A Prayer to Embrace Change with an Open HeartBy Megan Evans Bible Reading"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." – Hebrews p13:8 (CSB) Listen or Read Below: Change can be both challenging and rewarding. Sometimes, we may welcome it, while other times, we may resist it. If you are facing change today, take heart. Seeking God’s wisdom and guidance gives us the confidence to embrace it with an open heart. Something is comforting about predictability and familiarity, while change can feel like shifting sand under our feet. It’s hard to know where to step and whether or not we will fall. It’s no surprise when we experience uncertainty, anxiousness, and even fear. Thankfully, in Christ, we have sure footing and peace to navigate each new moment of the day. We can confidently embrace change in our lives because God is unchanging. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-present. Hebrews 13:8 victoriously proclaims that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Therefore, He alone provides the solid foundation upon which we can live. Here are five common reasons why change is difficult, though not an exhaustive list: Unknown steps and outcomes feel scary at times We might fear getting hurt or repeating the past Change may cause sadness and grieving or require healing Timing can feel too slow or too fast We only see part of God’s great plan Change is hard on our human hearts, and we need Jesus every step of the way. No circumstance catches Him off guard, and He cares for every detail. Because God is unchanging, His Truth is relevant to anything we experience, and His power and provision are perfect. Ultimate change is beautiful work that starts at the cross. As it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” As children of God, the rest of our lives will be a process of becoming more Christlike, known as sanctification. With Jesus as our Cornerstone, we are ready for His molding and shaping so that we can grow and mature daily. Change ushers in new life experiences and is part of God’s good work. It is a necessary part of our lives and becomes less scary as we learn to trust the Lord. If you long for change today, be encouraged that He has not forgotten you. Waiting on the Lord is hard but holy work because we can’t see the entirety of God’s plan. As it says in Isaiah 43:19, “Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” Our world is evidence of the sustaining, unchanging hand of Jesus. It was created and set in motion through Him. From the lushest jungles to the driest deserts, plants and animals still teem with life. Day and night still trade places as the earth rotates, and seasons come and go as the planets travel around the sun. Movement is part of God’s beautiful design. The Lord has a wonderful plan for each of our lives and wants us to know Him intimately. As we study the Bible and experience daily life, we will continue to learn God’s character and promises. While life is full of ups and downs, requiring us to make countless choices and adaptations, we don’t go through a single moment alone. In John 14:26, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to teach and guide his disciples, including you and me. God has prepared us for change, and Revelation 21:5 declares that God is making all things new. What a beautiful promise of complete and holy transformation as we look forward to a new heaven and earth. Our earthly minds can’t comprehend God’s splendor and eternal glory that we will experience with Him eternally. Anchored to this future victory, we can embrace change with an open heart today. Anything we experience on this earth, the good and the bad, can be enveloped securely in the balm of God’s unchanging love, peace, and joy. Let’s Pray: Father God, I worship you and open my heart to trust you for the changes in my life. Deliver me from all fear and doubt, and remind me often to anchor my thoughts and emotions to your unchanging love and unmovable truth. Show me where I need to grow. Redeem any ground the enemy has claimed as a stronghold due to my resistance to change, and in place of my stubbornness and pride, give me a willing and obedient heart that is moldable by you, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart and teach me your new and better way. Change me daily to look more and more like Jesus, and lead me into areas of needed change for my good and your glory.In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Photo credit: ©GettyImages/ksenija18kz Megan Evans is a military wife, and a mother to three wonderful teenagers. She and her family live in Tennessee where she serves as the women's ministry director at her church. An author and blogger with a heart for discipleship; she writes, speaks, and teaches women about enjoying God in each busy day. Check out her new book, "Permission to Walk: A 40-Day Journey to Unhurried Peace" and learn the daily pace of life that Jesus taught as we daily navigate this distracted and fast-paced world. You can connect with Megan at www.unhurrymyheart.com, www.instagram.com/megan.m_evans , and www.facebook.com/unhurrymyheart. Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! The post A Prayer to Embrace Change with an Open Heart – Your Daily Prayer – September 26 appeared first on GodUpdates.

September 26, 2024 Laying Down What Was Never Mine To CarryLYSA TERKEURST Lee en español "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 (NIV) I've been carrying a burden that's been weighing me down for a long time. And today, right now, this minute, I'm choosing to lay it down. I'm releasing it to God. And I'm making a commitment not to pick it back up. I suspect you might have a similar situation in which you keep trying to control something or someone completely out of your control. It's that situation you can't fix, but you keep fretting about it anyhow. It's that desire to change a person who isn't willing to change, but you keep working harder on them than they are willing to work on themselves. It's that expectation you know is unrealistic, but you keep letting your disappointment hijack your emotions. It's that longing you say you've given to God, but you keep working behind the scenes, desperate to arrange things yourself. We can be responsible to do what we should do in all of these scenarios. But we shouldn’t try to do what only God can do. As I was praying through how to really live this, the Lord brought Matthew 11:28-30 to mind: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (NIV). Sometimes I think the reason I hold tightly to burdens I need to release is because I don't see tangible evidence of God doing anything. I see no change. No intervention. No breakthrough. But God is working. Even in the silence and the unknown. That means I can stop pushing. I can stop trying to control. I can stop trying to make people something they aren't. I can embrace the truth that there is a Savior of the world, but it isn't me. This doesn't mean I give up. It means I'm leaning into the light and easy way of Jesus. The Message paraphrase puts Matthew 11:28-30 this way: "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" (MSG). Wow. What if we released the burdens we've been carrying and exchanged them for Jesus' unforced rhythms of grace? Today is a great day to say, "Enough. I've done my part, and now I must let God do His part." Together, let's be obedient to God by declaring we will trust Him with what we are laying down. I believe the more we trust Him to do what only He can do, the less we will resist Him. The less we resist Him, the less we will suffer with anxiety about the unknown. God, I'm asking for Your help as I release this burden that feels really heavy. I'm trusting You with it all - the outcomes, the questions, the unknowns. Help me remember that even if I tried to keep carrying this, I wouldn't be able to control the outcome. You're the perfect, sufficient Savior who already knows the future, who isn't caught off guard by any of it, and who knows how to lead me through it. Help me trust You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS You can stop carrying the weight of holding everything and everybody together - surrender what you're most worried about into God's fully capable hands with the help of Lysa TerKeurst's FREE resource "Am I Trying To Control the Uncontrollable?" This gentle, guided resource is filled with prompts, reflection questions, prayers and more! Download now. ENGAGE Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY Psalm 127:2, "It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones" (NLT). What is a burden you could lay down to receive rest from God? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments. © 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Laying Down What Was Never Mine To Carry – Encouragement for Today – September 26, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer to Embrace Change with an Open HeartBy Megan Evans Bible Reading"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." – Hebrews p13:8 (CSB) Listen or Read Below: Change can be both challenging and rewarding. Sometimes, we may welcome it, while other times, we may resist it. If you are facing change today, take heart. Seeking God’s wisdom and guidance gives us the confidence to embrace it with an open heart. Something is comforting about predictability and familiarity, while change can feel like shifting sand under our feet. It’s hard to know where to step and whether or not we will fall. It’s no surprise when we experience uncertainty, anxiousness, and even fear. Thankfully, in Christ, we have sure footing and peace to navigate each new moment of the day. We can confidently embrace change in our lives because God is unchanging. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-present. Hebrews 13:8 victoriously proclaims that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Therefore, He alone provides the solid foundation upon which we can live. Here are five common reasons why change is difficult, though not an exhaustive list: Unknown steps and outcomes feel scary at times We might fear getting hurt or repeating the past Change may cause sadness and grieving or require healing Timing can feel too slow or too fast We only see part of God’s great plan Change is hard on our human hearts, and we need Jesus every step of the way. No circumstance catches Him off guard, and He cares for every detail. Because God is unchanging, His Truth is relevant to anything we experience, and His power and provision are perfect. Ultimate change is beautiful work that starts at the cross. As it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” As children of God, the rest of our lives will be a process of becoming more Christlike, known as sanctification. With Jesus as our Cornerstone, we are ready for His molding and shaping so that we can grow and mature daily. Change ushers in new life experiences and is part of God’s good work. It is a necessary part of our lives and becomes less scary as we learn to trust the Lord. If you long for change today, be encouraged that He has not forgotten you. Waiting on the Lord is hard but holy work because we can’t see the entirety of God’s plan. As it says in Isaiah 43:19, “Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” Our world is evidence of the sustaining, unchanging hand of Jesus. It was created and set in motion through Him. From the lushest jungles to the driest deserts, plants and animals still teem with life. Day and night still trade places as the earth rotates, and seasons come and go as the planets travel around the sun. Movement is part of God’s beautiful design. The Lord has a wonderful plan for each of our lives and wants us to know Him intimately. As we study the Bible and experience daily life, we will continue to learn God’s character and promises. While life is full of ups and downs, requiring us to make countless choices and adaptations, we don’t go through a single moment alone. In John 14:26, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to teach and guide his disciples, including you and me. God has prepared us for change, and Revelation 21:5 declares that God is making all things new. What a beautiful promise of complete and holy transformation as we look forward to a new heaven and earth. Our earthly minds can’t comprehend God’s splendor and eternal glory that we will experience with Him eternally. Anchored to this future victory, we can embrace change with an open heart today. Anything we experience on this earth, the good and the bad, can be enveloped securely in the balm of God’s unchanging love, peace, and joy. Let’s Pray: Father God, I worship you and open my heart to trust you for the changes in my life. Deliver me from all fear and doubt, and remind me often to anchor my thoughts and emotions to your unchanging love and unmovable truth. Show me where I need to grow. Redeem any ground the enemy has claimed as a stronghold due to my resistance to change, and in place of my stubbornness and pride, give me a willing and obedient heart that is moldable by you, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart and teach me your new and better way. Change me daily to look more and more like Jesus, and lead me into areas of needed change for my good and your glory.In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Photo credit: ©GettyImages/ksenija18kz Megan Evans is a military wife, and a mother to three wonderful teenagers. She and her family live in Tennessee where she serves as the women's ministry director at her church. An author and blogger with a heart for discipleship; she writes, speaks, and teaches women about enjoying God in each busy day. Check out her new book, "Permission to Walk: A 40-Day Journey to Unhurried Peace" and learn the daily pace of life that Jesus taught as we daily navigate this distracted and fast-paced world. You can connect with Megan at www.unhurrymyheart.com, www.instagram.com/megan.m_evans , and www.facebook.com/unhurrymyheart. Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! The post A Prayer to Embrace Change with an Open Heart – Your Daily Prayer – September 26 appeared first on GodUpdates.

September 26, 2024 Laying Down What Was Never Mine To CarryLYSA TERKEURST Lee en español "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 (NIV) I've been carrying a burden that's been weighing me down for a long time. And today, right now, this minute, I'm choosing to lay it down. I'm releasing it to God. And I'm making a commitment not to pick it back up. I suspect you might have a similar situation in which you keep trying to control something or someone completely out of your control. It's that situation you can't fix, but you keep fretting about it anyhow. It's that desire to change a person who isn't willing to change, but you keep working harder on them than they are willing to work on themselves. It's that expectation you know is unrealistic, but you keep letting your disappointment hijack your emotions. It's that longing you say you've given to God, but you keep working behind the scenes, desperate to arrange things yourself. We can be responsible to do what we should do in all of these scenarios. But we shouldn’t try to do what only God can do. As I was praying through how to really live this, the Lord brought Matthew 11:28-30 to mind: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (NIV). Sometimes I think the reason I hold tightly to burdens I need to release is because I don't see tangible evidence of God doing anything. I see no change. No intervention. No breakthrough. But God is working. Even in the silence and the unknown. That means I can stop pushing. I can stop trying to control. I can stop trying to make people something they aren't. I can embrace the truth that there is a Savior of the world, but it isn't me. This doesn't mean I give up. It means I'm leaning into the light and easy way of Jesus. The Message paraphrase puts Matthew 11:28-30 this way: "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" (MSG). Wow. What if we released the burdens we've been carrying and exchanged them for Jesus' unforced rhythms of grace? Today is a great day to say, "Enough. I've done my part, and now I must let God do His part." Together, let's be obedient to God by declaring we will trust Him with what we are laying down. I believe the more we trust Him to do what only He can do, the less we will resist Him. The less we resist Him, the less we will suffer with anxiety about the unknown. God, I'm asking for Your help as I release this burden that feels really heavy. I'm trusting You with it all - the outcomes, the questions, the unknowns. Help me remember that even if I tried to keep carrying this, I wouldn't be able to control the outcome. You're the perfect, sufficient Savior who already knows the future, who isn't caught off guard by any of it, and who knows how to lead me through it. Help me trust You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS You can stop carrying the weight of holding everything and everybody together - surrender what you're most worried about into God's fully capable hands with the help of Lysa TerKeurst's FREE resource "Am I Trying To Control the Uncontrollable?" This gentle, guided resource is filled with prompts, reflection questions, prayers and more! Download now. ENGAGE Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY Psalm 127:2, "It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones" (NLT). What is a burden you could lay down to receive rest from God? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments. © 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Laying Down What Was Never Mine To Carry – Encouragement for Today – September 26, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

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