Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 19

Is It Enough to Believe with All Your Heart?

“I believe with all my heart God is going to heal him.” 

“If I truly believe God is going to ___________ (deliver me from my financial troubles, give me a new car, send me a husband, release me from the job I hate), then he will. But I have to reeeeealy believe it.” 

“God wants you to be healthy, wealthy, and happy. If you’re not, it’s because you don’t have enough faith. James 1:6-8 says so: ‘But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord.’” 

Have you ever heard someone say one or all of these statements? I have. 

I’ve also seen people continue to experience illness, financial trouble, singleness, difficult marriages, and challenging jobs, even though they reeeeeeealy believed God was going to answer their prayers for deliverance. Was their faith not strong enough? Did they harbor a smidgen of doubt that hindered God from answering their prayers? 

How can we be sure we have enough faith to tip the scales in our favor when God decides which prayers to answer in the affirmative? And how do we “ask in faith, believing,” when we’re just not sure how God’s going to answer? 

Years ago I was scheduled to have surgery to remove a cyst/tumor. There was some concern that the growth might be malignant, but we wouldn’t know until the day of surgery. As I prayed about the outcome, I wrestled with “asking in faith, believing,” for a cancer-free report. I knew God could heal me if necessary. He certainly had the power. 

But the thought occurred to me that he might not choose to. I’ve lived long enough to know that sometimes God glorifies himself by delivering someone from a difficult situation. Other times he glorifies himself by empowering them to go through it. How could I know God’s will in order to believe with all my heart and get the answer I hoped for? 

Jennifer Kennedy Dean, in Live a Praying Life answers this question better than anyone I’ve ever heard. Listen to what she writes: 

“Faith is not ‘believing real hard.’ Faith is not shutting your eyes and drawing a long breath and willing yourself to believe something. You can make yourself believe anything, true or not. Believing something won’t make God do it. Belief is one thing; faith is something else.” 

Her observations are similar to mine, that because “many believers have mistaken belief for faith, they have had experiences in prayer that are discouraging and disappointing.” She describes faith quite differently than belief: 

“Faith has only one focus: God. Jesus said: ‘Have faith in God’ (Mark 11:22). When your faith is in God, not in your own idea of what God should do and how He should do it, then faith has substance. The person who is living a praying life is living a life of faith. That person understands that prayer is always releasing the power of God for the purposes of God. Therefore, once prayer has begun, whatever direction as situation takes, it is taking the direction that will accomplish the purposes of God. That’s faith.” 

And then, she writes the words that parted the faith curtain for me: “You do not have to be able to predict how God will act in order to have faith.”

What we must know to be able to ask in faith, believing, is that God is all knowing, all powerful, and all loving. Everything he allows into a believer’s life is to accomplish two purposes: my good and his glory. Knowing this allows me to yield my will to his and trust him to accomplish his ultimate and best purpose in every situation. 

Richard Foster, in the book, Prayer, says this: “Frequently we hold on so tightly to the good that we do know that we cannot receive the greater good that we do not know. God has to help us let go of our tiny vision in order to release the greater good he has in store for us . . .” 

This is why the true prayer of faith lifts our requests to him, then ends with, “Lord, not my will, but yours be done.” When we pray this way, we can rest in faith, knowing we can trust the God who has all the power of the universe and all the wisdom of the world at his disposal. Knowing that he loves us and is working for our highest good and his glory allows us confidently to yield our will to his, “asking in faith, believing.” 

I’m so thankful we don’t have to figure out what’s best and then work ourselves into a belief frenzy before we can pray. Instead, we can come before the Lord and acknowledge, “God, I don’t know what the best answer is in this situation, but you do. I trust you. Please work for my good and your glory.”

Now it’s your turn. What does this explanation of the difference between belief and faith mean to you? Leave a comment in the box below and share your thoughts. 

And if you have questions about prayer, I’d love to share the insights I’ve learned over my 20-year journey. Our Daily Bread helped me capture them in my most recent book, Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Restore Power and Praise.

Does Your Prayer Life Need Refreshing?

We know Bible reading and prayer are vital parts of our faith, but what happens when our prayer lives become stagnant and our quiet times grow stale? We need something more than just familiar verses and the command to pray. In Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise, Lori Hatcher shares relevant, five-minute devotions that spotlight unusual prayer verses in the Bible.

Each devotion ends with a Power Point (a spiritual truth to empower your faith) and a Praise Prompt (a short prayer designed to magnify God and make your faith soar). The Live It Out section challenges you to apply what you’ve learned right now for immediate change.

If you’re tired of your all-too-quiet quiet time, Refresh Your Prayers is the answer.

The UNcommon Book on Prayer – Unusual Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise

Available now at Amazon.com.

Have you subscribed to Refresh?

If you’d like to receive a weekly 5-minute devotion to help you rediscover the excitement of God’s Word, CLICK HERE.

The post Is It Enough to Believe with All Your Heart? appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

               
CommentsIs It Enough to Believe with All Your Heart? by LoriAHatcherDoes God Love Me? by LoriAHatcher5 Things to Do When You Feel Hopeless by LoriAHatcherThe Best Reason Not to Fear the Future by LoriAHatcherThe #1 Thing You Need to Know about Purity by LoriAHatcherPlus 5 more...Related StoriesAre You Waiting for Scary Test Results?5 Things to Do When You Feel HopelessThe Best Reason Not to Fear the Future 

Does God Love Me?

How can I know God loves me? When it comes to children and spiritual truth, I’m never sure who is the teacher and who is the student. 

Such was the case during a conversation I had with my oldest granddaughter, Lauren, when she was around four years old. 

“Gigi!” she said as she bounced into my house one Friday morning. (If you’ve spent any time lately around preschool girls, you know that every statement ends in an exclamation point, and that they run, skip, bounce, or hop everywhere. Walking is never an option.) 

“I drew you a picture so you’d remember me while I’m in New-Ork.” She waved the masterpiece in her hand. “See, it’s you and me on a mountain. And I wrote my name on the bottom so you’d merember who drawed it.” 

“You know something?” I said, scooping her up and twirling her around in a happy circle. “I think about you every day. Every. Single. Day. You know why?” 

She thought a moment, then said matter-of-factly, “Because you love me?” 

“Yup. Because I love you. And you know what? There’s someone else who thinks about you every single day. Can you guess who?” 

She thought a little longer, following the trajectory of my thoughts. 

“God?”

 “Yup.” Her blue eyes lit up with the success of nailing the correct answer. 

“He thinks about you every single day . . . Do you know why?” 

The pause was longer this time, but then, “. . . because he loves me?” 

“Yes!” I said, “He loves you so much he never stops thinking about you.” 

This heartache . . . if God loves me, then he can heal my heart and restore my joy. 

When Jesus said we must become as little children to see the kingdom of God, I think he had in mind simple conversations like this one. If we, like little Lauren, accepted without conditions the fact that God loves us and never stops thinking about us, it would eliminate much of the angst we feel every day. 

This circumstance I’m experiencing . . . if God loves me, then I can trust him to use it for good in my life. 

This hard path I’m walking on . . . if God loves me, then he won’t abandon me to face it alone. 

What are you going through right now? Would it look different if you viewed it through the certainty of God’s love?

Try it and see. Then trust, pray, and rest. 

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). 

Does Your Prayer Life Need Refreshing?

We know Bible reading and prayer are vital parts of our faith, but what happens when our prayer lives become stagnant and our quiet times grow stale? We need something more than just familiar verses and the command to pray. In Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise, Lori Hatcher shares relevant, five-minute devotions that spotlight unusual prayer verses in the Bible.

Each devotion ends with a Power Point (a spiritual truth to empower your faith) and a Praise Prompt (a short prayer designed to magnify God and make your faith soar). The Live It Out section challenges you to apply what you’ve learned right now for immediate change.

If you’re tired of your all-too-quiet quiet time, Refresh Your Prayers is the answer.

The UNcommon Book on Prayer – Unusual Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise

Available now at Amazon.com.

Have you subscribed to Refresh?

If you’d like to receive a weekly 5-minute devotion to help you rediscover the excitement of God’s Word, CLICK HERE.

The post Does God Love Me? appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

               
CommentsDoes God Love Me? by LoriAHatcher5 Things to Do When You Feel Hopeless by LoriAHatcherThe Best Reason Not to Fear the Future by LoriAHatcherThe #1 Thing You Need to Know about Purity by LoriAHatcherWhy We Love Feeding People by LoriAHatcherPlus 5 more...Related Stories5 Things to Do When You Feel HopelessThe Best Reason Not to Fear the FutureThe #1 Thing You Need to Know about Purity 

5 Things to Do When You Feel Hopeless

I can’t imagine a more desperate situation than having a child who is near death. 

It’s a terrifying experience, no matter what the age of the child. In our own family, I have two miracle nephews, both of whom were frighteningly close to death, but whose lives God chose to spare. I pray every day that these men will never forget God’s mercy to them and never take their lives for granted. 



I thought of my nephews today when I read of another frantic parent on the pages of Scripture—Jairus. His 12-year-old daughter was sick and near death. This Judean family lacked the benefit of modern medicine, state-of-the-art equipment, and well-trained specialists. 



All they had was prayer. 



And Jesus. 



I hope you never have a child who is critically ill, but we all face faith challenges like the one Jairus and his wife encountered. We’d be wise to learn from his example.

Here are five principles we can apply from Luke 8 when we encounter a faith challenge:

1. Run to Jesus for help. 



Jairus flung himself at Jesus’ feet and begged him to heal his daughter, and we must do the same. While we should avail ourselves of every resource available and every human being who can assist us, it’s crucial that we begin and end with God. We must recognize it is God who holds our lives, our futures, our fortunes, and our families in his hands. He is the gatekeeper who can provide and direct all other resources our way. 



2. When things look darkest, don’t give up. 



Friends met Jairus on the way and told him not to bother the teacher anymore, that his daughter was dead. Short of death, we mustn’t believe the lies that say our situation is hopeless. The pages of Scripture and the history of our world hold innumerable examples of God’s miraculous power. He can cause a barren womb to bear a child, a jobless man to provide for his family, a lonely orphan to find a home, and a comatose patient to speak again.

Nothing is impossible for God. NOTHING. 



3. Don’t be afraid. 



When the news arrived that Jairus’ daughter had died, Jesus issued a challenge to him: “Do not be afraid. Only believe . . .” We too must rest in the perfect love of Jesus, trust his plan and purpose for our lives, and allow his peace to replace our fear. We must remember that “whatsoever is not of faith is sin,” (Rom. 14:23) and not surrender to the sin of unbelief. It hinders the effectiveness of our prayers and steals valuable energy from our efforts. We cannot allow it to hamstring us.

4. Watch God work. 



When he arrived at the home, Jesus commanded everyone with no faith to leave the room. Then he demonstrated his sovereign power over man’s greatest enemy, death, by raising Jairus’ daughter to life again. While we may not be praying for someone who is critically ill, the same power that raised the dead is available to us through Jesus Christ. 



And if your faith is weak? Remember that faith is like a muscle—the more we use it, the stronger it grows. If you have only tiny faith, pray mustard seed prayers and watch God answer. Every prayer victory will make it easier to believe God for something greater the next time. 

Don’t be afraid to ask God to give you more faith. The father of the demon-possessed boy did: “I do believe;” he confessed to Jesus, “help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). 



I know there are some reading this post who have prayed, hoped, and believed God would spare your loved ones, yet they still died. I’ve been on that side of the hospital bed too, and I know your sorrow. I don’t always understand God’s ways, but I know we can trust him, even when our hearts are breaking. 

Others may be struggling with infertility or fighting to stretch an unemployment check. Your heart may be aching for a prodigal or experiencing a broken marriage. Unless God shows us that his will is different than what we’ve been praying, no matter how dark the situation seems, we must continue to pray for God’s miraculous deliverance. 

Jesus’ words to Jairus are his words to us as well: 



“Do not be afraid. Only believe . . .”

Does Your Prayer Life Need Refreshing?

We know Bible reading and prayer are vital parts of our faith, but what happens when our prayer lives become stagnant and our quiet times grow stale? We need something more than just familiar verses and the command to pray. In Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise, Lori Hatcher shares relevant, five-minute devotions that spotlight unusual prayer verses in the Bible.

Each devotion ends with a Power Point (a spiritual truth to empower your faith) and a Praise Prompt (a short prayer designed to magnify God and make your faith soar). The Live It Out section challenges you to apply what you’ve learned right now for immediate change.

If you’re tired of your all-too-quiet quiet time, Refresh Your Prayers is the answer.

The UNcommon Book on Prayer – Unusual Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise

Available now at Amazon.com.

Have you subscribed to Refresh?

If you’d like to receive a weekly 5-minute devotion to help you rediscover the excitement of God’s Word, CLICK HERE.

The post 5 Things to Do When You Feel Hopeless appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

               
Comments5 Things to Do When You Feel Hopeless by LoriAHatcherThe Best Reason Not to Fear the Future by LoriAHatcherThe #1 Thing You Need to Know about Purity by LoriAHatcherWhy We Love Feeding People by LoriAHatcher2 Reasons for the Trials that Blindside You by LoriAHatcherPlus 5 more...Related StoriesThe Best Reason Not to Fear the FutureAre You Waiting for Scary Test Results?10 Truths to Teach Your Children and Grandchildren about Prayer 

The Best Reason Not to Fear the Future

I asked a group of women recently to list the fears that race around in their heads when they lie down to sleep. Here’s a sampling:

Will my children and grandchildren walk with God?

Will my marriage go the distance?

Will we have enough money to pay for college, weddings, and retirement?

Will we be persecuted for our faith?

Will our country continue to disintegrate?

Will societal unrest destroy our country?

Will godly officials be elected to office?

For these and other fears, there is hope–in God’s Word and in the Disney movie starring Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin. I watched it recently, and one line from the movie connected me with God’s truth. It has reverberated in my heart since I heard it.

In one scene, an adult Christopher Robin awakens to discover he’s slept the night away. He’s late for a very important meeting.

“Oh no!” he says. “It’s tomorrow.” Panicked, he rushes into a day filled with pressure, problems, and hopeless scenarios. A day devoid of joy and fun. 

Pooh remembers their conversation as the sun sets on the movie. “What day is today?” he asks. 

“It’s today,” Christopher Robin replies. 

“Oh, that’s my favorite day. Yesterday, when it was tomorrow, it was much too much day for me.” 

I have often felt Pooh’s angst. Standing on the precipice of Today peering through the thin veil into Tomorrow, I sometimes feel overwhelmed by what the future might hold. Fear clutches my heart. 

Tomorrow is much too much day for me. 

Thankfully, Jesus knows the frailties of our hearts. This is why he cautioned, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Mat. 6:34). 

Don’t peer into the veil, he warns. One day’s challenges are enough. 

Jeremiah, in the book of Lamentations, tells us why each day must stand on its own. 

“(God’s) mercies never end. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:23).

Like the manna He supplied to the Israelites every day, God’s supply is inexhaustible – but the quantities are limited. Today’s mercies are only enough to feed Today’s growling stomach. There are no leftovers to vacuum seal and set aside. Tomorrow’s mercies remain safely stored in the warehouse of God’s supply until the new day arrives, and we cannot raid the stash. 

Yet we want to. Oh, how we want to. 

We want to stockpile a lifetime’s supply of mercy so only have to ask once. We long to shed our mantle of fear and uncertainty forever. We want to walk into our future with our mercy cloaks wrapped tightly about us, impervious to the fiery darts of our uncertain futures – the same darts that drive us to seek shelter in the shadow of the Almighty. 

But it doesn’t work that way. “Yesterday’s mercies are for yesterday’s burdens,” John Piper said, and it’s true. Today’s mercy check is payable to the bearer on demand, but it can’t be post-dated. 



Every day God invites us to sit at his feet and obtain all the mercy we need – but only for that day’s challenges. 

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence,” the writer of Hebrews says, “so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” 

This daily portion of grace and mercy tethers us to his side, where we are safe, instead of releasing us to the dangers of spiritual independence. 

God knows our hearts. He knows we’d jerk the coat of adequacy off the rack, shove our arms into its sleeves, and march off into the future with nary a backward glance. Clothed in our self-sufficiency, we’d have no reason to sit at his feet, learn from him, and allow him to work through us. We’d have no need for a relationship with him if he provided all we needed to live without him. 

Knowing our willful bent toward independence, God tethers us to himself by his grace. There we experience the freedom of knowing he’ll provide everything we need, exactly when we need it. 

What a gift. 

If you feel overwhelmed and frightened by the what ifs of the future, take heart. If you can’t bear the thought of tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, rest easy. As Pooh so wisely observed, tomorrow is much too much day for you. 

But today isn’t. Today you have God’s mercies – and they are new every day, abundantly sufficient for everything you will encounter. 

Today is all you have to face. And God’s mercies are already here.

Who in your life is struggling with fear? Please share this post with them today.

Does Your Prayer Life Need Refreshing?

We know Bible reading and prayer are vital parts of our faith, but what happens when our prayer lives become stagnant and our quiet times grow stale? We need something more than just familiar verses and the command to pray. In Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise, Lori Hatcher shares relevant, five-minute devotions that spotlight unusual prayer verses in the Bible.

Each devotion ends with a Power Point (a spiritual truth to empower your faith) and a Praise Prompt (a short prayer designed to magnify God and make your faith soar). The Live It Out section challenges you to apply what you’ve learned right now for immediate change.

If you’re tired of your all-too-quiet quiet time, Refresh Your Prayers is the answer.

The UNcommon Book on Prayer – Unusual Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise

Available now at Amazon.com.

Have you subscribed to Refresh?

If you’d like to receive a weekly 5-minute devotion to help you rediscover the excitement of God’s Word, CLICK HERE.

The post The Best Reason Not to Fear the Future appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesAre You Waiting for Scary Test Results?10 Truths to Teach Your Children and Grandchildren about PrayerToday’s the Day! Two Very Special Birthdays 

The #1 Thing You Need to Know about Purity

Purity isn’t about saying No. 

I can give you ten reasons why sex outside of marriage isn’t a good idea. You probably can, too. But purity isn’t about saying No, because No has it all wrong. 

The more books, articles, and blogs I read, the more sermons, pod casts, and You Tube videos I listen to, the more of God’s Word I study, the more I realize that purity is all about saying yes, not about saying no.

No Has It All Wrong

When I was 7 years old, my sister and I were playing hide and seek in the basement of our family’s Rhode Island apartment. It was a frigid December day—too cold for two little girls to play outside. Noisy, active, and suffering from a bad case of cabin fever, we were too rambunctious for my mother’s liking. She banished us to the basement until dinnertime. 

That’s when we decided to play hide and seek. And when we discovered the hidden stash.

Ducking behind a shelving unit, my shoulder brushed against a pile of boxes wrapped in an old, blue tarp. Curious, I proceeded to investigate. When I peeled back the tarp, I found the Mother Lode—a huge pile of Christmas presents. 

My sister and I gazed in delight at our wish list come alive—a Barbie Beach van, complete with detachable surfboards, an auburn-haired Kelly doll in a green polka-dotted midi dress, and matching purple body suits with crushed velvet pants. We dug into the pile, grinning and squealing with delight. 

Hearing Mom’s footsteps in the kitchen above reminded us that we were pirates in danger of being caught with our hands in the treasure chest. 

We guiltily re-wrapped the gifts in the tarp and resumed play until Mom called us for dinner. In the days that followed, we’d often sneak down to the basement to check on our presents. We’d unwrap the tarp from the pile and cover it back up again. We imagined how fun it would be to fully enjoy our presents on Christmas day. 

In the week before Christmas, the gifts appeared one by one under the tree, wrapped in shiny paper instead of the old blue tarp. 

I wonder if my mom noticed that we weren’t more excited. In truth, we paid the gifts little attention, because we’d handled the toys so often, we recognized the shape of every box and package. There was no mystery. 

Ordinarily it was impossible for us to fall asleep on Christmas Eve, but when bedtime came, we settled down quietly. The anticipation of Christmas Day washed over us like lukewarm ginger ale left sitting on the counter—it was stale and flat. 

Christmas morning was, too. Oh, we delivered the oft-practiced fake exclamations of surprise and spouted the expected, “I can’t believe it! It’s just what I wanted,” but the sparkle was absent. 

After all, we’d already unwrapped the gifts. 

Saving sex for marriage isn’t saying no to the gifts of passion, excitement, and desire. Instead, it’s saying yes to the greater, more exciting, and more desirable gifts of passion, excitement, and desire with God’s blessing. 

God isn’t, as some have proposed, a sexual killjoy. After all, sex was his idea—a beautiful creation designed to knit the souls of two people together for life. He designed it to enhance our joy, cement our love, and bring pleasure and release. He designed it as the most intimate way two people can give themselves to one another in total commitment. 

Saying Yes to Purity

When we say yes to purity, we embrace the best God has to offer us—joy and fun in its perfect context—a marriage between two people committed to each other for life. 

When we say yes to purity, we say yes to a guilt-free relationship with the one we love and the Savior of our souls. 

When we say yes to purity, we say yes to God’s favor, knowing that God’s hand of blessing will not rest upon those who know his will and choose to do otherwise. 

When we say yes to purity, we say yes to an unhindered prayer life, because if we harbor sin in our hearts, God will not hear us (Ps. 66:18).

When we say yes to purity, we say yes to the knowledge that practicing self-control now, when it’s oh, so tempting, will make it easier to fight temptation in the future. 

When we say yes to purity, we say yes to God’s bigger plan for our relationships—to stand out as a powerful witness in this sin-sick culture. 

When we say yes to purity, we say yes to joy—eager, anticipatory, guilt- and risk-free joy. 

If I could go back 50 years and do Christmas 1971 over again, I’d make a different choice. I think you might, too. 

I wouldn’t unwrap the gifts until it was time.

Does Your Prayer Life Need Refreshing?

We know Bible reading and prayer are vital parts of our faith, but what happens when our prayer lives become stagnant and our quiet times grow stale? We need something more than just familiar verses and the command to pray. In Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise, Lori Hatcher shares relevant, five-minute devotions that spotlight unusual prayer verses in the Bible.

Each devotion ends with a Power Point (a spiritual truth to empower your faith) and a Praise Prompt (a short prayer designed to magnify God and make your faith soar). The Live It Out section challenges you to apply what you’ve learned right now for immediate change.

If you’re tired of your all-too-quiet quiet time, Refresh Your Prayers is the answer.

The UNcommon Book on Prayer – Unusual Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise

Available now at Amazon.com.

Have you subscribed to Refresh?

If you’d like to receive a weekly 5-minute devotion to help you rediscover the excitement of God’s Word, CLICK HERE.

The post The #1 Thing You Need to Know about Purity appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesAre You Waiting for Scary Test Results?10 Truths to Teach Your Children and Grandchildren about PrayerToday’s the Day! Two Very Special Birthdays 

Why We Love Feeding People

Why do we love feeding people? 

In my family, the love affair with feeding people goes way back. “Eat!” my grandmother would say. “You’re too thin!” She’d fry up Portuguese doughnuts drenched in sugar and set them before my sisters and me. Watching us devour her goodies, she’d smile a contented smile. 

Feeding Our Kids

One of my favorite memories is of preparing my youngest daughter’s 8th birthday breakfast. I was committed to feeding my family a low-sugar, no-junk food diet, but on her birthday, healthy went out the window. The birthday girl could request anything she wanted. 

She chose three of her favorite foods—chocolate chip pancakes, sausage, and ice cream with chocolate syrup. Seeing her eyes sparkle when I brought her tray into her bedroom was a joy. Watching her devour her special food made me happy. 

Feeding Our Grandchildren

Now that I’m a grandma, I’ve had so much fun introducing my grandchildren to new foods. When our first granddaughter was a tiny girl, she loved strawberries. She’d eat the leaves and all if we didn’t watch her. She tasted watermelon for the first time at my house. Knowing it was going to be a messy process, we stripped her down to her diaper and sat her in the middle of the table. Barely old enough to sit up, she held a watermelon chunk in both hands and gummed her way to watermelon heaven. The memory of that day still makes me smile. 

As a special treat at Christmas time, I gave her one of my favorite holiday goodies, a Peanut Butter Temptation. Baked in a mini muffin pan, these heavenly treats combine two of my favorites—a peanut butter cookie and a Reese’s peanut butter cup. She was delighted, and so was I. 

Feeding the Birds

Today I filled my bird feeder with black oil sunflower seeds for the first time this winter. It didn’t take long for the cardinals, chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches to find the feast I left for them. They swarmed my feeder, returning again and again to fill their bellies. Every time I passed the window, I felt happy. 

Watching my feathered friends feast and replaying my food memories makes me wonder if God takes equal delight in feeding us. Does it bring him pleasure to hear us sigh contentedly after a delicious meal? Does He grin happily when we return thanks for a bountiful Thanksgiving meal or a church potluck? Does his heart warm with satisfaction when we savor warm soup on a cold night? 

Our heavenly Father loves to meet our needs. Like I happily shared my favorite Christmas goody with my granddaughter, God delights in providing for us. And because He is a father who loves to give good gifts to his children, He doesn’t stop at the minimum. Sometimes he serves us chocolate chip pancakes, sausage, AND ice cream with chocolate syrup, just because. 

Thanking God

If you’re thankful for God’s generous hand of provision, why not join me in thanking God?

Father, thank you for your generous heart toward us. Thank you for providing not just our needs, but our wants as well. Thank you for giving us the ability to taste food, share it with others, and return thanks. Help us never take it for granted, but always be mindful of where it came from. We love you, God. Amen.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Matthew 6:26

Do you love feeding people? What’s your favorite “feeding time” memory? I’d love for you to share it in the comments. If you’re reading by email, CLICK here to post your comment.

Does Your Prayer Life Need Refreshing?

We know Bible reading and prayer are vital parts of our faith, but what happens when our prayer lives become stagnant and our quiet times grow stale? We need something more than just familiar verses and the command to pray. In Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise, Lori Hatcher shares relevant, five-minute devotions that spotlight unusual prayer verses in the Bible.

Each devotion ends with a Power Point (a spiritual truth to empower your faith) and a Praise Prompt (a short prayer designed to magnify God and make your faith soar). The Live It Out section challenges you to apply what you’ve learned right now for immediate change.

If you’re tired of your all-too-quiet quiet time, Refresh Your Prayers is the answer.

The UNcommon Book on Prayer – Unusual Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise

Available now at Amazon.com.

Have you subscribed to Refresh?

If you’d like to receive a weekly 5-minute devotion to help you rediscover the excitement of God’s Word, CLICK HERE.

Why We Love Feeding People

Click To Tweet

The post Why We Love Feeding People appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesAre You Waiting for Scary Test Results?God Loves Me, But Do I Love Him? A Guest Post on ODB’s God Hears Her Blog (and Launch Party Info)10 Truths to Teach Your Children and Grandchildren about Prayer 

2 Reasons for the Trials that Blindside You

Trials usually blindside us. 

Although some creep into our lives, most leap out and clobber us. One moment we’re strolling along happily, and the next, WHAM, we’re lying on the pavement wondering what just happened. 

Sometimes this happens literally, like the friend who stepped out onto her deck to water the plants and found herself at the foot of the stairs with a broken hip. Other times our trials come in the form of a job loss, family crisis, or sudden death. With no time to prepare, we’re left reeling, swaying from one emotion to the next. Fear, grief, and confusion pummel us until we’re emotionally and spiritually battered. 

In times like these, God’s sovereignty can be a mighty comfort. 

It can also be a stumbling block. 

People often struggle with God’s sovereign control when tragedy or trial enters their lives. Knowing God could prevent bad things from happening, we wonder why he allows hardship. 

But God is bigger than today. And even though I don’t like to acknowledge it, He has more in mind than just my comfort. His plan is grander, higher, and better than a pain-free, effortless life for us all. He tried that once, at the beginning of time, and humanity rejected it. 

Instead, He has one of two purposes for everything that happens in this world. 

The First Purpose for Trials

First, he wants to reconcile all who would believe to himself. He often uses the trials of this life to help us realize how much we need a relationship with him. Many a soul has cried out to God for salvation when they’ve reached the end of themselves and discovered how much they need someone wiser and stronger to direct their lives. God uses trials to draw us to himself. 

But what if we already have a relationship with him? What if we’ve already surrendered our lives to his control? What merit is there then in suffering and hardship? 

The Second Purpose for Trials

This is where the second aspect of his purpose comes in. God allows difficulty to grow our faith. He uses scary times to prove that he will take care of us. He uses heartbreak to help us realize that when all seems lost, God remains. 

My Experience

I’ve walked with God for more than 35 years. I’ve experienced heart-expanding joys and heart-breaking pain. The joyful times filled me with gratitude and worship to God. The gut-wrenching times flung me into his arms because I had nowhere else to go. 

The happy times have cemented my love and gratitude toward my heavenly Father, because every good gift comes from him. The hard times have anchored my trust in him. 

I’ve learned that whatever comes my way, God will walk through it with me. “Everyone deserted me,” the apostle Paul testified in 2 Timothy 4:16-17, “but the Lord stood at my side.” 

God wooed me with his mercy, then won me with his commitment. “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you,” he promises in Hebrews 5:15. The ultimate bridegroom, he has pledged to stand by me for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth. 

And he has kept his promise. No day begins without his steady presence beside me. No monster knocks on my door without him at my side. No need of mine goes unmet, although his superior wisdom often provides in ways far different than I expect. 

“In the day of prosperity, be joyful,” Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 7:14, “but in the day of adversity consider; Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other.” 

The Conclusion and Comfort

Because we live in a fallen world, sickness, heartache, and pain will eventually enter our lives. Believers and unbelievers alike will experience their share of sorrow. But we get to choose – will we walk through these days alone or with the Lord by our side? 

Because of God’s faithfulness and character, we can trust him. Whether joy or pain comes our way, we can have peace, knowing that our loving Father promises to use everything in our lives for our ultimate good and his everlasting glory. 

That’s powerful comfort.

Now it’s your turn. If you’re struggling with God’s sovereignty in the face of trial or loss, I want to pray for you. If you’ll leave a comment below, I promise to ask our Father to wrap his loving arms around you and carry you through. He is faithful. You can trust him.

Does Your Prayer Life Need Refreshing?

We know Bible reading and prayer are vital parts of our faith, but what happens when our prayer lives become stagnant and our quiet times grow stale? We need something more than just familiar verses and the command to pray. In Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise, Lori Hatcher shares relevant, five-minute devotions that spotlight unusual prayer verses in the Bible.

Each devotion ends with a Power Point (a spiritual truth to empower your faith) and a Praise Prompt (a short prayer designed to magnify God and make your faith soar). The Live It Out section challenges you to apply what you’ve learned right now for immediate change.

If you’re tired of your all-too-quiet quiet time, Refresh Your Prayers is the answer.

The UNcommon Book on Prayer – Unusual Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise

Available now at Amazon.com.

Have you subscribed to Refresh?

If you’d like to receive a weekly 5-minute devotion to help you rediscover the excitement of God’s Word, CLICK HERE.

The post 2 Reasons for the Trials that Blindside You appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

               

Here’s a Peek into the Party!

What’s the formula for an amazing party?

Friends, Food, and Fun?

Last week we celebrated the release of Refresh Your Prayers, my latest book from Our Daily Bread Publishing with an in-person launch party. Many of you were able to attend, but for those who weren’t, I wanted to share some photos and fun facts to help you feel part of the fun–because you are. God has used you to encourage, pray for, and inspire me. I hope I’ve done the same for you.

So come on in. Join the party. Rejoice with me over God’s goodness and love.

(And if you can’t see the pictures (apparently some Apple iPhones are preventing the pictures from coming through), click HERE to see the blog post online. You’ll be able to see all the fun there.)

P.S. Thank you to all the kind friends who posted reviews on Amazon. We’re only twelve away from the first goal of 50. If you’ve read enough of Refresh Your Prayers to post your honest review, would you hop on over to Amazon and share your thoughts? I’d be SO GRATEFUL!!

Here’s the invitation that helped spread the word.
My friend and critique group member, Melanie helped me arrange and decorate. Friends graciously fixed food for guests to enjoy.
Husband, David, helped me draw names for giveaways. Isn’t he handsome?
Sue won the grand prize — an electric toothbrush donated by my kind boss, a dentist 🙂
My friend and faithful prayer partner, Mandy, won the “How Well Do You Know the Author?” Quiz with a perfect score. She won a bag of my favorite candy 🙂
Here are some of the prizes we gave away.
How many people know where Lori’s favorite writing spot is? Yep — in the mountains of North Carolina.
While everyone enjoyed the fellowship and food, I signed books.
Did I mention we enjoyed some really yummy food?

We took a quiz to see how much we knew about prayer in the Bible. Wow, we had some SHARP thinkers who knew their Bible. Two women scored a perfect 10 on the quiz and came away with prizes.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures. Thanks for celebrating with me!

Does Your Prayer Life Need Refreshing?

We know Bible reading and prayer are vital parts of our faith, but what happens when our prayer lives become stagnant and our quiet times grow stale? We need something more than just familiar verses and the command to pray. In Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise, Lori Hatcher shares relevant, five-minute devotions that spotlight unusual prayer verses in the Bible.

Each devotion ends with a Power Point (a spiritual truth to empower your faith) and a Praise Prompt (a short prayer designed to magnify God and make your faith soar). The Live It Out section challenges you to apply what you’ve learned right now for immediate change.

If you’re tired of your all-too-quiet quiet time, Refresh Your Prayers is the answer.

The UNcommon Book on Prayer – Unusual Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise

Available now at Amazon.com.

Have you subscribed to Refresh?

If you’d like to receive a weekly 5-minute devotion to help you rediscover the excitement of God’s Word, CLICK HERE.

The post Here’s a Peek into the Party! appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

               
CommentsHere’s a Peek into the Party! by LoriAHatcherAre You Waiting for Scary Test Results? by LoriAHatcherGod Loves Me, But Do I Love Him? A Guest Post on ODB’s God Hears Her Blog (and Launch Party Info) by LoriAHatcherToday’s the Day! Two Very Special Birthdays by LoriAHatcherCan Prayer Change God’s Mind? by LoriAHatcherPlus 5 more...Related StoriesAre You Waiting for Scary Test Results?10 Truths to Teach Your Children and Grandchildren about PrayerToday’s the Day! Two Very Special Birthdays 

Are You Waiting for Scary Test Results?

What should we do while we wait for scary test results?

No woman ever wants (or expects) to receive a call back after a mammogram. No man wants to get called back in after a colonoscopy or a prostate exam.

Like many, I treat annual tests like my home’s yearly termite inspection – something necessary and responsible, but not worth much thought. 

And when it’s done? Check off the box and move on. 

Until I get the phone call. 

“The radiologist would like you to return for additional scans. Your mammogram shows some changes that are concerning . . .” 

In God’s mercy, the facility schedules call back mammograms within five days of the dreaded phone call. But those were five very long days. 

When women get calls like this, some cry. Some pray. Some update their wills and healthcare powers of attorney. All try to keep busy. Activity pushes the fearful thoughts back into the closet. 

As I waited, the Lord led me to do several things that helped. If you’re in a waiting time, perhaps you’ll find them helpful too. 

1. I prayed. 

 “Lord, my life is yours to use however you see fit. I don’t want to have breast cancer. In your mercy, spare me. But if this isn’t your will, help me trust you. Give me your peace, and help me not be afraid. In the strong name of Jesus I ask, Amen.” 

Like a child running into the safety of her father’s arms, I flung myself on Jesus. “There’s a monster chasing me,” I admitted, “and I’m scared.” Praying reminded me it didn’t matter how big the monster was, my Father was bigger. After I prayed, I asked God to speak to me through his Word. I found precious comfort there. 

2. I asked others to pray. 

Not everyone – yet. There’d be time later to sound the alarm if the second scan was also suspicious. Part of me wanted to keep the news to myself completely, not wanting to bother anyone, but I knew I needed prayer. Corporate prayer is powerful. 

I shared my situation with a few women who knew how to approach the throne of grace with confidence. One friend shared a similar experience, reassuring me that ninety out of one hundred suspicious mammograms show no cancer. Another prayed with me immediately, strengthening me with her faith. Yet another offered to go to the imaging center with me. During my wait and on the morning of my scan, several texted reminders that they were praying. 

Sharing my need with others brought the monster out of the closet. It helped me realize that while my future was uncertain, I wasn’t facing it alone. If the outcome was favorable, my friends would rejoice with me. If the outcome was concerning, they’d walk with me on the journey. 

3. I limited what I read about mammograms and breast cancer. 

I accessed a few online articles on reputable sites, but then I made a deliberate choice not to read anything else. Every mammogram website linked to a breast cancer site, which fueled the flames of fear. There’d be time to research later if I needed to. 

4. I captured (almost) every thought.

Second Corinthians encouraged me. “We demolish every argument and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” We can’t prevent fear from knocking on our door, but we don’t have to invite it in. 

For me, fear knocked often during those five days of waiting. Some days it would manifest itself as scary thoughts that led me from diagnosis to death in three days or less. Other times I imagined dreadful treatment options. It was easy to become a faith amnesiac in the quick sand of panic. To escape, I forced myself to swim toward solid ground. This meant redirecting my thoughts, not allowing myself to fret, and reminding myself that no matter what happened, God would be with me. 

On the morning of the fifth day, as my husband and I prayed one more time, a thought occurred to me: Maybe this isn’t about me at all. Maybe, instead of me needing the folks at the imaging center, they needed me. 

Pray with the technologist before she does your mammogram, the Spirit of the Lord whispered to me. 

I was so sure the prompting came from God that as soon as the technician called me into the room, I blurted out, “May I pray for you before you do my scans?” 

Her eyebrows shot up, then scrunched into a puzzled frown. “Pray for me?” she asked. 

I suspect many patients pray for themselves, but perhaps no one had ever offered to pray for her. She shrugged her shoulders. “Okay.” 

So I did. 

“Father, thank you for Sheila. Bless her today. Enable her to do her job to the best of her ability. Use her skills to help the radiologist make an accurate diagnosis, not just for me, but for every person she cares for today. In Jesus’ name I ask, Amen.” 

When I looked up, shiny tears sparkled in her brown eyes.

Twenty minutes later, Sheila spoke the words I’d hoped to hear. “You can go now. The doctor says everything’s normal.” 

I may never know the reason for my anxious five days. Maybe I needed to strengthen my resolve to trust God no matter what. Perhaps I needed a greater understanding and empathy for those whose life has been impacted by cancer. I realize not everyone gets an all clear like I did. Maybe I needed to be reminded of how faithful God is to his children, especially in times of crisis. 

Or maybe Sheila just needed someone to pray for her. 

My experience was a powerful reminder that God uses all things for good if we trust him. 

Now it’s your turn. Have you experienced a trial when you had to battle fear with faith? I’d love to hear your story. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts. And if you’re waiting for scary test results, leave a comment. I’d love to pray for you.

Does Your Prayer Life Need Refreshing?

We know Bible reading and prayer are vital parts of our faith, but what happens when our prayer lives become stagnant and our quiet times grow stale? We need something more than just familiar verses and the command to pray. In Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise, Lori Hatcher shares relevant, five-minute devotions that spotlight unusual prayer verses in the Bible.

Each devotion ends with a Power Point (a spiritual truth to empower your faith) and a Praise Prompt (a short prayer designed to magnify God and make your faith soar). The Live It Out section challenges you to apply what you’ve learned right now for immediate change.

If you’re tired of your all-too-quiet quiet time, Refresh Your Prayers is the answer.

The UNcommon Book on Prayer – Unusual Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise

Available now at Amazon.com.

Have you subscribed to Refresh?

If you’d like to receive a weekly 5-minute devotion to help you rediscover the excitement of God’s Word, CLICK HERE.

The post Are You Waiting for Scary Test Results? appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related Stories10 Truths to Teach Your Children and Grandchildren about PrayerToday’s the Day! Two Very Special BirthdaysToday’s the Day! Two Very Special Birthdays - Enclosure 

God Loves Me, But Do I Love Him? A Guest Post on ODB’s God Hears Her Blog (and Launch Party Info)

I apologize for the previous post with broken links. Apparently Crosswalk.com is having trouble.

Instead, I’ll share my guest post on Our Daily Bread’s God Hears Her blog, “God Loves Me, But Do I Love Him?” (Hopefully the link will work :). ALSO, don’t miss the details about the In-Person Launch Party for Refresh Your Prayers next week. I’d hate for you to miss it!

God Loves Me, But Do I Love Him?

For many years I squirmed whenever people talked about how much they loved God. It was uncomfortable because I wasn’t sure I did.

Sounds heretical, doesn’t it? Especially for a Christian—someone who’d confessed her sin, repented, and vowed to follow God all the days of her life. Isn’t loving God what Christianity’s all about? 

Yet when I compared my feelings toward God to my feelings toward the people I loved, there was a distinct difference.

I thought about the warm, affectionate, and sometimes almost painful intensity of emotion I feel toward my husband and children, and I had to admit that I didn’t feel this type of love toward God.

What was wrong with me? The very thought that I didn’t love God like I loved my husband and children hurt my heart. Jesus said that the first and greatest commandment was to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37 NIV). 

All my soul. All my mind. All my heart.

So I set out to discover what was wrong with my heart.

I’m blogging today over at Our Daily Bread’s God Hears Her blog. To read the rest of this post, click HERE.



Refresh Your Prayers Book Launch Continues!

Thank you so much to all who purchased copies of Refresh Your Prayers on Launch Day, March 1. You’re the best! I’d love it if you’d share your honest review on Amazon, Christianbook, or Goodreads. Reviews are better than chocolate for authors and help readers find great books.

If you live within driving distance of Columbia, South Carolina, please join us at an in-person Launch Party for Refresh Your Prayer on March 14, from 6-8 pm at Trinity Baptist Church (Solomon’s Porch youth building). The image below has all the details. Be sure to scroll down to see the amazing pile of goodies we’ll be giving away. If the images don’t show (iPhones are having trouble with email images these days), click HERE to view the details.

I wonder who will walk away with one of these prizes?
My boss, a dentist, donated a GENIUS Oral B electric toothbrush to give away! Some lucky reader will be SMILING!
Does Your Prayer Life Need Refreshing?



We know Bible reading and prayer are vital parts of our faith, but what happens when our prayer lives become stagnant and our quiet times grow stale? We need something more than just familiar verses and the command to pray. In Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise, Lori Hatcher shares relevant, five-minute devotions that spotlight unusual prayer verses in the Bible.

Each devotion ends with a Power Point (a spiritual truth to empower your faith) and a Praise Prompt (a short prayer designed to magnify God and make your faith soar). The Live It Out section challenges you to apply what you’ve learned right now for immediate change.

If you’re tired of your all-too-quiet quiet time, Refresh Your Prayers is the answer.

The UNcommon Book on Prayer – Unusual Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise

Available now at Amazon.com.

Have you subscribed to Refresh?

If you’d like to receive a weekly 5-minute devotion to help you rediscover the excitement of God’s Word, CLICK HERE.



The post God Loves Me, But Do I Love Him? A Guest Post on ODB’s God Hears Her Blog (and Launch Party Info) appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related Stories10 Truths to Teach Your Children and Grandchildren about PrayerToday’s the Day! Two Very Special BirthdaysToday’s the Day! Two Very Special Birthdays - Enclosure