Category: Faith

Calming Prayers for Mom Before Having Surgery

Posted on by Donna Snow

My mom has faced some health issues in recent years even though she is in relatively good health. However, today she had surgery to remove a basal cell carcinoma from her face. I said a lot of prayers for Mom before surgery.

Even though the medical staff reassured Mom that she has the “best” kind of cancer, it is still cancer. A word that can bring fear to the bravest heart.

Mom loved laying out in the sun slathered in suntan oil when she was younger. And her dermatologist said it was only a matter of time before such spots appeared. So how did we prepare for surgery?

Contents

We Celebrated First

My family gathered for Mom’s 81st birthday just a few weeks ago. We celebrated her life with fun decorations, enjoyed lots of cake, and prayed for a successful surgery. 

Mom bravely went under the hands of the surgeons in the operating room today. She is now in the recovery process.

The time during her healing process will tell us if the cancer removal was successful. She will need to come to grips with a scar on her face – a hard thing for anyone.

I spent a lot of time in prayer for Mom over the past several weeks. In fact, if you have never kept a prayer journal, that certainly helps see how God moves.

Always Pray in Jesus’ Name

As a Christian, you understand that the power of prayer must precede everything. And that healing prayer is vitally important for the life of a loved one – especially a mom.

Jesus is your power source: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18, ESV). So with confidence and peace of mind, you pray in His name.

Prayer enables you to ask Almighty God in Jesus’ holy name to take control of the situation. So start by asking the Great Physician to positively influence the hands of the medical people for a successful operation and speedy recovery.

God is your heavenly father who cares for you all the time, but most especially in your time of need. At the same time, He has given you free will to determine what you want.

God is a gentleman and does not intrude into your affairs if we do not want him to. In fact, Scripture says, “You have not because you ask not” (James 4:2-3, ESV). So trust His loving arms every step of the way.

Powerful Prayers Before Surgery

So what are the best ways to pray for someone as beloved and important as a mom? And on such a sobering occasion as a surgical procedure?

Inviting the Lord Jesus Christ and Divine Healer is the most crucial step. Here are prayers that I have found helpful during this journey with my Mom to use as a starting point for your own prayers.

Helpful Prayers

Gracious Father, we commit into Your hands the surgeon’s hand and medical professionals. Send Your guardian angels to guide them and preserve Mom with Your healing touch. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Dear God, I ask that You come into this operation room and take control of the medical team for Mom’s surgery today. Restore Mom to full health through complete healing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

O Lord, please give Mom (and her family) a peace that passes human understanding. You are the God of hope, so with grateful hearts, we ask You to guide the surgical team through the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Father God, surgery can be a difficult time with all of the worry that we let creep in. You are Lord of lords full of loving kindness, so ease our worry. Let the peace of God rule over any anxiety to bring perfect harmony today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer Scripture for Someone Going Into Surgery

Heavenly Father, your promises are as true today as they were in Bible times. You promised, “I am the Lord that heals you” (Exodus 15:26, ESV). I trust that promise while Mom is on the operating table today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Jesus, when you touched Peter’s mother-in-law, her fever immediately disappeared (Luke 4:38-40, ESV). Extend your healing hand over Mom today and completely restore her health. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dear Lord, You promise in Scripture that when we commit our work and plans into Your hands, You will establish them (Proverbs 16:3, ESV). I commit the work of the doctors and nurses into Your hands for successful surgery and Mom’s healing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dear God, give my mom Your peace that surpasses all human understanding. Remove every fear, trouble, and anxiety from her, and fill her with confidence that she is safe in Your hands. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Good Prayer for Someone Having Surgery

Lord God, bring to the surgeon’s hands all of the skills needed for a successful outcome. Prepare them with sharp minds and grant Mom a full recovery surrounded by loving family and your good things. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dear Heavenly Father, give Mom peace from an anxious heart. Provide her physical body with the best care in that surgery room to give her long life and normal life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dear Jesus, only you can bring the healing power of God. Give the doctors and nurses the skill and ability to make the right decisions to bring Mom safety through surgery. enrich her daily life by granting her complete healing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dear Father, my prayer today is for Mom. As she faces surgery tomorrow, I trust you to guide the hands of the doctor. Calm all anxious thoughts and bring healing in the mighty name of Jesus.

Short Prayer for Successful Surgery and Recovery

Dearest God, we put all our trust in you. Bless the doctor’s hands and the outcome of surgery. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

O God, I pray that the surgery room is filled with the heavenly host. Let them surround Mom, the doctors, and the medical staff to bring healing through a successful surgery. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Loving Heavenly Father, let the doctors and nurses be extensions of your healing hand. We trust you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dearest Jesus, I entrust Mom’s body, soul, and spirit in your perfect hands during surgery. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Father, I know that you cherish her more than I do, and pray that you will bring her through better than ever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord God, full health is what I desire for Mom so I boldly pray that be her portion in Jesus’ name. 

Prayer for Safe Operation

Father, as Mom’s surgery draws near, an anxious heart can make peace elusive. Calm her from the inside out as only you can do. Give her comfort in knowing that you are working for her good and your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dear Lord, give us comforting words of hope and healing to share with Mom as she goes in for her operation. Let those holy words wash over her to bring peace and hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Jesus, you can heal all sickness and disease, even those we may classify as incurable. I believe in miracles and pray that you strengthen and heal Mom through today’s operation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord and Friend, I ask that you renew Mom’s health today through a successful operation in such a remarkable way that no one can take glory for it but You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Father, you have brought Mom to this point so that you can bring healing to her body. Guide the hands of the surgeon and medical staff to ensure a successful operation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer for After Surgery

Father God, thank you for bringing Mom through a successful surgery today. I praise you for working through the doctors to accomplish everything needed to heal Mom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dear Jesus, I pray that you complete the healing work that you started today in Mom’s surgery. Keep her stable and strengthen her hour by hour as you continue to make her well. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dear God, as Mom now moves from surgery to health, bless her with a strong body, mind, and spirit. Let her see Your hand in her healing and rely on You for all the days of her life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dear Father, I am so thankful that you have brought Mom safely through surgery! I pray that you continue to heal her body so that she can serve you fully with joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pray Without Ceasing

He wants you to live a life of constant prayer. In fact, Scripture specifically says, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV). Those moments when you are waiting in the doctor’s office provide great opportunities to talk with God.

Engage in ongoing communication with Him as your closest friend. Such honest and open hearts enable you to build a strong relationship with Him. Over time, you learn to rely on Him for all your needs.

Silent prayers are just as effective as spoken prayers. God’s power resides in both, so if you are uncomfortable praying out loud or find yourself in a situation where you need to be silent, prayer is still possible.

The Bible is as true today as the days in which it was written. God is the healer of your soul and body, offering His resurrection life to bring healing, both physically and eternally.

God wants you to pray when things are going well and when they are going the other way. He wants you to pray about everything and never rely upon your own efforts or abilities.

Why Is Prayer Important?

​Almighty God is the giver of life. As the Great Physician, only He can bring healing into anyone’s life. 

Prayer intentionally brings the power of God into any situation. Although Jesus is always present, He will not barge into your life. He gently knocks and waits for you to open the door. 

Intentional prayer also brings an acute awareness of His presence in your life. As you pray for certain people or situations, you will be able to discern how God is moving. That is a strong way to strengthen your faith!

God promises: “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you” (Jeremiah 29:12, ESV). God is as close as your next breath and hears every word – both spoken and unspoken.

Some medical cases are not physical even though they may appear to be so. Some ailments can only be answered by prayers. Jesus said, “This kind will not go except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21, footnote).

Do Not Be Ignorant of Satan’s Devices

Scripture clearly warns us: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, ESV). 

That passage continues by letting you know what to do: “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world” (1 Peter 5:9, ESV).

I wrote an entire 8-week Bible study on the armor of God called “Your Strong Suit” based on Ephesians 6:10-18. Understanding the defensive armor that God has provided emboldens us to fight the good fight with prayer leading the charge.

The Armor of God

God has also given you the most powerful offensive weapon: “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17, ESV).

In order to use that all-powerful, spiritual offensive weapon, you need to know God’s Word. Studying the Bible is key. Here are several Bible studies to get you started.

Regularly reading through Scripture is also a powerful tool in your spiritual arsenal against attacks of the enemy. Set yourself the task of reading through the Bible by picking one of these free Bible reading plans.

bible-study-armor-of-god

God is For You

Knowing God’s Word is key to an effective prayer life. As you read through Scripture, pick out some key Bible verses to memorize. 

Committing your life and the life of your loved ones into God’s hands is the most effective way to live a God-honoring life full of contentment and peace, despite any hard time that comes.

He is for you and not against you! He will bring about His perfect plan in your life that will be far better than you could have planned.

The goodness of the Lord and His higher power in your life are the greatest blessings that you will ever receive. He faithfully holds you in the palm of His mighty hand.

Related Posts:

About the Author
Donna is a sought-after author, speaker, and Bible teacher. Her path from being unchurched to becoming passionate about sharing Jesus was not easy. Read her God-breathed journey: “From Unchurched to Becoming a Multi-Published Author and Sought-After Speaker.” If you want to send Donna a quick message, then visit her here.

{Some of these links are affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through that link, the ministry may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!}

The Shortest Books of the Bible in Order (Free Download)

Posted on by Donna Snow

Have you ever wondered which book of the entire Bible is the shortest? In the English translation, it is 2 John at 321 words. I didn’t know that!

In the Old Testament, the Book of Obadiah is the shortest book with 645 words in its single chapter. It is also the shortest book in the Hebrew language as it only contains 21 verses. 

In the New Testament books, the shortest book of the Bible in the original Greek is 3 John with a word count of about 200. 

Contents

Since most of us do not read the Word of God in its original languages (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic), I counted the number of words in English based on the ESV version, including chapter titles but not footnotes. 

Consequently, if you have challenged yourself to study the Bible by reading the shorter book to the longest book in order (and in English), then start with 2 John. 

Is Third John the Shortest Book in the New Testament?

In the original Greek language, the third Epistle of John wins the short book category. However, in the English language, the winner is second John. Actually, 2 John is a short letter rather than a book, which also contains the fewest verses. 

The Apostle John, who wrote the Gospel of John (as well as the prophetic Book of Revelation on the Island of Patmos), also wrote the general letters of 1, 2, and 3 John. 

Though these letters contain fewer words, their powerful message was to encourage believers in the wake of the rising controversy. Some believers had left their Christian congregations amidst rising trouble and false teachers.

The Top Five Shortest Books in the Bible

These five shorter books in the Bible contain the same number of chapters: only one. In order from the shortest first, they are:

  • 2 John: 321 words, 13 verses, 1 chapter
  • 3 John: 323 words, 15 verses, 1 chapter
  • Philemon: 496 words, 25 verses, 1 chapter
  • Jude: 639 words, 25 verses, 1 chapter
  • Obadiah: 645 words, 21 chapters, 1 chapter

What is the Longest Book in the Bible?

The Book of Psalms wins the prize for the longest book with 45,262 words and 2,461 verses contained in 150 chapters (again, in English). In fact, it has double the total number of verses to the second runner-up, the Book of Jeremiah (1,364 verses). 

In comparison to another poetry book, the Song of Solomon contains 2,750 words in 117 verses over 8 chapters.

The length of the books of the Bible varies greatly. However, its sacred texts reveal the meaning of life.

What is the First Book in the Bible?

The Book of Genesis is the first book of the Bible, as well as the first of the Old Testament books. It is the fourth longest book in Scripture with 38,302 words and 1,533 verses contained in 50 chapters. 

Genesis is a great place to start studying the historical books of the Old Testament. It lays the historical foundation for the entire Bible. It is the epic adventure of the people of Israel that points to a promised land through encounters with specific individuals.

From the first to the last book, Genesis to Revelation, we encounter major prophets, minor prophets of God, Israel’s history, and your future into eternity with Jesus.

What is the First Book of the New Testament?

The Book of Matthew is the first book in the Bible. It is also the first Gospel contained in the New Testament. It outlines the genealogy and life of Jesus. 

Matthew also shares the Good News of Salvation for new believers. Through this Gospel, you witness the saving ministry of Jesus for the first time in the New Testament.

There are four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The first three are called the “Synoptic Gospels”, while John’s Gospel is unique.

Which is the Longest Gospel?

The Book of Luke comes in first as the longest Gospel with 26,461 words, with the Gospel of Mark as the shortest Gospel with 15,479 words. 

Incidentally, Luke’s Gospel is the longest book in the entire New Testament, with the Book of Acts coming in second at 24,845 words.

The Gospels hold the greatest love story of all time: Jesus Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, those red letter words of Jesus in the Gospels still work to cultivate a strong faith in Christians today.

Where to Start Reading the Bible

As you work your way through Scripture in Bible study, you will eventually cover the whole thing. However, I suggest starting with the Book of John.

​John’s Gospel is the beautiful story of Jesus’ life. Since John wrote this Gospel decades after the other three, this Gospel contains stories not found anywhere else in the entire book. 

Then follow John with the Book of Romans. Romans teaches essential Christian doctrine and beliefs. Then follow Romans with the Book of Proverbs, which reveals how to live a good, God-honoring life.

Check out my list of the Best Books of the Bible to Read First.

Languages of the Bible

Scholars generally recognize three languages as original biblical languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. 

The Old Testament is written primarily in Hebrew. It is commonly known as Biblical Hebrew because it differs from Modern Hebrew. 

The language of the New Testament is Koine, a form of Greek that was widely understood in the Mediterranean regions around 2,000 years ago.

However, neither Hebrew nor Greek was Jesus’ native tongue. He spoke in a third language which was used in the writing of some books of the Hebrew Bible: Aramaic.

Helpful Bible Study Tools

I became a Christian in my early twenties, about three decades ago. I literally opened a Bible for the first time and had no clue that there were Old and New Testaments. 

Bible study is now my passion. I am constantly journaling. Not just for head knowledge, but so that I know how to apply God’s truths to everyday life. Hard things like forgiving when I don’t feel like it. Can you relate?

I did not know who Jesus is, much less what He has done for all who believe that He is Lord and Savior. Here are some useful resources that I put together:

Helpful Topical Studies in the Bible

Aside from reading through the entire Bible, it is helpful to group certain topics to help us grasp certain truths in Scripture.

I put together these useful resources that you may find helpful as you familiarize yourself with Scripture:

The Truth Matters

In today’s world people want to embrace their own truth and live their lives accordingly. Some choices do not line up with the Word of God. However, knowing the unwavering truth of Scripture changes everything.

When you realize how much mercy and grace Jesus extends to you on a daily basis, it affects how you treat strangers. It encourages you to be kind even when you are frustrated. 

But most of all, it holds the truth that changes your eternity. Jesus Christ came to live the perfect life you couldn’t, took your sins on Him to the cross, and died on your behalf to save you from God’s wrath. 

Because of Jesus, you have the hope to live eternally where there are no more tears and no more pain. 

The Result

The Bible is not simply a book. It is God’s personal love letter to you. His perfect invitation to join Him in eternity through faith. And He will keep inviting you every single day. 

Whether you read Scripture in book order, chronological order, from shortest to longest, or one collection of books at a time, just start reading. God will change your life through it.

Free download:

books-of-the-bible

Related Posts:

About the Author
Donna is a sought-after author, speaker, and Bible teacher. Her path from being unchurched to becoming passionate about sharing Jesus was not easy. Read her God-breathed journey: “From Unchurched to Becoming a Multi-Published Author and Sought-After Speaker.” If you want to send Donna a quick message, then visit her here.

{Some of these links are affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through that link, the ministry may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!}

What Does the Bible Say About Coffee? 

Posted on by Donna Snow

There is almost nothing better than spending precious quiet moments with coffee in the morning before the chaos of the day begins. 

My morning routine is simple: make a fresh cup of coffee and settle into my prayer chair with God’s Word. Many of my favorite coffee mugs have a morning Bible verse printed on them. It is a peaceful, serene, God-focused start to my day.

That morning pause for coffee lovers and pondering God’s love is a perfect way to get ready for a long day ahead. It also provides time to reflect on those things we are grateful for. So does the Bible talk about coffee at all?

Contents

What Does the Bible Say About Coffee?

Coffee as we know it today likely did not exist during biblical times. At least, there is no official record or documentation about this intoxicating strong drink. However, there is an interesting argument (albeit satirical) that may reference coffee in the Bible from the Old Testament book of Isaiah.

A few interesting verses in Isaiah 51 and 52 reference, “Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the Lord, the cup…of trembling, and drained it out” (Isaiah 51:17). So perhaps it is simply not God’s will that His people be tired and groggy!

However, partaking in the enjoyment of coffee invites you to pause and allow the renewal of your mind. Take a deep breath. Gaze at something other than a computer screen. Enjoy a chat with a friend.

There is nothing like a good cup of joe during times of trouble or solving practical problems as a warming source of comfort.

10 Bible Verses for Coffee Lovers

I have gathered some of my favorite Bible verses that could be applied to coffee (along with the interesting origin and historical facts) that can sit front and center with your morning coffee to make a merry heart about God’s provision.

1. “Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.” (Proverbs 31:6-7, ESV)

2. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17, ESV)

Release Worry

3. “You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth—wine to make them glad, olive oil to soothe their skin, and bread to give them strength.” (Psalm 104:14-15, NLT)

4. “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:31-33, NLT)

Live in Hope

5. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23, NKJV)

6. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13, NKJV)

7. “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31, NIV)

8. “Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3, NLT)

For Your Wellbeing

9. ​”Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.” (Ecclesiastes 9:7, NIV)

10. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4, NIV)

Does the Bible Talk About Coffee?

The Bible does not specifically talk about coffee, but nowadays we certainly love talking about the glory of God and the means of grace while enjoying coffee, don’t we?

I love that such a simple thing as coffee can cause me to dig into the treasures of Scripture to discover a different verse and embrace new challenges of all kinds.

One of the most engaging ways to start a small group Bible study is by gathering at a local coffee shop. Meeting in such a non-threatening environment removes the stumbling block of church formality for people who are just starting to seek Jesus Christ. 

Scripture tells us that you and I are temples of the Holy Spirit. A spiritual act of worship means embracing the will of God every single day. I don’t know about you, but embracing that calling requires alertness and both eyes opened. That may be a tad dramatic, but coffee is my fuel of choice. 

Is Coffee Forbidden in the Bible?

The question of whether or not Jesus drank coffee in the New Testament has yet to be fully answered. Historical records show coffee appearing centuries after Jesus. Consequently, the Bible does not forbid coffee. 

In fact, there are numerous Bible verses that certainly could be applied to coffee drinkers. Personally, I believe coffee is one of the beautiful mercies of God for all of us non-early riser folks.

The best version of me appears after I have my morning coffee. Talk about new life (in alertness, at least)! Can I get an amen? 

You and I experience the love of the Father in so many ways, both large and small. Warming my hands and tummy with delicious coffee brings about much fruit in ministry.

The most effective way that I can focus on an intricately detailed biblical commentary is to do so with hot coffee steaming nearby. There is just something about a caffeinated living sacrifice that makes this Jesus girl tick.

The Origin of Coffee

The first recorded wild coffee plants, likely from Kefa, Ethiopia, were taken to southern Arabia for cultivation in the 15th century. There are many legends about the discovery of coffee, but the most popular is that of Kaldi, an Arab goatherder. 

In about 850 AD, Kaldi noticed his goats frolicking and full of energy after eating the red fruit of the coffee shrub. He supposedly sampled the berries of the evergreen bush on which his goats were feeding. After experiencing a sense of exhilaration, he proclaimed his discovery to the world.

Second only to oil, coffee is the most valuable legally traded commodity in the world. We love it, we rely on it, and we drink it in massive quantities. It is estimated that 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day worldwide. 

The History of Coffee Through the Ages

Whatever the actual origin of coffee, its stimulating effect undoubtedly made it popular throughout history.

Interestingly, Islamic authorities pronounced the drink intoxicating and therefore prohibited by the Quran. Many Muslims were attracted to the beverage as a substitute for alcohol, also prohibited by the Quran. 

Despite the threat of severe penalties, coffee drinking spread rapidly among Arabs and their neighbors and even gave rise to a new social and cultural entity, the coffeehouse. Caffeine addiction was here to stay.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, industrial roasting and grinding machines came into use, vacuum-sealed containers were invented for ground roasts, and decaffeination methods for green coffee beans were developed. Coffee in all its forms has found its way into homes across the globe. 

How Do You Process a Coffee Bean?

In October 2020, I visited Hawaii for the first time right after it opened following the pandemic. One of our stops was a coffee bean processing plant on the big island of Kona. It was fascinating to see the process firsthand!

Before coffee became our favorite morning beverage, it appeared in a variety of different preparations. In its unprocessed form, coffee is a cherry-like fruit, which becomes red when ripe; the coffee bean is found at the center of the red coffee fruit.

The ripened fruits of the coffee plant are known as coffee cherries, and each cherry generally contains two coffee seeds (“beans”) positioned flat against one another.

About 5 percent of the cherries contain only one seed; called pea berries, those single seeds are smaller and denser and produce, in the opinion of some, a sweeter, more flavorful coffee.

The cherries are removed from the coffee bean pods by drying the seeds. Three techniques are used for processing coffee: (1) the dry, or “natural,” process, (2) the wet (and washed) process, and (3) a hybrid process. The coffee resulting from those processes is called green coffee, which is then ready for roasting. 

Can Coffee Serve as An Outreach Opportunity?

If God is prompting you to engage in more outreach, suggest a coffee meet-up or Bible study at your local coffee shop. Away from the formality of a church and the familiarity of home, a coffee shop is relaxing enough yet just outside of your comfort zone to prompt meaningful discussions.

Such wonderful community-minded gatherings increase your own understanding of God in a non-church setting. It serves an important lesson as a reminder of God working in any setting and through any person.

Taking that outreach a step further, a local coffee shop with a food option also helps your community’s prosperity – especially if it is a family-owned small business. Building a rapport with your local community through a shared love of coffee can open the door for God’s presence to shine bright.

Final Thoughts

Each coffee drinker has their own way of justifying drinking their favorite brew. Just remember, like every other good thing in life, coffee is best when followed by this simple biblical guideline:

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12, NIV)

So, perhaps, three cups of coffee a day would be more beneficial than three entire pots of coffee. However, I am not here to pass judgment. 

So start your day in a beautiful way. Grab your favorite coffee, a fresh journal, and the Word of God during your quiet morning time. I’ll be here in my Texas cottage doing the very same thing. Just pass the cream and sugar, please.

Related Posts:

About the Author
Donna is a sought-after author, speaker, and Bible teacher. Her path from being unchurched to becoming passionate about sharing Jesus was not easy. Read her God-breathed journey: “From Unchurched to Becoming a Multi-Published Author and Sought-After Speaker.” If you want to send Donna a quick message, then visit her here.

{Some of these links are affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through that link, the ministry may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!}

70 Inspirational Friday Bible Verses and Prayer Blessings

Posted on by Donna Snow

Every morning needs prayers and blessings from God’s Word and that certainly includes Friday. Consequently, inspirational Friday Bible verses and prayer prompts can uplift your heart.

Even though I sometimes view Friday as the best day of the week, it can certainly be challenging for various reasons.

​Whether you are a fan of Friday or not, it is still a day that the Lord has made, so we can rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24) So pour some coffee or tea into an inspirational mug and let’s dive into Friday.

I searched Scripture to glean many good things from the Word of God to bless your Friday morning. You can use these as anchors for your day or pass them along to someone who may need the good gift of a beautiful day.

Here are some good morning Friday blessings sorted by categories so that you can easily find the ones that offer the perfect gift for you today. 

Contents

  1. Friday Prayer Blessings About the Love of God
  2. Good Friday Quotes About the Work Week
  3. Friday Encouragement for Friends
  4. Friday Quotes for a Blessing-Filled Day
  5. Friday Morning Motivation for a Great Day
  6. Prayers and Wisdom for Friday Night
  7. Good News Despite Hard Times
  8. Good Deeds for a Blessed Friday
  9. Inspirational Bible Verses About the Peace of God
  10. Joy-Filled Friday Bible Verses
  11. Friday Thanksgiving to the Lord

If the prayer or blessing are Scripture quotations, the biblical reference will be in parenthesis at the end. If it is a direct quote from another author, it will have quotation marks around it.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible quotes are from the English Standard Version with a link to Bible Gateway if you would like to see a different version.

Friday Prayer Blessings About the Love of God

The Bible says that God is love, which makes the Word of God the perfect source to know what love means and how you can love people. Knowing that you are loved beyond imagination is a beautiful way to wrap up your week!

  • “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
  • “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
  • “The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.” ―C.S. Lewis
  • “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13, NIV)
  • “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9)

Good Friday Quotes About the Work Week

God’s words says that working honestly, but with faith in mind, can lead to the great things He has planned for us. Allow these verses to encourage and motivate you to do the best you can do every day of the week.

  • “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24)
  • “Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.” ―Roy T. Bennett
  • “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3)
  • “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” (Psalm 90:17)
  • “When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully. When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.” ―Steve Maraboli

Friday Encouragement for Friends

Friends are truly one of God’s great blessings of life. Friends walk with you through the tough times and rejoice with you through the good times. As you start out this Friday, spend time thanking God for those friends in your life.

  • “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.” (Proverbs 27:9)
  • “A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” ―Elbert Hubbard
  • “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17)
  • “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:12-13)
  • “If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.” ―Joan Powers
  • “My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend.” (Job 16:20-21, NIV)

Friday Quotes for a Blessing-Filled Day

Whether or not you acknowledge them or even recognize them, God’s blessings fill our days. Like a parent who delights in blessing their children, God loves to pour blessings over our lives.

  • “Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart.” ―Roy T. Bennett
  • “You are the only you God made… God made you and broke the mold.” ―Max Lucado
  • “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. Opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.” ―Elie Wiesel
  • “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” ―Herman Melville
  • “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” ―Confucius
  • “If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning… Face it, friend. He is crazy about you!” ―Max Lucado

Friday Morning Motivation for a Great Day

Pause and allow these Bible verses to encourage you to trust in God and be grateful for the blessing of life. Be inspired by the Word of God!

  • “For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)
  • We know it is a blessing-filled day because it is a day you created, O Lord!
  • “For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV)
  • “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
  • “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)
  • “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
  • “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

Prayers and Wisdom for Friday Night

The work week is over, so I am pausing social media to gather with my family members and loved ones to celebrate what the Lord did this week. Such times make life rich.

  • “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” ―Nicolas Chamfort
  • “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” (Isaiah 41:13)
  • “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” ―Kurt Vonnegut
  • “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” (3 John 1:2)
  • “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” (Psalm 92:1-2)
  • The best thing you did today, Lord, is simply show up and let your light shine on me and through me. Thank you, Lord!

Good News Friday Despite Hard Times

When you are feeling weak or timid, these scriptures remind you that God is present with you. Despite your fears and insecurities, God is near to you, providing you with strength in your time of need. 

  • “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
  • “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
  • “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)
  • “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” ―Maya Angelou
  • “The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” (Exodus 15:2)
  • “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2)

Good Deeds for a Blessed Friday

Jesus showed the ultimate selflessness in laying down His life to set you free. Imitating His selfless love by serving others instead of simply self-serving brings blessings upon blessings. 

  • “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Galatians 5:13)
  • “May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” (Ruth 2:12)
  • God is merciful and gracious and is abounding in goodness and truth. May all of those characteristics of God be clear to me this Friday so I may focus on God and all His goodness.
  • “I don’t want to live in the kind of world where we don’t look out for each other. Not just the people that are close to us, but anybody who needs a helping hand.” ―Charles de Lint
  • “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:13)

Inspirational Bible Verses About the Peace of God

God can bring peace amid struggles, worries, and fear. In fact, He promises that His peace “passes all understanding”. Use these verses to step back from the pressure of life and come into the presence of God to hear His promises of hope and comfort over your circumstances.

  • “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
  • “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16)
  • “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)
  • “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
  • “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Joy-Filled Friday Bible Verses

At the end of a long week, you may feel short on joy. Yet Joy is one of the most prominent themes of the Bible. Happiness is circumstantial, but the joy of the Lord has already been given to us. Allow these verses to remind you of God’s joy!

  • “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)
  • May our praises be as big as our blessings this Friday. 
  • “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)
  • “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:24)
  • Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
  • “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4)

Friday Praises for the Lord

Beginning our Friday by praising the Lord sets our minds on Him and His goodness. Praising God gives us the eyes to see Him and His bountiful blessings throughout each day.

  • “I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.” (Psalm 145:5-7)
  • “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
  • “But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ” (Jonah 2:9)
  • “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Psalm 103:1-2)

​Friday Thanksgiving to the Lord

It’s so easy to become overwhelmed with all the tasks and activities to do that you forget to stop and reflect on why you should be celebrating Friday and heading into the weekend. Read these verses aloud!

  • “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” (Psalm 7:17)
  • “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.” (Psalm 95:2-3)
  • “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7)
  • “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (Psalm 100:4)
  • “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)
  • “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2)
  • “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” (Psalm 107:8-9)

Friday Thoughts

Whether today is a Friday or Tuesday, the power of God never diminishes. He gave us the life of Jesus at the proper time so we have the hope of eternal life.

I pray that the Word of God sings over your life in a loud voice. I pray that God’s love makes your face shine today. And perhaps write it down to remember on those hard days.

God created the entire world, but he knows you individually. The best way to start any day is to seek the will of God before your feet hit the floor.

Your heavenly Father loves you more than you can possibly imagine. God’s blessings and the Word of the Lord of Hosts are rich food to feast on any day of the week.

​Have a Happy and Blessed Friday!

Related Posts:

About the Author
Donna is a sought-after author, speaker, and Bible teacher. Her path from being unchurched to becoming passionate about sharing Jesus was not easy. Read her God-breathed journey: “From Unchurched to Becoming a Multi-Published Author and Sought-After Speaker.” If you want to send Donna a quick message, then visit her here.

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150 Amazing Bible Verses For Your Instagram Bio

Posted on by Donna Snow

Your Instagram bio is a great way to share inspirational Bible verses and your walk with Jesus. These amazing Bible verses for your Instagram bio are perfect for your profile page. 

Amazing-Bible-verses

Christians are called to share the hope, grace, and love of God to the ends of the earth. Your social media platforms are a perfect avenue to reach people you may never meet with the Word of God.

Here are 150 verses to choose from and switch around between during the year to help spread God’s message and to encourage one another.

Table of Contents

Bible Verses for Your Instagram Bio

Perfect Bible Verses For Instagram Bio

  • “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11
  • “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46:7
  • “You shall have none other gods before me.” Deuteronomy 5:7
  • “He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” Psalm 62:6
  • “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” Romans 12:9
  • “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30
  • “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” Philippians 4:4
  • “Brothers, pray for us.” 1 Thessalonians 5:25
  • “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12
  • “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3
  • “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.” Psalm 145:17
  • “Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another.” Zechariah 7:9

Bible Quotes for Inspiration and Encouragement

  • “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24
  • “In my distress, I called to the LORD, and he answered me.” Psalm 120:1
  • “Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.” Psalm 27:11
  • “I will praise you with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise to you.” Psalm 138:1
  • “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
  • “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14
  • “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” 2 Corinthians 4:17
  • “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10
  • “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32
  • “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great.” Luke 6:35
  • “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.” 1 Corinthians 13:4
  • “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

Encouraging Bible Verses for Instagram Bio

  • “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:28
  • “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
  • “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22
  • “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
  • “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
  • “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
  • “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8
  • “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
  • “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.” Romans 15:5
  • “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
  • “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
  • “But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7

Bible Verses of Promise for Instagram Bio

  • “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.” John 3:16
  • “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17
  • “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Luke 1:45
  • “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
  • “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
  • “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
  • “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.” Exodus 23:20
  • “Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise.” Psalm 119:41
  • “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” Psalm 119:50
  • “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23
  • “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
  • “The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words.” Psalm 119:57

Bible Verses of Hope for Instagram Stories

“The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?” Psalm 27:1

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

“Commit your works to the Lord And your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3

“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” Psalm 32:7

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” Ephesians 6:10

“Serve one another through love.” Galatians 5:13

“For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.” Psalm 61:3

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4

“Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” Psalm 33:22

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.” Psalm 62:5

Bible Verses of Peace for Instagram Bio

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.” 1 Thessalonians 4:7

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5

“For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.” Psalm 71:5

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.” Psalm 119:114

“May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:26

“Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Psalm 34:14

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9

“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” Luke 8:48

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

Inspiring Bible Verses for Instagram Stories

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6

“I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.” Psalm 9:1

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12:18

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

Inspiring Bible Verses for Instagram Bio

“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Psalm 42:2

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13

“And all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:24

“Seek the LORD and his strength; seek His presence continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Corinthians 13:7

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16

“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” Psalm 95:2

“Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love.” Psalm 6:4

“For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.” Psalm 11:7

“May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” Psalm 70:4

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!” Psalm 100:1

Amazing Bible Verses for Instagram Bio

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” Hebrews 10:23

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:31

“In my distress, I called to the Lord, and he answered me.” Psalm 120:1

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” Psalm 136:1

“Blessed be the name of the Lord. From this time forth and forevermore!” Psalm 113:2

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Psalm 103:8

“I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.” Psalm 116:1

“My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly.” Psalm 119:167

Inspirational Bible Verses and Quotes for Instagram

“For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God.” Psalm 119:114

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.” Proverbs 8:17

“Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” 1 Samuel 12:24

“For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness.” Psalm 26:3

“Declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night” Psalm 92:2

Short Bible Verses for Instagram Captions

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8

“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing.” Philippians 2:14

“You are fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:4

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26

“Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” Psalms 63:3

“Encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Bible Verses for Bio on Instagram

“She is clothed in strength and dignity.” Proverbs 31:25

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:31

“Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5

“Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.” Proverbs 10:12

“The Lord bless you and keep you.” Numbers 6:24

“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!” Psalm 31:24

“My Son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed.” Proverbs 23:15

“This is my comfort in my affliction that your promise gives me life.” Psalm 119:50

Jesus Quotes for Instagram Bio

“Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:11

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven–for she loved much.” Luke 7:47

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:14

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” Matthew 6:34

“Ask, and it will given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

“Take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2

Best Instagram Bio For Christians

  • If God is for me, who can be against me?
  • The Lord is with me wherever I go.
  • All things are possible with God.
  • Victory and peace in life come through knowing Jesus as Savior.
  • My enemies face defeat because my face is plastered on Jesus.
  • Faith in Jesus Christ is winning at life.
  • Jesus is my refuge, so I am safe and at peace.
  • When I call on Jesus, he always hears and helps me.
  • I can overcome anything through Christ who loves me.

Amazing Instagram Bio For Christians

  • The Word of God is my source of truth.
  • Trusting God and slaying enemies through His power.
  • God is my strength so I will never be broken.
  • Trusting Jesus because he keeps every single promise.
  • Peace is a Person, not a place.
  • God is in me and He put me in this world, so let’s talk about Him.
  • God’s love never fails. He is faithful in all things.

Best Tips For Making Instagram Bio Stand Out

Originality

Crafting an Instagram profile that stands out encourages your audience to keep reading. Never copy another person’s bio! God made you original and has given you something unique to say. Be original and be you. 

Be Real

This world is full of fake news. As Christians, we have the truth that sets people free. Social media is not about gaining more followers. It is about sharing what God has done in your life and letting people know who you are in Him.

Keep It Simple

Most social media scrollers have the attention span of a gnat. If your bio is long and wordy, a reader will scroll right past it. Keep it short and sweet with just a few words and a snippet from God’s Word. For instance: “Jesus loves me. He loves you, too”.

Creativity

Go with your strengths. If you’re a singer, take selfies of you and your friends singing about Jesus. If you are a biblical scholar, offer some interesting and funny Hebrew insights. Just have fun with your bio to draw people into faith conversations.

Be Honest

This is super important. As a Christian, I want to follow and be followed by people who are truthful, faithful, and share the same Christian values. Lies eventually come to light and tarnish your witness about Jesus. If you’re struggling with your faith, say so! Invite others to make the journey of faith together to encourage and build each other up.

Delete Hashtags

Use hashtags in your posts, not your profile or bio. Hashtags simply clutter your profile and make it confusing to discover what you have to offer.

Consistency

If you are going to post vulgar content or lewd pictures, don’t claim on your profile to be a Christian. Your Instagram bio needs to reflect who you are as believer saved by grace through the love of God.

No Cussing

Since teenagers may find your profile, do not curse or post explicit pictures. Teens spend much time online, so talk about living a Christian life, list powerful Bible verses, and always point to the good things of Jesus and how to serve others.

Above all, your Instagram can be a powerful tool in pointing people to Jesus and strengthening your faith walk. Have fun, but ensure that you are contributing Christian values to those who follow you. 

Related Posts:

About the Author
Donna is a sought-after author, speaker, and Bible teacher. Her path from being unchurched to becoming passionate about sharing Jesus was not easy. Read her God-breathed journey: “From Unchurched to Becoming a Multi-Published Author and Sought-After Speaker.” If you want to send Donna a quick message, then visit her here.

{Some of these links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through that link, the ministry may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!}

25 Encouraging Bible Verses for Addiction Recovery

Posted on by Donna Snow

If you have struggled with addiction of any kind, you fully understand that addiction recovery feels like a never-ending battle. Whether drug addiction, alcohol addiction, substance abuse, sexual immorality, or other addictive behaviors, the Word of God is the first step on the right path.

addiction-recovery

Throughout my whole adult life, my struggle has been food. I have struggled with yo-yo dieting and obesity for decades. Food has always been my way of escape when faced with difficult times, celebrating the good times, and any time in between. 

But I had not faithfully fought that addiction by relying wholeheartedly on the grace of God found in God’s Word. I allowed my own glutinous desires to take precedence over the work of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps you can relate to that struggle in your own addiction battle. 

Enough is enough. I went on a journey through Scripture to discover the most helpful Bible verses for encouragement and great power when temptation hits hard. I pray that these verses will help you, as well.

1. For the Weary

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29

Any type of addiction recovery falls heavy on your heart, mind, and soul. You need to share the burden. Most days you wish you could simply push a magic button and it would disappear forever. A support group is a wonderful place to share those burdens. Journaling is also an effective tool for offloading.

However, the Good News of the power of Christ gets to the heart of your mental health. Knowing that Christ Jesus initiates the healing process by shouldering your burden gets to the heart of the battle.

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2. Seeking Peace

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

Struggling with addiction recovery is a constant source of unrest. Whether alcohol abuse, drug abuse, lust of the flesh, or food, the power of addiction affects all areas of life.

However, this beautiful verse reminds you that even in the midst of sinful behaviors and poor choices, the peace of God has not bypassed you. No power on earth is stronger than God’s love and God’s grace over you.

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3. Prayer for Healing

“And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:15-16

This beautiful verse encourages us to share your struggles with each other for prayer and encouragement. When you call on dear friends and family members, their prayers help us through tough times. They can alleviate the heavy loads of accountability that encourage a fresh start and recovery journey.

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4. The Right Friends

“Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

Temptation lurks around every corner, as well as from old friends who may also struggle with addictions. This verse wisely instructs you to surround yourself with the good character and godly lives of the right people. Only those family members and friends who truly care for you will actively help you with addiction recovery.

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5. Healing Process

“Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.” Jeremiah 33:6

The healing process following addiction treatment can be a long haul of ups and downs. You have to deal with cravings, relapse, boredom, loneliness, and difficulty finding purpose.

However, by faith, God can bring about complete and lasting healing. This verse promises, “I will.” And He will.

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6. Abundant Hope

“And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security.” Job 11:18

If you have struggled with addiction for years, you may feel that addiction recovery is hopeless. Processing stress, shame, anger, and sadness are difficult emotions to wrangle.

Your addiction may have caused financial or relationship problems, as well. However, this verse reminds you that the hope of God is a promise that He keeps. Holding on to the hope of God will bring about healing and a rebuilt life.

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7. Perseverance

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5

Any time we face tough times, trials, and sufferings, God allows us to grow stronger and braver. Just like muscles in a gym, resistance builds physical strength.

This verse provides truth and hope that fighting through addiction builds spiritual strength. Feelings of emptiness, shame, and loneliness will be replaced by a sober mind fixed on eternal glory with God.

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8. Walk with God

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21

Addictions are truly works of the flesh. God does not tempt you to become an addict. Temptation is wholly the devil’s scheme to draw you away from God. The list is long, but none is stronger than the higher power of God Almighty.

Worldly passions surround you every day, yet the Spirit of God lives inside of you. He never leaves nor abandons you to addiction, but calls you to walk in His light.

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9. Be Filled With the Spirit

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18

There is no room for misinterpretation here: abusing alcohol leads to sin. Indeed, any overindulgence follows similar consequences of addiction.

But being filled with the Spirit brings life, peace, freedom, and hope. Such a life includes prayer, confession of sins, gratitude, and living in such a way that honors the Lord God. 

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10. Cast Away Anxiety

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:6-8

Feeling anxious goes hand-in-hand with working toward addiction recovery. However, anxiety does not help, which is why the Lord tells you to hand your anxieties over to Him. In His hands, they are cast away for good, not just for a little while.

God desires for you to have the crown of life not a crown of thorns. He is trustworthy. Even though the devil prowls like a lion, our Lion of Judah devours your anxiety.

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11. Just Say No

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” Titus 2:11-12

The addiction recovery process is more involved than just saying no, but that’s where recovery must start.

Saying no to ungodliness and passions of the flesh marks the beginning of living a life that honors God and His calling on your life. Saying no inspires you toward self-control and building a closer relationship with God.

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12. Facing Trials

“Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3

Joy is the last thing that comes to mind when faced with addiction recovery. However, James does call the addiction a joy, but rather that through the struggles God forges strength and persistence.

Those valuable qualities are necessary to stay the course and remain clean. Steadfastness is key to overcoming any addiction through Christ alone.

13. Conquering Temptation

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16

Jesus Christ experienced temptations while He was here on Earth yet did not fall into sin. This means that Jesus understands firsthand weakness and disappointment. He can sympathize and emphasize with such pain. He even paid the price for your sins with His life.

Addiction may have once had you, but this verse reassures you that Jesus’ mercy and compassion has the final say.

14. Victorious Strength

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Feeling weak and overwhelmed is common as you focus on overcoming addiction. It is normal to feel self-directed anger and shame for the damage your addiction has caused in your life and the relationship with family and friends you hold dear.

But this verse confirms that all things are possible in Christ – even defeating addiction. God faithfully provides His strength to stay focused and on the path to your new life.

15. Faithful Guide

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:13

The last thing that Satan wants is your addiction recovery. He will lob every fiery dart at you in order to bring you down. But God will never tempt you, much less lead you there. The enemy’s temptations may be strong, but God has unlimited power to defeat that enemy.

So when you are tempted to fall back into old patterns or places where your addiction thrived, pray this prayer for God to deflect the enemy’s evil plan.

16. Helping Others 

“Brothers and sisters, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” Galatians 6:1

You may have family or friends who also abuse addictive substances. If so, you could serve as part of their support network. By listening to their struggles without judging, you could provide an excellent example by living a healthy, God-centered lifestyle.

By abstaining from drugs, alcohol, or other addictive behaviors, you can demonstrate that victory is possible through Christ. Your example can help prevent them from succumbing to their sinful temptations. You can point them to the One who can bring ultimate victory.

17. God Listens

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13

God is as close as your next breath and hears your prayers without fail. God listens to you and knows the content of your heart. Your heart is likely heavily burdened with the shame and trauma caused by addiction. Some days may feel like it is simply too much to handle.

But God promises that He will listen to your prayer and always be available when you call on Him. He never abandons nor forsakes you.

18. God Enables Recovery

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27

Overcoming addiction, especially one you have struggled with for years, may feel impossible. But God reminds you in this verse that absolutely everything is possible with Him.

The addiction recovery road may be rough, but God’s love and grace will bring you healing. Seeking His help is the first step toward healing. Do not hesitate to call on Him. He is ready and able to sever the tentacles of addiction.

19. Renewing Your Mind

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

The struggle with addiction always begins in your mind. Battles are won or lost in your mind long before they play out in real-time.

The thoughts and content that occupy your mind make all the difference. This verse points out that renewing your mind is key to overcoming addiction.

Such a transformation can only be accomplished in Christ—spending time in His Word and prayer. Such discipline produces perseverance that is necessary for victory over any substance use disorder.

Spending daily time in prayer and studying God’s Word provides the unbeatable combination to defeat addiction once and for all.

20. Facing Temptation

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” James 1:13-14

Satan will use every opportunity to put the stumbling block of temptation in your path. He can use a tempting environment in your area of addiction. He can leverage careless words spoken by unsupportive friends. You have a choice whether or not to give in to that desire.

God will never tempt you. God tests you toward success, as in a classroom. The enemy alone tempts you toward failure for destruction. Keeping your eyes on God and turning over the temptation battle to Him will keep you on the right path toward addiction recovery.

God is faithful and wants you to live a life free of addiction. Trust Him. 

21. Defining Desires

“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” 1 John 2:16

The desire to sin and fall into addiction never originates from God. This verse reminds you that the culprits of are the temptations paraded before your eyes in this world. The God of all grace designed you to live in different ways—ways that honor Him and build your life on His promises.

A life free from addiction can be leveraged in serving Him for Kingdom purposes. The best treatment plan is calling on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and trusting in His holy treatment program of love, mercy, and grace.

22. Not All Things Are Helpful

“You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is good for you. And even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything.” 1 Corinthians 6:12

This verse hits a key point: you are allowed to do anything. But addiction stops short of asking a crucial question: “Is it helpful?” Or even further: “Am I becoming a slave to this thing?”

The Apostle Paul answers those questions flat out: not everything is good for you.

And even though you are allowed to do anything, there will be consequences for harmful decisions. God allows consequences to fall based on your choices in order to change behavioral patterns toward better choices. In spite of everything, remember that God consistently and faithfully forgives you because He loves you. 

23. Resist the Devil

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

The devil is going to mess with you. But God promises that when you resist the devil he will flee. He has no choice. That does not mean he will not keep trying and tempting. Yet every time you resist in the name of Jesus the devil will flee.

So when addiction temptations start running through your mind, speak the Word of God aloud. Open your Bible or this list of Bible verses and start speaking them out loud.

There is POWER in the name of Jesus and the devil holds NO power against it. Memorizing some or all of these verses will enable you to fight effectively against every single temptation the moment that it raises its ugly head.

24. Call on the Lord

“Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” Psalm 50:15

As you walk the road toward addiction recovery, there will never be a time when God is too busy to help you. Whether at two in the afternoon or two in the morning, He will come to your rescue.

God alone deserves all the glory for rescuing because you know all too well that you cannot rescue yourself. You have tried more times than you can count to save yourself from addictive behavior, but your sinful nature has been a relentless stumbling block.

Yet when you call on the Lord, there is no stumbling block that God cannot blast out of the way to rescue you every single time.

25. Freedom in Christ

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36

What a perfect verse to wrap up our list of Bible verses to overcome addiction. When Jesus sets you free from your addiction, it’s freedom from the inside out. He transforms your mind, which changes your future behavior to live a God-honoring life.

A mind set free by Christ experiences new life that can only come from Him. Keep fighting the good fight against addiction with His Word and the power of His Name. 

Take heart! You have started your journey toward overcoming addiction, which is very brave indeed. On those days that you feel discouraged or defeated, keep these verses close by.

I have set up a prayer “war room.” Perhaps a dedicated prayer space is precisely what you need. Here is how you can do it.

Keep the Word of God on your lips and His name in your prayers. And when He sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Related Posts:

About the Author
Donna is a sought-after author, speaker, and Bible teacher. Her path from being unchurched to becoming passionate about sharing Jesus was not easy. Read her God-breathed journey: “From Unchurched to Becoming a Multi-Published Author and Sought-After Speaker.” If you want to send Donna a quick message, then visit her here.

{Some of these links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through that link, the ministry may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!}

Why is God Making Me Wait for a Husband or Wife?

Posted on by Donna Snow

As someone who has been single, married, and single again, I can tell you firsthand that your single years matter. A lot. Like the Apostle Paul, you need a clear vision of the mindset and purpose of your single years. So why is God making you wait for a husband or wife?

God’s Word has much to say about singleness. In fact, Scripture refers to singleness as a gift. But why would God give you a gift that you may not want? 

Simply this: what we want is not always what is best for us right now. And what’s best for us is not something we always value and appreciate when we have it. 

You are single today while you wait for a husband. That may change one day. But what can you value and appreciate about your singleness right now?

Biblical View

What God has to say about your season of singleness is intended to affect the way you live. How you operate. What you focus on. Here’s how Paul put it:

“I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” 1 Corinthians 7:7-9

You may read that and determine that you fall squarely in the “burn with passion” category. Bring on the future spouse! And that’s perfectly fine. That longing to pair up for as long as you both shall live is Genesis 2 stuff! It’s a godly longing.

However, there is much more to marriage than a romantic relationship. Even though sex with your spouse may be the best thing you do on a given day, it will not be how you spend the vast majority of your time as a married couple. 

You are single now and God calls it a gift. Why?

Singleness is a Gift from God

If your single season has lingered for years, you may start to wonder if God’s way for your life got misplaced on His heavenly “to-do” list.

As a Christian, you believe that God’s plan is perfect. However, you may struggle between the desires of your heart and God’s timing. 

The longer that you remain single, you may start to resent the gift of singleness. Perhaps you have always wanted children. You want to start a family and simply get on with the rest of your life with your true love. So again, why would God ordain singleness? 

Paul directly answers that burning question: “I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 7:34b-35) 

Two specific reasons are given for your single years: (1) to promote good order, and (2) to secure an undivided devotion to the Lord. Let’s look closely at those reasons.

To Promote Good Order

The Amplified Version says it like this: “to promote what is appropriate.” Appropriate is defined as that which is suitable or fitting for a particular occasion. What is appropriate for your single years?

What is “appropriate” fits the context of a given circumstance. Inappropriate would be wearing a string bikini at a family Christmas dinner with grandma. Nothing wrong with bikinis, but it’s inappropriate in that circumstance’s context.

In your singleness, God wants to promote what is appropriate in your context and environment. Counseling couples regarding marriage problems when you have no real-life experience does not fit your life’s context. What is your environment according to Scripture? 

“This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.” (1 Corinthians 7:29-31, ESV)

Your Environment

Your environment is a fallen world. God reminds us here that being single or married is not the main storyline of your life. Sharing the hope of Jesus is every believer’s main storyline.

God is on the move to seek and save the lost. God sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to provide certain hope for eternal life with Him. And He will leverage every season of every believer to accomplish it — including your season of singleness.

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To Secure Your Undivided Devotion to the Lord

Single women and single men have a unique purpose. This life season is the appropriate time to develop a strong relationship with Christ without distraction. As a beloved child of God with His Holy Spirit active inside of you means living in a different way. 

Have you spent significant time in prayer ascertaining God’s call on your life? Singleness offers more free time than any other group of people, regardless of age. 

Whether you are twenty or eighty, now is the perfect time to devote a significant part of your energy to serving the Lord.

The Dating Process

Head into dating understanding that it is a process. It is not a social media “status” that you sit in for endless years. Dating is intended to progress you through the next step to finding that life partner. 

Dreaming of marriage is a godly pursuit so diligence in finding a godly man or godly woman is vital. 

However, if you spend endless hours scrolling through online Christian singles dating sites or hours at the local bar, ask yourself: Am I as diligent in investing that much time and energy to seek an intimate relationship with the Son of God?

Dating is Distracting

Dating is great, but dating is distracting. Looking for the right person means being very aware of how you look, smell, and sound to the opposite sex. 

It’s no wonder that churches long ago sat women on one side of the church and men on the other! It can be hard to worship God wholeheartedly when a cute possibility sitting next to you smells fantastic.

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Only God Meets All of Your Needs

Our culture is far more concerned about a person’s relationship status than the state of a person’s soul. Just look at any social media channel. 

It is alarming when someone says, “I’m looking for someone to complete me and make me whole.” It is emotionally, mentally, and spiritually dangerous when we look for a prince or princess to do what our King can do.

But you may be asking, “Can’t I serve the Lord married? My spouse and I will seek after God together! Why do I have to be single?” 

As a single person, you have much more discretionary time than a married person. Your waiting period holds a high calling and the clock is ticking. As Paul said, singleness is intended to secure an undivided devotion to the Lord. So, is it different for men versus women?

The Single Woman

 “The unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.” (1 Corinthians 7:34b)

There will be all kinds of things that please your husband that you have never had to worry or care about before that go beyond sexual intimacy. There may be a steep learning curve to manage his expectations. 

He may enter into marriage assuming that you will do certain things that his mom used to do for him, like cook a hot meal three times a day and keep a perpetually spotless home. He may expect you to be a financial co-earner, yet also be a PTA mom, carpool queen, and homework helper all while wearing high heels.

Marriage is great, but it can certainly be distracting. Paul reminds unmarried women to be anxious about things of the Lord without distraction. Your single season contains a significant purpose.

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The Single Man

“I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided.” (1 Corinthians 7:32-34a)

Similar to above, there will be all kinds of things that please your wife that you have never had to worry or care about that go beyond sexual intimacy. There may be a steep learning curve to manage her expectations, as well. 

She may enter into marriage assuming that you will provide financially like her father used to which allows for a certain lifestyle, like new cars, a big house, and exotic vacations. 

She may expect you to be the sole breadwinner while she remains at home with the children, yet also expects you to make time to attend all of your children’s sporting events, be home all weekend, and be consistently emotionally supportive.

Marriage Can Be Distracting

Marriage is great, but it can certainly be distracting. Paul reminds unmarried men to be anxious about things of the Lord without distraction. Your single season contains a significant purpose.

It may sound like I am poo-pooing marriage. Not at all. I loved being married, sharing life, and cherishing that special someone. However, there is a tendency in every human being to devalue the benefits of their life stage and inflate the benefits of another. 

Don’t miss out on the benefits of your singleness that you will not have as a married person. Longing for something that God may or may not have ordained for your life is a thief of joy. 

Unique Benefits of Singleness

What you have now as a single person is freedom and time. Those are valuable resources that God gives to you in your singleness that will significantly decrease with marriage and parenting. So how will you leverage your freedom and time?

Being single again has allowed me the time to write a dozen Christian books and the freedom to travel the world to teach from Scripture. The vast majority of my discretionary time is spent studying God’s Word, researching for my next Bible study, and devoting significant prayer toward both.

A wonderful friend of over 25 years is nearing sixty years old and has remained single. Though she wanted to be married, she did not sit in a corner and mourn her life away. She is a smart professional and sold-out follower of Jesus who volunteers her free time to help others in various ways.

Your freedom has a purpose. Not to fill your time with distractions, but to pursue an undistracted devotion to the Lord.

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What Defines Your Singleness?

Paul says that the unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. The unmarried woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. 

So the million-dollar question is simply this: Does that define your singleness?

As you take stock of how you spend your days and what you focus energy toward, is pursuing an undistracted devotion to the Lord at the top of your list?

If you find yourself frustrated in your singleness, you are missing the point of why you are single. It would be like playing golf without clubs. It’s confusing and doesn’t make sense. 

The most content single people I have ever met are the ones who understood that the purpose of their singleness was to secure an undistracted devotion to the Lord.

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What Does Undistracted Devotion Look Like?

One of the daily practices that I have done for years is to write out books of the Bible. I type like the wind, think fast, and read fast, so I realized that the only way God’s Word would sink in past the blur was to slow down and handwrite books of the Bible a little bit at a time.

I also keep a journal. Even though daily events may slip in, the purpose of that journal is to reflect on what the Lord is teaching me. Where is He drawing my focus?

What Bible passages does He keep bringing to mind? How do those things fit together? Where is He leading me?

Serving the Lord

I serve the Lord in my local congregation. Whether it’s teaching Bible class, serving refreshments as the need arises, attending women’s Bible classes, or partnering in mission work, God gives me great joy and fulfillment in the godly community of my church.

I carve out time to attend lectures at a local theological library. My podcast library is full of sermons by gifted teachers of God’s Word. My playlist is full of worship music that fuels my soul and prompts me to look up to the Lord.

I have been single again for thirteen years. I’m more content, fulfilled, and at peace in the Lord than at any other time in my life bar none. 

I do not know if God has planned a happy marriage to a good Christian man for my future. But I know this beyond any shadow of doubt: if singleness defines the rest of my time on earth, it will be a rich blessing because I understand the purpose of my singleness.

Is Singleness More Spiritual?

The Apostle Paul offers this wisdom: “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion” (1 Corinthians 7:8-9).

You may determine that you’re burning with passion and it is your heart’s desire to pursue marriage intently. Or you may determine that you want to serve the Lord without distraction for the rest of your life and are open to remaining single. Jesus said this to His disciples: 

The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it” (Matthew 19:10-12).

If God has called you to singleness, He will give you the grace to receive and endure it. Like Jesus. Like Paul. Or like me. If God has called you to marriage, He will give you the grace to receive and endure it. Like Peter. Like your parents.

God’s Love and Wisdom

It is vital to grasp the bigger picture of the kingdom of God: “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

All things include your season of singleness. If you believe that the Bible is true and accurate, you know that your heavenly Father is the embodiment of love and wisdom. He only desires good things for you. He has called you for a purpose, whether single, married, widowed, or divorced.

You can trust anything that comes from God’s hand. That includes your singleness, your love life, and any future relationship. Whether or not God has a future marriage in store for you, His good reasons will bring about great things.

prayer-journal-download

The Bottom Line

An honest assessment of your spiritual life may reveal that God needs to do serious work in you before bringing a future husband or future wife into the mix. If so, hit pause on the dating game. 

Take six months to get your relationship with God right first. Invest your freedom and time living Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

You may believe that your single season has dragged on far too long. Yet as a Christ follower, you know that God has your best interests in mind. 

Use this single season to develop an undistracted devotion to Him. That heavenly investment will significantly increase your life’s value.

Related Posts:

About the Author
Donna is a sought-after author, speaker, and Bible teacher. Her path from being unchurched to becoming passionate about sharing Jesus was not easy. Read her God-breathed journey: “From Unchurched to Becoming a Multi-Published Author and Sought-After Speaker.” If you want to send Donna a quick message, then visit her here.

{Some of these links are affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through that link, the ministry may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!}

15 Best Inspiring Books for Christian Moms (Gift Ideas)

Posted on by Donna Snow

Mother’s Day is fast approaching. We do a lot to remember moms on that day, but what about the other 364 days of the year? Here are some of the most inspiring books for Christian moms.

Let’s face facts. Moms have a LOT going on. Some days your to-do list far exceeds your bandwidth and hours in the day. Who you look to for strength matters.

There are inspirational Bible verses that remind moms of the love of God. There are inspirational stories that point us to the Good News of eternal life. 

But what about those moms who still have kids at home and are struggling just to survive the day? When she turns off her nightstand light, her mind still races producing a sleepless night.

You need more than inspirational quotes, Christian stories, or social media comparisons. You need the steadfast love of the Lord and the grace of Christ Jesus to settle deep in your soul.

Moms Matter – a LOT

You can easily feel like you are simply a grocery store fetcher. Also a mess-up cleaner and carpool guru wondering where your personal life went. 

The beautiful sacrifice that you make is more than a momentary affliction. The powerful message of God’s love is working in you to become His role model to the next generation.

Perhaps it has been a long time since you even had time to read a book besides the Bible. Perhaps you are a Sunday school teacher who reads the Word of God to teach from instead of soaking in.

If you still have children at home you are still in the trenches. You can certainly use the encouragement of God’s grace! You may have a little boy or a little girl or several of each. And you need encouragement that you are doing the good work God has called you to do. 

Moms are Cultural Influencers

You have a vital influential role in our culture as you nurture and raise the next generation of leaders. Godly leaders matter for our country and in the Church.

Here are 15 inspiring and encouraging books for Christian moms, in no particular order. I am not a mom, but my three sisters and the vast majority of my friends have children of all ages. 

As a Christian writer, I am connected with many gifted writers who have children. They have mentioned these book titles to me over the years. They found them to be especially uplifting, encouraging or provided a new perspective in their crucial role as a mom.

Any one of these books would be the perfect gift for a special mom in your life (or even yourself). Moms need biblical truths and encouragement from the God of hope on Mother’s Day. Here goes!

reading space

Pressing Pause

You’re juggling a career, kids’ schedules, and church commitments. You’re covered in spit-up and anxious about what the next eighteen years might hold. You barely have time to carve out a few quiet moments to rejuvenate your spirit.

pressing-pause

Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to Meet With Jesus focuses on moms who approach their lives today with a positive mindset. They long to develop a closer relationship with God.

SNIPPET: Kids bickering? Schedule jam-packed? Dishes and laundry both piled up high? Perhaps it’s time you pressed pause and took a moment for yourself.

This book offers you a calm way to start your day, refresh yourself in Jesus, and drink deeply of His presence so that you are ready to pour out love, time, and energy into the people who matter most to you.

Desperate

This book is for moms who love their children to the depths of their souls. But perhaps you have also curled up under your covers, fighting back tears, and begging God for help.

You are struggling through a difficult time or difficult situation. However, the love of Christ woven in your work of the Lord still wins.

desperate

Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe offers the story of one young mother’s honest account of the desperate feelings experienced in motherhood forged in the trenches of raising her four children.

Beyond great stories, she focuses on the greater love of God shining through your Christian faith.

SNIPPET: Whether you are a first-time mom or an experienced mom, this book will inspire you to be a part of the no-more-desperate-moms movement.

There are Bible study and journal exercises in each chapter that identify ways to grow as a mom, as well as mentoring for real-life situations.

Risen Motherhood

The authors began talking about motherhood on their podcast. They took some of that content and turned it into a book. 

Risen-Motherhood

Risen Motherhood is a wonderful resource for moms who still have kids under the age of 5. 

SNIPPET: You might think that Scripture doesn’t have much to say about the food you make for breakfast, how you view your postpartum body, or what school choice you make for your children.

But a deeper look reveals that the Bible provides the framework for finding answers to your specific questions about modern motherhood. We live in a world of five-step lists and silver-bullet solutions to becoming perfect parents.

If you feel pulled between high-fives and hard words, with culture’s solutions only raising more questions, you’re not alone.

The End of Me

This book does not pretend that motherhood is not hard. It offers honesty about the deeply challenging aspects of motherhood and how God works through you to make us more like his Son through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The-End-of-Me

The End of Me offers encouragement to lean into and rely on the Lord’s strength when you reach your limits―physically, mentally, and spiritually.

You will find that God will supply everything needed to cope with the daily sacrifices and challenges of motherhood to make you more like Christ.

SNIPPET: Coming to the end of who I was, and what motherhood was stripping me of, was a good thing that drove me to Christ and to the power that he supplies in every failure and weakness of motherhood.

This short, easy-to-read book encourages mothers to depend on Christ when they reach their limits. 

The Warrior We Call Mom

This book shows the connection between spiritual warfare and your role as a mother in order for your kids to experience an awakening of their own. 

The-Warrior-We-Call-Mom

The Warrior We Call Mom is a passionate call for moms to break out of the box of normal and dare to be led by the Spirit in their day-to-day parenting. 

SNIPPET: There is a spiritual war raging against the next generation. We look at biblical examples, including the mothers of Jesus, John the Baptist, Samuel, Moses, and Samson to empower mothers today.

The heart of a mother is to see her child serve God with passion, and this book will be the catalyst for that revival.

Walking With God in the Season of Motherhood

This is an 11-week devotional Bible study that moms with kids of any age can do by themselves or with others. It conveys how God’s imprint on a mom’s heart can make a lasting impression on their children. 

Walking-With-God

Walking With God in the Season of Motherhood teaches how to nourish your own heart, mind, and soul with the wisdom you need to become the mother you long to be.

SNIPPET: Each week offers four days of study geared specifically to a mother’s concerns, with the Bible passages already printed out for your convenience. The fifth day is a warm-hearted devotional reading to help you reflect on and apply the truths you’ve learned.

As your relationship with God deepens through prayer and studying His Word, you’ll discover how His imprint on your heart can make a lasting impression on your children.

10 Gifts of Heart

Written from the author’s 30+ years of motherhood, this book shares biblical wisdom and practical insights with mothers who want their children to grow into God’s plan in their daily lives.

10-Gifts-of-Heart

10 Gifts of Heart: What Your Child Needs to Take Heart Before Leaving Home is filled with personal examples, engaging stories, practical suggestions, and heartfelt encouragement for moms in the thick of raising children. 

SNIPPET: Every parent wants their child to grow into a gracious and competent adult. Faith, character, manners, initiative, and gratitude that children need to take to heart before they leave home.

Yet parents today do not always have a clear vision for how to cultivate those traits. What does it look like for a mother to train her child’s heart to excellence and goodness?

A Mother’s Heart

Although this book was written in 1996, many women still mention it to moms who are in the early years of motherhood. It provides an inspiring look at motherhood from a Biblical perspective.

A-Mothers-Heart

A Mother’s Heart looks at the values, vision, and character of the Christian mother as a “Pilgrimage Growth Guide.” It is perfect for the new stay-at-home mom or for veteran moms who want to re-envision what God called them to as mothers.

SNIPPET: Overwhelmed by the stress of parenting? This book reveals to women what it means to be a godly mother and offers encouragement to moms of all ages and backgrounds.

This book shows women how to distinguish between their role and God’s role in raising children. It explains how to take a spiritual inventory of a child’s life and how to pray effectively for children. 

Introverted Mom

Whether you’ve just realized you’re an introvert, or if you’ve known it all along, this book is for you. When the volume of family life clashes with your personality, frustration, guilt, and feeling overwhelmed naturally result. 

Introverted-Mom

Introverted Mom offers vulnerable stories from the author’s own life as well as thoughts from other introverted mothers, letting you know you’re not alone.

It also includes valuable insights from four beloved writers: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, and L. M. Montgomery. 

SNIPPET: Life as Mom is LOUD, but you long for quiet. The author lifts the burden from your shoulders, reminding you that your steady strength is exactly what your family needs in this chaotic world.

It’s time to honor who you are and savor life as an introverted mom.

Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full

This book is great for moms of babies because each section can be easily read in just a few minutes. Motherhood is tough, and it often feels like the to-do list just gets longer and longer every day―making it hard to experience true joy in God, our children, and the Gospel.

Treasuring-Christ

Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full is comprised of helpful, short Gospel meditations for frazzled moms to reorient their vision of motherhood around what the Bible teaches.

SNIPPET: This encouraging book shows how to pursue a vibrant relationship with God even when discouragement sets in and the laundry still needs to be washed. This book will help you treasure Christ more deeply no matter how busy you are.

Devoted: Great Men and Their Godly Moms

This book is a fascinating historical look at the moms of famous men. This would be a great gift for a boy mom.

Devoted

Devoted: Great Men and Their Godly Moms reveal women who were great theologians and Christ followers in their own right, yet whose only students were their own children.

 SNIPPET: Raising children to honor and glorify the Lord is the goal of every Christian mother, but how can you do that? Who can teach you?

One of the best ways to learn is to read examples of women who have succeeded at the very task you are attempting. We will learn together of Christian men and their godly moms, mothers who were used to shape the men who changed the world.

Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World

This book shares the author’s ups and downs in her own family’s journey of discovering why it’s healthiest not to give their kids everything. 

Raising-Grateful-Kids

Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World reinforces the importance of teaching children the difference between “want” and “need” in a comparison-driven culture.

SNIPPET: It’s never too late to raise grateful kids. Learn how to cultivate a spirit of genuine appreciation and create a Jesus-centered home in which your kids don’t just say―but mean!―“thank you” for everything they have.

Humble Moms

This book zooms in on those moms who struggle with serving their children with their industrious hands, but their exhausted hearts have switched to auto-pilot.

Humble-Moms

Humble Moms: How the Work of Christ Sustains the Work of Motherhood reaches down deep to encourage exhausted moms with life-giving meditations on Jesus.

SNIPPET: As you journey through the life and work of Christ, you’ll find that your life and work as a mom are sustained in the process.

It is truly possible for moms to have hands and hearts that look like Jesus. Take in all that Christ is for you—and you’ll find that His heart and posture are changing yours.

Expect Something Beautiful

This book offers a renewed vision of motherhood: to see afresh God’s good purpose for you as a mother, a woman, and a follower of Christ.

Expect-Something-Beautiful

Expect Something Beautiful: Finding God’s Good Gifts in Motherhood encourages moms to expect something more out of motherhood—something truly beautiful. 

SNIPPET: Are you pouring out your life for God and others while getting little in return except for the consolation that you’ve done the right thing?

This book helps you see that behind all the giving that mothers do is the receiving of something special—a profound growth in God that is cultivated through motherhood’s everyday ups and downs.

Missional Motherhood

This book seeks to encourage moms on how to care for their children’s spiritual needs as well as their physical care. 

Missional-Motherhood

Missional Motherhood: The Everyday Ministry of Motherhood and the Grand Plan of God dives past the routine tasks of motherhood to see God’s eternal purpose.

SNIPPET: There’s no such thing as “just” a mom. Despite the routine tasks and mundane to-do lists, motherhood is anything but insignificant.

God has designed motherhood as part of His greater plan to draw people to Himself―instilling all women, whether called to traditional mothering or not, with an eternal purpose in nurturing others.

The Bottom Line

Looking around at the state of the world, moms have a greater challenge than ever in raising godly children. Culture, social media, and the influence of friends have much to say about how children live. 

But those influencers usually do not line up with what God holds as important. Encourage the moms in your life today with one or more of these books to encourage them in the battle.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Related Posts:

About the Author
Donna is a sought-after author, speaker, and Bible teacher. Her path from being unchurched to becoming passionate about sharing Jesus was not easy. Read her God-breathed journey: “From Unchurched to Becoming a Multi-Published Author and Sought-After Speaker.” If you want to send Donna a quick message, then visit her here.

{Some of these links are affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through that link, the ministry may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!}

RELEASE DAY! Meant for Good: A Study of Joseph

Posted on by Donna Snow

My brand new Bible study through Concordia Publishing House releases TODAY: Meant For Good: A Study of Joseph. LET THE PRAISES RING!

Similar to the depth of my Esther study, this Bible study goes deep into the life of Joseph in the Book of Genesis. Joseph’s biography occupies more space in Genesis than those of Adam, Noah, Abraham, or even his own father, Jacob. Although that should be reason enough to study Joseph’s incredible journey, he experiences family conflict and unfair treatment that many of us can relate to today.

The Story

The story begins with Joseph in the land of Canaan as a seventeen-year-old dreamer—literally. As one of two sons born to Jacob’s favorite wife Rachel, favoritism plays a significant role in the story of Joseph. After all, Jacob had been his mother’s favorite.

In Jacob’s eyes, his son Joseph was the favorite even though he was not the oldest son. Joseph had ten older brothers and one younger brother. Sadly, Joseph’s mother Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin, the youngest son.

God gave Joseph the extraordinary gift of interpreting dreams. However, Joseph had not yet mastered the art of tact, timing, or knowing his audience. When he tells his brothers that one day they will bow to him, it becomes clear that even though Joseph’s gift was intact, he was not able to read a room.

One day, Jacob sends Joseph to check on his brothers who are tending their flocks far away. But Joseph never makes it back home.

The 20-Year Saga

The brothers accost Joseph, strip him of his many-colored coat, and throw him into a waterless pit. They ignore his cries, decide to leave him in the pit to die, and sit down to enjoy lunch together. Then Judah offers up a Plan B to make some extra cash instead.

Then Jacob’s sons (all except Benjamin) agree to pull Joseph out of the pit and sell him to Midianite traders for twenty pieces of silver. They return to their father Jacob and promptly lie about what happened.

Pause a moment. Can you imagine what Joseph is feeling? He is rescued from the pit (yay!) only to be sold for money (what?) by his very own flesh and blood.

The Midianites take Joseph to the land of Egypt. Then Joseph is sold to Potiphar, who holds a significant position in Pharaoh’s Egyptian court, to work as a slave.

As Joseph works diligently in Potiphar’s home, Potiphar’s wife takes notice of Joseph and tries to entice Joseph into sleeping with her. He flees from temptation and her repeated offers, only to be falsely accused and thrown into prison.

Spiritual Bootcamp

And so begins Joseph’s spiritual boot camp which lasted more than twenty years. The amazing truth about God’s spiritual boot camps (basically, our whole life) is that He never leaves us. Ever. God’s faithfulness to us never wavers.

During those twenty years, Joseph oversees Potiphar’s home, eventually oversees the prison into which he was thrown, and interprets four additional dreams along the way. The whole time, the God of Abraham is working in Joseph’s life. Molding. Shaping. Preparing.

Even though Joseph’s brothers stripped him of his coat, they could not strip him of his godly character.

Egypt’s Second in Command

After interpreting Pharaoh’s two confusing dreams, Pharaoh elevates Joseph to the position of second in command over Egypt. In addition, God populated the house of Joseph with a wife and children. A new family. Even though Joseph was far from home, God blessed him in what Joseph referred to as “the land of my affliction.”

Eventually, all of Egypt understood that Joseph’s elevation to prominence was a good thing. Joseph’s diligence and excellent administrative skills successfully navigate Egypt through seven years of famine. His industrious, tireless work ended up providing a multitude of nations with food during the devastating famine.

Forgiveness

Joseph could have easily leveraged his powerful position to retaliate against his older brothers. He could have blamed them for stealing the life he had planned. He could have allowed hate and bitterness to take root in his heart. Instead, Joseph forgave wholeheartedly and embraced reconciliation.

We behold the Gospel story woven like a scarlet thread throughout Joseph’s narrative. The struggles that Joseph endured remind us how vital it is to let God’s love and forgiveness lead us.

Joseph’s story is not a rags-to-riches phenomenon. It is a picture of relentless, God-honoring faith. If you struggle with forgiveness, I wrote an entire Bible study on it here.

For All the History Buffs

If you are a history buff like me, you will devour the historical smorgasbord in Bible study. My previous study on Esther unearthed the nuances and culture of the Persian empire. With Joseph, we dive headlong into ancient Egypt. (Cue the singing of “Walk Like an Egyptian.”)

The study narrows down which pharaoh Joseph would have served under, which then provides the kind of work and tasks Joseph would have performed as vizier (prime minister). Fascinating!

Ancient Egypt

Originally starting out as several independent cities along the Nile River, Egypt was formed from an Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt, which unified around 3100 BC. Egypt was one the largest kingdoms of the ancient world and led the charge regarding cultural and economic influence until it was conquered in 332 B.C. by the Macedonians.

Joseph’s story takes place during the historical time of unified Egypt, which was considered to be one of Egypt’s greatest eras. 

Egypt’s Pharaohs

We also study the historical timeline and Egyptian lineage particular to Joseph’s story. We peek into the fascinating world of Egyptian pharaohs. This study pinpoints the precise pharaoh that Joseph would have served under according to historical fact.

This allows us the rare opportunity to discover what that pharaoh focused on and his geopolitical agenda. Consequently, we can ascertain some of the historical responsibilities that Joseph would have been responsible for under that pharaoh’s reign.

Joseph’s Lineage

As one of the sons of Jacob, Joseph’s brothers and Joseph’s sons eventually comprise the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph did not have his own tribe. There is no tribe of Joseph. However, the sons of Joseph – Ephraim and Manasseh – form the twelfth tribe together as a double portion of God’s blessing to Joseph.

Joseph’s Christ-Like Qualities

In Joseph, we see Christ-like qualities almost unparalleled in the Old Testament (in my opinion). Regardless of his circumstances, Joseph never wavered from following the Lord. He was a diligent worker, faithful witness, and capable administrator.

Joseph’s example issues a challenge even today: Will we choose to become victims of our circumstances and give up or will we trust God to bring beauty from ashes and excel?

Even though God would use Joseph mightily, the learning process was long. That same truth applies to us. It may be a long time before God deems us ready for the tasks He has planned for us. I could not have written in-depth Bible studies twenty years ago. God’s instruction over time has produced a much better vintage.

Purpose for Our Pain

Joseph could have given in to bitterness. Easily. Who would blame him? Yet he responded to broken dreams and difficult circumstances with a strong faith that propelled him from the pit of slavery to the pinnacle of power.

God Almighty diligently prepared Joseph to help Egypt’s great nation survive utter destruction. But that preparation did not come in a safe classroom. Joseph learned and honed his extraordinary administrative gifts in two places he never thought he would be—in slavery and in prison.

We may not be able to see how God is preparing us during our difficult times, but rest assured there is a holy purpose for our pain.

The Bottom Line

Even though Joseph experienced extraordinary hurt and adversity, God’s promise to be with him remained faithful. Joseph endured jealousy and sibling rivalry in his father’s household. He survived mistreatment and a murderous plot by his older brothers. He was thrown into prison for resisting temptation. He could have easily allowed his woes to become his focus.

Instead, Joseph looked up and trusted God. And because of the great faith that God instilled in Joseph, a multitude of people would owe Joseph their lives—literally.

Can you relate to waterless pits and unfairness in your life? This new Bible study is uniquely relevant to our current times.

God uses Joseph’s journey to provide invaluable insights regarding how to live wise, bold journeys of faith—fully trusting Him every single day. May God grant you and me such tenacious faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You can order “Meant for Good” right here.

Meant for Good: A Study of Joseph

What Does the Bible Say About Forgive And Forget?

Posted on by Donna Snow

When my ex-husband committed adultery six years into our marriage, I did not tell anyone. I was ashamed that perhaps people would think I was a bad wife. Was I supposed to forgive and forget?

Perhaps I had done something to turn him away. Or the worst, I wasn’t “putting out” enough. In other words, I was blaming myself and absorbing guilt that was not mine.

forgive-and-forget

Contents

  1. Is Forgetting a Hurt Even Possible?
  2. Three Options for Dealing with our Wound
  3. Only God has the Power to Forget
  4. The Definition of Forgiveness
  5. What Forgiveness is NOT

God did not give human beings the divine power to erase our memories. We cannot forget when someone hurts us. However, we still need to walk toward the soul freedom that forgiveness promises.

So what can we do to get past the hurt to begin the forgiveness process?

The Unseen Wounds

When you are wronged, you are handed an internal wound. Though unseen, we never forget the pain caused by that wound.

The larger the pain, the larger the wound. Some days, I truly felt like I was bleeding out of my skin, but no one knew.

I prayed constantly for God to give me the grace to forgive that adultery. In tears, I often pleaded with God for His healing. For the Holy Spirit to give me the strength to move past that horrific wound. And for the courage to be intimate in my marriage again. For trust in my spouse to be repaired.

In His steadfast love, God granted all of those requests and more. Forgiveness flowed, our relationship was repaired, and He pulled our marriage out of the depths of the sea. And even though they had been forgiven, those memories were stored in the hard drives of my mind. Yours are, too.

Seven years later, I discovered my husband’s past sins had resurfaced and he was having multiple affairs, which ultimately ended our marriage. I cannot even fully describe the level of anger, hurt, and unforgiveness that welled up inside me.

Past hurts raged to the surface and I knew I needed to seek help for my own sake. I was drowning in emotional pain.

For the first time in my life, I sought Christian counseling. The absolute last thing I needed was for any root of bitterness to take hold.

It took a solid year for God’s forgiveness to flow in my heart to move me toward forgiving my ex-husband. I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of forgiveness in order to embrace a new life.

Is Forgetting A Hurt Even Possible?

We’ve all heard the phrase, “If you haven’t forgotten, you haven’t forgiven.” Perhaps you have even said it because I certainly used to. It’s easy to say but impossible to do. While we may be able to forget small slights, we remember life-altering wounds.

On the other hand, remembering certain kinds of hurt is usually beneficial. For instance, I don’t touch hot stoves because I did that once. Lesson learned.

Our memory can instruct us on how to avoid similar hurt in the future. It’s those heart hurts caused by unacceptable behavior or harsh words that can trip us up for a very long time.

A Stationary Bicycle Going Nowhere Fast

When we buy into the forgive-and-forget lie, we end up berating ourselves when we remember our wounds. We get frustrated and spend futile time and energy trying to make ourselves forget again. It is a useless, unproductive cycle that only succeeds in embedding the hurt deeper.

Satan loves the forgive-and-forget lie because it wastes our time and energy and always lands us right back where we started: remembering the wound. It’s a stationary bicycle going nowhere fast.

There is no solution to the lie of “forgive and forget.” That pot only keeps stirring toxic emotions.

Three Options for Dealing with our Wound

When someone hurts us (wounds us), we have three main options:

1. Hand It Back

When you hand back a wound, it is called revenge. It looks something like this: “You did this to me? Then, this is what I will do to you.” You then throw the wound back at them with a vengeance. Whether verbally or physically, handing the wound back through revenge intends to harm.

2. Internalize or Hide It

This happens when shame plays a part in the wound. Rape victims deal with this because some people still believe the nauseating assumption that somehow the victim invited or deserved it. The victim may hide it to avoid being called loose. Shame is the single biggest factor in hiding a wound.

3. Hand it Up to Jesus

When we hand our wounds up to Jesus Christ, we take them out of circulation. The wounds do not have the opportunity to fester in us or spread to others. Taking the wounds out of circulation stops the cycle. That is how Jesus patterned forgiveness. He felt the wounds, absorbed the pains, and forgave them from the cross. He took them out of circulation for eternity.

When you and I hand up our wounds to Jesus, He renews our strength from the inside out. Right where that wound is hiding. And He faithfully begins to work true forgiveness in us.

Even though you and I cannot forget a wound, we can certainly choose how to deal with the pain of their offense going forward. We can choose options 1 and 2 above and let bitterness sink in, or we can go with option 3 and live in the freedom that forgiveness brings.

Only God Has the Power to Forget

In Hebrews 8, God’s Word says: “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12, ESV). God promises to forget our sins (the precise meaning of which could fill a whole book), but that is an unrealistic standard to put on ourselves. He is God. We are not.

What is the Definition of Forgiveness?

If you asked a dozen people to define forgiveness, you would likely hear twelve different responses. Since Christians are commanded to extend forgiveness, we need to clearly understand what it means.

Webster’s dictionary defines forgiveness as “to excuse a fault or offense; to stop feeling anger or resentment against; and to absolve from payment of.” Excuse and absolve are difficult verbs to swallow in the context of pain.

Thankfully, our Heavenly Father provides many Bible verses to navigate the storm. {Download 31-Day Forgiveness Bible Reading Plan}

forgiveness bible reading plan

The Greek word in the New Testament for forgive (aphiēmi) means “to send away.” In Christ Jesus, God packed up our transgressions (which include unforgiveness) and permanently sent them away. In Psalm 103:12, God promises: “As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.”

The thing about the east and west is that there is no end. Once you start heading east, you are always heading east until you change directions. Once you journey west, you are always journeying west.

By the grace of God, He removes our sins and remembers them no more.

Hate and Love Cannot Coexist

When someone hurts us, God commands us to forgive because hate and bitterness do not line up with His teaching to love. Hate and love cannot coexist. Forgiveness cannot blossom when roots of unforgiveness hide in the soil of our hearts.

Thankfully, God does not simply issue the command to forgive, sit back, and watch us struggle. He provides the Source of power that enables us to fulfill His command.

The Apostle Paul wrote: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, ESV).

The power of Christ in us enables us to forgive the deepest wounds. Trust me. I have been divorced for twelve years now. Had I refused to let God work His forgiveness in me and then through me, I would be an angry, bitter, hot mess about now. A healed heart is FREEDOM.

Forgiveness is Commanded

Jesus talked about forgiveness more than two dozen times in the Gospels, including a key part of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:12) and teaching His disciples to forgive others “seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:22). He even asked God to forgive those who nailed Him to the cross (Luke 23:34). That includes you and me.

Forgiveness is not God’s suggestion; it is His command: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:12-13, ESV).

We must also forgive. That’s a hard truth to digest when the mere thought of forgiving your offender makes you sick to your stomach. I certainly did want to forgive my ex-husband. But those negative feelings were toxins in my soul.

It’s amazing how easily we throw around the word forgiveness until we are asked to step forward through the pain and extend it personally. But forgiveness is the only way we will survive bleeding out from the spiritual and emotional wounds caused by the hurtful words and actions of others.

The Cost of Forgiveness

The heart of forgiveness always beats with liberation and freedom. Not necessarily for those who hurt you. But for you. Forgiveness is costly. We struggle not to lash out at those who hurt us.

We’re absorbing the debt and cost of the consequences instead of taking it out on the perpetrator. We suffer, and it hurts terribly. Surrendering that pain to God is the only pathway toward healing.

Some people say that it feels like dying. They are not wrong. The cost of forgiveness is death. Death to our desire for revenge. Death to seeking payment for the hurt they caused.

The cost of forgiveness is death. Just ask Jesus. He sacrificed His life to forgive us eternally. And His forgiveness leads us to experience a resurrection of new life centered in Him.

So start by asking God for just one small step today on the road toward forgiveness. Tomorrow, ask Him for another small step. The road ends in the death of bitterness and resurrection to life. The dead-end road ends at Calvary. 

Does Forgiveness Condone Their Hurtful Actions?

The hardest struggle we face in extending forgiveness is falsely believing that we are somehow condoning their actions. That lie comes straight from the devil. The enemy loves weaving a web of toxicity around that lie because we want those who hurt us to pay for their transgressions.

Forgiveness does not mean condoning someone’s bad behavior. It means releasing their judgment and consequences to God.

As God faithfully opens doors for me to travel and speak with groups of women all over the country, I have discovered that forgiveness is often misunderstood.

Some believe that forgiveness should only be extended when their perpetrator asks for it. Or when they have groveled enough. But when is enough enough? Your pain cannot be undone, only surrendered to God.

Others believe that forgiveness means you must reconcile with the person who hurt you and go skipping through the tulip fields into the sunset together. Neither could be further from the truth. In order to extend forgiveness, we need to clearly understand what it is not. 

What Forgiveness is NOT

Forgiveness Is Not Excusing a Sin or Crime

This is one of the most common objections to extending forgiveness. Many people often equate forgiveness with letting someone off the hook; like somehow forgiveness approves what they did because we didn’t force them to make it right. But that’s not what forgiveness means.

For instance, a rape victim suffers horrible atrocities, and there are legal consequences for the violator. The victim can forgive her attacker yet still follow the legal process to take the proper course for her attacker to reap the punishment for his actions.

Sin is not okay. It can be forgiven, but it should not be excused. By God’s grace, we become wiser regarding future interactions with that person.

Forgiveness Is Different from Reconciliation

Forgiveness takes one. It is extended from one individual to another and released. Reconciliation takes two people who agree to set aside past hurtful behavior, communicate to repair the relationship, and move forward together.

I realized that reconciliation for my marriage was not possible due to the kind of women with whom my ex-husband was involved. If we had reconciled and continued in our marriage, I stood a very real chance of contracting HPV, HIV, or AIDS.

My ex-husband was a habitual adulterer, so reconciling and remaining married would have placed my health (and ultimately my life) in danger.

In situations where habitual abuse (whether physical or verbal) has occurred, reconciliation may not be possible because safe mental and physical boundaries must be established. But forgiveness is still commanded.

Forgiveness Is Not about Justice or Consequences

Forgiveness does not obligate the forgiver to protect the offender from reaping the consequences of his or her actions. Consequences are usually what it takes for offenders to change their behavior. If their actions have broken the law (rape, harming a child, etc.), we can and should follow through with appropriate legal action.

To prevent a perpetrator from raping again, testifying at trial is certainly appropriate. There are always consequences for sin, but exacting the consequences of their actions is God’s job, not ours.

He alone calls unrepentant sinners to answer for their actions. Even in such extreme circumstances when reconciliation is not possible, we still move toward forgiveness.

Forgiveness Is Not about the Offender

It is not our job to determine whether someone deserves forgiveness of sins. God never tells us in His Word to extend it only when the offender begs for it. Some people hold grudges and stay angry until they believe their offender has suffered enough. But how do we determine when enough is enough?

Hate and anger have consuming power, and those toxins can control and define us. When we allow unforgiveness to consume us, the object of our wrath actually has control over us. It can keep our hearts dangling over the fire, so to speak.

We are washed clean by baptismal grace; therefore, our merciful God does not withhold forgiveness from us—and we are to follow His lead. Forgiving others as God has forgiven us means that we are obeying God’s command. Yet forgiveness is also a gift to ourselves of a life free from bitterness and anger.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality” (Colossians 3:23–25, ESV).

Did you notice that the Lord is the focus of those verses? The Lord handles the wrongs done to us as we heartily serve Him.

Forgiveness Is Not Artificial Nonchalance

Have you ever tried to pretend someone’s actions or words did not hurt you? Me too. But when I remember that hurt for the tenth time in an hour, I cannot keep pretending. Pretending there is nothing to forgive results in anger and resentment down the road.

What we harbor internally eventually surfaces externally. Forgiveness means we acknowledge the hurtful actions or words, pray for God to provide insight on how best to convey them gracefully to the offender, and allow God to move us toward Him for healing. 

Forgiveness Is Not Avoidance

Some people believe that out of sight means out of mind. As long as we avoid our offenders, everything will be just fine. Although that person may not be around, the hurt they inflicted remains. It must be acknowledged, grieved, and forgiven.

Forgiveness Is Not Easy

It’s just not. It takes time. If the wound is deep, it may take a long time. That one year of post-divorce counseling felt like a lifetime. But focusing our energy and time on moving toward forgiveness means embracing our future free from the bondage of vengeful toxins.

We can confidently count on God’s outrageous faithfulness to us. Yesterday is over. Your future lies ahead. God provides peace of mind right alongside our fresh start. Relentlessly lay those hurts at His feet and trust Him to remove the sting.

What’s the Takeaway?

I learned so much about forgiveness from the Lord, life experience, and counseling that I wrote an entire book on forgiveness. You can find that Bible study here.

God’s Word transforms us, so here is 31-Day Bible Reading Plan about forgiveness that you can download free right now and get started today.

Forgiveness is not “giving in.” Forgiveness is a gift from God that He is waiting for you to open. In that promised land are freedom and new life. For you. 

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About the Author
Donna is a sought-after author, speaker, and Bible teacher. Her path from being unchurched to becoming passionate about sharing Jesus was not easy. Read her God-breathed journey: “From Unchurched to Becoming a Multi-Published Author and Sought-After Speaker.” If you want to send Donna a quick message, then visit her here.

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