Engagement (31-Day Devotionals for Life): Preparing for Marriage

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I can’t think of a more timely and needed resource for teenagers today than this! . . . This devotional is firmly rooted in God’s Word; it is gracious and truthful and very practical. I plan to recommend it to youth leaders and parents alike! ”

Jeremiah 32:17 says, “Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You.” What encouragement can you find in this Scripture, when your situation seems too difficult? You may be thinking, I don’t know how I could ever get through this. Or you may be battling powerful feelings of despair, suffering, confusion, fear, worry, and even anger. These are all normal responses to tragedy.

Day 2: He Sees and Understands Your Pain

Liz Edrington invites students to understand their anxiety—but even more to understand the faithfulness and goodness of their Father in heaven. Through this devotional, students really will discover themselves in God’s story and will thus be grounded in the peace of God.” Commit Luke 1:37 to memory, and every time your situation seems too difficult or impossible, speak it to yourself, as a reminder that God can handle whatever is troubling you. As opportunities arise, you can encourage others using this verse as well. Take from a man his wealth, and you hinder him; take from him his purpose, and you slow him down. But take from man his hope, and you stop him. He can go on without wealth, and even without purpose, for a while. But he will not go on without hope. —C. Neil Strait (1) Liz has written a great resource that takes our spiritual life seriously and thoughtfully. . . . Liz is a caring and gifted communicator, and I will recommend this outstanding resource over and over again. ”

Does God truly love you? Are you really saved? These daily devotionals draw on the promises of God’s Word that assure you of his gracious love and care. Daily readings articulate perfectly what many pilgrims have been thinking but have been afraid to say aloud. This beautiful, unveiling devotional vividly shows the power of confronting wounds as it exhorts us toward the healing that awaits us in Christ.” Writing with such honesty and warmth . . . Liz Edrington shows her anxious readers that the Jesus we meet in Scripture is not an abstract idea but a practical, reliable, and helpful Person. ”

Day 3: Pouring Out Your Heart

Do you have money trouble? Biblical counselor Jim Newheiser reorients your heart to worship God rather than wealth and presents the wisdom of Scripture on financial and work-related topics. Counselor Michael Gembola offers daily guidance, reflection questions, and practical action steps for those who have repented of an affair and want to move closer to God and their spouses. Written so that the person swirling in guilt, shame, and . . . family-altering decisions can know that God will meet them right where they are.” Grief can become suffocating. You long for a friend to help you connect God’s Word with your overwhelming feelings of loss. Bob Kellemen is that friend, skillfully helping readers to rise above their anguish in his remarkable new book. . . . As one who understands loss, I highly recommend it!”

This is not a self-help book that demands more effort before inevitably leading to more failure. The book is filled with gospel grace and therefore with gospel hope.” Is there any hope for men and women in the “voluntary slavery” of pornography addiction? Deepak Reju shows that this worship problem can be fought only with a greater love for Christ. This month-long devotional, with reflection questions and practical suggestions for action, gives you the encouragement and resources you need to fight in the war being waged for your soul every day. Some years ago, I asked an older pastor what he did when a member approached him for counseling. He responded that once he determined the nature of the problem, he asked the person whether they had sought the Lord about it, and if they had, what that seeking involved. He asked them what Scriptures they had considered and what prayers they had prayed. If they hadn’t sought the Lord, he would compile a list of Scriptures for them to read and pray over and agreed to meet with them once they had completed the assignment.T. Dale Johnson, Executive Director, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors; Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary As a teenager, Liz felt overwhelmed by anxiety. Now that she’s a mental health counselor, she wants to pass on what she’s learned. With daily Scripture readings, breathing exercises, and additional mental-health resources, this little book offers you comfort and help in your anxiety. See how your anxiety fits into God’s big story—and learn how Jesus can bring you peace. There is no shortage of counseling resources available to pastors in Western contexts. There are book-length treatments and mini-booklets on an assortment of subjects, as well as training videos, curriculum, and counseling manuals. However, many of these resources are more informative than formative. That is, they exist more to educate and equip the mind than to shape and serve the soul. Don’t get me wrong—both are necessary. We need good counseling resources that help us think biblically about counseling. But we need more good counseling resources that actually help the person engage devotionally with the Lord, bringing their hearts to the Chief Shepherd through the Word and prayer.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26)In thirty-one daily doses of truth, beauty, and goodness from the story of God, Liz does the heavy lifting to help us to begin to write a new story. . . . I believe this book can provide encouragement for anyone who is ready to negate the power of anxiety in their life. ” This devotional points to solid biblical wisdom that will ground readers who feel tossed about by waves of financial woe.” While our heart goes out, oftentimes our head is spinning. What is the nature of the struggle? How long has it gone on? Am I equipped to help? Sensing your responsibility for your sheep, you arrange a time to talk the following week. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” God actually invites us to spend time in His presence to communicate with Him. Will you accept His invitation? An absolutely outstanding resource. . . . This book contains biblical richness and practical techniques to both relieve anxiety and give young people tools for coping for the rest of their lives. ”