Walk Boldly With Jesus

God’s Armor (Part 1)

Ephesians 6:14-16 “Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph. Put on holiness as the protective armor that covers your heart. Stand on your feet alert, then you'll always be ready to share the blessings of peace. In every battle, take faith as your wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming from the evil one!”

Yesterday, I talked about how we will be victorious and how important it is to put on all the armor that God has given us. Today, I thought I would go over what that armor is because it can be hard to put something on if we don’t know what it is. The verse above tells us to put on truth as a belt to strengthen us to stand in triumph. We have truth on our side. God is truth, and the enemy is a liar. We must stand in that truth. We must know the truth, and we must also tell the truth. Our actions can either make it possible for the enemy to gain a foothold in our lives or keep him out, and it is up to us to decide. I said yesterday that the enemy is bound by free will. He can’t come in unless we open a door for him. Sometimes, we leave a door open by accident. Sometimes, we do wrong things, and we don’t know that by doing so, we are making an opening for the enemy to come in.

We not only need to stand in the truth, but we also need to tell the truth always. Lying will open a door to the enemy in so many ways. If you lie about something, the enemy will call you a liar. He will use that lie to make you think you are a liar. He will make you nervous that someone will learn about that lie. He will make you feel bad about that lie and then start telling you lies. He will tell you you are not good enough for God’s love because you are a liar. He will tell you God won’t forgive you because you are a liar. He will tell you others will find out you lied, and then they won’t like you either. He will tell you that the person you lied to will find out, and they won’t like you either. Do you see how we are opening a door to the enemy when we lie? The enemy is the liar. He is the one who is not worthy of God’s love. We need to put on the belt of truth because telling the truth will not only strengthen us but also protect us from opening the door to the enemy.

The next piece of armor is the breastplate. The scripture instructs us to wear holiness as the protective armor that shields our hearts. We must guard our hearts. The enemy takes pleasure in assaulting our hearts with his deceitful lies. He revels in telling us we're unworthy, inadequate, unloved. He spins so many falsehoods. But your heavenly Father loves you unconditionally, regardless of your actions. Even if you weren’t worthy, He would still love you. But you are worthy because Jesus made you worthy when He died for you. This is the power of holiness, a shield that assures us of God's unwavering love and protection.

So, what does it mean to wear holiness as a breastplate to protect our hearts? Does this mean we need to be perfect? No, it means we need to be close to God. We should do what we can to grow closer to the Lord daily. We must strive to do the right thing and live the right way. Remember, our actions give the enemy a way into our lives. He will take any opening, no matter how big or small. We don’t want to give him an opening. If we stay close to the Lord, He can protect us. If we try to grow in holiness more each day, the breastplate protecting our hearts will grow stronger and stronger.

I just looked up at the wall in front of me, and I have post-it notes and pictures hanging on that wall. When I looked up, I saw a post-it note that said, “Holiness is saying yes to the will of God.” We are all called to live a life of holiness, and sometimes we can shy away from that because we think that means it is calling us to a life of perfection. It isn’t. God asks us daily to learn to say yes to His will instead of our own. He knows we are not perfect and that it will be a lifelong goal, and yet he is still asking it of us. He is not expecting us to get it right each time. He is just asking that we try to say yes to Him more than we say yes to ourselves. Since He is God and knows what is best for us, can you see how if we grow in holiness, saying yes to His will, His perfect will, then we will protect our hearts?

Next, the verse says, “Stand on your feet alert, then you'll always be ready to share the blessings of peace.” It is important to be alert. The enemy will come more easily if we are sleepy, distracted, or not paying attention. I like this one because we get to share a blessing of peace. Did you know you had the power to impart peace to other people? This is one of my favorite things to do. I pray for peace over people. There is so much worry and anxiety in this world, and peace can combat it. It is not a worldly peace but the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding. If you see a loved one struggling, pray that the peace of Christ fills them up. If you see a stranger and you can see they could use some peace, pray for them. The peace of Christ is unlimited. It will never run out. We don’t have to conserve it or use it sparingly. There is an endless supply, and if you see someone that needs peace, pray for them.

Next, it says, “In every battle, take faith as your wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming from the evil one!” Faith is important. Faith can make all the difference. I just looked up the definition of faith to make sure we are all on the same page. The first definition I found was “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” Do we have complete trust in God and in His promises? If we do, we can wrap that faith around us, and the enemy won’t be able to get in. As we talked about yesterday, God says we will be victorious. So, if we have complete trust in what God says, then the enemy can’t touch us because we know that God has us covered.

The second definition I found is found in Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This is similar but goes into a bit more detail. This means that we have complete trust that God is in the things that we hope for and also that we can believe even if we can’t see. We can believe in God, even if we can’t see Him. We can assume that our hopes and dreams will come true even before they do. This is so powerful against the enemy because He doesn’t understand why we would believe without seeing. He doesn’t know how we can have faith when all looks like it is going wrong if we wrap that faith around us like a blanket and trust the Lord, no matter what, then the enemy's flaming arrows will bounce right off of us.

When I started this episode this morning, I was going to go over all the armor of God today. However, this episode is getting long, and I really don’t want to have to rush through the last two verses, as they are also significant. I will end here for today and pick back up on Monday morning with the last pieces of armor. On Monday, I will cover the helmet, the sword, and prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each of us listening to this episode. Lord, show us how to put on this armor and defeat the enemy. Teach each of us in a way that we can understand how each piece of armor fits in our lives. Show us how we need to change. Lord, help us grow in holiness. Help us to say yes to your will more than we say yes to our own will. Help us spread Christ's peace to all who need it. Lord, help us to be truthful. Put on our hearts anywhere in our lives that we are being less than truthful and help us remedy the situation. We love you so much, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name. Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I am so excited that some of you have already clicked the link below and signed up for the “Come as You Are” Retreat in October. Registration just opened on Wednesday, and it is exciting to see people signing up. It will be a fantastic weekend, and I hope you will join us. There is a link below with all the details.

I look forward to meeting you here again on Monday. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day, and may the grace and favor of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you.

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in March 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Living water I give to you, my children. You call me font of all holiness. And that is true. That is who I am. And I give to you the water that flows from that font. For you truly are a holy people. A people set apart to be different. Not that you may boast of your difference, but that you may share your difference. Because your difference will lead people to my heart, to my font of holiness, of life-giving water. And that I long for more than you can ever imagine or dream about. I once again this morning pour out upon you my living water. I ask only that you open your hearts and allow it to flow freely to others.”

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You Are Destined For All Things And Will Rise Victorious

Ephesians 6:13 “Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you're protected as you confront the slander, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious.

I looked at several different scriptures for this morning's devotional. There are so many good ones in Ephesians. I don’t know why I never saw them before. Or maybe I did, and the Lord is just showing me them again in a different light. I am not sure, but I love it! I saw this verse first this morning, and then I went back and forth on a few others, but my eyes kept being drawn back to this one. I know a lot of you are going through some really hard things right now, and what I felt when I kept being drawn back to this verse was that God wants you to know that you will rise victorious!

He wants you to know that this thing you are going through, the situation you are in, it will not take you down. This illness will not be the end. These financial matters won’t be the end. Your estranged loved ones, this is not the end. You will be victorious. You will be healed. Your loved one will be healed. The Lord will provide for you to pay your bills. You won’t be estranged from your loved one forever. Whatever it is you are struggling with this morning, I feel the Lord wants me to tell you you will rise victorious.

The last part of this verse made me think of a song I saw in a movie called Pitch Perfect 2. The song was sung by a group of Germans who were competing in an a cappella singing competition. This song came into my mind because their performance was so powerful. They projected such strength when they performed this song. This is what we must do when we are dealing with the enemy.

The verse says that we must put on the armor that God provides us so that we are protected when we confront the slander. Make no mistake, the slander is the devil. Of course, he won’t look like the devil. He will look like someone who cut you off in the traffic. He will look like the person spreading lies about you. He will look like your co-worker or your boss. He might look like your children or your siblings. Whoever is causing strife in your life, the enemy is working through them. I want to read you the words to the song that popped into my mind as I know it is not a coincidence that when I read this verse this song came to mind. If you want to see the video on youtube you can type in Das Sound Machine  Car Show and it should come up.  Here are the lyrics:

They will not control us. We will be victorious

[Verse 1]

Paranoia is in bloom

The PR transmissions will resume

They try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed down

And hope that we will never see the truths around

Come On!

[Verse 2]

Another promise, another seed

Another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed

And all the green belts wrapped around our minds

And endless red tape to keep the truth confined

Come On!

[Chorus]

They will not force us

They will stop degrading us

They will not control us

We will be victorious

At first, these lyrics might not seem to make much sense. However, if you think about them in terms of what the enemy is trying to do to us, they make much more sense. The first line goes perfectly with the verse. They will not control us; we will be victorious. The enemy and his evil henchmen will not control us. We are God’s children and we are protected. However, we must put on our armor of protection. We must call on the Lord. We need to give Him permission to protect us. We need to read the scriptures so we know when the enemy is lying to us. We must stand in truth.

The next verse in the song says, Paranoia is in bloom. The PR transmissions will resume. They try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed down. And hope that we will never see the truths around. Come On! This may not fit perfectly, but when we really think about it, we can see that the enemy is trying to make us feel paranoid. All we have to do is listen to the news for a few minutes, and we can see all the craziness going on in the world today. Also, it says they try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed down. And hope that we will never see the truth around us. How many of us know someone who has struggled with drug or alcohol abuse? We know it is all around us, yet do we know that the enemy is the one who is pushing it on us. Do we know he is trying to keep us on drugs so we don’t see the truth all around us? When we use drugs, when we drink, it alters our state, and we don’t see things as they really are.

The next verse of the song says, “Another promise, another seed, another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed. And all the green belts wrapped around our minds. And endless red tape to keep the truth confined. Come On!” How many people in our lives have promised us promise after promise and yet not kept them? How many times have people in the government, or in any authoritative power, promised something, and yet it never happened? I like how it says, “another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed.” This is so true in the world today. The enemy will tell us anything we want to hear to keep us trapped in greed. The world is all about how much we have and how much we can get. It is not about giving to others. It is about making sure we have what we need despite others.

Next, the song says, “And all the green belts wrapped around our minds. And endless red tape to keep the truth confined.” Do you ever feel like this? Do you feel like the information we get from the news, social media, and YouTube are all just feeding us what we want to hear? Sometimes, I feel like the truth is impossible to find. It is always hidden in someone else’s opinion about what happened. It is very hard to find the facts about the actual incident. The truth is harder and harder to find these days.

The chorus of this song is one that I recommend we use as a mantra anytime we are having a rough day or anytime the enemy seems to be overtaking our thoughts. It says, “They will not force us. They will stop degrading us. They will not control us. We will be victorious.” We know this is true because the Lord tells us this in Ephesians 6:13. We will be victorious. The enemy can not force you. This is one of those things that the enemy doesn’t want us to know. If God is willing to be bound by free will you better believe the enemy is also. He likes us to think he can do whatever he wants to us, and yet if we tell him to leave he must leave. That is a fact he doesn’t want us to know.

You are so much more powerful than you know. The enemy is trying to keep this from us because He knows the game would be over if all of God’s children started living in the power that the Lord gave us. If we all stood up to the enemy and said, “No more! I am done with your games. I know you can’t hurt me because I am a child of the one true God. I know you have no power over me. I know you are a liar and I refuse to believe your stupid lies any more.” Can you imagine what type of world we would be living in if we were all able to do that? It would be glorious!

I don’t want to leave this verse today without addressing the beginning part of the verse. My eyes first went to the part that says, “You will be victorious” and I think that message was what God wanted me to focus on today, yet I also want to make sure you all heard the first part too, so I will end with that today. The verse above says it is important to wear the armor that God provides because “You are destined for all things.” You have a destiny and it is an amazing one. You know how I know it is an amazing one when I might not even know you? Because the enemy is attacking you. The enemy doesn’t care about those who are luke warm or those whose soul he thinks he has already won. The enemy attacks those who he is worried will do great things for the kingdom of God. The enemy only attacks those who are powerful warriors for the Lord.

You, my friend, have an amazing destiny and you will be victorious. I know things are hard right now. I know you can’t see a way out and you think all is about to come crashing down on you. You don’t see how your loved one will come back to you. You don’t see how the cancer will be defeated. You don’t see how will pay your bills when you paycheck can’t possibly cover it all. I get it. We can’t always see how and we don’t need to. All we need to do is believe the Lord when He says we will be victorious. We can just thank Him, praise Him and wait for Him to work all things for our good.

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord I ask you to protect our mind from the enemy. I ask you to help us to believe that we will be victorious. Show us how to put on the armor of God Lord. Show us how to protect ourselves from the slanderer. Help us walk in our victory Lord. Help us have hope that even though we don’t see how, you will arrange all things for our victory. We love you Lord and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus! I am so excited to announce that the registration site for the retreat is now open and ready for you to register. I will put a link for the registration below the show notes. (Click Here) The link will have all the information. The retreat is October 11-13. Columbus Day weekend. It will be Friday to Sunday this year. It will be $250. That will include a two-night stay at the Holy Cross Retreat House. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday, and breakfast and lunch on Sunday. It also includes tea, coffee, and water throughout the whole retreat; there will be mass, retreat talks, and so much more. I hope you will join us. It was an amazing retreat last year, and I pray it will be even better this year. The theme this year is come as you are. We tend to think we need to wait to turn back to the Lord or to sit and pray with the Lord until we are all cleaned up. This isn’t what the Lord wants. He said come to me all who are weary and burdened, not all who are perfect. Come and spend the weekend learning about how much the Lord loves you. Learn to sit and talk with Him and hear Him talk back. I hope you will give it a try. Retreats are not just for those who are super holy, they are for those of us who want to be closer to the Lord. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day and may the grace and favor of the Lord Jesus Christ be upon you!

Thursday: Today’s Word from the Lord was received in March 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Arise, I say, arise. Declare my works, declare my love, declare my glory and majesty. For as my majesty is, so is my tender mercy. Arise and stand and declare my love and mercy to all you meet.”

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Today's witness was from the book "From Grief to Grace" By Jeannine Ewing. 

Click here to check out the book.

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Don't Let The Passion Of Your Emotions Lead You To Sin!

Ephesians 4:26-27 “But don't let the passion of your emotions lead you to sin! Don't let anger control you or be fuel for revenge, not even for one day. Don't give the slanderous accuser, the devil, an opportunity to manipulate you!”

I know we have already talked about anger recently and how even God got angry at times. However, I really liked today’s verse because it is something many of us struggle with. The passion of our emotions can be so strong that it can often lead us to sin. Not just anger, but a lot of our emotions can be strong.

We live in a world that tells us we should follow our passion and that the most important thing is that we are happy. This is not true. Yes, it would be great if we were all happy. God would love for us to be happy, but not in ways that would put our eternal salvation at risk. If you have children or have spent time with them, you know you can not always say yes to them. Children ask many questions, and sometimes, they don’t know what is good for them and what is not.

For instance, they might want to eat cookies every day for breakfast. Occasionally, you might be able to say yes to them, but every day would not be a good idea. They want to stay up late and watch TV every night, and yet you know that they will be tired the next day and be super cranky and unhappy. They probably know this, too, but the passion with which they want to stay up overrides the part of their brain that knows they need sleep. They rely on us to set boundaries so that they aren’t cranky and miserable the next day.

God has done this for us as adults, too. We are not exempt from the passion of our feelings. Our passion can get us into a lot of trouble. This is why when the Israelites were led out of captivity, the Lord gave them the Ten Commandments. They had been living outside their culture for so long that they weren’t living in the way God had asked them to live. He gave them the Ten Commandments so that they would have guidelines. They would have something to think about when their passions told them they should do something.

Even today, our passions can get the best of us. The divorce rate is 42 %, which is actually down. It used to be that 1 in every two marriages would end in divorce. The reason that 75% of the individuals and couples cited for their divorce was lack of commitment. This comes back to passion. If we think that we deserve to be happy above all things and we are not happy in our marriage, then we start to look outside of our marriage for that happiness or that passion. We are always looking for that thing that will fulfill us, that will make us happy, and that will make us excited to get out of bed each day. It can be easy to put that responsibility on our spouse. It can be easy to expect the person we married to fulfill all of our needs and desires. That is not their job.

We all have a place in our hearts that can only be filled by God. He can bring us the joy that we seek and give it to us in all situations. You might not be feeling fulfilled in your marriage or in your job because you haven’t let God into those areas of your life. Have you invited Him in? Have you asked Him to be a part of your life? He is a gentleman and does not go where He is not invited. If you feel you are missing something in your life, in your marriage, or in your job, ask the Lord to come in and show you what you are missing. Ask the Lord to fill that empty space inside of you, or in your marriage or your job. God will always come where He is invited.

There are other ways when the passion of our emotions can lead us to sin. It is not just in marriages. We can also let our emotions control our behavior in all different circumstances. The most prevalent, I think, is probably anger. We have talked about anger before. Anger is not universally good or bad. It has its place and its purpose. Notice this verse doesn’t say don’t feel all your emotions. What it says is don’t let the passion of your emotions cause you to sin. It also goes on to call out anger specifically. It says, “Don't let anger control you or be fuel for revenge, not even for one day.”

I can see how anger can get in your head and make you do or say horrible things. One of my sons is angry most of the time. Anger has a real hold on him right now, and he hates it. When I listen to him talk, I can hear the anger in his voice—not usually at me but at most of the people he interacted with that day. This can happen to all of us to some degree. I know when I get angry, sometimes my voice gets louder, and I find myself yelling. I have worked hard on this, and I have gotten so much better at not letting the passion of my anger take over. Yet, sometimes, I still yell. It is a process and God is not looking for perfection, but he is looking for progress. He does expect us to notice when we need to work on something and then actually work on it.

I invite each of you to pay close attention to the passion of your emotions this week. Are you letting the passion of your anger cause you to sin? Are you letting the passion of your loneliness cause you to sin? How are you doing with your emotions? Are you controlling them, or are they controlling you? If they are controlling you, reach out. I can send you the mentoring sessions where I talked about emotions and how we can get better control over them.

I love the last line of this verse. “Don't give the slanderous accuser, the devil, an opportunity to manipulate you!” I love this because it reminds us that the devil is a slanderous accuser. He will accuse you, and he will accuse others just to get you to sin. He will tell you all sorts of lies about yourself and about others. He will tell you that the person who cut you off in traffic did it on purpose because he thinks you are a loser who will not do anything about it. Just so that you will get mad and do something about it.

It is important to remember the devil wants the opposite of what we want. He is never trying to help us get to heaven. Even if he seems to be saying something that makes sense and doesn’t seem too bad, it is always designed to make us lose eternal life with God. Remember when he was talking to Jesus in the desert, and he was quoting scripture and seemed to be saying things that weren’t too bad? It was scripture, so he wasn’t lying. However, they were half-truths, and he took things out of context. He will do the same for you. He will tell you things that seem true, he will pretend to be nice, he will pretend to be looking out for you. However, if he is leading you to sin, and he is not looking out for you. This is why it is so important to know what the scriptures say. Then, when he says a half-truth, like he did to Jesus, you will know he is lying.

It is important to know that our emotions are not bad. Yet, we can let our emotions get the best of us. When this happens, we may even allow them to lead us to sin. We must stay in control of our emotions and not vice versa. This is impossible if we are doing it on our own. However, with Jesus, all things are possible. Invite the Lord into all the areas you are struggling with and ask Him to help you. Ask Him to help you put Him first. Ask Him to help you control your passion so it doesn’t lead you to sin. Invite Him into your situation, and He will come. He is waiting there for your invitation.

Dear heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, you are amazing, and we love you so much. We invite you into our mess, Lord. We invite you into our emotions. Help us gain control, Lord. Help us to see where the passion of our emotions is leading us to sin and help us gain back control. Help us put a stop to sinning, Lord. You are the almighty one. You are the all-powerful, and we can do all things through you! We love you, Lord, you are amazing! We ask all this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. I will be opening up registration for the retreat soon. If you are not on my mailing list you can sign up below. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day and may the grace and favor or our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in March 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Life is short, my children. Now is the time to prepare. Don't wait until tomorrow. You do not know if that day will be yours. I tell you again, now is the time to prepare.”

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Be Imitators of God

Ephesians 5:1-2 "Be imitators of God in everything you do, for then you will represent your father as his beloved sons and daughters. And continue to walk surrendered to the extravagant love of Christ, for he surrendered his life as a sacrifice for us. His great love for us was pleasing to God like an aroma of adoration – a sweet, healing fragrance.”

I was looking back over Ephesians this morning. I reviewed Chapters 5 & 6 and decided I couldn’t move on yet as there are several things I want to talk about. I may have talked about them before; I am unsure, but even if I did, they are worth repeating. Every time in the past, I have repeated a scripture because the Holy Spirit revealed something new about it, so hopefully, these next few days will be the same.

I love today’s verse because it reminds us to be imitators of God in all that we do. It reminds us that because everyone knows that we are Christians, then they will be watching what we do to see how “Christians” act. We essentially represent Christians to those we know—especially those who are not Christians. Our actions matter, and so do our attitudes and words. I had a friend who stayed away from attending church for a long time because she didn’t like how those at her church acted. She said on Sunday, they would come to the service and praise the Lord, then sit around and talk about the latest gossip. This did not give her a good picture of what we should do as Christians.

She is not alone, and neither are the people sitting around gossiping. We all fall short of the call to live a holy life. That doesn’t mean we can stop trying, though. This verse is a good reminder of our call. We should be trying to imitate God in all we do. What is the best way to imitate God? What is the simplest way to imitate God? To love our neighbors as we love Him. I think we can all agree that we love God. Now, we just have to figure out how to love those around us and those we meet, and we will be all set.

Loving our neighbor is not easy. People are difficult. They aren’t always nice, and they are sometimes downright mean for no reason. Jesus encountered these people, too. He had people that hated Him for no good reason. They hated Him for who He was and what He stood for. It wasn’t anything He did; they didn’t like who He was. We can’t change who we are, and God wouldn’t want us to. You will encounter people who don’t like you simply because of who you are, which is ok. You don’t have to try to be friends with this person, yet we are called to love them. Can you show love in your interactions with them?

When I wrote that, I got this overwhelming feeling in my stomach that we all need to hear that today. There may be people that we don’t like. There may be people who drive us crazy, like we talked about the other day—those who get under our skin like no other. I really feel like the Lord is calling us to love them more today.

I feel like He is asking us how we could interact with them more lovingly. He is asking us to stop venting about them to others. Stop complaining about them. Stop focusing on how much they annoy us or make our lives harder. I feel as though the Lord is calling us to bring that to Him instead of to others. He is asking us to think about how we can love them more. How can we be an imitation of Christ to them? Think about this, you may be the only interaction with Christ they ever have.

I was praying with someone the other day, and she asked what prayer requests I had. I told her I prayed that my boys would each have an intimate encounter with Jesus. She said she used to pray this for her children, too, and the Holy Spirit told her one day that she was that encounter with Jesus for her kids. They are encountering Jesus through her. I thought this was a beautiful reminder to pay attention to our actions as they may be the only encounter those we meet have with Jesus. Are we being good representations of Jesus? How could we work on this so we can do better? How can we spread love to all we meet and interact with?

The verse says, “And continue to walk surrendered to the extravagant love of Christ, for he surrendered his life as a sacrifice for us. His great love for us was pleasing to God like an aroma of adoration – a sweet, healing fragrance.” This is great because it reminds us of how much Jesus loved us. He loved us so much that He gave his life for us. God is not asking us to give our lives to those we meet. He is not asking for that kind of sacrifice, but he is asking for sacrificial love. A love that cost us something. Maybe that something is getting over what we want to be there for someone else. Maybe that means we need to forgive someone for something. Maybe that means we need to stop getting so defensive when those who irritate us talk to us. Maybe we need to stop taking offense so easily. I think God was talking to me for those last two. I have been defensive and taking offense a lot lately, and that is not what God wants. What about you?

I can’t tell you what God is calling you to. Well, He is calling us all to holiness. I don’t know where you are struggling with that. That call to holiness is a call to love God and to love others. Sit with the Lord today for a bit and ask Him how He would like you to love others more. Ask Him where you are struggling and how He wants to help you change that. We must do it with God; we can’t do it alone. Just sitting and asking Him how we can change will make Him happy. Just admitting we are struggling with loving some people is a big first step. God doesn’t ever expect us to change things on our own. He just wants us to come to Him, admit we need to change, and then ask Him to help us. It sounds simple because it is simple. God is constantly calling us to Him. When we come, He answers our prayers.

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we love you, and we want to come to you. We want to be good imitators of you, please help us. We want to be your face to all we meet, and we really struggle with this. We struggle to love the unloveable. Please ask Jesus to show us how. Please give us the strength to overcome our weaknesses and to love others as we love you. Help us on our path to holiness, Lord. Show each one of us where we are struggling, and then help us change. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to meeting you again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day, and may the grace and favor of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in March 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “For the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Rely on me.”

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Humility & Quiet Patience

Ephesians 4:2 “With tender humility and quiet patience, always demonstrate gentleness and generous love toward one another, especially toward those who may try your patience.”

This is a profound reminder of the challenging path we are called to walk. We are summoned to be gentle and generous towards others, a task that is far from easy. People can be difficult, and they can test our patience. St. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, was well aware of this. Hence, he emphasized, “Especially those who may try your patience.” St. Paul's intention was to underscore that our love should not be limited to those who are easy to love or reciprocate. We are called to love everyone and treat everyone with gentleness, a challenge that requires our utmost dedication.

If we take a minute to think about those who try our patience, I am sure we will all have several people who come to mind. Now, let’s take a minute to think about how we interact with those who try our patience. When we are annoyed, we tend to be short with people. It is not easy to demonstrate gentleness when we feel people are annoying us. I think the key to being gentle and loving with people who try our patience is what it mentions in the beginning of this verse.

We need tender humility and quiet patience if we want to demonstrate love and gentleness to one another. Why humility? Humility allows us to get past ourselves, think of others more, and avoid offending too easily. Humility is not easy. It is something that we need to pursue actively. What does humility even mean? When you look in the dictionary, humility means a modest or low view of one's own importance. However, I like what Rick Warren said about humility. “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” I think we need to be careful when we read the dictionary definition is we may read it and think that humility means we are supposed to have a low view of ourselves. I don’t think God would want us to have a low view of ourselves especially since we are made in His likeness and image. But what the definition is actually saying is that we have a modest or low view of our importance.

This is why I resonate with Rick Warren's perspective on humility. It's not about thinking less of yourself but about thinking of yourself less. This challenges the misconception that humility means having a low opinion of oneself. Instead, it suggests that true humility is about shifting our focus away from ourselves and toward others. It conveys that genuine humility involves selflessness, empathy, and an orientation towards serving and caring for others. It inspires us to transcend self-centeredness and egocentric thinking and cultivate a mindset of humility that prioritizes the well-being of others. It's a powerful transformation that can reshape our hearts and lives.

C. S. Lewis also talks about humility. According to Lewis, the first step in pursuing humility is recognizing and admitting how proud and conceited you are.  A solid second step would be to confess this to God and ask God for help.  The third would be to cultivate the practice of praying for other people.  Don’t pray for others like you’re reading over a laundry list to God, but offer deep, imaginative, caring, and concerned prayers like you are holding someone else’s life, their existence, their well-being in your hand and holding that person up to God.  Pray for others like you pray for yourself or your children and see what God does in your heart.

That last line is powerful. “See what God does in your heart.” I think we would all be amazed at what God will do in our hearts when we start trying to be more humble, when we try to put the needs of others before our comfort. I am not saying to never think about your needs but often we put the needs of others behind our wants and desires. For instance, someone asks us if we can help them with something important on Thursday night, but that is when our team plays an important game. They need us, and we don’t need to see the game; we could watch the replay, but we want to see it.

We often talk about the importance of self-care, and rightly so. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t take care of others. However, we can’t be solely focused on ourselves and ignore the needs of others either. I believe God created us to look out for one another. He wants us to care for the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, and so on because He tells us so in the scriptures. When we shift our focus away from ourselves and towards those in need, we can grow in humility.

The verse says, “With tender humility and quiet patience, always demonstrate gentleness and generous love toward one another, especially toward those who may try your patience.” If you are struggling with this, as I think we all are, it's okay. God doesn’t expect us to be perfect or to get it all right. However, now that we know what we are called to do, we also can’t keep going on like we were without changing anything. Once the Holy Spirit points out that something needs to change, we must set about to change it. Once we are aware, we can no longer claim ignorance.

If you want to change the way you interact with those around you, especially those who get under your skin, you must work on cultivating patience and greater humility. Once you do that, it will be easier to love and be gentle with those around you. If we follow C. S. Lewis’s advice and have a conversation with God about our current level of self-centeredness and then ask Him to show us how to be more humble and more patient, I think we will be surprised at the ways He will show up for us. God is so good!

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those who are listening to this episode right now. Lord, we love you tons! We ask that you help us grow in humility in a gentle way. We ask you to help us grow in quiet patience as well. We thank you for showing us how you want us to live and then helping us live that way. We thank you more than words can express for sending each one of us the Holy Spirit as our guide. Help us to invite the Holy Spirit into our situations more and help us to rely on His power more. We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name. Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you have experienced loss in some way and are grieving right now, I invite you to join mentoring this month as we cover the topic of “Grief.” I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just the way you are, and so do I! May the grace and favor of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you. Have a blessed day!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in February 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Arise, my people. Do not be afraid to arise from wherever you are, in whatever circumstance you're in. I am with you. As the Father has raised me, so I raise you.”

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The Supernatural Fruit of His Light: Goodness, Righteousness, and Truth

Ephesians 5:8-10 “Once your life was full of sin’s darkness, but now you have the very light of our Lord shining through you because of your union with him. Your mission is to live as children flooded with his revelation-light! And the supernatural fruits of his light will be seen in you-goodness, righteousness, and truth. Then you will learn to choose what is beautiful to our Lord.”

Have I told you recently how much I enjoy reading through Ephesians, especially in the passion translation? Everyday I find myself underlining almost the whole section. Yes, I am aware that if I underline all of it, then there is not much point to it because nothing will stand out. Yet, I can’t help myself. There is so much wisdom in this book. I am sure they are all probably like that. I am pretty sure I said the same thing while reading Philippians.

There were many things that stood out to me today while reading Chapter 5. It was hard to choose one thing to talk about today, so I may stay in Chapter 5 for tomorrow’s episode to. We will see. I chose this verse for today for a few reasons. First, I love how it begins. “Once your life was full of sin’s darkness, but now you have the very light of our Lord shining through you because of your union with him.” This is a great reminder that we are not who we were.

Yes, we might have sinned in the past and been filled with the darkness of sin, but that is in the past now. That is no longer who we are. The verse says that because of our union with the Lord, we have His very light shining through us. How amazing is that? God’s light shines through you. His light shines through me, too—not because we are special but because we chose to be in union with him.

Sometimes, we can get caught up in our past and be tempted to live there. We can take on our sins and that darkness as our identity. We can forget that God has already set us free from that darkness. No matter how bad we think our past is, not matter how bad of a person we think we are, God is bigger than all of it. If you have accepted God, if you have repented for yours sins, then God has already forgotten about them, so why do we hold onto them? I know it is hard to believe that God can forget our sins, but it says so right in the Bible. Actually it says it more thank once in the Bible. Isaiah 43:25 says, “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” And Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Scripture is truth. You can hang your hat, as some would say, on anything you find in scripture. You can stand firm on scripture. When scripture says that God does not remember our sins, then you can believe it. I know you don’t think you are worthy, none of us do. However, that is what the cross is for. By holding onto our sins, we are basically telling Jesus that we don’t believe His sacrifice was big enough to cover our sins. Is this how we feel? Do we feel Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross was enough? Was it enough to cover all of our sins? What it enough to cover other’s sins, but just not yours? What will it take for us to believe we are forgiven and that God has already forgotten all that stuff we are carrying around with us?

The next line says, “Your mission is to live as children flooded with his revelation-light!” I love the idea of living as children. Children are so carefree and full of energy, and they are also full of God's light. Kids tend to shine so much brighter than adults do. I know some kids have had a pretty hard life, and you might not see the light shining as brightly in them because this world has tried to snuff that light out. However, kids can hope and believe in a way that is different than adults. They can believe with an innocence that is hard for us a adults.

Children can believe with wonder and awe. They can look at the world and see all the good things, they can see the beauty, the can see the potential. As adults, our view of the world is filtered through the lens of all of our experiences over the years. I think in this verse, God is calling us to come back to Him as little Children. I think he calls us to live in His light and let his light shine into all the dark parts of our lives. The verse tells us that our mission is to be flooded with this light, His light.

The final line in this scripture says, “And the supernatural fruits of his light will be seen in you-goodness, righteousness, and truth. Then you will learn to choose what is beautiful to our Lord.”

God is not just telling us to live as children but He is explaining what will happen if we obey. If we live like children and allow ourselves to be filled with the light, then the fruit of that light will be seen in us. The supernatural fruit of God’s light is goodness, righteousness, and truth. Who couldn’t use more of those in our lives? Do you long to see goodness, righteousness, and truth in your life? If so, how could you live more as a child who is flooded with the Lord’s light?

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those who are listening to this episode today. Lord, help us to live as children who are flooded with Your revelation-light. Help us to choose what is beautiful to you Lord. Help us to realize our lives are not filled with the darkness of sin. Help us remember that we now have the very light of our Lord shining through us because of our union with You. We love you Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed a day and may the grace and favor of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you.

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in February 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “I raise you to be my people. Waging war under my standard, and my standard is the cross. It seems very foolish to so many, but it is power, and it brings great glory to my Father—a glory I share with you, a glory that is yours for all eternity with us together in heaven.”

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Witness Wednesday #122 More PopWe Stories (Anxiety/Depression)

Today’s witnesses are from Matthew West’s website called popwe.org. If you don’t know who Matthew West is, he is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. This website is for the non-profit that he has with his father, a pastor. Matthew and his father encourage people to share their stories. They have various categories of stories. Today, I chose three testimonies from the Anxiety/Depression Category. I know so many people who are struggling with anxiety and depression right now. Suicide seems like it is increasing as well. Often, we can hear our own story in someone else’s story. When we listen to others tell their story, it helps us see that we are not alone. When we hear how God worked in their situation, it gives us hope that He will work in ours, too! I pray when you hear these testimonies, you get the faith and hope to believe that miracles can happen in your situation also. I pray you know that God is there with you, and if you invite Him into your anxiety and depression, He can help.

Jenna: I grew up in a Christian family. We went to church every Sunday and Wednesday and were a part of almost everything; Awana, Elevate teen group, and even school there. Two and a half years ago, I lost someone who I was close to because she felt the need to commit suicide. I was heartbroken and I felt like I lost everything. 2022 was a challenging year for me. I had daily panic attacks and felt like I was worthless. My eating habits went down significantly, and I was stressed all the time. As exams neared, I was super stressed and ended up passing out.

Months passed and I still felt worthless. I planned to commit suicide when I got a text from a friend, and it was like a text from God. She said she heard I was going to camp and hoped to see me there. I thought if I waited til after camp, and then committed suicide it would be okay. So I went to camp and it changed my life. I met so many new people and was able to share my hurt with my church and they told me that I was not alone. Camp was my blue couch moment as I sat there in service Thursday night, I realized that I needed God in my life more than ever. I had already been saved, but I realized I hadn’t been living like Christ wanted me to.

Around late February early March, my friend introduced me to someone…we immediately hit it off and became great friends. A month or two later, it was revealed that he liked me. We started dating in June and have been together ever since. I tell you that little story because sometimes when you need it most, God has someone in mind who will help you grow in faith and support you through it all. They can also help you overcome the hardships in your life.

I still deal with anxiety and eating habits, but they have gotten so much better since camp and I am so thankful for all that my church has done for me. Also, I have my three closest friends with me right by my side and the Lord has blessed me with an amazing boyfriend who I love and who has helped me through a lot.

GOD’S NOT DONE WITH YOU OR YOUR STORY! HE STILL CARES A LOT AND WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU. YOU HAVE A PURPOSE – TURN TO GOD TO FIND THAT PURPOSE AND YOU WILL BE FOUND.

Brianna: From the age of 10, I was stuck with the label “child prodigy,” winning piano competitions, featured in local newspapers, and recognized as a passionate, fiery recitalist. Yet, even as a youth, I was severely depressed. I was insecure, seeking affection, and perpetually in pursuit of attaining “good enough.” Right before my 16th birthday, my world suddenly turned upside down. In an unexpected turn of events, I faced a close encounter with death, had my innocence taken, and watched helplessly as my mother’s health began to rapidly fail. Too ashamed to ask for help and blaming myself for the situation, I despairingly turned to self-harm, eating disorders, and eventually, planned my own suicide. One day, I heard the song ‘Broken Pieces’, and I found something onto which I could cling to – Truth, even when I could not feel it and it failed to make sense.

Through involvement with an organization called Csehy Summer School of Music, I came to personally know Christ. For the first time in my life, I experienced peace, hope, and true joy. Dedicating my life to God, I went back home with a different perspective. My life was still intense – balancing high school and conservatory studies, living between home and the hospital, while being a full-time caretaker for my undiagnosed mother. By the grace of God, I managed to graduate as Salutatorian and get accepted into music school. However, shortly before college began, my mother passed away.

I started my B.A. in piano at Charleston Southern University, using every spare moment to pour my heart out into the keys as a wordless prayer. Yet, a lingering pain in my right hand soon became constant. A few months after my mother’s funeral, I was diagnosed with severe damage in my right hand, incited by the physical strains from being a caretaker. The only option left was surgery, followed by excruciating therapy, without guarantee of returning to the keys. My doctor strongly advised me to quit and choose a different career path. But I fought back.

Over the next several years, I fought through recovery – from both surgical and emotional scars. I realized that though I had given my life to Christ, I hadn’t fully “surrendered” it. In those precious years of undergrad, I experienced the freedom found in surrendering to the grace of God, the beauty of vulnerability, and the power of learning to fly again.

Then, nearly four years to the day the doctor said it was over, I found myself sitting onstage, performing at Carnegie Hall. When I turned to the audience to see a standing ovation, I burst into tears, because I remembered the words, “With You I can attack a barrier, and with my God I can leap over a wall.”-Psalm 18:29

Today, despite the formalities infused in classical music, I get to use the concert stage as a platform to share my story and encourage others to seek help and experience the peace of God. I perform and travel internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, frequently being sought after to premiere avant-garde piano works, and I am actively involved in youth and collegiate ministry. Although healing is an ongoing process, by the hand of God’s work in my life, the label of “Victim” has been replaced with “Victorious,” “Hopeless” has been covered by “Confidence,” and what was “Impossible” is now a living, breathing, walking “Miracle.”

Bubby: Hey, I just wanted to thank Matthew for his book, “Hello My Name Is” and for all he does for us! I’ve met him a handful of times and he is such an awesome child of God. On page 58, I believe, he talks about the story of the 11-year-old who asked for the hug and shared about his anxiety. It took me back to my childhood. I didn’t come to faith until I was 14. A man!! (Lol. I thought…) But I can remember being 5-10 and suffering through anxiety and panic issues every night and throughout the day. I won’t go into it, but it was messed up. Family life was messed up. When I read how this little boy thinking of God holding him when listening to Matt’s song, it brought tears to my eyes. I’m 58 and still have memories of my childhood that can hurt if I dwell in them, but I very seldom do…only when things like reading or seeing or hearing someone else’s experiences. I looked back at how God was there for me all along even though I was not His child yet. His love is so totally encompassing!! It fills every void in my soul. At 12 I was prescribed some medicine that helped, but it was addictive, and when my mom took me off them abruptly, I turned to drinking and drugging heavier then I had already started a year or so earlier. It was a long road I went through, but thank God, I will have 19 years of sobriety this month. My name is “Saved,” in so many ways.

Thank you all for sharing your stories with the world. It can be hard to be vulnerable and talk about the hard things we have gone through.Yet when you are brave and do it even when its hard then we help others who are suffering know that it is ok for them to talk about it too! I am so grateful God saved each of you and thank you again for sharing your story!

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Let’s Build Each Other Up Instead!

Ephesians 4:29 “And never let ugly or hateful words come from your mouth, but instead let your words become beautiful gifts that encourage; do this by speaking words of grace to help them.”

I love this version of this verse because so much of what I hear coming from people’s mouths these days is ugly or hateful. The NRSVCE says, “Let no evil talk come out of your mouth.” That is pretty accurate, too. Why is there so much hate in the world right now? I am sure there always was hate. All you need to do is look back at all the awful things that happened over the years, and you will see that hate. However, right now, I feel like there is so much more.

It seems as though it is ok to say whatever is on our minds, even if it is ugly or hateful. I think most people had a filter once upon a time. They may have thought ugly or hateful thoughts, but they didn’t share them with everyone. They didn’t just blurt them out. However, now I feel as though people feel they can say whatever they want and do whatever they like. I don’t know what has changed, but it is still not ok to treat people badly just because you don’t agree with them.

I am not a fan of politics. I don’t like the division it causes, and I don’t like how it tends to bring out the worst in people. The last two elections especially. I am glad that people really like the candidate they are voting for, and yet that doesn’t give the license to say ugly or hateful things about the other candidate. I have seen some of the worst signs, shirts, and hats about some of the candidates. I wonder if people even care about the example they are setting. There is a house that I used to pass by a lot when I was running more. They have two signed up. I can’t remember them both but I do remember they are both very unkind. One of them says F*** Biden.

I get it; you don’t like Biden. You are entitled to your opinion. You may not like him as a person, or you may not like what he is doing in his presidency, and that is your right. You can like or not like whoever you want. However, when you post a sign like that out in your yard for all to see that is just wrong. You might think you are just expressing your opinion, but you are also being a terrible example to all who pass by and see your signs. You are showing others that it is ok to say whatever we want, even if it is ugly or hateful. You are showing everyone that we don’t have to have self-control over our emotions. It’s ok to say whatever we think.

President Biden, Former President Trump, Kamila Harris, and J. D. Vance are all just people like you and me. Yes, they chose politics and that means they are in the limelight. That doesn’t mean that it is open season for us to say or do whatever we want. They deserve respect whether we like them or not. With social media the way it is today, one little mess up can be turned into a meme for all to see. One misstep, and you are mocked endlessly. I think we tend to forget that politicians are real people with real feelings. When dealing with all people, politicians or not, the words in this verse are great words to live by. “And never let ugly or hateful words come from your mouth, but instead let your words become beautiful gifts that encourage; do this by speaking words of grace to help them.”

Let’s discuss the second half of this verse. Instead of saying ugly or hateful words about others, what if we let our speech be filled with words that bless others? Let our words be gifts that encourage others, not tear them down. I saw a beautiful post on facebook yesterday. My friend had reposted something from the page Shower Arguments with Emily Solberg. Let me read it to you now.

Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles literally bowed down to Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade on the podium as she claimed first place in the gymnastics floor final.

Apparently Simone said that Jordan asked Simone, "Should we bow to her?" And Simone replied, “Absolutely." “It was just the right thing to do.”Can you just imagine?

Can you just imagine if women ALWAYS cheered for each other so enthusiastically, so boldly, so unapologetically, so joyfully, so selflessly? Can you just imagine if women didn’t feel threatened by each other’s successes and used them instead as motivation?

Can you just imagine if women supported other women, simply because “it was just the right thing to do?”This. Is. Everything. And this is why I love the Olympics—because we don’t look to them just as an example of what we could be as athletes, we look to them as an example of what we could be as humans.

Isn’t this a great post? I thought it went perfectly with today’s verse. I think we can apply it to all people, not just women. Can you imagine what the world would be like if we didn’t have jealousy? Can you imagine what the world would be like if we had healthy competition where everyone was respected? Imagine how different politics would be if we did what it said in this verse and did not let evil come out of our mouths. Imagine how different it would be if, instead of saying unkind things about the other candidate, everyone just told us their plan and what they plan to do. Wouldn’t it be a breath of fresh air if everyone worried about their own campaign and wasn’t saying ugly and hateful things about those running against them?

Wouldn’t it be great if the signs people put in their yards supported their candidate instead of insulting the other candidate? This isn’t just in politics, either. You get this everywhere. It is the same with music artists, movie stars, and anyone who is well-known by a large group of people. There is a pastor that I really like listening to, and people even have really unkind things to say about him. Why can’t we focus more on using our words to build people up instead of tearing them down? My boys used to make fun of me because when they were being unkind to each other, I would say, “Is that build-me-up language?” I know we can’t change the whole world by ourselves. What if we just started with ourselves? What if we just made sure that our language was good and kind and full of encouragement? What if we used our words to build people up instead of tearing them down? Those who we are building up will see how good it feels and will hopefully start to return the favor. We can change the world one person at a time.

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening today. Lord, help us guard our words. Help us to pause before we say anything and ask ourselves if it will be passing on your goodness or if it will be spreading evil. It is so easy to get sucked into spreading evil. Protect us from this, Lord! Help us to build each other up and encourage each other. Help protect us from jealousy and hate. We love you so much. You are pure love; help us to be like you, Lord! We love you so very much, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name. Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I will be sending retreat information out soon. If you are not on my email list, click on the link below and join so you don’t miss out on any of the information. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day, and may the favor and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you.

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in February 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “My children, always remember I am your one constant in this life. I never change. I am your rock.”

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15 Promises to those who say the rosary.

Today’s episode is a bit different. Today there is not a scripture verse. Instead I am going to explain about what the rosary is and then list the 15 promises given to those who pray it regularly. There is a lot that is going on in the world right now.  In our country and all around the world. Our country is pretty divided. We are kicking God out of this country one decision at a time. During this truly difficult time, I look to strengthen my faith and lean into God’s grace, strength, and protection.  Who couldn’t use a little more grace and strength right now?

I have found a number of structured prayers that have really helped strengthen my faith.  The first of these is the rosary.  When I moved to New Jersey, one of the wives in Tony’s squadron had started a home rosary group.  I did not know what that even meant, but I had just moved to a new place and I did not anyone.  I thought it would be nice to get out of the house and meet some new people.  I also knew I needed something more, as I had a new born baby and was just learning how to be a mom.  A home rosary group is a group of people that gather at someone’s home and say the rosary together.  One person leads either the whole rosary, or you can switch leaders each decade, whichever you prefer.  Whoever is leading the rosary says the first half of the prayer and then everyone else says the second half of the prayer.  It was so nice to be gathered with a group of women that all wanted to say the rosary each week.  The rosary is a group of prayers that you say, usually using a set of rosary beads. 

I knew there were many benefits to saying the rosary.  I have read them before.  There was a time, probably after I first read these promises, that I was saying it every day.  However, the enemy has a way of putting things in the way so that you are suddenly “too busy” to say the rosary, or he convinces you that if you can’t do it perfect, then you shouldn’t bother.  Remember that the enemy is a master at half truths and lies.  He does not want us saying the rosary because he knows how powerful it can be.  As soon as you begin to say the rosary faithfully you will notice that things will begin to come up during the time you set aside for rosary, or you will find yourself forgetting about the commitment.  I decided to talk with you about the Rosary today because I came upon the promises that Mary gave to us and I remembered why I was saying the rosary every day. I know the rosary is a longer prayer than most of us might be use to, but it is only 20-30 minutes out of your day.  If you get a full 8 hours of sleep at night, that means you are still awake for 16 hours.  That is 960 minutes in your day.  The rosary takes 20-30 of them.

The Blessed Virgin Mary promised to Saint Dominic and to all who follow that “Whatever you ask in the Rosary will be granted.”  She left for all Christians Fifteen Promises to those who recite the Holy Rosary.  They were imparted to Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan.

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.

2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary. 

3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies. 

4. The Rosary will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire for eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means. 

5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish. 

6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life. 

7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church. 

8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenititude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise. 

9. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary. 

10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven. 

11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary. 

12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities. 

13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death. 

14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters of my only Son Jesus Christ. 

15. Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

I cannot believe all that is promised to us if we say the rosary.  I read through those this morning and just kept saying to myself, yup, I need that too.  Who couldn’t use help destroying vices, or for their good works and virtue to flourish?  Mary, the Mother of Jesus, promised special protection and the greatest graces to those that say the rosary.  I don’t know about you, but I could definitely use some special protection and all the graces I can get.  I know that I probably won’t start saying the rosary every day without fail, because I am human and I often fail.  I have been reminded today what a blessing it is to say the rosary and I am going to do my best to incorporate it into my daily routine.  After all 20 minutes a day is less than the time it takes me to watch one episode on TV.  I have the time, I am just using it doing other things.  You do not have to say the rosary every day, even if you say it once a week, or once a month, or one decade a day, I bet you would see a change in your life.  Give it a try, what do you have to lose?

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord we love you and we ask you to help us in our time of need. We ask you to put on our hearts a desire to say the rosary. Lord, help us to see the importance of it. Help us to understand the importance of Mary in your plan for redemption. Help us to find time in our schedules to set aside to say the rosary. Thank you Lord, we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you would like to join me for mentoring this month we start our new series tomorrow night at 8PM ET. There is a link below if you would like to sign up for mentoring or get more information. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you and so do I! Have a blessed day and may the grace and favor of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in February 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “My beloved ones, your desire for me unlocks my heart of bounties for you. Your desire overcomes your weakness. I am delighted in your desire for union with me. Feed that desire for me.”

CLICK HERE ✨ JOIN WALK BOLDLY WITH JESUS MENTORING (Live Tuesdays + recordings available — $30/month)

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