We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God… — Hebrews 6:18-19 The Message I am haunted by this passage. The promised hope.…
Leaders Need Prayer Too
Editor’s Note: A Prayer for Every Occasion launches Nationwide on Tuesday, September 29, 2020! Enjoy this excerpt of prayers specifically for people in positions of power in our nation and in our world. We hope it helps offer some hope and aids in offering specific prayer to God when praying for our leaders. * Almighty…
Hope During Unemployment
I lost my job! I was jolted by my husband’s words. Later that morning when he arrived home, I hugged him, then listened to him share the details of this unexpected happening. His position was eliminated due to budget cuts in defense spending. I encouraged him to take time to grieve the loss of his job. Over the…
Knowing Hope
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. — Psalm 25:5 I was running late to an appointment. To make matters worse, traffic on the freeway was stopped as far as I could see. I’ll never make it, I thought.…
Depression: The Lord is Close to the Brokenhearted
Selection by Barbara Hunsaker, excerpted from Hopelifter: Creative Ways to Spread Hope When Life Hurts by Kathe Wunnenberg As a principal of a small Christian school, one phenomenon I saw from time to time was “cutting.” Students would cut themselves, not deeply enough to do permanent damage but enough to inflict pain and leave scars. I…
Conquering Anxiety in the Face of Uncertainty
Whew. We’re all certainly living in uncertain times. It feels like every time I turn on the television or scroll through my newsfeed, there is an unsettling photo of someone gravely sick or a heated political debate among friends. Seeing the constant stream of upsetting stories, unprecedented health warnings, and watching buildings destroyed in my…
Unanswered Prayers
It’s easy to slip into the mentality that we somehow fell through the cracks of God’s good plans. Things are too final. The ink is too dry. The page has been turned. Their heart is too hard. Your heart is too hurt. The doctors have said impossible. The account is too bankrupt. The biological clock…
Season of Grief, Journey of Faith
Understanding Your Grief But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. — Isaiah 40:31 Grief is not an enemy or a sign of weakness. It is a sign of being human. Grief is…
The Giving Keys: Hope, Love, Dream, Fight, Believe
My whole life, I’ve prayed, God, I want to feel what You feel for people. Break my heart so I feel for people exactly what You feel for them. Little did I know where that would lead me. A few years later, I was touring around the country for my music album. One week, I…
Remembering Billy Graham
Billy Graham 1918–2018 I am convinced the greatest act of love we can ever perform for people is to tell them about God’s love for them in Christ. ~ Billy Graham It was September 14, 2001 — three days after the September 11 attacks robbed nearly three thousand people of their lives. A service of…