Wouldn’t it be great if God answered you immediately, every time you prayed or asked Him a question?
Just imagine. You’d always have His clear direction and sure confirmation. You’d know exactly what to do in any situation. No more hesitating or second-guessing.Wouldn’t that be fantastic!
Well, several months ago, I was dealing with a tough situation and kept asking God to bring clarity to what I should do. I searched Scripture and found some great verses that could apply.But I longed for more.
I wanted specific words from Him pertaining to my specific situation. One solid sentence would do. Just something … anything … to give me a clear, concise direction.I brainstormed solutions. Offered God suggestions. Even pouted a little. But no specific words came.
Then one evening during my quiet time, I asked again, “Lord, why haven’t You given me direction with this situation? You know I’m struggling and waiting for a specific word from You, right?” –> Click here to read the rest of the story.
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Scroll down to find out details about this week’s giveaway.
Today I have a devotion running on the Proverbs 31 Ministries website. I hope you’ll take a minute to read it. Just click here.
If you’re stopping by for the first time or would like to sign up for this week’s giveaway, feel free to leave a comment below. I’d love to pray for you today! Your name will automatically be entered into the drawing to win a copy of Prayers for a Woman’s Soul {written by Julie Gillies}.
This inspiring book will teach you how to cover yourself with prayer on a regular basis. Each devotion includes powerful spiritual insight, personalized Scripture, and a prayer to help begin your conversations with God. It’s a great way to rejuvenate, refresh, and revive any woman’s soul!
Tim Poarch says
Tim,
I have a huge career decision coming up please pray for me that I will receive the right answer…
Thank You!
Cyndy says
Yours is a wonderful testament, as are all the writers’, in bringing scripture into everyday life situations! I am on a journey to become closer to God in my daily life. Proverbs 31 Daily Devotions ignited my soul last year and I am reaping the benefits of these devotions ten-fold. I look forward to each day’s message and the books that are offered to help me in my journey of a life filled with God’s overflowing love! Thank you so much for the direction you and God provide!
Chrissy says
This story was so timely…thank you for the beautiful reminder that we have to ask Him for His help and He always always answers in His perfect time and in amazing ways!
belkis perez says
God knows what i need. I needed this word today. Thank you!
Brandi says
Thank you for your message on Proverbs31 daily email! It was such a great reminder that God is there for the big and the small. Lately, I’ve had some big things and I feel like He’s tired of listening to me pray and pray. Your message was a reminder that he will handle it in his own time and to stay faithful. Thank you for your words being a blessing!
Melissa says
Leah, thank you for your transparency! It encourages me to give God the little things. Quite honestly I forget! I really do get caught up in wanting to pray like the “professionals.” God is a simple God he doesn’t complicate things we do! Thank you for your reminder that as a wife, mother and co-worker and friend I too need to be prayed for. Thank you again!
Lindsay says
Thanks so much for your encouraging reminder that Our Lord is a whisper away and ready every minute to listen and give us His wisdom. During my summer break from
Women’s ministry Bible Study I love to read books that help me grow in my walk of faith.
There are so many choices. I going to seek the Lord’s wisdom as to the topics He wants me to grow in.
Geralyn Miller says
Thank You Father God…….for your Word, Your Spirit, for Jesus, Your Son & my Savior!!!
Most of all Lord God, thank you for your LOVE!
Julie Kangas says
I would absolutely love a copy of this book! I can always use inspiration in my prayer life! As it gets rather stale from time to time !! Thanks! Praying for you & please do the same for me…God knows my struggles & I feel it would be to long to mention here! So I would just appreciate your prayers! 😀
Stephanie says
Please pray for my husband and I. We are going through a difficult time in our marriage. I pray for God’s guidance as we find each other again and have the feelings for each other that we used to have. I have faith and trust in God that he will help us.
Carolyn Carlisle says
Please pray with me about what to do next in my ministry.
RC says
I am praying for God to speak to me and direct my path in a difficult situation. Growing deeper in faith and prayer will lead me in the right direction. All the contributors of proverbs31 have been a blessing and motivated me to be closer to God and delve more into His word. God bless you and your ministry.
Sheree says
Please pray for me and my family.
I am praying for salvation for my husband and my two children .
I love Jesus
Fredda Brown-Kemp says
I would so very much like to have this book for my adult daughter who is struggling with some very difficult circumstances now. She is a Christian and trusts the Lord but her situation has been ongoing for some time now and she is so confused and exhausted over it. Please pray for her.
Mary Helen says
I am so happy I recently found this wonderful site. Bringing prayer to me,my mind and soul and sharing in our families lives daily is so rewarding. Thank you
Barbara says
Dear Leah
Thanks for your encouragement – yes even the small things count. I trust I will have the wonderful opportunity of winning the book so that I can share it with others who may not be so lucky as to afford it.
God bless
Krista Tuls says
Looks like a great book!!!
Cassandra Zaveral says
Thank you for sharing your heart and the reminder that God teaches us those things that we don’t understand and can show us what is hidden. Patience is a hard thing for me but I’m thankful God loves me enough to continue to answer my prayers no matter my daily struggle to be patient.
Christina says
I would love to win the book!
Angelle says
Thank you for your encouragement thru God’s Word and real life stories in devotionals. Proverbs 31 Ministries and First 5 have been a blessing to me.
Lori R says
I have enjoyed reading on your blog and can’t wait to read more!! Great to “meet” you, my sister, through Proverbs 31!!
Grace Ortiz says
I would love to learn How to cover our souls, this new for me ,
I enjoy learning from Proverbs 31 ministries
Thank you God bless you
Grace
nikki says
hi hi leah! found your blog through a post on the “proverbs 31 ministries” facebook page and am excited to read through your blogs and further explore your message! winning a copy of “prayers for a woman’s soul” would be awesome too! 😉 ps, the pictures y’all use for the scriptures and devotions in the “first 5” app are always so pretty and peaceful, much apprec.
Erin Rice says
Oh, that book seems like it would help me so much! Prayer is something I struggle with all the time.
Summer says
Hi Leah! Thank you for your devotion! Would love to win your book!
Trish says
Thank you for the reminder…it is so easy to overlook the smallest, nagging sins – those so ingrained & accepted in our culture – the ones that society says is ok… “you have a right to feel that way”. God has a different standard for us & sees all our ‘details’ clearly. I appreciate your example of searching out the meaning of what God was leading you to understand.
Kathleen Bennefield says
I have an ongoing issue with finances and I struggle to “hear from God” on how I should work out these issues. Or maybe I should say I struggle to “listen”! Just when I think I’m being obedient and making some progress, I do something stupid again and take two steps backwards. I want to be more diligent in hearing Him, really listening to what He’s saying, and following in total obedience!!
Trish says
I understand your struggle- it’s a struggle for me as well – I pray for Gods hand in both our financial situations today & ask His blessing over how we handle His money.
Sharon+C. says
Dear Leah, Thank you for the beautiful devotion today. God is never early but He’s never late with His message on what we should do. Just being still and waiting on the Him is so hard for me but it’s so worth it.
Chantal McDougall says
Hi Leah,
I am diving deeper into God’s word in a transition season in my life. The scripture you shared in your blog about grieving the Holy Spirit reminded me of the importance of a good attitude while waiting, and on leaning on His Spirit to help us love, to be patient, to be kind and to keep forging on while trusting God to guide us. Thank you for your blog post. Truly inspired me to pray and ask God to reveal to me what I need to do in my own prayer and bible study time with God. I’d appreciate prayer that I would learn to seek Him, His will and his voice before anything else in my life. Thanks
Andrea says
Thank you for today’s devotion. It is like you read my soul. I needed to hear these words and apply them exactly to what I am also struggling with. It was an awakening for me and a time to stop and pause and “Be still and know God….”
Thank you. May God bless you as you continue to encourage fellow sisters in Christ.
Rebecca N says
Wow what a humbling devotion. It makes a lot of sense and gave me the perspective I needed. Thanks.
Renee says
Thank you for sharing today’s encouraging WORDS to help the daily growth. Listening vs always being the one who talks.
Maryann Schwinge says
Love this devo!!! Spoke directly to m heart!!! Thanks Leah!!!
Kim Stewart says
LOVE your devo today Leah and this book looks fabulous! Can’t wait to see you at She Speaks this summer!
Mary says
I have always wondered what this passage of Scripture meant as well.
Fay Gossen says
Leah, thank you for this writing–spoke directly to me! Love you ladies at Proverbs 30 Ministries!
Raven Perry says
This is my first time stopping by this page, and so far I love it. I think I will be signing up for the emails!
I could use some prayer, we are making changes in our home and we just need guidance emotionally, physically, spiritually, and financially.
Leah says
Raven, thank you for stopping by today. I’m so glad God lead you to my blog. I’m praying for you now, asking God to give your family wisdom, discernment and strength to make important decisions about your future. Remember that God promises to provide all our needs according to His riches in glory.
Blessings, Leah
Tonya says
Thank you ,for continuing to give all of you to share and write in God’s Kingdom! Bless you as He has Blessed me along side you,friend! t.
Rebekah says
…Quietly listen instead of doing all the talking…
De says
Thank you for today’s devotion. I really needed to hear it.
Nancy says
What a timely devotion! The past year has been such a challenge since my husband’s sudden death last June. God has been ever-faithful, but I am still trying the “kick the worry habit”. A major issue in my life was just resolved on Wednesday, and yesterday I listed in my journal the trials God has brought me through. Then last night at my War Room Bible study, these verses from Ephesians were featured with the following
“Bitterness clearly gives the Enemy a foothold that he uses to build a stronghold. How does Ephesians 4:30-32 say we should deal with bitterness?”
In my case, however, I think my stronghold is worry. I’m getting better, but I need to trust without the worry.
By the way, Leah, I have been reading First 5 since the beginning, and all of you ladies are such blessings. Thank you!
Leah says
Nancy, many people don’t realize that worry and fear can become a stronghold in there lives. I didn’t and struggled for years when I was younger. God restored me through His Word and the through the power of His Spirit. Stay in the Word, sweet friend and trust the Lord above all else. Don’t give the Enemy another inch. You have freedom and victory in Christ! 🙂
Julie Cavallaro says
Leah: thank you for today’s devotional.
Marybeth says
This was directed right to me. Those seeds keep getting planted . . . . I need to weed them out. Thank you so much for the encouragement.
Janice says
Thank you for your devotion today. It was very encouraging.
Brooke says
What a powerful reminder! I feel that frustration and longing often and it never serves me well. I am newer in my journey so this is a great piece to keep in mind! Thank you for the prayers!
Leah says
Brooke, your journey may be new but God has been waiting to take these steps with you before you were born. He loves you!
Leigh F says
What a great reminder.
Nancy says
I am just so depressed and discouraged. Our business is failing and my husband cannot seem to admit to it. We will lose our home of 18 years. My oldest daughter struggles and struggles in school. I need to read the Bible more often. Our family’s future looks so scary and uncertain. I know I need to trust God more and worry less.
Leah says
Nancy, I’ve been there too. Our family business suffered years ago and we had to sell our home, but God was faithful and He has restored everything to us. Our youngest struggled in school for years. With all this I just continued to pray, pouring out my heart to God and trusting He would take the messages and make them testimonies for His glory. We can’t control the circumstances we have to face in this broken world, but we can control how we respond to them. Keep trusting God and press into Him during this season of challenges. He will come through for you and your family.
Mitzii says
Talk about hearing from God!! Not 5 minutes before reading this I was battling becoming angry and bitter towards a co-worker’s negative attitude. I didn’t want to give my day away to her negative world, but I could feel it’s force beam pulling at me. Then you came along (Thank you!!) and showed me Eph 4:31…Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. If He tells us to let it go, then it is possible to let it go!
Amy says
Thank you for doing what the Lord has called you to do, including authoring today’s devotion. Why would the Holy Spirit want to abide where bitter and ugly seeds are planted? God used your devotion to show me gently and lovingly that my attitude and words were not only not in line with the Holy Spirit, but could be causing others around me to stumble. In my own self-righteousness I wasn’t seeing that I too need to recognize, repent and change. Thank you!
Mona says
What a great reminder. Thank you.
Jen says
I appreciated this morning’s devotion. I am struggling with saying goodbye to a family that has grown dear to my heart and is now moving away. However, I am butting heads with a family member who also knows them and I feel is trying to prevent me from saying goodbye and feeling at peace about it.
Julie says
Thank you for this message this morning. I came to work with a heavy heart after losing my patience with my daughter and not responding to her in the best way. I know that when I don’t display the fruit of the Spirit in times like this it’s a symptom of not being in prayer and in His Word enough. So thankful that He is such a forgiving Father…
Michelle says
I’d love to be prayed for. Please pray for my family as my spouse and I are separated and my young children are suffering greatly watching the bitterness poured out toward myself from their father and it’s been 15 months now and still their father tells them I’m a danger and I failed to make him happy so I had to go. He emails me things like our children are on the path to being a criminal just like me. He has told them that God isn’t real as if they have the burden of proof because my daughter loves church and her friends there my son is now unsure they are now only 7 & 8. Please pray for my family including my children’s father and the woman he moved into the marital home after 3 months when he realized I was not going to be returning. Thank you.
Amy says
Praying for you, your children and spouse today.
Leah says
Michelle, I’m so sorry that you’re having to endure such hardships. I’m praying you and your family today. We live in such a broken world, but we serve a God who is in control and has the power to change the things we can’t. Let me encourage you with Romans 8:28:
“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. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son.”
Kathy says
thank you for today’s devotional on asking God for a clear answer, it hit where I’m at, I feel like I’ve been in a “dry spot” not really sure of what I’m supposed to do, I keep praying and asking for directions from the Lord. Thank you for reminding me to not grieve the Holy Spirit, and to continue looking and confessing when I’ve done an oops. It has helped put my thoughts into perspective. May God richly Bless you always.
Sophia DeLonghi says
How true your words ring true…if only it was so obvious to hear God’s voice immediately responding to out prayer. But, He always surprises and exceeds my expectations when the time is perfect according to His will. Thank you for this reminder.
Sally says
Love this reminder, it is exactly what I have been going through 🙂 thanks
Tammy says
Thank you for a beautiful devotion. As always it is food for my spirit.
Suzanne says
Thank YOU for your beautiful devotional today! It reminds me to dig deep with my prayers, to see it in God’s way and not just my own, and to truly rely on Him-He is much bigger than any of my needs. Thanks again for sharing!
Beth says
Thank you for sharing with us today. A great reminder to be patient and allow God to work in our life.
Karen says
I was really blessed by today’s devotional. I have been seeking the LORD for specific guidance for a matter in my life. Praying for clarity and a knowing of GOD’s will seem to leave me still with no clear answers. Your devotional caused me to go back and look at my relationship with GOD to see if I have grieved His Spirit in anyway. Thanks for sharing your personal journey.
Debbie N says
Dear Holy Spirit, forgive me for grieving You so often, for not stopping and quieting my voice to listen more frequently to Your voice in me, for quenching Your power and joy and testimony in my life. Lord Jesus, I want to be more like You, who gave the Holy Spirit full reign in your earthly life help me to do the same so He may empower and transform me and those around me. Amen
Leah says
Amen! Debbie, thank you for sharing your prayer with us today. 🙂
Ellen Payson says
Thank you, God for the tender heart of this woman and her gentle, encouraging way of helping You form and reform my heart. Thank you for her openness and honesty whisk help ur words penetrate my own soul mor effectively. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are so good, Father. So very, very good. There is no one like you.
Deb says
Thank you for speaking truth this morning. Its what I needed to hear before heading to work. Please pray with me for one of my co-workers and friend who so desperately needs Jesus.
Leah says
Deb, I’m praying now that God softens your co-worker’s heart and provides the perfect opportunity for you to share the love and saving grace of Jesus. I believe with all my hear that He will.
Kathy says
As usual, your devotion today was spot on for me. Thank you for sharing!
Martha says
Thank you for the encouragement today! I needed to be reminded that the way we handle tough times is a reflection of our faith and to trust in God’s timing, not our own. I would love to read this book to help in my prayer life.
Cheryll says
Thank you for your insight on prayer- and a reminder of the gifts of The Spirit- it reminds me to take the time to listen- and reminds me of how God wants me to live.
Kristin @ peppermintsandcherries.com says
I enjoyed reading this devotional at the Proverbs 31 site. What a fantastic reminder and great truths to think upon! Have a blessed day!
Nancy M in NJ says
Hello, Leah. I am a relatively new subscriber to Proverbs 31, and developing an interest in reading the Bible. I often feel overwhelmed with life (and I don’t even have little ones at home anymore!) so not doing the greatest job with that, but still, I am trying. Anyway, I enjoyed your post today at that blog which led me here. Thank you for your prayers 🙂
Amy says
Encouraging you to continue in God’s word! It will be a guidepost that never falters! Lifting you up in prayer!
Leah says
Hi Nancy, thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. It’s exciting to know that you are new to Bible reading. You may find it helpful to read along with others. Here’s how:
Proverbs 31 Ministries has a mobile app called First5. I’m one of the writers and would personally like to invite you (and everyone else who left a comment) to join us on this Bible reading/studying journey. The mobile app is completely free and it only takes 5 minutes to read, but our writing team is there to help you understand the Bible verses we are sharing each day. First5 is a wonderful community of believers from around the world who are reading God’s Word together each day. God is doing great things in our midst!! http://first5.org/about/