No one can ruin your life unless you allow them to.
When someone hurts you, it's easy to believe they've stolen your peace or your joy, but God's Word gives us a different response to use: love, bless, and pray for those who mistreat you.
Love is never weakness — it is one of the greatest demonstrations of God's power. Jesus loved us before we ever loved Him, and that love became the very power that brought us salvation.
There are times when wisdom requires us to create healthy distance from someone who is causing harm. You can remove yourself from an unhealthy situation while still keeping your heart free from bitterness. Loving someone doesn't always mean remaining close to them.
When you choose forgiveness, prayer, and love instead of offense, you refuse to let someone else control your heart.
— Denise Renner
Personally, I know I didn’t always do everything right as I aimed to build up my house. But I was constantly looking for someone who knew more than me. I would watch those godly women — women I was very privileged to be around — and I would think about how I could apply the spiritual and emotional fruit I saw in them to my own actions, choices, and lifestyle.
— Denise Renner
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.” — Proverbs 31:26
The Holy Spirit is our Helper and Teacher, and He will guide us. Sometimes He may lead you to stay silent in a difficult conversation. Other times, He may prompt you to step away for a moment, regain your peace, and return with a gentle answer.
Proverbs tells us that "a soft answer turns away wrath." What a powerful truth! God has equipped us to walk in peace instead of strife because Jesus lives within us. He showed us how to respond with wisdom, grace, and love even in the face of conflict.
Invite the Holy Spirit to guide your words today. A Spirit-led response can change the entire outcome of a difficult conversation.
— Denise Renner
It is truly amazing that Jesus would ask us to love our enemies.
Friends, an enemy isn’t just a person who is annoying or mean or unlikable — it is someone who really hurts and holds malice for you, and that makes it so hard to give out love.
Maybe you need a reminder of how serious this command is, or maybe you’ve been struggling to believe that you can live it out. If that sounds like you, then I hope you will take a moment to read my article, “The Love Challenge.” I am praying that it shows you the power and importance of God’s love and reminds you that you are equipped to carry it out — no matter how difficult it seems.
You can read “The Love Challenge” by visiting https://t.co/kBLIZ8eqcw.
— Denise Renner
If you want your words to be seasoned with salt, you need to think about what you say. Don’t just speak without thinking, especially if you’re in a conflict, talking to someone you don’t like, or talking to someone you’re intimidated by. Think about what you’re going to say before you say it.
— Denise Renner
“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” — Colossians 4:6
Our prayers are powerful, and it’s a privilege to pray for our children, but their success can’t just depend on our prayers — many times, we don’t even know what we need to be praying for our children! But we can have hope in the fact that God’s hand is on our children.
— Denise Renner
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” — Proverbs 22:6
Your words matter more than you may realize. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that "death and life are in the power of the tongue." Every day, we have a choice about what we will speak.
What are you speaking over your life today? Are your words agreeing with fear, or are they agreeing with God's promises?
Choose to speak life. Choose to speak faith. Choose to speak what God says.
— Denise Renner
If you’re born again, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, and He is a Teacher and a Helper. When you don’t know what to do with your children, you can go to the Teacher and say, “I don’t know what to do here, but you’re my Helper, so help me.”
When you make that request of Him, you open the door for Him to come in and give you the wisdom to do what you need for your child.
— Denise Renner
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” — John 14:26
Have you ever found yourself asking, "Why do I keep struggling with the same sin?," or, "How do I finally break free from this cycle?"
The answer begins by drawing near to God. The enemy knows where we're vulnerable. Maybe it's offense, fear, anger, or another area that seems to trip you up again and again. God doesn't want you to stay stuck.
James 4:8 gives us this beautiful promise: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." When you take a step toward Him, He responds. He comes near with His presence, His power, and His wisdom. He knows exactly how to lead you into freedom.
You don't have to fight this battle alone. As you seek the Lord, He will reveal the answers you need and give you the strength to overcome.
— Denise Renner
Friend,
Feeling burdened today? You don’t have to carry it alone!
I invite you to call 1.800.742.5593 or email [email protected], and our prayer team will lift you up. As Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Let us pray for you and experience His peace today!
— Denise Renner
I want to encourage you about the power of your words! As God’s image on Earth, your tongue carries incredible influence — it can build up or destroy. This week, learn how to use your words wisely and speak life into every situation.
Watch my program on Monday at 7 AM CT on YouTube and Facebook, or catch it again on Wednesday at 12 PM CT. You won’t want to miss it, friends!
— Denise Renner
If you listen with your heart and speak with your mouth what God says about your children, then you can begin to declare their futures — not in a controlling way, but in a way that believes that no matter what path they take, they will love God, and He will take care of them.
— Denise Renner
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” — Numbers 6:24-26
Have you ever felt tired of waiting for an answer from God?
Maybe you've prayed, believed, and waited, yet you don't feel anything at all. Friend, I want to encourage you today: your relationship with God is not built on feelings. Feelings can change from hour to hour, but God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
That's why we must anchor ourselves in His Word.
The Bible says His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. When darkness tries to surround you or discouragement begins to whisper lies, God's Word brings light, truth, and direction.
There comes a moment when we have to make a choice: Will we focus on our feelings, or will we focus on what God has said? When we choose to set our hearts on His truth, His Word strengthens us, steadies us, and reminds us that He is faithful even when we don't feel it.
— Denise Renner
The Bible says that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). That means that He never takes them back. God believes that what He gave you is so powerful that He says, “I gave that to her, and I’m not removing it.”
— Denise Renner
“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” — Romans 11:29
Have you ever thought about patience as a worker?
James tells us, "Let patience have its perfect work." When I studied this verse, I discovered something fascinating: patience is described as a worker. It has a job to do. It wants to accomplish something in your life.
Think of it like a road crew clearing a path. If you allow the workers to do their job, the road becomes open and passable. In the same way, when you let patience work, it clears the way for God's purposes to move forward in your life.
So often, we want immediate answers, immediate results, and immediate change, but patience is accomplishing something beneath the surface. It is strengthening your faith, developing your character, and helping you become mature and complete. When patience is at work, it makes room for love to flow through us. Instead of reacting in frustration, we respond with grace. Instead of giving up, we remain steadfast.
— Denise Renner
We aren’t the only ones who lose when we stay in ourselves. When you don’t reach out to others, the gifts and talents you have never get given out to them. They never receive the blessing that you could have been to them.
— Denise Renner
“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” — 1 Peter 4:10
Friends,
No matter what you’re going through, there is power in prayer!
I encourage you to call 1.800.742.5593 or email [email protected] to connect with our prayer team. Remember Psalm 34:17: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.”
We would be honored to stand with you in prayer, bringing your needs before the One who never leaves you nor forsakes you.
— Denise Renner
Maybe you’ve questioned your faith, your salvation, or even your ability to truly pursue the Lord. You’re not alone, and you’re not without hope. The truth is, we can’t build our relationship with God on feelings. Emotions can shift, but His Word remains steady and sure. When doubt creeps in, we don’t have to guess where we stand — we can go back to what God has already said.
If you’ve ever wrestled with questions like this, I want to gently encourage you: your hunger for God matters more than you realize. In this Discovering Ruth blog post, I share a personal story and biblical truth that will help you replace uncertainty with confidence and feelings with faith.
To read my full blog post, click here: https://t.co/sNEjjEoJfa
— Denise Renner
The Bible says that whoever is slow to get angry, whoever practices self-control, is even greater than someone who is mighty. What a powerful perspective from God's Word!
We often admire people who accomplish great things or achieve remarkable victories, but God measures strength differently. He says that a person who exercises self-control and is slow to anger is greater than one who conquers a city.
How is that possible? Because if you are born again, God has placed self-control within your spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, you have the ability to choose patience instead of frustration, peace instead of anger, and grace instead of reaction.
— Denise Renner
Remember today what you left behind when you came to Jesus. Maybe you’ve picked up some of those things again. Maybe you’ve picked up offense or worry or ingratitude. The wonderful thing is that Jesus doesn’t just give us one opportunity. He doesn’t say, “You had your chance. You shouldn’t have picked that up again.” He knew we would pick those things back up, and He wants to encounter us and make the exchange all over again. Whatever you’re holding onto or whatever you’ve picked back up, it’s time to leave it behind. Instead, pick up thankfulness; pick up trust in God; pick up forgiveness, because that’s what an encounter with Jesus gives you.
— Denise Renner
“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” — Isaiah 43:18-19