Did you know that Jesus walking on water is more than just a display of divine power?
This well-known event carries an underlying message that can aid you in elevating your faith.
Often, when we think about Jesus walking on water, we marvel at the spectacle itself.
However, a deeper look into this event reveals a remarkable interaction between Jesus and His disciple Peter.
An interaction that underscores a fundamental truth about faith and our focus.
When Peter sees Jesus walking on the water, he is compelled by his faith to join Jesus.
Filled with fervor and trust, Peter steps out of the boat and starts walking on the water towards Jesus. For a brief moment, Peter defies the natural laws just like Jesus.
But then something occurs that alters everything.
Peter shifts his focus from Jesus to the fierce wind around him. Fear creeps in, and doubt replaces his initial faith. As a result, he starts to sink.
This moment is essential for our faith.
Peter began by walking on water, an impossible feat, but lost this ability the moment he let fear and doubt cloud his faith.
What can we glean from this mighty instance?
It is a clear reminder for us that our focus determines our reality.
When Peter was focused on Jesus, he was able to walk on water.
But right when his focus shifted to the wind around him, he began to sink.
In our journeys, we often face stormy seas and strong winds.
Problems arise, difficulties occur, and we may feel like we’re being tossed around in a relentless storm.
During such times, where is our focus? Are we fixated on our concerns, or are we focusing on Jesus, our source of support and salvation?
Just as Peter was able to walk on water by keeping his eyes on Jesus, we too can overcome our challenges by focusing on Him.
He is our rock, our fortress, and our deliverer.
When we look to Him, our fears dwindle, our faith strengthens, and we find the courage to face our storms.
Jesus walking on water is more than a testament to His divine power.
It is a lesson about the importance of keeping our gaze fixed on Him during tough times.
Since summertime is among us, I would like to share some of my favorite prayers for summer that I believe all Christians will enjoy learning!
A Short Christian Summer Prayer for Family Gatherings
Heavenly Father,
In the warmth of summer, families gather like the petals of a flower, forming a beautiful bouquet of love and togetherness. We offer our gratitude for these precious moments. May our family gatherings be filled with laughter, love, and shared memories that last a lifetime.
Amen.
A Short Christian Summer Prayer for Relaxation and Rest
Heavenly Father,
Amidst the hustle and bustle of summer, we seek moments of rest and relaxation. Bless us with the ability to unwind, to find solace in the quiet moments, and to recharge our weary spirits. Grant us the gift of peaceful sleep and rejuvenation.
Amen.
A Short Christian Summer Prayer for Grateful Hearts
Dear Lord,
As we pause to appreciate the beauty of summer, we offer our thanks for the blessings you’ve bestowed upon us. May our hearts overflow with gratitude for the simple pleasures, the vibrant colors, and the warmth of community. Help us always remember to be thankful.
Amen.
A Short Christian Summer Prayer for Safe Travel
Dear Lord,
As summer beckons us to explore new horizons, we seek your divine protection during our journeys. Watch over us as we venture near and far, ensuring safe travels on the roads, in the air, and over the waters. Guide us through unfamiliar paths and bring us back to our loved ones, enriched by our experiences.
Amen.
A Short Christian Summer Prayer for Happiness & Health
Dear God,
In this season of vitality, we pray for the gift of good health and happiness. May our bodies be strong, our minds at peace, and our hearts filled with joy. Bless us with the energy to embrace every moment and the gratitude to cherish each day.
Amen.
And finally, here is a beautiful summer prayer By Emma Danzey
Our Kind Father,
Thank you for the gift of summertime. Thank you for the opportunity to have a season of celebration, family time, renewal, and adventures. We pray that you would be the center of our thoughts and actions this summer. We ask that wherever we are and whatever we are doing, we will glorify you with it. We pray that we would be dedicated learners of Your Word and give time to grow in understanding the Bible and memorizing Scripture. We pray that we would worship our hearts out to you in song. We pray that we would honor you with our own creativity and talents, whatever that might be.
God, You say in Genesis 8:22, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” You have set up the seasons so that we could live in them and worship you in each one. As we enter summer, may it remind us of Your great faithfulness and provisions to us. May it give us joy as we see You bring back flowers, design new sunsets, and bring up morning dew again. May the heat remind us of the warmth and goodness of the sun that You have created which sustains life here for us. Help us to know that You are gifting us with this season of summer to enjoy, rejoice, and worship. We celebrate that You are the God of the harvest and that we can see the beauty in Your creation.
Proverbs 10:5 says, “He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” God help us not to be like the disgraceful son. Help us not to be lazy and careless just because of summer. Help us to be like the prudent son who gathers crops and uses his time wisely. It is so easy to allow a slower season to become a wasted one. Please give us the drive and passion to serve You wholeheartedly and to live our days to glorify You in the work that we are called to in this season. Help us to enjoy this summer to its fullest and to find joy in the purpose in which You call us each day.
Lord, we praise you for this beautiful, exciting, and restful season. Help us not to let it go by without seeking You in the midst of it. We pray that we would bring you glory with our time, our rest, and our efforts. Amen.
I hope everyone has enjoyed these wonderful summertime prayers as much I enjoyed sharing them with you!
Do you know that God has gifted you with unique spiritual talents?
That’s right. Every single one of us has received divine blessings given to us by God Himself.
But the question remains, have you unlocked these blessings yet?
When God created us, He didn’t merely mold us from dust.
He blessed us with His divine spirit, granting us unique spiritual strengths to discover, nurture, and use for His glory and the enrichment of others.
Unfortunately, many of us transverse our journey without realizing these strengths, much like a miner unaware of the diamonds beneath his feet.
People need to realize that each one of us has a role to play, a function to perform in the body of Christ.
And that comes from our unique spiritual strengths.
The simplest way to unlock these strengths, as well as your endless potential as a faithful Christian, is with prayer.
Seek God’s wisdom and ask Him to unveil your spiritual strengths.
As David prayed in Psalm 139:23, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” May this be our prayer too.
Self-reflection is also a critical step. What tasks come naturally to you? What do others often praise you for? Your strengths may be connected to these qualities.
Furthermore, pay heed to the insights of your spiritual community. Others often spot strengths within us that we may overlook.
However, it’s not just about recognizing your strengths. It’s about utilizing them.
Just as this important verse reminds us.
Do not conceal your strengths or bury them.
They were not provided for your sole advantage but to uplift others and glorify God.
Whether it’s prophecy, service, teaching, encouragement, generosity, leadership, or mercy, each of these strengths can be a powerful tool in God’s service.
Let’s embark on this divine journey of discovery together
And once we’ve recognized our strengths, let’s employ them to light up the world with God’s love.
Have you been on Tik Tok or any social media platform lately?
Kids, teens, and even adults of all ages these days are posting everything there.
From what they eat in the morning to the places they visit, it seems like there’s no end to what they share.
They even post about their personal lives, including relationships and struggles.
This might seem like a childish behavior they will grow out of,
But it is more than it looks.
This constant need for attention and validation is keeping them away from God.
Take a look at this verse from Scripture:
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
God wants us to be humble.
Social media, however, is appealing to people’s narcissistic side.
It makes our children hunt for likes, comments, or how many followers they have.
And it is steering them away from the path that God has laid out for us.
It doesn’t have to be that way, however.
Social media is not fundamentally good or bad.
It is simply a tool for communication.
And it depends on how people use it.
Take this Christian blog post you are currently reading, for example.
I am using social media to share God’s ways with good Christians like yourself.
There is nothing wrong with using it, as long as we are following God’s Will.
As parents, teachers, and role models, we can teach our children to use this technology as a tool to connect with others, spread love, and share God’s word.
We can also encourage them to be mindful of what they post on the web and to prioritize their spiritual growth over popularity.
Let’s support our children to understand the true value of humility and to use social media in a way that brings them closer to God, not further away.
Remember, Scripture tells us that we are to “be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” (Romans 12:2)
This applies to our use of social media as well.
So let’s renew our minds and use social media in a way that honors God.
As a young Christian woman living in a world of social media, one of the most common questions I hear is, “How can I become more like Christ?”
There are many ways to answer this question, but one of the most robust ways we have is our own self-talk.
What we say to ourselves on a regular basis can have a significant impact on our thoughts, feelings, and activities.
That’s why I want to talk to you about the power of labeling yourself with godly traits.
When we label ourselves with godly traits, we are essentially speaking God’s truth over our journeys.
Instead of allowing negative self-talk to take over, we are intentionally choosing to focus on the positive attributes that God has given us.
This can include traits such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, which are the fruits of the Spirit.
Scripture tells us that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12: 2)
When we label ourselves with good traits, we are actively changing our minds and aligning our thoughts with God’s truth.
And we are reminding ourselves that we should strive to be more like Christ and the identity that God has given us as His children.
When we identify ourselves as patient, for example, we are more likely to exhibit patience in our interactions with others.
When we identify ourselves as loving, we are more likely to show love to those around us.
By focusing on these positive qualities, we are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts, where our thoughts and behaviors align with the labels we have chosen for ourselves.
Too many people nowadays think negatively about themselves.
They take on too much responsibility and blame themselves for everything.
But this isn’t what God would want us to do.
We should treat ourselves just like we treat the people around us, with love and patience.
As you go about your day-to-day, I encourage you to give more attention to your self-talk and the labels you are placing on yourself.
Are they uplifting, or are they negative?
Remember, becoming more like Christ is our goal.
Let’s choose to label ourselves with these godly traits.
And watch as God transforms us from the inside out.
Have you ever stopped to wonder how Jesus would handle stress?
Jesus, our Savior, faced unimaginable pressures and hardships during His time on earth.
Yet, He always kept His peace, His focus, and His mission.
How did He do it?
The answer lies in His deep, unshakeable connection with God.
When we look at how Jesus lived, we see that He regularly took time away from His work and the crowds to pray and connect with His Father.
This was His way of recharging, gaining wisdom, and finding peace amidst the storm.
In Mark 1:35 we read that very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went to a solitary place, where he prayed.
How often do we retreat into quietness, away from the noise and the demands of the world, to find our center in God’s presence?
To combat stress, we must cultivate a regular practice of prayer and quiet reflection, just as Jesus did.
This deepens our relationship with God, allowing us to draw on His strength and peace in stressful situations.
But there’s even more to it, my friends.
Jesus also teaches us about the importance of trust.
When He was faced with the greatest stress, His impending crucifixion, He prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
This shows His ultimate trust in God’s plan, even when it led to immense suffering.
Jesus knew that God’s ways are higher than ours and trusted that everything was unfolding according to God’s will.
Stress often arises when we feel the need to control every outcome.
Jesus teaches us to let go of this need and trust in God’s plan.
Stress is a part of our everyday experiences, but it doesn’t have to rule over our peace of mind.
By following Jesus’ example we can find the peace and strength we need to navigate our challenges.
The Christian Tech-Nerd 