Grace Over Perfection with Alison Simmons

So what's the difference between influencing someone and manipulating them?

I mean, both Hamon and Esther wanted to produce the desired outcome that would benefit them. Both go to the king and intend on convincing him to do what they think is best.

So what makes what Hamon did "wrong" and what Esther did "right?"

Motivation.

Resources:

Sign up to get the FREE reading plan & reflection questions for this devotional HERE.

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The email series How to Grow Closer to God in Just 5 min a Day is now a VIDEO SERIES. Check it out HERE

Learn more about The Busy Woman's Guide to Growing Your Faith course & mentorship HERE.

There have been many times I have read the words on the page and wondered what they had to do with me.

What does the life of Nehemiah, an exiled Jew who becomes the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, who takes on the task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem after they have been destroyed, have to do with you while you are running errands, driving kids to and from after school activities and making sure the household budget is balanced?

Well, let's find out, shall we? I learned to answer 3 very simple, very direct questions after reading a verse or passage in the Bible. What? So what? And now what? 

In this episode, we practice answering these questions together.

Resources:

Sign up to get the FREE reading plan & reflection questions for this devotional HERE.

Which woman of the Bible describes your faith best? Take this quiz and find out!

The email series How to Grow Closer to God in Just 5 min a Day is now a VIDEO SERIES. Check it out HERE

Learn more about The Busy Woman's Guide to Growing Your Faith course & mentorship HERE.

There are so many amazing takeaways from this passage of scripture where Elijah is used by God to demonstrate is incredible power!

1) God provides for your needs even when it doesn't seem remotely possible that He will be able to. He gives you just enough.

2) A divided heart is just as bad as one in full rebellion. You cannot worship God AND ___________ (fill in the blank).

3) Fear is Satan's most powerful weapon against you because it blinds you from what God has already done and what He promises He will do.

Resources:

Sign up to get the FREE reading plan & reflection questions for this devotional HERE.

Which woman of the Bible describes your faith best? Take this quiz and find out!

The email series How to Grow Closer to God in Just 5 min a Day is now a VIDEO SERIES. Check it out HERE

Learn more about The Busy Woman's Guide to Growing Your Faith course & mentorship HERE.

The God-given wisdom that I spoke about in Day 31's devotional had brought peace and prosperity to the kingdom, something that never happened during the reign of King David.

And yet even the wisest king still makes bad choices!

Solomon ended up with 700 foreign wives and 300 concubines and, to keep them happy, built alters so they can worship their gods. What is even worse is that he joins in!!

And God is not happy about it!

Resources:

Sign up to get the FREE reading plan & reflection questions for this devotional HERE.

Which woman of the Bible describes your faith best? Take this quiz and find out!

The email series How to Grow Closer to God in Just 5 min a Day is now a VIDEO SERIES. Check it out HERE

Learn more about The Busy Woman's Guide to Growing Your Faith course & mentorship HERE.

If God offered to give you ANYthing you wanted, what would ask for?

Would it be for wisdom on how to rule His people justly? Let's be honest, probably not.

Not that you would seek riches and fame, but would more likely ask for health, safety, and salvation for your family. And while these things are good to ask God for, they are not as good as asking for wisdom.

Why not? What exactly is wisdom and why should we want it?

Listen to today's episode to find out!

Resources:

Sign up to get the FREE reading plan & reflection questions for this devotional HERE.

Which woman of the Bible describes your faith best? Take this quiz and find out!

The email series How to Grow Closer to God in Just 5 min a Day is now a VIDEO SERIES. Check it out HERE

Learn more about The Busy Woman's Guide to Growing Your Faith course & mentorship HERE.

While Day 29's devotional was all about David as a man of integrity and honor, today's episode shows a very different side of him.

For starters, he wasn't where he belonged which made him an easy target for temptation.

Then he used his authority to cause Bathsheba to commit adultry.

Finally, he "sin-stacked" and killed her husband in hope that it would cover up what he had done.

As a Christian woman, you might not think there is much about David's actions that apply to you today, but I challenge you to listen to this episode and ask God to reveal anything that needs to be dealt with in your heart.

Resources:

Sign up to get the FREE reading plan & reflection questions for this devotional HERE.

Which woman of the Bible describes your faith best? Take this quiz and find out!

The email series How to Grow Closer to God in Just 5 min a Day is now a VIDEO SERIES. Check it out HERE

Learn more about The Busy Woman's Guide to Growing Your Faith course & mentorship HERE.

Meet David.

The most well-known man in the Bible short of Jesus, David is the youngest of the 8 sons of Jesse. He is small in stature and has spent his life thus far as a shepherd boy.

And when he hears the Philistine giant insulting the God of the Israelites, he tells King Saul that he will fight him.

David's source of confidence is not in his own abilities. He has full confidence that he will defeat Goliath because God is with him.

Resources:

Sign up to get the FREE reading plan & reflection questions for this devotional HERE.

Which woman of the Bible describes your faith best? Take this quiz and find out!

The email series How to Grow Closer to God in Just 5 min a Day is now a VIDEO SERIES. Check it out HERE

Learn more about The Busy Woman's Guide to Growing Your Faith course & mentorship HERE.

So what kind of king did Israel get?

He was taller and more handsome than any other man in Israel. Sounds like he has the stature of a king for sure, but what of his heart?

Today's passage is a reminder that we ought to be careful to claim that what we are doing is in the name of the Lord when it is actually for our own comfort and benefit. 

God knows your heart and your outward obedience is worthless without genuine inward devotion.

Resources:

Sign up to get the FREE reading plan & reflection questions for this devotional HERE.

Which woman of the Bible describes your faith best? Take this quiz and find out!

The email series How to Grow Closer to God in Just 5 min a Day is now a VIDEO SERIES. Check it out HERE

Learn more about The Busy Woman's Guide to Growing Your Faith course & mentorship HERE.

Samuel becomes Israel's prophet and he appointed his own son's as judges over Israel. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to fare any better with his sons than Eli did.

The people go to him and demand that he appoint them a king to lead them. And, at first, we can't really blame them. I mean, the system that is in place hasn't been working out all that well for them.

BUT...their hearts are exposed when, after Samuel warns them of what a king will do to them, they continue to push for a king so that they could be like the nations around them.

Before you judge their rejection of the Lord, examine your own life and take an honest assessment of whether or not YOU are living more like culture than for Christ.

Resources:

Sign up to get the FREE reading plan & reflection questions for this devotional HERE.

Which woman of the Bible describes your faith best? Take this quiz and find out!

The email series How to Grow Closer to God in Just 5 min a Day is now a VIDEO SERIES. Check it out HERE

Learn more about The Busy Woman's Guide to Growing Your Faith course & mentorship HERE.

Have you ever been upset and someone, particularly a man, tries to comfort you and it just is no help at all? 

Today, our devotional starts out with this very scenario. The book 1 Samuel opens up with a recipe for disaster in human terms, but God is always at work.

In today's episode, we learn 2 very important Truths about living out our faith as Christian women from the adults in Samuel's life.

First, pray unashamedly with the expectation that God will answer. Second, be more concerned about your children's souls than their comfort.

Resources:

Sign up to get the FREE reading plan & reflection questions for this devotional HERE.

Which woman of the Bible describes your faith best? Take this quiz and find out!

The email series How to Grow Closer to God in Just 5 min a Day is now a VIDEO SERIES. Check it out HERE

Learn more about The Busy Woman's Guide to Growing Your Faith course & mentorship HERE.