Sincerely by Kara

Lord, I resolve to make this year even more about You. Because it is, in fact, all about You. Every day. Every moment. I promise to lift the name of Jesus higher than ever before. And I pray, asking the Holy Spirit to continue guiding us all and helping us fulfill each and every assignment given to us by God. We yearn to abide in You, Jesus. We ask for greater revelation and application of Your Word. I pray we would live in a way this year that would be pleasing to You and wo...uld reflect just how much we love You. 2021 is for You. Only for You. We pray in the name of Jesus, amen. __ for we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139:16 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. John 15:4 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. Psalm 36:7 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Psalm 27:13

I know many have suffered this year. Many are hurting. Many are overwhelmed. So, this is my prayer to God, asking and crying out for healing. Physical healing, emotional healing, spiritual healing. I also know many are worrying. And I want to focus on that for a moment. I have found myself worrying too. Last night, as I was praying, I felt God invite me to share with Him all the worries in my heart. To really be honest with Him. And to not try to cling to my own ways of copin...g or to minimize certain smaller worries. I felt it was important to empty them all out before Him. Every single one. As a way to release and surrender them. And the freedom I felt and feel today was like breathing in fresh, cool air. That reviving air. I must continually remind myself to do this. For those who may also be gripping onto worries, I encourage you to go to Him, sit with Him and go through each worry and hand them over to Him. Release your grip, empty your hands of all you’re trying to carry. He is the Lifter of our burdens, of our worries. I am praying for a mighty wave of His peace to comfort you. And for us to remember, He alone is our peace. I’m praying for the beauty and growth of this year to remain with us always. I’m praying for God to walk with each of us, hand in hand, as we soon step into a new year, a new chapter, a new journey.

These words are from a text message that was sent out by my amazing sisters at @hertrueworth. I was so deeply encouraged by these beautiful words and wanted to share with you as well. Praying it would speak strength to your heart and remind your spirit again that He is with you. He is working in you and through you, even when you don’t feel it. You are cherished and loved. __ I love the daily text messages from @hertrueworth so much. If you want, you can sign up to receive their messages via the link in their bio and also they have a highlight text us. Each message always inspires me and reminds me of truth and the goodness and love of God.

In these next few days leading up to the New Year, many of us will be deeply reflecting on this past year and writing down hopes and resolutions for 2021. And many have a great desire to be in alignment with God’s will for their lives. I do too, so very much. Reading through James, this verse, as it often does, boldly stood out to me: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5 We can ask our F...ather for wisdom, and He promises to give it generously. It’s important to note the asking part. I believe the action of asking shows our heart posture and demonstrates to Him how very much we desire and NEED His wisdom, guidance and direction. Showing him we do not depend on our own understanding. I think sometimes we want so desperately to know God’s will for our days and lives, but we may not spend a lot of time talking with Him, praying and asking Him with a surrendered heart, God, what do You want me to do? What is Your will for this year? Lead me each and every day. I think true wisdom is asking God what His will is and then firmly proclaiming, Your will be done, Father. We must also give Him room to speak and show us. And in faith, wait and expect Him to answer. 2021 prayer: God, please show me what my heart should focus on this upcoming year. What would You have me do? What is Your will for this year? What is my part to play in this new chapter of Your story? Your servant is listening. I lay down my plans for Yours. Lead me each and every day. In Jesus name, amen. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind; and every decision you then make will be uncertain, as you turn first this way and then that. If you don’t ask with faith, don’t expect the Lord to give you any solid answer. James 1:6-8

A Christmas prayer Jesus, oh Jesus. Words fail me. My heart fails me.... I don’t have adequate words to thank You for dressing in flesh and blood, to suffer. Yet with the joy set before You, You came to endure the cross. Your joy has now become the joy to the world. Your death has now become life to a dying world. One act of sin by Adam eradicated by one act of love, by You Jesus. Our Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor. You now reign in glory, power and majesty. You sit at the right hand of Your Father, now called Our Father. Because of You, we are called His children too. We collectively and individually acknowledge You as our Lord and Savior, as the prophesied Messiah, the Mashiach, the promised deliverer. If we have strayed this year, we seek Your forgiveness, if we have sins that need repenting, we repent now, and say I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. We seek You as our Shepherd, our Light, our Christ. Please fill us with a greater measure of Your Spirit and engrave Your Word upon our hearts. May we follow in Your humble footsteps of serving others. May we follow in Your gentle boldness in making You known. May we, in all circumstances, repeat Father, not my will but Yours. May we seek after our Father as You did. May we pray to our Father as often as You did. Some of us are weary, so weary. But as children of God, our birthright is peace. We have been adopted into Love. We have been called His own. So as His children, we wipe our tired eyes from our weary tears, and like children again on Christmas morning, full of wonder, delight and anticipation, we rejoice! Not because of the presents under the tree, but because of the One who hung on the tree. We love You, Jesus. Amen. Merry Christmas, sweet friends

Sweet November A daily morning prayer for this new month ahead. Praying this month would be a month of greater intimacy with our God, greater dependence upon Him, greater clarity on His goodness, and greater love for Him. Praying we see within each and every new day He gifts us, the beauty of His hand in everything and the true blessing of waking up each day knowing He is still right by our side. I pray no matter what goes on around us, we will not be shaken, and that we wi...ll firmly and simply rejoice in the truth that He is our God and He is good and faithful and full of loving kindness. __ I will tell of the kindness of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us. Isaiah 63:7 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. Psalm 145:8-9 Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13

I know many are feeling anxious. There has been so much going on globally, nationally and individually. It often feels just too much. It seems almost every day there is something that threatens our peace and attempts to fill us with worry. But can I remind you (and myself) again tonight, God is good. He is faithful. As scripture says, when anxiety is great within us, He will console us. And this consolation brings joy. I really want us to pause on this. The Almighty God, Crea...tor of the Universe, takes time to console us. What love. We are so very blessed to have a mighty God so full of mercy, kindness, gentleness and compassion. He is so worthy of our complete trust and dependence. Continue to seek Him. Continue to go to Him. Talk to Him. Tell Him all your worries. Ask Him to help you. Daily, ask Him to take your anxieties and worries. He is a God who listens, He is a God who answers. He is a God who loves you. Please take some time to read through these verses. They were an encouragement to me tonight and I pray they would be for you as well, sweet friend __ When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:19 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. John 14:1 I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3 So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?' Hebrews 13:6 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16

The next generation, the children and babies, and babies still to come have been heavily on my heart. This is my prayer for them. This is my prayer for the future Church. I hope and pray that the next generations to come will be overflowing with the Holy Spirit, fully surrendered to the will of the Father. Proclaiming each day Your Kingdom come. To be filled with His power to walk in the Kingdom even while on earth, to lift the name of Jesus high unapologetically and unwave...ringly, with genuine love, boldness and steadfast faith. To serve God and serve others with their whole heart. I pray they are believers and followers of Christ like we desperately need and that the love and fear of the Lord will continue to grow with each passing decade. I pray daughters and sons will be gifted the wisdom of God and gifted eyes to see with a heavenly perspective and a purpose driven by an eternity mindset. __ So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. Psalm 71:18 This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord. Psalm 102:18 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. Psalm 145:3-4 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:21

Sunday scripture I pray these verses would encourage your heart today and throughout the upcoming week. Intimate, beautiful words written within the psalms that we can cling to. My friend, remember He is a shield around you. When your head is heavy from sorrow or tears, He is the One who lifts your head. And when your head lifts, who do you see? You see Him. You see His eyes looking into yours. You see His Face, radiant with glory, mercy and love. He is always, always there for us. When we cry out, He is there. We don’t have to hold our cries in, but we release them in the safety of His arms.

Recently, I was reading through Luke 11 and stopped on this verse But he said, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it! Luke 11:28 I kept rereading it. And soon it became a prayer. I wrote it down and wanted to share. The help of Jesus and the Holy Spirit is crucial in truly putting His Word into practice and obeying it. I desperately do not want to be someone who just hears the Word or reads the Word. I pray to be one who does the Word.... I pray His Word becomes so engraved into my heart, so imprinted upon my spirit that I walk through each day abiding continually in His Word. Actions and decisions and words spoken that accurately represent what is written in scripture. And I know I cannot do this on my own. Thank You, our faithful God, for Your constant help, grace as we learn and mercy when we fall short. Thank You Holy Spirit for teaching us and revealing truth. Thank You Jesus, for Your Word. __ But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. Romans 2:13 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16 Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24

How often do we go about our days, forgetting to pray. Or forgetting to pray often. It tells us in His Word to pray continuously, without ceasing. For very good reason. Because this connects us with the Great I AM, the greatest source of power known to us. And not the kind of power the world seeks. It’s a power to live out the God-given calling we each have, that we may glorify Him in all we do. That we may point others to His goodness, point to our salvation in Jesus Christ.... That we would live out our calling to seek justice for the oppressed, bind up the broken hearts, heal the sick, look after the hurting. It’s a power not for our own glory, but His. It’s a mighty power to put the gospel into action. Another absolutely beautiful aspect of prayer is the deep relationship with the Lord that develops. A total dependency on Him and Him alone. I find I pray throughout the night often, even in my sleep. I know I can cry out to Him for help, strength and comfort when this life feels overwhelming. We can lay our requests at His feet, He hears our every word. Literally, our every word, spoken and unspoken. Aloud and deep in our hearts. Because He is a good God and a good Father. He is the God who created your voice, your mind, your heart so of course your Creator is so intimately aware of your needs. So, my friend, I encourage you and myself today, to remember there is profound beauty and great power in prayer. Let’s be known for being praying daughters of the most glorious Father __ Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Psalm 107:28-29 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14 In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3

Friend, this is your Friday night reminder go to Him and He will give you rest.

Truly, my Everything I couldn’t face this life without Him. I walked part of my life not abiding in Him, and honestly? I was so very lost. Filling my days with meaningless distractions and sometimes making destructive decisions. But, He grabbed my hand out of the pit of despair and pulled me up and embraced me. He gave me a security in this life that only He can give. Friend, nothing in this world is secure and stable. Only Him. Stand firmly with Him by your side. It’s Him... who brings the lasting comfort, the lasting joy, the lasting strength. Set your gaze upon Him. Set your heart upon His beauty. Set your mind on His goodness. And simply rest in His kindness. __ He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. Psalm 40:2 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. Psalm 116:7 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Titus 3:4-6

Recently, this has been the prayer of my heart. It’s truly hard to put into words the gift of the Holy Spirit. And what a sense of peace that He sees it all and knows it all. And He helps transform our human hearts into repenting hearts. He walks us out of the flesh and into Himself; it’s the most beautiful way to walk this earth. Only God can do this transformation of the heart with so much mercy, grace and love. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thou...ghts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret, that will not be known, and comes to light. Luke 8:17 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. 1 Corinthians 6:19

To the anxious hearts, I‘m praying for you today. Hand it all over to Him, every anxious thought, lay each one down. Surrender your days to His care. Trust in Him. He loves and cares for you. Abide with Him. May His peace blanket your soul today and every day. Take some time and read the below scriptures of the promises of His peace. save also if you’d like to come back and refer to these verses. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I ...give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 Jesus answered him, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14:23

To make Him known and be known by Him. That’s the beautiful goal of this life. And yet, sometimes we run after dreams that we say are to honor God yet deep down they are to make a name for ourselves. To prove ourselves. To validate our worth. To be somebody. When we dig deep, we uncover the motives that actually resist the call Jesus asks of us, to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow Him. For some, maybe we keep trying to keep up with how the culture defin...es success or a good life. But this is entirely unfulfilling. Look at the disciples. They were met with persecution, suffering and death, but counted it all joy. It’s a life that’s not centered on ourselves but on God. When we take the focus off ourselves and place it onto others, that’s when a fruitful, impactful life abounds. Daily, I try to remember to ask the Holy Spirit to help me with this. What we do truly won’t matter or be lasting if it’s not for the kingdom of God. After we leave this earth, years and years go by and we will become a distant memory as time continues on. But the name of the Lord still remains. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is the only One who lasts. His Name, not ours. We make an eternal difference when we live for God and His Kingdom. This earth will pass away. So we must store up our treasures in Heaven. When I remember this life isn’t about me, I feel so much lighter and a strength to continue on. When I know my worth and identity is rooted in Him alone, a contentment rests in my spirit. There is a steadfast joy about making today count for eternity, not investing in a fleeting earth. He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. Revelation 3:5 Then Jesus told his disciples, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Matthew 16:24-26

I wrote this prayer October 1st of last year, as my sister and I sat with my mama in the hospital. We had no idea we would only have a little over 5 weeks left with her. We knew the time was coming, but ... well I guess it’s just never in the timeframe we would choose. I came across this prayer today and the tears just came. I’ve been thinking about my mama so much. Many things were happening last October, hard decisions and beautiful conversations. Through it all, God’s Pres...ence was undeniable. His joy covered her and us, entirely. Truly an odd thing. It doesn’t make sense to have that kind of joy in such crushing. That kind of peace. Which only shows the unbelievable power of our God. The power of His comfort over any suffering we may endure. The power of His joy that forces itself through the shattered heart. The power of His complete victory over death. So, I share this prayer and thoughts for anyone in a season of heartbreak. Anyone suffering or in the storm, I pray you would remember to cling to Him with both hands. Don’t let go. Trust in Him with your entire being; your entire heart, mind and spirit. He is the only way to make it through this life. And to make it through with a joy and peace that’s simply not of this world. __ You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust! Psalm 91:2 I say to the LORD, You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you. Psalm 16:2 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. Psalm 62:6

This has been a most trying year, a difficult season. I know. It has been for me too. But I want to remind you of this beautiful promise above. praying for you tonight, dear sister. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. Psalm 91:11-12