When Blessings Aren’t Convenient

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…

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:

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:

There are times when life can seem incomplete. Like a chapter abruptly ending without resolution or a movie with a terrible cliff hanger. When life hits like that, you’re left wondering, “is this it?” “is this how the rest of my life is going to be?” 

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “God has made everything beautiful in its time” and …”no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Beautiful in its time. Meaning not everything is going to be beautiful right now. But beautiful in its time. What might be complicated or unfinished will become complete and beautiful in God’s timing. 

God sees the whole story, not just the page you’re on. Instead of getting stuck on your current page, or current circumstances, take this one truth with you: God is not finished with you. He’s still writing your story. 

If you want help trusting God with your story, we have a prayer for you:

Sometimes questions feel off limits. Like “good Christians” shouldn’t have these kinds of questions or doubts. But here’s the truth: you’re not crazy for having questions.

You see this all over Scripture– people asking why, how long, where are you God, what are you doing, do you hear me? God never dismisses these questions. He leans in. 

Psalm 62:8 says, “Pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” That means all of your “can I ask that?” questions, confusion, frustrations are welcome. Real faith has room for honest questions because these questions don’t weaken your faith…they deepen it. Your questions may not always be met with an answer, but Jesus will meet you there every time.

If you’re wrestling with something, will you pray this with us?

There are moments when life feels painfully…ordinary. Routine days, unnoticed work. In the monotony of it all, you might wonder if any of the things you’re doing really matters or if God sees you. 

In Exodus 3, Moses is tending sheep in the wilderness when He sees a bush on fire. Now, tending sheep is not impressive and Moses wasn’t leading or performing here. Just another unimpressive day. But Moses sees this miraculous burning bush and goes over to look at it. 

“When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

Before Moses ever speaks to God, God sees Moses. The same is true for you. God notices you in the ordinary places. The quiet, the boring, the hidden, and the in-between. Here’s one reminder you might need today: God sees you before you see Him. If you want to pray through that, we have a guided prayer for you below:

Feeling inadequate can be paralyzing. Maybe you’ve said one of these things lately…

I’m not talented enough. Not spiritual enough. Not confident enough. Just…not enough. 

But over and over in the Bible, God chooses people that we would never pick to be influencers for Him: shepherds, fishermen, the overlooked, insecure, and unqualified. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 says that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. Meaning this: your weakness is the very place that God shows off His strength. Your weakness doesn’t disqualify you – it actually qualifies you to be used by God in a significant way. 

Take this one thought with you today: God uses your ordinary to show off His extraordinary. If inadequacy has been keeping you stuck, we have a prayer for you below:

The Bible has the potential to be the most impactful book you have ever read… but also the most confusing. Let’s start here: the Bible is a collection of prayers, poems, stories, history, and letters written by people trying to make sense of life with God. And, somehow supernaturally, it is also how God speaks clearest to you today.

The Bible isn’t meant to be boring or skimmed like an irrelevant textbook. 2 Timothy 3:16 says the Bible is God’s very word to us, and it’s “useful for teaching, correcting, and training.” That’s personal. God doesn’t just want you to have more information about Him; He’s more interested in transformation. 

Maybe this one truth will help the Bible make more sense: the Bible is God’s voice to be heard, not just a book to be learned. If you want help listening for God’s voice in Scripture, pray with us 👇

When you think about God, what comes to your mind first? Not what you would say to a pastor, priest, or spiritual mentor. What really comes to mind first? You might say, rules, commands, expectations, or moral standards. But Scripture tells a different story. 

In Genesis 12, before Abraham obeys anything, God makes a promise. His promise to Abraham was “I will bless you.” What a picture of grace. God doesn’t start His relationship with you with what you must do. It begins with what He will do! Obedience should follow, yes, but it flows from this relationship with God, not the other way around.

If faith feels intimidating or confusing, this matters: Christianity isn’t about earning anything from God. It’s about responding to a God who moves towards you first.  So be comforted by this one truth today: God’s relationship with you is built on promise, not your performance. If you’d like to pray through this, keep reading.

Waiting has to be one of the hardest things in life. Waiting for answers. Waiting for a bad date to end. Waiting for change. Waiting, big or small, is not fun. 

Lamentations 3:25-26 says, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” God doesn’t waste waiting. He uses it to grow you, strengthen you, prepare you. To make your faith deeper. 

Waiting doesn’t have to be passive, either. Waiting can look like trusting God even when you can’t see very much progress. 

Here’s your one thought today: waiting isn’t wasted when God is in it. 

If you’re growing tired of waiting, we’ve created a guided prayer for you:

Did you know people felt like God was silent in the Bible? So you’re not the only one if you’ve ever

-Prayed and nothing changes

-Hope but don’t see movement

If you’ve wondered, “God, are You even doing anything right now?” 

Jesus answers that question. He said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” If we’re going to take Jesus at His word, “always” means always. 

Even when He feels silent. Even when you feel stuck. When you can’t see Him. 

Maybe God is wanting us to reconsider something today. His silence isn’t a sign that He’s gone- maybe it’s just a sign that He’s working in ways you can’t see yet. Take this with you the rest of your day: God’s silence is not His absence. 

If you want help trusting Him in the quiet, there’s a prayer waiting for you below: