The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

In this episode, we explore the urgency of fulfilling God’s mission for your life, reflecting on Job 14:5 and the call to live each day to its fullest. Lynette Kittle emphasizes how our time is limited, urging us to share the Gospel with those around us. Drawing inspiration from Jesus' example and the film The Blues Brothers, we discuss what it means to be on a divine mission. Discover how to recognize and embrace your calling as a fragrant aroma of Christ in the world. Join the Conversation: We want to hear from you! Have you considered that God has a mission for your life? How can you be a light to those around you? Share your thoughts and experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioNetwork or via email. Let’s encourage one another to live purposefully! 🎙 🎶 SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW - YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Full Transcript Below: Fulfilling God’s Mission for Your Life By Lynette Kittle “A person’s days are determined; You have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed”-- Job 14:5 How many messages do we receive each day through the media, texts, online, and in emails telling us that “Time is running out” on the latest offer or opportunity? There’s an urgency attached to it, along with the fear of it being too late to receive. Immediately upon taking office, the United States’ 47th President, Donald Trump, hit the floor running in his presidency, signing executive orders and working to right wrongs as he saw it, at a very fast pace. After surviving an assassination attempt, he doesn’t seem to be wasting any time, seemingly understanding like never before that every day and every minute count. It seems like he is on a mission, trying to right as many wrongs as he can and accomplish it as quickly as possible before time runs out. As well, with our country recently witnessing the sudden, horrific aircraft crashes, we see the reality of how quickly lives can be lost bringing the reality that today is the time for each of us, and God calls us to live each day, each moment, to the fullest, whether it’s caring for our families, serving in a ministry, or being a light in our workplace or community. Like the President’s rush to action, along with the tragic air crashes, it’s a reminder to Christians to reevaluate how we look at the immediacy of presenting the Gospel to those around us. None of us know how much time anyone has left on earth and how long we’ll have the opportunity to share the love of God before leaving this earth. Because we don’t know, 2 Timothy 4:2 urges, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” Daily Fulfilling His Calling Jesus demonstrated what it means to live each day to the fullest knowing His death on the cross was imminent. He knew His days would end in walking the earth and that He needed to accomplish all that God had called Him to do within the time He had given. In John 17:4, Jesus said, “I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do.” Unlike Jesus, there is often a lack of urgency on Christians’ behalf, thinking there is plenty of time to tell others up the road when they have more time, but do they consider, do we consider, how all our missions on earth have time limits? Jesus knew His did and we are wise to consider ours do, too. No Time to Waste In the classic musical action film, “The Blues Brothers,” the lead characters, brothers Elwood and Jake, believed they were on a mission for God. Because they believed God had called them to save the orphanage they grew up in, and time was short, nothing could deter them from accomplishing their goal. What would happen if each of us, as a believer in Jesus Christ, believed as sincerely as they did, that we, too, are each on a mission for God? Although we don’t want to follow their example in breaking the law to accomplish it, their commitment and determination to not be stopped is inspiring; of not letting the roadblocks in life and the opposition keep us from fulfilling God’s call in our lives. Jesus fulfilled His mission on earth, and whether we realize it or not, we have been given a mission, too: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify y

In this episode, we dive into John 20:11-16, where Mary Magdalene encounters the risen Jesus. Overwhelmed by grief and confusion, she initially fails to recognize Him. We reflect on our own struggles with loss and the longing for answers, and how Jesus gently calls us by name, transforming our sorrow into joy and despair into hope. Discover the profound truth that Jesus knows you personally and is always present, waiting for you to recognize Him. Join the Conversation:We want to hear from you! When have you felt like Mary, overwhelmed and searching for answers? Have you ever missed God's presence in your life? Share your thoughts and experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioNetwork or via email. Let&rsquo;s support one another as we seek to recognize Jesus in our lives! 🎙 🎶 SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW - YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER: Listen Here Full Transcript Below: Jesus Calls Your NameBy Whitney Hopler Bible Reading:&ldquo;Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus&rsquo; body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, &lsquo;Woman, why are you crying?&rsquo; &lsquo;They have taken my Lord away,&rsquo; she said, &lsquo;and I don&rsquo;t know where they have put him.&rsquo; At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, &lsquo;Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?&rsquo; Thinking he was the gardener, she said, &lsquo;Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.&rsquo; Jesus said to her, &lsquo;Mary.&rsquo; She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, &lsquo;Rabboni!&rsquo; (which means &lsquo;Teacher&rsquo;).&rdquo; &mdash; John 20:11-16, NIV This scene after Jesus&rsquo; resurrection shows Mary Magdalene overwhelmed by sadness, confused by circumstances, and searching for answers. How often have you found yourself feeling the same way in a painful situation? You pour out your heart to God, and maybe even direct your frustration at Him. Just like Mary, you can also feel lost and abandoned, wondering where God is in the middle of your suffering. Mary is focused on her loss. She&rsquo;s looking for a body &ndash; a tangible reminder of someone she loved. She&rsquo;s so consumed by her grief that she misses the most extraordinary truth standing right in front of her. She sees Jesus, but fails to recognize Him. She mistakes Him for the gardener of the area near His tomb. When have you looked for God but not found Him in the way you expected? When have you been surprised to find God&rsquo;s presence close to you, in a way you didn&rsquo;t expect? Jesus doesn&rsquo;t reveal His identity in a dramatic flash of glory. He doesn&rsquo;t rebuke Mary for her lack of recognition, either. Jesus simply speaks her name: &ldquo;Mary.&rdquo; When Jesus says that single word, everything changes. It&rsquo;s the voice Mary knows &ndash; the voice that spoke life into her soul, the voice that called her out of darkness into light. It&rsquo;s the voice of hope! That single word has tremendous power. It cuts through the fog of grief and misunderstanding as it reminds Mary that her Creator knows her personally and loves her completely. She turns with this new perspective and cries out, &ldquo;Rabboni!&rdquo; Mary&rsquo;s cry of recognition is full of love and joy. As she hears Jesus call her, and as she calls back to Him, the reality of the resurrection crashes over her. Jesus is alive, and He is right there with her, personally! This passage isn&rsquo;t just about Mary. It&rsquo;s about each of us &ndash; including you. Jesus knows your name. He knows your hopes, your dreams, and your joys. He also knows your struggles, your sorrows, and your fears. He sees you in all of life&rsquo;s ups and downs. He knows every detail of your life at all times. He knows what you&rsquo;re thinking and feeling &ndash; and He cares. Jesus constantly calls you by name, speaking words of loving hope over your life. He calls you to turn to Him, to recognize Him, and to experience the wonder of connecting with Him. Just as Mary&rsquo;s perception was changed by the sound of Jesus&rsquo; voice, yours can be, as well. When you hear Jesus call your name &ndash; when you recognize that Jesus is right there with you in all circumstances &ndash; your confusion can turn into understanding, your sadness can change into joy, and your despair can be replaced by hope. Jesus calls you to move away from the tomb of your distance from Him and embrace the reality that He is right there with you personally, ready to give you hope! Intersecting Faith and Life:</

In today&rsquo;s devotional, we explore Matthew 7:11, which reminds us of God&rsquo;s incredible generosity. We reflect on personal experiences of growing up with a mindset of earning everything and how that can shape our understanding of God&rsquo;s gifts. We discuss the importance of accepting God&rsquo;s good gifts without feeling the need to earn them, recognizing that He delights in blessing us simply because we are His children. Learn to increase your faith and trust that God wants to shower you with blessings! Join the Conversation:We want to hear from you! Do you try to earn good gifts from God? How can you accept God&rsquo;s good gifts without feeling like you need to work for them? Share your thoughts and experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioNetwork or via email. Let&rsquo;s support one another in embracing God&rsquo;s generosity! 🎙 🎶 SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW - YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER: Listen Here Full Transcript Below: Ask for Good Gifts Bible Reading:&ldquo;If you, 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!&rdquo; &mdash; Matthew 7:11 Growing up, I worked for everything I had. Rarely did my parents give me something for free. When I reached my teen years and was old enough to get a job, I'd pay for anything I wanted out of pocket. My parents didn't just give me luxuries in life; I had to earn them. I paid out of pocket for every prom dress and every Driver's Ed course. When I became a born-again Christian at 18, this affected how I saw God and His generosity. Because I didn't have parents who just handed me money, I often felt I had to work to gain God's approval and good gifts. In one of our first churches, we led a small group. One day, before the holidays, we discussed some of our childhood gifts that we never received but wanted. I remarked that I always wanted an Easy Bake Oven. Although my parents were generous during Christmas, there were some gifts I never received. The Easy Bake Oven was one of them. After we resumed the group after the holidays, the group handed me a gift. When I unwrapped it, it was the Easy Bake Oven! It made me feel incredibly loved, and I was glad my group went out of its way to present me with a gift I had always wanted. In that moment, I understood God's generosity a little better. Although I work for luxuries in life, this is something I still struggle with today. I still hesitate to ask Him for the big requests in life. One day, in my quiet time, God whispered to my heart: &ldquo;You wait for the other shoe to drop.&rdquo; That convicted me deep down in my soul. It was true. When I received something good, I always waited for the subsequent lousy thing to happen. I never realized how much this skewed my worldview of God, but it did. I was trying to earn those good gifts in life yet again. The above verse speaks to God's generosity. As a parent, I love watching my kids open gifts on Christmas, or the look on their faces when we give them a gift simply because of who they are. My heart leaps with joy when I watch my children enjoy a good gift. It&rsquo;s the same with the Lord. He delights in giving His children good gifts. He does not expect us to earn them, as there's nothing we can do to earn God's love, approval, or salvation. God delights in watching us get something we always wanted. God&rsquo;s generosity knows no bounds. We cannot outgive God. What we give out of obedience to others, God can triple, quadruple, or even provide a hundredfold more than we can ever give. Furthermore, He already gave His ultimate sacrifice: His life for our sins. I'll never be able to match that level of generosity. Do you try to work for the good gifts in life as well? Do you tend to minimize your prayer requests simply because you fear the other shoe dropping? Increase your faith today and trust that God wants to give you good gifts simply because you are His child. There's nothing you can do to earn those good gifts. Accept God's good gifts (including salvation), knowing that God delights in giving these good gifts to you. God delights in giving good gifts to His children. Because you are His child, you are one of His greatest gifts. God delights in you, too. Prayer:Father, allow us to accept Your good gifts every day. Let us not try to earn our way to Your good gifts. Let us instead accept those good gifts, knowing that You delight in giving them. Let us pay forward Your generosity as we give sacrificially to others. Amen. Intersecting Faith and Life: Do you try to earn good gifts from God? How can you accept God&rsquo;s good gifts witho

In this uplifting devotional, we explore the powerful truth that when people walk out of our lives, God walks in. Using Deuteronomy 31:8 as a foundation, we reflect on how God is always present, offering support, love, and healing even in our darkest moments. We discuss how Jesus empathizes with our struggles and invites us to maintain an open line of communication with Him. Experience the transformative power of God&rsquo;s presence in your life, and discover how He can turn your brokenness into beauty. Join the Conversation:We want to hear from you! How does it feel to know that when people walk out of your life, God walks in and rescues you? Will you trust Jesus Christ to be your light in the darkness? Share your thoughts and experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioNetwork or via email. Let&rsquo;s support one another as we grow in faith! 🎙 🎶 SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW - YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER: Listen Here Full Transcript Below: When God Walks into Your LifeA devotional by Alexis A. Goring Bible Reading:&ldquo;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.&rdquo; &mdash; Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV Years ago, I heard someone say, &ldquo;When people walk out, God walks in!&rdquo; I have found that statement to be true because I&rsquo;ve seen how sometimes, you may be too much for people, but you&rsquo;re never too much for God! He never tires of hearing from you and is always willing to help. The song &ldquo;God You Are&rdquo; by We Are Messengers speaks about how God steps into our dark places in life to help us. He&rsquo;s not afraid of what intimidates and devastates us and repels others. Not at all! The Bible says Jesus Christ is always with us (Matthew 28:20) and He has overcome the world (John 16:33). This means that absolutely nothing, human-made or supernatural, frightens our Savior. He&rsquo;s fearless! And He&rsquo;s able to save us from anything and everything. Jesus understands the human condition. That&rsquo;s why He left the perfection of Heaven and stepped into our imperfect world darkened by sin (John 3:16-17). The Bible says He&rsquo;s acquainted with our grief and pain (Isaiah 53:3). Jesus knows and empathizes deeply with everything we go through because He became human and walked on this Earth for 33 years. The last three years of His life were spent in public ministry to the masses. People sought Him out for healing and hope. And Jesus faithfully, compassionately, and effectively met their every need. Our Savior is living forever, serving as our High Priest in Heaven (Hebrews 4:14-16), and He still heals us on Earth today! We can go to Jesus in prayer and ask Him for anything and everything we need. He&rsquo;s also here to listen to our heartache. He loves it when we keep an open line of communication with Him, day-in and day-out, talking to Him like our Best Friend about everything on our hearts. Nothing is too big or too small to bring to God in prayer. He loves you with all His heart and wants to hear from you and be there for you. I learned this Biblical truth firsthand because God was with me in one of the darkest seasons of my life. When I experienced a major health crisis that pushed people away because they were afraid of what I was going through, God stepped into my dark time and shone the Light of Jesus Christ into my soul. Just like the Bible says in Psalm 40:1-2 (NIRV), God heard my cry for help. I was sliding down into the pit of death, and He pulled me out. He brought me up out of mud and dirt and set my feet on a rock, giving me a firm place to stand. God didn&rsquo;t just rescue and restore me; He secured my position in His Kingdom and gave me strength to make it through my trials. When people walked out of my life, God walked in, transforming me from the inside out and renewing Christ&rsquo;s place in my heart. Now the light of Jesus Christ that shines through me draws people, replacing the darkness that once repelled them. That&rsquo;s the beauty of what happens when you give your life to Christ and let Him into your heart. He transforms you and reaches the people around you with the good news that He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life (John 14:6). When people can see Jesus in you, it makes them want to know Him for themselves. God can take the broken pieces that Sata

Episode Summary:In this episode, we address the challenging emotions that come with doubt and uncertainty in our faith journeys. It&rsquo;s natural to question and seek understanding, especially during difficult times. We&rsquo;ll explore biblical examples of doubt, practical steps for navigating these feelings, and how to find hope and reassurance in God&rsquo;s promises even when our faith feels shaky. Join the Conversation:We want to hear from you! How do you handle moments of doubt in your faith? What helps you regain confidence in God? Share your thoughts and experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioNetwork or via email. Let&rsquo;s support one another as we seek answers and strengthen our faith together! 🎙 🎶 SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW - YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER: Listen Here Full Transcript Below: Believing, Even When We Are AfflictedBy Sarah Frazer Bible Reading:"I believed, even when I said, 'I am severely afflicted.'" &mdash; Psalm 116:10 (HCSB) One day, when my son was only eight years old, he was walking our dog down the street. Usually, the dog is pretty calm and doesn&rsquo;t pull the leash. That day, my son wasn&rsquo;t even gone for five minutes before I heard a scream. When I looked out the window, I saw him running back toward the house. The dog was pulling frantically on the leash to go back down the street. After my son entered the house, I bent down and examined him. He was bleeding on his knee and his t-shirt was ripped. He was crying and holding his arm as well. As I cared for his cuts and bruises, he told me that the normally calm dog had seen a squirrel. I knew then what had caused the fall. Although a quiet and sweet dog, she had made it her life mission to rid the world of squirrels. That day we decided that he might be too young to walk the dog until she either calmed down or he was stronger. Through all of the confusion, I realized something. My son had come to me right away after falling. He wasn&rsquo;t angry with me; in fact, after taking that horrible spill, he ran directly to me. As I thought about that simple act from my son, I couldn&rsquo;t help but think about God. Throughout scripture, we see God reference Himself as &ldquo;father&rdquo; to us. In Psalm 116 today, we see the psalmist run to God, even when he is afflicted. Psalm 116 starts out with, &ldquo;I love the Lord because He has heard my appeal for mercy.&rdquo; God&rsquo;s ear is turned toward us. Just as my ears heard right away the scream from outside, I knew the sound of my son&rsquo;s cries and immediately went toward him. You and I face devastating trials and afflictions year after year. Maybe you are in a season right now where one affliction after another seems to be piling up. It would be easy to avoid God during these times or even be angry with Him. What if, instead, we ran to God? Over the years, I&rsquo;ve learned that running to God is actually the best thing I can do. Why? Because His ears are listening for our prayers and cries to Him. The next verses in Psalm 116 detail how the psalmist suffered, even facing death, but God was his helper. I love verse ten because it seems to be the pinnacle of the psalm. He says, &ldquo;I believed, even when I said, &lsquo;I am severely afflicted.&rsquo;&rdquo; What the psalmist is saying is that he did not shy away from telling God all about his afflictions. The pain did not keep him from crying out to God. And the heartache didn&rsquo;t keep him from believing in God either. There are truths here that the psalmist hung onto, even when he was afflicted. The truths we see here are God&rsquo;s grace, righteousness, and compassion (Psalm 116:5). Where do we see those characteristics of God in our lives today? Jesus! Jesus was God&rsquo;s righteousness for us. He lived a perfect life because we could not. He allowed His life to take our place so that when God sees you and me, He sees Jesus&rsquo; righteousness. Jesus is also God&rsquo;s grace to us. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, &ldquo;For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God&rsquo;s gift&mdash;not from works, so that no one can boast.&rdquo; Jesus brought grace because He died on the cross, taking our place and punishment for us. Now, we are saved and brought into God&rsquo;s family t

We address the challenging emotions that come with doubt and uncertainty in our faith journeys. It&rsquo;s natural to question and seek understanding, especially during difficult times. We&rsquo;ll explore biblical examples of doubt, practical steps for navigating these feelings, and how to find hope and reassurance in God&rsquo;s promises even when our faith feels shaky. Join the Conversation: We want to hear from you! How do you handle moments of doubt in your faith? What helps you regain confidence in God? Share your thoughts and experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioNetwork or via email. Let&rsquo;s support one another as we seek answers and strengthen our faith together! 🎙 🎶 SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW - YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Full Transcript Below: What to Do When You Doubt God By Vivian Bricker &ldquo;And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.&rdquo; - Hebrews 11:6 Although many Christians will adamantly deny they have ever doubted God, most of us have. If we are being realistic and transparent, we can acknowledge that all of us have doubted God at some point in our lives. Rather than trying to promote the idea that all &ldquo;faithful and strong&rdquo; Christians never doubt God, we need to be honest with ourselves as well as others. Doubting God is common, but we cannot move forward if we never acknowledge this has happened to us. I have doubted God many times in my Christian walk. Most of the time, this was when I was going through a depressive episode or a health scare. I doubted Him because I was afraid. Maybe you also doubted God because you were afraid. Doubt comes in many forms, yet most of us doubt God when we are afraid about something, someone, or the future. Scary times should bring us closer to God, yet sometimes they leave us feeling doubtful of God&rsquo;s goodness and protection. When we doubt, the first step is to accept our feelings. Rather than running from them, we need to acknowledge their presence and accept that this is how we are feeling. God knows we will doubt, but He doesn&rsquo;t love us any less. His love is not dependent on our actions, thoughts, or behaviors. He loves us because love is His very being (1 John 4:8). After we have accepted our feelings, we need to turn our hearts to God. Yes, we might feel doubtful right now, but we need to look at His past faithfulness. When I doubt God, I remember His love and faithfulness in past situations where I was afraid. Once I can get myself in this mindset, the doubt quickly flees as darkness does when someone shines a light. The doubt dissipates because I have been reminded of God&rsquo;s goodness, protection, and love. Intersecting Faith &amp; Life: Hebrews 11:6 tells us, &ldquo;And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.&rdquo; As the writer of Hebrews tells us, we cannot please God without faith. When we doubt Him, we are not expressing faith in Him. Having faith in God is not blind faith; rather, it is a faith we can rely on. The faith we have in God is built firmly upon the Bible, history, and what we have personally experienced in life. When we are doubting, we need to remember these things. We have to let go of doubt and hold onto faith. As the writer of Hebrews tells us, we have to come to Him in faith, believe that He exists, and rest in the promise that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Letting go of doubt will also give us true freedom. As mentioned, doubt is often rooted in fear. Once we are able to let go of doubt, we can let go of fear. At this point, we will be able to walk in faith and trust God in every area of our lives. Hard times will come around again and try to make us doubt, but we can choose to remember God's faithfulness rather than feed into doubt and fear. Faith can be hard to find at times, yet we never need to doubt God. He is worthy of all of our trust (Psalm 20:7). We only have faith in the people and things that we trust. Therefore, we need to learn to trust God more in our lives. Trusting God can take time, but we can start taking the steps today. We will quickly find that trusting in God will never leave us alone or without hope. We can trust God because He is faithful (Isaiah 25:1; Lamentations 3:23). &ldquo;Dear God, I&rsquo;m sorry I have doubted You in the past. Please help me have faith and fully trust in You. Time

Prayer is not just a ritual; it's a way of life that can deepen our relationship with Him and guide us through life's challenges. We&rsquo;ll discuss practical tips for integrating prayer into our daily routines, the significance of maintaining a prayerful heart, and how to cultivate a lifestyle of continuous connection with God. Join the Conversation: We want to hear from you! How do you incorporate prayer into your daily life? What are your favorite prayer practices? Share your thoughts and experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioNetwork or via email. Let&rsquo;s uplift one another as we commit to a life of prayer! 🎙 🎶 SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW - YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Full Transcript Below: Pray Without Ceasing &ldquo;Pray without Ceasing.&rdquo; 1 Thessalonians 5:17 &ldquo;Lord, help me.&rdquo; This is what I recited to myself as I waited in the lab to have my blood drawn. This was part of the doctor's orders for some health challenges that I had been dealing with since the summer. I prayed again once I got my blood drawn and went home to work. &ldquo;Lord, I can't do this without you. I'm asking for complete and total healing for my body. Help my thyroid levels to raise to appropriate levels. Let my lab work come back normal. Allow me another day to serve you. Amen.&rdquo; I went about my day, checking items off my to-do list. As I sat down to dinner, I said grace. &ldquo;Lord, thank you for this food. Thank you for this day. Thank you for another productive day. Let us be grateful for your provision. Amen.&rdquo; As I laid my head down on the pillow to go to sleep. Many thoughts went through my head. &ldquo;Lord, help me to calm my racing thoughts. Please help me to put away the cares of the day. Please give me the rest I need to wake up refreshed tomorrow. Thank you for another day to serve you. Amen.&rdquo; I admit I never understood what praying without ceasing meant. Because my mind often wandered toward work and other responsibilities of raising children and being a wife, in addition to serving in my local church, my mind didn't always think about praying. I often went through the day starting my day off in prayer, only to lay my head down at the end of a long day and fall fast asleep. Though I've matured over the years, I realized that praying without ceasing means stopping and asking the Lord for his presence in all aspects of my life. Whether it's my morning prayer time, praying for the requests of friends and family, saying grace, or asking God to give me restorative sleep to get me through the next day, it's all part of praying without ceasing. If we're honest, we all need help in this area. Like me, we often skate through our days without a thought about the Lord. Many of us live our lives inviting God into what we're doing. However, praying without ceasing involves asking the Lord what he wants from our days. As we pray and ask God for his guidance, presence, and provision, we may find divine interruptions throughout our day. For example, we may be focused on our lives, only to find a phone call from a frantic friend that makes us stop and pray for them and with them. We may deal with financial or health crises, needing God's guidance throughout the day, sometimes every hour, or even every minute. When we must cling to Jesus because our only hope is in him, it may find us praying like never before. We may find our thoughts drifting toward crying out to the Lord throughout the day. This gives new meaning to what it means to pray without ceasing. Analyze your thought life. Do you find you go throughout your day, skating through each activity, giving little or no thought to the Lord? Do you often invite God into your actions rather than ask him for guidance? When we yield our lives entirely to him, we may find he has a different agenda for us than our lofty to-do list. We may find we must cross off an important task to address God's agenda for the day. These divine interruptions accomplish God's agenda: to glorify God and to live out our purpose and mission to serve him. When we shift our perspective from a selfish invitation into our lives to a complete yielding of our lives to the Lord, we may find our lives easier. We may not only have the time to help a needy friend but also have time to complete our to-do list in record time. God promises that he will be faithful in bearing them when we cast our cares on him. Even if we must put off unimportant tasks that feel important to us, we know God is in control. When we live believing that God is our story's author, we pray without ceasing and cling to the hope with him every minute of eve

In this thought-provoking episode of What Withholding Forgiveness Reveals About Our Hearts, we delve into the deeper implications of holding onto grudges and the impact it has on our spiritual and emotional well-being. We&rsquo;ll explore the biblical principles of forgiveness, how our unwillingness to forgive can reveal hidden wounds, and the freedom that comes from extending grace to others. Join us as we reflect on the transformative power of forgiveness and its essential role in our relationship with God and others. Join the Conversation: We want to hear from you! What has your journey with forgiveness taught you about your heart? Share your insights and experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioNetwork or via email. Let&rsquo;s support one another in understanding and embracing the power of forgiveness! 🎙 🎶 SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW - YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Full Transcript Below: What Withholding Forgiveness Reveals About Our Hearts (813 words) By Lynette Kittle &ldquo;Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, &lsquo;Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?&rsquo; Jesus answered, &lsquo;I tell you, not seven times, but seventy time seven times&rsquo;&rdquo;&mdash;Matthew 18:21-22 In watching rerun episodes of the classic hit television show &ldquo;I Love Lucy,&rdquo; the Church could learn a few lessons in how to forgive one another, seeing how over and over again, the characters forgive each other. If unfamiliar with the show, the lead characters, who are also neighbors and best friends, Ricky and Lucy Ricardo and Fred and Ethel Mertz, repeatedly go through misunderstandings, quarrels, disagreements, and even knock-down, drag-out fights, exchanging hurtful words and actions, but eventually working through them, ending each show by making up and declaring their love for one another, vowing to be lifelong friends. It&rsquo;s a picture of what relationships are supposed to be, not the hurtful words and actions, but the forgiving, making up, and loving one another regardless of past hurts. Sadly Lacking in Forgiveness Sadly, even Christians today are lacking in knowing how to forgive and reconcile with each other, following secular counsel more than God&rsquo;s counsel concerning forgiving one another. Colossians 3:13 urges, &ldquo;Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you,&rdquo; But instead of following God&rsquo;s direction and repeatedly forgiving someone, some are setting up their own rules by dropping people right and left from their lives, canceling them out, unwilling to forgive the 70 x 7 that Jesus instructs us to follow. But still, God is the author of forgiveness, not us. Yet, some are skipping over Ephesians 4:32, &ldquo;Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.&rdquo; Counter to Jesus&rsquo; words, some churches are even encouraging and supporting individuals casting people aside who they deem &ldquo;toxic,&rdquo; rather than bringing them to redemption and reconciliation. But what if the people who refuse to forgive others are actually more toxic than those who need to be forgiven? What if their hearts are filled with pride, setting their standard for forgiveness above God&rsquo;s requirement for forgiveness? We&rsquo;re All Born Toxic God&rsquo;s way is to forgive toxic people; if it wasn&rsquo;t, then He wouldn&rsquo;t have given Jesus to the world as John 3:16 explains. &ldquo;For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.&rdquo; Since Adam&rsquo;s fall in the garden, humans are born toxic, contaminated by sin. Romans 5:12 describes, &ldquo;Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s not until we receive God&rsquo;s forgiveness through Jesus Christ&rsquo;s sacrifice on the cross that we become detoxified. As Romans 5:19 explains, &ldquo;For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.&rdquo; Sadly, some believers are falling terribly short these days, not understanding how unforgiveness is extremely toxic in the life of a believer, not considering that unforgiveness is sin, as well as an indicator and e

Many of us struggle with the desire to control our circumstances, but true peace and freedom come when we release our grip and trust in His plan. We&rsquo;ll discuss practical strategies for surrendering control in our lives, the importance of faith, and how this process can lead to deeper spiritual growth. Join the Conversation: We want to hear from you! What areas of your life are you learning to release control over? Share your stories and insights with us on social media @LifeaudioNetwork or via email. Let&rsquo;s encourage one another as we embrace the freedom that comes with surrendering to God! 🎙 🎶 SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW - YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Full Transcript Below: Releasing Control by Cindi McMenamin, Crosswalk Contributing Writer &ldquo;You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you&rdquo; Isaiah 26:3 ESV) It took me awhile, but I&rsquo;ve finally come to the conclusion that you and I are not in control of our lives, as much as we&rsquo;d like to think we are. I learned this lesson during 2020, after experiencing a series of losses. Thankfully, I didn&rsquo;t lose anyone close to me during the pandemic. But I did lose other things that hurt deeply. I lost the opportunity to be with and hug my little nephews. I lost a speaking opportunity at a prestigious writers conference for which I had waited more than a decade to be on the faculty. And I lost the ability to visit some favorite places of mine where I felt near to God and His blessings. While the loss of opportunities and daily routine was difficult, why did it take a pandemic &ndash;and the fear it arouses, the mandates it included, and the restrictions put in place&mdash;to make me feel I had no control of my life and circumstances? What I really lost during that time was the belief that I was in control&mdash;as if I ever really was. We thrive today on the notion that we make our own reality. If you can dream it, you can do it. We think and therefore we are. And yet, how much peace&ndash;and how much less striving&mdash;we would experience if we daily acknowledged that there is really only One who is in control&hellip;and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, God&rsquo;s own Son, we have the assurance that when it looks like things are out of control, when were convinced we have no control, He is still very much in control. And all His ways are good. Through Jesus, we can experience peace, not the endless striving to control, and the resulting frustration of not being able to control. Intersecting Faith and Life: Loss and frustration impacts every one of us at some time in our lives, even when we&rsquo;re trusting in God. Loss happens because we&rsquo;re living in a fallen world. In the midst of a relationship with God, loss threatens our happiness, it tries to kill our joy, and in some extreme cases, it makes us believe we&rsquo;ll have unending heartache. Because you and I were created to live eternally in a sinless world, and experience life with others who will live eternally, we weren&rsquo;t created with a mental and emotional capacity for loss and death. Yet because we now live in a world of sin and death, we must rely on God for an otherworldly ability to cope with loss. And that happens as we release our sense of control and acknowledge that God is in charge and He is still good, In the New Living Translation, Isaiah 26:3 says, &ldquo;You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!&rdquo; In other words, as you keep your heart and mind fixed on Jesus, regardless of your circumstances, regardless of your losses, you will experience what Scripture calls &ldquo;perfect peace&rdquo;&mdash;not momentary peace, not worldly peace, not a mystical self-confidence type of peace, but a perfect, incomprehensible, only-from-the-presence-of-God peace as you trust in Him. That kind of peace is not a blanket promise to all who simply believe God exists. It&rsquo;s a guarantee to those who are steadfast, unmoving in their faith in who God is, His absolute control over all things, and His ability to govern, regardless of our circumstances. For me, exercising that steadfast immovable faith consists of saying aloud the words &ldquo;God, this did not take You by surprise. You are still in control. You are still good. And all your ways are perfect&rdquo; (Psalm 18:30). We can rob ourselves of peace when our minds are fixed on our emotions, or the outcomes we are trying to achieve, or on all the options we must investigate. Yet fixing our eyes on Jesus, and trusting that H

We invite you to embark on a spiritual decluttering journey. Just as we tidy up our homes in the spring, it&rsquo;s time to refresh our hearts and minds. We&rsquo;ll discuss practical steps to let go of emotional baggage, nurture our spiritual health, and invite new growth into our lives. Discover how spiritual renewal can lead to a deeper connection with God and a more vibrant life. Join the Conversation: We want to hear from you! What areas of your life are you seeking to refresh this season? Share your spring cleaning tips and insights with us on social media @LifeaudioNetwork or via email. Let&rsquo;s support one another in creating space for spiritual growth and renewal! 🎙 🎶 SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW - YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Full Transcript Below: Spring Clean Your Soul By: Whitney Hopler &ldquo;Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.&rdquo; &ndash; Ephesians 4:31-32, NIV On a sunny spring day, a beam of sunlight shone into the front hallway of my home, revealing lots of dirt I hadn&rsquo;t realized was there. Yuck! I thought. It had been easy to ignore my dirty home when I didn&rsquo;t see what was really there. But now, I took a fresh look around and noticed other parts of my home that needed attention, such as my cluttered living room. Soon after that, I started spring cleaning, but I felt bored while I cleaned &ndash; so I let my thoughts wander. It wasn&rsquo;t long before I found myself ruminating on a situation that made me angry. A family member had mistreated me, and I replayed her behavior over in my mind with bitterness. Then it hit me that I needed to clean more than just my home. I needed to spring clean my soul, as well. Letting anger and bitterness remain in my soul was even more dangerous than allowing dirt and clutter to stay in my home. So, I set my floor mop aside and said a prayer, forgiving my family member and asking the Holy Spirit to renew me. When we clean our physical spaces, how often do we consider the state of our spiritual spaces? Cleaning our souls is even more important than cleaning our homes, because doing so affects not only our own well-being, but also our relationships with God and others. Ephesians 4:31-32 urges us to get rid of all the dirty attitudes that are lurking in our minds and instead make healthy choices like being kind to each other and pursuing and practicing forgiveness. These verses are a vital call to action. Just as we need to clean our homes to be healthy physically, we need to clean our souls to be healthy spiritually. Think about it: a dirty, cluttered home can make us feel stressed and uncomfortable. But an unclean soul creates a much deeper level of stress for us. Bitterness can lead to isolation and loneliness. Uncontrolled anger can destroy families and friendships. Slander can ruin reputations and break relationships. Malice can prevent us from embracing and spreading God&rsquo;s love. When we allow negative emotions to stay stuck in our souls rather than dealing with them and then clearing them out, that blocks our spiritual growth. Just as physical clutter can prevent us from finding what we need, spiritual clutter interferes with our connection to God. That makes it hard to notice God&rsquo;s presence with us, which blocks us from experiencing peace and joy. So, how can you start spring cleaning your soul? First, you need to acknowledge the clutter. Take an honest inventory of your inner life. Are there areas where bitterness lingers in your mind? Do you struggle with anger or resentment? Have you spread gossip or slander? Next, bring these issues to God in prayer. Confess your struggles and ask for God&rsquo;s help to clear out unhealthy attitudes and actions from your life. God is the ultimate cleanser, capable of washing away the stains of sin and healing you from pain. Ask God&rsquo;s Holy Spirit to reveal the root causes of the dirt and clutter in your soul, and to heal you. Then, make a conscious decision to let go of all the unhealthy stuff that has accumulated in your soul. Ask