The No Quitting Give Away

162 Comments

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  I need encouragement because I am a single mom. I’ve been on this journey since my son was 5 months old, and his dad left me for someone else. So basically, almost 9 years now of singleness. I go to church, but my church doesn’t offer a singles group, I suggested a singles group, and haven’t heard back yet. I do the majority of things with my son, and no one else. I am a strong woman, but as he gets older, things get harder for me – discipline, seeing women have homes and children and supportive husbands, I feel like every day Satan tempts me to give up. I work a boring, dead end job to get by and I am left unfulfilled. I don’t have a reliable sitter, so it’s an endless cycle. I read my Bible, I pray, and I consider myself spiritual, so the online dating thing does not appeal to me. I know God’s timing is perfect, but I live with the sadness of aloneless every single day. I don’t have family nearby, I have to constantly give and produce. While Sundays and reading the Bible definitely fill my cup, I can’t help but wonder “why is my journey like this? what did I do to deserve this?” while all my friends have families and are stay at home moms. It’s really hard. So for part 2, I’d like to encourage other single moms who don’t have anyone to never give up. Days may turn into years, and tears and longing, and sadness, but there are moments of joy. There are times where it feels good to be a mom who works hard, and I feel like if I can keep it up just a little longer, I might meet someone who loves Jesus and will run the run with me. So don’t give up, stay in the race. Find things you are grateful for, like food, or an apartment, or clothes. Don’t let Satan win.

  • I recently became a single mom! I am so proud of you and I’m learning about your struggle. My son was 10 months old when my husband left us 6 months ago. I have been searching for a Godly place that celebrates the single mother, I’m determined to find or make a group that does just that. I look at family photos on Pinterest and think, I can’t be the only one! Where are the mommy and me pictures? I already feel so alone without my husband, now I feel alone in the world too because my family doesn’t look like everyone else’s. Thank you for the encouragement! Thank you for all of the work you do for your son. God bless you!

  • Dear Laura,
    I too was abandoned by a husband of 20 years to raise two children alone. Life is very hard and often lonely as a single mother living in a world of married friends. My heart goes out to you having walked a similar path for 12 years now. God is with you every day and will help you through is season of your life. Try to find joy in the small things and learn to ask others for help when you need it. Remember this- you will be rewarded for your devotion to the Lord and your role as a mother. I found strength from this verse:
    The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;he rescues those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous face many troubles, but the Lord rescues them from each and every one.
    -Psalm 34:18-19 NLT

  • Hi!
    I want to encourage you in your walk as a single mom if God will use me…I also was a single mom raising my son who is now 21. There are so many challenges and blessings in being a single mom. I used to picture Jesus sitting next to me in church and always left an empty seat for him so I didn’t feel alone. I really enjoyed our cub scouts time together and they welcome moms. I also enjoyed bringing him to a christian karate class so he had positive male influences in that setting as well. Your church may never have the resources for a singles group but you can look for MOPS groups and connect with other moms possibly. They really helped me work through parenting issues. I’ve said a prayer for you and your son and hope something here lifts you up. Keep pressing on…God rewards the faithful. Jesus is your constant companion 🙂 He is the husband to the husbandless and father to the fatherless.

  • I am exactly where you are. My daughter will be. It has been tough. I fight hard not to be angry or discouraged. Tonight my daughter said to me, mom your like a big sister to me. I cried. I pray for you sister that you too would hang in their. I pray for hope and refreshment. Your son will know and remember the heart of his mother, in due season.

  • I don’t know why, but most of my friends are single moms. They are inspirations to me, family that is not miles away. I have no children of my own so far & am single too.
    My pastor was raised by a single mom & I think he turned out pretty good. There are people who may not tell yo,u, people you might not meet, but they are praying for you & your child.

• Hi everyone! I need a little encouragement, motivation, perhaps a swift kick in the you-know-where in the area of setting priorities and fulfilling them with excellence. It’s getting tougher each day to be a public school educator of excellence, a mother of excellence, a wife of excellence, a servant of The Lord of excellence, and not have an excellent break down. Really, there’s nothing excellent about a breakdown, but right now, that’s the only thing that I feel I would do with excellence. Sigh…sigh again… “Overcomer” by Mandisa is the song in my heart right now. It keeps me going, hoping to reach that much coveted excellence! Have an excellent week! http://youtu.be/z29olPjFbqg

  • Bless you in your pursuit of excellence in all of the above. I just returned (very part time) to teaching this year. My last full time job was at a public high…now several states away with children also in school, I accepted a position at a Christian high school. I feel your struggle and cannot imagine teaching full time at this stage of our family. Keep shining for him in the public arena! We need godly teachers in public schools! Thank you for all you do.

  • Hi, Irma…

    I heard never head of this Artist or Song. But I found it on Youtube & I like it! Thank you for writing it. I’m having a hard time now, too, and every little bit helps, especially music with the Word!

    • TYPOS!! LOL

      I had never heard of this Artist or Song. But I found it on Youtube, & I like it! Thank you for sharing it. I’m having a hard time now, too, and every little bit helps, especially music with the Word!

• Everyday since I started my new business I want to quite because it is hard. It is taking me out of my comfort zone, but you know what…the Lord is growing me through this adventure. Along the way He is whispering in my ear to not give up, that He doesn’t give me a spirit of timidity and fear! Take joy in the journey! The Lord is refining each and everyone of us as He takes us to the goal, dream, or whatever He has called you to do.

• I need to stay focused on my healthy eating goals. My inspiration so none of us give up is “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me” AMEN!!!!

  • Hi Barbara
    I too need to stay focused on healthy eating as I believe God has called to me make changes in these areas but I lack perseverance. A quote that helps me is from an In Touch magazine devotional…’The God who calls you is strong to keep you. Whenever He assigns you to a task, you can be sure He’ll empower you to achieve it.’ In Touch, August 2013, Daily Devotion for 13 August.

• hi ya’ll! i have always felt called to write a book about God’s grace and how He worked in my family. i need encouragement to start this process…. now, i have found a great way to get encouragement and to start! it is at CompelTraining.com through Proverbs 31 ministry. i can’t wait to start it with many of you…

• I am tempted to quit dreaming while awake, quit waking up, quit trying to love my twin sister. But then I remember, before we were born we had the same heartbeat & moved in tandem. I could have been her. I could have been the one rejected and forsaken by her mother and father. I could have been the one consumed by jealousy and hate. It could have been me not expecting (Psalm 27) to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I know the truth though that every one of Christ’s promises is for me as well as her. I am accepted and not rejected by my Creator (Isaiah 41:9).

• I need encouragement that says do not quit on using my spiritual gifts to get my platform growing! First, I had to find out about my spiritual gifts and I took an online test with https://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi just last night that motivated me to keep going in my direction and stop questioning my goal of helping adult women make Godly friendships and serve with their gifts!

• I need prayer for not quitting, being a single mom to 3 (not by choice) is exhausting. Motivation 2 Timothy 1:7 for God did not give a spirit of fear, but of power, love, self control, and sound mind.

• Tonight I needed this reminder of hope for my marriage. My husband is a recovering addict who recently relapsed. He is currently in rehab and will get the recovering steps he needs but I’m struggling to trust that this too shall pass. I know firsthand the miraculous healing of God: in bodies, our relationships and in those we love and lift up in prayer. Please pray with me and for me. The story below reminded me of the honesty and accountability we need as believers so that all of us can experience Christ’s love.

  http://www.maskcara.com/2013/09/05/a-story-of-addiction-and-recovery-part-two/

• Today I need encouragement to pursue a dream that was put in my heart many years ago. It’s one of those “only God can” kind of dreams. So, I’m just gonna put it out there. Going BACK to school, Med School, which entails many, many hoops to jump through. BUT, my God is bigger than ALL of that. If it happens – I KNOW it WILL be God working through me & not of my own strength. Lord knows I don’t have the strength right now, but I am willing.
  Daddy, you call us to do many things that will glorify your name. I ask you right now that you would give us each a glimpse of how you see us, your baby girl(s), and everything you have planned for us. May you be blessed by our stepping out in faith to pursue dreams that you have planted within us. Grow within us your confidence that we can see the finish line with you, holding our hands the entire way. Oh Father, lift us up when it seems too hard, impossible even. Bring us encouraging words, friends, sermons, AND uplifting moments with you as we take this journey into the future YOU have prepared for us. Thank you, Heavenly Father. Amen.

• I need encouragement to be brave with non-believers, to share my story and The Story that they need to hear. Face to face. No holding back, because there’s no better time than the present.
  This is a little encouragement I wrote about how our Father has adopted us, a different way to see how “what can wash away our sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus…”
  http://www.paintthetownag.com/2013/09/25/anewlife/

• I need prayer and encouragement today as a stepmom. My 16 year old stepdaughter is having many issues that are affecting us all. Please pray for her to turn back to God and for us as we try to make it through this trial. For those of you who may also have blended families I encourage you to check out: http://www.smartstepfamilies.com. wonderful resources for those of us who try to balance two homes into one! God bless!

  • Oh Christy, how I relate to you and how I am so grateful that you provided a link where I can go for support. I have been looking for others who could relate to my situation as a step parent. I have never birthed any children and met my husband when his daughter was turning six years old. It was completely overwhelming. We struggled to get a long for many, many years. Then around the age of 12 she and I became the best of friends … then 14 came around and all the sassiness that comes with that age. I will lift you and your family in prayer.

• Today, I need encouragement to follow through with my commitments. I feel I’ve over-committed in some areas. My bit of encouragement is Psalm 46:10 – Be still and Know that I Am God.

  • Me, too! Thank you for the verse!

• Hello there! Thank you for sharing in the Proverbs 31 devotional this morning Niki. Those 5 points are fantastic to keep us moving forward in whatever God is calling us to do. I need encouragement not to quit in my therapy. I am just starting therapy for an eating disorder. It would be so easy to quit and thoughts of quitting go through my mind each day. It is one of those things ~ it is easier to just to stay with what’s comfortable, even though what is comfortable is not good or healthy for me or my family. Could you please pray that I would stick to the program and follow through? I know God has a plan even in this. I have even had a passing thought of writing a book once this part of my journey is complete! I know God can give me victory! Thank you again for your ministry.
  Blessings,
  Rebecca

  • Praying for you!! I want to encourage you to take this journey one day at a time…sometimes even one MINUTE at a time…but ALL while holding Gods hand and trusting Him!!

• Please encourage me to fight through the depression of being broken hearted. Today I am leaning on God’s word of Psalm 34:17-18. If you too are broken hearted please lean on God’s word with me that we may make it through. #blessings

  • Me, too, Michelle! It is adding to other pains I have inside and I am finding it challenging to move forward in any area of my life, day by day.

    But I am staying Faithful – the main reason I am here on this website – and to stay focused with God’s guidance.

    I wish the same for you! 🙂

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  • Good morning! I need help on not giving up on technology! I seriously posted a blank comment!

    But seriously, I have low self esteem. My aunt would always tell me I wouldn’t be anything. The first time I heard this I was an 11 year old girl, who just lost my mother to cancer. So now when I want to do anything, those words haunt me. I want to finish my masters, but I talk myself out of it every chance I get. It’s not only with school, but everything in my life. I’ll tell myself I’m not smart enough or if I try it and it falls apart that I knew I couldn’t do it.

    Father, I pray for peace! God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of hope and love. I’m praying that His truths will set in. I pray that I can love and see myself as my Father does… A conquer,. In Jesus name, Amen.

    • Courtney, I can tell you that no one has the right to determine your value. Our Heavenly Father decided your value was of such importance, that He sent His only Son, to die on a cross – the most painful and humiliating way to die for your, and our sins. After Christ died, He was completely separated from His Father until He (Christ) was resurrected and rose again. That is how important you are to God. Be strong and “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you . . .” James 4:8 NKJV

• Hi All, I need encouragement to stick to my dream of writing a book. After 10 years of procrastinating, I finally started it this year and now I find myself waffling once again. One thing I do that helps is collect scriptures and motivational quotes and keep them on my desk.

  Here is one for all of you: “Trust entirely in God, and when He brings you do to the venture, see that you take it.” -Oswald Chambers. We must remember to obey when we feel God calling even when we are fearful. I will pray for everyone who has responded today.

• I need encouragement to persevere in calling God has given me to homeschool my child, who the system medicated and still couldn’t teach. It’s hard, but I also know what a blessing it is to be able to have the opportunity that so many wish they could have. I am sustained by two verses that I will leave to encourage you with Jeremiah 29:11 for I know the plans I have for you declares The Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a further. Also, 1 John 2:27 paraphrased. The Holy Spirit will teach you everything you need to know.

  • I have just finished home schooling my son through high school. Long journey, and it wasn’t easy. But many years ago at a home school conference Jill Bond spoke and mentioned this phrase “Seek ye first and the kingdom of God and His Righteousness and math and spelling, and history, etc. etc. shall be added onto you. Very true! Fill up on Christ DeAnn because the Lord has plans for your child too. He is the one who will make the plans come to pass. Ask to hear His voice throughout the day to guide you so this journey is in the power of the Holy Spirit and not in your strength. You will have bad days, but it is only a day, not the entire journey. I also home schooled a special needs daughter. Seek their learning style and just as importantly, your teaching style. Remember, just because something works for someone else, seek the Lord for what you should do first. Your child is uniquely made and the Lord knows what will reach your child. You are a mom first before you are a teacher. Love your Christ first, your husband, and then your child before you lose your focus by only being in the teacher role or home schooling can become an idol. These are very common pitfalls. Not trying to overwhelm, just to give you the heads up from my own mistakes and watching other people making these same mistakes. Blessings!

• Good morning, I believe your devotion on P31 this morning is definitely for me. I have already completed the writing process, but now I’m stuck. I have reached out to people for help but to no avail. And that had somewhat discouraged me. I was very excited to see the Compel site, however I can’tafford it. But, I will continue to press on because I know my Heavenly Father breathed these words into me.
  Here is some inspiration from my pastor that is helping me:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Muw4waOOkyY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

  • I’m right there with you Aiysha. I love to write and share what God has done in my life, but it seems as though it’s not well received. Maybe that’s because, well, I don’t put it out there. I struggle with confidence in my writing which is why I too, have signed up with Compel. Thank you for sharing!

  • Aiysha, you will be in my prayers. I p ray that the Father will open the right doors for you and show you favor. Thank you for sharing the video. It was very inspiring. I definitely could use that message of remembering who I am. 🙂

• I need to focus on the positive at work when the negativity strikes. Know who to turn to when I feel like leaving foe the day and not confronting that negative person or situation. It is in these times that I hear God whisper, ‘I am with you always.” He’s right there, making my heart beat, allowing me my next breath and strengthening me for my day.And He is there with you too. So don’t quit. Stay the course!

• I started a small business last year with my sister in law. I know The Lord has a purpose and a plan for us and the business but there are some days (and there are starting to be more of them) where the bills are piling up and I wonder how we are going to make it. But I do my best to look at my past and reflect on how The Lord has ALWAYS provided. He’s never let me (or us as business) down. This verse is one I feel like He gave me when we first started on this journey:
  Eph. 3:20- Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine..

  I’m encouraged because I know He is able!!!!

• I need encouragement to face the day with a positive attitude about my job. I am currently working full time at a job that has been emotionally exhausting for me and need a swift kick to remind myself how lucky I am to have a job. Most mornings i need a spring board to jump into my joy. I’ve found my power in Psalm 51:10 ”Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me. I hope you all find the encouragement you need today!

• Your encouragement is just what I need now. A week ago my husband confessed to having an affair. We have been meeting with our Pastor and are focusing on forgiveness, trust, and love. Also, this finally broke my pride/shame and I got medication for my PPD. I have been through a wide range of emotions this past week, but I have hope that this situation will make our marriage stronger. This verse has been my mantra:

  Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

• I struggle with infertility. I’ve prayed for another child for 19 months now. I think, maybe this is not What God wants for me. I want to give up praying for a child. It hurts terribly to be disappointed over and over again. But God seems to be whispering to me, don’t give up. I am reminded of this verse, Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
  9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
  I don’t know what harvest I will reap, maybe not a child, maybe perseverance.And I know that God is faithful, and He will carry me.

• Hi, y’all. I need prayer to follow-thru with my committments to myself & family. Procrastination is an overwhelming sin in my life. Also, I need prayer to be The Godly one when dealing with unGodly people & situations. This was a great Chuck Swindoll article to start my morning:
  http://www.insight.org/resources/devotionals/stop-fussing-and-focus-instead.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20DailyDevo%20%28Chuck%20Swindoll%27s%20Daily%20Devotional%29&utm_content=FaceBook

• I need encouragement as my husband is suffering from depression (age 44). This is my second marriage as I am widowed. My first husband was a loving, kind God-loving man and valued family that we lost to cancer. With the depression, getting through the day is difficult for my current husband. Please pray that he wants and desires to feel better for himself so he will take the necessary steps to do that.

  My encouragement for others is something I read in Today in the Word this morning (well timed!) – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. “Instead of regretting or resenting the way things are, thank God in all circumstances.”

  • Annette D: My husband also suffers from depression. He got some news today that sent him a bit deeper into it and I’m really hoping that tomorrow doesn’t bring any more bad news..I’m not sure how he will handle it…frankly, I’m not sure how I would handle it.

    Thank you for the verse your shared. I will pray for you and your husband.

    I really don’t know where to turn or what to do, but I do know that years ago God gave me what I believe is my life verse from Proverbs 3:5&6 and I’m holding on to it with all I have. I hope you find it helpful:
    Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will set your paths straight.

• In 2009, God called this lady to become an RN. If that wasn’t hard
  enough, I have no medical background, had a great paying job as a
  bookkeeper for the past 20 years and was never very good at reading
  comprehension ( a huge part of nursing school). Its not easy at all,
  the first three years I took all my prerequistes and had a great GPA 3.9!
  Then I entered the program, my first exam score was a 65, not only was it
  a failing grade, but I had to retain a 73% exam score average over 4 exams
  just to stay in the program. Here I am now in my third of four semesters, my exam
  grades have been only what I needed to stay in the program. Please pray
  I can maintain a 73 average, my first exam grade this semester, 70.
  Defeat is ariund every corner even within the nursing department, asking me all
  the time, are you sure nursing is right for you. I love the clinical setting, I can see
  where our God wants me, but Satan attacks me at the one level that stands between
  me and my degree, my exam grade average. Every chance
  I have I remind myself and those that try to make me second guess myself
  God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called!! Thank you
  for your devotion this morning it means so much to me!!-Linisa future RN

• After reading some of the comments above I’m feeling tempted to be discouraged, like I am a complete mess. I came on here to express my lack of motivation to complete the book God has given me to write, but the other comments reminded me that I also need to do better with health eating and exercise, setting priorities, and being a good housekeeper.

  Yet, I know the Lord is always with me, with all of us “Jesus girls.” When we take our eyes off of ourselves (our fears, insecurities, circumstances, and even our limited abilities) and put them where they belong, on God and His call on our lives, He builds us up and strengthens us for the tasks He has created us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Our job is to make ourselves available to God and to be obedient to His call. God is faithful. He will complete what He starts. We just need to yield, cooperate, and trust in Him and not our own ability. God puts His “super” on our natural abilities to equip us for the work He has prepared in advance for us to do. He has recently taken me on a trip down memory lane and showed me things from my childhood on up that reflect how He has created each of us from before we were formed in the womb to fulfill a specific God-given plan/dream. for our lives.
  13For you created my inmost being;
  you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
  14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
  your works are wonderful,
  I know that full well.
  15My frame was not hidden from you
  when I was made in the secret place,
  when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
  16Your eyes saw my unformed body;
  all the days ordained for me were written in your book
  before one of them came to be. Psalm 139.13-16 NIV
  The call I feel on my life is to be a leader and a teacher (writer and speaker). God has shown me the evidence that He created me for this by reminding me of things like: as a child I was such a ham in front of a camera, I participated in performance arts (choir and ballet) and I liked to tell stories as I drew pictures. Even answering simple homework questions turned into mini essays. In most of the jobs I’ve held over the years I have been placed in a position of leadership. God has gradually raised me up as a teacher in the church beginning with being a mom, then teaching pre-schoolers in Sunday school, leading an elementary mid-week program, and writing and leading a VBS, Then I started leading adult Bible studies, preached several sermons and taught at women’s gatherings in our church. He reminded me of all that and more to show me that I truly was formed in the womb with specific “natural gifts and abilities that could be grown and tuned to fulfill God’s specific plan for me life.
  “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians ‘:6 NLT
  “But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT
  “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 NLT
  Father, thank you for creating me, creating each of us, with a specific set of gifts and personality features that prepare us to follow Your plan/dream for our lives. Help us to trust You and follow You with our whole hearts, living out that dream with joy and confidence that You will make the path straight before us (Proverbs 3:5-6). In Jesus’ name, amen.

• Good morning! I need encouragement today to not give up on my dream of developing a non profit farm for domestic violence survivors and their children! My prayer today is that we would all follow our dreams allowing God to continually use us to plant seeds of hope in everyone He puts in our path…and that we would each be open to recognize those put in our path to offer the same! Onward chritian soldiers!! 🙂

• I’ve lost 40+ pounds. I’m super proud of that. I need to lose another 60. I find that I’m losing my motivation. I need to get excited again. I would appreciate prayers.

  I love music. It gets me going, it moves me. Here’s a fun song that I love http://www.imagodgirl.com/video/view/1 enjoy.

• Hi everyone! I could use some encouragement as I pursue three rather large goals: becoming a professional vocalist, achieving my weight loss goal, and helping my home/family to be more at peace and function better. I’d thought I was late in starting the first goal, but it turns out I may be right on time considering the voice type I believe I have! The weight loss goal goes hand in hand with the singing-I’m mainly pursuing opera, and I will need strength and endurance to sing the bigger roles. My family is super supportive with my singing which is a blessing! I think having a home that runs better and makes us feel more relaxed with each other will benefit everyone under the roof, not just me and my goals.

  With all of the stress that we’ve been under lately, this verse keeps coming to mind. I hope it helps all of you as well! “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. (John 14:1 NIV)

• I don’t want to give up my belief I can be the mother God intends me to be to my 9 children . I can’t give up is what I tell myself ! Do the next thing .. & the verse that I cling to is
  Phil 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who gives me Strength “.

• Hi All,

  I have been on a wonderful vacation this last week. On Thursday, I started to fret and worry about going back to work on Monday. I really like what I do but I am overwhelmed with thoughts and worries. I came across the devotional this morning and really felt like God was there to hold me up. I am truly thankful for the words of encouragement. God has me in a tough season of growth. It’s the toughest, I believe, I’ve ever had to go through. I am in need of comfort and peace.
  I would like to ask for prayer. Without going into a lot of details because of space, I will just say that I am newly remarried and want to move on and make a life with my new husband and family. I desire for us to find a church home that we both can give and gain encouragement from. I also am in need of a Godly support buddy.
  Thank you for all your prayers
  Sheri

• I am struggling with the fact that, after 20+ years in the military and many deployments, my ‘retired’ husband has taken a job with a lot of travel. We can’t work on our difficult marriage while he is out of the state/country. It seems to make all the other tasks in my life so much bigger because I become an unwilling single parent. I always expected us to share our family and home responsibilities more, to be a team. But I know that God is always good and He has a plan to prosper us. He will not leave or forsake us. He is unchanging, a rock, a strong fortress. Merciful and loving, He protects us and nourishes our souls. We are in Good hands.

• I need lots of help when I’m sleepy to not be grumpy with everyone I come in contact with.

  • I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! He will give me just enough strength for today, and I need not worry about what needs to get done tomorrow.

• Thank you for this encouragement. God has been whispering to me a lot lately about my dream. I have an abundance of blessing in my life.. An amazing husband, 5 amazing children, family, friends, a positive mindset (most days ;). But we all know life can get overwhelming in a hurry. And it does almost everyday. I could use some daily encouragement with that. But that, I can deal with. What I would really love to see brought to life is the dream that has been planted in my heart since I was a kid. I’ve always loved music. Hearing it, creating it, playing it, singing it, communicating it. It’s a part of me that was definitely created by God. I was very shy as a child so when I was rejected by a music teacher in school I was convinced I couldn’t sing. Not a soul heard me sing again for almost 20 years. 20 years of burying the thing that I couldn’t live without expressing! Then one day I read this quote by Anais Nin: “Then the time came when the risk it took to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to bloom.” It was as if it had been written just for me. I’ve since opened up and been able to sing in church, write my own music and taught myself to play 2 instruments. The gift came alive.. and the feedback has been an incredible shock and blessing. But now it seems life has left no room to keep that alive. My days are consumed with my husband, children, school, homework, errands, responsibilities and exhaustion. I’ll never regret putting myself aside for my family. They’re worth every bit of my life. But I can’t help but think there must be room for all of the passions and gifts God gave me. Why else would he give them to me? That’s where I could use some encouragement. BUT I will say to encourage others.. When you know, that you know, that you know that God has planted something inside of you, He WILL use it for himself and for you. Trust in all you know about God. Surely He has shown you every day how much he desires to bless you and how unlimited and incredible his power is in your life. Think back and remember because He never changes. His Grace and Love are all you need to see your life transformed! ……Well… It seems I’ve encouraged myself 🙂

• Hey ladies! I need encouragement to day because I feel very overwhelmed with my life right now. I feel like every moment we are busy… being a full time Nursing Student and working full time and wanting to minister to the middle school students and form relationships with others and be the best wife I can be… my plate is very full and sometimes I don’t know where to give a little less so I can give a little more in other more important areas. I pray that I would remember that I am not suppose to be perfect but I am suppose to be diligent in my tasks. I don’t have to be the perfect wige or student or employee… I just have to give my all and do it with a gracious and loving heart. I pray for all of you today that you would cling to God truths and HIS faithfullness… he will sustain us when we feel like we can’t go on. If we are ever in a position where we don’t feel like we can go on, that we feel like quitting I pray that we would have the strength to go to Jesus’s feet and allow HIM to give us the strength to go on.

• I, too, am working on a book that God wants me to write. My husband became ill and shouldn’t be alive.. But God had other plans and saved his life. We are grateful for his life, but we now have to deal with the loss of all his fingers and both legs below the knee as a result of his illness. God wants me to share our story and all that He has done for our family. It’s hard to find time to write as a stayathome mom to three kids seven and under. I loved your devotional this morning!!! It was just what I needed to be encouraged and motivated.

  My encouragement is this:
  Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT)
  God uses our weaknesses to show us His strength!!

• Good morning…I ask for prayer and encouragement in order to just make it through the day. Anxiety, depression and self-harm have seemed to settle in my heart as constant companions. I just want to love enough to get though the day and to see when I look in my children’s eyes no despair wondering if this is my last goodbye.
  The link attached was sent to me, it is called “Who You Are: A Message to All Women” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWi5iXnguTU&sns=em

  • Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirir.(NKJV)

• I need encouragment to continue following the path I believe God has set me on for this season of my life, and to deal with the road blocks I find along the way. Reminding myself that they are not stop signs but simply detours. To stay strong in God’s promises because I know “For no word from God will ever fail” ~ Luke 1:37 (NIV)

• I need encouragement on a daily basis as a working wife and mother, not just in one area in particular, but mainly in the day to day happenings of life. That is why I love listening to Christian radio throughout the day as I am dropping off my kids, heading to work, coming home in the afternoons. It makes me feel uplifted as I hear Scripture proclaimed and songs of praise to God. I need encouragement that God is still watching over me, He still loves me, He still has a purpose for my life. My family and I will be having some tough decisions to make here in the next several months and I am trying to pray daily about honoring God in each of those decisions. “I lift up my eyes to the hills; where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2

• Finances. Most of us struggle. I have been on my new job for 6 months under the impression that I would be bumped up in salary on or near Oct. 22 but I came in on a rainy Monday to find an email from HR stating I can’t be considered until Jan. 6, 2014 due to state regulations, blah, blah, blah. It really knocked me down from being excited on Friday at the thought of a substantial increase in pay. THEN, I come in to the Proverbs 31 message “Habits of a Woman Who Doesn’t Give Up”. I am blown away at the message this morning because it’s like God prepared this blog post via Nicki JUST FOR ME! (and others, I’m sure.) Dear Lord, please grant me and many others facing financial worries the peace of mind in knowing that You will always provide for us. Bless us all with a confident mindset that we CAN do what we set our minds to, with Your guidance and grace. Amen.

• I feel like I need encouragement every minute of every hour of every day!! I am an adult child of an alcoholic, a wife of an alcoholic and now a mother of an alcoholic. We have to somehow break this cycle and it has to be up to God, because he knows that it is out of my control! I feel like every dream that I have had for my life, my family and my children has been decimated by this horrible disease! Every day I fight to stay when I think it would be so much easier if I just left.

• My need for encouragement always revolves around confidence. Am I enough? What can I write that would be of interest to anyone? Does what I do matter? Finding my confidence is a constant battle for me.

  “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” – Carl Bard

  God is the inventor of brand new endings…

  Blessings~ Ellen

• I want to change careers and I am very scared. I would be leaving a secure (20 years in) government job that is very unfulfilling to go back to school and get a Master’s degree in social work/counseling. Financially this is not a good decision, but I don’t want to spend 20 more years in a job that is so unrewarding to my soul. For motivation, I concentrate on the lessons of the bible that teach you should not honor money and prestige, that these will leave you empty hearted.

• Hi ladies,
  I’m sure this seems trivial compared to “real” issues and problems, but I need encouragement to keep fighting to lose weight. I’m overweight and the lack of self-discipline is a distraction Satan is using to deem me un-usable by God. He whispers to me that if I can’t even get control of my eating, how could I ever have a successful ministry? I know God wants me to have victory over this. I know he wants to me beat Satan and negativity into submission by calling on him. But because of my lack of success in this area of my life, I feel defeated daily. I’m tired of it! Please pray that I will go to God with this minute by minute and He will see me through and give me perseverance through this that will carry over in all areas of my life. Galations 6:9 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Lord God, help me not to grow weary in this fight! Help me not lose hope that I can have victory in this area of self-control! Fill me with your spirit of self-control. I trust only you in this. Amen.

• I need Encouragement to lose weight & Also Start A Exercise Class At my Church,I feel like the Lord is Leading Me to Do that but I am Afraid that I’ll fail.I know that Is a trick that Satan uses.
  Pray that I am able to do it & that I won’t fail and that I have
  people that want to get healthy in the Class and enjoy being together.

• I feel I need encouragement to not give up believing for the saving of my brother’s marriage. It breaks my heart knowing what he’s living with and I just so want him to know joy and happiness again.
  My encouragement today comes from a quote I have displayed in my home
  “Above the clouds the light is always shining” On difficult days I light a candle next to this frame to draw my attention to the words on it as I walk past it. The quote simply reminds me that even when life seems tough and the clouds seem all around me, God’s love is still VERY much present. His light is still there shining even if I feel I can’t see it. Some days I need to just choose to change my focus and see the blessings all around me. God is in control and thankfully, He is writing the story not me!

• Isaiah 54:4-6 NIV

  “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit— a wife who married young, only to be rejected,” says your God.
  
  I need encouragement to believe again. My heart is so full of heartache. My husband struggles the same sex attraction and my children are often age now where they are starting to feel the rejection of their biological birh parents. Lately, it seems our house is filled with unmet longings – dreams that God has asked us to give back to Him. It’s so hard to forget what lies behind and to press on for what lies before us.
  
  For we know that no matter what happens in our lives God is for us and with us. He wants something better for us then the little dreams that hold us back from the reality that God has planned for us. I have seen miracles in our family. My husband could choose to give in and leave us, our kids could be rebellious in their grief of rejection, but they are walking through it the best they can, and recently I was diagnosed with bipolar and now have medication that is allowing me to experience a normalcy in how I think and live. According to my doctor, I should be a dead girl from all the trauma of past abuse as a girl and what I’m walking through with my family now.
  
  Yet my counselor told me last week that I need to learn how to trust in others and “believe” again – opening myself up to new experiences, even knowing that some of those experiences could hurt my heart again. It’s hard to do so and sometimes I just want to give up altogether on my family, and on God. Fear of abandonment and rejection haunt me. I know God’s Word promises that he will never leave me or forsake me. But sometimes I just want Jesus with skin on and not have to rely on faith alone that the God in heaven will someday send His Son to come back to earth and receive me to Himself – unless He calls me home first.
  
  So while I struggle to believe the above scripture is what I clean to most:

  • Mathew 9:22 Jesus turned around and when he was her he said,”Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment. (NLT)

    • Thank you! 🙂

• today i need encouragement to remember that it is worth speaking up as a writer because god has made my voice distinct and it will reach who he decides to reach because his love never fails.
  i encourage others by telling you i know what you share sometimes feels like a drop in the bucket of the noisiness that is “online”. it is easy to think that 20, 10, 5 people reading it, is not significant. so imagine those same numbers in your living room, hearing your heart and story. if even just one person came into your home a day….think of what an impact that truly is.

• I so desperately needed encouragement to keep striving to finish my college education and become a Physician Assistant. I had started making easy excuses why it’s okay to quit, today The Lord reminded me why it’s not okay to quit. I may stumble academically you may stumble in a different way but The Lord holds our hand through this journey. Psalm 37:24 reminds us, “When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand”. Take heart to Keep on Keeping on.

• Hello friends,

  I need encouragement today to not give up on a relationship. My boyfriend and I are going through some bumps in the road due to my struggling with abandonment and trust issues from my past. I want so badly to be able to get past them to become the person that Christ wants me to be. I get so discouraged when something bothers me because of my experiences. I know deep down that you cannot let your experiences shape you and your personality, but they have shaped mine and I desperately want to not be this way!!!!! I am constantly in a battle with myself and the thoughts in my mind that a lot of women struggle with: I’m not good enough, I shouldn’t have said that, why can’t I keep my mouth closed, why did that make me so angry, I wish I wasn’t so fat….etc. I pray that I can take Nicki’s lessons from her Proverbs 31 email today and use them to help me and my situation. For those of you who have the same struggles with your inner thoughts as I do, try to take what she says to heart and learn to be the woman who does each one of these things each day, no matter your circumstances or your past:
  1. She gets up each morning and follows through with her commitments, despite how she feels.
  2. She approaches the Word of God with reverence.
  3. She longs for the grace of refinement rather than the grace of relief.
  4. She chooses to invest in the world with joy.
  5. She has a spirit of unbreakable determination.
  Satan stays on me so hard lately, but I know that with God and prayer that I CAN change the way I think and the way that I act. I hope this gives some encouragement today.
  May God Bless you all,
  Cathy

• I need to be encouraged at work it has been really hard this past year. I am also in the process of becoming a single mom. I would encourage those who are also single mothers to look to God as your husband and the Father for your children. That is what gets me through each day.

• I need strength to not give up the work it takes to build my business. A huge desire of my heart is to be able to walk away from my full-time job for a flexible life with my family choosing how we spend our time based on our true priorities. It’s been especially hard dropping my son off at childcare this week, as he’s at the age where he wants to hold on to Mommy and cry when she leaves. I have dabbled in blogging (writing is such a great way to remind myself of what I need to hear!) and want to encourage you with something I wrote for Mother’s Day this year called “Treasure Your Season.”
  http://nelsontotallife.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/mothers-day-treasure-your-season/
  Be blessed, and Treasure Your Season.
  -Carolyn 🙂

• I need encouragement to be a better wife and mom. I have battled depression for 17 years. A lot of days I let Satan win. I have failed my family in the last few months. I am a stay at home mom, but haven’t been tending to the things of the home very well. Please pray for me that I cam overcome my depression and not let Satan win. Jeremiah 29: 11-13 is one of my favorite passages. Maybe it can encourage you today.

• Hello I truly believe The Lord is speaking this morning because for the last two weeks I’ve been wanting to just quit and throw in the towel on life itself. I need encouragement so bad. I am a mother of three two being special needs, my husband has been working 12 hrs everyday the last three weeks, and that leaves me to run everything around here. I try so hard putting Christ first because I know apart from Him I can do nothing. Apart from all of this I have been helping out with my father in law who is battling lung cancer. So please lift me up in your prayers. My encouragement for others today and for myself would probably be Psalms 51:10, “Create in me a new heart O’God, and a steadfast spirit within me”. When I have nothing else left inside, I have to continue hoping in You O’Lord for you are my strength !!!

• I need encouragement on not quiting my baby steps, both for my house cleaning and my budget! I seem to struggle daily with keeping both of these going. I know God can take care of both if I let Him, but I keep trying to do this on my own.

  Encouragement: I love the song by Jason Castro – Only a Mountain. No matter what is in your way, it’s only a mountain, and in Matthew 17: 20, it says “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place: and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
  So when our troubles, worries, frustrations come on us, we need to realize it’s only a mountain, and have faith that God will move it!

• Hello everyone! Our minister has asked me to co-chair a task force to create a new (“contemporary”) service for our church. We have been meeting since August, and have made great headway. However, there are many days that all the meetings, the technology aspects that are way beyond my knowledge, and the fear of “not doing it right” becomes overwhelming. When I get to the meetings, I am so excited about the progress and enthusiasm of our task force… that I know in my heart The Holy Spirit is among us and this is God’s work we are doing. But in the confines of my home… I feel I am not capable of fulfilling this mission. I continue to pray about it… and receive plenty of encouragement from others in our group… but there have been days when I wanted to give up, and almost did during the first month! But I found this music video that I refer back to often… I hope it will bring encouragement to others… http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=F9B2C1NU&utm_source=GodTube%20Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=09/13/2013 Blessings to all…

• It’s hard, when you fail repeatedly at something, to keep on trying. Having already taken and failed 3 of the 4 exams, I am studying to retake the first one. It’s a very intimidating task, and it’s hard to think I can do it when I’ve already failed multiple times. Your P31 devotional encouraged me this morning to keep pushing on and being dedicated to my studying. I am going to write down the 5 steps you mentioned and implement them into my daily life. It’s especially challenging to wake up extra early to study before work, so that’s where the first habit comes in…getting up each morning and following through with my commitments, despite how badly I want to sleep an extra couple hours and sleep my frustration away. Ironically, I then wake up feeling more frustrated because I didn’t get up to study. I have to stick to a strict study schedule to meet my goals, so if I slack in the morning, I only have to make it up later in the day at a more inconvenient time. I often feel very overwhelmed with the whole process. My verse of encouragement is…

  “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher then I.” -Psalm 61:2

• I am NOT QUITTING on my teenage son. It feels hopeless but that is what the Enemy wants us to believe. My husband and I are praying that God will touch his heart and that he will recognize that without HIM we are nothing and that with HIM all things are possible. For any parents out there who blame themselves for the choices their kids make and the path that their teenage children take, I encourage them today to not waste time in negative thought but to lay your burden on the LORD for “when we are weak HE is strong”.
  “The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. Psalm 28:7

  • We went through some major struggles with our daughter when she was 16. And yes, we did try to do all the “right” things as Christian parents and struggled with the “if only we had/hadn’t… then we wouldn’t be where we are at”. But we also recognized that we still didn’t get it all right. When I was beating myself up the most, a friend pointed out to me that Adam and Eve had the very best Father, and yet they still rebelled. And within all of us, is a the heart of a rebel. And that is why Christ came… to turn the heart of a rebel into a heart of a Christ follower.
 During those tough times, we knew we couldn’t do this on our own. We reached out to a group of close friends and asked them to join us in forming a prayer team for our daughter. These friends stood alongside us as each day we ask them to pray specifically for certain requests: safety, purity, etc, but most of all that God would bring our daughter to her knees and she would recognize her need for Jesus and she would give her life to Him. God is Sovereign and despite our failures, He still continued to work in our daughter’s life. And yes, through the tough experiences she went through, she was driven to her knees. She is now a Christ-follower, a wife, and a mother of two little girls (and soon to be three) and committed to instructing her children in God’s ways.
    I would so encourage you to reach out and form a “team” of people who will commit to praying for your son and your on a daily, specific basis. And I will be praying him, and you too!

• Hi guys, I need a little encouragement not to quit on believing that God will supply me with all my needs. I wrote down this scripture to help anyone else who might be stuck between a rock and a hard place too: Psalm 34:6 – This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. God bless you all on this beautiful rainy morning.

• I work in network marketing. I recently achieved a huge goal that I worked so hard for (a large bonus from the company I work for), then a few months later, lost it all. Since then, I have been so discouraged to keep going. I’ll work hard and see a little growth, and then one person’s comment or actions brings me down. I’ll work so hard to be a good leader to my team, and then one quits, stops working, or won’t respond to me. I know this is God’s plan for me. A year ago, my family was struggling to buy groceries, and since then, God has blessed us beyond belief! We still struggle occasionally (who doesn’t?). I guess I need encouragement to continue to push forward even through the tough times – to realize that this is God’s plan and there will be trials and obstacles to overcome.

  One particular day that a team member quit unexpectedly, I put the kids in the car and turned on the radio. The song that came on was “Overcomer” by Mandisa. I had never really listened to the words before. God really spoke to me through this song. I hope it encourages someone today.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8VoUYtx0kw

• Hi everybody! I need encouragement with building my self-esteem. I would like to encourage everyone with Psalms 37:25 I have been young, and now am old: Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread, (NKJV). Standing on this scriptures will help us not get discourage when the world is falling apart around us.

• I’m not giving up on my alcoholic husband finding sobriety through God’s grace, unfailing love and faithfulness. Though there have been so many relapses and a sense of hopelessness each time, I must keep my eyes on Jesus and trust His redeeming power. II Chronicles 20 reminds me that even when I am overwhelmed and powerless against the enemy, when I don’t know what to do, I can trust that it is all under His control. Verse 15: “Do not fear or be dismayed… this battle isn’t yours, but God’s” Thank You Lord!

• I need encouragement for my new goal of running. I have taken this goal up because I have gained quite a bit of weight and let myself go last year and I know that is not in Gods will for me. I am meant to live a healthy life.

  Father- please give me strength to embark on this journey of health and to give my worries and fear to you Lord. Guide me on this path so that I may please you.

• Today I need the encouragement to just keep dreaming… I am 52 years old and my husband who is 56 has had 4 strokes. He functions and gets around, but with limited capabilities and the stroke definitely affected his personality. I also raise a 10 year old girl that was “given” to us by her mom when she was 3 because her mom couldn’t “do it”. For the last year I have had severe pain in my low back and hip due to muscle overcompensation from a broken ankle. The ankle has healed, but the muscles cause severe spasms and pinch the siatic nerve. I am now walking with a walker, but have finally been prescribed a physical therapy that is working on this specific problem. The devil trys to discourage me and tell me I will always be like this and no longer will be able to go enjoy life – shopping, the park, outings with my family. And many days it takes everything I have to get out of bed and go to work and function. I feel I am letting my family down and cheating this little girl of what she needs from me. But I believe God called me to this family, and he called me to raise this little girl. SO… Part 2 I cling to Phillipians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

• This is a great tool to use! Praise God for women coming together to encourage one another. I need to stay faithful in trusting God and His promises. His Word says that He will never leave me nor forsake me. In this time of my life, I am wondering if I should stay at my current workplace that is 7 hours away from all those whom I love and all that I am familiar with, go home where there is a job opportunity of my dreams, or go ahead and submit my Seminary application for next Fall and stay put for the time being. My encouragement to you all and myself is Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers’ “Encourage Yourself”. I hope it blesses you as much as it does me every time that I hear it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFNHmA9a2gI

• I would like encouragement today in regards to God preparing me for my second calling. Two and a half years ago I suffered a brutal sexual assault at gunpoint by my then-husband who immediately after, forced me to witness his suicide. Through God’s grace, I am healed and strong, and He is healing my children of their hurts and questions. I feel God is bringing me to a place where I can share my story. On the occasion I feel moved to share it, it has been a source of encouragement to others. I feel Him giving me words to say to encourage and minister to others, in spite of myself. I find when I write what’s on my heart on a given day on social media, even a Facebook status, that without fail, several people comment that they needed to hear that. This has led me to believe I need to press on and be open and ‘awake’ to where God is leading. I said “yes” to God in the previous Bible study and want to continue to be open to His wonderful plans for me and my family. I need encouragement to be okay with where I am right now and that He will reveal his plans and directions for me and that I will be still, be patient. A quote I like is “Let your faith be bigger than your fear.” Praying for you all!

• Today I need encouragement because I feel I am failing my kids as a mom. I have not been able to provide for them financially, materially, emotionally, or spiritually as I would like. I feel as if I have no control over my life; that it is just flying by with me accomplishing nothing. More and more lately I am seeing that I am trying to do things by my own power, without looking to God and trusting in Him. It is obvious that way doesn’t work. I need the Lord’s help every day, and more importantly, he needs me to actually ASK for that help.

  As for my encouragement to others, I cling always to Matthew 11:28-30. “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.” God is the peace I need in this busy and troubling world. We all simply need to look to Him every day, not just when we think we need Him. We ALWAYS need HIm.

• I am praying to not give up in being diligent in serving my husband and 2 kids as unto the Lord, embracing that this role as wife and mommy are the greatest work i could ever be about. This has not always been my priority, sadly as another ministry role took a higher place in my time and attention.

  My encouragement from the Lord regarding this has come in many forms, but one was 1 Corinthians 15:58,

  “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

• My desperate sounding college frenzied daughter called last night and is distraught over every facet of her life, and many times I receive the bitterness of it all. I am so broken for her over her not wanting to realize and believe Jesus can give her everything she needs to make her life beautiful. I am weary that she doesn’t want to hear truth. Still, Jesus Christ will uphold me with his righteous right hand. My prayer is that she will believe and accept his sacrifice so that she can be made whole and be uplifted also.

• Hey Nicki,

  For years, I have known that there are many books on the inside of me. It is a part of what I am called to do. Early in my walk with the Lord, I struggled not to run ahead of Him. However, about ten years ago, I made a decision to quit getting ahead of the Lord- and to instead, wait patiently on His timing. So…. when I heard the words, “Write it down” in my spirit back in February, I was elated. Over the next four months, I wrote 85% of a manuscript.
  As I saw the book taking shape before me, I began to look into publishing the now almost complete book. Since then, I have learned how difficult it is to have a book published in the world today. Most of the time, I simply ignore the voice of the world and listen to the voice of God in the matter. But yesterday, I was feeling a little overwhelmed and discouraged about the process. I told the Lord at about 4pm that I needed some kind of encouragement. A short while later, I had a friend send me a random text telling me that someone she ran into was asking about my book. I thought, “Lord, is that is? I would really like something a little more,” I said. But if that was it, I would choose to be content with that little tid bit. THEN… I woke up this morning to your devotion. It was just what I needed at just the right time. I am so encouraged to keep pressing on. Your words were divinely orchestrated to answer this little gal in Florida’s secret plea. Thanks for the word in due season!!!!
  Amy Brandes

• I need extra encouragement for a national standardized test I need to take on 10/25. It feels so overwhelming and daunting. I need the time to read and study and ready myself for this upcoming knowledge test as well as the personal stress it’s putting on me with other work and family obligations. I’m stressed and nervous and working to turn it to Him as all of the things I need to accomplish this task are in His hands. A recent strength and blessing came from last week’s church service. They played this piece and it’s amazing and my new favorite hymn as it gives strength and timely for my needs. Listen, feel and enjoy this amazing song. I pray it brings strength and comfort to you as well.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3wSbLa2uGg

• Today I need encouragement to continue progress toward my degree in computer science. It seems like everything is conspiring to make me quit – my college failed to enroll me in the class I need this term, my advisor is AWOL – she has given me no feedback on my final project and has not scheduled my meeting with the review committee, etc.

  Along with several verses of scripture the quote I have on my desk to inspire me is:
  “No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant. Accomplished, they are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquility, and hindering our communion with God. If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it.”
  — Alexander MacLaren (1826-1910) Scottish preacher

  • My goodness, I needed to read that encouragement! I need to study for my CCDA (Cisco Certified Design Assistant), my company is depending on me.

    I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal I have found it very difficult. I am so afraid I will fail the test.so instead I procrastinate from studying because I’ve already decided I will fail. I’ve already failed because I won’t try.

    your encouragement is just what I needed to go on and study and hopefully learn fully how to setup a Cisco system with its many different types routers, switches, and security software that handles in each packet stream.

    I will pray for you. Please remember me too. IT technology is tough. But I think with diligence and persevering we will make it through. God bless you.

• Good morning! Today I need some encouragement to push through all the muck I find myself in daily. It seems like move one step forward, ten back, and I am so used to the oppression that it is the norm for me. I don’t believe that God wants me to accept that(I apparently have), because while oppression happens, I can still have joy and peace, which is a rare countenance for me. I need to pray more, and make time for it and also lose my aggravation. Anyway, on the encouraging side, I just wanted to say that I hope that you all know the value and worth of your words and gifts. It is no small thing to be of encouragement to somebody else, it is huge. I know I am not the only Christian woman out there who loves hearing about the awesome things God has done. It fills me. And I believe it fills all of you too. SO SHARE YOUR TESTIMONIES!!! We live in a society where some of us are devalued anywhere we go, but Jesus says so much different about us. With that said, I wanted to share the lyrics from Warren Barfield’s “The time is now”
  You can’t buy my silence, you can’t steal my voice
  You can’t keep me quiet, I will bring the noise
  Try to beat me down, tell me to shut my mouth
  But there’s a time to speak and the time is now

• Good morning, ladies! I need encouragement to persevere through my choice to work full-time while attending graduate school to earn an MBA full-time. I am also a wife to a police officer and mother to a pre-schooler. I feel like I am spread so thin that I am going to shatter at any moment. Nicki authored the P31 daily devoition e-mail today, and God must have known I needed it today. The power verse in the e-mail today is Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might . . . .” (NIV)

• My appreciation for music began when as a young child I played the organ and sang at church. In my early twenties, music was placed on the shelf and passion for raising my children, working alongside my husband in his business, and involvement in other church ministries were my primary focus.
  About 9 years ago, I had a desire to learn to play the Irish pennywhistle (yep… nothing like chosing something different!!) It had been on my list of “someday to dos” for many years. I had bought one while on a trip to Ireland in my early 20s and thought someday I will learn to play it. I had started singing with a worship team and my dream was to incorporate the pennywhistle as a layer instrument into worship music at our church. Although it doesn’t sound like it would be very hard, it turned out to be no small task, as I was in my 40s, and was struggling with neurological problems, and memory retention because of the medications that I had to take. It turned out to be a tough uphill learning curve, not only because of trying to find methods of learning (nope, not may pennywhistle instructors in my part of the world), the many, many (and many more) hours of practise, but also in developing a style of playing that wasn’t just “celtic” and a style that could be used in all types of worship music. My heart’s desire was to use the instrument, as David did, to minister to peoples’ hearts and to turn their minds to God and worship Him with their whole heart. There were many times that I so wanted to give up. But as time went on, I knew that God was building the ability to play for His glory. Bit by bit, this small instrument has been used by God, not only in worship settings, but to open doors in developing relationships with those who don’t know Him, both by playing in the secular music community, by playing with as a member of a secular band, and also in teaching people how to play at music camps.
  There have been so many times where the doubts creep in… I still don’t play as well as I think I should… it still takes so many hours to practise… it is tough to determine that fine line — do I wait on God to open doors to play, or should I be out there knocking on the doors myself, whether in the secular community or in the church community… wondering if it my age (now 51) it is worth the time and effort.
  But, I still come back to knowing that God has entrusted me with a job to do for Him… not just in playing my instrument, but using that music to connect with a lost and dying world, in ministering to others that God brings into my circle via the music.
  So I continue to practise, continue to knock on doors in the worship community, continue to seek out opportunities to play in the secular community. But more importantly, I recognize that God is in control, that I need to wait on Him and submit myself to His will and timing and continue to pray that He will use the music for His glory… not mine.

  May my prayer continue to be:

  Take my life, and let it be
  Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
  Take my moments and my days,
  Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

  Take my hands, and let them move
  At the impulse of Thy love;
  Take my feet and let them be
  Swift and beautiful for Thee.

  Take my voice, and let me sing
  Always, only, for my King;
  Take my lips, and let them be
  Filled with messages from Thee.

  Take my silver and my gold;
  Not a mite would I withhold;
  Take my intellect, and use
  Every power as Thou shalt choose.

  Take my will, and make it Thine;
  It shall be no longer mine.
  Take my heart; it is Thine own;
  It shall be Thy royal throne.

  Take my love; my Lord, I pour
  At Thy feet its treasure-store.
  Take myself, and I will be
  Ever, only, all for Thee.

• I just need encouragement 🙂 My husband and I recently moved from Charlotte, NC for work leaving behind our three grown children, friends and our awesome church fellowship. We have found a new church home here but I still long for the familiar and especially my children. I would encourage each of you, no matter what the need, to dig into the Word of God. It is life and health and peace to us. When we traverse the pitfalls and puddles of our everyday life His Word is what gives us the strength to keep on moving. He throws down his cloak of mercy and grace and we can walk across knowing His hand is on our shoulder leading and making the path straight.

• I am going through a divorce I do not want. My husband is involved with someone else. Psalm 106:44 “Yet he took note of their distress when He heard their cry” I pray he hears the cry of my family and restores our marriage and heals this family of their brokenness. I find great comfort in the song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw

• I am going through a divorce after 28 years of marriage. My husband wants this divorce and has been seeking other women for the past 3 years. We have two daughters, 23 and 17. I have also been unemployed for 4 months. I need encouragement to keep persevering through this mess… divorce process, splitting up finances, and yes, through multiple rejections on the job front. Psalm 30:11-12 speakes to me..”You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord, My God, I will give you tahnks forever.

• Awesome post, Nicki!!! I seriously had the conversation with God this morning over why I should keep hanging on to my God-Sized Dream. I know He has called me to become a speaker. After getting knocked down just yesterday, I woke up this morning feeling like it would just be so much easier to hang the dream up & walk away. However, I don’t want easier. I can’t forget the encouraging words Michael Hyatt spoke this past summer at She Speaks…it’s what continues to encourage me…along with devotionals like yours! Here is what Michael said… “You are not here by accident. God has summoned you here. He has something in your heart that He is shaping that you are in the process of birthing. Don’t shrink back. The world needs what you have to bring to the table. Step up. We are counting on you. There is more at stake than you could possibly imagine.”

• Thank you dear one for posting this encouragement today. I recently was struggling with my service to the Lord on our church’s Coffee Hour that I enjoy blessing others with. It happened that Satan subtly slipped in during a weak point in my life and caused me to struggle and I wanted to quit. But through the loving hand of the Lord, He spoke these words, “for I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power. 14 But even so, you have done right in helping me in my present difficulty. THIS WAS MY STRENGTH to keep going and always keeps me going in hard times.

• In the last 18 months I have lost both of my parents to tragic illnesses. Most days I feel OK to move on with life and then other days, I REALLY miss them. And it is hard not to feel down and start to hone in on other disappointments. Today I need encouragement that I am stronger than my worst day here on Earth.
  “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” John 6:35

• Good morning ladies,
  I have my dream job. I am a stay at home mom and am lousy at it. I need encouragement on being a homemaker. If I had an earthly boss I would be fired.
  I am re-posting the link to today’s devotion.I feel it needs to be read again and again. I have a whole new focus after reading it. I am working for Him! I am know longer going to rely on my own skills. I am going to work for Him and ask Him for His help.I know if I give it to Him, I can succeed through Him.
  Thanks 🙂
  http://proverbs31.org/devotions/devo/habits-of-a-woman-who-doesnt-give-up/#comment-8043

• Good morning! I need help with not giving up on God’s plan for my life. I don’t know what the plan is, but I know he is up to something GREAT!! Recently my family and I have went through a lot of 1st times in our lives and I have to admit, I have had to really really learn to trust God through every aspect of my life. The devil seems to enjoy getting my thought process off course, but I have to remind him about all day long to get out of my mind and that he has no place in my mind nor in my families. So to make a long story short to everyone out there, it may take along time for God to move, but keep the faith and hold on no matter what. All you need is the faith of a mustard seed!! Even when you don’t see or feel anything changing or maybe you do see babysteps heading in a good direction, DON’T give up, God’s got it all figured out, let him have complete control, he knows what’s ahead and he knows what we need and what we don’t need and also, sometimes it takes awhile for him to equipped us and get us ready for the great things he has in store. So PRAY, READ YOU’RE BIBLE, FAST AND KEEP YOU’RE MIND FOCUSED ON GOD:0)

• Hey Y’all!! I need some encouragement to “not quit” trying to resurrect the PTO at my children’s school. I feel like Moses, “Lord, isn’t there someone else?” But, I’ve been saying that for at least a year and watched as our poor little Christian school has suffered. Things are such a mess, but that’s where The Lord is made strong. Right?
  My encouragement is to remember that When we feel weak, we can get out of the way, and God does amazing things! And then He (not me) gets the Glory! Praise Jesus!

• I would like encouragement on continuing in my Christian healing touch practice. I get discouraged because I’m spending time, money, and energy to learn and develop this gift – and I do believe it is a calling of God for me – but not getting many clients to help cover expenses. People who come see me get relief and healing (from God, it’s not from me), but I don’t know how to help more people. My encouragement is that God gives us these gifts “for the profit of all” (see 1 Cor 12:4-11). If He didn’t have a plan for their use, He wouldn’t give us the gift and the calling to use that gift. And if He is with us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

• I need encouragement to not quit standing for my marriage. I’m praying and putting my hope in God.

  Romans 8:24-25
  24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

• Thank you for your encouraging devotion this morning, Nicki. Also to other women here who have encouraged me with their verses, quotes, advice.

  I really need courage to keep writing, whether it’s to keep up with my blog posts or to write a book. Sometimes I believe I need to continue writing a book to glorify God and His love and to help hurting souls, but other times I get discouraged and think it will never come to fruition anyway. And I worry whether it’s my idea or God’s calling. I’m always doubting myself. 🙁

  An encouraging quote: “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” ~ Mary Anne Radmacher

• Today… I need in encouragement with not giving up/quitting in nursing school!.. I am in my first semester, and literally just got back home from taking an extremely difficult test! Becoming a nurse is something that I have always wanted to do, and I know that God has placed this desire within my heart. So today, I need encouragement to keep moving forward, to apply what I have learned, to try my absolute best, and to remember to leave my worried in God’s hands! **~~ “Our life is a gift from God; what we do with that life is our gift TO God.” ~~

• Hey! I am in need of encouragement to stay focused! Focused on what you ask?? Everything! I am so scattered lately, and it’s really gotten me down. By God’s grace alone, I’ve grown so much spiritually in the past couple years, but I went through devastating times & mistakes to get to that point of growth. I am just having a hard time focusing on what I need to accomplish, things that aren’t fun, like paying all the bills during the most difficult financial time of my life, etc. I’m struggling in teaching an adult Sunday School class at church, I feel so unqualified out of our small group, but I was the only one that would commit to taking on the task! Lord knows I want to share His truths and let Him speak thru me, but I just don’t know where to start when I sit down to prepare for this each week! It’s so frustrating, but I am pressing on thru each circumstance that seems so chaotic. I know I serve and love, but most importantly AM LOVED by a sovereign God.
  My encouragement to share is from one of my many “life lines”, Jesus Calling – “Let me free you from fear that is hiding deep inside you.Accept each day as it comes to you, remembering that I am sovereign over your life. Rejoice & trust that I am abundantly present in it. Thank me in all circumstances. Trust ME and don’t be fearful; thank Me and rest in My sovereignty.”
  1 Peter 5:6-7, “6-Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7-Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
  All GLORY to God for His powerful & sovereign love for US! 🙂

• I need encouragement to stay strong and now follow the way of the world. Because of my job, I am not able to attend church services every week. Usually, I get the privilege of attending a service every other month. I sooooo miss church and the fellowship of believers. I work with a lot of negativity and hear a lot of profanity on a daily basis. You know the old saying “garbage in….garbage out”. Haven’t succombed to any of this, but it sure is hard to want to be there and to keep a testimony. I really need my job. Anyway, reading “Habits of a Woman Who Doesn’t Give Up” really struck me today. I so needed to read this. I keep a journal of devotions and scripture which has spoken to me. I haven’t entered anything in such a long time. I decided to write this devotion in my journal. While doing so, it gave me a chance to look back over the entries of the past several years and get a renewed blessing. I encourage you to write down the things that speak to you each day. What a treasure to keep.

• I need encouragement to not give up on my daughter. She chose to do drugs and has lost custody of her son. She is beautiful. But somehow something went awry.

  • Awww Sheila. My heart breaks for you and your daughter and grandson. I don’t know if you have custody or where your daughter is but God is watching over all three of you. I don’t know if you or your daughter is saved through the grace of Jesus Christ or not either but I love your heart for your family. I can hear your love for her in the midst of all the pain and that is truly our roles as mothers I believe. Keep loving her and share your love for her. Tell her you love her no matter what she’s done or doing. Try not to judge and let God work on the details. Keep praying for her. Focus on the Family is a great resource or KLOVE radio station and lean on your church if possible! KLOVE has pastors on staff to pray with you if needed. Love you sister!

• I need encouragement on being a single mom and the struggles I have to face “alone” I know God is with me always but sometimes I just feel weak.
  One sermon that was very powerful and great reminder for me was this a friend shared with me.. on happiness. Please watch! 🙂

  http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/christians-happiness

• I need encouragement today in not giving up on finding a job and a purpose that fulfills Gods plan for my life. I can’t tell you how many times I have been rejected for one reason or another-I’m too qualified I’m not qualified enough. I’m a single mom, I’m divorced. I just don’t know what to do to jump back in but I need to because I need to support my kids. Your post this am was so well received by me. Thank you. Here’s my inspiration. Isaiah 40:31. You can wal through the fire. He is there! Hang in and hang onto God! Amen!

• My request for encouragement is in my desire to work with teen moms. I haven’t figured out how God wants me to do this yet and have started and stopped in various efforts. I want to give back where God and God’s people helped me in that situation and I don’t want other pregnant teens or teens of young children to feel alone.

  My encouragement to others today comes from a sermon I heard in September 2012 on courage…In Daniel 2:1-23 we can feel the pressure of fear in the story. We tend to respond from what we know from past experiences. When we respond out of fear, it is our motivator. Daniel speaks with confidence, courage and wisdom. We need to remember how God has come through for us in the past before we react. Have faith for tomorrow! Courage is acting in the MIDST of fear.

  Blessings all!

• I need encouragement to keep following God’s healing path for my family. In the last two years my marriage has fallen apart, my son was diagnosed with aspergers and I relapsed into food allergies and a chronic pain condition. It is a slow climb back to a sense of normalcy and health. Our entire house is on a special diet, no processed food, no sugar, no fast food meals or just run to the store. Our days are filled with endless attempts at budget friendly from scratch allergy free meals, doctor and therapy appointments, calls from the school, and the usual crazy demands of an American household. Everyone in our house is seeking personal growth and trying to do their best to heal the relationships. There are times when I thought leaving my relationship would be much better than doing the hard work to keep our family on track. I hear single moms here saying you want what you see in other families. That your family looks different. All our families look different, what you see on the outside is often completely different than what goes on inside. We would look pretty normal to you most days. Life is just not a snapshot. There is no normal or perfect family. But those glaring imperfections hone our faith and invite God into our lives. Life is hard, but God is good. Romans 8:28. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

• 2 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
  I’m an avid CrossFitter and have hurt my back to the point I am limited to three exercises for a long time: pull ups, lunges and dips. As an athlete this sometimes feels depressing that I can’t use my body for what I love to do. Oh, and did I mention I’m a mom to a pretty demanding 2 year old? I have to keep telling myself there is a reason I have to overcome this injury and that although God did allow me to injure myself … he also gave me a spirit to bounce back and gave me the tools (self discipline) and knowledge to push myself beyond the injury and back into training.
  Thanks for reading, I really hope I win your book. Would love a pick-me-up each morning.
  Courtney Wise

• For the last 21 months I have been dealing with health issues. Most days something hurts. I have been passed from one doctor to the next and none of them seem to know what is going on. I was finally diagnosed with dysautonomia which is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. I am the mother to three young children and my husband is gone a lot. There are many days when I need encouragement to keep on. I have started collecting Scripture that reminds me that God will fight for me Exodus 14:14 and many others. I also love the saying “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” I have come to believe that this “storm” will not pass in my earthly life but God can help me “dance in the rain,” one day at a time.

• Today I need the courage to pursue what God wants me to do and to be able to identify just what that is.

  “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 NIV) is my inspiration and I am hopeful it is to others as well.

• I need to know the Love God has for me in a real tangible way. I want to know how much he loves me so I can love that way too.

• I need encouragement to continue helping my 27-year-old son who was diagnosed four years ago with an autoimmune disease – myasthenia gravis. It was supposed to be under control with medication within a few months – never happened. He was in the hospital five times this summer. One was a myasthenic crisis, where he was intubated for nearly a week to help his muscles breathe. It’s been a blessing that he moved into an apartment in the small town where I live, so I can stop by and help him. He stayed with me for two months during this rough patch – just went home last week. He still needs help nearly every day. I cook for him and freeze leftovers, do his cleaning and laundry. What inspires me to keep going – to count it all a blessing – has been devotions by Ann Voskamp and Susie Larson, especially. They speak/write such strong words of grace and truth and strength. I receive emails from Ann and follow both on Facebook. Thank God for using them to spread His message of love and strength.

• I am praying for wisdom in displaying excellence in my part time job as a high school English teacher. One group of students in particular has been quite a challenge. They are apathetic and unmotivated. While I understand they do not like writing, I am disappointed by their commitment to put forth their best effort. My job is difficult: to lovingly encourage and motivate while also holding the student accountable for poor performance and lack of personal responsibility. Teaching reminds me of my own frailty and inadequacies. I find strength in knowing God is all I need—when I am weak, He is strong. My heart sings the song “Lord, I Need You” by Matt Maher often throughout the day.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvfMDhTyMA

• I need encouragement not to feel overwhelmed by all that is going on. My son is deployed, my daughter-in-law and 2 dogs moved in with us while he is gone. My husband is having issues adapting. I have probably over committed myself to keep busy during the deployment. Plus I haven’t mastered the art of saying no yet. My inspiration to keep going is Psalms 68:19 “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, the God who is our salvation.”

• I need some prayer and encouragement with starting a girls group in my area. I feel God calling me to start a group for teen girls in my area, call it support, mentoring, encouraging, or whatever, but I have been lead to some amazing resources to use for the group. My oldest child is a 14 year old young woman that is on the path to finding Jesus and we have talked about a group of sorts. Some days I feel like jumping in with my eyes closed and other times I feel like I am crazy because I have no idea what I am doing. I found this scripture today and how fitting to our “not quitting” community!!!

  I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3: 13-14

  Have a wonderful Monday and I look forward to praying for all you wonderful folks!!

  Crystal

• Thanks Nicki for this post. I would love prayers of encouragement. Since doing our “Yes To God” OBS, I have embarked on my weight loss journey, As I did chapter 3 in the book, God asked me to do something, and I am being obedient. I have been praying, reading scripture, fasting, and have lost 18 pounds. Although I have some ways to go, I feel so good about what I am doing, God has been so good, and has so kept His promise
  “I will never leave you or forsake you”
  He is truly my refuge and my strength.

  Proverb 14:30 My heart is at peace, and it gives life to my body.

  Blessings Anna

• My struggle recently has been with finding time to spend with The Lord, reading His Word, journaling, and praying. Life gets so crazy and sometimes my priorities get messed up! I know many of us have this problem so I tried to encourage and myself with my recent blog post: http://elizabethzdrodowski.blogspot.com/2013/10/priorities.html

  • *encourage others and myself

• My struggle and what I have been praying about for weeks now is my marriage. Reading your post today, it dawned on me that as long as I am working for someone else (my jobs) I work as if I am serving the Lord, but I have never really applied that to my house, home, and family. How sad is that? This is what I need to be working on!

  • My encouragement for others today is to remember God’s grace, and when you realize things like I did today, don’t beat yourself up! Forgive yourself and make the change…now I need to remember this! 🙂

• I enjoy journaling and often use word pictures to teach & encourage others in their walk with Christ. With so many gifted writers out there I am afraid that the time for my dream to write has come and gone! ( I just turned 50) Fear holds me hostage and am in need of encouragement & truth! While searching through some pictures I found this quote that I pray encourages you as it did me…. “Don’t let fear cheat you out of your dreams. God is BIGGER than whatever your worried about”.

• I need encouragement not to give up on two dreams. One is that it was prophesied over me over five years ago that I have a Godly husband coming. And I am still waiting. The other dream is to go to Israel when the Pastor and his wife go back for another visit. They want to take some of the members of the church with them and I feel that I am one of them. We have been watching videos of their trip and I have gotten so excited that I can’t wait to go. I am hoping that it is within the next couple of years. But no matter how long before they decide to go back to visit, I want to be one of the members of the church that goes with them. My encouragement for others is that what is impossible for us, is possible for God. Also, “Asks, and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9-10

• After a battle with alcoholism, losing my job, my 1st home, my self-respect, the respect of my family, and a teaching career…God has proven…”I will never leave you or forsake you!”
  I am anxiously looking for a job that will enable us re-establish our credit, put my terrific husband and I in a house of our own and once and for all help us to see ourselves as successes…the way God sees us and WANTS us to see ourselves.
  God has, and continues to fulfill His promise in Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
  He has placed people in my life that has helped me learn that God’s word is truth.
  Please join us in prayer that God is in the midst of all my husband and I do and that He will give guidance, wisdom and discernment as we move forward in a new life.

• Oh dear ladies, so many things are on my mind, and there are so many things that I feel I need to work on. I really need the strength to continue to hold onto and work towards my dream. It is also to be a writer. I have been through a lot in my life from abuse, sexual assault, single parenthood and more. All of these things led me to really doubt myself and my abilities for much of anything. I finally am making steps (in fact I did join Compel after much prayer), and I do not want to give up. It can be too easy. Seeing myself as God sees me is vital and truly seeing His vision and moving towards it is my prayer.

  For encouragement I would like to share a blog link with you from Nicole Unice. About a week ago, I stumbled on this post and it opened a light into my life like I could not believe. I try to do so much and end up getting overwhelmed. Nicole helped me see the simplicity. It is helping. I pray her post will bless you as well:
  http://www.nicoleunice.com/daily-life-with-jesus/hey-momma-one-thing-you-need-for-mondays/

• Hey there! I am a Girl Guide leader and I am worried about one of my girls’. She is a “problem kid” as some people want to label her but I see a sweet girl who needs firmness with love. I am at odds with my other leaders who don’t share my empathy. I could use some prayer for her and myself as I don’t want either of us to be at odds with anyone. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Eph 2:9-10 Thank you.

• I need encouragement to not quit trying to reach the children in my classroom. Today was completely exhausting and fruitless. The guilt of spending too much time with other people’s children and not being there to get my own off the bus is suffocating. I need to remember that I clearly heard God’s call for my life 17 years ago. I need to remember that the gift of teaching and creativity were given to me by my master Teacher and Creator. I need to remember that I asked God to divinely hand-select the little ones that need to experience His love the most and that I am to be His love to them. I need to remember that this year’s smaller paycheck is nothing compared to the treasures being stored in heavenly places. I need to remember not to wear a white knit sweater when painting orange pumpkins!

• Nicki, I am in the process of writing some books as well. I have for years felt God calling me to do this. He has given me so many reasons to write. I am already encouraged just by reading your post today. So I, in turn, want to encourage you! Keep at it. It’s a process, a marathon if you will. Just know what God has anointed you to do, He will see to it that it gets to the right people but you have to do the work. 😀 Go GIRL!

• Nicki, your devotional was perfect timing for me and one I really needed. Thank you.
  I started COMPEL today and I need encouragement to jump in and not talk myself out of it and quit. I’m not sure if writing is my calling, yet. But I have a strong interest to learn.

  I just want to encourage someone that God loves you. Very much. He cares about the sparrow that falls in Matthew 10:29. He sees your struggles and is there for you to reach out to Him, trust Him and praise Him for He is refining you.

• Nicki,
  I enjoy your blogs so much! If the Lord has called you to write then honey you need to write! Remember that Satan will try every thing he can pull out of his bag of tricks to discourage you and get you to quit. He absolutely does not want you to put encouragement sent from the Lord into to print! Keep on keeping on girl! The Lord has a marvelous work for you to do and he has equipped you to accomplish it!

• Hello Nicki and the Proverbs 31 Women! I need an encouragement and a prayer from you about my distant relationship with a man from Michigan. Im from Philippines. I found him a man with same faith so i claimed him from God that he will be the man. And yet, lately we seldom commnuicate online bec he said the towers of celphone signal carrier named OBE he has is shutting down. i am confuse and i do miss miss so much.
  Thank u in advance for ur prayer and encouragement.
  JUDITH

• I need encouragement to not quit my job. My work place was recently purchased by another company. Since then everything has changed and is still changing. I have been blessed over the years with a great team of people. They are all retiring now. To top it off some of the new team is confrontational. With an uncertain future and a new team to work with my heart wants to run to something more familiar and stable. Shifting ground makes me nervous.
  Today I found encouragement through this devotional http://www.dare2share.org/devotions/feeling-discouraged/#sthash.u8eGskef.dpbs

• Hi all. I need encouragement today not to quit my dream of writing a book. For many years, I’ve had a dream of writing a children’s book, but lately I’ve put that dream aside due to lack of time, and lies of the enemy telling me I can’t write a book…my words aren’t good enough.
  Today, I read the blog post “I Don’t Want To Be A Writer” by Lysa TerKeurst, and it has given me new hope on writing a book. I would encourage anyone else who has a similar dream to check out the blog post!
  I pray everyone reading this blog post feels encouragement today for their own dreams!

• I need encouraged to remain faithful in spite of trials. To rise up early and have my quiet time instead sleeping til Igotta run fast. I gave been blessed by theWomens Devotional app on my smartphone. I find s blessing that speaks so direct to me if I just take the time to read it instead of spending so much time on social media.

• A new marriage (we both have some baggage that rears its ugly head from time to time), a move to my home town ( I was gone 30 years and it is the birth place of my baggage-lol), starting a new business and I get scared and want to run!

• I need encouragement because like you Nicki, I too am trying to finish a book (my first). Also like you, it’s not because I just “want to write a book”, it’s because God has called me to share my story to help other women. I have 2 chapters and a list of resources left to go – I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but God called me to finish this book about 1 month after I gave birth to my first child! As a full time forensic scientist and full time mom, like I have free time to write a book now!

  A song that has been on the radio lately and gives me encouragement and I hope it will encourage others is Sidewalk Prophets – Help me to find it. Here’s a link to the youtube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsjZ94K7UQs

• My area of needed encouragement is keeping on in marriage despite years of anger in my husband and living with him is very tough as he is quite controlling (trying t put this nicely and not bash him but I desperately could use encouragement. Two little boys are in the picture and I love them with all my heart yet I must make yt? hem my first responsibility and keep them safe and not allow them to emulate the anger they see. My husband can be very loving and loves the boys so much but when he gets angry then it’s best to get away.I won’t go into any more compassionate except to say he is a Christian -his words-and I won’t judge his heart but he isn’t allowing God to tame
  this area of his life. Usually I deal ok but sometimes when he’s really angry I struggle with fear or other times it’s his words that can be so nice and then so mean and so hurtful it makeover so sad but I gotta be strong for the boys which 2nd thing quick is I have 3 major health issues that complicate things & when he is angry and won’t help then I have to be “single mom” whether or not my pain level is screaming at me. BUT I was encouraged last week and would encourage all of you ladies to be also by God’s faithfulness and inevitability (HE never changes). God is with me during up and down and has given me strength tut o stand and care fir the boys and house when I literally thought I could do no more. My God has walked beside Mexican moment and always will-and as HIS child HE will walk with you also. Be encouraged by our great God who never changes!

  • Comment

    • In my comment I meant to say *details not compasdionate* (toward beginning of comment). Also sorry for couple other typos I noticed I was in a hurry but hope you get the basic idea of my post:)Thanks!

• What I need help not giving up on is myself. I can uplift and support and give encouragement to everyone. I have helped a lot of people but I always talk myself out of things.
  One thing that I do want to share is a saying I see at work on a poster everyday: ” Those who are great are not afraid to be great. ” I say it every time I pass it.

• Hi beautiful ladies! I need encouragement on my goal to become more of a domestic diva. I’m blessed to stay home with our two young boys and also have a successful business that I work in the nooks & crannies of my day. Lots of days, I don’t complete as many domestic tasks as I hope and get discouraged. My inspiration comes from Him! Before I had our 1st son, 2.5 years ago, God asked me to finish & self-publish my first book. I wrote down all the action steps I needed to do from content to resources, cover design to printing quotes. From there I broke down each action step into baby/bite size tasks. Each morning, I put my amazing foot on the ground & in that season, I would strive to do 1 simple thing everyday to move by book goal forward. My list was easy to pick from and I didn’t waste any time wondering what I could do when I had 5 min in my day. Dream Big, God will show you the way and how when He puts it on your heart ladies.

  Nicki, thanks for your incredible blog post/devotional. It resonated with me on many levels and was tied to exactly the scripture I needed to hear. Thank you for being obedient to Him and sharing.

• Nicki – perfect words in due season! Divinely stumbled across your blog but now I’m a follower. Looking for encouragement in staying the course, seems to be a common thread for so many. My husband and I are both business owners and the past couple years have been less than.
  My encouragement for others:
  Trust.Seek.Pray
  Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

  1Chronicles 16:11 Seek the Lord and His strength, yearn for and seek His face and to be in His presence continually.

  1Thess 5:16-18 Be joyful always, PRAY continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of Christ Jesus.

• I need encouragement to keep my house picked up and cleaned. With 4 kids and a husband it is easy for it to become messy in no time at all. For encouragement I remind myself that my children will no be little for long, it is more important to enjoy my time with them then worry about a clean house, and it is important to teach them to be helpful and learn to do some cleaning. Currently they each have a weekly job which they rotate: help with dinner, dinner dishes, feed the pets, and vacuum.

• Hi Ladies,
  I need encouragement not to give up on finding the right person to share my life with. I always wanted to get married and have children and the option for children is almost closed. I know that things happen in God’s time and he knows what is in store for me. The one book/concept that I have found most encouraging is, “When God Winks at You”. The concept is that all of those special coincidences that come up in your life at just the right time are really like a wink from God letting you know that everything will be alright. Reading other peoples stories of their God winks helps you recognize them in your own life. You can check it out for yourself here: http://www.whengodwinks.com/

• I need encouragement to keep on seeking God even when I do not think He is listening and/or hearing me. Please pray for me as i venture along on this journey of letting go and let God. For those of you who are single mothers, it is a hard journey but there is joy wrapped up in the challenges. Do not lose sight of God, He will bring you through all the difficult places. Psalms 23:4 depicts the kind of Father that we have. Do not quit, hold on.

• My husband and I have both lost a total of 200 pounds together this past year. We’ve been sick in bed with major colds going on 2 weeks now. We’ve got a long way to go still and it seems we’ve reached a plateau. Family and church gatherings are difficult as food seems to be the focus. We’ve resorted to leaving right after church and skipping fellowship/eating and also boycotting family gatherings. We are mocked for becoming vegans, and hardly get any positive feedback for turning our lifestyles around for our good and gods glory. I keep going to Gods Word for encouragement, and continually recite Jeremiah 29:11.

• First, Thank you Nicki for your encouraging words and for being God’s messenger! Here is what I was feeling before I read your message this morning:
  I was feeling horrible yesterday, sad….and ready to give up in fact I wasn’t going to come in to work today because I just felt like nothing. Disappointed, disgusted, you name it…I was feeling it! But I told myself to get up out of bed and get to work, then this morning I read this….a straight message from our Precious Lord himself 😉

  Oh how he loves me and man do I love him to!!!

  Enjoying this miracle today!
  Psalm 139 17,18