Psalm 31 - 3.3.25

Scripture

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭31‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV

“Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.”

‬‬

Observation

In this psalm of David, he is crying out to God for help. David is pleading to God to deliver him from his enemies and his difficult circumstances. But even through his hardships, David’s faith never wavers. Instead David finds his confidence in placing his full trust and reliance on God. David finds his strength and comfort knowing God’s faithfulness.

Application

When life’s troubles are weighing you down and your knees feel like buckling under the pressure…fall on them and PRAY 🙏🏽!

We all face struggles and hardships in life.  But we don’t have to let them break us. We can find comfort, (like David here), knowing we have a God who is a reliable source of strength and security. No matter how big our troubles seem, our God is BIGGER! So why not seek Him?! He is in every detail of our lives, and He would love to hear from us. Seek Him earnestly. Seek Him often. Lay all our worries and concerns over to Him and trust Him. He will see us through. 😊

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”-Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” -‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for being my rock, my tower of refuge and strength. Thank You for shielding me from my enemies, and for seeing me through all of life’s difficult circumstances. Forgive me for my times of doubt and fear. May I always be reminded in those times of darkness to seek You first. And when I seek You, may I find comfort and rest knowing that You are in control of it all, and that You are my God. And You are a God who is ALWAYS faithful. And I pray these things in Jesus name, Amen. 🙏🏽

-Moses Gaddi

Psalm 28 - 2.28.25

Scripture: Psalms 28:6-7

6  Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. 7  The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Observation

This is a Psalm of David. He is very distressed in the beginning of the chapter and he is crying out to God to hear his supplications. Supplication is a specific kind of prayer; it’s a cry for mercy. When David gets to verse 6, he starts to praise the Lord and thank him for hearing his cry for help and he has faith that God is with him and will help him.

Application

Many years ago, when I was married to my first husband, he was very abusive verbally and mentally. He kept having affairs with other women and blaming me for his actions. When I would confront him or make him go to marriage counseling, he would try to make me out as being crazy or what they now call “gaslighting”. I spiraled into a deep, dark hole and felt so afraid and alone. My life was crumbling all around me and there was nothing I could do about it. I would lay face down on the floor and cry out to God to help me. I was so desperate for His help and I would voice my supplications with tears streaming down my face. I started seeing a Christian Counselor and she would speak the truth to me and always bring me back to Jesus. She told me to keep my eyes on Jesus and not look at my circumstances. That God loved me and He was my strength and my shield. She helped me climb out of my dark hole and start to live again.

When life is unbearable and you can’t see a way out, Jesus is there to take your hand and walk with you or even carry you…if necessary. Write down all the times God has helped you through a hard time. Read it every day and KNOW that he is working in the background for your good. You have to keep your eyes on Jesus and not look at the circumstances. I use to quote the scripture Isaiah 40:31 “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint”. I would picture myself soaring above all my problems and then I would start thanking and praising the Lord for how He was going to work everything out for my good. By the time I showed up at work the Joy of the Lord was bubbling out of me. I will forever Praise the Lord with all my heart and soul because His mercies are new every morning!

Prayer

Dear Lord, Thank You for loving us so much and hearing the cries of our heart. Thank You for being our strength and shield when life becomes overwhelming. Lord teach us to Trust You in all things and keep our eyes fixed on You. Help us to surrender our lives to you so that you can mold and make us into your precious vessels. The Joy of the Lord is my Strength and I will worship the Lord all the days of my life.

- Michelle Craig

Psalm 27 - 2.27.25

Psalm 27:1-3

S - 1The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked advance against me
    to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.

O - Like many psalms, King David wrote this from a season of trouble. Yet it is a song of confidence and triumph: because David was not in darkness or ultimate peril because the LORD was his light and salvation. (Blue Letter Bible). God offers help for today and hope for the future. Unwavering confidence in God is our antidote for fear and loneliness.

A – Fear is darkness. It envelops us and ultimately imprisons us within ourselves. It can overwhelm us, causing physical and emotional sickness. We all experience fear at one time or another. I believe how do we react in the face of our fears, and how we get through it, says a lot about our walk with Jesus. Are we allowing HIM to be our helpmate, our protector. Do we put our trust in HIM to make it through?

Hebrews 13:6 6 So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
                 What can mere mortals do to me?”

Seriously! What can they do? People may not like us, there may be bills we cannot pay, the economy and decisions being made on a global level are indeed troublesome. We may be in a relationship that is volatile and hurts us emotionally and/or physically. We or someone we love may have a sickness we cannot escape. However, if we REALLY believe that God is who He says He is, and that we as Christians have already received our eternal salvation, then WHY do we spend so much time being fearful over temporary circumstances and situations? Especially ones outside our control. Why do we let ourselves go down a rabbit hole of worry and/or depression. People are so lost and hurt, fearful, and full of anxiety. They are angry, sad, lonely, and many are suicidal, or one step away from becoming so.  Mental illness statistics have become increasingly alarming.

2024 results of the American Psychiatric Association’s annual mental health poll show that U.S. adults are feeling increasingly anxious. In 2024, 43% of adults say they feel more anxious than they did the previous year, up from 37% in 2023 and 32% in 2022. Adults are particularly anxious about current events (70%) — especially the economy (77%), the 2024 U.S. election (73%), and gun violence (69%). This increase may be due to the unprecedented exposure that we have to everything that happens in the world around us, or to an increased awareness and reporting of anxiety. (psychiatry.org) 

In 2025, the United States witnessed a significant rise in suicide rates, reaching levels not seen since 1941 according to the USN. The age-adjusted suicide rate climbed to 14.7 deaths per 100,000 individuals, surpassing the 2022 rate of 14.2. This marks a concerning 30% increase over the past two decades. Notably, the number of suicide deaths in 2024 exceeded 49,300, indicating a persistent upward trend. (nchstats.com)

Those numbers are astounding and should NOT BE! As Christians, we need to always be praying. Praying for ourselves, our friends and family, our community, the leaders, our nation and our youth!

Philippians 4:6-7: "Be anxious [or fearful] for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

As Katie has discussed in our recent Dream Team meetings, Science has been able to prove that there are so many positive, physical changes to our brains as we pray. We can literally rewire the way our brains work by praying regularly and reduce the fear and anxiety within. Attached is a link for anyone who wants to delve further into this. It’s pretty amazing.  New research says praying can change your brain, no kidding | Broadview Magazine

P – Lord, I pray that as a church family we would encourage one another to pray! To pray alone, pray corporately, to pray with and for others around us. May we be the light needed in the darkness to defend ourselves and others from the darkness that tries to defeat us with worry and fear. I pray we would turn off the “News” loops and the social media that add to our fear and anxiety and instead, turn to Your Word for comfort and guidance. Help us to point others in the same direction. Help us to pray in a way that changes the trajectory of our suicide, anxiety, and mental illness percentages. May we be like David, filled with that unwavering confidence and assurance that comes from YOU alone!

Amen!

- Crystal Flory