Engagement (31-Day Devotionals for Life): Preparing for Marriage

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In addition to needing God’s presence in our lives, we also need each other. Talk with your family or friends about the way you are feeling, so that you can share one another’s burdens, and not feel so alone in your suffering. John is the Pastor-Teacher of Faith Bible Church in Sharpsburg, Georgia, just south of Atlanta (www.faithbiblechurch.us). He and his wife Lynn have been at the church in Georgia since 1995. The Lord has blessed them with four children. Inviting and compelling. It is as if Michael is a good friend who knows you and knows exactly what you need. He will bring you into the meaningful words of God that give you direction, and he will set your pace so that you persevere with hope.” Write down everything that seems impossible about your situation. Next to each item write, “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Spend a few minutes in prayer about the items on your list, and be sure to thank God that none of those things are too big or too hard for Him to handle.

Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that our prayers are very important to Him. He loves for us to talk with Him, just as we would our closest friend, and promises to be there for us whenever we call. He says, “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). If you and your family have ever been affected by a natural disaster like this, you may feel as if you’ve been abandoned by God. However, if trouble has hit your life in some other disaster or form of tragedy—the death of a loved one, a dreaded medical diagnosis, the loss of home and property, or the loss of your job, you are experiencing your own superstorm. You may feel as if your whole world has been turned upside down and wonder how you can possibly survive the loss. In times like these, you can feel very much alone. Kevin Carson, Biblical Counseling Professor and Department Chair, Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary Commit Luke 1:37 to memory, and every time your situation seems too difficult or impossible, speak it to yourself, as a reminder that God can handle whatever is troubling you. As opportunities arise, you can encourage others using this verse as well. These books are designed to give readers 31 days of 1-2 devotions, applying the Word of God to the struggle.If you or someone you love struggles with shame, you will be helped and equipped by the tender truths of Scripture that Esther has compiled. This book has ministered to my soul.” This devotional points to solid biblical wisdom that will ground readers who feel tossed about by waves of financial woe.” Liz Edrington invites students to understand their anxiety—but even more to understand the faithfulness and goodness of their Father in heaven. Through this devotional, students really will discover themselves in God’s story and will thus be grounded in the peace of God.” Some years ago, I asked an older pastor what he did when a member approached him for counseling. He responded that once he determined the nature of the problem, he asked the person whether they had sought the Lord about it, and if they had, what that seeking involved. He asked them what Scriptures they had considered and what prayers they had prayed. If they hadn’t sought the Lord, he would compile a list of Scriptures for them to read and pray over and agreed to meet with them once they had completed the assignment. If this 7-day sample devotional has been an encouragement to you, you can get the full, 31-day version here.

Psalm 139:7-10 says, “I can never be lost to Your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, You are there. If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guide me, Your strength will support me” (TLB). What assurance can you find in these verses of Scripture when you are feeling as if God has forgotten you? Tim Chester, Pastor, Grace Church, Boroughbridge, UK; author, Closing the Window: Steps to Living Porn Free Grief can become suffocating. You long for a friend to help you connect God’s Word with your overwhelming feelings of loss. Bob Kellemen is that friend, skillfully helping readers to rise above their anguish in his remarkable new book. . . . As one who understands loss, I highly recommend it!” Shame is filled with inviting passages, practical reflections, and precious stories of Esther’s struggle with shame. If you wrestle with shame, you will feel known and cared for by Esther.” In the 31-Day Devotionals for Teenagers series, adults who care about young people look at what the Bible has to say about the everyday issues you face. Through personal stories and relevant examples, they show that Jesus brings hope for every challenge.

Day 7: Tapping into the Power of Prayer

As he writes with the warmth of a pastor’s heart, Dunham’s keen expertise in the area of addictions shines through. Carefully balancing a myriad of factors that make up addiction, David plays the part of a wise friend and helper for those who need it most.” I can’t think of a more timely and needed resource for teenagers today than this! . . . This devotional is firmly rooted in God’s Word; it is gracious and truthful and very practical. I plan to recommend it to youth leaders and parents alike! ” I love this devotional! In our day of incredibly high levels of anxiety and stress, this book is timely, wise, Christ-honoring, and powerfully life-giving. . . . We all need this, not just teenagers.” Plainspoken, searching, practical, humble, and hopeful—this could be just what you’ve been looking for in your struggle for something better than fantasy.” T. Dale Johnson, Executive Director, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors; Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Plainspoken, searching, practical, humble, and hopeful—this could be just what you’ve been looking for in your struggle for something better than fantasy. Donald S. Whitney, Professor of Biblical Spirituality and Associate Dean of the School of Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Author, How Can I Be Sure I’m a Christian? Regardless of the church, every pastor needs “go-to” resources they can give to those seeking counsel. Enter 31-Day Devotionals for Life. This devotional gets right to the point. It [opens] Scripture passages that you might already know . . . so that you see more and are drawn right in.” Take from a man his wealth, and you hinder him; take from him his purpose, and you slow him down. But take from man his hope, and you stop him. He can go on without wealth, and even without purpose, for a while. But he will not go on without hope. —C. Neil Strait (1)Biblical counselor Esther Smith shows how the gospel enables people with illness to release guilt and shame, balance work and rest, and get through difficult days, drawing closer to God. Discuss as a family (or with a friend) how God has worked things out for your good in past times of difficulty.

There is no shortage of counseling resources available to pastors in Western contexts. There are book-length treatments and mini-booklets on an assortment of subjects, as well as training videos, curriculum, and counseling manuals. However, many of these resources are more informative than formative. That is, they exist more to educate and equip the mind than to shape and serve the soul. Don’t get me wrong—both are necessary. We need good counseling resources that help us think biblically about counseling. But we need more good counseling resources that actually help the person engage devotionally with the Lord, bringing their hearts to the Chief Shepherd through the Word and prayer. No matter how bad things may seem, God is in control. Nothing happens without His knowledge. Matthew 10:29-31 says, “Not one sparrow (What do they cost? Two for a penny?) can fall without your Father knowing it. … So don’t worry! You are more valuable to Him than many sparrows.” If God’s eye is on the sparrow, He’s most certainly watching you. In the midst of sadness and uncertainty, His hand is there to guide you; His strength is there to support you. You are never out of His reach.As you think about your own circumstances, you may feel completely discouraged. The reality of what you are facing can seem so overwhelming that you might feel like giving up. But don’t give up. The circumstances may be too difficult in human terms, but in Christ there is always hope. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope'” (Jeremiah 29:11, TLB). Isn’t it good to know that you have a direct line to God? That He is available to talk to you anytime, day or night? In fact, you can talk to Him right now. Tell Him how you’re feeling; that you’re hurting. Tell Him about your disappointment. Talk to Him about your anger and your pain. Tell Him how you love Him and need Him so. He hears your weeping, your requests, your praise, and thanksgiving. Prayer moves God. And when He moves in your life, you will feel His presence, experience His peace, and draw from His strength in ways you never thought possible! (2) Megan Hill comes to the rescue with a practical daily devotional full of how-to’s and why-to’s [and], more importantly . . . the ‘who’ of a daily relationship with Jesus Christ.” Daily readings articulate perfectly what many pilgrims have been thinking but have been afraid to say aloud. This beautiful, unveiling devotional vividly shows the power of confronting wounds as it exhorts us toward the healing that awaits us in Christ.”