Does God Lead Us Into Dark Places? Throughout the Bible, God led his people into worlds different from their own, places they would never have chosen to go. Esther in Darkness “God separated the light from the darkness.” Genesis 1:4b (Amplified Version) In the book of Esther, a young woman was taken from her home and family, placed in a world …
Hardened Hearts by Diana Guz
One morning, my mother entered my room and asked, “Can we pray together?” And so we did. We still don’t speak of the heaviest need on our hearts, the one propelling us to prayer constantly, but in our whispers to God, it is there. The tears flow and after, we hold each other tight. We are bound by this …
Can You Write Your Own Psalm?
I love the Lord with all my heart, but I often find the Praise and Adoration part of my prayer life lacking. Thanking God for His faithfulness is a natural part of my prayers, but that first part of the A.C.T.S. prayer pattern is a toughie for me. A. – Adoration C. – Confession T. – Thanksgiving S. – Supplication …
Real People, Real God—Samuel, Hannah, Eli
Download the Study Notes Today, we begin with a look at Samuel’s parents (before they were parents)—Elkanah and Hannah. They are a wonderful picture of faithfulness to Yahweh during the time of Israel’s judges. Remember the time of the Judges? “Israel had no king, and everyone did as they saw fit.” Judges 21:25 (emphasis added) The Non-Example To illustrate how low Israel had …
Real People, Real God—Hannah’s & Mary’s Prayers
Download the Study Notes We’re pausing for a moment in our Through the Bible Character Series to take a brief look at the prayers of two Israelite women. Both pregnant, these ladies lived at different times in Israel’s history, but had very similar prayers. In light of the Christmas season, we’ll look at Mary’s prayer, sometimes called the …
Surprised by Answers by Bethel Burton
Have you ever asked God for something, and then were surprised when he acted? This has happened to me at several points in my life. Some things I asked over and over while others only once. The most recent example had to do with our dishwasher, of all things. The control panel had been on the fritz, but we were …






