Embrace God's truth with our new book, The Lies that Bind

Donate
OUTREACH & PARNTERSHIPS
Return
Shop
Return
Seasonal sale

Spring’s promise begins here

See the new spring collection. Get 20% off all orders using code: SPRING.

Shop now
Spring’s promise begins here
Articles
Return
Featured Article

‘The Star Thrower’ and the Difference You Can Make

In 1978, author Loren Eiseley published an essay called “The Star Thrower.” It recounts a beach walk by a narrator...

Read More
Abide
Return
Featured Abide Article

Soundscapes for Restorative Sleep and Mindfulness 

In the hustle of daily life, finding moments of peace and tranquility can sometimes feel like an impossible dream...

Try Abide Free
Soundscapes for Restorative Sleep and Mindfulness 

3 Ways to Cope with Unanswered Prayers

Posted on by Edie Melson

For families with a loved one in the military, waiting is at the top of the skill-set list requirement. We are always waiting for something:

  • Our loved one to come home from deployment.
  • Our loved one to leave on deployment.
  • A promotion.
  • A change of duty station.
  • The next conflict requiring troop deployment.

The list could go on and on and on.

Click here to donate and bring hope and inspiration to our Armed Forces

But there’s one thing most of us are afraid to add to the list, even though it’s ever present in our minds—unanswered prayers.

For those of us with military connections, prayer is a very real lifeline. It brings power to the powerless and peace to those who are overcome with fear.

So what do we do with those seemingly unanswered prayers just hanging around?

1) Remember that God’s timing is perfect.
He’s never late, never early, and will never abandon you or those you love. “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3)

2) Go back to the last thing God said and start there.
So often I want to jump ahead to what I think God is going to do—especially when my prayers go unanswered. Instead, in these instances, I’ve learned to go back and stick close to His side. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

3) Do the next thing.
I’ve found that when I look at the big picture—especially if it’s filled with confusion—I get overwhelmed. The answer to this is to do the next thing, then the next, and so on. By the time I’ve done several things, the answers I’m seeking begin to appear. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

It’s in these times that I’ve found my faith grows the most. So I hang on and trust God to be true to His promise of blessings and provision.

3 Signs from God

Posted on by Ann Mulligan

Winter mornings in Michigan were often cold and bleak, especially now that I was getting up earlier than usual to pray. The quiet time with God helped keep me inspired at my job as an elementary school teacher.

Some mornings, though, waking up in the dreary darkness, I couldn’t help but wish I had someone to wake up with. I loved my job, but more than anything I hoped to be a wife and mother. So far I hadn’t met the right guy.

“Lord, you promise that if we delight in you, you’ll give us the desires of our heart,” I said aloud. “I have delighted in you, so…when?”

The room was silent. Seemingly out of nowhere a Bible passage popped into my mind: “I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Isaiah 49:15-16.

God? I thought. Could it be that he was speaking directly to me? As I opened my daily scripture book, the lesson for the day caught me by surprise. It was Isaiah 49:15-16–the passage that had popped into my head! It seemed like God really was speaking to me, and yet…

Lord, I don’t want to be a doubting Thomas, but if you truly are encouraging me with these words, could you say them once more?

That afternoon I swung by the house of one of the ladies in my prayer group. We were trying something different, each of us choosing someone in the group to pray for anonymously, encouraging her with notes and small gifts. I stealthily dropped a little something in my friend’s mailbox.

When I got home I found a gift in my own mailbox. My secret prayer buddy had been by! It was a pewter pin shaped like a hand, and in the hand was a little child. The card with it contained a short Bible passage. Isaiah 49:15-16.

Less than two years later I met the man who would be my husband. Together we’re raising four wonderful children. But the truth is, I found love before I met my husband, when God reached down and–three times–reminded me I was not forgotten.

3 Reasons to Consider an Online Prayer Ministry

Posted on by Bob Hostetler

When you pray for other people, you can make a difference in their lives. At Guideposts, we believe that God hears and answers prayer. As we continue to grow our digital prayer presence at Guideposts, we have made it easy for anyone to pray for the concerns of others. You can pray for someone else on the Pray for Others page on the Guideposts website, or post a comment on the OurPrayer Facebook page in response to prayer requests that appear there.

“Prayer is a part of our mission and a part of our company,” says Guideposts President and CEO John W. Temple III. “I believe that praying for others works and is beneficial to everybody involved.”

As beneficial as it may be, it can be difficult to pray for others, especially if your own needs feel overwhelming.

The Rev. Dr. Pablo R. Diaz admits that for many years he mainly prayed for himself. “My prayer time was focused on me and my problems,” says Diaz, the Vice President of Ministry for Guideposts Outreach Division. “But at a certain point I made a conscious decision to start praying for others. I can’t tell you how much this has enriched my prayer life.”

Diaz lists multiple benefits of interceding for others. For example, when praying for someone with a life-threatening disease like cancer, Diaz is reminded that his burdens are often much lighter than many others. He also finds that lifting up the struggles of other men and women exposes his own vulnerability. “I come in touch with my frail self,” says Diaz. “Things that I have buried surface to the top in unexpected ways so God can deal with them.”

The concept of praying for others—also known as intercessory prayer—has deep Biblical roots. From Moses, who pleaded for God’s mercy for the people of Israel to the Apostle Paul who continually encouraged his followers to intercede for others, the Bible is full of examples of people praying for one, including “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (James 5:16) From the first book of Timothy we hear: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.”

For more than 60 years, prayer has been the bedrock of the Guideposts ministry. As we continue to grow our digital prayer presence, we make it easy to request prayers and to pray for others–on both social media and the Guideposts site.

We reach people wherever they are—home, work, in line at the grocery store—through the OurPrayer App, which is available on both IOS and Android platforms. It allows our followers to request prayers, pray for others or even choose a ‘fast-track prayer’ option. Or visitors can choose to pray for a request they see on the OurPrayer Facebook page.

Guideposts Executive Editor Rick Hamlin has been impressed by the rapid growth of the OurPrayer Facebook page. “It allows a robust prayer community to just happen organically,” he says. “If you are on the Facebook site and you see that someone has gone through something difficult you may think: ‘Wow, I’ve been through that’ and your heart just fills with compassion. It’s a natural response to say: ‘let me pray. I understand what you’re going through.’ “

A woman named Susan raved about the benefits of being part of the OurPrayer Facebook community.. “This page has been a great blessing in my life,” she writes. “Their timely encouragement has uplifted me many times. Every time a prayer request is posted I can be assured of prayers.”

3 Reasons to Celebrate the Trinity

Posted on by Rick Hamlin

I’m no theologian and hardly the person to parse the ins and outs of the doctrine of the Trinity, but truth to tell, I’ve never found it so hard to believe. God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Well, why not? Sunday, May 22, is Trinity Sunday. So at the risk of drowning in murky theological waters, let me tell you what the Trinity means to me.

1) God is love.
We know love when we experience it, when it shows itself. Love is not just a lot of talk, not a lot of hot air. Love is an action. So what does God’s love look like? God sent His Son to show us.

Jesus heals the sick, Jesus feeds the hungry, Jesus pays attention to the outcasts, Jesus loves the poor. He is not cowed by the powerful. He chooses lowly fishermen to be his friends and followers and empowers them to do what they never knew they could do.

Read More: Mornings with Jesus Devotional

Not long ago our 29-year-old son told us something a colleague at his office said: “You must have great parents.” Wow we were so touched. His colleague had never met us but she thought she had a glimpse of who we were in our son. Similarly, when we see Jesus we see His dad.

2) God is everywhere.
In two millennium of Christian art, you get plenty of images of Jesus and some of God the Father (think of the old bearded guy on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel). But artists have struggled to show the Holy Spirit.

They might take a cue from Scripture and illustrate a descending dove because when Jesus was baptized the Holy Spirit came on Him “like a dove.” Or they might show flames of fire because when the disciples received the gift of the Spirit, “tongues as of fire” appeared over them.

But notice these are all similes, expressions with “like” or “as” to show what is indescribable. You can’t pin God down. God is everywhere and the Spirit is everywhere. Like the wind–to resort to another simile–it can’t be seen, but its work is always evident.

3) God is always present.
It’s easy enough to think God is around at our happy moments, our celebrations, but the concept of the Trinity shows us that God is also present when we suffer the most.

I’ve heard people object to the Crucifixion by saying, “What kind of Father would put His Son through such torture?” It seems to me they’re missing the point. God was on the cross with His Son. God suffered with Him. God is there with us in our miseries.

Read More: What Jesus Left Behind to Come Here

At the end of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus gives his disciples their marching orders, saying, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”

There it is, God in all three persons. God beside us, before us, around us, with us, in heaven and on earth and anyplace we happen to go.

30 Days of Prayer

Posted on by Sabra Ciancanelli

Guideposts is launching an all new online prayer program today on its prayer website OurPrayer.org.

Thirty Days of Prayer: Less Stress and More Faith is a free program that encourages users to bring daily prayer into their lives. All those who join the program will receive a daily e-newsletter with a Scriptural verse, prayer tip and opportunity to submit a daily prayer request that will be prayed for by OurPrayer trained volunteers.

If you are looking for a great way to remain positive and upbeat, join OurPrayer’s 30 Days of Prayer and learn how, through Scripture and prayer, to keep your life on track and be truly happy.

Sign up for the 30 Days of Prayer program at OurPrayer.org/30days.

10 Great Bible Prayers

Posted on by Bob Hostetler

If you pray the Lord’s Prayer, you already pray at least one of the prayers found in the Bible. But there are many that can provide help when you’re not sure what to pray.

1. A Prayer of Surrender
When my friend entered hospice care, I wasn’t sure whether I should pray for miraculous healing or a smooth transition into heaven. I told God about my mixed feelings and expressed my desire that my friend be healed, adding the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane:

“Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39, ESV)

2. A Prayer for Strength, Faith and Love
Sometimes when I am asked to pray for someone without knowing details, I will pray Ephesians (changing the pronouns from “you” to “him” or “her,” or inserting the person’s name):

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [asking] that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19, ESV)

3. A Prayer for Enlightenment
Similarly, I often pray Paul’s prayer for enlightenment in Colossians (again altering the pronouns):

We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. (Colossians 1:9-12, NLT)

4. A Prayer for Understanding and Favor
Moses’ prayer for guidance and favor often helps me, too:

If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. (Exodus 33:13, NLT)

5. A Prayer for Blessing
I will often pray Aaron’s blessing for my wife, children and grandchildren, as well as for family and friends as we part from each other:

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, ESV)

6. A Prayer for Influence and Protection
Jabez’s prayer for influence, publicized and popularized in a bestselling book a few years ago, is also a frequent prayer of mine:

Oh, that You would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain! (1 Chronicles 4:10, NLT).

7. A Prayer of Repentance
David’s prayer of repentance after his shameful treatment of Uriah and Bathsheba, found in Psalm 51, is a helpful prayer of confession and repentance from beginning to end, but especially the middle verses):

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow…
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you. (Psalm 51:7, 10-12, NLT)

8. A Prayer for Revival
Habakkuk’s prayer for revival is a fitting prayer for any family, community, church, or nation:

God, I’ve heard what our ancestors say about You,
and I’m stopped in my tracks, down on my knees.
Do among us what You did among them.
Work among us as you worked among them. (Habakkuk 3:2, The Message)

9. A Prayer for Mercy
The prayer of the tax collector in Jesus’ story of the Pharisee and the tax collector is an appropriate prayer anywhere, anytime:

God, be merciful to me, a sinner. (Luke 18:13, ESV)

10. A Prayer for Boldness
When the first Christians prayed, they apparently didn’t ask for prosperity or ease, but for boldness and power–a good prayer for us today:

Give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching Your word. Stretch out Your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of Your holy servant Jesus. (Acts 4:29-30, NLT)

These and many other Bible prayers make it easier to pray according to God’s will. They can help you express yourself when words fail. And they can simultaneously enrich your knowledge of the Bible, confidence in prayer and sensitivity to the Spirit of God as you pray.

10 Best Evening Prayers from the Bible

Posted on by Bob Hostetler

If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Romans 14:8 (NIV)

I recently visited an old friend, a former professor of mine who just turned ninety. A classmate alerted me that he was very sick. She knew I would want to say good-bye.

My teacher hugged me when I stepped through the door. I could feel his bones. His hands shook while we sat across from each other in his living room visiting. One of the things we talked about is how strange it is to interface with death for a long period of time and what it does to your psyche. “I never planned for this,” he said of hospital visits, loss of appetite, and loss of strength. “It’s like my body betrays me.”

On the drive home, I thought about how hard that must be– dying—and how I haven’t planned for it either. I’m focused on living life to the fullest, on all the things I want to accomplish and do and be. The visit with my teacher made me think about how I want to die well whenever that time comes.

We make our plans, but Paul said that, in a sense, it’s all the same. If we live, we live for Jesus, and if we die, we die for Him—it all belongs to Him. That’s a comfort if I let it be. All that my life is, all I accomplish or don’t, belongs to Him. It is Jesus Who infuses it with meaning. Not the doing or the being. And death also finds meaning in Him. Whatever happens, He is with me. I belong to Him.

Faith Step: What does it mean to you to belong to Jesus? Do a word study on belong. Write down any new insights that come to you.

Sufficient Grace in Times of Struggle

Posted on by Pablo Diaz

One perk of living on the East Coast is being able to enjoy a peaceful snow day every now and then. These days not only provide time for house chores, but also allow time to catch up with family and friends. And this past weekend, I did just that.

I spoke with a dear friend who lives on the West Coast. We caught up on all aspects of life, including our spiritual and life concerns. My friend stated, “I feel discouraged that I do things I wish I didn’t do and don’t do the things that I know I should.”

Recently, I read a story where the main character expressed the same concern. He said, “I’ve been a Christian nearly my whole life, but I’m constantly disappointed in myself.” Then he asked, “Isn’t God getting tired of me?”

Anyone who has battled addiction, bad habits or other daily struggles knows the disappointment they bear when asking God for forgiveness or the strength to overcome, over and over again. We want to do what is right, but find ourselves doing what we don’t want to do. It is a common struggle that even the great apostle Paul experienced. As Olympian gold medalist Jesse Owens said, “The battles that count aren’t the ones for the gold medals. The struggles with yourself–the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us–that’s where it’s at.”

Invisible and inevitable battles are common and cannot be overcome alone. We must turn to the Lord for mercy, forgiveness and grace. When we tackle the spiritual and personal shortcomings in our life with our own might, we often fail and feel discouraged. This causes us to ask, “Isn’t God getting tired of me?”

The good news is God never gets tired of us or our confessions and prayers. His love and grace is beyond our human comprehension. God knows our shame, vulnerability and struggles. His grace is sufficient and gives us inner peace.

On our own, we could never overcome our problems, but with His presence in our lives we have the hope and faith needed to move forward. We are sustained by His grace and by keeping our eyes on Jesus, not on our inner struggles.

Lord, help me depend on your grace and to never give up on myself. Continue Your good work in me.

Pray Yourself Out of a Rut

Posted on by Will Davis

Maybe you can relate to being stuck. I mean stuck spiritually, stuck in your relationship with God. I certainly can relate. I know what it feels like to have the spiritual doldrums.

When I’m stuck spiritually, I have little or no momentum in my walk with Christ. I know he loves me and that I’m going to heaven, but that’s about it. Some people live years suspended in the Christian life. The view is nice enough–they can see God’s kingdom work, they see others moving and growing in their relationships with Christ, and they even have a hope of heaven.

They’re suspended somewhere between spiritual infancy and becoming a true disciple of Jesus. They’re stuck, and their faith is suffering because of it.

So, what’s the cure for this spiritual rut? Prayer. That’s right–good, biblical, bended-knee prayer.

If you want to jolt your life out of its spiritual rut and really begin to see God’s presence and power take hold in your relationships, your job, your ministry, and your own attitudes and actions, then start praying for yourself.

Even if you’re not good at prayer, even if you feel like you tried prayer and failed miserably, even if you don’t know where or how to start, don’t fret. Prayer is still your answer.

You really can learn how to change your life through personal prayer. This is a critical point, so let me say it very clearly: the person in your life with the greatest capacity to help or hinder God’s work in you is you.

You need to be praying for yourself–your heart, your attitudes, your habits, your relationships, your resources, your temptations, and your ministry–because no other person can or will impact God’s kingdom processes in your life as much as you will. For that reason alone, you need to pray every day for yourself.

Pray Your Anxiety Away

Posted on by Norman Vincent Peale

Is anxiety interfering with your work or sleep? You do not need to be a victim of worry. Reduced to its simplest form, what is worry? It is simply an unhealthy and destructive mental habit.

You were not born with the worry habit. You acquired it. And because you can change any habit and any acquired attitude, you can cast worry from your mind. Use these five faith-filled steps to help you find peace and comfort by truly giving your worries to God.

1. Write the source of your worry on paper.
Give specific details. A fear that may seem enormous bottled up in your mind can assume quite normal proportions when put in words before you.

2. Relieve your stress. 
Sit in a chair and breathe deeply, slowly. Find comfort in John 14:27: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” Continue this exercise until you’re sure the tension has drained out of you.

3. Search the Bible for passages that express great faith.
Commit these to memory. Say them over and over, until they take hold of you, as they will, until finally they completely dominate your thinking. Example: “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). Another is: I will fear no evil: for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4).

4.  Trust and believe in God with all your heart.
Draw from Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Regardless of what goes wrong, you must believe that God loves you and cares what happens to you.

5.  Surrender your anxiety.
Take the sheet of paper with your fear written on it. Ask God to help you.  Begin: “Lord, I have brought this matter to Your attention. I am leaving it in Your hands.  I  know now that with your help I can release my worry and anxiety. I put my trust in You.”

Then tear up the paper and let the pieces fall into the waste-basket.

Pray to Overcome Evil

Posted on by Peola Hicks

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

Last night, upset and angry over the senseless bombings at the Boston Marathon, I went to bed thinking about how we overcome evil with good. My youngest daughter had called us several times to say, “I love you.” My husband and I could hear in her voice how alarmed she was, but talking to us helped calm her fears and concerns for all the people who got hurt.

The existence of evil in the world has a very chilling effect. When you feel that it is close to you, it can make you start watching over your shoulder all the time. Living in fear is not the answer. There is only one way to prevent evil in this world. Evil must be overcome with good.

We cannot allow ourselves to be overcome with evil. It has to begin in our head and hearts. We must think about doing good for others and not repaying evil for evil. When we live with the idea of always getting even, it leads to evil.

The Bible teaches us to bless rather than curse those who persecute us. The best way for us to bless others is through prayer. Every time we pray for those who commit evil, we are putting them in closer proximity to hear God say, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

Prayer also helps keep all of us in line with what is good and helps us see that God is the only one who can bring about a true change of heart. As hard as it is to think that evil people can change, I know that they can. Many of us are living proof.

God bless you!

Pray to Avoid Judging Others

Posted on by Peola Hicks

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1-2)

From a very early age, we learn that you can’t judge a book by its cover. I know that I try to be careful of being judgmental, but sometimes it happens when I am least expecting it to.

Just today, I was reminded of someone I have been trying to contact for weeks. I’ve sent texts, made phone calls and more. I know that my messages have been received, but there has been no response.

At first, I was patient and shrugged it off. After a couple of weeks, I concluded that this person had no interest in talking to me. I racked my brain trying to figure if I had done something to warrant this, and every time I came up short.

After about five weeks I finally decided that this person was avoiding me. To my surprise, I then received a most pleasant message of apology. I had no idea that there was a personal issue weighing heavily on my friend. Between my pity party and judgmental attitude, I did not consider that it really had nothing to do with me.

Once again, I was reminded that what we see on the surface can be deceiving. I was also reminded that I am capable of jumping to wrong conclusions. Thank God that the timing was perfect. When I did connect with my friend, I was able to provide some encouraging words to lighten the burden. The golden rule is always good to follow: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I would not want anyone to pass judgment on me for what might appear bad behavior without first seeking to understand the reason.

When I remembered how judgmental I had been, I immediately prayed and asked God to forgive me for drawing the wrong conclusions. Are there people you have written off, thinking that their behavior could only be interpreted one way? Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself how you would want someone to think of you.

One of the reasons I love the scriptures is because it keeps us honest with ourselves. It also shows us how much we need to depend on God’s direction to keep our thoughts on treating others as we would want them to treat us.

Pray and ask God to help you overcome the tendency to jump to speedy conclusions that could cause you to stumble and possibly hurt someone else. Remain open so that God can use you to help build others up and be ready to have your heart changed. Lesson learned.

God bless you!