Today’s episode will be a bit different. My friend and fellow Toastmaster has just published a book titled Grace Empowerment 101 Devotionals. You can find this book on Amazon, and I will place a link in the show notes if you would like to purchase it. I met Marina through The New Life Toastmasters Group. She started this Toastmasters group over 10 years ago, and I am so thankful for it, as I learned so much from it. For those of you who don’t know, Toastmasters is an organization that trains people to do public speaking—or any kind of speaking. It is also really good for people who need to learn to communicate better at work or learn to be more calm giving work presentations. Marina is a volunteer work coach for many people, including college students just finishing up their degrees and looking to go out and find a job. Marina is also an integral part of her church family. She studied at the Chinese Semlink Theology Seminary College Certificate Program for four years and is now the Sunday School Coordinator at her church. Marina is a talented woman who loves Jesus. She has such a passion to bring Jesus’s love to everyone she meets. She also runs Alpha courses at her church. Alpha emphasizes the essentials that all denominations agree on. Alpha creators believe that what unites us is infinitely greater than what divides us. I hope you enjoy her devotionals as much as you do. She is a phenomenal woman of God. If you are on Facebook and would like to follow her you can find her at Author Marina Grace: Life Lessons, Panda Flash Cards. I will place a link for that in the show notes as well. Today I will be reading 5 of her devotionals to you so you can get a sneak peak as to what you will find in her book. Music:"Adding the Sun" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Grace Empowerment 101 Devotionals
Today’s episode will be a bit different. My friend and fellow Toastmaster has just published a book titled Grace Empowerment 101 Devotionals. You can find this book on Amazon, and I will place a link in the show notes if you would like to purchase it. I met Marina through The New Life Toastmasters Group. She started this Toastmasters group over 10 years ago, and I am so thankful for it, as I learned so much from it.
For those of you who don’t know, Toastmasters is an organization that trains people to do public speaking—or any kind of speaking. It is also really good for people who need to learn to communicate better at work or learn to be more calm giving work presentations. Marina is a volunteer work coach for many people, including college students just finishing up their degrees and looking to go out and find a job. Marina is also an integral part of her church family. She studied at the Chinese Semlink Theology Seminary College Certificate Program for four years and is now the Sunday School Coordinator at her church.
Marina is a talented woman who loves Jesus. She has such a passion to bring Jesus’s love to everyone she meets. She also runs Alpha courses at her church. Alpha emphasizes the essentials that all denominations agree on. Alpha creators believe that what unites us is infinitely greater than what divides us. I hope you enjoy her devotionals as much as you do. She is a phenomenal woman of God. If you are on Facebook and would like to follow her you can find her at Author Marina Grace: Life Lessons, Panda Flash Cards. I will place a link for that in the show notes as well. Today I will be reading 5 of her devotionals to you so you can get a sneak peak as to what you will find in her book.
#69: Just Believe
In Luke 8, a synagogue leader named Jairus came and fell down before Jesus. He pleaded with Jesus to heal his dying daughter. Without hesitation, Jesus rose and accompanied Jairus to his home. As they approached, someone informed Jairus that his daughter had already passed away, and there was no need for Jesus to see her. But Jesus comforted the grieving father, saying, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” Ultimately, Jesus miraculously restored the daughter to life.
Reflecting on this story, I realize that my faith in Jesus is essential for my job. When I encounter challenges in my projects, my heart sometimes feels overwhelmed. However, I remember that God, my heavenly Father, has a purpose for assigning these tasks to me—even when they are not easy. If the projects were straightforward, there would be no need for a Senior Principal Software Engineer like myself. This is my career journey.
Dear God, please grant me unwavering faith in You. Open doors to help me resolve the issues I face. I trust that You will never abandon me, even in the most challenging situations. Your purpose is to shape me into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
# 70: My sole priority
"When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He said: 'This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ (Matthew 6:9, NIV)
This prayer sets the direction for my remaining life. Since God is my heavenly Father, He will provide all my needs on earth. I don’t need to worry about my possessions, my job, or my service for Him. My sole priority is to serve His kingdom so that His will is done on earth. May everyone hear His word and follow His teachings, leading them to be baptized in the name of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, please empower me through the Holy Spirit to speak the right words at the right time and be Your hands and voice. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
#71: Little faith
Jesus taught His disciples not to worry:
“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” (Luke 12:24, NIV)
As I grow older, I find myself easily succumbing to worry. The realization that so much is beyond my control weighs heavily on my mind. I meticulously plan, fretting about work, time management, church responsibilities, and even my health.
Two weeks ago, I reached out to my church’s prayer team, seeking their intercession for three sequencing Sunday events: facilitating a Sunday school class, delivering a children’s ministry sermon, and hosting a Toastmasters Club meeting. But life took an unexpected turn—I tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. Suddenly, I was confined to my home, relying on online conference tools. Yet, remarkably, everything unfolded smoothly. My church family rallied, setting up laptops and equipment to ensure the events proceeded seamlessly.
In this experience, I learned a profound lesson: God anticipates our needs even before we voice them in prayer. He orchestrates every detail of our lives, weaving together circumstances beyond our comprehension. There’s no need for excessive worry; instead, we can trust in His providence.
Dear God, grant me unwavering faith to rely on You fully. As I strive to do my best, I surrender the rest to Your capable hands. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
#72 Answered prayer
Jesus taught:
“So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9, NIV)
I am a mother of two daughters. Before they entered college and decided on their majors, I did not force them to choose any specific field. I provided them with one guideline: they needed to select a major that would lead to job opportunities after graduation. If they were interested in an art major, they had to choose a second major to enhance their employability.
After that, I sealed my lips and prayed for them every day. Now, my elder daughter has a business administration major with a concentration in operations management. My younger daughter followed our advice and pursued two majors: biomedical engineering and biology.
It is entirely by God’s grace and mercy that both daughters successfully graduated. They both found jobs within a few weeks after graduation.
Dear God, thank you for hearing our prayers. Please give us strong faith to pray to You for guiding and protecting my family. Pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
#73: Be a faithful servant
When the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith, Jesus told them the story of a hardworking servant returning from the field. The master immediately instructed the servant to cook and wait on him. After the servant completed all tasks, they should humbly say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.” (Luke 17:10, NIV)
Related to me: I recently worked from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM. When I returned home, my husband asked me to cook, and I found myself resisting. How could I transform my attitude into that of a humble servant?
Reflecting on Jesus’ actions during the Passover feast, I am reminded of His profound love for us. He stood up, poured water into a basin, and washed His disciples’ feet. In doing so, He set an example for us—to serve one another with humility and love (John 13).
Dear God: Please grant me a humble heart to serve others for Your sake. Increase my faith, knowing that every task You assign has a purpose to shape me into the likeness of Jesus Christ. I pray in His name. Amen.
#74: Peaceful Heart
Jesus said: “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27, NIV)
In this season of life, I’ve come to understand that very little is truly within my control. As a software engineer, my job demands quality results, and achieving that involves constant testing and ensuring everything meets the mark. Additionally, I strive to complete my work early, allowing room to handle unexpected surprises.
Yet, I despise last-minute surprises.
Recently, God has been teaching me to loosen my grip on life—to trust Him fully and embrace a more abundant existence. Each morning, I begin with a simple prayer:
"I ask God for success, as Jesus Christ did.
I seek good surprises from Him."
And remarkably, this practice has granted me a peaceful heart throughout the day. I can focus on my work without fear of uncertainty.
Dear God, grant me unwavering faith to pray to You each morning. Thank You for bestowing upon me a tranquil heart and entrusting the entire day to Your care. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Thank you so much, Marina, for sharing your expertise and your love of God with us. Thank you for being real and sharing your life with us. Thank you for all you do for Toastmasters, for your church, and for all those you career coach for free. You are remarkable! If you want Marina’s book, CLICK HERE to purchase the book. Please also follow her on Facebook or LinkedIn. CLICK HERE for her Facebook page.
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless everyone listening to the episode. Lord, I also ask you to bless Marina in a special way. I ask you to bless all she is doing to bring others to you so they can come to know your love. Lord, help us all have this deep desire to bring others to you. Help us share your love and light with others as well. We love you, Lord, and ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen!
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I hope you enjoyed hearing a few devotionals from my friend today. Also, thank you all for your prayers for Noah yesterday. It was a long day, but the doctor said the surgery was excellent. It went better than planned, and he thinks Noah will be very happy with the results. We know this is all thanks to God! Please continue to pray for a pain-free and speedy recovery. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!
Today’s Word from the Lord was received in January 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group or about these words please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today’s Word from the Lord is “Come closer to me, my children. This year, come much closer, and I will reveal my heart to you. I will show you where you need to go.”