There is a gap between praying and receiving. Many would call it the waiting period. It is often the hardest part, where the devil loves to operate, and your confidence can be shaken. What do you do while you are waiting? Simply put. Fill that gap with thanks and praise. Typically, we only give thanks and praise when things are good, but the reality is that they have nothing to do with our feelings or circumstances. Thanks and praise are powerful weapons that help us exercise trust while we wait on God.

Today, we take a break from the normal flow to feature a special new episode of the Nurture Network Leadership Podcast. NNLP is a monthly podcast, hosted by Pastors Tim Gilligan and Tom Fox. If you don't already, make sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Will Hutcherson is a pastor, speaker, and author of the book, Seen. In this episode, he sits down to talk about the inspiration for his book, and the power that connection plays in the healing of depression and anxiety. He also lays out a series of practical tools to help kids and teens who are experiencing despair.

To learn more about Will, visit his website. You can purchase a copy of Seen at Amazon,  Orange Leaders, or the Parent Cue store.

You can follow Will on social media @willhutch.

As we are entering the holidays, thanks is often a major theme. The idea of a nationally recognized day, set aside for us to give thanks, is wonderful, vital, and necessary. However, it is so much more than one day. More importantly, it is an essential practice and lifestyle for believers. In this episode, we look at why gratitude is the secret sauce to a healthy, happy, Christian life.

What you say and think may seem trivial, but it is not. It impacts your life. You must understand that you were created to believe and have a belief mechanism within you. This mechanism includes your mouth and your heart. These are where faith or fear operates. As a result, they are central to creating a miracle or a mess in your life.

As you learn more and more about how God works, you will learn how to do your work. This knowledge is not just information. It is a revelation that affects how you live and conduct yourself. Find out what pleases the Lord. Get filled with the knowledge of His will. Know what matters to Him. Know how He wants things done and how He wants you to live.

We are to live and walk by faith as a lifestyle. This is important, necessary, and a priority.  The devil hates faith. He wants us to live in doubt, unbelief, fear, and defeat. Why? Because once we really get a grasp on faith and discover its simplicity and power, he loses. It is faith that makes the difference.

Proverbs 8:32 says, “Now, therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways.” This is for every area of your life. That said, faith is what pleases God. By exercising our faith in Him, we are walking in a relationship with Him. Ultimately, That relationship should inform all other relationships—marriage, family, friends, neighbors, enemies, work, food, alcohol, etc. 

Pleasing God is not a mystery. It is not something that is inaccessible. It is possible to find and know what pleases Him. Whatever is pleasing to the Lord is always what is best for you. Whatever is pleasing to the Lord is always your answer.

We are to find out what pleases God and make it our aim to do so. This is not about being “good enough” or “keeping all the rules” in order to obtain His approval. Living your life to please God will simplify your life, provide clarity for every situation, eliminate guilt and shame, and increase your peace and joy.

Your reality will you, but only you can choose which direction it moves you. Will it move you towards despair and fear, or will it move you towards hope and trust? Everyone is looking for peace, but most are looking for it in the wrong places. In this episode, we learn that our reality should always move us back to God. He does everything based upon a principle and pattern. If you draw, He will draw. If you seek, you will find. If you ask, you will receive. If you knock, the door will open.