How can we expect God to change our lives if we don’t tell Him what we need? The act of pouring out our hearts—laying every thought, feeling, fear, and expectation at Jesus’ feet—is what deepens our relationship with Him. We can tell the Creator of the universe how we feel at any given moment, and He cares! Let’s take advantage of that wonderful privilege today!

Where would we be if God wasn’t full of mercy? He has forgiven us of every wrong we’ve ever done! Yet we get bitter and nasty over the smallest things that others do to us. Unforgiveness hurts us more than the person we’re bitter toward. God has forgiven us of so much—we can’t hold onto bitterness. Let’s pray for God’s grace to help us let go of every offense.

Life can be hard—but that doesn’t mean that God has forgotten or left us. When troubles and negative circumstances cause storms in our lives, we shouldn’t panic, like the disciples did when their boat was tossed by wind and waves. Instead, we need to focus on Jesus, who is walking toward us above the very storm we’re afraid of! He will be faithful to see us through.

We’ve heard it before, but it still rings true—don’t stop praying! Imagine the prayers we’ve given up on as dusty boxes in our minds. Let's shake off the dust and pray some more! Our answered prayers are no longer dusty old boxes—they’re our trophies of God’s grace. The Lord hasn’t forgotten about us, nor has He left us. Let’s rejoice in that truth and revive our prayer lives!

Many of us struggle with anxiety—we’re preoccupied with wondering if and how things will work out. But God didn’t design us to live this way. When Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross, He took the weight of the world onto His shoulders. We can have peace because God has a plan. Peace is His presence in our lives—we have the holy Answer to anxiety within us already!

Many of us equate God’s mercy with how much “good” we do for Him. But in reality, there’s nothing we can do to earn God’s love and mercy, because Jesus already paid for them by His death on the cross! Jesus taught that it's not the person who keeps all the rules who wins God's favor. Instead, it's the one who is poor in spirit. Let's go low and see God pour out His blessing on us.

Fire doesn’t need advertising—everyone can tell where it is. In our daily spiritual battles, we should seek the fire of the Holy Spirit! When the Holy Spirit illuminates to us what the Word of God says, it’s as if a holy fire erupts in our souls. And fires spread, right? Let’s ask the Lord today to fill us afresh with His Spirit so His fire will spread light wherever we go.

We need to wake up—spiritually! Sleep is a need for our physical bodies, but if we fall asleep spiritually, we’re in danger. The cares of the world can make us lethargic toward eternal realities. We must wake up and see that the world around us is full of lost and dying people! It’s not time to sleep; it’s time for us to share the gospel.

Ring in the New Year with a powerful evening of worship led by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and an encouraging word from Pastor Jim Cymbala! Let's start the year by celebrating God’s goodness to us.

How many people in your life think of you as a blessing? In the Bible, God blessed Abraham so that Abraham would be a blessing to others. It's the same with us. God doesn't bless us just to make us happy. He blesses us so we can let His goodness flow through us to touch other people. Our actions are an advertisement of God to those around us. Let's not hold God's blessings tightly. Let's bless others and make the idea of God attractive to them.