The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”—Genesis 2:18 (NIV)
This scripture contains the first “not good” in the Bible. God wants us to live in fellowship with a community of others along life’s journey. Each one of us is a helper, mentor or encourager to someone else.
Lord, help me to bring strength and encouragement into the lives of those around me.
He appointed the moon for seasons; The sun knows its going down.—Psalm 104:19 (NKJV)
God holds the entire universe together. He is the caretaker of the world. When you feel like you are at your wit’s end supporting your friends, coworkers and family, take a deep breath and give the reins back to the one in power.
Lord, I can rest securely, knowing You protect us all.
I am the light of the world.—John 9:5 (NIV)
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale once said: “Darkness is powerless before the onslaught of light. And so it is with death. We have allowed ourselves to think of it as a dark door, when actually it is a rainbow bridge spanning the gulf between two worlds.” When you are grieving, turn to the Bible, God is with you.
Lord, when I can’t feel Your presence, when I feel I can’t even pray, I still know in my heart that You know my troubles. You feel my despair. You will help me through my grief.
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”—Luke 10:27 (ESV)
Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth-century lay monk, found joy “seeking Him only and nothing else, not even His gifts.” When you make God’s presence your motivation, when you desire to love Him simply for who He is, you will truly experience His blessing.
Dear Lord, above all else, I desire to know You and to love You.
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.—Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)
Throughout Scripture, there are many examples of God bringing peace. From the israelites at the Red Sea to Elijah after his encounter at Mount Carmel, God calmed fears and brought comfort. When life is chaotic and you are worried about the future, turn to prayer. God’s voice is peace.
Prince of Peace, guide me to do the tasks that I can do to help clear the chaos, and help me to leave my worries with You. I know in my heart that You have everything under control.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.—Romans 8:18 (ESV)
Scripture tells us that we are to glory in our sufferings. Because of faith, we can see the blessing in every experience—even in our suffering. Our hardships help us to find perseverance and hope and encourage us to pursue a strong relationship with God.
Heavenly Father, help me to see Your grace in the hard times, knowing that Your infinite goodness will guide me through.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.—Romans 15:7 (NIV)
The Apostle Paul encourages us to help others and lift them up with God’s love. God empowers us to spread peace and hope. He encourages us to spread His message of unconditional love and acceptance to those who need it most.
Heavenly Father, guide me to go where Your love is needed today.
Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.—Acts 2:2 (NIV)
The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as the wind.The next time you feel the spring wind ask yourself, am I soaring on the breeze, letting God work through me? Do I spread my wings and fly to new opportunities? Do I allow the Holy Spirit to work in my life?
Lord, thank You for this glorious reminder to feel the Holy Spirit—and to fly.
So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.—Ecclesiastes 11:10 (NIV)
Do you worry even when there is little or no reason to? When anxiety overwhelms you, the normal reaction is to freeze or flee. The next time this happens, imagine yourself safely in God’s loving arms. Keep a list of comforting Bible verses and read them over and over again.
Gracious Lord, when the world wearies my soul, You restore my strength and give me the courage to move forward.
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.—Isaiah 30:21 (ESV)
God can provide heavenly wisdom for every decision you need to make. The more you trust God and turn to Him for guidance, the more you’ll be able to see His blessings all around you and feel His presence within you.
Lord, I am so grateful for Your gift of guidance and that You always meet my needs.
And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.—Genesis 2:2 (NKJV)
God rested on the seventh day. Remind yourself of this scripture when you are too busy to even think. Rest is a necessary and important part of life. Give yourself permission to take time off, to say no to things you don’t want to do and to take time to relax and restore your spirit.
Heavenly Father, I need to reshape the way I think about rest, to see its importance in the cycle of my life. It’s a necessary part of getting things done.
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said, “Remember always that faith is a fight against disbelief, a struggle against doubt!” When the storms of doubt come, lean into the wind—and believe. no matter what you are feeling, God is in charge.
Heavenly Father, in times of doubt, help me to let go of my insecurities and truly invite You to be Lord of my life.
Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly…—1 CORINTHIANS 9:26 (NIV)
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.—PROVERBS 12:25 (NIV
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God— this is your true and proper worship.—Romans 12:1 (NIV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.—Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.—Romans 5:8 (NIV)
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.—Luke 6:35 (ESV)
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.—Luke 6:38 (NIV)
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.—1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.—2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.—Philippians 4:11 (NIV)
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.—Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.—Ephesians 4:26 (ESV)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.—Psalm 107:1 (NIV)
Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.—Galatians 6:9 (ESV)
Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God…—1 Peter 2:16–17 (NIV)
See what great 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 (NIV)
As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.—1 Samuel 18:1 (ESV)
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”—Galatians 5:14 (NIV)
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.—John 15:12 (ESV)
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.—2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)
