The holidays seem to make that desire for peace even more pronounced, especially if there are family problems, a recent loss, or big changes in life that make the heart hurt. As we approach Christmas and try to really celebrate the reason for the season, let’s take just a few minutes to unpack a few different ways we can experience peace through God’s Word this Christmas.

Read full article HERE

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PEACE FOR TODAY

In times like these I find what’s real,
I learn myself and how I feel.

I cannot fear what tomorrow will be,
For only today is what I see.

I lean into the strong arms of my King,
I sit still in His love, I hear Him sing.

Surrounded by the greatest peace,
No trouble, no care, all burdens cease.

Though the world is worried and pressed,
I must not give my heart over to stress.

My eyes are tempted to wander and stray,
My heart too is pulled in an uncertain way.

But no matter how bad the circumstances may be,
God is bigger, wiser, and always with me.

So when I let fear creep in, and worry abide,
Jesus, remind me, You are right by my side.

Through darkness, and sorrow, and struggle, and pain,
Remind my fragile heart, this life is not vain.

My eyes I lift to your Holy throne,
My heart feels comfort, I am not alone.

Love & Blessings,

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I knelt in my living room in frustration thinking that maybe my physical posture would prove to God that I was serious. I knew He answered prayer, so I prayed. But this time, He didn’t seem to answer my request. Over and over I begged Him; over and over I got the same response – silence.

God began to feel distant and unreachable.

Have you ever been there? You know God is real. You’ve even sensed His presence and experienced His power through answered prayer and life change, but in this moment He feels like a long-distance friend who won’t answer your calls.

In these seasons of uncertainty, it’s easy to say the right thing. We know the Christian words and phrases, and we get good at telling people that we are just “waiting on God.”

But the truth is, waiting for an answer from Him is hard. Sometimes it hurts when our friends seem to have it easier than we do or when God appears to be pouring out blessings on everyone except us.

Life can be much harder than we like to admit.

We all see each other’s highlight moments. These moments are edited, controlled, and filtered for the viewing audience.

None of us see all of us. We see what each of us is willing to share.

In my book, Anchored In: Experience a Power-Full Life in a Problem-Filled World, I uncover a part of my life I would rather hide and pretend away. I reveal the hard truth about what real life can do, and how my problems have made me feel like God was beyond my grasp.

In sharing the hard parts of life, I hope you will know it’s okay to embrace those difficult moments of your own life. I hope in those moments and seasons when you feel like God is far away, you will know you aren’t the only one who has ever had those feelings or those thoughts. But more than that, I hope you will discover a new depth to the power of God.

My prayer is that through me sharing my journey to discover God’s power in the deepest problems of life, you will make your own discovery.

God’s power isn’t reserved for one or two, or a chosen few. It’s reserved for you!

If you’ve ever felt like God is far away, you will appreciate the authentic perspective of Anchored In.

Love & Blessings,

The post When God Feels Distant appeared first on Micah Maddox.

I first shared this post as I was processing some deep grief over a difficult season. Here are 5 Things to do When God Seems Silent.

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.” 1 John 5:14

Breathing deeply, I prayed the same prayer I had prayed for weeks. “Lord, please give me an answer.” I could not understand why God would not answer my prayer.

My husband, who had been perfectly healthy, was suddenly in a hospital bed surrounded by perplexed doctors. If the doctors could find the problem maybe they could begin treatment. I desperately wanted to know what was wreaking havoc on my soulmate’s body. I prepared myself for the worst. I knew the possibilities and played out every scenario in my mind.

Weeks passed, and I wondered if God had forgotten about my request.

There are many times in life when prayers go up, but answers seem captive high above the clouds. If only I could get in the exact place where the blessings rain down, then maybe God would pour out the answers I need. I know God is capable. I’ve seen Him answer before, but silence currently fills the space between my prayers and the anticipation of God’s reply.

The Bible tells us, He does hear and He does care. The answer I desire does not always come when and how I think it should. I’m learning God is bigger, and He knows better. Sometimes, it is in the waiting and the praying when I learn the most about who God is.

I am learning God is not a genie in a bottle swiftly releasing a magic potion at my beckoned call, but He does pour out endless grace and mercy when I feel like I cannot take one more thing. God is not an emergency contact that I call on when life gets too crazy to handle, but He is an ever-present help in the good days and the bad. The depth of His wisdom goes beyond what Google can offer and the width of His love reaches beyond any physical relationship on earth.

The truth is, God can do anything. We may never know why He answers some requests while others seem to get lost in translation. What we can know is that God listens and He hears. He sees and knows more than we will ever comprehend.

After months of praying and waiting, my husband finally recovered. Even more exciting than my husband’s recovery was what God did for me in the season of waiting. God drew me in so close to His heart, and I could feel His presence like never before. Sometimes unanswered prayer draws us nearer to the heart of God. Although it may seem like He is silent, His answer might be “wait.”

5 Things to do when God seems silent:

• Keep praying.
• Seek God for who He is.
• Get close to Him.
• Listen.
• Wait.

God is bigger than the answer.

He is the answer.

His presence is worth the wait.

If you are waiting for your answer, God might be giving you a chance to get to know Him better than you ever have before. Do not be discouraged when God seems silent. When He answers, you will hear Him. The sound of His voice is peace.

If God has answered a long-awaited request in your life, I would love to rejoice with you! Please share your story in the comments below. You never know who will read your story and gain confidence and hope in our amazing God!

Love & Blessings,

The post 5 Things To Do When God Seems Silent appeared first on Micah Maddox.

Have you ever prayed asking God for something and it was clear the answer was, “No?”

I have. I’ve heard no more than once from God. Sometimes we can’t quite see far enough down the road to understand, but God can. 

While this brings hope, there is still the unknown days that linger between “what now” and “why not”. 

We have a choice as we hear God’s reply. We can beg. We can cry, shout, or whine. We can even let God know how unfair it is that He isn’t fixing our problems or giving us what we want. 

But, I’m learning when God says no, the better way to handle it is to let go. 

Yes, LET GO! 

When I hold so tightly to what I think is best, I’m only focused on myself. I don’t even give God a chance to answer any other way than the way I want. I stay laser focused on what I want and sometimes miss the blessings He is pouring out while He is working things out. 

There is a passage of Scripture that I love to turn to when I’m wondering why God is saying no. 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Isaiah 55:8-13

Love & Blessings,

The post When God Says No appeared first on Micah Maddox.

When God Says Wait

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 27:13-14

I dropped to my knees again with tears rolling down my face and no words to pray. I wanted to beg God to answer me, hear me, get back with me, or at least send me a sign so I would know He was hearing me. There was no sign, no miracle in the mailbox, no special verse that kept showing up, and no answer.

When God says, “Wait,” it’s hard for me to accept. I would like to say that I am a patient person, but when life isn’t going great, sometimes I become impatient. I begin to question why God won’t answer, step in, heal, fix, or mend the unraveling circumstances that surround me.

As I waited for the answer to what seemed like one of the biggest prayers I had ever prayed, I wrestled. And I asked God some hard questions:

“Why?”

“Why not?”

“Why not now?”

From Wait to Worship

When I finally stopped wrestling, God changed His answer from “Wait,” to “Worship.”

Through the waiting, God taught me a lesson that I hope I never forget. He taught me that no matter how long the tough seasons of our lives are, and no matter how high the circumstances may mount, God deserves our worship in the waiting.

I could have spent my energy, my effort, and my enthusiasm on worshiping the one who could change everything at any moment, rather than agonizing anxiously over things I could not control.

When we wrestle we waste time. We forfeit days, nights, weeks, and months of our lives worrying about things that God can completely change.

Many times people say that God answers prayers in one of three ways. I disagree. Yes, no, and wait are not the only answers God has given me. Many times He tells me, “Worship.”

When I turn my waiting into worship, God calms my anxiety. I don’t know what you have recently begged God for, but if you feel like the answer is not coming, consider the idea that maybe God answers in more words than we think. Perhaps He is saying, “Worship.”

One thing I have desired of the Lord,

That will I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the Lord,

And to inquire in His temple.

When You said, “Seek My face,”

My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Psalm 27:4,8,14

Love & Blessings,

The post When God Says Wait appeared first on Micah Maddox.

5 Ways to Get Closer to God

Everyone wants to know the secret. How do you really get close to God? How do you hear His voice and get your prayers answered? 

It’s simple, but boy oh boy do we complicate it. Here are 5 ways to get to closer to God today! 

1. Read His Word
2. Ask God to Reveal Himself to You
3. Pray the Psalms Out Loud
4. Ask God for Wisdom
5. Worship God 

Do you struggle with spending quality time with God? 

Check out my latest blog posts to get a glimpse into how to move forward in your daily Bible time. 

The Best Bible Reading Plan to Start Today

Bible Study Tips for Busy Women

Bible Study Resources I Know You Will Love 

If you have a great Bible Reading Plan that you love, or if something here has helped you, I want to hear from you! You can email me anytime at micah@micahmaddox.com 

I hope you have a great week and a great time in God’s Word!

Love & Blessings,

The post 5 Ways to Get Closer to God appeared first on Micah Maddox.

Bible Study Resources You Will Love

All month long we’ve been talking about Bible Time and how to get back on board without guilt and without quitting again. Here are a few resources I love that might help you stay on track. 

First 5 

This one is a free app you can download on your phone and get started today! There is a Bible within the app or you can pull out your printed copy of God’s Word and follow along there. Just as much as I love in real life friends, I love an in real life Bible. When I use the First 5 App, I pull out my Bible, use their study guide, and read the daily Bible teaching within the app. It’s an excellent way to start your day in the right mindset and in God’s Word. 

OBS – Online Bible Study

This is a community of women who regularly study the Word online. You can join a group to discuss the study. There is typically a Bible study book that leads the study – you can find everything you need right here. (link)

The Daily Grace Co.

This is a company that is full of beautiful resources to supplement your Bible time. You’ll find just about anything and everything you need – pens, coffee mugs, Bible studies, Bibles, and more! 

Sarah Frazer

This one is a personal friend who provides endless resources for women who really want to read and pray daily. Check out her website to see all she has to offer.

There is no more room for excuses! Grab your Bible and dig in! 

Love & Blessings, 

The post Bible Study Resources You Will Love appeared first on Micah Maddox.

Bible Study Tips for Busy Women

1. Read the Bible 
2. Pray

That’s it. Two things we know we should do, but we struggle to do. Life is full to the brim. When do we find time? 

I’m too busy is not a good excuse to stay away from God’s Word. Open it and receive what God has for you! His Word is where we find the messages He wants us to hear. He recorded them and preserved them all these years so we could be impacted and reminded of His goodness. 

If you are a busy woman, which I assume you are, simply open God’s Word and pray.

Here are a few Bible study tips for busy women:

1. Choose a time of day when you are your best. I’m a morning person. My best and most productive hours of the day are the morning. I do my best writing, cleaning, and errands in the morning. Maybe you are more of a night owl. Find your best hours and include Bible time.

2. Let yourself listen to the Word on an app as you get ready, as you cook dinner, as you ride in your car. Find a time that works. I promise you have time. Check your phone and how long you scrolled Instagram or Facebook yesterday. You have time. We spend time on what we want to spend time on. 

3. Pray as you walk – as you ride – as you teach – as you clean – as you cook – as you do laundry – as you work – as you rest.

4. Don’t make excuses. Just do it. You will never regret time spent listening to God through His Word or speaking your soul to Him through prayer. 

Love & Blessings,

The post Bible Study Tips for Busy Women appeared first on Micah Maddox.

Early in the year there were countless Bible reading ideas circulating. Maybe you even picked one up and began to attempt a new method of Bible reading this year! Good for you! 

How is it going? Are you still going strong checking off those boxes every day? I hope you are. 

But, if life has taken you to a place where those boxes sit empty on a sheet of paper or an app you thought you would love isn’t cutting it anymore, it’s time to begin again. 

The best Bible Reading Plan to start today might be to steer away from a rigid plan. I know this goes against what you often hear. And for you, this might not be the best option. We are all wired differently. But for me, a Bible reading plan with boxes and check marks keeps me captive to a list of numbers and keeps me focused on completion rather than companionship with the Lord. 

When I stopped using a checklist, my relationship with God soared to new heights and new depths. In fact, often I found myself reading more than what a plan would tell me. Some days I would read one verse, while others I would dig in deep into theological study. The freedom of no checkbox gave room for the Holy Spirit to speak to my heart even if I only read a few verses that day. 

Here is the method I often use when reading the Bible that works well for me. Again, let me reiterate, this might not work for you. You might need the checklist, the boxes, the accountability of a pre-planned list. But, if that has not worked for you, let me encourage you to try this. 

The Best Bible Reading Plan to Start Today

1. Open your Bible to Proverbs. 
2. Read the chapter that corresponds with the day of the month. For example on March 10 read Proverbs 10. 
3. As you begin to read, if God speaks to you through a verse, STOP! Read the verse again and open your journal. 
4. Write the verse out in your journal. 
5. Write what God is speaking to your heart. It might be a simple one word thought. It could be a paragraph of heartache or praise. Perhaps you have a prayer you want to pray because the verse encapsulates exactly what you’ve been asking God for. There is no wrong answer here. Just write as God speaks. Don’t worry if it’s long or short. 
6. Pray. Sometimes I continue writing my prayers out. Other times I close my journal and pray aloud or in my heart. There is no wrong answer here either. 
7. You did it! Tomorrow, repeat the process. If you make it through the entire book of Proverbs, you can either begin again through Proverbs or move to another book of the Bible. But continue the same process of reading until God speaks and STOP. Dwell on the verse and let God speak. 

This method of Bible Time is more about listening to God than checking a box on a sheet of paper. The one thing I hear most from women is that they just want to hear from God. This is an excellent way to learn how to listen to God’s voice. 

If you try it, I would love to hear from you! Send me a message and share a verse God used in your life. 

Love & Blessings,

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