Author Archives: Denise Boggs

God Uses Broken Things

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“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:17

GodWe can look at Scripture and be assured that God uses all things, even the broken pieces of our lives.  He will carefully hold each piece in His hand until just the right time, and then He uses it for good to help someone else.  After we have been healed of painful hurts and then repent for our own sinful responses, our testimony of God’s redemption is complete.

Before repentance, we tend to blame others or live in denial, thinking we do not have any problems.  It’s as if we have pure water flowing from our lips and they have muddy water coming from theirs.  After being healed we can begin to see our sinful responses and how they have hurt the one who hurt us, as well as others around us over whom we have influence.  It is during the process of repentance that our pride is broken and we can clearly see our own sin.

It was not until Jacob’s natural strength was broken, when “his hip was wrenched” (Gen. 32:25) at Peniel, that he came to the point where God anointed him with spiritual strength.

Once the poor and humble widow broke the seal on her only remaining jar of oil and began to pour, God miraculously multiplied the oil to pay her debts and thereby supplied her means of support (2 Kings 4:1-7).  All her needs were met because God used what had been broken.

Once Jesus took “the five loaves…and broke them” (Luke 9:16), the bread was multiplied to feed the five thousand.  It was through the very process of the loaves being broken that the miracle occurred.

Once Mary broke her beautiful “alabaster jar of very expensive perfume” (Matt. 26:7), the true value was revealed.  God uses broken things. Humbly take every broken piece of your life and give it the Lord.  Don’t try to glue it, fake it or fix it; simply release it.

Now, trust in Him to pass His hand over every broken piece of your life and use every piece.  Trust and wait on Him to turn all things around and use them for your good.  Stay humble before the Lord and He will lift you up.

Written by Denise Boggs

Take the High Way

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God’s ways are higher than our ways. Have you ever stopped to think that if you are trusting in what you see with the natural eye or your own abilities you are living in a lower level than where God intended for you to live? His way of life is much higher than your way of life and standard of living.

In comparison, your standard of living is as backwards as living back in the day when the weekly trip to the grocery store was made in a horse and wagon. Back then they couldn’t fathom flying across country in a few hours. In the buggy days they could only go as high as their hands could reach, or as hard as their hands could work.

In spiritual things, you need to check and see if you are living life as if you were back in the buggy days. God’s ways and principles for living are higher than our ways, and His ways make it possible for every believer to live in a better place. You cannot trust your tiny mind to comprehend what God has planned for you. You simply listen to His voice as He is calling you upward.

God’s plan and purpose for Moses took him up the mountain and what He has planned for your life will take you up to a higher place too. God’s plan for you is so great that your mind can not wrap around it, you can only grasp it with your spirit and the road that will take you there is an unseen road that is much higher than the natural road that you see.

You can only rely on His Way; the High Way and His voice that you hear by the spirit,   “This is the Way walk ye in it.” You can trust His Way; the Highway that will take you to the destination He has planned for you.

Written by Denise Boggs.

Watch God Work

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PrayerGod’s Word does not return to Him void! His Word will accomplish what He sent it to planet earth to accomplish.

Twenty five years ago I was given a scripture based prayer and encouraged to pray it diligently for each family member. At the time my husband and I only had one daughter, so that seemed do-able. I printed the prayer out, placed it in my Bible and prayed it every day, with my husband and daughter’s name in the prayer.

As I read this prayer today, in the Amplified version, I was amazed at how this simple prayer had been answered. I would like to encourage you to take this scripture prayer that Paul wrote in Colossians and pray it out loud daily, inserting each family member’s name as you pray. You will not be praying your opinion or thoughts for them, but God’s will. Then all you do is stand back and watch God work in their lives.

Twenty five years later, my husband and I have often been asked how we were able to raise three children who love the Lord and have never rebelled. I believe with all my heart this scripture based prayer answers that question.

“Since the day I heard it, I have not ceased to pray for ( husband/ wife/ child’s name) that he/she will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That (husband/wife / child’s name) _will walk worthy of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of Christ” (Colossians 1:9-11 paraphrased).

This is the Amplified version of Paul’s prayer:

Verse 9 – “For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray and make [special] request for you, [asking] that you may be filled with the full (deep and clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God] and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things.

Verse 10 – That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition.

Verse 11 – We pray that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, to exercise every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy” (Colossians 1: 9-11).

Written by Denise Boggs.

Holding on in Times of Trouble

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“Peace I leave with you…”John 14: 27

In my quiet time this morning I realized Jesus gave instructions how to hold on in a time of trouble.  He said in John 14:27, to stay in peace.  He left us with His peace to grab hold of and hold on to it; His very own peace.  Imagine that, He took the peace He had while here on earth; the peace that covered Him and kept Him resting during times of trouble.  He knew the cross was ahead of Him but, He remained in peace.

He didn’t get fearful-  He remained steadfast and unmovable always abounding in the will of His Father.  This peace was like a warm blanket, once His work on earth was completed.  He no-longer needed it, but, He knew we would need it so He gave it to us.

How do you maintain and hold on to this peace?

You first receive peace as a gift from the Lord; a wonderful gift that you hold on to.  You must be conscious where it is; think about it this way, whatever is important to you, you know where it is at all times.

For instance, where is your cell phone right now? is it beside you?  Most of us know where our cell phone is because it helps us get through our day.  If I leave mine at home, I turn around and go back and get it.  The peace of the Lord is far more important; don’t leave home in the morning without it.  Get up early and spend time with the Lord, as you spend time in His presence, His peace will rest upon you.

Written by Denise Boggs.

He Heals the Broken Hearted

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“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

Connecting with people is sometimes very difficult to do.  And how heartbreaking it is when – for whatever reason – we can’t seem to connect even with those who are closest to us.

If you have been hurt in a relationship, you may be guarding your heart and fearful of being hurt again. It is very hard and even impossible to connect when you can’t lay your guard down and open your heart.

Trust God to heal your heart that has been wounded or betrayed and is now broken.  If you find it hard to connect with others you may have a wounded heart that needs to be healed.  Healing comes by faith.  The prayer of faith shall heal the sick and the prayer of faith shall heal the heart.

Pray this simple prayer right now and by faith begin receiving your healing:

Father God, It is hard for me to connect to others. I have been hurt and I want to be healed. I ask you to heal my broken heart and bind up my wounds.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Written by Denise Boggs.

Worship Me and Watch Me Work

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H02C0095This morning as I sat with the Lord in a quite time, He showed me the key that will solve every problem and conquer every fear.

As I was praying for strength, wisdom, guidance and direction for the day, the sun began to rise. When the first ray of sunlight hit my face I heard the Lord’s voice, “just worship Me.” At that moment all the concerns I had for myself and others were gone as the Lord said, “Worship Me and Watch Me Work.”

My prayer for wisdom ceased.

My prayer for strength was fulfilled.

My prayer for guidance and direction was answered.

I realized the troubles of our life take all our attention; they even take our attention away from worshiping the Lord during our quiet time.

Lift your heart to the Lord, worship Him and watch Him work.  He has promised He will work all things out for your good, so trust Him.

“…Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will show to you today.” Exodus 14:13 KJV.

Learning to Trust Again

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“He heals the brokenhearted and bindeth up their wounds.” Psalms 147:3

God has made full provision for healing the pain of past so you can trust again.

Have you ever trusted someone to love you that did not know how to love?  Or have you ever loved someone that did not know how to receive your love?

In both cases you will experience rejection. This type of rejection is very painful especially when it comes from someone whom you really trust. The pain from being hurt by someone you trust is much greater than being hurt by a casual friend.  It takes years to build trust, but it only takes a moment of rejection to tear down trust. This is because when you trust someone, you open your heart up to them.  When they reject you, the natural tendency is to close your heart to them in order to avoid being hurt again. The pain that comes from rejection creates a big wound that must be healed in order to be able to trust that person again.

Jesus made complete provision for our physical and emotional healing.  But many people are stuck, “locked in time” desperately needing to be set free from the pain of the past. One way many people try to get rid of pain is to just forget what happened and forget about the person who hurt them.  You can tear that person out of your address book and for a while you will be able to forget what happened but if healing did not occur the pain is still there.

The pain that lingers from the past keeps you tied to the past.  Isaiah, the prophet, said in Isaiah 1:4-6 that those people who have not been healed will go backwards. Like taking one step forward and then two steps backward, you aren’t getting anywhere.

Another way many people deal with pain is to run from it or pretend it really isn’t there.  Pain is like a shadow you look around and it is still there no matter how fast you run.  That is why so many people are walking around with the shadow of the past still on them.  Pain must be faced and dealt with in order for it to be put away.   Instead of running from pain, stop, turn around and face it.  Pain must be faced to be healed.

You may be one who has received some healing, but the pain still remains. Jeremiah 6:14 also says that when a person has only been healed slightly, they say peace, peace, but when there is no peace. The amount of peace you are having can be a good indicator of how much healing you have received. Once you are healed and the pain is gone you will be ale to hold your heart open again and trust. Healing produces trust in you. If the person that hurt you has proven over and over to not be trustworthy, suggest they also receive healing. Healing produces trustworthiness in them.

Then wait on the Lord to give you peace.

Written by Denise Boggs.

Discouraged and Defeated?

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My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me.  Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.  I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.  I would flee far away and stay in the desert; Selah.   I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.” Psalm 55:4-8

Discouragement is a real problem.  Discouraged people would rather sleep then face one more discouragement.  Why would a person get so discouraged that they would choose to just lie down and sleep?  They are tired.  Those who have graced others mistakes and sins without seeing any change, get tired.  Then discouragement, which is the opposite of encouragement, sets in.  We can not afford to go a day without encouragement.  It is water to the thirsty soul. (Ps. 107:9)

Discouragement is much like taking a nap; it seems ok, and even justified because you are tired.  But, in this day and time it is a trap of the enemy.  Don’t give in.  People who are weary many times do not recognize the enemy’s trap until they have stumbled and fallen into it.

If you have been discouraged and slumbering, wake up to the goodness of God.  You don’t want to miss out on seeing His mighty hand as He intervenes in your situation.  We are in the time in history that we must stay awake, watch, and pray. God’s hand is not too short; He will come and He will save you no matter what situation you are facing.

Instead of giving into discouragement, begin speaking the truth into the situation. Then stand back and see the salvation of the Lord.  Remember, don’t’ give in to discouragement; it is not your friend.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.  But you, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption; bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days.  But as for me, I trust in you. Psalm 55: 22-23.

Written by Denise Boggs

The Path of Life

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“Show me the path of life…” Psalm 16:11

God knows exactly what is going on in your world. He has provided everything you need to live during these times; and actually He has provided a way for you to live in peace even during times of trouble.   Find the path of life, the peace of God.

Once you find the path of life, stay there, don’t let your heart be troubled.  Stop allowing yourself stray off the path, lost and fearful.  You have a choice; you simple stay on the path.  You have a choice daily;  so don’t allow your circumstances to be in charge.

You have been given the choice and you can choose peace over fear, anxiety, and stress.  You can choose faith over fear; it is that simple.  When you choose faith over fear you just choose life instead of death.  When you choose peace over anxiety and stress you have again chosen life.  The enemy wants to convince you that everything is hopeless, but the God of all peace wants you to know that you have a choice, He says in Deut. 30:15-16, (paraphrased) “Choose life and you shall live.”

It is a choice of life over death, it is that important of a choice. Think about your last doctor’s visit.  If you have a heart condition he made it very clear how harmful certain things like too much sugar and salt are to your health.  It is hard to keep yourself from eating these things, but, for your health’s sake you can do it.  Everyday that you overcome the temptation not to eat those things that are harming your body you feel a difference.  You feel stronger and have more energy.  Did you know that worry and fear are more harmful to our body than too much sugar and salt?  That is why Jesus said, “Stop allowing yourself to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated, cowardly and unsettled.”

I repeat, just stop allowing it; you do have a choice, choose the path of life and walk on it.  Choose the peace of Jesus daily and you shall live.

Written by Denise Boggs..

Lay Aside Every Weight

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“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run (active persistence the appointed course) the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 Amp

The definition for weight in this verse is heaviness or a burden that you carry around. It is always with you and influences every action you take.

People who have grown up in dysfunctional or alcoholic homes may be weighted down by this unexplained heaviness. The difficult situations they have faced growing up were much greater than those of someone who grew up in a healthy home. When faced with difficult situations, a person’s natural response is to blame and judge. You can judge by simply criticizing or looking down on someone for their mistakes.

If you grew up in a dysfunctional home you had many opportunities to criticize, so you may have left home with many judgments. Years later, you may still be carrying around a lot of unexplained weight from judgments that were made and forgotten. But this weight is still there, and it will keep you bogged down and hindered from running the race that is set before you. The weight from judgments actually gets heavier as the years go by.

Judgments also bind you up, and you are bound to do the very same thing you judged someone else for doing. The judgment actually keeps you from doing what you want to do. You are bound up and weighted down by the sin of the judgment.

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.  Mathew 7:1-5

What are the specific judgments that you realize you have made? Once you recognize a judgment, you must first repent to God; then with His help, you can lay aside that weight and sin that has easily beset you for so many years.

Written by Denise Boggs.