Treasured Ministries

Offering women a biblical solution for inner healing

Aliene

Through His Word, She Finds Strength to Stand

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Merciful and mighty Father, speak to me this morning with words to strengthen my soul.  

I am weary from the battle that life has brought my way.

I feel heavy this morning.

I see my circumstances, and I don’t understand.  

But may I remember there is a battle far beyond what I can see, and you are fighting for me. This morning I lay down my weapons of warfare and pick up the armor of God.  

Yes, this war will be won on my knees in prayer!  

Speak to me this morning. Give me a word, a verse, a truth I can hold onto. Your words provide strength for my soul so I can stand strong in my faith with enduring persistent prayer and see your goodness prevail.  

(Pray God’s Word: Daniel 10:10–21; Ephesians 6:10–20)

Want more? Click here to read the scriptures.

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © Copyright Treasured Ministries 2019

She Is Never Alone

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Father, when I am thrown into the deep end of circumstances that overwhelm my soul to the point of hopelessness. May I always remember that I am never alone. And while my circumstances are out of my control—beyond what I can overcome on my own—you are the Living God and far more powerful than any darkness I may face.  

You rescue and save your people. Rescue and save me!  

While I am waiting, I will worship to build my faith inside these walls of impossible circumstances that surround me.

You did not abandon the Israelites in Egypt. You will not abandon me.  

As the enemy of my soul roars loudly with his lies, and I am tempted to believe there is no hope, may I take those thoughts captive by speaking this truth:  Here on earth I will have many troubles, but I take heart because you have overcome the world.  

(Pray God’s Word: John 16:33; Daniel 6:25–27; 1 Peter 5:8)

Want more? Click here to read the scriptures.  

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © Copyright Treasured Ministries 2019

She Finds Divine Success Through Love

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Father, when I feel inadequate with what I have achieved in life or what I have or what I know, may I remember what you consider success.

Let me relax under the blessing of what you deem is most important to give: love.  

Love is greater than Bible knowledge or having all the answers.

It is greater than my achievements, titles, or accolades.

It is grander than the size of my home.

It is more impressive than my life being all perfect and tidy.

Let me never forget that nothing is greater than love.  

Today may I be faithful to cultivate love with those you put in my path. May each person leave my presence feeling loved. 

May I remember to love others as you have loved me—and this includes not enabling abuse. 

I close this prayer today by speaking truth from your Word. May this truth settle in my soul—to love is to succeed!   

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. . . . Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

(Pray God’s Word: 1 Corinthians 13)

Want more? Click here to read the scripture.  

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © Copyright Treasured Ministries 2019

Time Management

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Treasured Tribe – having trouble finding time to cultivate your calling and it’s leaving you FRUSTRATED? Yeah – me too.  But guess what?!? Inside our Nourish Scripture this week I found God’s strategy to solve this struggle and SOAR. High five to that!

In today’s Podcast, discover three strategies to overcome overwhelm, invest your time wisely AND become all God has created you to be.

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An Easter Hallelujah

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On Easter, we celebrate the powerful message that Jesus has risen.

The gospel of John records that precious moment when Mary Magdalene could not bring herself to leave Jesus’ empty tomb…

Weeping, she turned from the angels still in the tomb and saw a man she assumed to be a gardener. But when Mary realized the truth—that her Savior was standing before her—she ran into his arms. Jesus told her, “Go and tell the disciples I have risen.” Her countenance changed and off she went to carry out her task.  

  • What a difference knowing the truth made in the way she lived.
  • What a difference it makes in all our lives.
  • What a difference in the lives around us when we take on the task of sharing the good news that Jesus is risen with others. 

Praise be to God for his living word which makes a difference in our life. We can let go completely of the old covenant to celebrate the new!  

Jesus Is Still Turning Broken Hearts to Brave Hearts

It touches my heart the way Jesus revealed himself to a woman on Easter morning.

He called Mary by name. He turned her weeping into something wonderful.

That’s something to celebrate. Because He lives, Jesus is turning tears into triumph. Broken hearts to brave hearts.  

Jesus is still speaking to hearts today as we seek Him through His Word in the power of the Holy Spirit. God’s Word written on our hearts through the Holy Spirit goes beyond knowledge and makes a lasting impact on us—and through us makes a difference in the lives of those around us.   

Turn your weeping into something wonderful as you seek Jesus through his Word.  

For your Easter Week, we invite you to enjoy a poem Millicent Phillips has written about, print a copy for yourself and share one with a friend! Click here to view the poem.

Nourish Scripture: John 20:11-18

Do you want to find more peace and joy from your connection with Jesus? Download Nourishing Your Heart today to learn how!

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © Copyright Treasured Ministries 2019

Knowing Christ

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Though we don’t always think about it, our days truly are numbered, and with that comes the reality that our words are too. With this in mind, what are the words we share with those around us?

What is the message our life portrays to the world around us?

What is the purpose you are pursuing and promoting with your life?

And lastly, how would you be remembered? 

Jesus lived a life of perfection, he portrayed constant communion with the Father and the result of that was the over-arching message of perfect love. In knowing Jesus, in studying the life he led, we are studying love itself. And the faith we have in who Jesus is and what that love did for us is the truth that saves us.  

Knowing Who Jesus Is in Your Heart

In his final address to those closest to him, Jesus lifted them up to the Father in prayer. It was this prayer, filled with purpose, that Jesus proclaimed his purpose in showing himself to the world.  

“And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” John 17:3  

You can’t have one without the other, if you are going to claim to know God, the attributes of Jesus must also be known to your heart.

And it’s the truth that we store in our hearts of who Jesus is that fills us with not only joy, but the love that unites. 

“…I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy.” John 17:13 

Christ came to get us back, to return us to the Father and break us free, but he can’t do that without being known.

He offered freedom by offering himself to us.

How beautiful and heartbreaking it is to know that Christ gave himself fully, knowing so many would not only reject him, but turn against him entirely. In pursuing the knowledge of who Christ is we are also pursuing the heart of the Father, and that common pursuit should be what brings us together. 

“I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” John 17:21 

Celebrating Christ

As we prepare for the celebration of the greatest victory in history challenge yourself to celebrate the life that Christ led by taking a good look at it. The more we study Christ the more we do justice to the purpose he came for.

Celebrate Christ, celebrate the love that defined the life he led.

Look at the words he prayed over those he spent his time with. 

At the end of the day, the words, purpose, and actions, of our lives should lead to the purpose of love. Because when we love others, when we allow them to know that they are deeply loved, we are giving them knowledge of the Father, we are pointing them to the truth that saves.  

We carry the truth of the gospel to the world around us, and love is the greatest vessel of that truth. Commit yourself to knowing Christ intimately.

Nourish Scripture: John 17

To connect with Christ more intimately, you need to change the way you approach the Word. Download Nourishing Your Heart to discover how to do just that!

This blog was written by Millicent Phillips. Millicent is part of the Treasured Ministries writing team. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

The Ultimate Test

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Our dreams from God are a stewardship, not ownership. God’s purpose for the dream is to build his kingdom, not ours. Releasing the dream to the Lord allows him to bless and multiply the dream, creating a greater harvest for his glory. 

Want more? Today’s podcast is an audio message taken from Dream Builder. This six-week study on Joseph and the Patriarchs written by Aliene Thompson is a part of the Nourish Bible Study Series. 

To discover more about the Nourish Bible Study Series, download the FREE chapters, watch corresponding videos or find out about resources available for small group leaders, click HERE.

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When It All Falls Down

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What to do when your world needs fixing? 

When everything teeters on the brink, how do you cope? 

You cry out to God, pray earnestly for His strong arm to mend the broken, to rescue before collapse. You search Scriptures, search your heart, search earnestly for something, anything, for a remedy. 

But what do you do when after all this – the tears, the prayers, the repentance – it all falls anyways? Prayers for repair seemingly return with rubble. 

The Trouble with Prayers for Repair

I’ve pondered this much of late: how to reconcile my cries for fixing with answers with further breaking.

Was the Lord averse to my cries?

Had my pleas fallen on calloused ears?

While emotions raged and circumstances spun, I sensed His gentle Spirit whisper to my weary soul: 

I am not a handyman. 

Patch this. Mend that. Indeed, my prayers for fixing desired repair work on existing structures, keeping the status quo minus the cracks. “Here’s MY plan for fixing, Lord. Be a good handyman and get the job done.” 

As I wrestled with this new realization of my heart’s desires, He lovingly, patiently whispered another transforming truth. 

You are clay and I, the Potter. 

God Is the Potter

The Potter.

Master craftsman.

Clay always transforms into its destined design within the molding palm of its Sculptor’s hands. Should cracks develop or walls weaken, He does not simply patch nor mend.  The Potter presses the entire piece to the ground, flattening to scratch and building again from the bottom up. For the vessel to hold true, it must be made new.   

For the fractured, fixing requires breaking. 

With this newfound perspective, I realized my cries for mending had in fact been answered! Not by mere patchwork that would eventually give way to greater rupture but by the loving leveling of the Master Potter’s Hands. Not out of disdain or frustration but clear vision of the full potential trapped within my clay, potential that could only be realized by His molding touch. 

He allowed all to fall so it could be built up in Him, strong and sure. 

Take heart, weary one. You are not forsaken.

When it all falls down, rest your battered bones in the palm of the Potter. His desire exceeds mere repair of fractured places. Know you are ever in His sight as the apple of His eye. He has a masterpiece in mind! 

Therein lies the beauty of being broken. 

Nourish Scripture: John 16 

Do you want to discover God’s purpose for you and transform the way you live? Download Nourishing Your Heart to find out how!

This blog was written by Patience Leino. Patience Leino is a solo mama, a worship leader, and a sought-after advocate and educator in pediatrics. A Maryland native, she graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Biblical Studies and now calls Raleigh home. You can explore her adventures in faith, food, and failure on her blog.  © 2019 Treasured Ministries.