As human beings, we have finite understanding and experience. We are time bound and limited; we struggle to grasp the eternal and really anything that exceeds our boundaries or occurs outside of our senses. If we learn about God’s character and attributes, we will gain perspective on our situation and our distress in light of eternity and in the bounds of God’s sovereignty. It can temper our bitterness to enable us to surrender in the Presence of God and to HIs purpose and plan:

God is Eternal

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Ps 90:2

“Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.” Ps 102:25-27

God is Sovereign

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” Isa 40:28

God’s wisdom and power is limitless and unsearchable

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” Isaiah 40:28

God is omniscient, knowing all, and He is omnipotent-all powerful. He has purpose in whatever hardship He allows and is fully in control over them.

“But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you.” Psalm 33:18-22

God has plans and purposes beyond our understanding

“Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, Who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.” Isaiah 64:4

4. Know that any spiritual discernment and understanding of the situation will only come through the Holy Spirit.

Our limited, mortal minds cannot begin grasp the eternal, spiritual nature of God’s work. We need the intervention and disclosure of the Holy Spirit to enable us to discern God’s work.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9

Corinthians goes on to say, “But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:10

“We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” 1 Corinthians 2:12

5. Respond, don’t react.

Instead of reacting to the situation and circumstances, we need to choose to respond. Lord, what would you have me learn? What is it I need to understand?

Rather than allowing ourselves to cave in to anger, we need to seek the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts and minds to reveal to us what God is doing and what his purpose is. It is the difference between being godly over being fleshly.

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” I Corinthians 2:14

We must ask ourselves, is our response a reflection of wisdom or foolishness. Are we trusting in circumstances or the Sovereign Lord. Are we willing to walk in faith?

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

It’s easy to trust when you see things playing out logically, or in ways that benefit your goals and dreams. But faith is trusting what we do not see and having confidence in the promises of God, even when it’s not easily discerned. We must remember,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9

When our sons and daughters encounter trouble and hardship (and they will) we as parents, mentors, and friends have a choice. What will we say in response to their questions? How will we counsel them? Will we react in kind and lose our self control, becoming angry or hysterical, or will we respond with Godly wisdom and the peace that passes understanding? If we know Jesus as our Savior and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we should always choose the latter.

Questioning God is something that we all will do at some point in our lives because we will all face circumstances and challenges that exceed our capacity to understand and surpass our coping skills and overwhelm our heart’s ability to embrace. Yet, God is there. He’s waiting to hear from us, He’s ready to answer, and He’s always present to supply our needs and sustain us through whatever it is we’re facing.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Far too often, our reactions demonstrate we have more faith in the power of our circumstances to destroy us than in the Sovereign God of the Universe to deliver us.

Let’s be purposeful to point our sons and daughters to the cross. Let’s be deliberate about doing the same when we face hardship ourselves. Our children learn by watching us- even as adults. Let’s give them something worthy to emulate. Jesus and only Jesus should be our focus, our desire, our comfort, our refuge, and our strength. If we’re drawing strength and peace from another source, it’s artificial and cannot sustain us. Let’s go to the Authentic Source of life, strength, purpose and peace. Let’s cling tightly to Jesus.

“Oh Lord, God of the heavens and the earth. Before this world ever began, You were. You are always present and working. You always will be- You are eternal. That is more than my mind can grasp and for that I am so grateful. I know that my God is bigger than anything I will ever face, stronger than any enemy, and Your wisdom is more profound than I can comprehend. I pray that You would give me strength, discernment, and wisdom to encourage my sons and daughters. I pray especially for (name) as they struggle. Lord, You see them, You love them, and I know You have a purpose and plan that is beyond our understanding. I pray that You will protect them from bitterness. Open their eyes to see whether they are responding to you or reacting in anger and bitterness. Give them a humble heart to listen for Your voice and trust Your work. Lord, even when they don’t understand, help them to rely on Your goodness, Your lovingkindness, Your Sovereign power and Your eternal plan. Remind them of Your attributes. Then, give them strength and wisdom to seek the Holy Spirit for discernment. Lord, if they do not know you personally, if they are walking a path that is not with Jesus, I pray that You would use this situation to bring them to repentance and to salvation in Jesus through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Fill them with joy in Your Presence so that no matter what circumstances they face here, they know you have far better things planned for them in eternity with You, things that our minds can’t even begin to imagine. I pray, Father, that through Your Son, Jesus and through the Holy Spirit working, alive and active in their heart, that they would listen for Your voice, be ready for Your answers, and be trusting that You will never leave or forsake them. Give me courage to support them correctly, using Your Word and Your wisdom to point them to Jesus, again and again. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

Be still, my soul! the Lord is on your side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide;
In ev'ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul! your best, your heav’nly friend
Thru' thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul! your God does undertake
To guide the future as he has the past;
Your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul! the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he lived below.

Kathrina von Schlegel (1)

Pray without ceasing.

von Schlegel, K. (1752). Be still, my soul. Hymnary.org. https://hymnary.org/text/be_still_my_soul_the_lord_is_on_thy_side#Author

Brenda Reid 4/22/25 Brenda Reid 4/22/25

Remedy for a Troubled Heart

“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27b

“Let not your hearts be troubled.”

That’s easier said than done, right?

“Let not your hearts be troubled.”

It was what Jesus’ said to the disciples.

It’s likely we’ve heard that statement a lot. We’re familiar with the passage of scripture. But have we really considered the meaning of those words and the context in which they were spoken a little more closely.

It was at the Last Supper, the Passover, when Jesus predicted His betrayal and death to the disciples. There was much going on, both around the table and in the spiritual realm. The disciples didn’t fully understand and there were whispers of “Ask Him who it is” and questions of “Lord, will I be the one to betray You?” The Lord was trying to prepare the disciples for what was to come both in the immediate hours and in the days, months, and years following.

Ponder that. Jesus knew His death was near. He understood the pain and suffering He would endure. He knew that His death and resurrection would seal eternity for all who confessed and believed in His name, but it would cost Him everything to secure that for us. He also knew the spiritual battles would be strong and the powers of heaven and hell would be raging. Satan would rejoice, thinking he had won- finally defeating the Son of God. The demons would become even more aggressive against anyone bearing the name of Christ. Heaven would sorrow at His death and then rejoice at the mighty victory over sin and eternal death. And Jesus knew His disciples would face persecution and death because they carried His name. The battle was only beginning.

In the context of all of that, Jesus said something profound that we should ponder. He said, “Let not your heart be troubled.” Let not… meaning, do not allow it.

Jesus knew the disciples would be faced with a choice: they could come undone at the death of their Lord and hide in fear, or they could embrace the power of the Lord Jesus and be bold and courageous and do what He had instructed them to do. And Jesus knew, centuries later, we would need to hear the same message because we, too, would be faced with difficult choices, with mistreatment and derision for our faith, and with hardship and suffering because we represent the name of Christ.

Philippians 1:29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,

In this world we will have trouble (John 16:33), because this world is not our home. This world is the kingdom of the Prince of the Power of the Air- Satan (Ephesians 2:2). And we are aliens and strangers here (1 Peter 2:9-11), unwelcome by and a target of the spiritual authorities under the control of Satan (Ephesians 6:12).

Anytime we are faced with a struggle, with pain, with hardship, with terror, with uncertainty, we have a choice. We can either allow our hearts to go ‘there’ and be filled with anxiety and paralyzed by fear, or we can take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5).

As a parent, this is a daily struggle, whether or not we choose to admit it. We worry. We panic. We fear. There are so many things that can threaten the safety and well-being of our sons and daughters. But friends, giving into that fear is a choice that we make. It is socially acceptable to be a worrying parent. We let our hearts be troubled and we don’t make an intentional choice to stop.

The word troubled, in Greek, is the word tarasso, and it means “to stir or agitate, as if to boil water, to trouble a thing by moving it’s parts to and fro; to cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, disturb his equanimity; to disquiet, make restless" 1

We allow our minds to run with all of the scenarios, we worry, we stress, we lie awake at night and our minds tumble like a washing machine on the spin cycle, all of the ‘what ifs’ are followed by the ‘and thens’ and we spend more time meditating on the troubles rather than on the Lord.

When we choose worry and fear, we choose to model to our sons and daughters a lack of trust in God. We’re demonstrating that we are not sure He will do the best thing for us and for our sons and daughter. We pray for what we need Him to do, yet balk at surrendering our will to His. We try to fix the situation ourselves. We stay awake at night, working through the details in our minds and praying for what we want to see happen or the resolution we believe is the right one. We wrestle with all of the feelings, but friends, feelings lie. The heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) and to give in to the angst is to play into the hands of the enemy who wants us consumed with anything but Jesus.

Jesus told His disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me” John 14:1. When we are troubled we need to stop and ask ourselves, “Do I believe in God?”. If the answer is “Yes” then the next questions should be, “How am I demonstrating that belief?”.

We need to work on taking every thought captive and making it into obedience to Jesus Christ. You see, those worrisome thoughts and nagging fears are the arguments and pretensions that set themselves up against the knowledge of God. They distract us from God and pull us from faith in His ability to solve our problems and from believing in His sovereignty over them…and isn’t that exactly what the enemy desires?

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5

When those fears arise, when that anxiety begins to swell in our throat, when our stomach churns with worry, we must be intentional to take every thought captive rather than marinate in the worry. (I’m preaching to myself here, friends. I struggle with this too!)

So, maybe we are determined to capture those thoughts…but then what? The next step is Philippians 4:8,

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

We have to be intentional to refocus our thoughts. We have to choose to dwell on those things that will strengthen our faith in the Lord. We need to focus on the promises of God and choose to obey what He commands us to do.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

“And when your faith is weak, pray as the father did who had a son possessed by a demon and asked Jesus to bring deliverance and healing, “I believe, help my unbelief.” Mark 9:14-27

Jesus knows how much we love our sons and daughters. We would give our life for them- He knows, because He gave His life for us, even when we were undeserving. He has compassion on us,

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;” Ps 103:13

But He also desires that we would grow in our wisdom and knowledge of Him and His Word so that we would not be easily tossed by hardship.

When you’re tempted to worry and fear, let not your heart be troubled. Don’t give into the temptation to feed the fear. Focus on the Truth of Scripture and of Who God is. The more you dwell on the Father, the further the fear recedes from your thoughts and from your heart.

Take time to meditate on these Scriptures:

Psalm 17:6 “I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.”

Proverbs 3:5 5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;”

Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 31:24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord .

Psalm 33:20-22 “We wait in hope for the Lord ; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord , even as we put our hope in you.”

Psalms 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

Psalm 62:8 “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

These seven Scriptures can be your meditation throughout the week. Write them down, keep them where you can be reminded. Know that the Lord, alone, is your refuge. He hears your prayers and He will answer…He WILL. His timing isn’t akin to ours nor are His ways - they are so much higher and better. Be careful that you are looking for Him to work, not looking for Him to follow what you determine is the best course of action. Surrender yourself to Him, to His timeline and to His plan.

Take time to study God’s Word. The more you dig into HIs Word, the more reassurance you will have in His Sovereignty. You can rest in Him, knowing He will always do what is best. Grow in your knowledge of Him, meditate on His words, rest in His character.

There IS a remedy for a troubled heart…do you want it? Or would you rather wrestle with your angst and insecurities. Sometimes we become too comfortable with what we know, even though it’s painful and hard. Get to know the God of the universe! Rest in His power! Hide in the shadow of His wings. Nestle into His loving embrace.

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[f] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:9-14

“Heavenly Father, I give you all of my uncertainties. I release all of my worries to You. I trust You. My troubled heart is too focused on the cares of this world and I know that is not what You ask of me. Take my heart and mold it into a heart that loves Jesus and craves time with Him. Give me a hunger and thirst for righteousness, not a craving for drama and anxiety. I pray that I would model what it means to trust and rest in You to my sons and daughters. I pray for (name) that they, too, would learn to trust and rest in You, not in the daily troubles that surround them. Lord, lift their eyes to focus on what is eternal. Help them set their heart on things above (Col. 3) and set aside the weight and sin that weigh them down and, instead, fix their eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of their faith (Heb. 12:1-2). Lord, I pray for the prodigal who is running from You. Lord, they are dragging the weight of this world along with them, their heart is troubled and their mind is filled with everything the enemy throws at them, yet they refuse to surrender to You. Bring them to the end of their prodigal pathway. Let them hit the dead end that shows them there is nothing for them apart from You. I pray, Lord, that You would be a balm to their troubled heart. Help them to see that You are their refuge and strength. You hear their cries. You will carry their cares and sustain them through anything they might face in this world and You will guarantee an eternity at Your side, where every sorrow is erased and every tear is wiped away. Lord, work in (name)s heart and mind today. Be the balm and remedy for their troubled heart. May Jesus be praised in every moment, every change, every heart that cries out for Him. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

Pray without ceasing. Rest in His promises.

1. G5015 - tarassō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5015/niv/mgnt/0-1/

Brenda Reid 4/13/25 Brenda Reid 4/13/25

The Importance of Godly Parents

Throughout scripture there are accounts of fathers and mothers who, despite the social and political pressures of the day, raised their sons and daughters to stand strong for the Lord. As parents, it is our highest calling and our greatest investment. Careers won’t matter. Portfolios will be worthless. Possessions will rust and fade. But our children are the godly legacy that carries on and impacts this world for Jesus.

The book of Psalms testifies, again and again, of David’s longing to be filled with the Lord, be satisfied by His words and comforted by His presence. David, a simple shepherd boy, who became King of the nation of Israel, not by his education, not by his networking with other power players, but because of his genuine heart for the Lord. God chose him. How did David develop that heart for God? He said in Psalm 86:16, “Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant;save me, because I serve you just as my mother did.” And in Psalm 116:16 he said, “Truly I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains.” It’s clear that David’s mother played a strong role in how he understood and interacted with God. David had a heart of obedience to the Lord because his mother modeled it for him.

We’re all familiar with Proverbs 31 and the description of the virtuous woman. But we often skip the first nine verses of the chapter. Take a moment and read that first verse, “The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.” A godly mother bore influence on the chapter that defines godly womanhood. She had a powerful impact on her son, who in turn has influenced people for thousands of years. That’s some godly parenting!

Godly fathers, too, are vital and irreplaceable. From the time of the garden, God modeled what that relationship should look like, walking and talking with Adam in the cool of the day (Gen 3:8-9).

Abraham didn’t become a father until he was 99 years old. Yet, he was unequivocally dedicated to following the Lord, to the point he was willing to obey God and offer his son, his only son, Isaac as a sacrifice to the Lord. Yet, Abraham knew God’s promise- that he would be the father of many nations. He also knew that promise came through Isaac. Abraham obeyed God because he trusted that God would do a miracle. God was faithful to His promises. And Isaac, he trusted His father. He knew that Abraham walked and talked with God. He knew Abraham was a friend of God. His father’s obedience to God meant blessing for the generations to come. Isaac chose to model what his father did, he didn’t flinch, he obeyed too. At the right time, God provided a ram as the substitution for Isaac’s life. Abraham's obedience provided a picture of Jesus’ substitutionary atonement for us. God provided a lamb. (Genesis 22). Abraham’s faith was the example for not only Isaac, but for us as well.

God doesn’t just ‘hope’ that we’ll understand how to parent well, He provided specific instruction. Deuteronomy 6 gives guidelines to the Israelite men on how they should spiritually lead their homes and how they should teach their children about God and His commands and promises.

These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. (Deut. 6:1-2)
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deut. 6:6-9)

Though our sons and daughters are grown, our influence as a parent is not. We can continue to impact them through all of our days, and even after we are called home. How do we live? How do we obey God? Are we modeling trust, faith, and obedience?

Consider the question, what are we impressing on our children? Political views? Social norms? Or the power of the Word of God? Are we building into them so they can be an influencer of this world or for the Kingdom of God? We have a heavy responsibility and we need to embrace it intentionally and with a sense of urgency…for such a time as this.

It may not be our words to our sons and daughters, but our words to the Father on their behalf, that moves them to a deeper relationship with Him and strengthens their resolve to follow faithfully and fearlessly.

We are called to teach, lead, guide, and protect the hearts and minds of our sons and daughters. Yes, that gets harder as they grow into adulthood because our influence diminishes. Yet the relationship remains and in that, we can point them to Christ, daily. It may not be our words to them, but our words to the Father on their behalf, that moves them to a deeper relationship with Him and strengthens their resolve to follow faithfully and fearlessly.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Eph 6:18

The days are dark. Time is short. How will we parent in this season of influencing adult children?

Romans 13:11-14 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

Today is the day. Don’t look to the past. The enemy will dredge up every parenting regret that we hold. Rebuke him. Look at today and look ahead. How will you impress these truths on your sons and daughters for such a time as this? How will you model living a life sold out for Christ? How will you daily point them to the cross so that when they must choose, they choose Jesus, only Jesus?

“Heavenly Father, I come to You in the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in me. This world is dark and I see the enemy working in dark ways, yet no longer hidden but boldly working with such evil and hatred that is made to look like a righteousness that the world craves. The evil that reigns is so antithetical to everything in Your Word and against Your nature, Your character, and Your will. Yet it is packaged as ‘justice’ and ‘goodness’, ‘tolerance’ and ‘love’. When I compare what I see with Your Word, I see the deception. Do my sons and daughters see it? Will they take a stand against it? I pray that You would impress righteousness on their hearts, Lord. Holy Spirit, move and work in (name)’s heart and mind so that they long to follow Christ with all they are and have. I pray that their conscience would be burdened by the evil they see- don’t let them look away or push it off for another to address. Lord, give them a hunger and thirst for Your Word (Mt 5:6) Draw them into a daily time to be still before You and know that You are God (Ps. 46:10) Lord, let them pray with strong conviction and courage, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Ps 46:1-3). I pray, Father God, that You would raise (name) up to be a strong man/woman of God, uncompromising, convicted to follow You, and heavily reliant on Your wisdom and strength, not their own. Lord, help me to model that to them. Help me to be a father/mother who is uncompromising in my commitment to You and let my life demonstrate what it means to be a man/woman of God. Make (name) strongly rooted in Christ so that the fruit they bear is a testimony to their faithful walk with You. I pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, amen,”

Prodigal Prayer

“Oh Father, (name) is choosing to not follow You. Their heart is far from You, pursuing and loving things that defy You. I know You have the power to turn their heart from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to the power of God. Holy Spirit, I pray that You would convict and bring (name) to repentance. Lord, they are living in a far off land, separated from Your love and goodness, separated from Your holiness. Bring them home, Lord. Open their eyes to see the emptiness of what they’re pursuing and the rottenness of what they’re ingesting. The emptiness is there, yet it’s packaged as ‘good’, but the good of this world is rotten and the food of this world is poisonous. Pull (name) out of the mud and mire and set their feet on the Rock- Jesus! You have the power, Lord. I pray, in the Spirit, that You would surround (name) and guide them to redemption and give them a heart that would love and serve You. Raise (name) up to be a man/woman of God, one whose testimony would be a powerful story of Your redeeming love. Lord, I know You can. I pray You will. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Pray without ceasing

Brenda Reid 3/18/25 Brenda Reid 3/18/25

Rapture? Millennium? New Earth? What Will Life Be Like?

Recently it’s occurred to me that we spend a lot of time learning about how to live an effective Christian life now… but we pay little attention to what life will be like once this life on earth is through.

So much of our walk with the Lord is built on hope! The hope of heaven, the hope of our inheritance, the hope of living in Christ’s presence. But we spend little time learning about what it is that we are specifically hoping for. That’s concerning. How can our sons and daughters live in the expectation and hope of eternity with God when we spend so little time teaching about it?

We talk about the millennium, but we have little understanding of what we will do. What will our purpose be?

We understand that God will make a new heaven and a new earth and we will live eternally with Him as our Sovereign Lord and King. Yet, if you ask any believer, I guarantee, there would be more questions than answers and most only have a vague idea, at best, of what our life will be like at that point.

It’s no wonder we hear young people say “I do want the Lord to return, but I want Him to wait until… (insert marriage, children, career, travel, etc.) Our sons and daughters lack the longing for being present with Christ because they don’t have a clear picture of HOW it will be better than what they know right now. They’re only told it will be.

If I’m honest, when I was young, I didn’t know much about life beyond that which I knew and experienced to that point. When I thought of heaven, I pictured masses of people, wearing white, standing around in a nondescript cavernous space, singing hymns to the Lord. I mean, don’t get me wrong, who doesn't love a good hymn sing? But for eternity? It just didn’t hold the massive appeal that my parents and older believers said it should. And no one took the time to teach about it. Oh, there was teaching on the Tribulation, for sure, but when we got to Revelation 21 and 22, it was a quick fly-over with few references to the other places in Scripture that described God’s promises. For an extroverted, visual learner, it was a colorless, bland outlook. I struggled with guilt because it was supposed to be what I longed for, yet I didn’t know much about it and it didn’t seem overly exciting.

As I lived my life, I found joy and pleasure in spending a day at the barn and riding a horse through the woods. I communed with the Lord in nature, enjoyed seeing, hearing, feeling all of the wonder of creation while riding and being one with a horse. There was something in that experience that I felt and couldn’t put into words. I enjoyed walking through the woods, exploring, listening to the sounds of the birds and talking to the Lord about my hopes, my burdens, and listening to Him. I loved spending time with friends, especially those who shared my values and convictions, those moments when iron sharpened iron and our friendships were deepened in conversations about the Lord. Could it be that God would give me experiences and pleasures like this in His presence? What was it about eternity that I could really look forward to?

What was it about eternity that I could really look forward to?

Why would God give us a lifetime of doing things we enjoy here, seeing beauty, knowing love, feeling joy and pain, heartache and bliss, only to have an eternity of monotony? He wouldn’t and He won’t!

Oh, dear friend, that’s not what He has planned at all!! This life is a foretaste!! It’s a shadow of what is to come!

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

If we have good things here, IMAGINE the good we will enjoy in His presence?!

If we have good things here, IMAGINE the good we will enjoy in His presence?! God gives us continual ‘hints’ of what we will enjoy…are we paying attention?

““For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.” “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness.”” Isaiah 65:17-18

Jesus said, “I will go to prepare a place for you.” Jn 12:2 When we invite someone to come and stay, we don’t just welcome them in the door and leave them standing in the entry. No, we bring them in, make them feel welcome, we give them a comfortable place to rest and we entertain them. We have a meal, conversation, and share our lives with them. Jesus is preparing a place for us, just for us! He’s getting ready to welcome us into His home- which will be our home, prepared just for us.

That heavenly banquet…

Will we enjoy food in Heaven? Absolutely!! Our Shepherd will dine with us in the most fabulous feast of perfect foods, delicacies from every culture and land- created by Him for our pleasure!

““I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;”” Mt 8:11

Imagine sitting with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob while we enjoy a banquet! Leaning over to ask the Apostle Paul a question, gathering around Jonah to hear what it was really like in the belly of the fish, listening to Daniel recount his hours in the lion’s den, hearing Jesus tell us that He loved us so much He willingly went to the cross to bear our sin- and He would again and again, but once was sufficient for all. Imagine walking hand in hand with Jesus in the fields and meadows of heaven, feeling that nail scar touching our own palm and knowing that if it had not been for His love for us, that scar would be our own and our destiny so different.

Worship is a way of life and will continue to be

But what about work and hobbies? Oh, I believe He will give us joy in working and creating things that bring glory to Him. You see, worship isn’t just going to church on Sunday and singing songs, praying, and learning. Worship is a way of life. Everything you do points to what you value. So if we value Christ, our lives will reflect that in the way we speak, work, play, and rest. It will be reflected in how we interact with others, how we celebrate joy and how we grieve and mourn loss. All of that will be heightened in the presence of Christ- imagine! He will wipe away every tear! Our daily lives will be a living model of worship to the Savior in all that we do, using our gifts, talents, skills, and in our deep fellowship with others who are doing the same!

Then there is His wondrous, glorious creation that awaits us! Imagine, if we enjoy being outdoors now, how much more amazing it will be in the New Earth where there is no corruption of sin, no thorns on roses, no sting in the scorpion or bite from the mosquito?! If nature holds us captive with beauty in a fallen world, how much more will it be in a perfect one?!

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:6-9

Shalom, once again

The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord!! Everything will be at ‘Shalom’ once again- in perfect harmony with God and in worship and celebration of Him. There will be no coup attempt from the enemy to overthrow the Lordship of Christ because the enemy will be banished forever. We won’t have competing values, or struggles with temptation. We will live as God intended, a return to Eden of sorts, where we will walk and talk with the Lord in the cool of the day and enjoy the work that He gives us in the perfection of His creation. The tree of life will once more be available to us and oh, the sweetness of that fruit! Life-giving, refreshing, and boundless! Ours to enjoy!

“I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7).
“…On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month;” Rev 22:2

There is so much yet that we need to learn. And there is much we need to encourage our sons and daughters with, even today. Are they truly looking forward to eternity with Christ, or is it just what comes next? Do they have an excitement for life in a sinless world? Do they comprehend what God has in store? Let’s have these conversations! Do we know everything? Of course not, but imagine the joy of discovery as we learn together! It might offer a little taste of heaven that we can enjoy here!

Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters develop an eternal perspective of what is to come, the joy that is set before us when we step into Christ’s presence and the deep purpose and fulfillment that are promised for eternity in an uncorrupted world where God reigns unchallenged and forever.

“Oh, Father, You hold so much in store for us, yet we don’t understand it and we rarely seek to learn more about it. I pray that You would assure (name) that their eternal inheritance is so full of the very best of everything You create, all that You own, all that You can so generously provide that we will be overflowing with joy, gratitude and fullness in Your Presence. Give them tangible reminders of what You have in store. Assure them that they will have purpose. Remind them of the deep and refreshing fellowship they will enjoy with You and with other believers. Show them the wonders of Your creation here and remind them there is so much more they will see and experience. Open their eyes to see wonderful things in Your word (Ps. 119:18) that would affirm Your promises of what awaits us when we meet You face to face. Lord, we await Your return with anticipation, but please help us to learn and understand more of what we are awaiting! Our minds are so limited and this sinful world is all that we know. Holy Spirit, work in us to understand the things of God more clearly so that this world loses its charm and our hearts and minds long for the next. You are more than we can imagine and how amazing is that, because if we could, it would mean you are limited and small. Oh, great God and Father, thank You for being more than we can grasp and for giving us the promises of greater things! I pray that You would move and work in this generation. Turn their eyes to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

If you would like more resources on God’s promises and the hope of Heaven and life beyond the grave, I highly recommend Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven. You can also follow his ministry, Eternal Perspective Ministries. https://www.epm.org/

Pray without ceasing!

Are you praying for a prodigal?

Are you praying for a prodigal or know someone who is? Consider purchasing 40 Days of Prayer for the Prodigal. The book will walk you through heart preparation of confession, surrender and exaltation to the Lord. There are 40 days of prayer on specific topics, supported by Scripture, but you will enjoy a Sabbath refreshment every seventh day to keep your heart and mind focused on God. Don’t miss this solid resource to encourage your heart and empower your prayer life to more effective petition to the Lord.

Brenda Reid 2/23/25 Brenda Reid 2/23/25

God is Moving!

Just this week, there was a massive gathering on the campus of Ohio State University, in the USA, where over 6500 students came together to worship and hear the good news of Jesus Christ (1, 2). Over two thousand young people came forward to accept Christ as their Savior (that should give you chills!). And this isn’t the first occasion, in the fall of 2024, the Ohio State football team led outdoor gatherings, sharing the freedom, forgiveness, and abundant life that Christ offers with hundreds of students. The resulting outpouring of surrender and commitments to Christ and the massive numbers of baptisms that followed to testify to the same were evidence that this is more than a movement of college loyalty or support for a team (3,4). And it’s not just happening in Ohio, there is an awakening stirring across the nation among this generation (5).

Far too often the stories we hear coming out of college campuses are those of wild parties, fraternities getting into trouble -students doing anything but actually studying. But these stories are different…and they’re happening more frequently. What is happening?

Friends, the Holy Spirit is moving and we are witnessing an awakening of spiritual hunger, a recognition of the deep need that only God can fill. Young people are looking for meaning and the Holy Spirit is lifting the veil, helping them recognize that without God, life is empty, directionless, and spiritually dark. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God has set eternity in the hearts of man. Each of us knows, deep down, there is more than what we can see in this life and there is a longing to find it. Each individual is created with a soul- that breath of life from God that longs for communion with Him. Yet so many lack knowledge of Him and their understanding of eternity is clouded by sin and brokenness. But God! He is stirring that longing to know more in the hearts of this generation. Oh that this would happen across the globe!

I know we pray for our sons and daughters on this page, but can we pray for this generation? They are searching. They KNOW there is more than the bill of goods they’ve been sold by their culture, academia, the media, and the entertainment industry. They are longing for answers. They’re thirsting for purpose and meaning. They’re hungry for more - for that which satisfies. They want freedom from the bondage of sin and darkness and that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

“Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:8-9

Satan is attacking young adults like never before. He knows that this is the generation that could either stand for Christ and change the world, or reject Him soundly and be the godless generation that solidifies the Satanic stranglehold on sinful souls. We need to pray that the Holy Spirit would guide these young men and women to knowledge of the Truth- to faith in Jesus Christ, to forgiveness, redemption, and the promise of eternal life with Christ and to an unwavering commitment to follow Him, no matter what may come.

Will you commit to pray for them? Would you, daily, stop and pray for the protection and salvation of this generation. Pray that the believing ones would stand firm and share their faith boldly? Ask that God would raise up strong men and women of faith (our sons and daughters among them) who would speak truth without fear of repercussions or persecution (it will come, Scripture assures us). Ask the Holy Spirit to move in hearts and minds and bring unbelievers to the Throne of Grace for redemption and justification in Christ.

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:9-10

Colossians 1:9-10 is an excellent prayer for others. So let’s commit to pray at 1:10 pm each day for this generation. Set a timer, write a reminder, put it in your planner. This doesn’t have to be complicated and it doesn’t have to be long. This is just a pause and a prayer that these young men and women would surrender to the Holy Spirit, give their lives to Christ and grow in knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of God’s will and word, bearing fruit and pleasing the Lord with their lives. So when that timer goes off each day, pray for even just thirty seconds. Imagine the many conversations at the Throne at that very moment!

Consider how encouraging it would be to see the responses of a few, of many, or even hundreds who are committing to pray daily?! (There are nearly 700 people who follow this page… we can pray together and be a mighty force!) If you miss a day, don’t worry, God gives us a new day, every day, to use for His glory. Just keep praying!

If you would commit to pray at 1:10 each day, just respond - Praying! Let’s be an army of prayer warriors, not just for our own sons and daughters, but for this next generation who need to know Christ and to stand firm for Him. Let’s ask the Lord to stir a global revival in this generation, unlike the world has seen before! 1:10 PM. Praying!