Believe & Speak

Why does the Bible say God heals all my diseases when He doesn’t? A tough question like that can cloud our understanding of God, but the right focus clears away doubt. Focusing on the good things God has done may not change bad things we might currently be struggling with, but the right focus will change our attitude. Today I’ll share three good things God has done from Psalm 103 to help us keep t...

If you’ve ever put God in a box and decided there’s only so much that He can do, then I’ve got some encouraging words for you. Nothing is too hard for God. Today, I’m going to share three insights from the OT book of Jeremiah that show us why we can expect more from God. So get ready to believe God for the impossible! I love how Jeremiah 32:17 starts out with the word “Ah.” Like, it’s a relief to...

Did you know that God is not only ABLE to make you strong, but He is also PLEASED to make you strong! Psalm 89:17 points out something pleasing to God that I hadn’t thought of before. It pleases God to make me strong. God know our weaknesses. He knows our vulnerabilities and fears. He knows our limits. He doesn’t expect us to be all powerful and all mighty. That’s His job! And the crazy thing abou...

Today’s episode was inspired by a friend of mine who just lost her son to fentanyl, and yet in the midst of her pain she still radiates the light, hope, and joy we have in Jesus. The Bible tells us that the tongue has the power of life and death. My friend is proof that even in the face of death, we can speak life and spread the love of God to those around us. I know it's hard to keep from speakin...

I find myself saying the words “yes and amen” when I hear truth that excites me, and the truth in today’s declaration definitely excites me! God is able to do what I cannot do—even when it comes to standing firm in my faith. When we said “Yes” to Jesus, God wiped away our guilt and shame. When we said “Amen” to making Jesus Lord and Savior, God gave us the Holy Spirit as a deposit. Nothing can sep...

One of the things I love about the Apostle Paul is that he wasn’t afraid to talk about Jesus to anyone, because he knew that anyone could—and anyone actually might—put their faith in God. He knew and preached the truth summed up in today’s declaration. In Acts 17, Paul began debating with a group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. Some called him a babbler, others wanted to hear more. So, they b...

I’ve been desperate to believe I can still hold on to a long ago promise God made me, and so several weeks ago, I entered two words into the search bar of one of my Bible programs: word fail My search served up seven results, which have been sitting on a tab on my computer ever since. I kept clicking on the tab and reading the first two and the last two results over and over. I never intended to s...

Yesterday would’ve been by dad’s 87th birthday. I’m sure he and my mom had a great time celebrating in glory, that is, if we still celebrate birthdays in heaven. I marked the occasion with my husband and my dear friend, Donita, whose husband went to be with Jesus about a month before my dad left earth for heaven. When my friend popped over a little sooner than I expected, I told her I was writing...

The lyrics to “Blessed Assurance” come from the book of Lamentations. Several years ago, I recorded a fun, upbeat version of that old hymn, and you can hear it on Spotify, YouTube and other online sources to this day. The message in “Blessed Assurance” will help you remember the truth in today’s declaration—a truth well worth believing and speaking. I’m a big fan of blueletterbible.org. I visit th...

I’m 3 ½ years into this podcast, and I’ve never read from Lamentations. A book filled with laments doesn’t seem like the best source for a podcast designed to help you speak life. But today’s declaration is positively life-giving, and you can find it tucked into an Old Testament book filled with laments. But as you’ll soon see, Lamentations contains so much more than a gush of grief. In fact, Lame...

Danny Gokey has a new song out called My America (I Still Believe). I’ve only heard it a few times, but every time he breaks into America the Beautiful, I get goosebumps. Certainly, God has shed his grace on this nation. Before putting my thoughts together for this episode, I looked at my podcast’s statistics because I recently crossed a major milestone in the total number of listeners. I wasn’t s...

God spoke life into existence, but he didn’t merely say “Let there be people.” He said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.” God had a special design in mind for mankind—for us to be like him. I’m reminded of something I wrote in my book Longing to Belong, which I’ll quote for you now. You are beautiful. You belong. You are loved.  The fourth line of the Manifesto of Acceptance add...

Last week, I mentioned a book I wrote several years ago about how God kept his promise to be close to the broken hearted and save those who are crushed in spirit. In the book, The Lord is Close, I share the story of God’s faithfulness during a season of deep, overwhelming grief. In the previous episode, I talked about one of two things I learned at the time about tears. If you haven’t already hear...

In the late 1990s, I wrote a book about how God kept his promise to be close to the broken hearted and save those who are crushed in spirit. I had buried my baby boy and cried countless tears. No pain has touched my life as deeply as the pain I felt when my son died. Even when we’re going through the deepest pain of our lives, we can be comforted in God’s presence and walk in his life-giving light...

Lately, my mind has been conforming to thought patterns out of sync with my preferred pattern of thinking. I desperately want to break out of the rut of negative thought patterns that my mind has settled into. Renewing my mind definitely takes effort, but it can be done. Everything is possible with God! Romans 12:2 contains a two-part command: don’t conform be transformed God never commands us to...

Anybody else struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep? Since I was a little girl, I’ve had a hard time slowing down my mind and/or my body when the clock says it’s time for bed. Perhaps that’s why I’m so familiar with the verses I’ll be reading for you today. Psalm 63 serves as a wonderful reminder that if I lose sleep, I can still find God. Psalm 63:6-8 inspired today’s episode, and I have thought...

My daughter gave me the idea of which scripture to share with you in this week’s episode, and I can’t believe that after 178 episodes, I still haven’t featured the much-loved verses I’ll be reading today. Thank you, Sarah, for the inspiration! I know the verses by heart that provide the foundation for the truth we will declare together today. My path has been anything but certain lately. I’m doing...

This week’s declaration comes from Psalm 118, which I keep coming back to read as if God doesn’t want me to miss something hiding there. Two of the verses in Psalm 118 inspired today’s declaration, which has the power to bring life just by speaking it. Psalm 118:24 has provided the lyrics to a number of happy, upbeat songs about how today is the day to rejoice and be glad. Psalm 118:27 tells us Go...

I pulled this week’s declaration out of Ephesians 3:14-19, which comes just a couple verses after Paul writes of how God has welcomed us to come boldly and confidently into his presence because of Jesus. It’s no wonder the passage opens with Paul talking about falling to his knees. The passage closes with Paul saying that you will be made complete. Being complete—being filled with all the fullness...

When I was a little girl, I dressed up for church. I dressed up for parties. I dressed up for dining out. These days, I rarely get dressed up. Maybe that’s why today’s declaration makes me smile. Its wonderful news is tucked into a Bible verse at the end of the chapter in Isaiah that contains the prophecy Jesus read in his hometown of Nazareth the day He revealed His identity and purpose to them....

Our Bibles contain tons of examples of God helping his people snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat. Both Gideon with his tiny band of warriors and Jehoshaphat with all the fighting men of Israel were outnumbered. Then there’s David with his sling shot aimed at a giant and the early church with their prayers lifted on behalf Peter in prison. All of them were ill equipped. But God delivered them...

Psalm 46 has been on my mind and in my heart a lot lately. I take great comfort reading Psalm 46 when my cage is being rattled and the ground around me is shaky. Maybe you’re familiar with this part of verse 10: “Be still and know that I am God.” What a beautiful command. Be still. That’s hard to do in troubling times. If you’re like me, you want to do something. I think Psalm 46 has been on my mi...

No matter what TikTok and Twitter have to say about Easter eggs and bunnies, they cannot negate or erase the truth about Easter. Jesus died and rose again to pay for the sins of the world and cancel our debt, reconciling us to God. The fifth chapter of Romans has a lot to say about justification through faith and gaining access to the grace and peace of God through Jesus Christ. Today’s episode is...

If ever there was a valley of the shadow of death, it’s what the disciples faced on Good Friday. If ever there was a table prepared in the presence of enemies, it’s what Jesus did on Easter Sunday. The death and resurrection of Jesus forever disarmed the powers of hell. Today’s episode falls days before we celebrate the redeeming love of God, which—according to Psalm 23:6 is also a pursuing love....

Today’s declaration is a wonderful reminder for those of us who more readily identify with a paper plate rather than with the fine China reserved for a special occasion. Today’s declaration is designed to remind you that you’ve been crafted by God with extraordinary value and significant purpose. Our declaration today is a conditional claim, so rather than declaring “I am” we will declare “I can b...