It is a common misconception among Christian women that their prayer is left unanswered if God does not grant their request. However, it is crucial to remember that God always responds to His children—without exception, every time, and every prayer. Throughout history, there has never been, nor will there ever be, a prayer left unanswered.
Every prayer is answered, but only sometimes in the way we hope or the timeline we hope. God's answers are deeply personal and tailored to our unique circumstances and needs. For instance, you might have prayed to be married by twenty-five, but instead, you found a fulfilling career that brought you joy and purpose. Or you might have prayed for your daughter’s illness to be cured, and while the disease may not have been cured, you found the strength and resilience to cope with it.
If you are a parent, you understand this. How often have your kids come to you with requests or desires you know are not...
Numerous scriptures throughout the Bible encourage us to pray and highlight its true power. But in certain communities, prayer is sometimes depicted as a transaction with God. Believers think that merely reciting the correct words at the right time will result in God granting their wishes, akin to using a vending machine.
Remember, prayer is not a mere transaction but a deeply personal conversation with the Lord. He intricately weaves every cell of your being and understands you more intimately than you understand yourself.
"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." - Psalm 139:13-14
It does not matter what specific request you bring to your prayers, whether related to health, happiness, success, or any other aspect of life. When you humble yourself and recognize that without God’s help, this will not happen, then you have...
In the past, I have been deeply troubled by the fact that I have prayed to the Lord for things that I feel align with His will as stated in the Scriptures, yet He has not seen fit to grant my requests, at least not in the way I had hoped for.
This is not a mere theoretical problem of unanswered prayer but a deeply personal and, at times, gut-wrenching struggle that I know many women share. You are not alone in this. But I fully understand that God's "No" is actually to prepare, not punish.
Here is what Jesus says in Matthew 7:7-11: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in he...
You may wonder why you should bother praying. After all, God, in His infinite wisdom, has a plan for every woman and will work everything out for our good. You might think the conversation has no real point, as God's plan is already set. However, prayer is not about changing God's plan but about aligning our hearts and minds with His will, a comforting and reassuring act.
It is a way for each woman to express her faith, seek guidance, ask for help, offer gratitude, and communicate with her Divine Creator. As children talk and listen to their father, prayer is their special way of conversing with God. Each woman's conversation with God is unique and precious, making prayer the most intimate communication that connects us to God.
Throughout the Bible, there are numerous verses and passages that not only encourage us to pray but also highlight the transformative and influentia...
We can look at conversations simply as “sharing” in many ways. Maybe you share how your day went with your kids, spouse, or pet. Perhaps you share about a fight with your co-worker or a funny moment at school.
Let Him know what happened, good and bad. Share your feelings, fears, hopes, and dreams. Ask Him for what you need. You may need wisdom to navigate a challenging project at work or strength to continue caring for an ill family member. At first, it may not feel like God is listening to you.
Remember, patience is a virtue. You may hear only silence. And in that silence, believing that God is ignoring or has forgotten you is tempting. But, when you truly listen to someone else, are you not silent? Do you allow the other person enough space to speak?
You are not ignoring the other party. You still remember them. You are simply respecting their right to speak. God, in His infinite wisdom and love, values your thoughts and feelings, and He respects your rig...
Prayer, a potent and transformative practice, serves as a conduit for our intimate connection with our Heavenly Father. When we, as women, earnestly seek the Lord in prayer, the transformative power of His presence is unleashed in our lives. As you cultivate an active prayer life, you will witness the transformative responses of God to your requests. This is beautifully illustrated in David's account in Psalm 18.
Psalm 18:6 - "In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears."
David was surrounded by Saul's forces during a crisis, feeling trapped and hopeless. In his distress, he turned to prayer, seeking help from God. His plea for assistance was answered when the Lord responded to him from heaven.
David talks about God hearing his prayers and then makes another beautiful point in the next verses. He describes how smoke poured from God’s nostrils and His righteous indignation was...
You cannot believe they did it. Of all people, turning on you this way. You want to react in kind, drawing on the anger flowing through you to lash out. Make the other person hurt every bit as much as you do right now.
Wait a minute. You are not that person. You do not want to BE that person. You are better than this.
But how do you stop anger in its tracks before it gets the best of you?
Take your anger and turn it into activism. How can you use this to change the world? Volunteer. Get involved in the community and make the world a better place.
This technique falls under the expert level of anger management. By being the bigger person and forgiving the other, you will find you no longer have reason to be mad at all.
Like walking, exercise is good. Also, anger tends to tighten you up, so a good stretch, or even better, practicing progressive muscle relaxation, will knock the tension o...
Engaging in prayer is considered one of the most powerful and meaningful practices for fostering a deep and meaningful relationship with God. However, there are moments in life where connecting through prayer may seem unattainable or difficult to achieve.
Often, my clients will say that the topic of prayer is well and good. They agree that conversation is wonderful to have with God…but what about the days when your heart is too full to pray? When life once knocked you down, and it feels like you will never rise again, what do you do on those days?
I tell them that in those moments, it can be helpful to remember Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
The Holy Spirit, residing within you as a beloved child of God, intercedes on your behalf. In moments when you ...
Affirmations are powerful positive statements. You may be aware of them as a tool for self-improvement or to help you reach your goals. Did you know affirmations can help improve relationships with your husband, family, friends, and colleagues?
By choosing your words carefully and meaningfully, you can improve relationships in every area of your life.
You can use affirmations to show the other person that you see their feelings and acknowledge them. Affirmations can be used as a component of active listening. Listen to what they are saying without interrupting; when you speak, you reflect on what they said. You acknowledge where they are and give them space to vent, celebrate, or get their message across.
The key to showing empathy is not contradicting or negating their feelings. Do not offer advice or give a contrary opinion. Just stand with them in their space.
Make sure your affirmations are coming from a place of sincerity. Do n...
An empathetic person can identify with what someone else is experiencing. They may have had the same experience before. This is not necessary to practice empathy. You might be very good at putting yourself in another person's mindset.
Someone tells you they lost their job. They are going through so many different negative emotions. They are concerned about their mortgage payment and other financial issues.
A person that loses a dream job could start wondering what happened. It took them a long time to get the job they always wanted. They might have been a great employee. Then something occurred that was out of their control. Perhaps the company went bankrupt.
This individual could start questioning his role in the company’s failure. A ton of different negative emotions might be experienced. The empathetic person can fully embrace the feelings the other person is going through, even if they have never lost a job.
You should help your friends and family members by dis...