Rae Simons - Blessed Is She Who Believes: Devotions and Prayers for Women

2022 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Print ISBN 978-1-63609-396-3

Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-63609-539-4

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher. Reproduced text may not be used on the World Wide Web.

Churches and other noncommercial interests may reproduce portions of this book without the express written permission of Barbour Publishing, provided that the text does not exceed 500 words or 5 percent of the entire book, whichever is less, and that the text is not material quoted from another publisher. When reproducing text from this book, include the following credit line: From Blessed Is She Who Believes: Devotions and Prayers for Women, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NET are taken from the NET Bible copyright 1996-2017 All rights reserved. Build 30170414 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the H OLY B IBLE , N EW I NTERNATIONAL V ERSION . NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken The Living Bible copyright 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Living Bible, TLB, and the The Living Bible logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers.

Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., 1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com

Our mission is to inspire the world with the life-changing message of the Bible.

Printed in China.

As Christians, we often talk about beliefand yet, even as we acknowledge our belief in God, our minds are constantly exposed to the beliefs of the world around us. We can easily absorb these societal beliefs, often failing to realize they may not be compatible with our belief in God and His promises.

Our beliefs are important. They shape our attitudes, our behaviors, our professional lives, and our relationships. Researchers have shown, for example, that if we believe were capable and competent, were more likely to notice and seek out opportunities that help us attain our dream jobs. Psychologists have found that our beliefs also influence others behaviors. When we believe others are worthy of love, they are more likely to behave in lovable ways; when we believe someone has the potential to accomplish something, she is likely to perform better. Researchers have also discovered that our beliefs about aging influence what we experience as we grow older; people who expect old age to be miserable complain of more pain and challenges than do people who believe their older years can be filled with new possibilities.

In the pages of this book, youll have the opportunity to become more aware of your own beliefs, noticing where they line up with scripture and where they may be contrary to Gods path. And as your belief in Gods promises becomes clearer, youll find yourself richly blessed in ways you may never have anticipated!

All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But its not only around us; its within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. Were also feeling the birth pangs . That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting . The longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, Gods Spirit is right alongside helping us along . He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God.

R OMANS 8:2227 MSG

The Holy Spirit is the wind that blows through our world, breathing blessing into everything that exists. As you open yourself to Him, He will breathe into you as well. You need not worry about your weakness or mistakes, for the Spirit will make up for them. His creative power will pray through you, work through you, and bring new life into being through you. As your belief allows the Spirit to bless you, your entire life will become a place where new blessings grow and emerge into the world.

Spirit, I pray that my belief in Your presence will grow ever stronger.

G OD relishes integrity.

P ROVERBS 11:20 MSG

The Hebrew word that is translated as integrity in this verse means wholeness, completeness, fullness, entirety. This is the sort of integrity that delights God. He wants you to be whole, inside and out, and He wants your inner fullness to be expressed in your external life. This means you no longer need to worry about others opinions of you, hiding parts of yourself away for fear that others wont understand you. God is delighted by the full expression of your inner being. Believe that God will bless you just for being you, and He will use youthe real youto bless others as well!

Help me, God, to become confident that You love me just the way I am.

Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.

P ROVERBS 27:6 NLT

Talking with a friend, sharing your life with someone who understands, is one of lifes great blessings. After you talk with a wise friend, life usually makes more sense. Seemingly unsolvable problems no longer seem as overwhelming. A faithful friends wordseven when you dont want to hear them!can help you understand yourself and can also point you toward the eternal meaning thats hidden in your life. Friendship teaches you new perspectives. It strengthens your belief in Gods power and allows you to see yourself as God sees you.