Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 7

Do You Know How to Pray for Unbelievers?

Who would you most like to see come to know Christ as their Savior? Your spouse? One of your children? A dear friend? A grandchild? 

If you’re like me, every time you think of this person, your heart aches. You know if they don’t accept Christ, they’ll die one day and spend eternity in hell. This frightens me—that someone I love could spend eternity separated from God (and from me).

May it never be!

But the reality is that one day we’ll all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account. The entrance exam to heaven has one question: 

The entrance exam to heaven has one question: 

Who are you trusting in?

There’s only one right answer: “I’m trusting in Jesus Christ as my Savior.”

For years I couldn’t give this answer. The best I could do was hope my good works outweighed my bad works on judgment day. Some of my acquaintances, friends, and loved ones can’t give this answer because they haven’t yet come to faith in Jesus Christ. They’re still trusting in their works to get them into heaven. They don’t understand the truth of Ephesians 2:8-9:

“For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man shall boast.”

Because I love them, I witness to them, serve them, and do my best to demonstrate God’s love to them. But the most important thing I can do is to pray for them.

And what do I pray?

I ask God to open their hearts to believe. Scripture tells us that no one comes to God unless the Father draws him (John 6:65), so it makes sense to ask God to draw our loved ones to himself and open their hearts to believe.

The book of Acts tells of a woman named Lydia. She was a religious woman who was trying to worship God as best she knew how. But she hadn’t trusted Jesus as her Savior. Paul shared the Gospel with her, like we should with our unbelieving loved ones. And then something miraculous happened. Acts 16:14 describes it this way:

“The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” 

Apart from God opening a person’s heart to believe, the message of the Gospel falls on deaf ears. The spiritually dead cannot receive the life-giving truths of Scripture unless God opens their hearts. This is the secret of praying for unbelievers. This is what we should pray for.

The message of Acts 16 is simple: Pray for the people you love who don’t know Christ as their Savior. And when you pray, ask God to open their hearts. Pray and don’t stop.

“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Rom. 10:10).

Who are you praying for today?

If you leave your loved one’s first name in the comment box below, I’d be honored to pray for them.

A Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

Have you subscribed to Refresh?


If you’d like to receive Lori’s weekly 5-minute devotions to help you rediscover your passion for God and His Word subscribe HERE or at the top of the page.

The post Do You Know How to Pray for Unbelievers? appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesWhy Practice Doesn’t Make PerfectHow to Pray the Right WayGood Parent, Don’t Miss the Best for Your Children 

How to Know God’s Calling You, Part II

It’s undeniable—that gentle (or not-so-gentle) tug on your heart. You think God might be calling you to do something, but you’re not sure. How can you be certain it’s God calling you and not one of your own crazy ideas? In my last post, I shared four signs God is calling you, based on Moses experience in Exodus 2-3. If you missed that post, click HERE.

Today, I’d like to share three more signs God is calling you.

5. God will provide what you need.

Moses was concerned that Pharaoh and the Israelites wouldn’t believe God had sent him. In response to his concern, God gave him what he needed to accomplish his mission—his rod—and instructions in how to use it.

One year I sensed God was calling me to attend a writers conference. It was expensive and would involve rescheduling two days of dental patients and losing two days of income.

Shortly after I began to pray about it, my coworker asked me if I could work two extra days for her. Guess when? The week before the writers conference.

“And if you’d like me to work for you so you can have a few days off, I’d be glad to,” she said. Her offer enabled me to take the next week off without having to reschedule any of my patients.



Well Lord, you’ve removed two of three obstacles preventing me from attending the conference. The only problem that remains is the $800 conference fee.

Shortly after I prayed, I received an unexpected check—for $800. God had shown me clearly that I was to attend the writers conference.

6. God will bring others along to help you.

God called Moses to a monumental task—to face the leader of one of the most powerful nations on earth and demand the release of more than a million people. I’m not surprised that he doubted his ability. Even after God gave him a healthy pep talk, Moses continued to protest. God graciously dealt with his lack of faith by sending his brother Aaron to help him.

“I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do,” God said (Ex. 4:15).

It’s noteworthy that after the first encounter with Pharaoh, Moses no longer needed to hide behind his older brother. He became a bold, powerful orator who faithfully championed the cause of his fellow Israelites.

Our family mission trip is a perfect example of how God brought others alongside us to make up for what we were lacking. 

My husband and I felt comfortable teaching and leading Bible studies, but when the missionaries with whom we’d be ministering asked if our team could make some home repairs, we knew we were out of our league. Our coworker, Mike, however, was especially handy with tools. His wife, Mandy, has the gift of organization, and together we were able to preach, teach, and give our missionary friends’ kitchen a much-needed face lift.

7. God will reassure you about (but not remove) your inadequacies.

Moses was scared to death. He felt woefully unprepared for the monumental task God was calling him to. He was a poor speaker, and he lacked self-confidence. God, however, made it perfectly clear that his power would be behind Moses’ calling.

“Who gave man his mouth?” God said. “Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (Ex. 4:11-12).

When God calls us to do something for him, he seldom waits until we’re polished and perfect. If he did, we’d be tempted to trust in our own abilities instead of seeking his power and enabling. The apostle Paul explained it this way,

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

2 Corinthians 4:7

On our mission trip, we were asked to counsel couples struggling with marital challenges. My husband and I felt woefully inadequate, but we stepped out in faith, asking God to speak through us. During one of our sessions, a man and his wife committed their lives to Christ. Today, seven years later, they are still together and serving God in their local church. We are amazed at how God didn’t remove our inadequacies, he worked in spite of them.

I hope this list of ways God confirms his calling will help you the next time you sense him speaking to you. It isn’t all-inclusive, nor are you likely to experience all seven. It does, however, attempt to explain the gracious way God reveals his will and then confirms it.

If you sense God calling you to do something, I encourage you to claim the promise of Jeremiah 29:13:

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Prayer: Father, I don’t know what your will for me is, but I believe you will make it clear. Help me step out in faith and obedience, knowing that you will walk with me every step of the way. Use me for your glory, Amen.

 Now it’s your turn. How have you seen God confirm what you suspected he was calling you to do? Leave a comment below and join the conversation.

A Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

Have you subscribed to Refresh?


If you’d like to receive Lori’s weekly 5-minute devotions to help you rediscover your passion for God and His Word subscribe HERE or at the top of the page.

The post How to Know God’s Calling You, Part II appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesWhy Practice Doesn’t Make PerfectHow to Pray the Right WayGood Parent, Don’t Miss the Best for Your Children 

Is God Calling You? How to Know Part I

It’s undeniable—that gentle (or not-so-gentle) tug on your heart. You think God might be calling you to do something, but you’re not sure. How can you be certain it’s really God calling you and not one of your own crazy ideas?

It’s a mysterious thing, this faith life. It doesn’t come with specific instructions. Yet believers down through the ages have followed God with confidence and faith. Unlike Food Network’s step-by-step instructions for how to make lasagna, God’s direction is usually a little less straightforward.

The Bible does, however, provide classic examples of how God reveals his will to his followers. We can learn from the historic exchanges on the pages of Scripture and apply the principles to our own lives. Because of this, we can obey God with the same faith and confidence that guided the biblical heroes of the faith.

Moses’ historic “Burning Bush” experience of Exodus 3 and 4 is a great example of how God reveals his will to his people. And while most of us are unlikely to have a literal burning bush appear in front of us, if we take the pyrotechnic element out of the picture, we can still find much guidance from Moses’ encounter with God.

Here are seven signs of God’s direction, four today, and three in the next post:

1. God will get your attention in a significant way.

He used a burning bush to catch Moses’ eye, but he may get yours in an equally noteworthy but less flammable way. Maybe you attend a concert and the artist shares a story about sex trafficking. The statistics shock you, and you’ve thought of little else since.

Maybe you read an article about how local schools are struggling to find readers for their at risk students, and you’re wondering if you’re supposed to volunteer. Or maybe you’ve noticed your pastor’s wife seems overwhelmed and discouraged, and you feel moved to help. Whatever method God uses, he will get your attention.

2. God will often repeat Himself.

In Moses’ case, God repeated himself by calling Moses’ name twice from the bush. Your call probably won’t be audible, but the sense that God is speaking to you will usually return again and again. I’ve heard it said that being convicted by the Holy Spirit is like being nibbled to death by a duck, and I agree—it’s relentless.

When my husband and I began to sense God was calling us to take a family mission trip, the idea just wouldn’t go away. Shortly after we began talking about it, we received a letter from missionary friends in Mexico describing how one of their supporting families had just spent a week ministering with them. The experience was so positive that they wanted to invite other families to come.

A final repeating nudge came when my husband shared what we were thinking with another family, and they said they’d had a similar sense that God was calling them to do a short-term mission trip. I’m thankful God repeated his call several times in several ways, or we might have missed the opportunity for a life-changing mission experience.

3. God will assure you of His presence.

When God called Moses to go to Egypt and announce himself as God’s appointed deliverer, Moses balked.

“Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” he asked.

“I will certainly be with you,” God said.

It’s been my experience that when God calls us, he also reassures us that he will go with us. This confirmation can come in different ways. You might read a verse of Scripture that speaks perfectly into our situation. Or hear a word of promise in a Christian song, or read a Bible verse on a billboard or a bumper sticker. Your pastor may preach a message that has nothing to do with what you’re sensing, yet one of the verses will shine like a spotlight in your heart. However he chooses to do it, God will give you confidence that he will walk with you every step of the way as you obey his calling.

4. God will give you the first step.

As you seek God’s face and try to discern his will, God will reveal Step 1. For Moses, it was, “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (v. 10). God later laid out a series of steps for Moses to follow, but he seldom does this for us. I suspect if he did, we’d be too scared to take the first step. Instead, he usually shows us the first thing he wants us to do. Then, as we obey, he reveals the next one, and the next one, and the next one.

When I first sensed the Lord calling me to write professionally, I had no idea how to go about it. Then I received an email from a writer friend telling me about a new Christian writers group. I attended the inaugural meeting, which set into motion a series of steps that led to the publication of my first devotional book, Joy in the Journey. God didn’t show me every step that first day, but as I obeyed what he told me to do, he gave me direction for the next step.

These are four of the seven signs God is calling you. I’ll be sharing the remaining three next week. If you haven’t yet subscribed, be sure to do so so you won’t miss the post.

Now it’s your turn. Have you ever sensed God’s calling? How did you know it was really His voice? Leave a comment below and share your story.

A Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

Have you subscribed to Refresh?


If you’d like to receive Lori’s weekly 5-minute devotions to help you rediscover your passion for God and His Word subscribe HERE or at the top of the page.

The post Is God Calling You? How to Know Part I appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesWhy Practice Doesn’t Make PerfectHow to Pray the Right WayGood Parent, Don’t Miss the Best for Your Children 

Is God Speaking to You? 5 Ways to Know

Does God still speak to people? If so, how can we know it’s Him speaking?

The concept of hearing messages from God sounds like a topic for an alternate reality television show, but in truth, it’s a very biblical concept. 

From the beginning of creation God has spoken to his people. In the early days, before the canon of Scripture, he spoke to believers in several ways: through his audible spoken word (Gen. 6:13), through angelic messengers (Dan. Luke 1:11), through a Christophany—a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ (Gen. 18:22), and through the prophets (Jer. 1:7). 

Today he speaks primarily through his messengers (pastors, teachers, and fellow believers), his Word, and the Holy Spirit’s voice in our hearts. But the question remains: 

How do we know we’re hearing God’s voice rather than our own or someone else’s? 

Here are some guidelines: 

1.  What we hear must agree with Scripture. In other words, God never tells us to do something contrary to his Word. This means the abortion clinic bomber who testified that “God told me to blow up this place” may have been hearing voices, but they weren’t the Lord’s. This is why we must read the Bible daily and become familiar with its truths. It becomes the plumb line for all other input. 

2.  God usually repeats an important message. He knows we’re sometimes spiritually dense, so he gives us more than one opportunity to get it. You may read something that applies to your life in your morning quiet time, read it again during a devotional reading, and hear a preacher or teacher mention it in a sermon or lesson. God’s willingness to repeat himself is blessed confirmation if we think we’re hearing from God but aren’t quite sure. This is why it’s important to journal during our Bible reading and prayer time and take notes during teaching and preaching times. Sometimes the pattern of God’s messages to us becomes clearer when we write them down. 

3.  An idea may come to us while we’re praying. If it’s something simple, like Send Sally a note of encouragement; she’s been struggling since Dan lost his job, and isn’t contrary to Scripture, I usually act upon it immediately. It’s probably the Holy Spirit prompting me. If it involves a greater commitment, I test the thought by waiting to see if God reinforces it in other ways. 

For years the Lord had prompted me to write inspiring articles for homeschooling moms. Friends encouraged me to compile them into a book. When another friend invited me to attend a writers conference, the idea began to take shape. I sought confirmation by speaking to an acquisitions editor at the conference, and he invited me to submit a proposal. When I shared the idea with a Christian businessman, and he offered to help, I knew the idea had been from the Lord. 

4.  If an idea is from the Lord, the desire usually grows stronger with time. I confess—I get some crazy ideas sometimes. Crazy or not, I write down the idea and begin to pray about it. As the days pass, I’ll often find my enthusiasm and desire waning. Other times the desire grows, develops, and blossoms into a full-fledged calling. God confirms it in other ways and reinforces it with appropriate Scripture. 

5.  It usually requires an element of risk and faith. God seldom calls us to do something completely off the normal path of our lives. Instead his call is usually the next step, albeit sometimes a BIG step, on the path we’re already on. 

For years our family’s been involved with missions. We’ve financially supported missionaries, prayed and provided resources for them, and hosted them in our homes. When my husband and I began to experience a desire to take a short-term missions trip with our family, we sensed it was from the Lord. 

We began to pray about it, and the desire grew stronger. We already knew a mission trip was scriptural, so when one of our missionary friends mentioned how they’d love to have a family work with them in Mexico, we knew the Lord was calling us to go. 

Although it seems a bit mysterious, God loves to speak to his children. To hear him, we must learn to recognize his voice. This ability comes with patience and practice. Missionary Frank Laubach accurately expresses how every conversation with God involves learning to listen: 

“The trouble with nearly everybody who prays is that he says, ‘Amen,’ and runs away before God has a chance to reply. Listening to God is far more important than giving him our ideas.” 

May God bless you as you learn to listen to his voice. 

How about you? How does the Lord usually speak to you? And how do you know it’s him speaking? Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re reading by email, click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the post, then click on Comment to leave your thoughts.

A Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

Have you subscribed to Refresh?

If you’d like to receive Lori’s weekly 5-minute devotions to help you rediscover your passion for God and His Word subscribe HERE or at the top of the page.

The post Is God Speaking to You? 5 Ways to Know appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesHow to Hear God’s Voice — and that Fiasco on the Mountain 

When You Feel Like God Is Hiding

I was the master of Hide and Seek. Every time I played with my sisters, I’d win. If I didn’t want to be found, they wouldn’t catch a glimpse of me until I decided to show myself. It probably helped that I was super skinny and could tuck myself into the smallest spaces. Because I loved quiet pursuits like reading and writing, I’d hide even when we weren’t playing.

Have you ever wondered if God plays hide and seek with mankind?

Or maybe just with you? Or, worse, that he’s simply hiding and not seeking?

This begs the question: does God hide himself?

If so, do we—feeble, frail, sinful humans—have any hope of finding him?

Acts 17:26-27 reveals something amazing about the eternal game of Hide and Seek. “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.”

Did you catch that? From Adam he created us so we would seek him. God wants us to find him.

When I hid from my sisters, I didn’t want to be found, but God isn’t like that. Instead of tucking himself into the most obscure places where we’d never dream of looking, he hides in plain sight.

Do you want to see the God who is near?

God has given us clear directions for this search in his Word.

Seek with All Your Heart

Jeremiah 29:13 describes the first. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

When my sisters and I played Hide and Seek, they’d hunt with varying levels of enthusiasm. Some days they’d scour the yard like a pig hunting truffles. Other days they’d search as though they were looking for the ugly Christmas sweater from Aunt Gertrude. Sorry, Mom, I looked everywhere. Guess I’ll have to wear something else.

We approach our search for God in similar ways. Some people pursue him diligently. They frequent the places he frequents—Bible studies, churches, and faith communities. They read Bible-based books and listen to reputable teachers. They spend time in prayer, asking God to reveal himself.

Others expend minimal effort in their search. Well, I went to church—once—but nothing happened, so God must not be real. Or I’m a spiritual person, but I’ve never seen much value in reading the Bible. Or Yes, I attend church, but I’m too busy to get involved in Sunday school or a Bible study. They dabble at the shoreline instead of diving into the depths. They search half-heartedly rather than whole-heartedly.

Leave Sin at the Door

“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded,” James 4:8 declares.

The second direction God gives is to require us to be willing to leave our sin at the door. Notice I said be willing. I didn’t say get rid of all our sin, because we can’t do that on our own. Only God can. But until we’re willing to let God transform us, we seek with a serious handicap. Our sins act like a blindfold, preventing us from seeing God.

When my sisters and I played Hide and Seek, we never blindfolded the searcher. That would have doomed her to fail. Similarly, we can’t search for God while wearing the blindfold of sin. When we surrender our sin and allow God to change us, he takes away our blindness and shines his light on our path.

Respond in His Timing

The final direction God gives is this: It all begins and ends in his timing.

Isaiah 55:6 urges, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”

God doesn’t promise us tomorrow, but he gives us today. Right now. The One who hears his teammates searching flings the door open and yells, “Here I am! Come find me.”

If you’re looking for God today, I have good news for you. He’s scattered evidence of his presence everywhere.

He reveals himself through nature (Romans 1:20).

Through our conscience (Romans 2:14-15).

Through the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16).

And mostly through Jesus Christ his Son (Hebrews 1:1-2).

If we fail to find God, it’s not because he doesn’t want to be found. It’s because we don’t want to find him.

And what if you found God, but have wandered away?

He puts his arm around your shoulders and invites you back into the fellowship.

“When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you,” Deuteronomy 4:30-31 tells us, “then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey him. For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you. “

What a promise.

God—the God of the universe—eagerly desires to reveal himself to us. In the life-changing, eternal search, God wants us to win.

Peaches, apple, pumpkin pie, who’s not ready, holler I.

The hunt is on.

You’re It.

A Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

Have you subscribed to Refresh?


If you’d like to receive Lori’s weekly 5-minute devotions to help you rediscover your passion for God and His Word subscribe HERE or at the top of the page.

The post When You Feel Like God Is Hiding appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesWhy Practice Doesn’t Make PerfectHow to Pray the Right WayGood Parent, Don’t Miss the Best for Your Children 

Good Parent, Don’t Miss the Best for Your Children

What conscientious parent doesn’t want the best for their children? Even before our babies enter the world, we do our best to provide them with the best nutrition, the best prenatal care, and the best environment. We search for the safest car seat, the softest clothing, and the most well-trained pediatrician. We want to do everything we can to help our children live happy, healthy lives.

And after they’re born?

We spend hours Googling orthodontically approved pacifiers, brain-enhancing formulas, and wipe-warmers to give our little ones a comfortable diapering experience. As they get older, we research the best shoes for toddlers, how to make healthy snacks, and which educational toys we should buy.

We want the best for our children—all the days of their lives. With this goal in mind, I invite you to prayerfully consider this quote from Scottish preacher and teacher Oswald Chambers:

The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but the good which is not good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best.1

Somewhere along the way, despite our desire to give our children the best, we often find ourselves spending vast amounts of time, energy, and money pursuing the good instead.

Somewhere along the way, despite our desire to give our children the best, we often find ourselves spending vast amounts of time, energy, and money pursuing the good instead.

How does this happen?

We become deceived. Deceived by culture. Deceived by our well-meaning friends. Deceived, sometimes, even by Christians.

Let’s consider four ways the good can become the enemy of the best as we seek to raise our children in the faith.

1. We trade the best of regular church attendance for the good of sports and extra-curricular activities.

Decades ago, families had fewer options for extra-curricular activities. Boys played Little League (for a season). Kids took half-hour piano lessons and attended a weekly Boy or Girl Scouts meeting. Church was the center of the community, and Sundays were sacred. Even the non-religious knew not to schedule a practice or a game on Sunday.

Today, we have year-round and traveling sports teams and extra-curricular groups that schedule events indiscriminately on nights and weekends. Participation often requires families to miss church more often than they attend. Without intending to, we elevate sports and other activities above church attendance. 

To properly handle this good/best dilemma, it helps to take the long view and ask ourselves which will benefit my children most over the course of their lifetime? Intense training to learn to play a sport well or opportunities to develop a deep and vital relationship with God and His church?

The likelihood of our child becoming a world-class athlete is slim. The likelihood that they’ll become a mighty man or woman of God improves dramatically when we spend more time on faith-building and church activities than on recreation. These two results aren’t mutually exclusive, but we usually become what we invest the majority of our time pursuing.

Matthew 6:21 says, “Where your treasure [time, money, effort] is, there your heart will be also.” Sports and other activities, when they don’t conflict with church participation, are good. Active participation in the ministries and mission of a Bible-believing church is best. 

2. We trade the best of Christ-centered books and media for the good of “harmless” media. 

Conscientious parents celebrate their child’s burgeoning interest in books and other forms of literature. Many turn them loose in the children’s room at the library and encourage them to pick out whatever interests them. With no guidance, they often choose “harmless” books. Sometimes they inadvertently choose material that is anti-Christian and conflicts with biblical truth. Even some of the “Christian” books contain information that doesn’t agree with the Bible.

In our desire to encourage our children to read and love books, we aren’t always careful about what they read or even what we read to them. We naively assume it doesn’t matter what they’re reading (within reason) as long as they’re reading.

What we fail to realize is that by allowing them to consume a steady diet of “junk food” books, we waste the opportunity to feed them high-quality material to help their minds and souls grow strong. Bible story books, fiction written from a Christian worldview, and missionary biographies can shape our children’s hearts and minds. It takes time and effort to find these books, but it’s so worth it. Books like these are powerful tools to train them in righteousness, spark spiritual conversations, and reinforce Christian values. 

Providing books for our children to read is good. Providing high-quality books written from a Christian worldview is best.

3. We trade the best of Christian discipleship for the good of academic success.

My husband, David, served as a youth pastor for many years. He loved his students and their families and spent long hours preparing lessons and activities to help them grow in their Christian life. He came to faith as a teen and knows how crucial spiritual training is in the teen years. He’d often quote the statistics that reveal that the chances of a person surrendering their life to Christ drop dramatically after they turn 18. “I have only a few years to reach them,” he’d often say. “I want to make the most of the time I have.” 

Sadly, many of the youth in our church didn’t participate in the Bible studies or activities our church offered. Why? They had “too much homework.” 

“I can’t come to youth group on Wednesday night,” one would say. “I have a paper due tomorrow. I have to get a good grade.”

“I’m on restriction,” another would say, “until I get my grades up.”

“Restriction from attending youth group?” my husband would lament in the privacy of our home. “If these kids attend church and God gets ahold of them, grades may not be such a problem.” 

School wasn’t easy for David, but when he surrendered his life to Christ at age 17, his attitude toward school, homework, and hard work was transformed. So were his grades.

Academics are important. They help our children gain entrance to college and learn a trade or profession. But academic success doesn’t guarantee a happy and fulfilling life. Knowledge of God’s Word, the disciplines of the Christian life, and a dynamic relationship with God does.

Psalm 1:1–3 reminds us, 

How happy is the one who does not

walk in the advice of the wicked

or stand in the pathway with sinners

or sit in the company of mockers!

Instead, his delight is in the LORD’s instruction,

and he meditates on it day and night.

He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams

that bears its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

Academic education is good, but a rich spiritual education is best.

4. We trade the best of hard work and delayed gratification for the good of ease and plenty.

“I want to give my children everything I didn’t have growing up,” Alan said. Alan is a kind man and a good father. He works hard to provide for his family—too hard. He’ll often log fifty or sixty hours a week as an HVAC repairman. His wife complains that he’s never home, and he often responds by saying, “I don’t want my kids to have to work like I did for everything I got.” 

Sadly, instead of being grateful for Alan’s generosity, his children are selfish, lazy, and entitled. While his two oldest daughters could earn money babysitting to buy the designer jeans they want, they ask their dad instead. His well-meaning generosity has hindered them from experiencing the healthy satisfaction and independence that comes from working and saving. Because Alan’s kids haven’t had to earn their spending money, they spend it recklessly. 

Alan’s desire to provide well for his children has robbed them of the chance to develop resourcefulness, practice a strong work ethic, and learn gratitude.

If we want to raise financially responsible children, it’s  good  to provide generously for their needs. It’s  best  to give them the opportunity to work for their wants.

The examples I’ve shared are only a few among many. I invite you to prayerfully examine your family and personal life. Look closely at how you spend your family’s time, energy, and money. Pray James 1:5 and ask God to give you wisdom to discern His will for everything you say yes to and everything you say no to. 

I suspect you’ll find dozens of good choices, but as believers, we don’t have to settle for good. God wants the best for us. When you find an area where the good has become the enemy of the best, be courageous enough to make the appropriate changes. You won’t regret it.

Let’s close with a prayer the apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesians. May it encourage you as you seek to raise your children in the training and instruction of the Lord. 

For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. (Colossians 1:9–12).

This post appeared first on Revive Our Hearts blog and is used with permission.

A Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

Have you subscribed to Refresh?


If you’d like to receive Lori’s weekly 5-minute devotions to help you rediscover your passion for God and His Word subscribe HERE or at the top of the page.

The post Good Parent, Don’t Miss the Best for Your Children appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesIs Life Hard? 4 Steps to Help You CopeThree Simple Steps to Stay Positive When You Feel Negative5 Simple Ways Hospitality Can Change Your Life 

A Lost Dog, a Newborn Baby, and God’s Love

Missing: White husky with blue eyes and a pink nose with one freckle on it. 

post on Craigslist tugged at my heart for several reasons. First, because although I’ve never had a dog go missing, I have loved one enough to know what it would feel like if he were lost. Second, because this wasn’t the first post I’d seen about this missing (and feared kidnapped) dog. His owner has been plastering the area with notices for more than three weeks. 

What grabbed my heart and wouldn’t let go was the last part of his description – a pink nose with one freckle on it. 



Anyone could have described a white husky. And pink noses often accompany white fur. But only someone who had looked long into his beloved dog’s face, studied it, and maybe even kissed its pink nose a few times would have noticed that single freckle. It’s obvious this description was written by someone who loved his pet enough to notice everything about it and commit it to memory. 

I recently watched a young mother with her newborn baby. She nestled him close in the crook of her arm and studied him closely. The downy-soft fuzz on his head. The plump curve of his cheek. The delicate arch of his eyebrows. With her tender gaze she committed every detail to memory. 

‘Twas a holy thing, those love glances. 

I’ve been blessed to love a dog and a child this much, but I’m even more blessed to belong to a God who loves me this much – and a thousand times more. You do, too. One who notices everything about you, right down to the very last freckle. Luke 12:7 tells us, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” 

Isaiah 40:11 describes his nurturing, shepherd’s heart. “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart . . .” I suspect, as God the Good Shepherd carries us close to his heart, he looks upon us with deep, adoring love. 

How sweet is that? 

I’m sad that my neighbor’s dog is missing. I hope he finds his way home soon. 



But lost souls make me even sadder than lost dogs. If you’ve wandered far from home, I hope you’ll find your way back. The God who knows the number of hairs on your head longs to hold you tight, carry you close to his heart, and welcome you home. 

If you’d like to know more about how to have a relationship with God, I invite you to CLICK HERE.

UPDATE on Nesta, the missing Husky. Since I wrote this post, Nesta and her owner have been reunited. I don’t know the details, but this picture says it all.

Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

Have you subscribed to Refresh?


If you’d like to receive Lori’s weekly 5-minute devotions to help you rediscover your passion for God and His Word subscribe HERE or at the top of the page.

The post A Lost Dog, a Newborn Baby, and God’s Love appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related Stories10 Tips to Keep Your Love AliveIs Life Hard? 4 Steps to Help You CopeThree Simple Steps to Stay Positive When You Feel Negative 

10 Tips to Keep Your Love Alive

If your marriage survives its first few years, when do you think the next greatest threat will come?

Year seven?

Ten?

Fifteen?

Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, tells us the second highest rate of divorce occurs not in the challenging years of early parenting or even during the time when you’re raising teens. The second highest rate of divorce happens in the empty nest years. 

Today, as I walked my neighborhood in the pre-dawn hours, I saw a powerful illustration of why. In the ‘80s, a “new” tree came on the scene – the Bradford pear. Cultivated for its beautiful, flame-shaped branches and rapid growth, it quickly became the landscapers’ favorite. Developers lined entrances to subdivisions with long rows of them, and every yard had at least one. When they flowered in early spring, their white blooms were breathtaking. 

Unfortunately, after about 20 years, the trees began showing signs of serious structural problems. The long branches that created such a beautiful shape grew too heavy for the truck to support them. Wind, rain, or simply the weight of its leaves caused the trees to split in half, destroying the tree. 

Something similar often happens in our marriages.  

Like the Bradford Pear trees that so charmed the landscapers, our marriages start out beautiful. Their branches begin to grow and bear fruit. They mature.

But in some marriages, the longer a couple is together, the further they grow from each other. Before long, they begin to separate. Each year brings them futher and further from each other. By the time the empty nest years roll around, they’re so far apart they have nothing in common.

A storm, a crisis, or the weight of day-to-day life takes its toll, and the marriage splits. 



If you don’t want to have a Bradford Pear marriage, here are ten proven steps you can take now to ensure you and your spouse grow together, not apart. 

10 Tips to Keep Your Love Alive

1. Cultivate at least one shared experience without the kids. Even if it’s only once a month, do something fun you both enjoy. 

2. Attend church together. Studies still show committed Christians have a lower than average divorce rate. 

3. Put your marriage ahead of your kids. Studies also show the best thing you can do to help your children grow up happy, healthy, and well-adjusted is to stay married. 

4. Invest in your marriage. We don’t think twice about paying for summer camps, music lessons, and a myriad of other “necessities” for our children, but we balk at the cost of a weekend marriage retreat or getaway. When your child is 25, he’s not going to thank you for the archery lessons in fifth grade. He’s going to thank you for staying married when all his friends’ parents divorced. 

5. Be the first to say “I’m sorry.” No disagreement is all one person’s fault. Be the bigger person. Apologize for your part, and tell your spouse you love them. 

6. Participate in a marriage Bible study. Another way to invest in your marriage, learning from wise teachers alongside other people committed to growing their marriages will help you not be lazy in your most important human relationship. 

7. Say please and thank you. Treat your spouse with the same respect you’d treat a stranger. Don’t forget the common courtesies. 

8. Tell him what you like about him. When you were dating, you told him all the time how handsome, smart, and funny he was. Why stop now that you’re married? We all enjoy a sincere compliment every now and then. 

9. Pray together. When you and your spouse pray together, you don’t just join hands, or even hearts. When you pray, your souls touch. There’s not a stronger bond for cementing your marriage than inviting God into the center of it. 

10. Recognize what Emerson Eggerichs calls “The 80/20 Ratio.” His book, Love and Respect, explains it this way. “According to this concept, around 80 percent of the time, your marriage can be categorized as good or even great while around 20 percent of the time, you may have troubles of one kind or another. . . . If we do not accept the inevitability of some trouble as part of God’s design (that we will have moments when we feel unloved or disrespected), we may fall for the idea that a marriage should always be the perfect Hollywood romance. And then, when troubles do come, we may conclude that we are not receiving what we deserve.” 

A few months ago tropical-storm-force gusts blew through our neighborhood as Hurricane Irma roared by. Four trees went down. Three of them were Bradford Pears. 

I don’t have to share recent divorce statistics to warn you – the danger is real. So whether you’ve been married three weeks or three decades, investing in your relationship now will ensure you and your spouse grow stronger, closer, and more together as time passes. Be an oak, not a Bradford Pear.

Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

Have you subscribed to Refresh?


If you’d like to receive Lori’s weekly 5-minute devotions to help you rediscover your passion for God and His Word subscribe HERE or at the top of the page.

The post 10 Tips to Keep Your Love Alive appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesIs Life Hard? 4 Steps to Help You CopeThree Simple Steps to Stay Positive When You Feel Negative5 Simple Ways Hospitality Can Change Your Life 

Why Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect

The acrid smell of chlorine stung my nose as I peered through the damp air. I couldn’t see the swimmers because of the warm tendrils of steam rising from the churning surface of the pool. All I could see were heads, arms, and an occasional foot rising above the water. 

Coach Irwin, however, could see it all. 

“Keep your head down,” He shouted to a struggling swimmer. “Push off harder with your feet. Count the number of strokes to the wall.” 

Sometimes he’d pull a swimmer from the water. 

“Turn your arm like this,” he’d say, demonstrating the stroke. “Now you try it.” 

“Everybody always says, ‘Practice makes perfect,’” he said to me in his clipped New York accent. 

“Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent. However they practice, that’s what will become permanent. This is why they’ve got to practice it right.” 

Practice makes permanent. Coach Irwin’s wise words have returned to me many times in the years since he coached my daughters’ swim team. They apply far beyond the swimming pool. 

Whatever habit we practice will become permanent, whether we intend it to or not. 

Take worry, for example.

At 18, I had practiced worrying a lot. I worried about what had happened in the past, what was happening in the present, and what might happen in the future. I worried so much that if you checked the default setting on my life, you’d see the toggle button firmly set on WORRY. 

When I became a Christian, however, I learned worry isn’t just a personality trait, it’s a sin. 

YIKES.

“Do not be anxious about anything,” Philippians 4:6 commands.

Don’t be anxious? Don’t worry or fret? If I don’t stew and churn, how am I supposed to deal with the scary things that come into my life?

“. . . but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 

Pray instead of fret? Intercede instead of worry? Petition instead of stress?

The practice of worrying had become permanent in my life, but as a Christian, I knew this sin had to go. And the only way to break a bad habit is to replace it with a good habit. 

“Practice makes permanent,” Coach Irwin had said, and he was right. I needed to practice a new habit, a better habit, a helpful, healthy, God-sanctioned, permanent habit. 

Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing,” so that’s what I purposed to do. 

Health crisis? Pray. 

Economic uncertainty? Pray. 

Relationship difficulties? Pray. 

Heartbreak? Pray. Loneliness, fear, uncertainty? Pray. 

Psychologists say it takes 21 days to establish a new habit. I’ve been training for 21 years, and sometimes I still struggle. The other night, when I should have been sleeping, I was worrying instead. One fear fed another until my brain was whirling with scary pictures and dreadful possibilities. 

Then the sweet, soft voice of the Holy Spirit spoke truth into my troubled heart. “When I am afraid, I will trust in you (Psalm 56:3). I will lie down and sleep, for you, O Lord, cause me to dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8). Pray without ceasing (1 Thes. 5:17).”

I still have a way to go before prayer becomes my default setting, but the more I exchange worry for prayer, the more permanent the habit will become. 

“Practice makes permanent,” Coach Irwin said. 

Which habit are you practicing today? Do you struggle with worry? What do you do to combat it? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts. 

Note: Coach Irwin’s been gone for several years. As my daughter said in a memorial post:

In my mind you’ll always be stalking the pool deck with your booming voice and demand for perfection in every detail of practice. The world seems a little smaller and much too quiet tonight without you in it, Coach. Rest easy. #practicemakespermanent

Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

Have you subscribed to Refresh?


If you’d like to receive Lori’s weekly 5-minute devotions to help you rediscover your passion for God and His Word subscribe HERE or at the top of the page.

The post Why Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesThree Simple Steps to Stay Positive When You Feel NegativeHow to Pray the Right WayHow an Unbeliever’s Words Grew My Faith 

Is Life Hard? 4 Steps to Help You Cope

Betrayed, persecuted, grieving, uncertain, confused, abused, afraid, and struggling.

Can you identify with any of these words? Most of us can, especially these days. 

Life is a struggle, and most days we feel the angst of living in a difficult world, with difficult people, under difficult circumstances. Throw a pandemic, societal unrest, and economic hardship in the mix, and you’ve got a formula for a major panic attack.

I think this is why God includes stories about real people in the Bible. Reading other people’s stories, the good, the bad, and the ugly, gives us perspective and, most important, hope. 

King David was a man who experienced just about everything life can throw at someone. His memoir includes a humble beginning and an exalted ending. He came to faith early, and God used him in mighty ways to lead the nation of Israel. He also disappointed God greatly and lived much of his life with the consequences of his sin.  



The book of Psalms records many of his soul-searching, gut-wrenching conversations with God. Psalm 71 is one of them.

Listen to David’s cry: 

O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. . . . in my old age, don’t set me aside. Don’t abandon me when my strength is failing. For my enemies are whispering against me. They are plotting together to kill me. They say, ‘God has abandoned him. Let’s go and get him, for no one will help him now.

Psalm 71:1, 2, 9-11 NLT

His example reminds us that it’s OK to pour out our hearts to God when we are distressed. But Psalm 71 isn’t just a lament and cry for help. It’s a prescription for how to weather difficult circumstances. 

King David’s 4 Step Plan (vv. 13-17)

1. Don’t lose hope. David expresses his commitment to trust God: “But I will keep on hoping for your help.” No matter what happens, we must never stop believing that God hears and answers our prayers. 

2. Don’t stop praising God. “I will praise you more and more,” he says. “I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power.” Praising God reminds ourselves and others that God is good, even when our circumstances are not. 

3. Don’t forget what God has done. “I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord.” Reflect on the many ways he has worked in the lives of faithful men, and remember how he has worked in your own life. God’s long history of faithful care for his children strengthens our faith, because we know God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

4. Don’t stop sharing your faith with others. “I will tell everyone that you alone are just.” Sometimes when difficult circumstances enter our lives, we’re tempted to slander God with our words or our lack of faith. We must resist, choosing instead to take a faith stand and continue to testify of God’s goodness, no matter what. 

If you’re betrayed, persecuted, grieving, uncertain, confused, abused, or struggling, King David’s four-step plan for weathering difficult circumstances is powerful and effective. 

My prayer for you is that you will soon be able to testify, as David did, “You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side” (v 19-21). 

What about you? When you struggle, which examples from Scripture give you hope? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

Have you subscribed to Refresh?


If you’d like to receive Lori’s weekly 5-minute devotions to help you rediscover your passion for God and His Word subscribe HERE or at the top of the page.

The post Is Life Hard? 4 Steps to Help You Cope appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related Stories5 Simple Ways Hospitality Can Change Your LifeThree Simple Steps to Stay Positive When You Feel NegativeHow an Unbeliever’s Words Grew My Faith