Understanding the End Times: The Rapture, Tribulation, Second Coming and Millennial Reign

The end times are a heavy subject to breakdown and digest and so I think because of that, a lot of people would rather just avoid it. Reading the book of Revelation can be hard to understand (or maybe even a little scary to some people) but I don’t think we should avoid any book in the Bible just because we don’t understand it. My hope in writing this post is to break down the key points of the end times in chronological order to help make learning about this a little less daunting.

There are many passages throughout the Bible that link to the end times, not just in Revelation. But when you start studying the Bible as a whole you will understand Revelation a lot better. I absolutely LOVE digging deeper in the word because there is ALWAYS something new to learn. I have been reading and taking notes for awhile now for this post and I don’t know about you, but when I read one scripture it leads me to another and another and well, I can probably write a book on The End times. It’s fascinating to me. But I tried my best to stay in simple terms and focus on a few key points to make it easier to understand the overall message of what is to come. (I also will say, I don’t think we are currently in “the end times” but I do think it is getting closer.) I encourage you to read this post once through and then reread it with your Bible in hand.

Like anything in life, there are different views on the end times and I think that is mostly because there is confusion when reading the passages about it. Like Post-Tribulation vs Pre-Tribulation. In the words of Chuck Missler, “If the rapture happened after the tribulation, it would be like the Bridegroom saying: come let’s get married, then I will beat the living daylights out of you and then we’ll go have dinner.” —-Jesus says to us in the Word, that we as believers will be spared from the wrath. “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.” Revelation 3:10 We also know that it says in 1 Thessalonians, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” People argue that this is speaking about sparing us from Hell, but notice how the promise is not preservation through the trial, but from the time period of the trial. It isn’t saying we will be spared from hell, because we already know that as Christians we are spared from that because Jesus died on the cross.

Something I think people confuse often is, The Rapture vs. The Second Coming. These are two separate events. The rapture will be without warning and can happen at any time. Which is why it is important to know your salvation. Not just believing that you’re “a Christian” and thinking you are all set for Heaven. But truly living your life for Jesus Christ and obeying God’s commandments for us. We are told to “be watchful and ready.” Meaning, to stay focused on Jesus and living a Godly life. Truly following His commandments and being Christ-like. When it’s all said and done. There is only one way to Heaven and that is through Jesus Christ. (John 14:6) The Rapture is when “the Church” (true believers) will be taken up in the air with Jesus. It’s worth mentioning why I say, true believers. Because the term “Christian” is so casually thrown around. Jesus despises wishy-washy Christians. “So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16 It is easy to think you have all the time in the world to “get right with God.” But like I said, the rapture can come at any moment and your salvation is not something you want to be unsure about.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” Matthew 7:21-23

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 –The Greek translation of the words “caught up.” mean “harpazõ” meaning “to seize upon with force, or snatch up.”

The word “church” appears 19 times in the first three chapters of Revelation, but significantly, the word is not used again until chapter 22. In the entire description of the tribulation in Revelation, the word church is absent. The Bible never uses the word “church” in a passage relating to the tribulation. (I assume you know that the word “church” refers to Christians, not a building. :)

The second coming will be after the tribulation period. Unlike the rapture, it will be known and seen by everyone. The Second coming is after 7 years of tribulation, when Jesus returns to Earth and defeats the Antichrist to overthrow evil. He throws the devil into the Abyss (a bottomless pit) to keep him bound and locked up so that he can not deceive the nations until the thousand years are over. (The Millennial Reign of Christ.) During the second coming, the Lord will return to Earth. (As opposed to the Rapture where he comes in the air.) “The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.” Revelation 19:14 He will set up His Kingdom on Earth for a thousand year reign.

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14

During the Tribulation, the Antichrist will be revealed. He will rise to power during this period. (hence it being hell on earth basically.) During the tribulation period, God will pour out His wrath on the Earth. It will be a horrible time of pain and suffering like you’ve never experienced (and don’t want to.) During this time, many people will still deny God and want nothing to do with Him. (These people will spend eternity in Hell.) But there will also be many people who wholeheartedly repent and become Christians during this time. These people will repopulate the Earth during the Millennial Reign. When Christ followers are taken up with Jesus during the Rapture, we will all be given “Heavenly bodies.” Which means we will not be able to reproduce. But those who were not taken up originally in the Rapture and become Christians during the Tribulation period will still be in their Earthly bodies and they will repopulate the Earth. “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” Matthew 22:30 So only people in their natural, Earthly bodies will be able to have children. “So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Matthew 19:28 The word “regeneration” means, “repopulation.”

The Millennial Reign of Christ. This is seven years after the rapture, Jesus will return. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Matthew 25:31-32 He will divide the people into two groups. Those who believe and those who do not. Those who put their faith in Him, will enter into the millennial kingdom where Christ Himself rules over the Nations. During this time, Satan is bound and thrown into the abyss for 1,000 years. It will be a thousand years of peaceful, glorious living without Satan. It says in the Word that everything and everyone will get along. “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, Says the Lord.” Isaiah 65:25 The Millennial Kingdom will be filled with Christians from all throughout history as well as those who came to know Christ after the rapture.

The Millennial Reign of Christ will be on a new Earth and nothing like we can even fathom. “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” Isaiah 65:20-22

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be let back out of the bottomless pit for a short time. “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.” Notice how it says, “he will go out to deceive the nations….” So he was locked up for 1,000 years and gets let out and the FIRST thing he does is, deceive again! Why was he put in the abyss in the first place? So that he would not deceive the nations any longer. But Satan is the great deceiver. Period. There is no changing him. And that is one reason he will be released, to show that Satan is and always will be evil. I know it may be hard to imagine but when he comes back you see from that verse, that he gathers an army together to go against God, which is the final rebellion of man. It’s impossible to wrap my head around how these people who lived 1,000 years in a utopian environment where everything is perfect. Blessed and in abundance can turn against God. But it just goes to show you that apart from grace, man is a rebel. Now go back to how the Millennial will be populated…by the newly saved people who were saved during the tribulation. So those people are saved, but their children will not be saved and they will need salvation found through Jesus Christ. And not all of them will seek Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Pretty crazy to think about, but that is just human nature…..But then digging a little deeper, you will see that the sinful nature of man is not because of his environment, but because of his heart. Following the final rebellion of man, Satan is thrown into a lake of fire to be tormented forever and ever. “They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” Revelation 20:9 “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:10 I know some people and religions like to believe that there is no hell. But there is. Hell is VERY real and is the exact opposite of where you want to be. It is eternal pain and suffering apart from God. The Bible tells us that the reason Hell exists is for the devil and his angels. “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41

God creates a new Heaven and a new Earth. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4

I know this is a lot of info to take in so let’s wrap it up with this. The New Jerusalem. “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:1-2 “The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” Revelation 21:21 And the scripture that makes me tear up just imagining it is this. “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Friends! Heaven will be a pain-free, joy filled eternity with our Lord and creator, God. Wow! Just typing those words makes my heart sing! I hope this post helped give you a little more understanding about the end times. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me at: elizabeth@graceinhisbeauty

xo,

Elizabeth

Censorship on Social Media.

It’s pretty crazy to think that in America in 2020 we are being censored. Well, let me rephrase that. We being conservatives. We are not even able to post on our “own” social media about (the truth) and our views on the world. If you’ve been here awhile, you may know, I started my ministry Grace in His Beauty four years ago on here and Instagram as a place where I invited women to be a part of a community to find freedom in Christ. I took great pride that I never once settled for anything less than the truth on my posts. I shared Jesus boldly and unashamed day after day and though many loved what I was sharing, many did not. Now sure, I could have became very “popular” if I would have been promoting something other than Jesus and the Bible. But I always said, I am not everyone’s cup of tea. Which if you know me, is just fine with me. –I like coffee not tea. ;) haha. No but seriously, I am here to point you to Jesus, not myself.

Over the years, I was approached by many different people, companies and brands that did not align with what I was doing so I turned down many collaborations and the opportunity to grow my following. My point in telling you this is because I am proud that I stayed true to what I felt God was calling me to do. And that never changed. Even when it got really uncomfortable with all that came about with C0vid this year. I needed to continue to share what God wanted me to, not what felt comfortable to “keep my following.”

A few months into this “PLANdemic” I decided to speak out about what was happening in the world and with the media. I started sharing about “political” stuff, something I NEVER talked about. It just wasn’t me. But the way things had quickly shifted in the world from bad to worse I knew this was no longer about Democrat vs. Republican. This was a full on a spiritual battle of GOOD vs. EVIL.

One day I went to post something on Instagram and felt like “today is the day” to post something I had been holding inside. I was so nervous as I pressed send and posted something “political.” I think it was “Legalize Liberty.” As the weeks went on, I continued to share my posts boldly as I felt God nudging me. Each time I posted my “political” posts, I’d lose 20+ people. I put political in quotes because it wasn’t as much about politics as it was sharing about what this whole C0viD lockdown and censorship really was. People didn’t want to admit that they had been lied to. They didn’t want to acknowledge that they had been fooled into believing this was “for their health and safety.” Not realizing it was ALL FOR NOTHING!

Hundreds of people “Christians” who had been in this community with me for years decided they didn’t want to hear what I had to say anymore. (You know someone is being convicted when this happens.) I didn’t let that discourage me though and I continued posted what I knew I was supposed to. Several hundred down but in just a short month, they were all replaced and multiplied ten fold with people who like me, loved God and America and wanted to protect our constitution!

Fast forward to the beginning of this month (October) when I went to log on to my account to post something and it was gone. My entire Instagram account deleted. I was upset that I was being censored and that they could delete “my” page without warning, but I didn’t let it get me down. I prayed and then that evening I started fresh. From scratch. A new account, same purpose.

If are on Instagram and are not already following my new account, I would love to see you there! http://instagram.com/graceinhisbeauty1 (*edited 11/2022 I am now on http://instagram.com/graceinhisbeauty2 because they censored that page so much that literally no one can see it.)

PS: My birthday is Tuesday, the 27th and I am giving away any shirt of your choice. So make sure you come on over to my Instagram and say hi!

God bless!

Love, Elizabeth xo

Growing deeper in the Word of God.

Sadly, for most people, reading the Bible isn’t on their top list of “fun things to do.” Sometimes it may seem easier to listen to a Christian podcast or put on your favorite Christian music than to open your Bible and start reading. But as Christians we know that time in the word is crucial. The Bible is the LIVING WORD of God. So the more we read the Bible, the more we understand the heart of God and His will for our lives.

Spending time in the Bible doesn’t have to be a chore. Honestly it can actually be exciting if you let it be. I love reading the Bible because each time I read a chapter or a book, I fall more in love with Jesus, my Lord and Savior!

Here are a few things to help get you started on how to go about actually reading and understanding the Bible.

First and most importantly is to start with prayer. Pray! Don’t just open your Bible and flip through until you find a familiar verse to read and then call it a day. (though on a side note; there are many “popular” Bible verses that are taken completely out of context. So it is always good to look them up and read the verse in context and find out what the verse truly means. :)

Second: Reading the passage in context. I suggest reading at least the entire chapter in one sitting. If you can, read a few chapters to better understand what is going on in what you are reading. Ask yourself: how does this apply to my life and my relationship with Christ. Re-read the chapter(s) to better understand the words and what they mean in the context of the chapter. Sometimes we might read a verse and think we know what it means. But we have to remember that the Bible wasn’t originally written in English so words have different meanings. Find a translation you best understand and enjoy. I love the ESV & NASB & also the King James version which may be a little tricky to understand sometimes. If you’re not ready to jump into the KJV I recommend the NKJV. I have the John MacArthur Study Bible and it is amazing! Please know that the Bible translations matter. There are many watered down translations that completely change what the Bible is saying. Stay away from those. Especially the Passion translation!

To anyone who might be completely new to reading the Bible; I thought I’d get you started below with a few topics and some coordinating Bible verses for you to look up so you don’t feel overwhelmed when opening the Bible and wondering where to start and what it all means. To EVERYONE reading the Bible, new or old, something to remember: You aren’t expected to understand every single thing you read. There will be plenty of the Bible you won’t understand, especially when you first read through a book. That is why we are supposed to be in the word daily. There is also amazing things to help like the Blue Letter Bible. It helps breakdown the history and origin of words in their original languages. & remember, just like anything else. The more time we spend in the word, the more we will understand what God is saying to us.

The Bible is God’s love letter to us. His instructions for life. Let the words come alive on the pages and in your heart.

Another tip: Read the New Testament before the Old Testament.

Did you know that the Bible is not in chronological order. If you are a new Christian opening the Bible for the first time, you may wonder if the Bible is like any other book where you read the first page to the last page in order. For example. The book of Job was during the days of Genesis. So reading Genesis and Job together would make more sense. But also don’t get tricked into thinking that the Old Testament doesn’t apply to today. Every word in the Bible is for a reason. And it all points to Jesus the Messiah.

Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. Because that is the most powerful tool the enemy has over us. Overwhelming us with things to distract us from God. Just pray, open up your Bible and start. You won’t regret any time spent in the Word, I promise you that!

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 16-17

Topical Bible Verse Lookup

Fear/Anxiety- 2 Timothy 1:7, Colossians 1:13, John 16:33, Psalm 23:4

Thankfulness– 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Psalm 118:24, Psalm 106:1

Humility– Colossians 3:12, Proverbs 20:5, Hebrews 13:16

Grace– Proverbs 16:24, 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-9

Love– 1 Peter 4:8, Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:18-19

Hope- 1 Corinthians 15:57, Job 11:18-19, Psalm 33:20-22

Peace- Colossians 3:15, Philippians 4:7, Psalm 29:11

Worship/Obey the Lord- Hebrews 12:28-29, 1 Samuel 15:22, Isaiah 29:13

REMEMBER:

Read the passage in context (read the entire chapter) to better understand what God meant the words and message to mean. The Bible is the Word of God. It is not up to us to decide what it means.

Look up words you don’t understand.

Each time you read your Bible, ask yourself what you learned from what what you read. Then pray & ask God to help you apply it to your life.

Start small. Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed thinking you need to read the entire Bible in a certain amount of time. Go at your own pace. As long as you are reading the Bible each day, you are growing in the word.

If you are new to the Bible, I personally recommend starting in the Book of John. It covers the life and ministry of Jesus.

Reading the Bible should not be a chore. It’s a blessing. You should read the Bible to grow deeper in your knowledge and understanding of God, as well as to know His will. Remember what a blessing it is that you are able to read the Bible. There are many countries that people are killed just for having a Bible.

Most important reminder. Let your heart be transformed. The more you read your Bible, the more you will fall in love with the Lord.

Lastly, are you confused? Let me know if you have any questions! Elizabeth@graceinhisbeauty.com

I’m praying for you ALL and am rooting for you to dig deeper in the Word, TODAY!

xo,

Elizabeth

Taking captive your thoughts, to make them obedient to Christ.

Breaking free, living in true FREEDOM found in Christ is what I desire and if you do too, I encourage you to keep reading. What if I told you that taking captive your thoughts to make them obedient to Christ, was not as hard as it sounds? Yes, taking every thought might seem overwhelming, but what if I told you that you can break free from the lies you believe each day. Now I’m not saying it’s easy, it takes time and a lot of patience with yourself. It also more importantly, takes a lot of prayer and dedication to following God’s will for our lives, not our own desires and hopes of what could be. And it takes intentional time in the Word, because the more you fill your mind with God’s truths, the less likely you will be to believe the enemy’s lies.

Take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

You might be thinking, “Oh, that’s a great verse. But I can’t change the way I think. I have always been like this.” —I get it. I thought that for a very long time too. I thought I was just more pessimistic by nature. BUT, the good news my friends, is that you absolutely can change your thought patterns. Because the way you think shapes your life, your actions and decisions. And the scary thing is, the enemy knows that and wants to keep you in a negative mindset because his goal is to keep your mind off of God. Changing your thought patterns isn’t easy, and it will take time but you CAN take captive all your thoughts and make them obedient to Christ. Perhaps you find yourself crippled by fear and anxiety. Your mind goes a mile a minute thinking of every “what if” situation that could arise in each day. Or maybe you’ve bought into the lie that you aren’t enough. Whether that be; strong enough, pretty enough, thin enough, or smart enough. The answer is the same. With Christ you are 100% enough.

So how do we take captive our thoughts? –Let’s get into that now.

First we must acknowledge our negative thoughts are from the enemy meant to break us down and tear us away from God. That is his main goal. So realizing this will help when those thoughts creep in. Acknowledge them as lies and then kick them to the curb! Because when we are aware that these thoughts we are letting dictate our daily decisions are lies from the enemy, it makes it a lot easier to say, not today Satan! Think about a subject that you know a lot about. –Now if I started telling you “facts” about a subject that you knew weren’t true, because they didn’t line up with the research you’ve done on the subject, you wouldn’t believe me, right? So then why are you going to let yourself believe something that you know is a lie?! — If you’re thinking, well how do I know it’s a lie? Truth is, it’s actually pretty simple to know what thoughts are lies from the enemy. Anything that goes against God and His word are from the enemy. God is NEVER going to steer you in the direction of fear or anxiety.

The enemy is tricky and can sneak his little lies into our heads without us even realizing. Something will pop into our head and make us feel weak, unworthy or unloved. We won’t at the time realize it, but our actions will then reflect the way we are feeling and all of a sudden it’s a downward spiral into fear and negativity. Putting us exactly where the enemy wants us to be. Feeling far from God. Away from the truth. BUT the good news is, when we start taking our thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ, then we are turning our worry into worship. Our fear into praise. Our sadness into joy.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Challenge time!

I want you to visualize yourself physically taking the thoughts of fear, negativity or anxiety into your hands and throwing them away. Every time a thought pops into your head that isn’t from God, I want you to do this and see how you feel at the end of the day. Spoiler alert. You will feel AMAZING. You will feel strong and worthy and loved by God when your thoughts are filled with His truths and promises and not those ugly lies that try to sneak in! Get into the Bible daily. Fill your mind and heart with God’s truths so that you can stand strong against the enemy’s lies! Let me know how this goes for you. I’m rooting for you all to find FREEDOM in Christ!

xo, Elizabeth

A month of intentional prayers, for yourself.

Hi! I’m so glad you’re here and desiring to be more intentional with your prayer life. Perhaps you’re back after joining me in praying through the month of February for your husband. If so, yay! How did it go? –Or maybe you are new here. WELCOME! :) I received so many positive messages about my recent post, that I thought we should spend this month (March) praying for ourselves.

I think sometimes we let prayer become a routine, rather than a relationship with Jesus. And like any relationship, our relationship with Jesus needs effort made. Imagine if you only called your best friend when there was a problem. Do you ever do that with Jesus? Our relationship with Him needs to be our MOST important relationship, which means we need to build that relationship through prayer and reading the Word. Prayer is a beautiful way to draw closer to the Lord. Let’s spend the next month together, praying intentional prayers that will not only bring you closer to God, but will help you love and cherish the person He made you to be. I’m so excited to see how God moves in your life this month! Let’s start with a quick prayer and then jump in!

Dear Lord, I ask that you open the eyes and hearts of everyone reading this. I pray that they know their worth and beauty is found in you, Lord. Help each and everyone reading this stay on track and keep praying through this month, no matter how hard or hectic life gets. Don’t let the enemy’s lies distract us. Let us see your goodness and mercy and love each day as we pray to become the person you called us to be. Help keep our hearts hopeful in you as we pray and believe that you are doing big things in our lives. Let us stay positive even if we can’t see them just yet. I ask that you reveal yourself to us when we seek you Lord. Protect our hearts and minds every day. Reveal your purpose for us and let us be bold and live it each and every day. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:10-11

Day 1: Thank God for making you, YOU! —I know that sounds silly, but get in the habit of loving yourself. NOT the edited, filtered social media version of you. The REAL you! ;) If there is something specific that bothers you about yourself physically; maybe you think your nose is too big or that you are too tall. Pray about that and ask God to see yourself through HIS eyes. I encourage you to work on your heart rather than your looks, since looks fade. :)

Day 2: Pray for your heart and eyes to be protected from the enemy’s lies. —The enemy wants to trick you into believing there is something out there better than what you have. And that God is holding out on you. Not true. The enemy knows your weaknesses and you better believe he will attack you: physically, mentally and spiritually. Don’t be fooled. He has NO power over you if you are in Christ. So don’t buy into his lies.

Day 3: Ask God to remove anything that hinders you from fully surrendering to Him. I encourage you to pray and ask God to take away anything in your life that keeps you from walking your talk as a Christian woman (not just saying you are a Christian, but truly following His commandments and will for your life.) Ask Him to take away what is causing you to sin. Maybe it’s something you’re doing, something you are watching or something you’re caught up in. You know and God knows. Fully surrender to Him today.

Day 4: Pray about strengthing your relationship with Christ. — Whether you have been a Christian your entire life and think you have a strong relationship with Jesus, or if you are a new Christian, I encourage you to spend more time reading the Bible and praying. The more you read the Bible, (the actual Bible, not a devotion book.) the more you will understand God’s will for life. If you feel far from Him, draw near to Him and He will draw near to you!

Day 5: Pray for God to give you peace and comfort. —I struggle with anxiety sometimes because of my chronic pain. Maybe you struggle too, or maybe you don’t. Maybe you’re a busy mom who feels overwhelmed by the end of the day and struggle to find peace. (because we will never find it in the things of this world.) Either way, I encourage you to pray for peace that only comes through the Holy Spirit.

Day 6: Pray for healing from your past. —We all have things in our past that we need healing from. Some of us have bigger, more traumatic things that may take years to fully process and heal from, and some may have small things. Either way, I pray that you find healing from your past and can move on to be the strong, Godly woman you are called to be. (and remember that God uses our brokenness for His glory if we let Him.)

Day 7: Pray that you can forgive those who have hurt you. —There is always someone in our past that we *think* we have forgiven, but if we’re really being honest, we haven’t. Ask God to help you forgive those who have hurt you; whether that be, physically, mentally or emotionally and be able to move on.

Day 8: Ask God to help you seek His will (not your own) for your life. —It’s easy to go through life thinking we are in control of things and we can make good decisions on our own. But truth be told, we aren’t, and we can’t without Christ. I pray that you seek God’s will for your life each and every day.

Day 9: Pray for your job as wife and mother. —Ask God to help you be the wife and mother that He has called you to be. Thank Him for your husband and children. Ask Him to tame your tongue when you are angry so that you don’t say things you will regret. Ask God to give you strength when you’re tired and worn out so that you can keep going and take care of your family that He has blessed you with.

Day 10: Pray for Godly friendships. — Pray about not only having Godly friends, but also that you would be a Godly friend to others. Ask Him to help you find friends that will pray for you and help you grow closer to Him. True friends that will rejoice when you rejoice and weep when you weep.

Day 11: Ask God to take away any jealousy in your heart. —-It’s really easy to fool ourselves into thinking we are not envious of other people. But if we are honest with ourselves, at one point or another we have all wished we had something that someone else has. (especially in this fake social media world.) Maybe you have wished to be taller, prettier, skinnier, the list goes on. But remember that “Envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30 so keep your eyes on God and all the blessings you have!

Day 12: Pray to have a BOLD faith. —Ask God to help you have a faith that is unwavering and founding on God’s promises, not on your own emotions. Ask for the courage to always speak the truth, even when no one wants to hear it.

Day 13: Ask God to help you be quick to forgive. — The enemy likes to put a wedge between us and God and I think holding on to anger and resentment is one of the ways he does this. Pray and ask God to help you always forgive those who have hurt you, just as He has forgiven you.

Day 14: Ask God to help you work on strengthening your prayer life.—The Bible says to “pray continually.” Jesus taught us how to pray, saying, “Thy will be done.” Prayer isn’t about asking for things you want. It’s about seeking God’s will above our own. Our relationship with Jesus grows stronger when we pray. I encourage you to spend more time in prayer, talking to God about anything and everything.

Day 15: Ask God to help you be a Godly wife. (if you aren’t married, pray that He helps you be one when you are.) — Pray for God’s will for your marriage and for you to always make decisions that will be a blessing to both you and your spouse and your future together. And to keep Christ at the center of your marriage.

Day 16: Pray to live out the fruit of the Spirit. — Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. We as believers already have these through the Holy Spirit, but the flesh keeps us from living them out. We are told in Galatians, that those who participate in the works of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God. But those who belong in Jesus Christ have been crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Day 17: Pray that you are a Godly mother. (if you don’t have children, pray for your future children or for you to be a Godly mother like figure to the children around you.) — Ask God to help you raise your children to grow stronger each day in their faith in Jesus. And to help you live out as an example for your children, what a follower of Christ truly is.

Day 18: Pray for Joy (not happiness) from Christ. — Being happy is great, but it typically only happens when things are going the way we want them to. But being joyful despite our circumstances is even better. Ask God to fill you with Joy so that you are able to rejoice in the trials of life, knowing they strengthen your faith.

Day 19: Pray that your love and respect for God grows stronger each day. —The closer you draw to God through reading the Bible and praying, the more you will understand His will for your life. You also will grow deeper in your love and respect for Him. Pray that your reverence will grow stronger each day for God and that you will live in a way that shows it.

Day 20: Ask God to help you love yourself. —You might read this and say, “I do love myself.” But do you really? Do you live like you love yourself? Do you look in the mirror and see the beautiful child of God that you are? Even if you think you 100% love yourself, I encourage you to pray this and see what happens when you surrender to Him.

Day 21: Pray that you are humble and gracious. — Ephesians 4:2 says; “Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love.” I know this is not easy and impossible to accomplish on our, so ask God to help you not only work on this, but to want to work on it.

Day 22: Pray that the Lord heals you from _________________. Fill in the blank with anything you are dealing with physically or emotionally. —I’m sure something instantly came to your mind when you read this. I encourage you to pray about that. Let go and let God heal you from that.

Day 23: Pray that Christ shines through you. — Pray and ask God to shine through your life. I encourage you to ask God to let your inner beauty be what draws people to you. If you’re a Christian than your inner beauty is the most beautiful thing about you. And if you’re not sure about your inner beauty, then I encourage you to pray and work on your heart and letting Him shine through your life.

Day 24: Ask God to take away your worry, fear and doubt and fill you with a strong faith. — The thought of living without worry, fear or anxiety may seem impossible, but with peace through the Holy Spirit and faith in God who is bigger than anything that worries you, it is absolutely possible!

Day 25: Pray to always have pure intentions. — Ask God to help you not do things for love or the approval of others. Pray that you would always have pure intentions in both your personal and business relationships and that you would be compassionate and considerate towards others and their feelings. Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourself.”

Day 26: Pray that God would fill you with self control. — Ask Him to give you self control so that you live a life pleasing to Him. That you would die to yourself (and human desires) and live in accordance to His rules.

Day 27: Pray that your life reflects a woman who loves the Lord. — Ask God to help you truly love and respect Him and His word. Ask that He helps your words and actions reflect the heart of a dedicated follower of Christ. Pray that you always make decisions both in public and private that will please God rather than yourself.

Day 28: Pray that God breaks the chains of any addictions you have. — Ask God to expose and heal any and all addictions you have. This could be something really big like a drug or alcohol addiction, or something small. Either way, ask God to help you break those chains and to come out victorious.

Day 29: Ask God to tame your tongue. — Pray that your words build others up and that you always speak the truth, no matter how unpopular it may be. Ask God to help you go to Him first in prayer when you are angry, so that you don’t say things that you will regret. Pray that you always think before you speak and that your words be seasoned with grace.

Day 30: Ask God to help you develop a heart of worship and gratitude. — Pray that your heart’s desire is to worship and thank God in all circumstances because He is good and worthy of praise! Ask Him to put a song in your heart and that you will seek to glorify Him and give Him the glory in all things.

Day 31: Ask God to put a strong desire in your heart to seek Him and His will in prayer and reading the Word, each and every day from this day forward!

I’m praying for each and every one of you who reads this. That God reveals His heart for you and that you are bold enough in your faith to live out His will for your life. xo, Elizabeth

7 ways to become more positive today!

Each day when we wake up, we have two choices. We can choose JOY or we can choose to be miserable. Unlike happiness, which is based on our circumstances. Joy is internal and is based on God’s goodness, REGARDLESS of how good or bad things are.

For some people (I hate to admit this, but ME!) being positive during trying times doesn’t come naturally. And you know what, that’s ok! We CAN be positive, we just have to work a little bit harder to SEE the good. But one thing I can tell you is, that if you look for the good, you will find it!

There are a few things that will help you be more positive and joyful that I want to share with you. I pray they will help your days go better.

You can not live a positive life with a negative mind.

If you follow me on Instagram, I’m sure you’ve heard me say many times, if you have a negative mindset, you’ll live a negative life. The worst part is, that we don’t even realize sometimes what we are thinking is dictating our lives. Each day we feed ourselves so many negative thoughts without even realizing it, and then we wonder why we are so unhappy.

Simple things can help shift your mindset to focusing on the positives rather than the negatives. Things like; smiling at yourself when you look in the mirror and taking notice of things you like, rather than picking apart the things you don’t like. Below are some more ideas. I hope this will inspire you to be more conscious of your thought patterns. Because if you change your perspective, you will change your life!

1. Wake up and thank God for your day. Thank Him regardless of your feelings, because God’s promises are NOT based on our feelings. They are based on His truth!

2. Get up and get moving. If nothing else, just walk. Walk around your house, around the block, whatever you can do. Do it.

3. Look in the mirror and ask God to let you see yourself through HIS eyes. Speak words of truth over yourself. Read a Bible verse or just say something out loud that you like about yourself.

4. Read the Bible. Depending on your morning schedule, you might need to get up earlier to get your Bible reading in, but if you only have a few minutes, download a Bible app and just get into the Word for a few minutes. Something is better than nothing. Don’t tell yourself you don’t have time. I promise you, time spent in the Word is NEVER a waste!

5. Put on some worship music. And sing, or dance, journal, or cry out to the Lord. However you worship is between you and God. And again, time worshiping the Lord, is NEVER a waste!

6. Drink a BIG glass of water. Cold, hot, with lemon. Doesn’t matter. Drink it however you like it. But water just makes you feel good and is so good for you!

7. Smile! Smile at yourself. Smile at strangers. Smile at no one. It doesn’t matter. Just smile. Smiling will train your mind to be happy. And personally, I love smiling at strangers, because you never know how a simple smile might impact their day!

SEE THE GOOD.

Don’t just “look” for the good. SEE the good. Train your mind to see the good. The positive in all things and I promise you, after awhile you will start noticing yourself being more positive.

I encourage you to start this list TODAY. It is a new day. A fresh start. Doesn’t matter if it is the Monday of all Mondays, or the weekend. His mercies are new every single day. So MAKE it a great day!

xo, Elizabeth

Praying for your husband, through the month

Whether you are newly married or have been married for forty years, I encourage you to take time each day to be intentional with praying for your husband. It’s so easy to take our relationships for granted, but a true Christ-centered marriage is a blessing. If you don’t know where to start. I encourage you to start with this prayer and then join with me in, “Praying for your husband through the month of February.”

“Lord, I desire to strengthen not only my relationship with my husband, but also with you. Help me go to You first, before I go to others to talk about my marriage and it’s let downs. I desire this not only to help me be a better person, but to help me be a better wife to my husband. Search my heart and take away anything that takes me away from you. Let my eyes see you first and always, in every aspect of life. Thank you for all the blessings you have given me and thank you for the pain and trials, that have lead me to call upon you. Please help my husband see me through you Lord. Help my words always be words that speak truth and life and build my husband up. Give me the words to speak when I am angry, or hurt and the words I want to speak are not your will. Please bless my husband and help him look to you for your truth and will for not only his life but also for what is best for our family. Protect us both from the enemy’s lies. In Jesus name. Amen.”

Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the devil’s schemes.”

Day 1: Thank God for your husband. Even if you aren’t feeling exactly “thankful” for him at that very moment. Especially if you aren’t! ;)

Day 2: Pray for his heart and eyes to be protected by God. The enemy wants to deceive and destroy us. That isn’t a mystery. I mean, it is his job. But guess what? He also wants to tear apart our marriages, especially those of us who are Christian and have a Christ-centered marriage.

Day 3: Pray for him to see you, through God’s eyes. I pray this often, because I will be honest…I am not always the easiest person to love. I pray that God will help my husband see me through God’s eyes. He is not only the creator of the Universe, but also of me! He knows my heart and how deeply I love my husband, even though my words or actions might not show it.

Day 4: Pray for his relationship with Christ. His relationship with Jesus, should be his FIRST and most important relationship. Yep. More important than his relationship with you. But, it should be ours too. The stronger our love grows for the Lord, the stronger it will grow for your spouse as well!

Day 5: Pray that he has a strong desire to walk with God daily and be a Godly head of the household. Pray that he seeks God’s will as you two make your decisions.

Day 6: Pray for his protection. Not just physically from harm, but also from temptations of the world.

Day 7: Pray for your husband as a father to your children. To be a good, shinning example of what a man who walks with the Lord looks like. Don’t have children yet? Pray for your future children or for the way your husband interacts with the children in your family.

Day 8: Pray for him to be a good steward of your finances.

Day 9: Pray for his family. (Your in-laws.) For their health and their lives and relationships with Christ and their relationships they have with you and your husband.

Day 10: Pray for his relationship with your family. (His in-laws.)

Day 11: Pray for his job. That he always works as though he is working for the Lord. Thank God for providing your husband with a job and pray that He is blessed through your husband.

Day 12: Pray for his friendships. Pray that he has good, Godly friends and that those relationships are strengthened.

Day 13: Pray for healing from his past. We all have a past. Some worse than others. Regardless of what lies in his past or what you know, or don’t know, I encourage you to pray that God would heal your husband from past hurt and disappointments. And that he would forgive those who have hurt him in any way.

Day 14: Pray for his confidence. Pray that he knows how deeply loved and worthy he is as a child of God. Pray that he looks to God for his worth and not the things of this world.

Day 15: Pray for your relationship with him. Pray that you both keep God at the center of your marriage. Pray that you both always make decisions based on God’s will for your marriage. Pray that you both choose words that will lift each other up.

Day 16: Pray for him to be bold in his faith. With his daily decisions, at his job and just in his every day life.

Day 17: Pray for him to be quick to forgive. Don’t just pray that he forgives you quickly, but that he is quick to forgive anyone and doesn’t hold onto resentment.

Day 18: Pray for him to have a strong prayer life and to be praying for you and your family. When praying through the Holy Spirit there is so much power. If your husband is praying for your lives together daily, that is a true blessing.

Day 19: Pray for your physical intimacy as a couple. Pray that you two grow stronger in your love and desire for each other more each day.

Day 20: Pray for your husband’s honesty. Pray for him to be honest, not only with you. But also at work and in his every day life. Let his yes be yes, and his no be no. Pray that God would help him not lie and be a man of virtue and truth.

Day 21: Pray that he leans on the strength of God and not on his own strength. Pray for him to always seek God’s strength first to get through tough times. Ask God to give him the strength both physically and mentally to get through each day victoriously.

Day 22: Pray that God breaks the chains of any addiction your husband may have. This may not seem relevant to everyone, but you don’t know, what you don’t know. Meaning, there may be something hidden in your husband’s life that he struggles with that he hasn’t told you about. Whether he struggles with something big or small, I encourage you to be praying that God breaks the chains of any addiction that may have a hold on your husband.

Day 23: Pray for your husband’s future. Ask God to go before him each day and guide him in the ways he should go. Pray that your husband leans on God to make good decisions daily not only for himself, but you as a couple for your future.

Day 24: Pray for him to repent and turn from his sins. Ask God to convict your husband’s heart of any sin and that he repents humbly before God. Ask Him to help your husband see his sins clearly as sins, and not only repent from them, but turn from them.

Day 25: Pray that your husband’s mind stays focused on God. Ask God to help your husband keep his eyes on God and not get caught up in the things of this world. Ask that God would help him stay focused when things get hard and he’s exhausted both mentally and physically. Ask Him to give your husband peace and comfort to stay in God’s will, not his own.

Day 26: Pray that he is quick to listen. Like it says in James, ask God to help your husband be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to anger. Pray that God helps him truly hear what you and your children are saying and to be present. Ask God to help him not quickly react in anger or defensively to what you say when you two are talking. Pray that the lines of communication between you are strong and open.

Day 27: Pray for your husband’s life to reflect a man who loves God. Pray and ask God to help your husband’s heart truly love and respect God. Ask that He helps your husband’s words and actions display a true follower of Christ. Pray that he makes decisions both in public and in private that would please God above himself.

Day 28: Pray for his faithfulness to you in your marriage. Ask God to keep him faithful both physically and emotionally to you and your marriage. Pray that he has the desire to love and honor your commitment to each other and God, each and every day.

Day 29: Pray for him to find joy and peace in Jesus. Ask God to help your husband find his joy and peace in the Lord and not feel empty and searching for “happiness” in the things of this world. Pray that God would help your husband be filled with joy and comfort and peace that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

Day 30: Pray for continued strength and renewal from God in your marriage each day, forever. Pray that your husband’s relationship with God and you is strengthened and renewed after this month of prayer. Pray that you both live each day from this point on, even more dedicated and in love with each other and with God. And pray that you both always keep Christ as the foundation in your marriage and family.

I hope that you are excited about the upcoming month and all that God can and will do in your marriage. I will be praying for you, that not only will your husband be blessed by these prayers, but that you are as well. I know that your heart will be changed by the end of the month and pray that your husband’s heart is as well. I look forward to hearing how this went for you!

xo, Elizabeth

See the Good.

It’s almost a new year, which means that most people are making a list of their resolutions. If we’re being honest, I bet that your list (whether you wrote one out or you were just thinking of things you want to work on in the new year) includes either something about losing weight, making more money or eating better. Am I right? Go ahead. Be honest. I can’t hear your answer, so no worries. ;)

Why, do we year after year make the same lists for the upcoming year? Why are they always something like, “This year I will lose 10lbs. I will work out more. I will hustle harder and make more money.” I can’t help but wonder why aren’t our lists more like, “This year I will stop hating my body. I will look at my life, my body and my belongings as beautiful, gifts from God. This year I pray that my heart is aligned with God’s heart for me. That His will is my will.“ That is what I am praying for this year. I want to SEE THE GOOD. Yes, I know life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows! Heck, for me sometimes it feels like anything but that. But throughout the storms, throughout the pain, the trials, the ups and downs, I want to SEE THE GOOD. Because when your heart is aligned with God’s, and your eyes are on Him, there is ALWAYS something good to be seen.

I know a lot of people pick a word for the new year, and I too have done that the last several years. But this year, I feel like more than just picking “a word,” I want to focus on a lifestyle. A life so filled with hope in Christ that I overflow with joy and grace to myself and others. A life that each day is glorifying to God. I want to keep my eyes on Him and give Him my day, each and EVERY day.

I encourage you to take some time over the next few days to pray and seek God’s will for your life in this upcoming year. If you need help getting your prayer started, here is a short prayer to pray.

Dear Lord, I ask that you align my heart with yours. I pray that you give me the desire to do your will and not my own. Help me keep my eyes on you Lord each and every day, and not on myself or my problems. Lord, help me do everything I do for your glory. I thank you for this new year and praise you for all that you have already done and are going to do. In Jesus name, Amen.

I am praying for you all. Each and every one of you who are reading this now. I pray that you are able to keep your eyes on the Lord and His will for your life. I pray that you are blessed with health and are full of joy through Christ.

Happy New Year!!

xo, Elizabeth

Let them see YOU in me.

Life is not a competition. It’s not a board game, where the person who collects the most money and property wins. It’s not about who is the prettiest, the smartest or who has the most followers on social media. Your looks don’t determine your worth and neither does your career, your relationship status or how many upcoming coffee dates are on your calendar. Your worth and beauty are found in Christ. You will find that you are most satisfied in life, and will feel the most beautiful when you are glorifying God by letting HIM shine through you. Not shining so that others can see you.

There are so many movements now telling us to “love our bodies,” to be “who you are,” and to show ourselves “self care.” People are eating this stuff up all while forgetting that the truth of most people’s unhappiness about themselves lies in the fact that they are only working on making their outsides beautiful. So why aren’t we trying to live and love like Jesus and not like the “Influencers” on social media? Why aren’t we trying to make our HEARTS beautiful?

Answer me honestly….Don’t worry, I can’t hear your answer. Are you spending more time making sure that your outside is beautiful, rather than your inside? Read that again and be honest. When was the last time, you spent honest to goodness quality time in the Word? When was the last time you prayed a heart felt prayer of THANKSGIVING not just a prayer listing your requests to God. What is your heart’s desire? Do you want people to know YOU? Or are you shining a light so that others can see God through you?

We spend so much time and money working on our outwards appearance. We do our hair, nails, makeup. We go to the esthetician and get a facial. We color our hair to hid our grays hoping to erase a few years off our age. BUT imagine if we just spent half that time working on our hearts. Digging deeper in the Word. Spending quiet time with God. Working on making our inner beauty more beautiful than our outer beauty.

A super simple prayer that I have said for as long as I can remember is, “Lord, let my inner beauty shine through my face.” You see. I have struggled with pretty bad acne since I was a teenager and there were many days I didn’t want people to see MY face. I instead wanted them to see my heart, because I knew it was beautiful because Jesus rules it. It’s funny how hard most people work on making sure they look good all while forgetting that looks fade, but a beautiful heart of someone who loves the Lord will never fade.

Friends, I encourage you to spend more time focusing on making your inner beauty more beautiful. And if you want, pray that simple prayer I shared with you. “Lord, let my inner beauty shine through my face.” I promise that if you wholeheartedly work on your inner beauty and seek the Lord and His will for your life, people will notice. Your inner beauty will shine through your face and no one can ever dull that sparkle.

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Psalm 31:30

xoxo, Elizabeth

Comparison is a Jerk

Comparison. Plain and simple, is a jerk. Sometimes we get so caught up in “creating the perfect life” that we forget to just LIVE our life. We try to create a life that is pleasing to look at from an outsider’s view. But ask yourself, are you making the view for all involved on the inside as pleasing? Think about that for a minute. It is way too easy to start comparing our lives to other people’s. (strangers on the internet, people you pass on the street or see on tv, without truly knowing anything about them.) We get ideas in our head of what our lives (and ourselves) “should look like” and then we forget what living a good life truly means. Continue reading →