I didn’t grow up in a family where intentional prayers for one another were a regular practice. Praying was considered deeply personal rather than public. While both personal and public forms of prayer hold value, the art of praying for others remained an uncharted territory for me. The fear of judgment and the pressure of saying the "right" words in an encouraging manner kept me from praying out loud in front of others. However, as I grew more spiritually mature in my relationship with Jesus, he taught me that powerful prayers stem from the heart, not using eloquent lofty words but with sincerity and filled with scripture! When I got engaged to my now husband, I wanted to take praying for him seriously.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines religion as “a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices.” Unfortunately, the unbelieving world thinks along these lines. It likes to equate dedication to God as merely a book of stories one chooses to believe and a set of rules one decides to follow. As Christians, however, we know that the Christian life involves much more than rules and regulations. We serve a living God with whom we have a genuine relationship. But, at times, even we can forget that vital truth. 

Is this you? You're struggling to hear from the Lord, sending up prayers but getting no answers, maybe even walking a little aimlessly through your spiritual life at the moment, feeling distant from God.

My arms feel heavy as I reach over to turn off my alarm. In the past, I would never be up before the sun, but I cultivated a simple devotional time with the Lord in the mornings before the chaos of my day began. Daily I need steady assurance and peace from spending time with our God.

Stop complicating your morning routine! I get it, if you’re like me and you’re constantly on Pinterest searching for the ‘easiest way to’, or ‘10 ways to learn how to,’ or ‘6 simple ways to,’ then I think we just became BFFs!

I have searched high and low on the best morning routine. No matter what you do, how early you get up, how much water you drink or exercises you fit in before sunrise…if it does not start with the Lord then you are underestimating the power that He has to fuel your day.

Every day distractions tend to rule our priority list but… Where does God fit into your life + where does He rank on that list? Does God bring you joy? Have you taken time to declutter your everyday life so that you can truly make room for Him?