Believe & Speak

Ever noticed how the Holy Spirit often gives the same message to several different messengers within the same timeframe? Whether you hear a Sunday sermon, read a daily devotional or listen to a Christian podcaster, you keep hearing the same thing. I read a daily devotional called Give Him 15, and was encouraged by a recent three-day series on the power of speaking God’s Word, which ran April 10–12...

With the beauty and majesty of Easter Sunday fresh on my mind, I was led to the book of Romans for today’s episode. This week’s declaration comes straight from verse 14 of Romans 6 and it’s designed to remind you that you are not a slave to obeying the letter of the law. You are the beloved child of your gracious Heavenly Father. Today’s church isn’t necessarily caught up in obeying rituals like c...

This week is a really big week for the church. I saw a graphic on Facebook that said “A lot can happen in seven days” and to prove it, the graphic contained side-by-side line drawings of a palm branch, a crown of thorns, a cross on a hill, and a stone rolled away from a tomb. Yes, a lot can happen in seven days. The palm branches are behind us on our calendar and the cross and empty tomb are befor...

Ever feel ignored by God? Like he’s withholding answers to the prayers you’ve desperately prayed? We may feel like he’s holding out on us at times, but that’s not true. According to the verses I read in today’s episode of the Believe & Speak podcast, God does not withhold good things from us. When God doesn’t give me what I’m asking him for, I try hard not to think of it as him saying, “No, you ca...

Today’s episode was inspired by the word “inconceivable” from last week’s declaration. If you missed Episode 63, I encourage you to listen and then repeat the declaration from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians that I gave you. I firmly believe that speaking declarations drawn from the Bible empowers our tongues with truth. That’s why every episode is based on Scripture, and every declaration is drawn...

Ephesians 3:20-21 promises us that God is able to do amazing things THROUGH us! We are his workmanship and we are his vessels. We are crafted and created to do amazing things. In fact, we can’t even imagine what God can do—and WILL do—through us. Let’s not limit our thinking. Let’s allow our imaginations to run wild! God’s supernatural activity is desperately needed in this hour. Could it be he’s...

Hebrews 11 is referred to by many as “The Hall of Faith.” Today’s episode covers the first six verses of that chapter, and I hope it will encourage your walk of faith. You and I demonstrate faith when we’re confident that God will keep his promises. We demonstrate faith when we’re certain of what we don’t see. And when we seek God with bold confidence, he will reward us. Your faith, your assurance...

The book of Proverbs is filled with wise sayings. Today we focus on two verses that speak of the benefits of loving and worshiping God. There is no reason to cower in fear when you stand in awe of God. Proverbs 14:26 says that confidence and strength flood our hearts when we live in awe of God. Not only that, but our devotion to God also provides our children with security. Proverbs 14:27 says our...

Back in Episode 11 of the Believe & Speak podcast, I mentioned that Christian followers of Jesus have been adopted into God’s family. Therefore, believers have the right to claim the promises God gave to Jacob and to Israel. Jacob was a patriarch of God’s “family,” the nation of Israel. Because we belong to that family too, we can apply the promises God gave to them. So today, as I read from the b...

This week’s episode was inspired last Saturday during a small group study of my book. I’m taking a few 20- to 30-something-year-old women through my new book, Longing to Belong: Discovering the Joy of Acceptance, and last week we were discussing the chapter called “I Am Not Invisible”, which includes a character profile of Rahab, the prostitute visited by the spies that Joshua sent out to explore...

This episode was inspired by the fact that my firstborn is celebrating her birthday today. She just turned 29—the age I was when she was born. But she (and her wonderful husband) have already given me two beautiful granddaughters, and they’re expecting their third child in July. I’m blessed to have multiple generations of family members who love and revere God. When I read in Psalm 103:13 that the...

I’ve often heard professional athletes say their favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13. They credit God for the “against all odds” strength that he provided so they could pull off a “come from behind” victory. But Paul, the author of Philippians, is not crediting God for his physical strength. Verse 13 in the NIV says, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” In the context of the...

I was recently challenged to bring a message of hope to those who might be despairing to the point of death. To be honest, I feel ill-equipped to redirect the thoughts of someone who considers suicide a better alternative to living. But I know that I know that there’s life-giving power in believing and speaking declarations of truth—especially when it comes to declaring truth about who God is—who...

Lyrics from a song that was popular more than 30 years ago have run through my head several times this week. Written by Twila Paris, the song, “The Warrior is a Child” is about being weary from incessant spiritual battles. If you’re worn out from warring against spiritual forces of evil, this week’s episode offers a promise for you. You and I can overcome defeat by believing God’s promises in spit...

In light of the fact that this is the first episode of my podcast for the new year, I can’t help but highlight Isaiah 43:19, a Bible verse that speaks of our God doing a new thing. God brought the theme of this verse into my life early last year when the Covid-19 pandemic changed everything. He continued to drive home the promise (and practice) of this verse through the introduction of an online t...

For the past three weeks, I’ve been reading from The Gospel of Luke in honor of Christmas. I started by sharing the prequel to the beloved Christmas story, and I’ll end by reading about what happened when Jesus was 8 days old—the day Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to present their newborn to the Lord. That was the day they met Simeon. As I look over the top of the computer screen in my o...

The year 2020 will not go down in the history books as a year marked by peace and good will toward men. Even now, I see images in my mind’s eye of the unrest and anger that swept America this year. But the angels promised peace and good will at Jesus’s birth. The promise of peace was also proclaimed at the end of Jesus’s life, when he told his disciples: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind...

Christmas is almost here! My two-year-old granddaughter has been counting down the days, filled with expectation. In light of the coming holiday, today’s episode will continue from where we left off last week. God had just given Mary a huge assignment. I love that she didn’t run to her finance with the news first. She ran to her cousin, who had also experienced a miracle of God and was expecting a...

Since covid-19 lockdowns altered my Sunday morning routine, I’ve been attending online services beyond those presented by my home church. This past Sunday, I watched Robert Morris, Senior Pastor of Gateway Church in Texas. I sat up straight with expectation when he mentioned that he’d recently been making “I am” declarations. I’m a big fan of “I am” declarations! The Believe & Speak podcast is all...

Have you ever felt like your words didn’t matter? That what you say doesn’t make a difference? That you waste your time by speaking up? Well, Isaiah 55:11 promises that you don’t waste your words, especially when you declare the Word of God. When we root our words in God’s word, our words always produce fruit. In the days leading up to my birthday last month, I was feeling the weight of an unfulfi...

Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, I chose a Scripture that highlights the generosity of our God. I live in Central California—a cornucopia of fresh produce—so I understand the significance of a bountiful harvest. It makes perfect sense to me that Thanksgiving comes at the end of harvest season. I received a letter last week from hospice, as if I needed reminding that I’m approaching the annivers...

I was driven by my approaching birthday to focus on Isaiah 40:25–31 for two weeks, and will pick up today where I left off last week. These verses are very familiar to me because God used them to encourage me over and over—ever since my teenage years when he gave me the yet-to-be-fulfilled promise. My 40-year wait has not only made me tired and weary, but has also tested my faith. In his wisdom, G...

If you are waiting for the fulfilment of a promise, and the wait has made you weary, you will appreciate the truth we will believe and speak this week and next. My birthday is a week from Friday. November 20th marks the passing of yet another year without seeing the fulfillment of a promise God gave me 40 years ago. He gave the promise along with the exhortation to wait for it. I’ve been waiting a...

This episode publishes the day after the U.S. presidential election, but I recorded it the day of the election. So even if the race has been called by the time you hear this, I don’t know who won. My motivation for choosing the passage I’m reading today has nothing to do with the results of the election and everything to do with our behavior in light of those results. I hope and pray we are neithe...

The United States election is less than a week away. The American people have never been more divided. The disrespect and disdain displayed on the news and in social media between the left and the right has been far from godly and dignified. No wonder Paul wrote to Timothy “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people.” My mom once told me that if I didn’t like someone, I should pray for them,...