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As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. — Ecclesiastes 11:5 Thoughts on Today's Verse... "I don't know!" This sure seems to be one of the hardest phrases for us to say. When thinking about God and his ways, especially his work on us and plans for us made when we were in the womb, that's really all we can say. "I don't know!" The truths we know about God and his ways with us when we were in the womb are only what he has chosen to reveal to us. He is the Mystery of mysteries. He is the supreme unknowable Knowable. Yet what we do know of him, what he has revealed to us in Jesus, is not only mighty and awesome, but loving, tender, and merciful. We know his love is willing to sacrifice for us, so we could seek after him and find his grace. So in reverence, we kneel to pray to the Father we cannot fully know - at least not yet, but will one...

You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. — Psalm 139:13-14 Thoughts on Today's Verse... You are made by God. Just as surely as ANYone has been made by God, we have been made by God. He knew us before anyone knew we were in the womb. He knew us before our mother had even felt our flutter inside of her. God had plans for us before anyone even planned our arrival. He fashioned us for his purpose with plans for our lives. He made us purposely, faithfully, and he made us wonderfully. We are wonderfully made by a loving Creator! My Prayer... God Almighty, my Savior and Redeemer, thank you for knowing me before I was able to know. Thank you for choosing my life and giving it to me. Thank you for giving me the gifts, abilities, and talents that you have given me. Now, dear Father, please help me to live with a reverential awareness that you fashioned ...

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. — Proverbs 31:30 Thoughts on Today's Verse... So many things we honor and exalt in our culture are shallow and temporary. The one thing that lasts in a beautiful woman is not her charm or her external beauty, but her godliness. Let's make sure that our church families and our physical families value godly women and give them the praise they deserve. Then, we will recognize true beauty and true charm, because they reflect the beauty and charm of God! (See also the related thoughts from May 9 .) My Prayer... Holy God, please give us better eyes and more faithful hearts that we may see value in all people, especially those godly women whose character reflects your holiness, goodness, and grace. Please bless us as we raise our children, that we may instill in them a sense of proper values as they choose their life partners. And dear Father, please help us in our churches to value and praise ...

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life in Christ has set me free from the law of sin and death. — Romans 8:1-2 Thoughts on Today's Verse... We can join the apostle Paul in thanking God for his grace and use the famous words of Dr. Martin Luther King, as he quoted the old spiritual song: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" Becoming a Christian means we have been liberated from law-keeping as the basis of our salvation. We now have God living in us through the Holy Spirit, empowering us. The Spirit helps us to know God's will and then live it ( 1 Corinthians 2:10-13 ; Galatians 5:22-23 ). Through the Spirit's power, we can do what no law could make us do: live up to God's standards of righteousness by the power of the Spirit ( Romans 8:1-4 ). We are set free from law-keeping - not just Old Testament Law, but any law ( Galatians 3:21-22 ) - and e...

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. — Ephesians 4:32 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Be kind and compassionate? These two qualities seem to be in short supply these days as we look at social media, politics, and people's personal agendas. Maybe it's because we hold up the wrong heroes? Maybe it is because we haven't let the Holy Spirit rule in our hearts? Unfortunately, kindness and compassion are two qualities often seen as signs of weakness rather than strength. To forgive as God forgave us requires great courage and great strength, two resources the Holy Spirit can supply if we pray for that strength, and pray for that strength in our brothers and sisters ( Ephesians 3:14-21 ). So, let's pray for each other to be strong and courageous, and display those qualities through our kindness and compassion! Let's forgive each other, as God in Christ has forgiven us. My Prayer... Holy God, there is no way I c...

If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. — Matthew 18:15 Thoughts on Today's Verse... The right thing to do can also be the very hardest thing to do. Many of us find it much easier to gossip about someone who has wronged us than to obey Jesus. But one thing is the right thing when we have been wounded by the action of another brother or sister in Christ. Jesus commanded us to go to the person who has wronged us, try to keep the damage contained to just the two of us, and work on being reconciled with each other. Satan lives in the festering and poisonous places in our hearts where unforgiveness and resentment reside. God's desire, and what should be our goal as his children, is reconciliation that is personal, face-to-face, and genuine. Our desire to be reconciled to our offending brother or sister "for whom Christ died" ( Romans 14:15-16 ; 1 Corinthians 8:11 ) must...

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies ... She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. — Proverbs 31:10, 27-28 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Give honor to whom honor is due is what Paul commanded the believers in Rome to do ( Romans 13:7 ). Giving proper honor is important. We must give godly women the honor they are due, and doubly so to those who are godly mothers, whether their motherhood is physical or spiritual. Proverbs demonstrates this by devoting an entire chapter to the principle of honoring godly women ( Proverbs 31:1-31 ). Paul also emphasized the vital role women played among the believers in Rome as he closed his letter to them, and dedicated much of chapter 16 to honoring them. He named ten women who made significant contributions in leadership and service to the Kingdom of God that are worthy of respect and ho...

Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. — Colossians 4:5-6 Thoughts on Today's Verse... When presented with an opportunity, we choose to do and say kind things because Jesus has called us to that. He challenged us to be salt that adds savor and preservation to the world's hopelessness and decay ( Matthew 5:13 ). He called us to be light that casts out the world's darkness ( Matthew 5:14-16 ). We are committed to acting in ways that are kind and beneficial to others, especially with our speech. We pray for opportunities to be kind and encouraging because we want what we say to benefit others ( Ephesians 4:29 ). This verbal kindness is an indication of the Holy Spirit's presence ( Galatians 5:22-23 ) as the Spirit conforms us to our Savior's kindness and character ( 2 Corinthians 3:18 ). This kind of salty speech - not the profane, crude, and coarse speech often...

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Where does your heart live? That's what these verses remind us to ask ourselves. They challenge us to notice where we spend the most time and what we focus on most in our hearts. Is there a constant awareness in our lives that God is present? Is he the unseen but always present companion in all our ups and downs? Or is God with us when it is convenient and gone when things are busy, or you feel that everything is going well? Joy comes from knowing we are never alone. Prayer is the ongoing conversation we have, spirit to Spirit, child to Abba, human with God. Thanksgiving and joy are great reminders that we have been lavishly blessed, regardless of what our temporary outward circumstances suggest. Being joyful, praying continually, and giving thanks in all situations is God's will for us. Why? Because...

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. — James 5:16 Thoughts on Today's Verse... To confess our sins means we do two things with our sins: We recognize sin for what it is in God's eyes. We get rid of our secrets and are honest with another Christian about our weaknesses, vulnerabilities, failures, then have them pray for us to overcome those sins. James' language is powerful. He mentions that this confession doesn't just bring forgiveness, it brings healing. So, let's confess our sins to each other, and pray for each other, so we can bring healing to relationships, the family of God, and be a demonstration of reconciliation and healing to the world. My Prayer... Holy Father, I have sinned. I now confess my own personal sins of the following things: ____________. I ask for your forgiveness and for your Spirit to strengthen me to overcome temptation as I pursue Jesu...

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6-7 Thoughts on Today's Verse... God wants to hear our prayers. But to keep them from becoming too self-focused, God wants us always to remember to give thanks ( Philippians 4:6 ). It is so easy for us to turn prayer into a request line. We are the ones who are left bereft when thanksgiving and praise are robbed from our prayers. Without praise, our hearts grow dim because all we think about is our problems, and prayer becomes a wish list of stuff we selfishly want, treating God as our heavenly Santa Claus rather than the Father who sacrificed everything to make us his children! My Prayer... Gracious God, I have so many reasons to praise you. In the face of trial and hardship, I have your promises to reawaken my hope through your p...

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. — 2 Chronicles 7:14 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Humility is not our culture's most valued asset or most desired character quality. However, humility is what is needed - not so much because it's commanded (though that would be enough), but because we've "earned" our need for humility through our arrogance and abandonment of God and his character, compassion, and faithful lovingkindness. Every year brings another wave of major failures in morality, character, and spirituality among our leaders, both political and religious. Even on our best days, we all fall short of God's holiness. Rather than progressing culturally, we find ourselves slipping, rebelling, and degrading ourselves. Our need to approach God with humility is "earned." So let's b...

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. — Romans 12:12 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Sometimes the key to survival is simply "setting our jaw" and going on, faithfully trusting that God is there helping us, despite the apparent outward circumstances. Choosing joy through hope rather than dwelling on despair, choosing patient endurance in times of affliction, and choosing faithfulness in prayer when all circumstances are tough are all decisions of the will. They show that we trust God, who raised Jesus from the dead, can also change our circumstances because he hears our voice and loves us. Everything seemed to suggest God was silent and had forgotten his Son when Jesus was in the tomb. We know now this wasn't the case at all. We know that our triumph over sin, death, the evil one, and hell was happening during that silence. As we are being "joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" , let's also remain confident that ...

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him. — 1 John 5:14-15 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Confidence before God. That's a bit of an oxymoron if you meditate upon it. Yet through the presence of Jesus at the Father's right hand ( Hebrews 2:14-18 ; 1 Timothy 2:5 ) and the intercession of the Holy Spirit ( Romans 8:26-27 ), we can have confidence and come boldly before the Creator of the universe. Because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit's mediation and intercession for us, we know that God not only hears us, but that he also cares for us. Wow, what an audience! What confidence! Oh, and one final thing, he also ACTS on what we ask. The Holy Spirit shares this beautiful promise with us in Hebrews 4:16 : Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help u...

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. — Hebrews 11:6 Thoughts on Today's Verse... I believe! I believe that God not only knows me, but cares about me. I believe that God not only created the universe, but he also knows the number of hairs on my head. I believe that God not only sent his Son to save the world, but that he's sending him back to bring me home. What's more, I believe that God is pleased by my belief. And even on my worst days when it is hard, I pray, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief" ( Mark 9:24 ). I believe, and I know that pleases God! Video Commentary... ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer... Almighty God, most holy LORD, I thank you for your steadfast love and enduring faithfulness. I thank you for your grace and mercy. I thank you for your might and power. I thank you for your awesome holiness. I...