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Dev o t i o n s f o r Wo men

Sacred Space

Amy Oakley

Space

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Scripture quotations marked nlt are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Introduction

Life seems more hectic now than it ever has. We all have so many things clamoring for our a ention: work, family, social obligations, chores, our own health and well-being. The world constantly shouts, “Pay a ention to me!” and our phones provide a constant source of news, communication, information, and social media distraction. Tasks pile up and we start to feel like the only way to keep going is to get tunnel vision, focusing only on the current item on our endless to-do list. We are busy and ge ing busier, with things to accomplish from the moment we wake up to the moment we ﬁnally close our eyes at night.

That’s just how life is, though. Right?

Jesus reminds us that there’s another way to approach our daily lives. There is beauty in silence, and we can ﬁnd peace in calmness. When things get overwhelming, it’s time to seek out stillness. It’s time to reclaim the quiet moments. Make time for prayer, praise, and devotion. Instead of rushing to the next thing, take a deep breath and savor where you are. Look what God has done—look what God is doing. He has placed you in this moment and there is something to learn from it. Don’t take it for granted.

Perfection Not Required

“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

Have you ever sat down to pray and felt a strange sort of stage fright? You know what you want to say, but you’re not sure how to say it. You might worry that you’ll get the words wrong or that you’ll mess up somehow. You just know that no ma er what you say, someone else could have said it be er. There’s no need to feel that way. Prayer isn’t meant to be performative. God wants us to come before Him without fear or ﬂashy actions. He doesn’t require fancy words or perfect phrasing. There’s no need to shout; He will hear you even when you whisper His name. Just be yourself and make your requests humbly and honestly. Don’t feel like you need to speak in a way that feels unnatural. Come to Him with faith that He will meet you where you are. Praise His name and trust that He will meet your needs.

Lord, thank You for hearing my prayers— especially the quiet ones.

Be Still

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10 niv

We all have days where we hit the ground running first thing in the morning and don’t stop until we shut our eyes again at night. There are so many things that need to get done that we feel like we can’t stop to think or even take a breath. Our mental and physical health suffers when we’re living at this pace. It’s not sustainable. We need time to ourselves and time for God. While the world tells us to hurry, hurry, hurry, God steps in with His quiet strength and says, “Be still.” Let yourself breathe and notice the beauty around you. Don’t get overwhelmed by the work in front of you or the burdens on your back. There’s plenty of time—no ma er what the world tells you. Are you struggling to find time for God these days? Are you unsure of how to be still in the midst of chaos? Ask Him to help you quiet your mind and calm your nerves. Enjoy your time in His holy presence and don’t take the quiet moments for granted.

Lord, help me find You in the quiet moments, even when there’s chaos around me.

Even When You Can’t See It

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5–6 niv

We are going to go through things in our lives that just don’t make sense to us. No ma er how hard we try to understand them, we will still struggle to comprehend why these things happened and what purpose they served, if any. We will experience devastating loss and grief that threaten to crush us. We will lose jobs and friends that we thought we could rely on. Natural disasters and national tragedies will shake our conﬁdence. When things like this happen, it’s easy to get discouraged and wonder why God is pu ing you through this. Are these things really part of His plan? It’s not our job to question why bad things happen. These things are outside of our control, and we can’t stop them. Our goal in these circumstances should be to maintain our trust in God. Even when our heart is breaking, we must keep our faith in Him. Have conﬁdence that He is guiding your path, even when you can’t see it.

Lord Jesus, I’ve been shaken by my circumstances, but I will keep my trust in You

A Thousand Generations

“Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.”

Deuteronomy 7:9 nlt

We have been given a promise as Christians. When we dedicate our lives to Christ and follow His commands, the love of God will never leave us. It will never fail or fade away. He has promised to deliver us from evil and to keep us safe, and our God keeps His promises. He has promised us eternal life in heaven, and He will deliver on that promise as long as we stay faithful and don’t lose sight of how He wants us to live. In the verse above, we are told that our God is so faithful, He keeps His covenant for a thousand generations. That’s a long time. We can rest assured that the same God who was with Moses in the Old Testament and Paul in the New Testament is with us still today. What’s more, He will be with our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. God’s not going anywhere. Rest easy in His unfailing love.

Lord, Your love never fails. I am amazed by Your faithfulness.

Louder than Words

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

1 John 3:18 niv

We’ve all heard the saying “actions speak louder than words.” This is true of many things, including the way we show our love to God and the people around us. Are we just saying the words and going through the motions, or are we backing them up “with actions and in truth” like this verse says? Sometimes it’s as simple as just showing up. We can show our love to those around us by lending a helping hand when people are in need, calling or sending a note to a friend who is going through a hard time, and even by just being there for our friends and family in times of celebration as well as hardship. Sometimes it takes a li le more work. When conflicts arise or when we’re faced with difficult personalities, loving others can feel like a big task. We may wonder if it’s really worth it. It always is. Loving others and pu ing that love into action won’t always be easy. There will be difficult conversations, disagreements, and personality clashes along the way. We have to do it anyway.

Lord, teach me how to put my love into action, even when it feels impossible.

In-Between Times

Are any among you in trouble? They should pray. Are any among you happy? They should sing praises.

James 5:13 gnt

For some of us, it’s second nature to call out to God when we are in trouble or hurting. We know we should seek Him when we are suﬀering. We believe in His promise to protect us and guide us through the hard times. Some of us are also pre y good at singing His praises when things are going well. Calling out to God on the mountaintop (the good times) and in the valley (the hard times) feels natural when you’ve done it a few times. What about the in-between times? Are you talking to God on the boring days too? He’s pleased when we reach out over tiny things. Are you only asking God for help when things feel dire, or are you bringing Him your daily fears and annoyances too? Are you singing His praises for the li le things as well as the miracles? Even something as simple as ﬁnding a parking spot in a crowded lot could be cause for praise. Nothing is too small for Him, just like no burden is too large. He will help you when you seek His grace.

Lord, thank You for caring about the little things too.

Let Him Fight

“The Lord will ﬁght for you; you need only to be still.”

Exodus 14:14 niv

“God is in control.” We hear this a lot, and we want to believe it. Most days, we do believe it. But then we find ourselves facing a challenge without a solution in sight. We pray and wait and pray some more; the resolution still doesn’t come. We pray for clarity and peace of mind, but we feel only confusion. Has God stopped listening? Did we do something wrong? It is so tempting to stop searching for guidance and take ma ers into our own hands. But by doing so, we may miss out on what He has planned. God’s timing doesn’t always match our own. Sometimes it takes years to receive clarity or understanding about a difficult situation. Sometimes the answer is not what we would have hoped. We may feel like God has abandoned us, but that is never the case. He is always there, working silently in our lives and preparing the way before us. He is always fighting for us and wants to see us succeed. Are we doing our part by trusting and listening, or are we trying to micromanage God?

Lord, I struggle when I can’t see Your plan clearly. Help me to have patience.

Victory Is Yours

“I will praise you, O Lord! You were angry with me, but not any more. Now you comfort me. See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”

Isaiah 12:1–2 nlt

When we turn to God and ask forgiveness for our sins, it is freely given. When we devote our lives to Christ, God’s love washes over us, providing a shield of protection that cannot be broken. Even when we go through difficult things, we can find strength in His promise that He will never leave us. We don’t have to go through these things alone. We don’t have to feel the same terror over the things that used to scare us, because we know He is with us and will protect us from evil. We can find joy in the midst of sorrow, because we know it won’t last forever. We can always go to Him for comfort; when we are exhausted, He will provide renewal. He has promised us great things, and He always delivers.

Lord, thank You for saving me. Your mercy knows no bounds!

Awestruck by God

The whole earth is ﬁlled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.

Psalm 65:8 niv

Spending time in nature can give us a solid reminder of God’s glory. The vast blue sky, the green grass, the trees that rustle in the breeze, the lakes that churn and lap the shore or shimmer in the sunlight. . . God did all of that. So much care and detail went into creating each ﬂower, bird, and stone. The beauty outdoors shows endless creativity and so much love. If you’re feeling uninspired and need a reminder of how big God is, go outside just before the sun rises. Watch how the world slowly wakes up as the sky changes from black to pink to blue. Feel the dew on the grass and look at the fog that rises over pavement. Listen for the birds that wait for the sun before they start their morning chatter. It happens every morning, but it’s remarkable nonetheless. The rhythm is a timeless song of praise in its own way. The God who cared enough to create those things also created you, with all your quirks, hang-ups, and intricacies. How amazing is that?

Lord, don’t let me forget to be awestruck. You fill me with joy.

When We Believe

Jesus answered, “I assure you that if you believe and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I have done to this ﬁg tree. And not only this, but you will even be able to say to this hill, ‘Get up and throw yourself in the sea,’ and it will. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matthew 21:21–22 gnt

Right before this passage, Jesus cursed a ﬁg tree to never again bear fruit when He found its branches empty. It dried up immediately and His disciples were astonished. They asked Him how this had happened. Jesus’ response was to tell them that they too could do anything if only they had enough faith. Do we believe this in our daily life? We pray for things o en and hope that God will answer our prayers. We want to believe He will move in our lives and make good things happen, but we are still prone to doubt. Maybe God won’t do this for me. Maybe I’m not good enough to receive this blessing. If there’s something you want desperately, don’t be afraid to ask God. Believe that He will answer your prayers in ways you can’t even imagine. Accept His blessings and let your faith grow.

Lord, please strengthen my faith.

It Endures. . .Forever?

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34 nlt

His faithful love endures forever. What a jaw-dropping promise. So many of us, especially early in our faith walk with Christ, worry that we’ll make a wrong move and His love and grace will be taken from us. We become obsessed with trying to become perfect and are disappointed when we fall short of this impossible goal. We worry that maybe this whole salvation thing is too good to be true—does God know all those horrible things in our past? Are they really forgiven? The answer is yes. The Bible is crystal clear on this. When we give our lives to God, our sins are forgiven and washed away. His love can’t be taken from us; not only is it faithful, but it endures forever. We’ve been given a precious gi , and unlike so many of the earthly gi s we see in our lifetimes, it can’t and won’t be taken away. God is good, and He loves us. Let’s give thanks for this simple and miraculous truth every day.

Lord, today I’m reflecting on the magnitude of Your promises. Thank You for Your enduring, faithful love.

Always Pay Attention

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Colossians 4:2 nlt

How can we have a thankful heart in our daily lives? Perhaps it’s as simple as trying to notice the world around us a bit more. Pay a ention and look for the li le things of beauty that fill each day: sunshine on a snow-covered field, the smell of freshly ground coffee wa ing from a local store, the sounds of the first birds of spring. These li le things ma er, and we should thank God for them. While we’re paying a ention, we may also start to notice people and situations that need to be added to our prayer list: friends who are suffering with things we may not know about, strangers who lash out in anger, communities that are struggling and could use a helping hand. We can ask for God’s help in these situations, even when they are outside of our control. We can’t close our eyes to suffering, and we shouldn’t close our eyes to the beauty around us, either. Both should be brought to God in prayer. Devote yourself to becoming a careful observer and pray accordingly.

Lord, help me see the world as You do.

Teach me to always be observant and thankful.

Stay Focused

Be patient and wait for the Lord to act; don’t be worried about those who prosper or those who succeed in their evil plans.

Psalm 37:7 gnt

It’s easy to get discouraged when you see someone else get something you want. Maybe you’ve been praying and working diligently toward a promotion at work—you’ve put in the hours of training and asked God to make it possible. Then it’s given to someone else who has less experience and hasn’t worked there as long as you have. Or maybe you and your husband have been praying for a child who hasn’t arrived yet. Each new pregnancy announcement from a friend feels like a crushing blow, even though you’re happy for them. When is it going to be your turn? Are you chasing a dream that won’t come true? The verse above reminds us of the importance of staying patient. We won’t always understand God’s timing, but we can have faith that He hears our prayers and won’t let us down. Comparing ourselves to others is a recipe for disaster—not just because it discourages us but because it can make us begin to doubt God. Stay focused on your own actions—do the work, pray for clarity, and trust that God is listening.

Lord, You know what I’m waiting for. Help me not to lose hope.

God Can Be Trusted

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose conﬁdence is in him.”

Jeremiah 17:7 niv

Trusting another person means living with the fact that they will inevitably let you down somehow. It’s not a character ﬂaw or a knock on the other person—it’s just a fact. Humans are fallible. We’re not perfect. We try to do the right thing and we try to treat others well, but we’re going to mess up. We’re going to say the wrong thing or forget to do something we promised we would do. We’re going to place impossible expectations on each other and then be crestfallen when the other person fails to live up to them. This doesn’t mean we should stop trusting others—it just means we need to show grace to one another. People will fail, but we have to love one another anyway. Fortunately, we have someone who will never fail us—God. We can trust that God will always keep His promises. He won’t forget us or lose sight of us. He won’t get distracted when we need Him most. Our conﬁdence in God can only grow.

Lord, my faith in You won’t be shaken. I know I can always trust You.

Light and Joy

You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right.

Psalm 97:10–11 nlt

It hurts when we see someone rewarded for doing the wrong thing. The person who cheats wins the game. The person who takes credit for someone else’s work gets promoted. The person who lies or treats others poorly behind closed doors is lauded as a wonderful human being by others who don’t know the full story. When we see these things happen, it’s easy to get discouraged. What’s the point of doing the right thing if they’re the ones who succeed? That line of thinking is dangerous. God wants us to turn from evil and focus on living holy lives—no ma er what other people do or think. When they lie, we should tell the truth. When they treat others (or us) poorly, we should respond with grace and show genuine kindness to everyone around us. Doing the right thing is not always easy, but God rewards those who follow His ways. He will bring us joy and satisfaction, and we can take comfort in the fact that we are living in His light.

Lord, help me do the right thing.

Sharing His Love

Your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit, and you have kindness and compassion for one another. I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind.

Philippians 2:1–2 gnt

Too o en, we focus on the things in life that divide us. We take hard stances on things that don’t really ma er and start to view strangers as people we could never have anything in common with, just because we don’t know them. We become so focused on our differences that we forget about the things we have in common with others. This is true in churches as well. Cliques form and pe y fights start happening. A visitor stops in on Sunday morning and is stared at instead of welcomed warmly. How did we get so far off the path? We are called to love one another because Christ first loved us. We are meant to show His love to others and treat others with grace, respect, and dignity. It’s time to remember what we have in common with our fellow believers instead of forcing ourselves apart.

Lord, Your love comforts me and makes me strong. Help me share it with others.

Stay Faithful

Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12 gnt

When we first begin our faith walk, we may think that all our troubles will disappear. “No more hard times for me! I’ve got it all figured out, because I’m walking with God now.” If only that were the case. In reality, troubles are still going to find us. We’ll face everything from minor inconveniences (a flat tire on the way to work, a broken water tank on a cold day) to devastating circumstances (scary health diagnoses, natural disasters, the loss of a loved one). There’s no avoiding the trials of life. What ma ers is how we respond to them. We can denounce God at the first sign of trouble, feeling abandoned and let down. Or we can do the more difficult thing and stay faithful even when things are falling apart. Ask God to see you through whatever it is you’re facing. He is there waiting to comfort you, strengthen you, and walk you through the hardest parts.

Lord, I need Your help walking through the trials of my life. Show me Your love and help me remember that You will never leave.