Page 353 – Guideposts Articles

Listening to God in Prayer

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Dianne Neal Matthews

While Peter was talking, a bright cloud covered them. A voice came from the cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I love, and I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!” Matthew 17:5 (NCV)

Along with James and John, Peter received a special revelation. Jesus briefly revealed His glory to these three disciples on a mountaintop, His clothing and face glowed with a supernatural brightness. Suddenly the two greatest Old Testament prophets appeared and talked with Jesus. Peter may have been thinking about the Feast of Tabernacles when he offered to put up three shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. But before Peter finished speaking, God interrupted him with praise for His Son and instructions to listen to Him.

I often feel a kinship with Peter, and sometimes forget that a big part of prayer is listening. Sometimes I pray while I’m driving, walking, or doing household chores. Other times I enjoy a dedicated time of quiet, concentrated prayer. Even then I often focus on making sure I include all the right elements: Did I offer praise and thanksgiving? Confess everything? Include all my requests and needs? A more important question: Did I spend time listening for Jesus’s voice?

Prayer is a two-way conversation, not a monologue. Jesus wants to speak to us and calm our fears, offer guidance, and assure us of His loving presence. We can miss His voice if we’re solely focused on our own agenda. But Jesus knows me intimately; He also knows what my day holds. So when it comes to prayer, I should be glad to let Him dominate the conversation.

Faith Step: Pray and ask Jesus what He wants to say to you. Listen for His voice.

Leave Your Baggage Behind

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Cynthia Ruchti

“Jesus said to them, ‘When I sent you out without a wallet, bag, or sandals, you didn’t lack anything, did you?’ They said, ‘Nothing.’” Luke 22:35 (CEB)

What was Jesus trying to teach His disciples by instructing them not to take a wallet or luggage or even spare sandals when they traveled with Him? Was He showing that He was all they ever needed? Did He want them to learn that their dependence had to be on Him alone? Was He instructing them in the humility of accepting help from others—a bed for the night, a meal, a borrowed coat when temperatures dropped?

Did He hope they’d realize they could get along on fewer belongings than they imagined? Or that their success depended on their traveling light? Or that they’d be safer from thieves along the journey if they had nothing worth stealing? Was it focus that Jesus cared about most? With nothing in their hands, nothing to distract them, would the disciples cling more diligently to Jesus’ words and to the ministry of caring for the people’s physical and spiritual needs?

The more I think about it, the more value I see in the “no baggage” directive. What if I walked into my day conscious of a “no baggage, no wallet, no extra sandals” mentality, intensely focused on Jesus, on His words, on His mission, the mission He passed on to us? What if I measured success not by how much I accumulate but on how little I need to survive, if I stay close to Jesus? What would I lack? Nothing.

Faith Step: Is an accumulation of things holding you back from what Jesus is asking you to do? Is there anything you own that is beginning to “act” as if it owns you? Are you willing to take a step toward the freedom of no baggage?

Jesus: The Model Caregiver

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Marlene Legaspi-Munar

And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Matthew 5:41 (NKJV)

His bedroom door was left ajar, so I could help my father right away if he needed anything. “Good morning, Pa! What would you like to have for breakfast?” While moving slowly toward the dining table, he said, “I’d like some tea.”

As I prepared his tea, I made a mental list of the things I needed to do. Wash the dishes. Clean the house. Check if there’s a message from Mother, who was on vacation overseas with my siblings.

Before he took his noon nap, Pa requested pizza. I quickly took a bath but skipped my usual routine. Ordering the pizza was the priority. I didn’t want him to wake up hungry and have to wait for his lunch.

Later that day, when I finally had time for myself, I found an online article by a daughter who was caring for her aging parents. She said, “Daughtering for a parent with chronic illness or an aging parent is selfless because there’s no glory and no recognition.” I agree. But Jesus was and still is the model caregiver. He exemplified selflessness. He often ministered to people without fanfare (Mark 1:40–44). Even when He Himself needed rest, He healed the sick (Matthew 14:13–14). He did not seek glory or recognition for Himself but was and is concerned about our welfare. In every situation, Jesus gives us the best care we could ever receive.

Faith Step: Ask a caregiver how you can help. If you’re a caregiver, don’t hesitate to ask for help or prayer.

Jesus Speaks in Silence

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Alice Thompson

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live. Isaiah 55:3 (KJV)

I sleep with my cell phone on the nightstand beside my bed. The phone serves as my alarm clock. I also use it to pay bills and to communicate by email with my employer, book editors, and members of my writing circle. I use my phone to promote books and book signings on social media. I use it to connect with family and friends who post occasional pictures of sunny vacations, grinning grandbabies, and cake recipes they will never commence to bake.

While the technology makes me especially accessible to my aging mother, I have reached a resounding conclusion. With all its pings, beeps, and ringing notifications, my cell phone is a distraction. The prophet Isaiah said it is in “quietness” that we find our strength (Isaiah 30:15, KJV). So, each day after the alarm rings, I rise from bed. I mute my phone to pray, read a collection of devotionals, meditate on a Bible verse, and then I sit in silence. In silence I commune with my Creator, who owns infinite wisdom about all the things that will concern my day.

Sustained moments of silence before the Lord are as necessary to each morning as washing my face or combing my hair. In the silence, Jesus speaks to my heart, and I obtain clarity of mind. In the silence of the morning, I also remember blessings from the previous day, month or years past, and these precious memories fuel my heart with the strength to face present challenges. We should cloak each morning in a hush of quiet time with the Lord. It is the only way to be completely dressed.

Faith Step: Mute your phone this morning for thirty minutes. Sit in silence and ask Jesus to speak with you. Take notes and answer His call.

Jesus Sees Your Potential

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Heidi Gaul

“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:24–26 (NIV)

I love this passage because it offers me hope for a wealthy unsaved friend. My husband used to do her yardwork. Two years ago, disappointed by the poor condition of her massive iris garden, she requested David remove it. I had to agree with her. The area was sloppy and never bloomed. But my spouse asked her to give the flowers one last chance. He dug them up, split and trimmed every rhizome, then replanted them.

Soon after, he accepted a different job and quit gardening. We stayed in touch with our friend, but life kept us too busy for visits.

Last week, she called, her voice tinged with excitement. There was something she wanted us to see. We hurried over, wondering what was going on. Upon rounding her corner, we couldn’t believe the scene before us. At least a hundred irises blossomed in colors so vibrant they almost hurt our eyes. The flowers I’d given up on were now a delicate sea of purples, yellows, whites, and burgundies.

If I’d had my way, they’d have been thrown away. But my husband saw the possibilities and saved them.

Like those irises, sin once kept me from blooming. But Jesus saw my potential and instead of discarding me, He redeemed me. Salvation is possible for everyone, including my well-to-do, unbelieving friend. God’s needle, threaded by Jesus, is big enough for anyone to pass through.

Faith Step: Seek opportunities to help thread God’s needle this week. Don’t regard anyone’s salvation as impossible—God doesn’t.

Jesus Really Sees You!

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry

But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Take courage, daughter . . .” Matthew 9:22 (AMP)

Something I’ve learned about pain is that no one can really fix it except Jesus. In my life Jesus has used time, loved ones, writing, running, baking, reading, music, nature, crying, teaching, church, sleep, medicine, therapy, walking, movies, coffee, fruit, traveling, work, and dogs to heal me. But the biggest comfort is that I know He sees me. He really sees me.

If you do a word search you find that Jesus does a lot of seeing in the Gospels. He sees people and heals them. He sees their hunger and feeds them. He sees and has compassion, sees and gives peace, sees and rebukes, sees and forgives, sees and invites. He is the God who sees.

Glennon Doyle wrote, “We just need someone to see the pain. . . . To say: Yes. I see this. This is real. . . . We just need a witness.” I think we need to know that someone gets it. That we are not alone. I imagine that when Jesus turned and fixed His eyes on the lady who touched the hem of His garment, she felt Him. She knew He understood. “Take courage, daughter.” I am here. I see you.

The people who have helped me the most in my painful times are the ones who saw me and understood. They’re the ones who babysat my kids, brought me meals, sent cards, came to my house, and prayed with me. The ones who got me out of bed to walk, who listened over coffee, who did my laundry. The ones who let me know I was not alone.

Faith Step: Among the people you know, who do you see in pain? Or maybe it’s a stranger. Do something practical today to meet someone’s need. Let this person know he or she is not alone.

Jesus Opens Doors for You

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Jeanette Levellie

The seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams. Mark 4:20 (MSG)

After I spoke at a neighboring church when they were between pastors, I got an email from their worship leader. He wrote, “We’d like to have you preach for us on a regular basis until we find a pastor. How often can you come back?”

Although I felt honored that they liked my message, I was also a bit confused. The Lord had expanded my writing ministry to include speaking—mostly for women’s groups—but I’d never aspired to preach. Yet the more I prayed about it, the stronger the dream grew in my heart.

Yikes, I thought. This is huge. Are You behind this, Lord, or is my ego talking? In my five decades as a Christian, I often believed Jesus was speaking to me. Many times, it turned out that His voice was the one I’d heard. Other times, when an idea backfired, I realized my human desires had taken over.

I didn’t want to start something that wasn’t Jesus’s plan for me. I also didn’t want to offend my husband, Kevin, a pastor for over forty years. Would he resent me for suddenly preaching at different churches, missing worship at our home church?

When I approached Kev, he gave me his blessing. Maybe he figured if I preached to others, I’d cut back on preaching to him!

Over the last year, Jesus has opened doors for me to preach at several different churches. I like to think it delights Him to surprise His followers with new dreams that are beyond our imaginings. He’s sweet like that.

Faith Step: When you pray today, invite Jesus to surprise you with a new dream.

Jesus Loves You More

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Susanna Foth Aughtmon

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22–23 (NIV)

My drive into work takes me down the California coastline. The view is spectacular. The cliffs to my right disappear into the crashing waves below. As I drop into the small coastal valley, the beach curves past the mountain range that frames the seaside town Pacifica. The expanse of blue-green ocean sits beneath a brilliant blue sky. Some mornings the endless stretch of surf is hemmed in by rolling fog. The ocean stretches far beyond where my eyes can see. I can’t comprehend its greatness.

The same is true of Jesus’s love for me. I catch glimpses of His great love for me, but I can’t comprehend it. Some moments I feel engulfed by His compassion, but when I truly think about it—it is beyond me. The apostle Paul wrote, “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge . . . ” (Ephesians 3:17–19, NIV) Jesus’ love for us is so great that we can’t truly know its depths or heights. His mercies renew daily. His faithfulness is unending. We can’t begin to understand how much Jesus loves us, but we can revel in it. Wherever you are right now, whatever you have or haven’t done,—more than you could ever begin to imagine.

Faith Step: If you have never been to the ocean before, scroll through some pictures online. Try and comprehend the vastness of it and know that Jesus loves you even more.

Jesus Is Your Safe Place

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Cassandra Tiersma

This covering will protect the people from the heat of the sun and will provide a safe place to hide from the storm and rain. Isaiah 4:6 (NCV)

Every spring, a flowering pink dogwood tree steals the show in my garden when blossoms cover its bare limbs. Next, leaf buds unfurl into fresh green foliage. As spring wind currents and rainstorms blow the flowers from the leafy boughs, fallen petals transform the lawn below into a carpet of pink confetti.

As I was enjoying my morning with Jesus today, something outside the window caught my eye: Although the dogwood flower show is over, a trio of blossoms remain securely attached to the trunk. While thousands of blossoms along the outstretched branches had been shaken, ruffled, blown about, and knocked down by the wind and rain, those three tenacious flowers prevailed, unaffected by outer circumstances.

I understood what Jesus was showing me. That was how I need to be clinging to Him amid the storms of life. Not fluttering out on a limb, being blown about by the changing winds of current events. Not hurrying to escape by complaining, consuming junk food, or pointlessly browsing the internet. Rather than being shaken, ruffled, and knocked down by circumstances outside my control, I need to snuggle up closer to the One called the Branch of Life, drawing close to Him through His Word. Jesus is my safe place when the winds of change and storms of life bluster around me.

FAITH STEP: Is something going on in the world that has you feeling shaken? Write it down. Then write, “Thank You Jesus for being my covering.”

Jesus Is the Ultimate Life Coach

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Isabella Yosuico

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

It seems like everyone either is a life coach or has a life coach. If I had more time and money, I’d love to have some savvy visionary inspiring me, coaxing me to create and stick with a plan, and cheering me on. One can find a coach for just about anything, and coaching courses and certifications abound.

My husband, Ray, an addictions counselor, is a Florida-certified recovery coach. He’s explained to me that one of the principles of coaching is to support clients in their own approaches. In fact, even life coaches often just support you in your pursuit of your goals. I have a coach at my new teaching job, and while she does share some helpful tips and tools, she mostly just supports me as I find my way. Herein lies a potential downside of coaching. Looking back on my life, I see that at least some of my goals have been self-serving or otherwise misguided.

But wait just a minute—in today’s verse Paul assures me that I have the ultimate Life Coach! One who not only knows me intimately but actually created me (Psalm 139:13) with a perfect and specific plan in mind (Jeremiah 29:11).

In fact, God can and does give us aspirations and desires according to His purpose for our lives. We can discern them through our close relationship with Him, cultivated through Bible study, fellowship with Him, healthy friendships and—especially for me personally—time spent earnestly seeking Him. This is no complimentary one-hour consultation; this is an intimate, ongoing, and sometimes messy personal relationship with Jesus, the perfect Life Coach.

Faith Step: Do you have a dream or goal you’re longing to achieve? How can you let Jesus coach you into realizing it?

Jesus Gives You Joy in the Midst of Trouble

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1–2 (NIV)

It’s been a particularly difficult week. I have some tough decisions looming, and even though I’ve prayed and sought direction, I haven’t found any peace yet. On top of that, I’m experiencing stress at home that can be described in one word: teenagers. And, of course, there is always a mountain of laundry to do and a pile of papers to grade. I know everyone has weeks like this, but the question is, How do we keep difficulties from stealing our joy?

There’s a verse in an old hymn that says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.” It’s akin to the verse above, which tells us to fix our eyes on Him. Study what He does and Jesus’s example: “For the joy set before him he endured the cross.” I think that means that He knew He could make it through anything, even death on a cross, because He kept His eyes on the prize. Jesus’s prize was to be seated at the right hand of God.

What’s our prize? Some might say it’s heaven, and I think that’s true. But before that—our prize here on earth is Jesus. Spending time with Him. Being in His presence. The joy set before us is Jesus. He’s where we find our joy in the midst of trouble; He’s the One we trust to see us through to the other side.

Faith Step: Think about where you look for joy. Is it acquiring things? Gaining the approval of people? Set your mind on Jesus today and find your joy in knowing that wherever you go, He goes with you.

Hope in the Advent Season

Posted on March 10, 2026April 10, 2026 by Mary Lou Carney

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. —Hebrews 11:1

My sister explained why she couldn’t tell what she wished for: “If you tell, it won’t come true. The power of wishes is in the wanting and waiting, not in the telling!”

What wonderful wishes those birthday ones were! Show ponies and shiny bicycles. Seldom did any of these dreams materialize exactly the way we planned, but our spirits were undaunted. There was always next year’s birthday cake—with even more candles to wish on!

But hope is more difficult in the adult world. I find myself impatient when my prayers aren’t answered quickly or exactly as I wanted. I become trapped in concrete realities that frustrate and paralyze me. I forget the power of wanting and waiting.

What better time than Advent to stretch toward unseen realities that await us, to truly believe in the substance of the invisible? I’m going to hope—for family health and safe trips. For a chance to help someone. For parking spots. For a white Christmas. For world peace.

Heavenly father, we can see  the progress of Mary and Joseph as they journeyed toward the most blessed event in the history  of the world.  Now, as once more we approach the day of your son’s birth, help us feel the holiness of this time. Help us honor the spirit of  your wondrous gift to us in Bethlehem: love.

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