5 Bible Promises that will Fill You With Hope and Peace

Romans 8 overflows with Bible Promises—words of hope and peace that assure us of God's love and help us focus on the things that will bless and encourage. #BibleQuotes #Promises #Faith #Blessings

My favorite chapter of the Bible is John 17. It blesses my faith every time I read I read Jesus prayer for His followers to be safe, strong, and united.

Rev’s favorite chapter is Romans 8, and honestly it is a close second for me . . . a chapter full of God’s promises to give us hope and peace.

It begins:

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1

Because you and I trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have been declared—”NOT GUILTY!”

And it’s not just a pronouncement. God acted on it. Romans 8:15 tells us that God has taken us from “death row” and adopted us as His own children.

You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:26 says the Spirit lifts prayers for us even when we can’t put our prayers into words.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

And Romans 8:28 promises that God is always at work in our lives:

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Romans 8:31-32 gives us a resounding statement of the victory you and I have in and through Jesus:

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

Finally, maybe the most wonderful Bible promise of them all is Romans 8:38–39:

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let’s take a minute to thank and praise God for giving us the Bible full of His promises to encourage us.

A Prayer Thanking God for His Bible Promises

Father, thank you for the blessing of Your Word. Thank you for inspiring writers to tell Your truth that people of all generations might know the depth of Your love. Thank you for Your Bible Promises.

Promises that tell me who You are, what You’ve done, and what You continue to do. Promises that give me hope and strength. Promises that wrap me in Your love, care, and compassion. Promises that tell me that Your love is so great that You chose to sacrifice Your only Son to save us from sin, death, and the power of the enemy. Your love is so great that You promise absolutely nothing can separate me from it . . . and Jesus is the evidence of that perfect, forever, lasting love.

You love me. You are for me. You have made me Your child. You have given me victory.

How can I begin to THANK YOU! Words are not enough! So, on this day and every day, I give myself to You because I love You and trust Your will for me. By the power of Your Spirit, help me trust Your plans, follow where You lead, and faithfully obey Your commands. Help me live Your love out loud in ways that bring glory to Your name. Amen.

Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians:

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8

One of the best ways to do that is to memorize Bible Promises to fill our hearts and minds when we’re tempted to think about the things that are less than excellent and worthy of praise. And these verses from Romans 8 are wonderful words to include.

And just for fun . . . I’d love it if you would share a verse that you’ve memorized in the comments.

On today’s note write:

The Bible promises that God’s love is greater than we can imagine.

God bless you today as you rest in His love and hold on to His promises.

Click here to read the rest of Romans 8.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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When You Need to Remember – God Loves You

10 / 26 / 1610 / 24 / 16

Why do you worship God?

Seriously, stop for a minute and think about it . . . why do you worship God?

Do you worship Him because…

You were brought up that way?
The Bible tells says you should?
You like getting together with like-minded people?
It’s good for your children?
You don’t know it just seems like a good idea?

Something to think about, isn’t it?

There is a good answer. One that may even become a good reply to anyone who asks you why you’re a Christian or why you go to church.

I worship because God loves…

Worship is our response to who God is and what He does, and God is love. Everything God does comes from an outpouring of His love.

It’s true, He is righteous and just, holy and beyond our understanding but worship . . . worship is giving God all we are and all we have simply because He loves us.

[Tweet “When you and I worship we are giving God all we are and all we have simply because He loves us.”]

Do you remember the last verse of the hymn – When I Survey the Wondrous Cross?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

That’s worship. Our response to God’s love.

You may not feel very lovable today. Maybe you’re discouraged, lonely, and hurting. Maybe life is just really hard right now and you’re having a hard time feeling the truth of just how very much your Father God loves you.

I want to remind you just how precious you are to the God of the universe. The One who is the beginning and the end. The One who needs nothing from you but still wants a relationship with you. Who wants to meet your every need now and eternally.

When You Need to Remember – God Loves You

1 John 4:8–10

God is love.

God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

God gave His one and only Son to suffer and die for your sins and mine.

Don’t you love the words? “God showed how much He loved us…”

Unimaginable sacrifice so you and I could be forgiven and spared an eternity of the punishment we deserve for our selfish disobedience. And we’ve done nothing to deserve it. Nothing.

But God chose to love anyway . . . because it’s who He is.

That’s love! Real love. God’s love.

Romans 8:37–39

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The enemy of your soul wants you to believe you are too guilty and your sins too great to be forgiven. But it is impossible for you to be separated from God’s love and forgiveness through Jesus. You are secure in His saving grace.

No power. Nothing the enemy can do. Absolutely nothing can make God stop loving you.

Ephesians 1:3–5

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.

God decided in advance to adopt you into His family through Jesus.

Did you read that? It gives Him great pleasure to call you are His child. He chose you . . . you were on His mind before the creation of the world and promises that every spiritual blessing you have in Christ Jesus will last forever.

Ephesians 3:17–19

I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by faith and that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is.Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God.

God’s love for you is total and complete.

I love the explanation of these verses in the Life Application Bible:

God’s love is wide—it covers the breadth of our own experience and reaches out to the whole world. It is long—it continues the length of our lives. It is high—rising to the heights of our celebration and elation. His love is deep—reaching to the depths of discouragement, despair, and even death.

That’s a reason to worship!

Psalm 136:2–3

Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love lasts forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love lasts forever.

God’s love for you is unchanging. It is faithful, true and lasting. His love does not depend on your performance nor will it end if you fail.

The love you and I crave is found in the heart of God . . . Father, Son, and Spirit.

And that my dear friends, is a reason to celebrate. It is why we worship God with surrendered lives.

The next time someone asks you, “Why do you worship God?”

You can answer, “I love God because God is love and He loves and cares for me. I’ve seen His love in Jesus and it has changed me. Worship is my response to God’s love.”

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When You Need to Remember God’s Gifts are Good

8 / 5 / 166 / 26 / 21

Do you like getting gifts?

Of course, you do. Who doesn’t?

It’s normal for children to start making lists of the presents they want for their birthday or Christmas long before they can write. And many of us still have lists of things we want, just in case someone’s interested . . . decades later.

You and I want what we want.

Sure we want stuff, but your list goes beyond that, doesn’t it? It also has goals, hopes, and dreams.

What was on your “gift” list?

I wanted to be a teacher, married, with 3 children, and a dog. I wanted everyone to be healthy and happy. I dreamed of large family gatherings with grown children and a bunch of grandchildren. I wanted to be talented and smart. Cute and fun. Add a few good friends and a nice home and well, you get the idea.

Okay, so maybe I was a little spoiled.

I had my perfect life all planned out and my list made.

And I guess deep down, I kind of expected that, like my parents, if something was really important to me, God would come through and help to make it happen.

Again, maybe a little spoiled.

But I’d read verses like…

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11

God gives good gifts to His children. But I’ll be honest I was afraid there would be nos because I’d looked around I knew life wasn’t all cupcakes and butterflies.

And because there’s this…

In this world, you will have trouble. John 16:33

It’s a conundrum, isn’t it? You and I make our list and ask God to get on board and help us make it happen. Then we look around and realize that lists don’t always get checked off they way we want them to . . . even for those who love God.

So, how are we supposed to understand God’s goodness when life doesn’t meet our expectations and we don’t get the gifts and blessings we want?

That’s where trust and surrender come in.

Did you ever ask for something your parents knew wasn’t safe or good for you? Have your children? Absolutely!

Love means saying “no” sometimes even when you know it will be hard to hear. And you want your children to trust the “no” they don’t want to hear really is coming from love and trust it’s for the best!

But I can be that spoiled child that stomps her feet and throws a tantrum. I haven’t always trusted God’s “no” was a blessing. I’ve felt sorry for myself. I’ve doubted.

You too?

That’s when I need to run back to His Word for a reminder of His love and goodness.

10 Verses to Remember God’s Gifts are Good

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8

Surely your goodness and love will be with me all my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows.God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made. James 1:1

Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

God wants all people to eat and drink and be happy in their work, which are gifts from God. Ecclesiastes 3:13

Jesus has the power of God, by which He has given us everything we need to live and to serve God. We have these things because we know Him. Jesus called us by His glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3

Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others. Be good servants of God’s various gifts of grace. 1 Peter 4:10

We know in everything God works for the good of those who love Him. Romans 8:28

And so we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. 1 John 4:16

Examine and see how good the Lord is. Happy is the person who trusts Him. Psalm 34:8

With God’s help, I’m praying to throw fewer tantrums.

With His help, I will remember how often He has turned bad into good in my life. How He has drawn me close and given me strength when I needed it. How He has delivered me from overwhelming fear, healed my broken heart, and given me peace and contentment.

I will remember God’s goodness and celebrate the perfect gifts He chooses for me whether they are on my list or not.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

I’m so excited to tell you about my new book!

Check out our new Facebook Page/Group – #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory. We’d love for you to join the movement!

And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

If this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

I’m asking God to bless you today!

There is Help When You Don’t Know What to Pray

5 / 5 / 152 / 27 / 16

^{Some church bodies focus the majority of their attention on the power of the Holy Spirit and others barely talk about Him at all. It’s easy to talk about God the Father and Jesus, but it’s harder to understand the gift of the Spirit.}

^{Jesus told His followers:}

^“I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” John 14:25–26

I love the thought of the Holy Spirit being our Advocate:

a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc. often an advocate of peace.
a person who pleads for or on behalf of another; intercessor.

That He continues to teach and remind us of everything Jesus taught His followers.

When life is hard and tears flow . . . it's hard to find the words to pray. Good news. You have an Advocate for times when you don't know what to pray.

I’m especially thankful the Bible also says the Holy Spirit helps us with our prayers:

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. Romans 8:26–28

I’ve had times when there were no words. When circumstances were so overwhelming I didn’t know how or what to pray.

Have you ever been there?

When grief crippled or fear paralyzed? When you wanted to pray, but your heart was so flooded with emotion you couldn’t speak? When “Lord, help me!” were the only words available?

That’s when the Spirit who knows you and me better than we know ourselves turns to the Father on our behalf, pleading for us in agreement with God’s perfect will.

Other translations of Romans 8:27 say:

The Holy Spirit prays for those who belong to Christ the way God wants Him to pray. (NLV)

The Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. (NIV)

He [the Spirit] keeps us present before God. (MSG)

The Spirit speaks for His people in the way that agrees with what God wants. (ERV)

Isn’t it comforting to know you don’t need the perfect words. You can bring everything and anything to God in prayer. The Spirit knows what we need and He knows God’s will.

The Advocate. The Counselor. The Comforter. The Spirit of Truth. The Spirit of Life. The Help when you don’t know what to pray.

How’s your prayer life?

If you’re like me, it’s never what you want it to be. But we have an Ally, who teaches, reminds, counsels, and comforts. Who invites us to come and pray.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:13–18

You and I don’t have to lift up powerful prayers. Because when we pray in the name of Jesus, we pray with help to the One who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present . . . the One who knows and loves always and forever.

The Drawbacks and Benefits of Tunnel Vision

6 / 17 / 134 / 18 / 16

I found this photo ages ago on Cute Overload.
It still gives me the giggles.
I started wondering if there is a message in it.

What are the Drawbacks of Tunnel Vision?

How many times have I’ve ended up stuck in tunnel vision,
unable to see anything around me, sitting on my behind, going nowhere!

* How often do I look through a tunnel of want, need, or going to do and miss the wonder God has planned for me. I can easily miss the magnificent while focused on the mundane!

* How many times have I grabbed the tunnel of judgement to help me focus on someone else’s mess, not addressing the obstacle course of problems tossed around me.

* How often do I peer through the tunnel of envy . . . wanting what other’s are enjoying; failing to notice the piles of blessings God has stacked around me.

Tunnel vision can me cause all kinds of trouble.

What are the Benefits of Tunnel Vision?

If my tunnel vision is focused on Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, there is no limit to what I am able to see. Focused on Jesus, I can see beyond my circumstances, my desires, and the mundane to unlimited possibilities. Focused on Jesus my narrow world of self opens up to a world that includes loving others. Focused on Jesus my world is colored with hope. There are no limits when I’m focused on Jesus. Because:

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Dear friends, let us love each other, because love comes from God. Those who love are God’s children and they know God. 1 John 4:7

Lord, give me tunnel vision. Help me to seek You with all of my heart. You are my source of strength and hope. You give me hope for the future. A future You have prepared for me. Focus my eyes on You, Lord, the author and perfector of my faith. Amen.

12 Important Quotes to Encourage You Not Flatter You

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Do you know the difference between flattery and encouragement?

Flattery is nice, but what we need is real encouragement because . . .

“We are what we believe we are.” ~ C.S. Lewis

Who do you believe you are today?

If you are discouraged and hurting, or if you simply need a the seed of hope watered . . . keep reading for quotes to encourage you:

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 49:11

A relationship with God through Christ Jesus blesses the believer with enough peace and joy for today and hope for tomorrow. ~ CMB

Fear is a self-imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be. You must move against it with the weapons of faith and love. ~ Rick Warren