You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2Corinthians 3:2-3
This season’s focus—Pause to Reflect—prepares our hearts, spirits, and minds to experience the death and resurrection of Christ.
“While other world views lead us to sit in the midst of life’s joys, foreseeing the coming sorrows, Christianity empowers its people to sit in the midst of this world’s sorrows, tasting the coming joy.”
Timothy Keller (2008). The reason for God: Belief in an age of skepticism. Dutton.
As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. Proverbs 27:19 NIV
Some years I find myself caught in a whirlwind of holiday chaos. My calendar overflows with events, parties, shopping, and travel. November and December can be filled from Thanksgiving until the New Year with the pressure to create the perfect season, leaving me tired, breathless, and sometimes with a little more debt and a few more pounds than I had before.
I can’t help but wonder, am I missing the meaning behind the celebrations.
In stark contrast, the weeks of Lent leading up to Resurrection Sunday—more commonly referred to as Easter—invites me to a much slower, more reflective pace.
If I choose to embrace it.
Depending on our faith background, denomination, or tradition, we may incorporate various spiritual practices into our daily observance of Lent, or we might ignore the season all together. But if we long for a more robust relationship with our Heavenly Father, we should seek the former, rather than the latter.
Lent calls us to slow down, to breathe deeply, and to realign our hearts with what truly matters. Unlike the hurried pace of year-end celebrations, Lent offers a sacred space to step away from the noise, to seek God with renewed focus, and to allow Him to refine us in the quiet.
Whether through fasting, prayer, acts of service and giving, or sacramental observances, Lent provides an opportunity to consider the posture of our hearts. As we strip away distractions and walk a path of surrender, we then look toward the joy of Resurrection Sunday. As we choose reflection over routine, intention over impulse, and renewal over the rush, we find that what we often seek in the frenzy of the holidays—peace, meaning, and deep joy—has been waiting for us all along in the stillness of His presence.
Spiritual application
What distractions or habits might you need to set aside in order to deepen your relationship with Christ?
Where can you intentionally slow down and create space for God during this Lenten season?
In what ways can you allow the journey of Lent to prepare your heart for the joy and hope of Resurrection Sunday?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, Heavenly Father, You are the One who calls me to slow down and quietly enter Your Presence. You ask to interrupt my harried routines, and invite me to reflect on the death, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus. As I do so, reveal to me the places in my heart and life that do not reflect You. Transform me to bear the likeness of Jesus instead. Amen.
Journal prompt
Set aside time each day to pause and reflect on where you are in your spiritual walk. Invite God to reveal areas where you need growth, repentance, or healing. In the space provided, write down the ways this daily practice of pausing can help you reset your heart and mind, then pray over them throughout the month.
Activity
Designate a small area in your home for quiet reflection during Lent. The space could include a Bible and other devotionals, scented candles, a favorite journal, some type of art—anything that helps center your thoughts on Christ’s work. The area is a physical reminder to pause each day, reflect, and pray.
Some Scriptures to reflect on during the Lent season:
John 14:15-18
Psalm 51:10-13
Joel 2:12-13
Scriptures
Week 1
Heavenly Father, when _____ goes without food so she can pray better, let her not act like those who pretend to be someone they are not, making herself look sad so people will see she are going with out food. When she goes without food so she can pray better, may she instead fix her hair and wash her face so noone knows she is going without food. Then You Who sees in secret will reward her.
From Matthew 6:16-18 NLV
Week 2
Heavenly Father, You call _____ to repent sincerely and return to You with fasting and weeping and mourning. Let her broken heart show her sorrow—any outward display is not enough. May she come back to You because You are kind and full of mercy; You are patient and keep Your promise; You are always ready to forgive her and not punish her.
From Joel 2:12-13 GNT
Week 3
Heavenly Father, when Your Son, Jesus, was executed on the cross as a criminal, _____ was too; so that her proud ego no longer lives. Now Jesus lives in her, and the life she now lives, she lives by the same trusting faithfulness that Jesus had, who loved her and gave himself up for her.
From Galatians 2:20 CJB
Week 4
Heavenly Father, when the tempter comes to _____, let her answer as Jesus did, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
From Matthew 4:3 NIV
Week 5
Heavenly Father, lead _____ to humble herself under Your mighty power, because at the right time You will lift her up in honor. Help her to give You all her worries and cares, since You care so much about her.
This month’s focus—Living Hope—explores the equipping, energizing, and enduring hope we have in Christ.
“Our hope is not based on the things of this world, but on the truth that Christ rose from the dead, and because He lives, we too will live forever with Him.”
Anne Graham Lotz. (2007). Wounded by God’s people: Discovering how God’s love heals our hearts. Thomas Nelson.
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24 NIV
March in Texas turns the hope of springtime into reality. Temperatures rise, grass grows greener, and live oaks shed old leaves as new buds emerge. Since rainfall is always a challenge in Central Texas we had our sprinkler system adjusted for maximum efficiency. We mainly use it to ensure our live oaks stay healthy during droughts, when stress makes them susceptible to disease.
Our sprinkler guy did a fine job, but we needed to tweak the sprinkler heads to water the right areas and not waste water on places like the driveway or sidewalk. I spent more time than I desired, twisting nozzles for coverage and adjusting the little screw for distance. For all my efforts, they’d work fine for a few cycles, then revert back to their original settings—and I ended up soaked. Frustrated, I took a break, unsure of my next step—except to call the sprinkler guy for help.
Isn’t that how we are in our spiritual journey? Our Heavenly Father uses Scripture, spiritual mentors, pastors and teachers, family or friends, and even consequences to make adjustments in our lives. For a little while, we walk in His ways, doing what He desires. But before long, we slip back into our old ways. Like water wasted on the driveway or sidewalk, our time and efforts drain away fruitlessly. Things don’t turn out the way we hoped, and we wonder why.
As we anticipate the beauty spring brings, let’s embrace the adjustments our Heavenly Father makes in our lives. Let’s allow the Master Gardner to realign us so He can nurture the growth He desires and produce the fruit He intends. Then we can stand strong and take heart, knowing things will turn out right—because we hope in Him.
Spiritual application
What time and efforts in your life feels like water draining away without anything to show?
How has our Heavenly Father recently made adjustments in your heart, mind, and spirit?
Where have things turned out right, growth happened, or fruit produced, because you walked in the ways of your Heavenly Father?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, You are my Living Hope. Through the truth of Christ’s resurrection, because He lives, I can be strong and encouraged. Reveal to me the areas in my life that deplete rather than replenish, that waste rather than restore, and that hinder rather than revive. Transform these areas into what you desire, your perfect plan.
Journal prompt
Consider what it means to live with the hope of Christ. Reflect on the moments when you feel the tension between the brokenness of this world and the promise of new life in Him. In the space provided, write down areas where this living hope impacts your daily choices, how you can hold onto it in difficult times, then pray over them throughout the month.
Activity
Collect Scriptures, quotes, and images that reflect the living hope we have in Christ and—using posterboard—create a visual reminder: a Living Hope board. Use it to daily encourage your heart and to focus on the eternal promises of God, especially during challenging circumstances.
Some Scripture promises to consider:
Numbers 23:19
Psalm 32:8
Isaiah 40:31
John 14:27
1 John 4:9-10
Scriptures
Week 1
Thank you, our Heavenly Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, because in Your great mercy You gave _____ new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills her with a living hope, and she looks forward to possessing the rich blessings that You keep for her in heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away.
From 1 Peter 1:3-4 NLT
Week 2
Heavenly Father, show _____ Your ways teach her your paths. Guide her in your truth and teach her, for you are her Savior, and her hope is in You all day long.
From Psalm 25:4-5 NIV
Week 3
Heavenly Father, You know the plans You have for _____. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give her a future and a hope. When she prays, You will listen.
From Jeremiah 29:10-11 TLB
Week 4
This is what it means for _____ to trust You, Heavenly Father. She will be sure about the things that she hopes for. She will be sure in her mind about things that she cannot even see.
From Hebrews 11:1 EASY
Week 5
Others may say You will not help _____, but You Heavenly Father are her shield, her glory, and her only hope. You alone can lift her head when hung in shame. When she cries out, You hear her from Your Holy Place.
I learned how to pray for others using Scripture years ago, through Stormie O’Martian’s books The Power of a Praying (Wife-Parent-Woman), along with Moms In Prayer International. It has been an amazing way to pray. I love sharing what I’ve learned, and Scripture-based prayer is no exception. Over the years, I’ve often created Prayer Pages for various ministry events and have received a lot of encouraging feedback. Women find these pages to be effective, practical tools for praying over the lives of those they love and the ministries they hope to impact—both immediately and eternally.
I also frequently text others the Scriptures I’m praying over them. I find it helpful for me to focus on a specific theme for each month or season. As you can imagine, I’ve collected quite a few Scripture prayers along the way.
This year, I’m turning those Scripture prayers into a short devotional series that covers all 12 months, along with special sections for events observed on the Christian church calendar, such as Lent, Pentecost, and Advent. Each devotional will include five Scripture prayers for the month/season, plus four key elements:
Hook: the month’s focus,
Book: a Bible verse and a quote,
Look: an illustration or reflection,
Took: a takeaway that includes a spiritual application, a prayer, a journal prompt, and an activity.
I plan to release each devotional on my website during its corresponding month or season, so be sure to stop by and check them out. I would greatly appreciate any constructive feedback—you can do so in comments section of the blog, and I’ll gladly consider them as I continue editing and refining the content. Because, ultimately, I plan to publish the blog series into a devotional book an make it available on Amazon.
Praise his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. Psalm 72:19
Pause. Praise. Pray.
While this is the last of the Praise devotionals, it can be the first of many more moments of pausing to consider, notice, and praise our Heavenly Father for who he is and his amazing creation that we enjoy every day. From the rising of the sun to it’s going down, from dusk until dawn, let us give praise.
Three times Isaiah calls our Heavenly Father the First and the Last. He is the one who does mighty deeds and summons each new generation from the beginning of time (Isaiah 41:4). He is our King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies (Isaiah 44:6), and we, as adopted children into his family, should listen to him (Isaiah 48:12). Our Father, the Forever Occupier, gives us Jesus, the First and Last to reign over his people forever and whose Kingdom will never end (Luke 1:33). He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13).
Pause and take time to watch the sun move across the sky. Consider the ways in which we mark the minutes, hours, and days; the seasons, epochs, eras, and eons. Notice the moments you’ve been given and how you might live them best. What might our Father be speaking to you in this moment?
Praise our Heavenly Father for the time he has given us. Praise him for his Son, Jesus, who was there in the beginning and will ever and always be.
Pray.
Heavenly Father, You are the Forever Occupier. May my days ever and always be spent in praise and wonder of you. Amen.
Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! Psalm 148:3
Like starry splendor bright and vast, Your glory glitters to the last.
Growing up in the country I delighted in the splendor of the stars scattered across the night sky. I routinely sought out the Big and Little Dippers, Orion, and the Seven Sisters. And under a Texas night sky, in the light of these familiar companions, my love asked me to marry him.
Job describes our Heavenly Father as the One who marvelously spread out the heavens and made all the stars—the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky. (Job 9:8-10). But our Father cautioned his people that when they see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—to not worship them because he created them for all the peoples of the earth (Deuteronomy 4:19). He promised that one day a star would rise; a king’s scepter coming from his people (Numbers 24:17). And so our Father, the Star Twinkler, gives us Jesus, our Morning Star, the one who shines in our hearts (2 Peter 1:18-19).
Pause and take time to survey the expanse of the night sky. Consider the constellations, the varied brightness of each star, and how each sparkles against their velvet backdrop. Notice the hazy band of light stretching across the heavens that makes up the Milky Way. What might our Father be speaking to you in this moment?
Praise our Heavenly Father for creating the stars that mark the seasons. Praise him for his Son, Jesus, the Morning Star, rising as our Father promised.
Pray.
Heavenly Father, You are the Star Twinkler. When I see your starry grandeur, let me break forth in praise. Amen.
"The Lord God gives me the right words to encourage the weary.
Each morning he awakens me eager to learn his teaching;
he made me willing to listen and not rebel or run away."
Isaiah 50:4-5
"We are your symphony, Mr. Holland. We are the melodies and the notes of your opus. We are the music of your life."
— Governor Gertrude Lang (Joanna Gleason) in Mr. Holland's Opus
"It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
C.S. Lewis
"...to be little with God is to be little for God."
E.M. Bounds
"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one."
Mother Theresa
"He became what we are that He might make us what He is"
Saint Athanasius, 295-373
"It is the Christ in you, who recognizes the Christ in me...From now on, wherever you go, or wherever I go, all the ground between us will be holy ground."
Henri J.M. Nouwen
Why pray?
"…I have no better answer than the example of Jesus, who knew above any of us the wisdom of the Father and yet who felt a strong need to flood the heavens with requests."
Philip Yancey
"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried."
G.K. Chesterton
"The well of your incompleteness runs deep, but make the effort to look away from yourself and to look toward Him."
Oswald Chambers
tablets of human hearts 