Mar 9 25
Scriptural Self-Talk
“O my soul, don’t be discouraged. Don’t be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise Him for all that He will do. He is my help! He is my God!” Psalm 42:11 TLB
I didn’t become fully aware of the power of self-talk for good or for evil until I became a student of the Scriptures, especially the Psalms. Why did the Holy Spirit lead these men to practice so much self-talk? There can be many reasons, but one that stands out for me is that when we engage in holy self-talk, we silence the voice of the enemy.
The Lord led me to memorize Psalm 42:11 (TLB) many years ago, so that as soon as ungodly, negative thoughts came into my mind, I could declare: “O my soul, don’t be discouraged. Don’t be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise Him for all that He will do. He is my help! He is my God!” Here, I am reminding myself that if I will just keep my trust in the Lord, and expect Him to act on my behalf, He will prove Himself to be my Helper and my God. And He will give me more reasons to thank and praise Him.
Jesus said that we would have trials and tribulations in this life, but He also said that we should be of good cheer, just the same. (John 16:33 NKJV) He never meant for us to go through this life joyless, hopeless, or filled with anxiety and despair. He died for us so that we could have the Holy Spirit dwelling on the inside of us to guide us, strengthen us, and lead us into all truth. When we are facing a disturbing situation, we can ask the Spirit of God to help us to see it from His perspective, and to enable us to respond to it in a godly way. An important part of our path to victory is to practice Scripture-based self-talk. Psalm 43:5 (TLB) says: “O my soul, why be so gloomy and discouraged? Trust in God! I shall again praise Him for His wondrous help; He will make me smile again, for He is my God!” Every time I declare this verse with conviction, I sense a strengthening in my soul. It is the Holy Spirit’s way of reminding me to put my trust in God because He will not disappoint me. On the contrary, His “wondrous help” will enable me to smile again, and will give me even more reasons to praise Him.
King David wrote: “Praise the Lord, I tell myself, and never forget the good things He does for me.” (Psalm 103:1 NLT) Keep reminding yourself of the goodness of God, and watch what He will do for you, in you, and through you!
Lord, when I am faced with a disturbing situation, help me to view it from Your perspective, and enable me to respond in a godly way. Teach me how to speak words of victory and success over every challenge that comes my way. Thank You that as I practice Scriptural self-talk daily, I will always have the upper hand over the enemy!
*To order J. M. Farro books on Amazon, please use this link!
*To purchase J. M. Farro autographed books, check out the J. M. Farro ETSY Store at www.etsy.com/shop/JMFarro
*Join the J. M. Farro Devotionals group on Facebook, and connect with J. M. Farro — with mid-week devotionals in addition to the standard weekly devotionals. You can access this group by clicking here!
Mar 2 25
We All Make Mistakes
“Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.” James 3:2 NLT
I was listening to a powerful teaching about our speech, when the verse above was highlighted. The Holy Spirit brought conviction to my heart, saying that I had become so afraid of saying something wrong, that I was not following His leadership when He directed me to confront others about their sin. Then I saw the Message Bible translation of this verse: “We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths.” (James 3:2 MSG) I have to tell you that hearing this truth brought me a new sense of freedom in the area of my words. Why? Because God doesn’t expect me to be “perfect,” as the verse above says. If I were, I wouldn’t need a Savior.
I am sharing this message with you because I believe that most Christians today are so afraid of saying something wrong – and ruining their witness – that we are remaining silent when we should be opening our mouths and speaking up for God. And we are losing more and more ground to Satan and his evil cohorts.
If you have received Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are equipped with the Spirit of God to speak for Him. There are promises in Scripture to back you up in every situation that you will encounter in this life. Jesus said: “Don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking – it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matthew 10:19-20 NLT) If you will step out on the basis of this promise when the Lord leads you to, He will use you to touch and change lives in an eternal way.
When you walk in close fellowship with God throughout each day, He will prompt you when He wants to use your mouth to speak to someone on His behalf. You will sense a stirring in your spirit, and that’s your cue to pray, “Lord, do You want me to say something to this person now? If so, please give me the right words at the right time. And please prepare their heart in advance to be receptive to my words.” Sometimes, the Holy Spirit will tell you to wait until a more opportune time.
I will be honest and tell you that there have been times when I confronted people about their sin, and I lost my temper and said all the wrong things. Thankfully, the end result was still positive because God saw my heart, and He intervened on my behalf because He knew that I was just trying to obey Him. Is there someone in your life who the Lord might want YOU to confront today?
Lord, help me to not be so afraid of saying the wrong thing in a situation that I remain silent when You want me to speak. Remind me often that Your Spirit dwells in me, and that You are always available to give me the right words at the right time. Thank You that as I walk in close fellowship with You each day, the proper answer of my tongue will come from You! (Proverbs 16:1 NIV)
*To order J. M. Farro books on Amazon, please use this link!
*To purchase J. M. Farro autographed books, check out the J. M. Farro ETSY Store at www.etsy.com/shop/JMFarro
*Join the J. M. Farro Devotionals group on Facebook, and connect with J. M. Farro — with mid-week devotionals in addition to the standard weekly devotionals. You can access this group by clicking here!
Feb 23 25
Ask God for Something Tangible
“Then Isaiah said, ‘Make an ointment from figs.’ So Hezekiah’s servants spread the ointment over the boil, and Hezekiah recovered!” 2 Kings 20:7 NLT
When we are in a difficult place, and we are seeking the Lord, sometimes it helps to ask Him to answer our prayer in the form of something tangible. Remember the story of good King Hezekiah and the illness that threatened his life? God had Isaiah the prophet tell His servant the king that he should get his house in order, because he was about to die. Instead of resigning himself to his fate, Hezekiah turned to the Lord in prayer, asking for His help. As a result, God provided an ointment of figs which ministered healing and restoration to the king. (2 Kings 20:1-7)
The Lord could have easily healed Hezekiah without an ointment, or any other remedy. But instead, He provided and anointed an ointment of figs to bring about His servant’s recovery. I have discovered that when I need healing myself, or I have a problem with no apparent solution, I can ask the Lord for an anointed “fig ointment” of my very own, and He will often provide one for me. Receiving something tangible from the Lord when I am confused and hurting can encourage my heart and my faith.
After Hezekiah’s recovery, he didn’t go around telling people that he was healed by a fig ointment – He gave God the credit and the glory. But that ointment bolstered his faith in a way that helped him to see the Lord’s love and concern for him.
Perhaps today, you are in a painful place, and you need a touch from God. I encourage you to turn to Him today and say, “Lord, please give me an anointed ‘fig ointment’ of my own…”
Lord, when I am facing troubles of any kind, remind me of this spiritual principle, and cause Your Holy Spirit to prompt me to pray for something tangible according to Your will. Thank You that when You intervene on my behalf, You and You alone will get all the praise, the honor, and the glory in Jesus’ name!
*To order J. M. Farro books on Amazon, please use this link!
*To purchase J. M. Farro autographed books, check out the J. M. Farro ETSY Store at www.etsy.com/shop/JMFarro
*Join the J. M. Farro Devotionals group on Facebook, and connect with J. M. Farro — with mid-week devotionals in addition to the standard weekly devotionals. You can access this group by clicking here!
Feb 16 25
God’s Favor and Salvation
“Blessed and happy and enviably fortunate and spiritually prosperous (in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!” Matthew 5:10 AMP
The Holy Spirit led me to the verse above in the Amplified translation when I was thinking about how awful it feels to be persecuted and insulted for my faith. I can go for days nursing my wounds after I have had to endure ridicule for being a Christian, especially when the perpetrators have been my own loved ones. Perhaps you can understand how I feel.
As I meditated on Matthew 5:10, I realized that, if I chose to, I could “enjoy and find satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of [my] outward conditions.” As a “born-again child of God,” I am on my way to Heaven. Think about that. As followers of Christ, we are in the family of the Most High God. We have His favor and salvation, no matter what our circumstances are. And nothing can change that. No amount of ridicule, insults, or persecution can change the fact that we have an intimate and eternal relationship with Almighty God through His Son, Jesus. We alone can boldly and confidently approach God’s throne of grace whenever we have a need. (Hebrews 4:16) We alone can claim “His precious and magnificent promises of inexpressible value” for every situation we will ever face in this life. (2 Peter 1:4 AMP) And where would we be without the promises of God?
Today, let me leave you with these words of Jesus from the Message Bible translation of Luke 6:22-23: “Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit Me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens – skip like a lamb, if you like! – for even though they don’t like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds!”
Lord, when I suffer insults or persecution for my faith in You, please comfort and console me as only You can. Teach me how to spend time in Your Word each day, meditating on Your magnificent promises and lifting them up to You in prayer. Thank You for the untold rewards that I will receive here on earth and in Heaven because of my steadfast devotion to You!
*To order J. M. Farro books on Amazon, please use this link!
*To purchase J. M. Farro autographed books, check out the J. M. Farro ETSY Store at www.etsy.com/shop/JMFarro
*Join the J. M. Farro Devotionals group on Facebook, and connect with J. M. Farro — with mid-week devotionals in addition to the standard weekly devotionals. You can access this group by clicking here!
Feb 9 25
From Bad to Worse
“My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all!” Psalm 25:17 NLT
The verse above from one of David’s psalms reminds me of the phrase, “out of the frying pan into the fire.” According to the dictionary, this popular idiom “is used to describe the situation of going from a bad or difficult situation to a WORSE one, often as the result of trying to ESCAPE from the bad or difficult one.”
I recently bought a new toaster for my husband, Joe, because he was constantly complaining about our old one. I read reviews for the new one online, so I was pretty confident when I made this purchase. However, when the new toaster arrived and we tested it, it turned out to be far worse than our old one. I promptly returned it, and got our money back.
Wouldn’t it be nice if all of the wrong decisions we make were solved so quickly and easily? Unfortunately, that’s usually not the case when we make bad decisions. When David says – “My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all!” – He’s asking God to intervene on his behalf, and to make all of his wrongs right. The Lord can – and often does – undo mistakes that we make. But there are times when He will allow us to suffer the natural consequences of our bad decisions, so that we can learn from them in ways that will help us in the future.
The best way for us to avoid unnecessary hardships and heartaches is to consult God BEFORE we make decisions. David says in this same psalm: “Where is the man who fears the Lord? God will teach him how to choose the best. He shall live within God’s circle of blessing.” (Psalm 25:12-13 TLB) This is a divine guarantee that when we seek the Lord and His will in a situation out of our deep reverence for Him, He will help us to “choose the best.”
You and I never have to go “from the frying pan into the fire.” Our problems never need to go “from bad to worse.” With God’s help, we can learn to make the right decision every time, and we can continually “live within God’s circle of blessing.” Whatever situation comes to mind when you read this today, I encourage you to pray – “Lord, help me to choose the best!”
Lord, remind me often that because Your Spirit dwells in me, I can make decisions and choices according to Your wisdom. When I am tempted to escape a bad situation by making it worse, please stop me in my tracks and redirect my steps. Thank You for helping me to choose the best as I walk closely with You throughout each day!
*To order J. M. Farro books on Amazon, please use this link!
*To purchase J. M. Farro autographed books, check out the J. M. Farro ETSY Store at www.etsy.com/shop/JMFarro
*Join the J. M. Farro Devotionals group on Facebook, and connect with J. M. Farro — with mid-week devotionals in addition to the standard weekly devotionals. You can access this group by clicking here!
Feb 2 25
Evidence of God’s Favor
“Show me evidence of Your favor. Then those who hate me will see it and be ashamed, for You, O Lord, will help me and comfort me.” Psalm 86:17 NET
These are the words of David the shepherd-king. If I had to choose one psalm in the Bible that was my all-time favorite, it would be this one. I love how David boldly asks God for “evidence” of His favor. According to some good definitions of the word “evidence,” David is asking the Lord for visible signs of His favor – even a manifestation of God’s approval and support. David wants those who hate him to “see” God’s favor on his life, in the hope that it will shame them, while it “helps and comforts” him.
Psalm 109 is another passage where David speaks about this same biblical principle. “Help me, O Lord my God! Save me because of Your unfailing love. Let them SEE that this is Your doing, that You yourself have done it, Lord.” (v. 26-27 NLT) Here again, David is praying that the Lord will make his enemies aware of the divine favor on his life – favor that manifests in the form of divine help and deliverance.
In Psalm 31, David says: “How great is the goodness You have stored up for those who fear You. You lavish it on those who come to You for protection, blessing them before the watching world.” (v. 19 NLT) David wants us to know that when we fear and reverence the Lord, and we live lives that honor Him, we are going to be lavished with divine blessings, as our earthly enemies – and the devil himself – watch in horror.
Psalm 23 may be the most famous of David’s psalms. I particularly like the God’s Word Translation which says: “You prepare a banquet for me while my enemies watch. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows.” (v. 5 GW) David is rejoicing in the fact that the Lord will make his “enemies watch” as He pours out His abundant favor, provision, and victory upon him.
If you are a follower of Christ, then you have the privilege of praying with confidence today – “Send me a miraculous sign to show me how much You love me, so that those who hate me will see it and be ashamed. Don’t they know that You, Lord, are my comforter, the one who comes to help me?” (Psalm 86:17 TPT)
Lord, I come before You today asking for visible signs of Your favor – even a manifestation of Your approval and support. Cause even those who doubt Your power to see Your hand at work in my life in a mighty way. Thank You that those who oppose me will be “as nothing at all” because of my devotion to You and Your Word! (Isaiah 41:12)
*To order J. M. Farro books on Amazon, please use this link!
*To purchase J. M. Farro autographed books, check out the J. M. Farro ETSY Store at www.etsy.com/shop/JMFarro
*Join the J. M. Farro Devotionals group on Facebook, and connect with J. M. Farro — with mid-week devotionals in addition to the standard weekly devotionals. You can access this group by clicking here!
Jan 26 25
Feed Yourself!
“Some men are so lazy they won’t even feed themselves!” Proverbs 19:24 TLB
One of the best things that came out of the Coronavirus pandemic was that many of God’s people learned how to feed themselves spiritually because so many churches around the world were closed. Sadly, there were also many Christians who were so used to being spoon-fed spiritually that the verse above applied to them.
One Bible commentator said of this verse: “Those that are slothful in religion, will not be at the pains to feed their souls with the bread of life, nor to fetch in promised blessings by prayer.” One of the best reasons to feed on God’s Word is to be able to pray His promises back to Him, enabling us to lay hold of His blessings by faith. You don’t have to be a spiritual giant to do this. All it takes is the willingness to carve out some time in your daily schedule to read, study, and meditate on the Scriptures.
How do you start? You start by asking the Lord to put a desire in your heart to seek Him diligently through His Word on a consistent basis. When God prompts you through His indwelling Spirit to nourish Yourself with His Word, you answer His call and make it a priority. If you aren’t able to discern promptings like these, it could be because you have ignored them for so long that it’s difficult for you to perceive them clearly.
Jesus said: “People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God.” (Matthew 4:4 NLT) Christians who don’t regularly feed on the Scriptures will be spiritually weak, and will become easy targets for Satan and his demons. They will suffer in this life more than they need to, and they will miss out on the best of God’s promised blessings.
I have a lot of Bibles, including study Bibles, that help me to really dig into the Scriptures daily. I read devotionals online each day that give me unique insights into God’s Word. I have a stack of prayer books with prayers based on the promises of God. In other words, I have a wealth of study materials that help me to get the most out of the Scriptures. And the Lord uses these things to speak to my heart, and to guide me along His perfect pathway for my life. I am feeding myself with the Word of God each and every day. How about you?
Lord, fill me with a growing passion for Your presence and Your Word. Help me to carve out time in my schedule each day to read, study, and meditate on the Scriptures. Show me which study materials to use, and whose teaching You approve of for me. Thank You that as I feed myself spiritually on a consistent basis, I will become strong in spirit, and I will reap the full benefits of Your promises!
*To order J. M. Farro books on Amazon, please use this link!
*To purchase J. M. Farro autographed books, check out the J. M. Farro ETSY Store at www.etsy.com/shop/JMFarro
*Join the J. M. Farro Devotionals group on Facebook, and connect with J. M. Farro — with mid-week devotionals in addition to the standard weekly devotionals. You can access this group by clicking here!
Jan 19 25
Make it a Priority
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 NKJV
This past Christmas season, I was having a difficult time keeping up with my regular exercise routine because I was so busy with holiday-related activities and responsibilities. I had so much to do that I wasn’t even getting the sleep that I needed. One morning, the Lord gently reminded me that I had been missing too many of my workouts. I asked Him how I was supposed to squeeze exercising in with everything else I had to do. That’s when He told me, “Make it a priority.” When I looked up the definition of “priority,” I found that the word comes from the word “prior,” which means “to come before something else.” So I began doing my workouts early in the day, before I went on to do other things.
One definition of “priority” is “the concern, interest, or desire that comes before all others.” I have discovered that when we make spending time alone with God each day a “priority,” every area of our lives is transformed, including our relationships – especially our relationship with God. The Lord doesn’t expect us to put Him first in our lives just because He wants to be closer to us – that’s a huge part of it. But He wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives so we can live the lives He has called us to – lives of freedom, wholeness, and excellence.
Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV) This tells us that there are great rewards awaiting us when we give the Lord first place in our lives. Let’s make 2025 our best year yet by making our God our highest priority!
Lord, teach me how to make You my highest priority every single day. Remind me daily to spend undistracted, unhurried time in Your presence and Your Word. Restructure my priorities according to Your perfect will and purpose. Thank You that as I seek first Your way of doing and being right, You will pour out Your blessings upon me in full measure! (Matthew 6:33 AMP)
*To order J. M. Farro books on Amazon, please use this link!
*To purchase J. M. Farro autographed books, check out the J. M. Farro ETSY Store at www.etsy.com/shop/JMFarro
*Join the J. M. Farro Devotionals group on Facebook, and connect with J. M. Farro — with mid-week devotionals in addition to the standard weekly devotionals. You can access this group by clicking here!
Jan 12 25
A Place of Abundance
“For You, O God, have tested us; You have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; You laid a crushing burden on our backs; You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet You have brought us out to a place of abundance.” Psalm 66:10-12 ESV
Even for the most devoted Christians, life has a way of pushing us down sometimes. That’s why we can relate to the verses above in one way or another. A loved one walks out on us. A grown child moves away. We lose a much-needed job. Our finances take a downturn. A debilitating illness overtakes us. And worst of all, some of the people we most need encouragement from are the ones who will kick us when we are down.
Fortunately, the Lord has good news for us in times like these. After He has allowed us to be “tested” and “tried,” He promises to “[bring] us OUT to a place of abundance.” In other words, God isn’t just going to deliver us from our troubles, but He is going to use our trials to position us to receive greater opportunities, blessings, and rewards than ever before. Our job during the hard times is to keep our trust in the Lord, and to believe that there is a treasure for us in every trial.
The Passion Translation reads, “Yet in the end You ALWAYS bring us out BETTER than we were before, saturated with Your goodness.” (v. 12) This is the promise of Romans 8:28 – that God will cause ALL things to work together for our good. So, keep your eyes on the Lord and His promises, and let Him lead you to a place of abundance!
Lord, help me to find the treasure in every trial. Remind me often that You are the ultimate Promise-Keeper, and that Your faithfulness to Your Word is guaranteed. When I am struggling, fill me with a fresh sense of hope and expectation. Thank You for bringing me out of every trial better than ever before!
*To order J. M. Farro books on Amazon, please use this link!
*To purchase J. M. Farro autographed books, check out the J. M. Farro ETSY Store at www.etsy.com/shop/JMFarro
*Join the J. M. Farro Devotionals group on Facebook, and connect with J. M. Farro — with mid-week devotionals in addition to the standard weekly devotionals. You can access this group by clicking here!
Jan 5 25
