The first disciples left behind so much when they heard Jesus say three simple words. “Come, follow me.”
They left behind jobs, routines, and any sense of familiarity. Why? Because something about Jesus was worth rearranging their lives for.
He still is. Is there anything Jesus is asking you to leave behind? How has your life been rearranged by Jesus? Following Jesus is worth leaving lesser things behind.
Respond to today’s One Thought with the pray below:
A Prayer to Leave Something Behind
Jesus, show me what I need to leave behind so I can walk closely with you.
You’re worth it
Help me leave these things behind
They’re lesser and need to be left behind
They get in the way of following you
I want to say yes to your invitation to follow you.
Amen.
Is there something you long for God to change in you? Your thought life, or how you talk about other people when they’re not around? Maybe a bad habit you’ve had for a long time? God is in the business of changing people but it looks different than how we try to change ourselves.
Through the prophet Ezekiel, God promises something remarkable. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.” Ezekiel 36:26. God doesn’t just improve behavior. He transforms your heart.
God knows that real, lasting change begins on the inside and eventually grows outward over time. God takes His time because He’s forming something deeper in you than a quick fix. Spiritual formation is how God patiently transforms your heart. Do you want to invite God into the work He’s doing inside of you? Pray this with us today:
Trying to control everything is exhausting…but why is it so tempting to control or manage life?
Isaiah 26 says, “God will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in Him.”
Peace doesn’t come from controlling more. It actually comes from giving that control back to God. That’s what trust is. Giving the right to control to God.
So, the next time your mind starts racing, or your heart gets worried — Trust the One who is safe. The One who is reliable. The One who’s faithful. Gently bring your heart back to trusting God. Because on the other side of trusting Him, there’s peace.
You can take this ONE step further and pray this with us…
Looking for a Change, Trusting God
What is missing from your life? More clarity? More security? Answers? Control? Psalm 73 says something might shift everything.
“Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You.” Psalm 73:25.
Life may not be perfect, but if you have God, you have enough. When God becomes all that you want, your life is no longer defined by what’s missing. Here’s your one thought today: God is enough for you.
If you want to re-center your life on God, we have a prayer for you below:
Anxiety, Exhaustion, Trusting God
More often than not, God calls you to things that are bigger than yourself. Bigger than your strength. More responsibility. More faith or love than you think you have to give. Is this kind of obedience even worth it?
2 Corinthians 9:8 reminds us, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
What God asks of you, He will provide. He doesn’t call you to more and then leave you empty-handed. If you sense God leading, don’t wait for him to bless you before you take that step of obedience. Trust His promise to provide for you. In all things, at all times, you will have all that you need.
If you want to pray for what you need today, read and pray through the prayer below:
Are you a fan of “new?” New things can be exciting and unsettling at the same time. Is there anything new in your life? New school, new job, new relationship, new responsibilities, new challenges? Everything new brings a certain… uncertainty. Sometimes the hardest thing about anything new is the fear of facing it alone.
In Exodus 33, God invited Moses to do something new and wildly outside of his comfort zone. Moses is unsure and anxious. He goes back and forth with God a couple times but each time, God assures Moses, “I will be with you.” (v.12)
God may be sending you somewhere new but He’s not giving these instructions from a distance. He goes with you.
So, if you’re stepping into something new today like a conversation or decision, God walks with you. Not standing behind you, pushing you forward or yelling from a distance. God goes with you.
If you want to pray before stepping into something new, we have a guided prayer for you below:
You’re not crazy for being worried about tomorrow or the future. In Exodus 16, after God saved and delivered the people of Israel from Egypt, the Israelites became anxious. They’re free from slavery, but now what? They feel so unsure of the future. Big questions like: Is God going to keep us free? Will He provide? Even down to the question of “what are we going to eat tomorrow?”
We read that God does keep them safe, He does provide, and He does so one day at a time. God gave them enough manna for each day. When they tried to gather more out of fear of running out the next day, it spoiled overnight.
God is teaching His people dependence. He wants us to depend on Him one day at a time instead of living in fear of tomorrow. And Jesus echoes this when He teaches us to pray, “Give us today our daily bread.”
Consider this one thought today: trusting God today might help you not worry about tomorrow. If you want to pray about this, we have a guided prayer for you at…
The people of Israel spent many years feeling lost in the wilderness, and when the time finally came to enter God’s promised land for them, Moses said, The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)
Thankfully, God goes before us. Your future isn’t empty or as uncertain as it may seem. God is there preparing the way. Whatever lies ahead of you this week, God isn’t surprised by it. We hope you’re comforted by today’s one thought: God is already ahead of you.
If you want to trust God with what lies ahead, pray with us through the prayer below:
Feeling Alone, Prayer, Trusting God
Faith isn’t easy. Sometimes the hardest part of this journey is waiting. Waiting for change. Waiting for answers. Waiting for God.
But Scripture reminds us that God isn’t idle. “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” Romans 8:28.
Even when His work is invisible, He is still active. God might be working things together that you can’t yet understand. Here’s today’s one thought: God is working even when you can’t see it. If you want to trust God with what you can’t quite see, pray with us through the prayer below:
God wants to be known by you. He tells us who He is in the Scriptures, and one of the most repeated descriptions of God says, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” — Exodus 34:6 (NIV). When God defines Himself, He begins with compassion and grace.
God’s mercy is not reluctant. His love is not sparse. His patience is not temporary. Thankfully, God’s compassion is rooted in who He is, not in what we do. Take this one thought with you today: God’s mercy comes from His character, not your performance. If you want to thank Him for His compassion, pray with us through the prayer listed below:
Growth rarely feels comfortable. Growing pains are called growing pains for a reason! Either literally or figuratively, growth is stretching and sometimes slow or frustrating. When growth happens in a difficult season, you can wonder, “is anything good actually coming from this?”
James, one of the authors in the Bible, tells us that followers of Jesus can have joy whenever you face trials because these tests can strengthen your faith and actually produce perseverance. God doesn’t waste a single moment in a difficult season. (James 1:2-4)
When we avoid difficult things in life, we might be avoiding something God is leading us towards. He uses these things to form you into who He’s calling you to become. When you go there with Him, be confident He’ll create in you resilience, character and faith. Take this one thought with you: God uses challenges to shape something good in you.
If you’re feeling these growing pains with God, we’ve created a prayer for you below:
One day you can feel strong, hopeful, somewhat in control. Other days, everything seems fragile. Maybe for you it’s not that emotions change day to day… it’s hour by hour, or even minute to minute. Emotions rise and fall, sometimes without warning. Is God this unsteady?
Psalm 112:7-8 says it’s possible to have hearts that are steadfast and secure. It reads, “They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear…”
A steadfast and secure heart comes from trusting the one who is safe, secure, and solid. Yes, our emotions shift, but God doesn’t. He’s reliable and steady, even when you feel anything but.
So rest in this truth today, God remains steady even when you feel unsteady. If you need help grounding your heart today, we have a prayer waiting for you below:
