There is a joy Christians can have that does not come from this world. It comes from the depths of our redemption. No matter what happens while on this earth, we possess this unspeakable joy, and it wells from deep within. Knowing that in the end of all things, we are going to be with our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now, if for a little while, you have had to suffer various trials, in order that the genuineness of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tried by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom, having not seen, you love; and in whom, though you do not see Him now, you believe and you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving as the result of your faith the salvation of your souls (1 Pet. 1:6-9).

You may not understand what I am talking about. But I tell you the truth when I say it comes from knowing Him, not about Him, but having relationship, fellowship with Him. This joy has carried me through a mountain of sorrows and trials that you will never hear spoken from my lips. I take my deepest hurts straight to the Father in the name of Jesus. I work through earth’s pain in the realm of the Spirit. And it truly is He who makes me laugh.

Some people accuse me of laughing too much. I say, “You can never laugh too much.” This laughter is an expression of my faith working its way into the realm of joy for me. And actually, I will go farther with this and say that this laughter is a vocabulary. And the Holy Spirit makes me laugh so hard that it hurts physically.

When the pressures of this life are too much to bear for me, I start to laugh. Way back yonder, when the laughter movement hit the church, my husband and I were on the mission field. We didn’t have internet back then, and what was available was not efficient enough to rely on for communication. But it was back then, when everyone was rolling in the aisle in hysteria together with the Holy Spirit, that the Spirit was hovering over us as well. I found my joy and strength again in the Holy Spirit.

It was a time of great change for us in the ministry. We were taking in boys off the streets to live with our family, and it was not an easy task. It was spiritual warfare, one-on-one. But it was the unspeakable joy I had found deep in my relationship with the Holy Spirit that carried me through many trials and even greater sorrows. I will never take laughter for granted. And I will not cease to laugh with the Spirit of God.

It was this spiritual weapon of laughter that the Holy Spirit dropped upon me and my son that chased away a legion of demons that tried to overtake our home via a boy from the streets. It was the most terrifying situation I have ever been in, and all I could do was pray in another spiritual gift of which I speak often, tongues. And while my son and I prayed with all of our might to step back into the natural realm and overtake this spirit of fear that was attacking us head-on with a couple thousand demons, out of nowhere, actually out of the throne room of God came this supernatural gift of laughter that chased a legion of manifested demons from our midst.

This is the joy unspeakable that I mention here. It is not a feeling, but a spiritual force, a supernatural weapon that is developed in the refinery of the presence of our mighty God, Jehovah. And I pray you find His joy today. In fact, let’s pray about this now.

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I intercede for all my readers that they will too find this joy that I speak about. That they will discover the powerful weapon they have been given to overcome the pain, stress and trials of this world. That they will be able to take the enemy head-on and chase away a legion or more of Satan’s destructive monsters, and send the demon force running away for the fear of hearing the Lion of Judah roar with laughter through one of His servants.

Lord God, You have given us a joy that is unspeakable with human words. And it comes from the center of Your will for Your people. That we are more than conquerors in this world. That this earth cannot bind us to silence with their threats because deep from within us, from the depths of our being is a wellspring of Your joy that is available for us whenever we need it, whenever we want it.

Spirit of God, laugh through them. Allow them to experience Your joy, not occasionally but daily, in Jesus’ name, amen. {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a prophetic healing evangelist and the author of DARE to Believe, Greater Than Magic and  The Healing Creed. Visit her at authorbeckydvorak.com.

This article originally appeared at authorbeckydvorak.com.

It happens every year.

The countdown begins. The clock strikes midnight and there’s celebration. And when the sun rises on January 1, so do the questions of what’s possible, what will be accomplished, and what could be achieved during this New Year.

Like a flock of birds, goals take flight, fueled by imaginations and a much-needed cup of caffeine. Optimal health, weight loss, career advancement, education achievements, new hobbies, better relationships, new adventures—the sky really does seem to be the limit.

Hopes are high.

At the beginning of every year many people think of what they’d like to accomplish in the upcoming months.

But more than just an annual issue, how we live in the day to day is directly connected to how we see our future and how we envision our life will be—the big picture of how your life will turn out, not just this year, but in the years and decades to come.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18a, MEV).

“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint” (Proverbs 29:18a, NKJV).

The ability to live a focused life is a vital topic for every believer. Without a clear vision for the future, we are more likely to live without discipline, thinking we are headed toward a goal, but not quite achieving all that is possible, or all that God made available for us to accomplish. A pastor once said that if you see a person who isn’t achieving much, more than likely they have a vision problem, not a laziness problem. It’s important to have a vision for life that goes beyond this current year. There’s power in our present-day choices, but this is best understood when we have a clear vision before us. Contrary to popular belief, it’s actually the vision we have that brings focus to our lives, not some gift of supernatural self-discipline.

When a person cannot develop a clear vision for their life, they perish. In Proverbs 29:18, the word “perish” indicates living a wasted life, squandering a potential destiny, going nowhere with the Lord—or missing out on your life destiny.

The New King James Version uses the words to “cast off restraint,” which is seen when we misuse life resources by refusing God’s leadership, instead of using them to help us walk out the call or will of God for our life.

The lack of a clear vision is what causes us to live aimlessly, to drift throughout life without any anchors, actually resulting in a wasted life. And when there’s a lack of clarity in the heart about where life is headed, we end up living unaware of God’s purpose for our life and what we’re meant to do and be.

World-renowned psychiatrist Viktor Frankl suffered greatly in the Nazi concentration camps during World War II. After the war, he interviewed fellow Holocaust survivors, finding that those who led the most successful lives were those who had a clear vision about where they were going. What determined who survived and their quality of life was what they believed about their future even more than how they had suffered in the past.

As Mike Bickle puts it, “What forms a person more is what they believe about their future—more so than what happened to them in their past. Having a clear picture of where you’re going in your life is one of the most formative factors in how you live.”

If we want to walk in the fullness of our calling in the Lord, it is very important to have a clear vision established in our hearts. A person’s actual vision may change over the years, but we always want to have a clearly defined vision. We want to picture the future in a certain way.

As believers we often have a picture of heaven as our ultimate future, which is good, but we also need a vision for the next 10, 20, 30 years of life.

“Many people desire happiness,” Mike said. “And I can say with confidence, that if happiness is your goal it will always elude you. You’ll live frustrated and disappointed all your days. Happiness is the fruit of having a vision that is in the will of God.”

Instead of making happiness our goal, we can develop a clear picture of how we see ourselves and our life a decade or two from today. That vision will capture the heart and cause us to live in “restraint,” or have discipline. Without that picture of the future before us, it’s much easier to become idle or lazy.

That vision we have for the decades to come—who we’re meant to be—will aid us when we stand before the Lord and give an account for how we used all that He blessed us with for His glory.

Once a vision is established, then an occupation can be determined. For those already in the workplace, it’s possible to determine how to live out your vision in your current place of employment. Even when your occupation changes, it’s important to know how you can live out your specific vision of who you’re called to be where you are.

A vision is separate from an occupation. Over time your occupation can change, but the vision is often consistent, because it is the overall theme of your life. One strong indicator of who a person is called to be is found in the two great commandments—to love God and to love people.

It’s OK to take time to develop a spiritual vision, because it is key.

God’s focus is more on who you’re going to be and what you’re going to do than where you do it.

Consider These Questions:
(For your vision)

• Whom do you believe God wants you to be, spiritually, before Him?
• What is the primary thing you want to hear when you stand before the Lord on that last day?

(For your occupation)

• What is it you really want to accomplish?
• When the Lord looks at our time, money, energy and affection, what would you like Jesus to say and understand about how you used your time, resources and talents? {eoa}

Fia Curley serves on the NightWatch at IHOPKC, participating in prayer, worship and intercession from midnight to 6 a.m. She enjoys blending her passion for prayer, worship and journalism as she labors with the Lord to see His goodness revealed to families, government leaders and immigrants from non-Christian nations.

This article originally appeared at ihopkc.org.

God’s Word is clear that we will pass through difficult times on this earth, not because He wills pain and sorrow for us, but that we live in a fallen world. “‘I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world'” (John 16:33).

But no matter the loss, whether by death, divorce, financial difficulty or other, we have His promises to remain with us and comfort us during times of confusion, fear and sorrow.

“Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me” (Ps. 23:4, AMP).

“God is our refuge and strength, a well-proven help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1, MEV).

“For His anger endures but a moment, in His favor is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5).

“He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds” (Ps. 147:3).

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted ” (Matt. 5:4).

Pray to God for Comfort

And we And are to pray and seek His help during these painful times: “Let Your merciful kindness comfort me, according to Your word to Your servant” (Ps. 119:76).

Let’s pray according to His Word today.

Father God,

I call out to you during this time of distress. I ask You, Holy Spirit, for your comfort during this most troublesome time. According to Your will, show me Your way to overcome sorrow.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Word of the Lord

The Spirit of God would say to you this day, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you. I have promised to remain with you at all times. You can depend upon Me to see you through this time of tragedy in your life. Lean upon Me; I will hold you up when you feel you can’t. Trust Me, gain your strength from Me to face each new day.” {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a prophetic healing evangelist and the author of DARE to Believe, Greater Than Magic and  The Healing Creed. Visit her at authorbeckydvorak.com.

This article originally appeared at authorbeckydvorak.com.

Let me start out by saying that you’re not the only one.

Maybe you’re reading this right now thinking that you’re the only Christian who has let their quiet time slip for so long. But you’re not.

I think one of the greatest struggles Christians have in their walk with Jesus is consistency in their quiet time. We live in such a busy, fast-paced society that the moment our eyes open our minds are racing with all of the things we have to do, and pressure is on, before our feet hit the floor, to get started.

One of the most profound quotes I’ve ever read on prayer is by Martin Luther, father of the Reformation. “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”

His keen understanding that the strength he needed to get through his day was in direct proportion to how much time he spent in prayer is something that is profoundly missing today.

What would our churches be like if Christians everywhere truly lived by this philosophy?

What would our places of business be like if the Christians who worked there first woke up and spent only one hour in prayer each morning in preparation for a busy workday, knowing that their ability to handle the pressure was directly linked to how much time they spent on their knees before they ever went about their day?

I, for one, am heavily convicted when reading this quote (which now hangs on the wall above my computer).

As I pondered my one word for 2018, the first thing that came to my mind was that I needed a revival in my quiet time. I don’t know about you, but my quiet times have grown stale. They need an infusion of life, a freshness that is lacking.

7 Ways to Revive Your Quiet Time

1. Ask God to Grant You a Personal Revival

It’s not a coincidence that I began my list with prayer. Everything we do should begin with prayer. If we try to accomplish the other six things on this list without prayer, two things will happen: 1. We will find our efforts short-lived and 2. We will be tempted to pat ourselves on the back for a job well done.

Revival can only happen as a work of the Holy Spirit. Any revival that doesn’t originate with the Holy Spirit is fake and a simple conjuring up of emotion. And as women we know how fickle our emotions can be.

We may “feel” a revival today, or even this whole week, but soon our emotions will move in a different direction and we’ll lose that feeling.

Revival isn’t a feeling. Revival is a work of the Holy Spirit in our lives that is independent of our emotions. For that revival to happen, we must seek God’s face and cry out for it.

2. Make a Plan

No one embarks on a journey without a map, without a destination in mind, without a goal. Our journey with Jesus should include a plan. It should involve goals.

If as believers, we live our Christian lives without having personal plans and goals for our spiritual walk—this week, this month, this year—then we should never be surprised if we see very little spiritual maturity take place.

Nothing significant happens when our life motto is que sera sera.

If we wouldn’t set out on a family vacation without a destination and our journey mapped out, why would we set out on our spiritual journey without a plan and a goal? A journey of far greater significance than any family vacation.

This is precisely why I choose a word each year.

It serves as my goal for that year. And then I sit down and map out a journey for that year, as a way to map out how I plan to reach that goal.

3. Make a Change

Great things can happen when we change things up a bit: a new spot where we have our devotions, a new Bible or maybe even a new translation.

Don’t be afraid to change things up a bit.

Sometimes change can be vital to our daily quiet times. If you find you’re tempted to get online and check social media before having devotions, you need to make a change.

• Stop using an app to read your Bible.
• Stop having devotions at the desk where your laptop sits.
• Check into your online accountability group later in the day.

All of these things can have a profound effect on our quiet times.

4. Get Accountable

If you haven’t joined an accountability group to help keep you consistent in your daily quiet times, I urge you strongly to do that. There is tremendous power in accountability.

While some may argue that our spiritual walk should be important enough to keep us consistent, the truth is that by ourselves we just aren’t strong enough sometimes.

That’s why God created us for community.

And one purpose for community is accountability. None of us is an island to ourselves and none of us has ever succeeded by our own strength alone.

If you don’t know where to find an accountability group, I encourage you to check out Good Morning Girls, or even start your own. Read my post 10 Ways to Lead an Online Bible Study Group for ideas on places where you can create an accountability group.

5. Change Your Method of Bible Study

Have you been using the same Bible study method for years? Maybe you just need to try a new method.

Oftentimes we get into a rut, and then grow religious about our rut, thinking that our rut is the only place to be. And Bible study methods can very quickly become ruts.

There is no perfect Bible study method. There is no verse in the Bible that tells us we should only do Inductive Bible studies or that SOAP is the best way to study God’s Word.

God has chosen to leave our method of Bible study to our personal discretion, and sometimes the simple choice of learning a new method is just what we need to breathe new life into our quiet times. Getting out of our rut will help us to move forward and deeper in our understanding of God’s Word.

6. Choose a Book You’ve Been Wanting to Study

A lot of people start the new year with the goal of reading the Bible through from Genesis to Revelation.

That’s not necessarily bad. Especially if you have already developed a strong consistency in reading God’s Word each day. I know many very strong, mature believers who read through the entire Bible each year, and have for many years.

It’s also not necessarily good. Especially if you have the tendency to get hung up in Numbers or the prophetic books and then lose interest and stop reading. The Bible isn’t just one book.

It is a collection of books, and while some books build on the books around them, not all of them do. It is perfectly fine to jump around the Bible from book to book. You won’t lose perspective that way.

There is no rule stating that you have to read the Bible in order of its books.

One great way to revive your quiet time is to pick a book you’ve been longing to study for a while, gather resources around you—study materials and YouTube videos by your favorite teachers—and make a fresh start with something exciting and new.

I offer a number of online Bibles studies to choose from: including Galatians, Ephesians and 1 Corinthians 13. In 2018, I will be adding Hebrews and Philippians.

7. Start Journaling

There is tremendous power in journaling. I think one of the most powerful aspects of journaling is that it forces us to slow down and examine our thoughts. So often we are tempted to rush through our quiet times, we see it as another task to tick off our long list of things to do each day.

But a relationship isn’t a task to tick off. A relationship is something we invest in, and that investment takes time. It takes introspection and a back-and-forth exchange on a consistent basis.

There are many ways you can journal. Here are a few ideas I’ve had: writing, art journaling, recording videos or voice messages for your private use.

If your quiet time has grown stale or inconsistent, I hope this list helps you get started in reviving it and making it fresh and new for 2018! {eoa}

Rosilind Jukic, a Pacific Northwest native, is a missionary living in Croatia and married to her hero. Together they live with their two little boys in the country, where she enjoys fruity candles and a hot cup of herbal tea on a blustery fall evening. She holds an associate degree in practical theology and is passionate about discipling and encouraging women. Her passion for writing led her to author a number of books. She is the author of “A Little R & R,” where she encourages women to find contentment in what God created them to be. She can also be found at these other places on a regular basis. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google +.

This article originally appeared at rosilindjukic.com.

You want to move forward, but you can’t seem to get over your past failures. But God says that it is time to leave your failures behind and move forward with Him. No matter what those failures are, it’s time to trust God and fulfill your destiny in Him.

Let’s talk about some common failures people make, hold them up to the light of the Word and see if we can move past the pain of them and into something better.

Your business has failed and it has caused a real financial mess, and great stress upon you, your marriage, and upon your family. Do you give up on your dream? Let’s look at Edison and all the times he failed before he had success. Edison and his team of researchers designed and tested more than 3,000 models of bulbs between 1878 and 1880. In November 1879, Edison filed a patent for an electric lamp with a carbon filament. It took him 3,000 tries at a dream before it came to pass. Do we remember him as a man who failed 2,999 times or for the 3,000th time, when he succeeded?

God says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

How many times a day does a toddler fall and get back up? Because he or she falls, do we call this child a failure? No, it’s the normal process to learn how to stand up and walk.

The word of the Lord tells us in Psalm 37:23-24 that “The steps of a man are made firm by the Lord; He delights in his way. Though he falls, he will not be hurled down, for the Lord supports him with His hand.”

You’re discouraged because you have tried over and over again to break a terrible habit, and when you fail, you feel guilt-ridden. But even though it hurts to fail, should you allow the enemy, the devil and his demons, yourself or misunderstanding people to beat you up for your past or present failures?

“He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet on a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God; many will see it, and fear, and will trust in the Lord” (Ps. 40:2-3).

I thank the Lord many times that He pulled me up and out of the pit of the world. Foolishly, I got caught up in the ways of the world, not because I wanted to, but because I was naive and did not understand the dangers this world had to offer. I was 18 years old, and my brother’s Christian seminary friends told him to stop praying for his baby sister because she was too far into the world and would never turn to the Lord. Praise the Lord, he did not heed their ungodly counsel. I actually came into the divine presence of the Lord, and my life was forever changed just months after my brother was told to give up all hope for me.

A woman is newly married for the second or third time, should we join ranks with the enemy and beat on her with our judgmental words and negative actions? Where is the compassion of the Lord in our lives? Do we really know all the facts behind the situation? Or should we be supportive of the positive changes she has made in life and let her move forward with God?

Your teenage son has wreaked havoc on your family with his rebellion. Does this mean you give up on him? Or should you seek the Lord more on his behalf? If you were him what would you desire for your parents to do for you? Is it time to seek outside help for him?

Your wayward daughter has brought disgrace upon your name. What do you do? Do you verbally beat her up daily? Is this going to woo her back into the loving arms of the Father? Or do you need to seek the Lord and find the spiritual key to open up her heart towards you again to lead her back to God?

A pastor or elder of the church falls into sin, sins that many of you are secretly caught up in. It’s not right; and yes, there are consequences to pay, but when is the person released from our unforgiveness and vengeance? When do we allow them to leave their failures behind and begin their walk with the Lord again?

God doesn’t desire that we do wrong. Sin separates us from Him—this is truth, but the greatest truth of all is that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

Who is the author of the book of Romans? The Apostle Paul is. He wrote at least 13 books of the New Testament. And how rich in godly wisdom are these 13 letters penned by the Holy Spirit through a man that has a past filled with great failures against God and the church? But did he allow his wicked past to prevent him from moving forward with the power of the Spirit? No. Do you think he had to overcome his thoughts and the judgmental opinions of others to move forward? Yes, he did. Do you think the enemy left this ex-terrorist alone? No, he had a thorn in the flesh, a demon that was sent to buffet and beat him up (see 2 Cor. 12:7).

In all of life’s failures, you are not to give up on life, or on yourself, or your loved ones, but Philippians 3:13-14 does tell us what we are to do, “Brothers, I do not count myself to have attained, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a prophetic healing evangelist and the author of DARE to Believe, Greater Than Magic and  The Healing Creed. Visit her at authorbeckydvorak.com.

This article originally appeared at authorbeckydvorak.com.

People fear many things such as death, sickness, disease, germs, darkness, lack of provision, being alone, rejection, bugs, spiders, bats, snakes, and the list goes on and on. Fear is very real, and it is more than a negative emotion; it’s spiritual. Let’s see what the authority of the Scriptures has to say concerning fear and how to overcome its rage against you. Be encouraged with a word from the Lord, pray this prayer and get free from fear this coming year.

Fear Is a Spirit

^“For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:7).

Against Whom Do We Wrestle?

“For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).

You Don’t Have to Fear

:Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9).

“In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you” (Isa. 54:14).

Measures to Take to Overcome Fear

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on earth” (Col. 3:2).

“Cast all your care upon Him, because He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7).

“He who speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself” (1 Cor. 14:4a).

“Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8).

The Righteous in Christ Are Re-Created to Be Bold:

“The wicked flee when no man pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Prov. 28:1).

Authority Over Fear

 ^“Look, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).

God Is With You

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can people do to me?” (Ps. 118:6).

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom will I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom will I be afraid?” (Ps. 27:1).

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, yes, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isa. 41:10).

Seek His Peace

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will protect your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).

What God Has Given You Instead of Fear

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Do Not Fear Tomorrow

“Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take thought about the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the trouble thereof” (Matt. 6:34).

Can Frightful Things Separate You From the Love of God?

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities nor powers, neither things present nor things to come, neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39).

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. Whoever fears is not perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).

Seek the Lord and Be Delivered From Fear 

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Ps. 34:4).

A Word of the Lord

And the Spirit of the Lord would say to you this day, “Why do you continue to live in fear? Do you not know that I am forever near? I will never leave you, nor forsake you. I have given My angels charge over you to protect you. I have sent My Son, Jesus to break the bondage of fear. So why do you continue to bind yourself to its wickedness? My Holy Spirit is with you to lead you and guide you into all truth. The truth in My Word will set you free. Come under the safety of My wings, do not leave the perimeters of My presence. Carry my presence with you wherever you go. I love you with an everlasting love, and it is My perfect love that casts away all fear.” Thus is My word for you this day.

Let’s Pray

Dear Holy Spirit,

Teach me how to be free from this spirit of fear, how to overcome the attacks of this evilness in my life. I seek You and Your deliverance this day.

In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen. {eoa}

Becky Dvorak is a prophetic healing evangelist and the author of  DARE to Believe, Greater Than Magic and  The Healing Creed. Visit her at authorbeckydvorak.com.

This article originally appeared at authorbeckydvorak.com.

Have you ever practiced a tradition without knowing why or how it started? Does it matter?

One friend celebrates half-birthdays in her family. Another organizes an egg hunt every Easter for the children in her family. Still another friend serves pizza for dinner every Friday night.

The Christmas season overflows with traditions. Every year we sing the same carols. We attend a candlelight service on Christmas eve. Perhaps you open presents Christmas morning. Or maybe your family opens presents the night before. Is Christmas eve dinner traditionally a fish dinner at your house? Maybe your family would be horrified if you didn’t make the traditional Christmas ham or your grandmother’s apple pie recipe.

But does it matter?

Yesterday, I repeated a tradition I’ve been practicing with friends for several decades. A family of three children spent the afternoon decorating home-baked gingerbread houses. The first time I did this, 30 years ago, was with a family of four children. Those kids are grown with children of their own. Last year, we started the tradition with a new family.

As I think about the place traditions have in my life, I wonder how many annual Christmas traditions begin with spontaneous joy, only to transform into obligatory chores with each passing year. Does the thought of putting up the tree—again—leave you with dread? Is there a mound of presents in your bedroom that still need wrapping?

Churches have split and new denominations formed because of disagreement over traditions. Families have divided because individuals hold so tightly to traditions that they’re willing to sacrifice relationships. Marriages have ended because spouses place a higher priority on the traditions of their birth family than on beginning fresh traditions in their new family.

As we celebrate the birth of the Son of God who came to save us from our sin, will you take a fresh look at how you celebrate Christmas? Why do you attend a candlelight service? Or exchange presents? Why put up a Christmas tree?

Explain the reasons behind our Christmas traditions to your children and grandchildren. Help them appreciate, not just the how, but the why. Examine your own traditions. Maybe it’s time to change things a bit. Eliminate one or two that have lost their meaning, and replace them with traditions that affirm the “reason for the season.”

This is the season of joy. Joy to the world for the Savior is born. Joy for the relief that our sins have been paid for in full and our relationship with the Father has been restored. And overflowing joy for those who don’t just celebrate the birth of Jesus, they know Him intimately as Savior and Lord.

As for me, I’ll continue to bake gingerbread houses and have children we love decorate them. Why? For the joy on their faces—and on mine—and their giggles as they create works of art. For the twinkle in their eyes and the icing stains on their fingers as they craft edible designs. Most of all, for the joyful memories we’re creating—memories that may last another 30 years or longer. Joy they will long associate with building houses—and lives—on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

What traditions do you treasure that affirm the meaning of Christmas? {eoa}

 Ava Pennington is a writer, speaker and Bible teacher. She writes for nationally circulated magazines and is published in 32 anthologies, including 25 Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She also authored Daily Reflections on the Names of God: A Devotional, endorsed by Kay Arthur. Learn more at  AvaWrites.com.

This article originally appeared at avawrites.com.     

Cute outfit? Check. Packed diaper bags? Check. Adorable baby dress and matching hair bow, baby included? Check, check. Cooperative and obedient toddler? Check … ish.

The Sunday morning dawned beautiful and crisp, just as a Sunday morning should. It was the day of my daughter’s baby dedication, and I was excited. Family was driving in for the special service, and a lunch was prepared at our church afterwards.

Everything was going exactly according to plan … ish.

Evidently, my son forgot to read the memo I’d sent out earlier in the week. The one outlining how everyone should behave and wear their nice outfits and smile and look like a stinkin’ cute Christian family, because doggone it, that’s what we are.

My son was being way more resistant than normal. “I don’t want this toast. I want water, not milk. I don’t want to wear this. I want milk, not water. I’m not wearing that coat. I’m not going to church. I don’t want to learn about God.”

All this was followed by him going boneless, facedown on the floor, moaning about life’s many woes.

After literally dragging him out the door and forcing his flailing limbs into his car seat, my husband and I settled into our seats, breathing hard from our efforts. We pulled out of the driveway, down the street, and then—

Sssspleeerrrsch.

The odd sound from the backseat was followed by a chilling silence. And then—

“What is coming out of my mouth??”

My shoulders slumped when I realized what had happened. Fresh vomit was sliding down the backseat where my son had just sprayed it at what appeared to be a pretty high speed. It might have been impressive if it weren’t also so disgusting and inconvenient. I was just thankful his car seat wasn’t forward facing, otherwise the vomit sludge might be dripping down the back of my neck at that moment. (Are you grossed out yet? You’re welcome.)

We drove back home and transferred one soggy and perplexed little boy (“What is coming out of my mouth??”) straight into the tub. After talking through our options, we decided my husband would stay home with our son and begin the painstaking process of sanitizing the now-soaked car seat while I would take our daughter to church.

Needless to say, the day ended up going a bit differently than planned. My dad stood with my daughter and me in front of the congregation where I (and my husband, from afar) committed to disciple her and her brother. Instead of eating lunch together at our church afterwards, we filled a pile of to-go boxes and all gathered together back at our house, much to the delight of a slightly queasy toddler and a very weary dad.

It was quite fitting that nothing went according to plan on this I’d-like-everything-to-go-right day. Because isn’t that how parenting is? You have all these plans—really good plans, I might add—and then they usually end up falling through. You adjust and make sacrifices because at the end of the day, your family matters more than plans and appearances.

That day was meant to be symbolic of our commitment to love our children as Christ loves us. Christ’s love is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional. So maybe the day went according to a better plan. One where my husband and I could practice being flexible and compassionate with joyful hearts.

On the days that don’t go according to plan, we can have peace knowing that, for believers, everything works according to our heavenly Father’s will (Rom. 8:28-29). His plan is that we be more like Christ every day, and sometimes (many times) that involves us dying to ourselves in small, cleaning-up-throw-up kinds of ways.

Ultimate end result? Conformity to Christ.

Exactly according to plan. {eoa}

Mary Holloman is married to her handsome husband of five years and has two children: a 2-year old son who never stops moving and a brand-new baby girl. Mary works and writes for Greensboro Pregnancy Care Center and also serves in her local church’s college ministry. You can follow her daily shenanigans on her blog, All My Springs, which can be found at www.allmyspringsblog.com or follow her on Twitter at @mtholloman.

This article originally appeared at just18summers.com.

Every parent utters this question so frequently that it can be spoken in our sleep: “Have you cleaned your room yet?” Sadly, the state of affairs in said room is often proof that the child’s answer is going to be no. Piles of clothes or toys may be scattered across the carpet, while half-made beds scream for attention. A heavy sigh and rolling eyes can only serve to release a portion of the stress as the parent, through gritted teeth, may say for the third time in one day, “I’ve asked you to clean your room. Clean the room by dinner. I won’t ask you again.”

This question and the messy bedroom condition under investigation spike the parental blood pressure because they represent chaos, disorder and lack of structure. A chaotic, messy bedroom screams that life is similarly chaotic, unorganized and devoid of purpose for both child and family. But …

This month, we celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Everything about Jesus’ birth was chaotic and messy. He was born in a barn; a dirty, smelly barn filled with dirty, smelly animals. And He was born homeless, because there was no vacancy at the local Hilton, Marriott or Sheraton. Finally, as soon as He was born, Herod the Great put a death sentence on His head.

The birth of Jesus was, quite frankly, anything but nice, neat, prim and proper. It was gross, dirty and violent in every way, shape and form, because Jesus was born as a hunted child. But oh, how God used this chaotic, messy “bedroom” (aka, the local Bethlehem B & B) to initiate the most perfect, beautiful, structured and organized plan to save us from our own sin and destruction. Out of this baby’s chaotic birth came a perfectly crafted redemptive plan. In short, the chaos in the barn was nothing but smoke and mirrors for the perfect order planted firmly in God’s heart and mind.

So, what’s the lesson for modern families? What does all this messiness and chaos have to do with modern-day living? Well, the stories of God’s most perfect plans, executed in some of the most imperfect locations, remind us that God is very much at work and capable of bringing the miraculous out of our personal chaotic messes. That is true for parents and children. Sometimes, we need to just sit down in the messy bedrooms and praise God for what He is doing in our lives, even if the piles of toys and dirty clothes remain untouched. Rest in the God who blesses the messes of your life and of your children’s lives. {eoa}

Dr. Lori Brown is a Southern educator, researcher and writer who enjoys devotional writing and teaching and encouraging women to grow in their faith.

This article originally appeared atjust18summers.com.