“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)
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There have been times in my life when it was not easy to be thankful in all circumstances.  When relationships, finances, jobs loss or health issues were crumbling all around me, how could I give thanks?

How can we give thanks for all the bad or hard things in our lives?

“But giving thanks is a sacrifice that honors me.  If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you to the Salvation of God”  (Psalm 50:23).  Did you catch that? When we give thanks to the Lord, He recognizes it as a sacrifice that honors Him. Think of giving thanks in a similar light to what Old Testament Jews experienced when they had to sacrifice their very best animals to the Lord.

Lay your sacrifice, your painstaking words of thanksgiving on the altar. Give your very best thanksgiving to the Lord.  God will be honored by it.  Once you lay your sacrifice of thanksgiving on the altar, “Offer it as an aroma pleasing to the Lord” (Numbers 15:76).  
Even if we do not understand, there is a reason the Lord is asking us to sacrifice, whether it happens in the spiritual or physical. Your situation may not change today, tomorrow or in a month, but your heart will be forever changed.  You will see the blessings of the Lord rain down on you in showers of love, peace, guidance, and the truth of God’s care for you.

Let us give thanks to the Lord right now in whatever situation we are in. 

​-Johanna
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"Now, O women, hear the word of the Lord; open your ears to the words of His mouth." Jeremiah 9:20 (NIV)

In all honesty, I'm guilty of praying for what I want, slapping a spiritual sounding "Thy will be done" on it, and calling it good. You too?

Then what do we do? Go on with our life? Do things in our own will? 

I think we do.

I believe we often overlook the most important part of prayer – listening, hearing God's voice and tuning into His direction.

Prayer in its most original form is simply communication with God.

That means He talks, too.

His Word says in Psalm 25:14, "The Lord confides in those who fear Him; he makes His covenant known to them." If I understand correctly, this verse means He talks to us.

Again, in Isaiah 12:9 He says, “New things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." God wants to announce the things He desires to work in our lives.

He is talking, but we’re not always listening.

First Thessalonians 5:17 says we should "pray without ceasing," but far too often we respond as though it reads, "talk without ceasing."

The most important part of prayer is not what we pray for, but how well we listen for what God speaks in return.

What is He whispering to you today?

Lean in. Get still before the Lord. Open your ears to what He is whispering to your heart.

Then cherish, savor and prepare for the things He makes known to you.

-Kaylene

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"Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NIV) 

Sometimes prayer becomes the thing we do or the phrases we say when we need to sound spiritual. Let me tell you, I’m speaking from experience here!

I fully believe God listens to all our prayers, just as today’s verse says. However, it also suggests there is more to the relationship between Creator and creation than just an occasional chat. The verse also says we gain something.

When we seek the Lord with all our heart, we are given the ultimate treasure and source of life: We gain God Himself.

The Lord allows Himself to be found by those who embark on a persistent pursuit of Him.

As we seek Him, He reveals more of Himself. He is faithful to His faithful ones, and He will grow them and lead them as they prove themselves faithful to Him.

“The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

Keep praying, dear mama. Keep seeking God’s will and ways so that you may be led into His perfect will.

God hears and will answer your prayers. But there is something He wants to teach you about Himself. He longs to impress His intimate care for you into the depths of your heart.

Long for His touch. Search for His presence. He will never leave a woman on a quest for more of Him

Seek the Lord with all your heart, and He will let you find Him as your greatest treasure and reward, your source of life.

​-Kaylene

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“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1 (NIV)

The quote “always pray and never give up” is familiar. However, I’m not sure we always understand that prayer is more than something we do; it's a lifestyle we choose.This doesn’t mean we will be on our knees 24/7 or have lengthy times of daily prayer. A mother’s day doesn’t always allow for such luxuries.

Rather, ‘praying continually’ as 1 Thessalonians 5:17 speaks of it, has more to do with the stance of our heart than how long we kneel or where we do our praying.

A mother can make prayer her lifestyle when she looks for ways to continue her conversation with God throughout her day. For example, as your children wake up, pause your quiet time and take them into your arms to pray over them for a few seconds. When your child is having a difficult time emotionally, pause with them in that very moment and pray them through it. When driving your children to school or sports, carve out the last half mile to pray out loud for their success and protection in whatever they are doing.

While preparing dinner, folding laundry, sweeping the floor, washing the windows – in every activity -- look for a way to converse with God personally or connect your children with Him verbally. Model to them that communicating with God is as normal as speaking to each other.

Handling your daily situations from the perspective of prayer will train your children to navigate their own struggles well.

You will be a living example of how accessible God is and that He can be approached with confidence.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Always pray. And never give up.

-Kaylene

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“A child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” (Proverbs 29:15, ESV)

I chatted with my friend as if there were no kids in the car, casually mentioning a situation we were both well aware of.

The bright eyed little girl in the back caught on and made a comment. Alarmed, we turned around to look into her eyes and grapple with something to say.

Her mother graciously led her into a long and detailed, back and forth, child-friendly explanation of a situation in the child's life that would help her understand. As I listened, I was so proud of her.

She could have given a hasty explanation, hoping to shut her child up and hoping she would never, ever repeat what she heard. But she has wisdom.

Back and forth she went, asking questions and offering explanation to both give understanding and throw her child off track at the same time. There was no panic, no urgency—just a clear, calm, wise mama taking time to wield helping words.

Sometimes, we focus so much on discipline that we forget our main tool should be doing life well with our children. Leading your child with premeditated wisdom works better than following him with condemnation. Taking care of hearts works better than constantly spanking the body of a troubled heart.

Get down on your children’s level, and speak into their hearts while you look into their eyes. Lead with your soul, speak with the Spirit, and always show them a better way when they are stumbling. Does your child need your harshness, or does he need your heart?

​-Sara

“Whoever conceals his sin will not prosper, but who confesses and forsakes them will find mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13, ESV)

I was one of those overly sensitive kids who had to confess each wrong to my parents before I could sleep. I remember lying in bed, tormented with guilt, even when it was imagined. Nothing helped my poor soul find rest until my father said I HAD to stop—and if I didn't, he'd spank me.

Whoever heard of having to tell a child to stop confessing sin? Most times, we deal with kids hiding sin.

Now, as a mother, I'm struck with the ease with which my kids hide their guilt. I'd have been tormented right out of bed at midnight had I tried to do that!

What I didn't grasp as a child was that Jesus Christ, not my parents, atoned for my sin. That I could lay there and pray to the One Who died for me, and find rest. If necessary, I could also make it right with any one I had wronged.

Torment happens when we fail to lead our little ones to Jesus. They can be tormented with hiding sin, or with imagining every little mishap needs to be confessed to a parent. Mothers, take the latter as seriously as the first or your child will continue in increasing torment of soul.

Many parents are bewildered when this happens. What on earth?! But this kind of sensitivity needs to be addressed as darkness when it overtakes your child to the point of him not being able to function well.

Your child is trusting in himself when he looks to you or himself to cleanse his heart. There is no true rest apart from cleansing by the blood of Jesus Christ—and kids need to know that from a very early age. Lead him to take his real (or perceived) mess-ups to the Christ who came specifically for a messed-up world!

Lead him to pray, rather than just confess to you. Show him the everlasting arms, always there to hold a heart who wants Jesus. Lead him to trust in God's goodness rather than his own. Don't stop guiding him to the Giver of Rest until he stops being tormented by unrest.

Teach your child not to have faith in his faith, but to have faith in God's faithfulness.

​-Sara