by Kelly W. | Mar 22, 2022 | Daily Walk
It’s not always apparent when God chooses to prune things from your life.
Sometimes He needs to teach you something in ways you don’t expect until you’ve overcome the struggle. Other times He needs to remove something so you can grow stronger in your faith.
A few years ago, I wanted a garden. So, we took a family trip to Home Depot and bought loads of flowers. Before we were about to checkout, I saw grapevines on sale, so I bought them.
I thought it would be fun to grow my own grapes, farmhouse-ish style.
I had no idea what I was doing.
The instructions said to give lots of water, till the soil, and prune the branches.
I thought I could be munching some grapes toward the end of Summer. But I had to wait 3 years!
Nevertheless, each year I watered, tilled, pruned, and waited. The waiting part was the hardest. Especially when the grapes looked so tasty.
The time finally came to enjoy the fruit, and you know what?
We sold our house that year!
I didn’t even get the chance to eat them because God had a different plan for us.
We’d searched for a new home for years, and He blessed us the year the grapes were ready.
I did all that work for someone else to enjoy.
Isn’t that a typical example of how God works in His own timing?
We might pray for something and be faithful, but God blesses us in His time and His way.
Those grapes would’ve tasted terrible if I had eaten them too early. But I stayed with it, faithfully pruning.
The same way we prune grapevines, God is pruning us.
Sometimes, He prunes us for a long time before we can even appreciate His blessings.
The pruning isn’t easy. In fact, we may not realize the struggle we’re going through is actually a good thing coming from God and not the world.
Psalms 91:2 (NKJV) says,
“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in him. I will trust.”
David declares how God has protected him, especially in difficult times. But he starts by first putting his trust in God.
Trust is something we struggle with. I know I certainly do. But it’s a necessary first step to embrace God, especially during times of pruning. Pruning is uncomfortable, and we must lean on Him through the changes.
But, we try to figure things out for ourselves and doubt our worth, so we don’t believe He’s talking to us in our life. His voice is overcome by the noise of our own guilt or shame.
It takes a LOT of submissions to fully accept His path.
Sometimes we unintentionally get in His way.
But it usually takes complete surrender for us to be open to what He’s doing.
God is pruning you to help your spiritual growth.
Here are 4 ways to reflect on how God is pruning you
1. Are you under pressure right now?
For example, is it a difficult time at work? Are you burning out at home? Usually, there’s pressure on you that tests your faith. But pressure helps you to see your strengths and weaknesses.
Most importantly, it guides you to look to God for help. Being faithful during stressful times has big rewards. It’s the pressure that brings out the character in you.
2. What temptations do you struggle with?
That doesn’t mean just the most obvious big ones, such as adultery or addictions. Instead, look into the more subtle temptations like toxic thinking about yourself, selfishness, anger, and idolatry. Look at what you are tempted to do, say, or think. Look at the situations you’re put into. Is God trying to show you something? Are you running away from Him or toward Him?
3. Who are your helpers?
Look for people in your life that are there for you during difficult times. Reflect on your relationship with them. Is it one-sided? God will bring people to you that can provide assistance through a hard time.
However, He can also show you the true colors of people you thought were reliable. They could be those you least expect. You will know the good ones by their fruits … if they consistently give you love, kindness, and longsuffering, they are probably genuine.
On the other hand, if they want you to be something else rather than accept you for who you are, God may be trying to remove them from your life.
When I first learned that I had cancer, the people I thought would be in my corner were surprisingly absent. But God also blessed me with many genuine people I didn’t expect would be my best supporters.
4. What conflict are you going through right now?
What obstacles are you trying to overcome? Something is occurring that you don’t want to change. But change may be what God needs from you. So take a step back and look at both sides of the conflict. What part lines up with God’s character?
I recommend studying the story of Joseph in the Bible (Genesis 37). Joseph was blessed with visions God gave him, but that gift almost cost him his life. His brothers were so jealous of him they threw him in a pit only for him to be taken into slavery. Ultimately, everything God allowed to happen to Joseph ended in blessing, not only to him and his family but the entire nation of Israel.
I hope these tips help you endure this time.
God’s pruning is uncomfortable for us but necessary for what He needs. Change is never easy when we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. But God’s path is always the best one. So keep praying and spending time with Him to hear His voice in your life.
You are a strong, capable individual that can do anything with God’s help.
Please comment with one way you’ve been blessed by God’s pruning in your life. I’d love to hear your story.
by Kelly W. | Nov 23, 2021 | Daily Walk
No one could love me … I feel empty … I’m not good enough … I don’t have the strength to love … I can’t be rejected again ….
Have you said any of these to yourself?
I know I have.
You don’t feel like you can accept love from Jesus because you’re not worthy of it. Or maybe you’re trying really hard but don’t feel it’s good enough.
The first thing you need to know is this …
You can’t do anything to change the love Jesus has for you.
That’s where it all starts.
Because He loves you, He chose to die for you. It’s all because of God’s grace.
You don’t have to earn it, just accept it.
Accept love …. Seems like a simple task, but because we are prisoners to our own thoughts, it’s nearly impossible sometimes.
After all, is there any critic harsher on yourself than you?
It’s so easy to blame ourselves for things, and it involuntarily gives us some kind of control over it. But tearing ourselves down because of things we’ve done, or have been done to us, only prevents us from accepting what Jesus wants to give.
If there’s a pain in your past, you are likely still fighting with it. No matter what it is, you had to deal with something that broke you at some point in your life.
Maybe you’ve never healed from it. Or you’ve recovered, but the healed areas are weak and feel like new cracks opening up any time there’s pressure.
The more pressure, the more the pain. Whether you feel that force from the outside world, or the inside world of your own thoughts, it’s pushing you farther from allowing love in your life.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8
Love is a gift.
It’s something given to us by God through Jesus Christ. But it’s hard to accept love when you don’t feel worthy or just too broken to fix.
Maybe you don’t think He could love someone like you.
If you feel that way, please know … His love is not conditional.
It exists whether you accept it or not.
He loves you and has shown you the highest form of that love by giving His own life for yours.
“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16).
Even if you don’t think you’re worthy, once you believe in Jesus and confess He is the Son of God, He abides in you.
He accepts you and stands with you. It has nothing to do with you deserving it.
It’s a tough thing to grasp because we work our entire lives to be accepted.
We work so hard to please people. We don’t want to be rejected because even bad company can feel better than loneliness.
When we don’t feel worthy of the love Jesus gives, it bleeds into other areas of our lives. As a result, we tend to push others away, even unknowingly.
If Jesus already loves us no matter what, then what do we have to do?
We believe that Jesus is the Son of God who gave His life for ours, died on the cross, and was resurrected. Therefore, we accept Him into our life as our Lord and Savior.
If you struggle to put your faith in Jesus, you’re not alone.
Unfortunately, most of us have a hard time, especially when we are in a difficult place in our lives.
I’ve accepted Jesus as my Savior but still falter in many ways. It’s not a destination. It’s a journey.
I know the cunning ways of my own mind and the lies I’ve believed for many years about myself. There is never peace from what I tell myself.
But it’s different with Jesus. Believing His words takes a leap of faith … and something changes when I choose to trust Him.
But the way He reaches me isn’t the same as you because every person is different. You have a unique relationship with Jesus that’s completely yours.
He will reach you in ways you need, no one else.
But I encourage you to let go.
Let go of the burden of lies. Just for one day, talk to yourself as if you’re talking to your best friend or sister.
If she came to you saying she can’t accept love because she’s not good enough for Jesus, what would you tell her?
Jesus wants you to know that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Mat 11:30).
We are surrounded by a world that doesn’t know Him. Every day within that world, seeing terrible things can test our faith.
I encourage you to listen to God’s word, not even your own. He will tell you the truth about yourself and the love He’s given you as a gift of grace.
Jesus knows what it’s like facing a world of rejection, hate, and pain.
But God is faithful, and Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).
His love gives you purpose, strength, and courage. You are worth it.
by Kelly W. | Oct 5, 2021 | Daily Walk
Do you have days that you feel like your cup is empty but you keep having to pour more out? You always give pieces of yourself to everyone else, but you’re burning out.
You care so much about everyone else, but what about you?
Days are repetitive. Dishes upon dishes, errands galore, and little if any “me” time. You are most likely the glue holding everything together.
But what if you are burning out?
You’re starting to come unglued, which means everything else is too.
Some days do you question why?
Why do you pick your kids clothes off the floor after you told them a thousand times about putting them in the hamper?
Why do you answer the phone at 3am knowing it’s your brother asking for money again?
Why stay at a dead-end job instead of following your passion?
I’m going to take a wild guess and say the root of your why is love.
You love your crazy kiddos and would do anything for them, even if it means repeating yourself until your hair starts falling out.
And your brother, he struggles with many things, but you love him anyway.
Your job may not be glamorous, but it puts food on the table for your family.
Love is the most powerful driving force in our lives. Love guides you, but burned out you isn’t going to give the way you truly want.
When is it enough? Who refills your cup when it’s empty?
When you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, His love is in you.
He is the source of the love you share with other people. It’s a gift from Him, and His Spirit is within you.
God’s love is inside you, and it’s the fountain of life. Its flow is endless and will provide whatever amount you need.
Jesus says, “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14, NKJV.
Think about that for a minute.
Your cup is empty, and you have no strength to refill it. But here comes Jesus, and He has a fountain of endless water for you.
Let Him search your heart. You are a special person, created in God’s image.
Quiet time with Him is more effective than any other task you perform in your everyday life.
I don’t mean to sound dismissive of the many priorities in your life that are extremely important. The point is, that you are the central force within those priorities. You’ll burn out if your heart isn’t filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
You and Him tackle life together, and you need each other. He needs you to spend time with Him so you can fulfill His purpose for your life.
You need Him to guide you and refill the love in your heart. The moment you get alone with Him, you know you’re in the right place. You feel your spirit finally satisfied.
Once your cup is filled with that love, you are a blessing to others… and God.
“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit” 1 John 4: 12-13, NKJV
He perfects love in you.
It doesn’t grow weary or lose its impact. On the contrary, it only gets stronger the more you give.
There’s no guilt or shame with Jesus, only encouragement and support.
When you feel like you have to keep juggling or else everything will fall, that’s when He’ll want you to put down the balls. So give it to Him and watch what happens.
Five ways to let Jesus refill your cup when you’re burned out:
1. Stop
Take a moment to breathe and stop your mind from racing about all the things you have to do in one day. You’re always on the go. Time to stop getting burned out. Take 10 minutes before work or wake up earlier than usual to sit in silence in your room. Even just 10 minutes with God will prepare you for the entire day. It opens the valve to let the fountain flow.
2. Ask for help
You do many things only you can do, but not absolutely everything. For example, maybe your kids can’t go to your job for you, but they surely can clean their own room or run the vacuum. Ask a friend to help with dinner. Do whatever you can to delegate some of your responsibilities to give you time to get on track. There’s no shame in asking for help. Remember, the purpose is to have your cup of love refilled. The more time you spend doing every little thing, the less time you have for the most important ways you serve those around you.
3. Get alone
Even if you have to hide in a closet to get some alone time with God, do it! Whatever you have to do to get alone with Him so you can open your heart, it’s the best intervention. The first time may be hard and uncomfortable, but you will want even more once you see how freeing it is.
4. Let it out
You might think, ok, now I made the time, now what do I say? Say everything! Whatever is in your heart. Talk to Him about dinner or even the frustration you feel because you’re so tired. The point is to let it out to your Savior. He can take any part of your life, whether broken or burned out, and help you find the purpose in it.
5. Repeat
Everything we just talked about … do it again. Keep it going daily or even weekly, and you will see a change in your life and in your relationship with God and Jesus. Time spent with Them is never wasted.
God bless you.
by Kelly W. | Aug 5, 2021 | Daily Walk
Prayer isn’t a ritual. It’s a relationship with God. But, how do you know you are praying “the right way”? Is there a right way to pray?
A church can teach you many things about prayer, fellowship, and the story of God’s love for us. But what if you never went to church?
Jesus calls you to follow Him right where you are. For you, maybe He called you at a low point in your life. He knows how to reach your heart when it’s just you and Him.
Perhaps you’ve always felt Him with you since you were a kid. No matter how He came into your life, it’s a very personal experience.
And, most likely, it wasn’t when you were in church.
But, once you trust in Him as your Savior, it can be hard to know what to do next.
When I started going to church as an adult, I didn’t know what to expect. My Dad always talked to me about the word of God, but we didn’t belong to a specific church.
So, when I decided to attend a non-denominational Christian church in my twenties, I traveled uncharted territory. Despite my love for God and talking to people, it was uncomfortable.
I felt like I already had a personal relationship with God, and I wasn’t sure how these people would fit into that. I had questions …
Do they believe in the word of God?
Would they try to change me?
What if they just want money?
I felt God calling me to get out of my head and just go. So, I had to listen.
The church wasn’t in a typical church building but in a YWCA meeting hall. So, I sat at the end of the last row, with my head down, taking notes.
My usual extroverted self took the day off, and my skeptical introvert took over.
I kept going, sitting by myself and letting that introvert lead the way.
It was months before I really talked to anyone. It was the most out of character thing I’d ever done.
Why is it so hard to embrace church?
I struggled at first because my relationship with God is very personal, just like yours is with Him.
I didn’t want that to change. Honestly, I didn’t want anyone else to tell me I had to change it or make it different.
Most of my prayers took place in my car while driving. I just talked to God all the time.
I was afraid that a church full of people who knew “the right way to pray” would try to take it away. Or judge me for not being just like them.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I found out that many of those people did the same thing. They had their own relationship with God too.
Your relationship with God involves talking to Him. You may hear people talk about “prayer life.” I didn’t know what that meant, but it’s just a way of saying how you meet with God.
The most important thing you can do is spend time with God through prayer. As much time as you can.
Whether you go to church, spend time in your room, or even take a walk to talk to Him, it’s all part of building your relationship.
“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving” Colossians 4:2
There’s a lot to learn from this one verse. So let’s break it down.
Earnestly in prayer
When you are praying, are you really sharing your heart with God? This is your Father. He knows you inside and out and created every part of you. He wants you to share your deep desires with Him.
Instead of passively reciting “our Father who art in heaven,” maybe start with “God I don’t know what to do. I need your help. Please search my heart. In Jesus’ holy name I pray…”
The Lord’s prayer is wonderful, and it was taught to us by Jesus. But, God also wants you to open your heart … what’s in it right now?
Fear. Anxiety. Shame. Guilt. Despair. Love. Faith. Joy.
You can share all of that with Him.
Jesus teaches “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” Matthew 6:6
Prayer isn’t for show. It’s for you and God.
No one can tell you what you should say because no one knows what’s in YOUR heart except God.
Being Vigilant in Prayer
When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you do?
You probably do that thing every day. You either have to do it, or you choose to do it. Either way, it’s part of your daily life.
Life is crazy, especially with what’s going on in the world right now. The day will easily get away from you.
That’s why being intentional in planning time for God helps. Although, I have to admit I struggle with this sometimes.
Spending 10 minutes with God in the morning before everyone in the house wakes up can change your entire day.
Vigilance means alert, aware, and attentive.
The time you sit down to pray will be the time you’re most attacked by Satan. He’ll try to distract you, even in the middle of your prayer.
Do you know why?
Because the more time you spend with God, the stronger His spirit is within you.
That is a threat to Satan.
There is no higher level of importance than your relationship with the living God. Through Jesus Christ, you can have the connection with God He’s always wanted, and you’ve always craved.
Pray with Thanksgiving
It’s easy to forget what we’ve once prayed for when things are going good, right?
Outta sight, outta mind.
The hard stuff He’s carried you through becomes part of your past that you don’t think about every day. We get used to our lives quickly moving, and overlook blessings right in front of our faces.
Try to remember what Jesus has done for you. You can experience joy, peace, and the full grace of God because of Him.
Look around you and find the goodness He’s put in your life.
This is not to guilt you in any way, just encouragement to open your heart and mind to the blessings God has given you.
If it’s hard for you to see, spend more time with Him. Tell Him about it. Let Him know you want to see your life as He does.
He’ll hear you.
How does prayer change your life?
Here are a few (among many) ways:
- You get closer to Jesus
- You start to see yourself and your life in a different, positive light
- You develop a hunger for more Jesus in your life
- You see the path God is putting in front of you
- You make time with God a priority, which helps you focus
- Your heart is guided toward what God wants, not just what you want
- You grow in your spiritual life
If you are struggling to find time to talk to God, you are not alone.
Remember, your relationship with God is personal and different from everyone else’s.
The best thing you can do is simply make the time.
You’ll see a transformation occur in your life.
It’s time with your Father through Jesus, your Savior. They are waiting for you.
Please comment if you struggle in your prayer life and how we can pray for you
by Kelly W. | Jul 16, 2021 | Daily Walk
Do you ever feel like you want to give up?
You know you should push forward, but you just can’t find the energy. You feel like giving up and throwing in the towel.
You question the purpose of this tough thing you’re going through because you’ve been faithful.
God rewards those who believe in Him, right?
So why is it so hard?
I remember a time when I almost didn’t finish nursing school. I was a non-traditional student, which is a fancy way to say I was old compared to the others.
I wanted to quit.
I prayed instead. A lot.
And despite my feelings, I stayed the course, kicking and screaming the entire time.
And you know what? I graduated.
God had to nudge me, but I did it. He provided the path. I just had to walk it.
Becoming a nurse was the hardest but most rewarding journey I’ve ever taken. I’ve met people I’ll never forget.
But the most important part was being able to help in their vulnerable moments.
God was always with me, even when I wanted to give up.
In your life, I’m sure there are times you’ve wanted to quit, too.
But maybe your situation is more tragic, like losing someone you love.
You feel lost and heartbroken. And you just don’t have the strength anymore.
Sometimes, it’s just too hard.
And pushing forward takes too much energy that you have to muster from every cell in your body.
It isn’t easy to see God’s plan when we’re going through something difficult.
But God’s word says to be steadfast and immovable.
So how can we stay the course when all we want to do is give up?
We let Jesus do it.
We aren’t strong enough to withstand all the battles in our flesh telling us to quit.
Our spirit is broken down by the lies of the world, saying we can do everything ourselves.
We feel inadequate, shameful even when we feel like giving up, which only fuels more despair.
But Jesus can do it. So ask Him for help right where you are.
Pray. Pray. Pray.
Building your relationship with Jesus will strengthen His presence in your life.
The more time you spend with Him, the more you trust Him.
You’d be surprised at how He shows up just when you can’t take it anymore.
He promised you that He would give you rest.
Resting in Jesus doesn’t mean giving up and just going to sleep.
It means giving Him your burden and taking comfort in the truth that He will carry it.
Whatever makes you feel like quitting, God knows you are capable of being steadfast with His help.
He is faithful that you will press forward.
And you know who else knows? Satan.
He knows that you are powerful and immovable as soon as you have God and Jesus on your side.
Trust God, give it to Jesus, and you will make it through.
It sounds too easy, but trust is the hardest thing for us to give away.
Please comment below on how we can pray for you in your journey.
You’re not alone. You can do this!
