Devotions

[Pip]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/fu...qus_thread

 Just Breathe
March 4, 2025
by Lauren Mitchell
COMPEL Pro Member

“but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:2 (ESV)

If you Google “meditation,” you will find simple instructions:  
Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat.

It’s not rocket science. It’s basically paying attention to your breath.  Some people use meditation as a way to focus on themselves or spiritual ideas that aren’t biblical, which has given it a negative connotation. But these are God’s instructions for meditation:
“Blessed is the man ... [whose] delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2, ESV).

I can meditate on my thoughts, or I can focus on God’s thoughts. It’s a choice I can consciously make every day by paying attention.  I find that if I just try to clear my head or empty out my thoughts, they can creep back in. My thoughts often lead me to look at my failures and all the ways tomorrow may go awry. I have to work to train my thoughts to think the way God says I should and meditation on His Word is the way to do this.  As 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “all Scripture is breathed out by God” to grow us spiritually (ESV). 

So I can breathe out my thoughts and breathe in God—s thoughts for me and about me.  God’s breath is what created us. If you carefully read the Genesis 1-2 account, you will see that God created all things by the exhaled word of His mouth, and He leaned down and breathed life into humankind. God’s breath also continues to sustain us. Scripture is breathed out by God for us to inhale. It makes us complete and equips us.  But instead of looking at God’s Word as our lifeline, our breath, we tend to listen first to the world. When we aren’t paying attention, we accept lies and breathe them in.  I want to exhale all the unbelief that causes me anxiety and leads me to sin, and I want to take deep, long inhales of God’s Truth that leaves me both peaceful and powerful. I want to breathe out all the poisonous air and make more room for the Holy Spirit with my belief.  So I am practicing purposeful meditation on God’s Word day and night, over and over, breath by breath. It’s especially helpful to open and close the day with God. His Word gets us started in the right direction and then ends our day with both course-correction and assurance of continual grace.

Breathe out: What if?
Breathe in: God will perfect what concerns me (Psalm 138:8, KJV).
Breathe out: I can’t do this.
Breathe in: God will give me the strength to do what pleases Him (Philippians 4:13).

[Pip]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/fu...qus_thread

Three Ways To Switch Up Your Quiet Time
March 6, 2025

by Lysa TerKeurst
President and Chief Visionary Officer of Proverbs 31 Ministries

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 (NIV)

Do you ever find yourself in a rut with reading your Bible? Uninspired, unmotivated and maybe feeling a little guilty?

Even as a Bible teacher, I have days when my quiet time feels more routine than full of revelations. Prayer and Bible reading are spiritual disciplines I want to be woven into my life every single day. But I’m realizing even good things need to be switched up.    Sometimes.  Otherwise, I might start seeing my time with God as less important. It becomes the second or third thing I do after other things seemingly more pressing things. Before I know it, it’s been days since I connected privately and personally with God and His Truth.  And then my soul feels a bit off and sluggish. Like the time in between breakfast and lunch when my stomach has been denied food, and desperation starts creeping over parts of my body. That happens with soul hunger too.  Sometimes, my brain isn’t as quick to pick up on soul hunger. So I just keep moving forward, wondering, What’s wrong?

Maybe I’m tired, I haven’t had enough fun, or the weather has been blah.  While some of those things may be true, they’re not the reasons why my soul is depleted.  I need more time with God. And not just more quiet time. I need more listening time.  Like the writer in Psalm 63:1 needed: “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek You; I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

Recently, as I sat with the Lord, some fresh ideas popped into my mind for how I could change up my personal time with Him and listen more closely to His voice:

1.  Give my first thoughts to God by giving Him my first five minutes every day.
I read Bible verses or my morning devotional before I check anything else on my phone. I ask God to help me apply what I'm reading to my life that day. I worship. I listen


2.  Read something from someone I admire and trust.
I pick up a book written by a believer who I admire, and I glean from their godly wisdom. They get my struggles and offer up advice I know I can trust. I listen.

3.  Remember God’s faithfulness by reading past journals or recalling answered prayers, even if only for 60 seconds.

Rather than trying to predict the future, I can trace God’s faithfulness from my past. He was faithful then. He will be faithful now. I can breathe in His promises for today. Shake off the anxiety. And be filled with deeper assurance of His presence. I listen.  Maybe you think all this still sounds like regular quiet time, but to me, it’s different. It's a listening time. A time to shake things up a bit and get outside my normal routine. A time to hear God speak. And He does speak through His book of wisdom, through His people, and through His own faithful character.  And this morning? My soul felt that thrilling and comforting full feeling. Complete. Satisfied. Deeply nourished.

[Pip]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/fu...qus_thread

He Has Risen!
March 7, 2025
by Christine Caine

“He has risen! He is not here.” Mark 16:6c-d (CSB)

I love this time of year because the weeks leading up to Easter are all about preparing our hearts to celebrate the single greatest event in human history the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ever since the early centuries of Christianity, believers have set aside this time for fasting, prayer and reflection a time that eventually became known as Lent.  Lent culminates in the events of Holy Week, including Holy (Maundy) Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, which is also called Silent Saturday because that’s what it was silent. With nothing happening. Or so it seemed.  On Easter Sunday, we rejoice in Jesus’ triumph over the grave, His victory over death, and all the freedom it procures us. But the day before was Saturday, a day when everything fell silent.  The stone still sealed the tomb, soldiers guarded the entrance, and Jesus lay inside. Scripture assures us His body was indeed there (Mark 15:46), and it also tells us He was “in the heart of the earth three days,” working on finishing what His Father sent Him to do (Matthew 12:40, CSB). 

Working on our future as He was about to be resurrected Sunday morning. But from the outside of the tomb looking in, there was nothing but silence.  In our lives, Silent Saturday is something we experience when we hope, pray, dream, and expect what God has promised, only to find ourselves waiting. Waiting on the answer, the fulfillment, the promise. It’s that in-between place where Good Friday is behind us, and Easter Sunday is ahead of us that place of tension where it seems like everything is dead and lost. Nothing is happening.  But as followers of Christ, we hope. We stand with faith. We endure. We stay expectant. We press on.  Whatever you’re waiting on, let me be the one to tell you: The Easter message does not finish on Saturday. There’s always a Resurrection Sunday!  When three women went to Jesus' tomb on Sunday morning, they carried with them spices to anoint His body (Mark 16:1). As they went, they mused to one another in such a practical way: “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” (Mark 16:3, CSB) 

They’d forgotten to factor in the multi-ton stone and who would move it out of the way.  They didn’t understand the bigger picture: Saturdays are never silent. God is always at work. In us, in others and in our circumstances. In all the prayers we’ve prayed and all the promises He’s given.  When the women arrived at the tomb, an angel sat inside, and Jesus was gone. “‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he told them. ‘You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here ...’” (Mark 16:6, CSB).

Saturdays are never silent. And Resurrection Sundays always come.

[Pip]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/fu...qus_thread

How Can I Know God Is Working in This Situation?
March 13, 2025
by Lysa TerKeurst

“I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” Psalm 91:2 (NIV)

I know God is my Protector. But sometimes my heart struggles to feel protected by God.
Most of us have experienced some kind of sorrow, heartbreak, rejection, abandonment or discouragement where we thought life was going one way, and then it was hijacked. In these moments, it’s tempting to wonder, How am I supposed to trust God in this? Maybe that’s where you are right now.  In John 16:33, Jesus says: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (NIV).

If you’ve endured deep hurt, you understand the “trouble” Jesus references here. But maybe, like me, you struggle sometimes to believe the other words in this verse with your whole heart. Words that say Jesus has overcome the world. And through Him, we can experience peace even in the hardships we face.  That’s why I want to offer three truths you can take hold of right now:

1. When it feels like you can’t do anything, there is something you can do today.
   

You may feel completely powerless and terrified in your circumstances. We often can’t control what happens to us. But that doesn’t leave us completely out of control we can recite the truth found in Psalm 91:2 to our fearful hearts: “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”

Pause right now and say these words. It may not seem like much at first, but by declaring this, you’re doing what can be done today. Reminding yourself of this truth is something you can do even when it feels like nothing else can be done.

1. Just because you don’t see God’s intervention at this present moment doesn’t mean it’s not happening or you won’t see it one day.
   

Sometimes I catch myself thinking I have to see evidence of God working today to believe He’s working at all. But the thing is there are always two realities. There’s the physical reality we see: the heartbreak, the horrific circumstances, the person who's hurting us, the fear and anxiety we’re feeling. And there’s a spiritual reality that is also present, so what we see right now isn’t the entire story. God is always working.

1. Even if you feel uncertain, you don’t have to live in uncertainty about God.
   

It’s important to acknowledge our feelings. But while feelings are great indicators, they should never be dictators of how we process life. We may feel afraid, angry or skeptical, but we don’t have to live afraid, angry or skeptical. Even when our feelings are screaming, the Truth of God’s Word can keep us grounded.

Friend, ask God to fill your mind with these perspectives today. Remember: This chapter is part of your life, but it’s not the sum of your life. Jesus has overcome the world, and He is with you in what you’re walking through right now.

[Pip]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/fu...qus_thread

When You’re Desperate for a Sign
March 19, 2025
by Meghan Mellinger

“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” Exodus 13:21 (NIV)

Sometimes I wish we had a touch of Old Testament drama in today’s world. Hungry and angry?

Look down and find bread from heaven (Exodus 16). Stuck in traffic? Look ahead and find cars parting like the Red Sea (Exodus 14), with one open lane in the middle just for you. (Hold the swarms of bugs and getting swallowed by a whale, please.) But instead of seeing miracles, my heart feels heavy with confusion today. Every area of my life begs the same question: Where am I going?

Jobs. Relationships. Friendships. Projects. Health. In my mind’s wandering, I crave clarity. I’m talking about blinking-neon-light, tell-me-what-to-do, Old-Testament-signs-and-wonders clarity. I’m sure the Israelites also had questions when they fled Egypt for the promised land — especially when they ended up taking the not-so-scenic route for 40 years. In all their wandering, they had to ask: Are we going in the right direction?

But God provided a clear sign: “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night” (Exodus 13:21).

Our relational God never left His people’s side. He revealed Himself to His people 24/7, day and night. But my favorite thing about this passage? The way God guided them with a tower of light was not just a sign for His people in that moment but a sign of the Light who was coming for all people. The Light of the world is Jesus (John 8:12). He is our 24/7, day-and-night constant. Always before us, guiding us, directing us and lighting our path in the darkness. We may crave bold signs like pillars in the sky, but God has given us the greater wonder of relationship with Light Himself. The light of Christ not only guides us but abides in us. We don’t need to demand Old Testament signs because we have our New Testament promise: Jesus. Through our relationship with Jesus, God is still in the business of using signs, miracles and wonders to light the way for His children. He points us in the right direction as the Holy Spirit whispers in our souls, and He also speaks to and through us in community Hiis people are His hands and feet. Maybe it’s insight you receive from God during your quiet time, or maybe it’s an encouraging text from a friend on a hard day. Maybe it’s flipping to the right Bible verse at the right time or soaking in a sunset God created. It may be less dramatic than the pillar of fire in the desert, but it’s just as powerful. That’s a promise.

[Pip]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/fu...qus_thread

I Survived. And So Will You.
March 20, 2025
by Lysa TerKeurst
President and Chief Visionary Officer of Proverbs 31 Ministries

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 1 John 4:16 (NIV)

A couple of years ago, the team at Proverbs 31 Ministries was brainstorming a new T-shirt concept. Once it was designed, printed and delivered, it was time to photograph the T-shirt for the bookstore. And I volunteered.  I’m not usually the one who raises her hand and says, “I’ll volunteer to model that shirt!” 

Nope. Modeling is not my thing. But this shirt featured words that felt so personal to me: “known and loved.”  “Known and loved” had been an anthem drumming in the background during some really hard days when I wondered if I’d survive my circumstances. And I knew a picture of me wearing this truth would be a good way to declare what I desperately wanted to feel.  Because instead of feeling known and loved, I felt forgotten and tossed aside. I needed a reminder to turn to God, open up His Word, and listen to praise songs. When I did those things, I could hear the anthem of God’s voice rising above the chaos: Lysa, you are known and so very loved by Me. Trust Me. Turn to Me. Hold on to Me. God held me when I could barely hang on, and He reminded me what was true when I was tempted to forget.  I survived. And so will you. What’s happened to you hasn’t changed who you are.  I don’t know who in your life has told you that you are anything less than the most glorious creation of the almighty God. I don’t know who has spoken words over you and about you that have stripped you bare and broken your heart. But I do know any statements spoken to you that come against the truth must be called a lie.  God’s Word is the Truth. And His Truth says you are a holy and dearly loved child of your heavenly Father.

You are wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).
You are a treasure (1 Peter 2:9).
You are beautiful (1 Peter 3:4).
You are fully known by Him and lavishly loved by Him (Psalm 139:1-4).
You are chosen (Ephesians 1:11).
You are special (Ephesians 2:10).
You are full of purpose (Romans 8:28).
You are set apart (2 Timothy 2:21).

Even if you don’t always feel like these things are true. Even if you don’t feel known or understood. Our feelings aren’t always an accurate assessment of what’s true. Cling to the words of our key verse today: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them” (1 John 4:16). 

Release the lies you’ve believed that make you feel less than who you are, and set your mind and heart on God's Truth.  Oh, sweet sister, we must remember God’s words. Repeat God’s words. Believe God’s words with our whole hearts.

[Pip]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/fu...qus_thread

When "Delete" Leads to Peace
March 21, 2025
by Lynn Cowell

“On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.” Psalm 63:6-8 (NIV)

It felt like I couldn’t help myself. In my bed in the dark, I kept reading the text repeatedly then laying my phone down, only to pick it up again minutes later. And each time, waves of pain flooded my heart. Did they really say that? 

How could they? 

Though I knew fresh hurt would surface every time, like a tongue rolling over a sore tooth, my eyes kept returning to the message.  Then I finally did it.  I deleted the text.  If I couldn’t stop reading it, I needed to get rid of it. I wanted to believe my interpretation of the text was not true. I wanted to believe this person knew my heart and intentions and therefore knew me. But looking to be understood by the wrong person was heart-wrenching. I needed to turn to the One who knows me fully: my heavenly Father.  In Psalm 63, it appears David wrote from a similar place of deep ache. This psalm was written in the desert of Judah, when those who should have supported David were chasing him to kill him. In desperation, David turned to the Lord:  “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me” (Psalm 63:6-8).

For me, ruminating on the text message was creating anxiety in my heart. Like David, I needed to hang on to the hand holding me. So with intention, I moved into God’s peace, stepping away from the source of my turmoil and toward His help. God’s Word soothed the stinging of someone else’s words and began to remove the pain barricading peace from my heart.  Agonizing about a hurtful situation can block us from experiencing God’s help and peace. But clinging to our Father through His Word helps us remember: He is for us (Isaiah 41:10).  You, too, may find your mind wanting to recount hurts over and over, which stirs up anxiety in your soul. Maybe it’s time for a “delete.” Sometimes this is what we need to gain God’s peace and awareness of His presence.  You may need to remove yourself from a room so you can talk to your heavenly Father about hurtful words spoken to you and instead meditate on His Word. Or perhaps the Father will lead you to “delete” unnecessary anxiety by putting some healthy boundaries in place in a relationship or looking for a different job.  Whatever your “delete” may be, hold tightly to the One holding you along the way.

[Pip]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/fu...qus_thread

Coexisting With Uncertainty
March 28, 2025
by Taylor Joy Murray

“Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’ And then the angel left her.” Luke 1:38 (NLT)

It was 3 a.m., and no matter what I did, I couldn’t fall asleep. I felt on edge and pulled the sheets tighter, the chill of my loneliness wrapping itself around me. I wanted to crawl outside of my mind. Although exhausted, I felt restless at the same time. Uncertainty has a way of disorienting us on the soul level. On this particular night, my mind had traveled to some unknowns that felt confusing, unsettling and complicated. What?

Why?

Where are You, God?

Can You explain what You’re doing?

In the still darkness, I was reminded of my smallness and how little I controlled. Do you feel the weight of uncertainty today?

When I turn to Scripture, I wonder if anyone felt this weight more than Mary. In Luke 2, we are brought into her story when she was probably barely a teenager, chosen to steward the enormous calling of birthing the Messiah. As I’ve studied this passage recently, it’s struck me that unlike us, Mary didn’t know the ending to this story. Can you imagine the questions she must have had?

She was a virgin, so how would she be pregnant?

What kind of shame might this bring?

Who was this child?

And what would it cost her to say “yes” to this calling?

These are the kinds of life-altering uncertainties that feel like fingers around our lungs, squeezing out the oxygen. But her response to God’s call has stayed with me: “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true” (Luke 1:38).

She didn’t know exactly what her “yes” would mean. She said “yes” to not knowing. She said “yes” to coexisting with her uncertainty, gently holding her unknowns inside. What might it look like for us, like Mary, to coexist with our uncertainty?

I’ll be the first to raise my hand and say I’d much prefer things fixed, figured out and certain. I don’t like the anxiety and disorder that questions produce. I find myself recoiling from unknowns. There’s a deep sense of security in knowing what, how or why. But we are each invited to join the story of God by fully indwelling the story He has given us, being present to every moment: joy, grief and longing. Rather than grasping for reasons or straining to see a future outcome, I’ve sensed God’s tender invitation into a deeper awareness of today. Right here in the middle of the unknown, midstory, in the messy unfolding of circumstances I don’t understand. When we don’t know the answers to our questions, we can hold our unknowing inside. As I’ve lingered with my questions, honestly naming them in the presence of God’s love and compassion, I’ve found myself more deeply rooted not in certainty but in the deep and unchanging goodness of God’s heart.

[Pip]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/fu...qus_thread

Call on Him
March 31, 2025
by Sarah Freymuth

“I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” Psalm 116:1-2 (ESV)

It was the wake-up call I never wanted: my husband calling out anxiously across the room, doubled over in pain. Face strained, sweat saturating his body. And it was the middle of the night, on an island, on the first full night of our honeymoon.  After we called emergency services, first responders found their way to our remote log cabin, an emergency ferry was prepared, and we braved the choppy spring waters to take an ambulance an hour south to the nearest hospital for my husband to undergo an appendectomy.  I crumpled into a green plastic chair in the waiting room, completely exhausted, body tight. The weight of it all pressed in, heavy and unfathomable.  Wake-up calls come in many shapes and surprises, but the core is the same: an emergency that spills into our hearts as we attempt to keep our composure, knowing we are tilting toward overwhelm any minute. We crumble. We splinter. We are swallowed in a darkness that hammers at us.  It’s difficult to understand. Almost impossible to bear. We cannot, do not, want to face it alone. It is in this time of suffering that words disappear, and our only communication comes through a river of tears and a silence that speaks more profoundly than any other form of speech.  But we know the One who holds us in the middle of the hardship. When we are inconsolable, His Spirit comforts us (John 14:26-27). When we ache, He soothes.  As one psalmist wrote, “I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live” (Psalm 116:1-2).

There is a consistency that comes with knowing God is present with us and will not step away from the situation. When questions keep piling up, we can be sure that He hears and that in His timing, He will let us know what we need to know. Most importantly, we learn more about who He is in the meantime.  It’s hard, but we must know that He is here and that our every breath utters just two words from the depths of our soul:  Jesus. Healing.  We may be shattered, but we will rise, however long it may take. Take heart that God has heard your cries. His ear is turned toward you. He is aware of how you hurt, and He is there, holding out His arms to lift you and hold you in His secure embrace.

[Pip]

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/fu...qus_thread

Sometimes I Just Don’t Answer
April 3, 2025
by Sharon Jaynes

“Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’” 1 Samuel 3:10b (NIV)

I was helping a friend take care of her two little girls one night. As I combed tangles out of the freshly shampooed hair of one of my favorite 6-year-olds, we chatted about our favorite song in Frozen, whether dogs go to heaven, and whether pink or purple is the prettiest color. Then her mother called to her from another room.  She didn’t answer. “Your mom’s calling you,” I nudged.

“That’s OK,” she shrugged. “Sometimes I just don’t answer.”

I stopped midcomb. It seemed we had some knots of a different nature to address. After we discussed listening to and obeying parents, she skipped off and left me to untangle a few thoughts in my own heart.  When it comes to listening to my heavenly Father, do I sometimes ignore His gentle nudges? 

Do I act like I didn’t hear Him and skip off to go about my business?

Sometimes I just don’t answer.  When the prophet Samuel was a young boy, he learned about answering when God called his name. Samuel was serving in the temple with Eli the priest, who had gone to sleep when the Lord called out to Samuel twice.  Both times, Samuel thought Eli was calling and woke him up to ask why, but the third time it happened, Eli realized it was God speaking to the boy.  “So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” 

So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening’” (1 Samuel 3:9-10, NIV).

I haven’t heard God speak to me audibly, but He does speak to me through Scripture, prayer, creation, circumstances and godly people. The Bible says, “For God does speak—now one way, now another though no one perceives it” (Job 33:14, NIV).

The question is not: Does God speak? 

The question is: Do I listen? 

Do I answer when He calls?

The Hebrew word often used to describe the public reading of Scripture is miqra, which can be translated as “something calling out.” God calls out to us from the pages of His Word. Not only that, but He calls out to us by name! Isaiah 43:1 says, “I have called you by name, you are mine” (ESV).

God has always called His people. God called Samuel. And yes, God calls you! So today, when you and I feel the gentle nudge of His Spirit or sense His whisper in our hearts, let’s say, Speak, for your servant is listening. I hear You. I will do what You say.