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By Paula Williamson guest writer I have been asked what difference prayer makes. All we need to do is read the Bible to see what difference prayer makes. It is filled with miraculous stories about what happens when people pray. Our personal experience does not change scripture. It Is Written JAMES 5:13-18 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, [o]they will be forgiven him.16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit. The Impossible Becomes Possible In scripture, countless miracles have occurred in answer to prayer. In James 5, the sick are healed, sins are forgiven, rain is withheld and released, and much is accomplished. If none of those things happen, God asks us to pray. That alone should be enough reason! Prayer Lord, help me hunger and thirst for Your Word so my life is equipped to know Your truths. Help me turn every worry and fear into a prayer. Help me turn every judgment or concern about others into a prayer. Help me trust You above all else and bring every concern to You in prayer. Takeaway Prayer matters.

By Paula Williamson guest writer Wouldn’t it be great if we could look in the mirror and see who is doing the talking in our minds? If our mouths were moving, we would know it was us. If an angel were speaking, we would know it was God. If a demon were speaking, we would know it was Satan. It’s not that easy! It becomes easier when we are familiar with the Word of God. If we look through that lens, we can recognize when it’s not God, and that’s the best lens to use. When we look at ourselves and all our earthly knowledge compared to God, the Creator of the Universe, we all come up short. It Is Written 1 JOHN 3:8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. ROMANS 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? The Good News! We can see the invisible through the lens of the Bible and through Jesus. Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God." We do not have to agree with every thought that comes to our minds, whether it is from ourselves or from demonic sources. In fact, 2 Corinthians 3:5 says, "we are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." Prayer Lord, when our minds are swirling with thoughts, decisions, and negative thoughts, help us be still and focus on You and Your Word. Help us to Google scriptures that address what concerns us. Help us reject thoughts that do not align with Your Word. Help us come out of agreement with anything untrue and seek You first. Takeaway There is a battle for our minds, but God is for us, and through Jesus we overcome!

By Paula Williamson guest writer The biggest mistake we can make is failing to admit that we are all part of the problem and can all be part of the solution. When we speak out loud, just 9 words, healing and solutions begin: I accept responsibility for my part of the problem. That wasn’t so hard, was it? It Is Written 1 JOHN 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Own Your Part Admitting when we are wrong is the first step toward healing and solutions. Contrary to certain beliefs, no one is perfect. We are not the head! Scripture states that Jesus is the head and that the body has many members. We are all just parts of the body. Whether we are a company, a school, a church, or a team, we must realize that we are just one part of the body, and all parts deserve the same rights. Prayer Lord, our first mistake is wanting to be the head and run the show, thinking we have all the answers. Forgive us. We recognize, admit, and bow to You, the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords. You are the head, and we are not. We repent and humble ourselves before You. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, You say: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Lord, we have messed up! We admit it! Help us change our thinking and our ways of life. We need You to hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land! Takeaway Repentance leads to healing.

By Paula Williamson guest writer We all walk by faith. Faith is believing in the unseen. We believe in many things we cannot see every day! We take for granted that our roofs will not fall in, that we will reach our destination without a wreck, that the people we love will return home each day, that the Uber driver will arrive, that the chairs we sit on will hold us up, that we will live to see another day, and more. We all exercise faith and believe the unseen. To say you have no faith is a lie. We each decide what or whom to place our faith in. It Is Written JOHN 20: 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you now believed? Blessed are they who did not see and yet believed.” Truth The truth is, we put our faith in many things that are less trustworthy than God. We have faith that the pizza man will bring our pizza before we see him. God is more trustworthy than the pizza man. We sometimes put our faith in a conspiracy theory and listen to the latest supporting evidence, but the Bible has been around for over three thousand years, and no one, though they have tried, has proven it wrong. Maybe it’s time to place our faith in something proven. Prayer Lord, I have placed my faith in so many people and things that have disappointed me. I am sorry. You are the one who created the Universe and all that is in it. You set the boundaries of the oceans, the tides, the seasons, the sunrises, sunsets, and all continue to exist and support scripture like clockwork since the beginning of time. I place my faith in You today. Takeaway Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Hebrews 11:1

Paula Williamson guest writer Do you ever have those days when you think you’ve reached the point of no return–days that feel beyond repair? You know, those days when everything in the world seems too messy, too much like we’ve gone too far? Those are the days I run to the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the One who is closer than a breath. It Is Written PSALM 139: Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. 9 If I take up the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will take hold of me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,” 12 Even darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. The Great I AM Psalm 139 is my favorite passage in the entire Bible. It grounds me. It takes me back to a place where I can hear the heartbeat of the Great, I Am–the One I cannot run from. There is no place I can go that is too far from God. I read that Psalm, close my eyes, find my coziest place, my blanket and pretend I am curling up in the lap of my Abba Father. There, everything is quiet, still, calm, and safe. When I call upon Him, He will hear. He is near. He forgives, heals, restores, and redeems. Prayer Lord, I am so glad I can never run so far away that You will not find me. You notice when a sparrow falls to the ground and count the hairs on my head. You are intimately acquainted with me in all my ways. Nothing is too hard for You. Help me simply sit and rest in the beauty of Your presence. Takeaway He restores and heals.

By Paula Williamson guest writer There’s Always Hope! There are times in life when things happen that we do not understand, days when God feels far away and days when it feels like hope is beyond our grasp. It is on days like those that I find hope in God’s word. It Is Written JEREMIAH 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 1 CORINTHIANS 2:9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him— Hope When we gaze at the world, at circumstances, and sometimes even at our own lives, we can lose hope, but when we gaze into God’s word, we will always find hope. When the disciple Peter wanted to walk on the water toward Jesus, he succeeded until his gaze shifted to the crashing waves. They caused him to begin sinking, but as soon as he shifted his gaze back to Jesus, the impossible became possible. Prayer Lord, help me keep my eyes on You. You are the God in whom all things are possible. Takeaway There is always hope!

By Paula Williamson guest writer You Are a Blessing I remember times in my life when I definitely felt like a screwup and times when I certainly did screw up, but for a believer in Christ, we can believe what God, and His words say about us. In Him we move and breathe! Children are a blessing from the Lord. Psalm 127:3 We are chosen and dearly loved. Colossians 3:12 We are a child of God. Romans 8:6 I am forgiven. Psalm 103:12 I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need to hear God call me names. The names He calls me by are always better than the names I call myself! It Is Written 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Christ in Us! The truth is, I don’t have to have it all together, know all the answers, or be the savior of the world. He already is! His strength is available to us and is magnified most in our weakness. He favors the humble. Humbling ourselves and asking for His grace to fill us teaches us that our sufficiency is in Him, not in ourselves. Prayer Lord, thank You that I do not have to be all things to all people. I thank You that there is only one Savior, and I am not Him. I thank You that You are always enough. I humbly yield myself to You. Takeaway He is more than enough!

By Paula Williamson guest writer Some people view God as a puppet master pulling all the strings, believing that what we do or don’t do doesn’t matter because everything is in His control. That’s not true. God does have a good plan for our lives. He promises blessings for obedience when we follow His paths, but He also created us with the freedom of choice. He never wanted puppets. He created us for a relationship. He will never force us to choose His way or His plan. He offers His love and plans, but the ultimate choice is ours to accept them or not.   It Is Written   DEUTERONOMY 30:19  I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,    Free Will God created us for a loving reciprocal relationship. When we surrender our lives to Him, we do so willingly. His word was written for our benefit, showing us the way that leads to abundant life and blessing. It’s up to us whether we want to walk in those good plans.   Prayer Lord, would You remove any false views we have of You? Sometimes our view of You comes from our experiences, or lack thereof, with those in authority during our early years. For those of us who had less-than-perfect parents and formed a distorted view of You, we ask that You reveal who You really are and what You are really like.    Takeaway We have a choice!

By Paula Williamson guest writer I have heard people say, “Just when things seem to be going well, God pulls the rug out from under me.” Some don’t understand why He allows bad things to happen. Others blame Him for the adverse circumstances in their lives. Some view Him as a hard-nosed judge watching for their mistakes. Yet others view Him as good.   In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner who gave three servants different amounts of money before leaving on a journey. Upon returning, He asks each of them how they used the gift entrusted to them. Each man’s view of the landowner shaped how he used his gift. The last man’s view of the master was negative.   It Is Written   MATTHEW 25:24-25  He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’   The Lens of Jesus   Scripture says that Jesus, the exact representation of God, lived a selfless life, even to the point of dying in our place. His life exemplified unconditional love, grace, mercy, and compassion. Our view of God does not change who He is. Scripture says, “He is Love.” To learn more about Him, study the life of Jesus in the book of John, written by His closest friend.   Takeaway God is love.

By Paula Williamson guest writer People have many ideas about faith and God that are not true. Take, for instance, “Faith is for the weak.” That could not be further from the truth. Most of our false beliefs form in the first five years of life, based on life experiences or beliefs passed down by others, often by people who have never read the Bible. The Bible is filled with stories of heroes of faith. Faith is definitely not for the weak! The Bible records people who dared to live by God’s word and were willing to lose their lives for it.    It Is Written: HEBREWS 11: who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and others experienced mocking and flogging, and further, chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented 38 ( people of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, on mountains, and sheltering in caves and holes in the ground.   Faith is Courageous   Our history is filled with people who have stood up for their faith in God, even to the point of death, just as the Lord Jesus Christ gave up His life for us. Faith and God’s Word do not promise we will be exempt from problems, suffering, things not turning out as we hoped, or even death. What they do promise is that He will be with us, strengthening us as we go through them. I don’t know about You, but I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have by my side than God.   Prayer Lord, I thank You that for those who believe, You will never leave us or forsake us. You give us the strength to overcome. Your word is filled with promises that encourage us to be strong and courageous. It is also filled with affirmations that You created us for a purpose and that we are never alone when we surrender our lives to You. I thank You that You promised never to let us go.   Takeaway Faith is not for the weak!

By Paula Williamson guest writer When I was younger, I used to think that everyone and everything around me controlled my emotions. WRONG! We are the ones in charge of our emotions. Emotions are a huge part of who we are, but we do not have to let them control us. None can make us mad or feel inferior without our permission.   It Is Written   GALATIANS 5:16 -24 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law . 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, 20 idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self -control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.   Walk in the Spirit   Scripture says we have a choice in how we live and walk. Without God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we are certainly limited in our behavior. For those who are led by the Spirit, the Spirit's presence is evident in the fruit we bear. Those led by the Spirit have the power to overcome. Scripture says those who have surrendered to Christ have a different mindset.   ROMANS 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors  through him who loved us.   Prayer   Lord, life is hard! It’s hard for those who trust and believe in You. The daily battle is real. We need Your strength and power to overcome each day’s challenges. We ask for that! Help us realize we were made for more than just surviving; we were created to overcome through Christ Jesus.   Takeaway We are more than conquerors

By Paula Williamson guest writer I wonder if we learn poor boundaries in preschool, where we are taught to just be friends with everyone. Would we tell a friend to befriend someone who treats them poorly? I think not! Why would we teach children to do so? If you want to give your kids a good foundation or to live a healthy life, good boundaries are important. The truth is, we can walk away from anyone who is treating us poorly. We do not have to respond in the same way, and we can pray for them, but we do not have to be their best friend. Scripture supports healthy boundaries.   It Is Written   PROVERBS 22:24 -25 " Do not make friends with an angry man, or go with a hot-tempered man, or you will learn his ways and find a snare for yourself ".   Self-Control Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Inability to control one’s temper is a red flag behavior. It does not end well for that person or those around them. There are plenty of online resources that teach impulse control. I think that if we all began walking away from those with toxic and abusive behaviors, they might have to change. There is only one Savior, and we are not Him. We can pray for those who hurt us, but we do not have to allow them to hurt us. There are many free resources, an article titled “Anger” by Dr. Norman Coad, and books for all ages titled “What to Do with BIG Emotions” at www.coadwordbooks.com     Prayer Lord, I thank You for the healthy boundaries You have set in Your world, which teach us wisdom for life. I ask You to remove anything we have grown up believing that is not true. I ask that You help us teach our children healthy boundaries that do not set them up for pain and heartache later in life. Give us a hunger and thirst for Your world.   Takeaway Angry people are not good friends.