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“There’s no way it’s time to go to work...again! Seriously, wasn’t I just there? Ugh… I’m so tired of doing the same things over and over again. Is that a cough? I think I have a cough. Maybe I should call in sick.”

If you’ve ever had some of these thoughts, well, um, yeah... been there. If you’ve ever considered calling in sick even though you weren’t? We have too. If you’ve ever looked at the forecast before bed and felt like a kid hoping for a huge snowstorm, or power outage, or something that would close work tomorrow… guilty as charged.

It’s okay to feel this way, and it’s okay to pray for another job. Especially if you hear God’s invitation to be content and faithful in your current work until he opens up a new door. So... for all you forecast-watchers, and almost-too-sick-to-go-to-work people out there, here’s a prayer for when you want a new job, and need God’s help to wait patiently for a new door to open.

𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13).

𝐀 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐛
Dream-giver, who desires to give us good things and invites us to find joy in the everyday, please free me to leave my current job, and open up a new opportunity. Jesus, who accepted the worst of realities to rescue the world, help me say “yes” to you in my present job as long as you have me here. And Spirit who directs my steps, fill me with creativity to pursue what’s next, and give me peaceful confidence in your promise to lead me. Amen.

Artwork by @allcreation.co
 
Even when we`re pressing on and managing to function relatively normally, the truth is, we`re struggling. Maybe it`s with swirling worries or doubts in the back of our minds. Maybe it`s with pent up anger and hurt that we`re not sure how to express. It can be hard to truly let God in with all that noise.
 
 But what we`re so prone to forget is we don`t have to tackle these things ourselves. We can bring it to God, and ask him to come alongside us in our struggles and frustrations. We can work against some of our natural tendencies toward short tempers or jealousy by surrounding ourselves with what it true, good, and lovely. While this won`t get rid of all of our problems, particularly for those of us struggling with mental health, it can help orient us toward the goodness of his presence as he continues his work redeeming all things.
 
 "We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5b).

Contributed by @zeketucker
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Because he is my shepherd, I lack nothing.⁠
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My cup overflows.⁠
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Psalm 23.⁠
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#artistfeature #christiancreative #christianliving #encouragement #reclaimtoday

For some, hitting the gym, going for a run, or exercising is always exciting and a challenge. They love it! But for most people, working out feels like an obligatory and necessary drag. Bill Watterson said it best through his comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, “Grown-ups can only justify playing outside by calling it exercise, doing it when they’d rather not, and keeping records to quantify their performance…except you don’t get paid.”

And it gets worse when we consider the role comparison plays in working out. There’s always someone who can run further, lift more, or stretch further. Of course, there are also those who can’t run as fast, who lift less, and who can’t stretch as far. Hmmmm. Maybe we should focus on them next time we’re at the gym? 🤣

Either way, God gave us human bodies and called them good. They are so good, that the Holy Spirit finds his home in us. And we look forward to the resurrection of the dead when our bodies will not be a memory, but an important part of living with God in eternity. So for now, we’re invited to take care of these Temples in which God dwells and to enjoy God’s good gift of movement. So whether you are an “I love working out” person or a “Gyms are where happiness goes to die” person, this scripture meditation and prayer are for you.

𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

𝐀 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐭
Bodybuilder, who knit me together in my mother’s womb and designed these muscles, tendons, bones, and nerves, help me care for this temple in which you dwell. Help me celebrate the gifts of a body and movement, and help me develop strength to serve others. Increase my flexibility in body, mind, and spirit. Lead me away from comparison— to run toward your love. Help these hands and feet become your hands and feet to the world. Amen.

#prayer #dailyprayer #dailydevotional #verseoftheday #christianliving #reclaimtoday

Artwork by @allcreation.co
 
Peace is a promise of God to his people. Unfortunately, that peace doesn`t mean life will go smoothly all of the time, but that we can be at peace, even in times of trouble.
 
Worry is abundant. Disagreements and conflicting opinions run rampant. There’s no doubt that this season is full of hardships.
 
Yet, we are still left with his peace. 
 
𝙿𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝙸 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞; 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝙸 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝙸 𝚍𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜. 𝙳𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚊𝚏𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚍 (𝙹𝚘𝚑𝚗 𝟷𝟺:𝟸𝟽).
 
Jesus’s peace is everlasting and all-knowing, unlike the peace of the world which is temperamental and fragile. 
 
From the captivity of the Old Testament, to the persecution of the early Church, to all the trials of the present. We can rely on the peace of he who has always been faithful.
 
 "You will go out in joy
     and be led forth in peace;
 the mountains and hills
     will burst into song before you,
 and all the trees of the field
     will clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12).