Displaying items by tag: devotional

by Margie Mayes, Donor Care Manager 

We live in a world that rarely rests. There’s a constant hum of notifications, deadlines, and demands. The pressure to be available, the drive to perform, the fear of falling behind — it’s all around us. We move through our days half-present, half-drained, always reaching for something more. The world tells us that our worth is measured by what we produce, that rest is indulgent, and stillness is weakness.

But God invites us into a completely different rhythm; one that is anchored in His presence, not our productivity. “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

Stillness is not laziness or giving up. It’s a quiet strength that grows out of trust. It’s the peace that comes from letting go of what we can’t control and resting in the truth that He holds it all. Stillness reminds us that we are not our own source.

The Hebrew word for Sabbath (Shabbat) means to cease. It’s the intentional stopping, the holy pause that opens our hearts to receive what only God can give. Sabbath was never meant to be a rule to follow but a rhythm to live by. God modeled it Himself. After creating the heavens and the earth, He rested. Not because He was tired, but because He was satisfied. Completion led to rest. Striving leads to exhaustion.

Jesus echoed this when He said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28–29)

He wasn’t talking about a nap or a vacation. He was offering rest for our souls. The kind of rest that quiets anxiety, dissolves fear, and reminds us that our lives are held in the hands of the One who never slumbers or sleeps. (Psalm 121:4)

But rest doesn’t happen by accident. It requires intentionality. It means releasing our grip on the need to control outcomes and trusting that God’s provision is enough, even when our to-do list is not complete. Sabbath rest is not just taking a day off work; it’s the posture of our hearts. It’s a declaration that God is God, and we are not.

We can’t pour from an empty vessel, yet many of us keep trying. We push through our limits and call it faithfulness. We confuse being busy with being fruitful. But apart from Him, our efforts run dry. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Our strength doesn’t come from constant motion but from continual connection to the source of life, Himself. We draw from the divine thesaurus God, the endless reservoir of wisdom, peace, and renewal. Every word that describes true strength, peace, steadiness, courage, and rootedness finds its meaning in Him. These aren’t personality traits; they are the fruits of communion with the Lord. “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.” (Psalm 62:1)

Learning to Sabbath is learning to breathe again. To inhale grace and exhale striving. To let go of the illusion that everything depends on us. The world keeps spinning even when we stop. God holds it all. He holds us all.

Strength in stillness is not about doing less. It’s about trusting more. It’s found in those sacred moments when we quiet the noise, light a candle, close our eyes, and whisper, “You are God, and I am Yours.”

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

This verse captures the heart of Sabbath living. Repentance reminds us to return to God as our source. Rest reminds us that He is enough. Quietness reminds us that His voice is gentle. Trust reminds us that His promises never fail.

The world measures worth by output, but God measures strength by surrender. He invites us to stop striving, to step away from the noise, and to find our peace in Him. When we choose Sabbath, we are saying, “God, I trust You more than my effort.”

Stillness becomes power. Silence becomes prayer. Rest becomes worship.

Let the striving cease. Be still. Let your soul Sabbath in His presence. That’s where your true strength will always be found.

by Lauri Campbell, Affiliation Coordinator

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."(Ephesians 6:11,13) 

The command to “stand firm” is repeated in this passage and elsewhere in Scripture. What does it mean to “stand firm?”

The Greek verb is (histēmi), meaning "to stand, set, or place". There’s a military implication here, referring to a soldier holding their position firmly in battle. The imagery is of an individual soldier holding their position while undergoing an assault.

Sound familiar? 

You’re likely no stranger to “spiritual forces of evil,” and yet day after day, we have to get up and get right back in the fight. 

How?

• Keep our eyes on Jesus
   ” ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
  (Hebrews 12:2-3)
  
  As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must constantly look to His example for us when faced with warfare. He endured! He gives us the grace and strength to do the same.

• Keep our eyes on our assigned position
  In John 21, Jesus appears to the disciples for a 3rd time since rising from the dead. He reinstates Peter (after his three denials), and an interesting conversation ensues. 
  
  Jesus has just charged Peter to “Follow me.” Peter looks up, sees John, and asks, “‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus answered, If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’”(John 21:21-22)
  
  As Believers, we’ve all been given an individual mission, and we must keep our eyes on our own position or assignment.  It’s difficult to stand firm with our necks cranked in various directions, looking at the duties or roles of others.

• Keep a humble heart
  “Pride goes before destruction.”(Proverbs 16:18a)
  
  Humility protects us from destruction and from falling out of a firm stance.
  
  The Prophet, Micah, instructs: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”(Micah 6:8)

• Have an unshakable faith in God
  “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”(Ephesians 6:16)
  
  While standing firm, we will encounter accusations, deceptions, and temptations. That’s what the shield of faith is for. To extinguish those assaults quickly and not allow them to take root or gain any ground in your life.

• Have a grateful heart
  "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."(1Thessalonians 5:18)
  
  Even with our feet firmly planted, we can experience discouragement. The discipline of counting our blessings is the best weapon against a “woe is me” attitude. By simply listing all the things we have to be thankful for and giving praise, our despondency will begin to shrink as our gratitude for our faithful God grows.

• Have a forgiving heart
  “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”(Colossians 3:13)
  
  The whole Gospel is based on forgiveness. God forgave us. We’re commanded to forgive others. Unforgiveness is a sure-fire way to lose our footing because it tortures us.
  
  In Matthew 18, Jesus tells a parable about a man who refuses to forgive someone even after he has been forgiven. And Jesus describes the consequences of that unforgiveness as being like torture. 

Put on the full armor and plant your feet firmly on The Rock.  PRAISE GOD, He has given us everything we need to: stand firm, stand our ground, and after all is said and done, STAND!

Prayer 

Lord Jesus, we put on the full armor of God, so that we will be able to stand firm against the scheme of the enemy and so that when the day of evil comes, we will be able to stand our ground. After we have done everything else you have commanded us to do, teach us to stand. Jesus, we want to be found steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the works of you. May we be on the alert, standing firm in the faith as well as resisting our enemy. We know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings, and we ask you to help them stand as well, God. Help us to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. May others see that we are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. We give you all the honor and glory, God. Thank you for the strength to stand firm.
Amen.

(references: Ephesians 6:11,13, 1 Corinthians 15:58, 1 Corinthians 16:1 & 3, Philippians 1:27 & 4:1, 1 Peter 5:9)

by Michele Cheresnick, Affiliation Coordinator

In the midst of serving clients and carrying out the day-to-day work of a Pregnancy Help Organization, prayer can easily be pushed aside. Yet taking time to pray with staff and volunteers is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen your team and your ministry.

Prayer isn’t just a spiritual habit; it must be our priority. When we take time to pray, we set the tone for a Christ-centered culture, reminding everyone that this mission doesn’t rest on human strength but on God’s guidance and provision. Moments of prayer create unity, encourage weary hearts, and build trust among staff and volunteers, a reminder that our work is a calling, not just a task.

Each month, we will share a prayer prompt and a prayer for you to use with your team. Post it in your center’s prayer closet, pray through it together, and invite God to lead your ministry through every conversation and decision.

Standing with You in Prayer: A meaningful affiliate benefit

At Heartbeat, we’ve always made prayer for our affiliates a priority, but we want to go even further. We are intentionally lifting up you and your ministry in prayer each day—and we warmly invite you to share your needs with us.

Whenever you feel led or face a challenge, reach out and use the prayer board. Know that every request will be personally prayed over by our Heartbeat staff, with care and consistency. We want you to feel the support of our prayers as you carry out the important work God has entrusted to your team.

This is more than a benefit—it’s a partnership. Standing together in prayer, we can invite God’s guidance, strength, and peace into every conversation, decision, and moment of your ministry.

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." – Matthew 18:20

Monthly Prayer Prompt
This month, let’s focus on gratitude for God’s provision.

• Thank Him for the donors and community partners who faithfully support your center.
  
  
• Pray for wisdom in stewarding every gift, every hour, and every opportunity to serve.
  
  
• Ask God to bless your physical space—that it would be a place of safety, peace, and hope for every client who enters.
  
  
• Lift up your team, asking God to encourage, inspire, and bless their faithful service.

by Kathy Jerman, Director of Affiliate Services Heartbat International

Every one of us who serves in the pregnancy help movement knows the reality of the battle we are engaged in. On the surface, our work can look like simply handing out baby supplies, providing ultrasounds, or offering encouragement to a mother in crisis. But beneath all of that is something deeper. We are standing in the midst of a spiritual struggle between life and death, light and darkness.

Earlier this year, when I was still working at a local pregnancy center, I was reminded of this in a vivid way. One day, word spread quickly that an ambulance was parked outside our local abortion clinic. My heart sank the moment I heard. An ambulance at an abortion clinic rarely signals anything good. Behind those walls, a tragedy was unfolding. A life had been lost, and perhaps even more - the hearts of those involved were shattered. The weight of that reality settled heavily on me, as it has on many of us when confronted with the harsh consequences of abortion.

It was a sobering reminder of the darkness that seeks to envelop us daily. That ambulance became, in my mind, a symbol of despair, of brokenness, of lives cut short and hearts shattered. It reminded me that the decisions made in those rooms ripple outward with devastating consequences—not only for the unborn but also for the mothers, fathers, and families who will carry the pain.

Yet, just two days later, I found myself staring at another ambulance. This time, it was parked outside our very own pregnancy center. But the story behind this ambulance was strikingly different. A young woman had come to us for a simple reason: to pick up supplies for her baby. In the midst of her appointment, she unexpectedly went into labor. Our nurses immediately jumped into action—not just with skill and training, but with compassion and calm assurance. They offered comfort, encouragement, and the steady presence that every mother longs for in such a moment.

As we waited for EMTs to arrive, the atmosphere in our center was completely different from the scene I had imagined at the abortion clinic just days earlier. Instead of despair, there was anticipation. Instead of loss, there was the promise of new life. Standing there, I could sense the presence of the Lord—His peace filling the room, His fingerprints all over this unexpected moment.

Those two ambulances have stayed with me. They represent the contrast we live with every day. On one side, the darkness of death and destruction. On the other side, the light of life and hope. John 1:5 says it so clearly: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

This is why we do what we do: every conversation with a client, every parenting class taught, every ultrasound offered, every prayer whispered, every act of compassion, no matter how small, is part of this great mission of pushing back the darkness. Sometimes it feels like we are just a flicker in a storm. However, the truth of God’s Word reminds us that even the smallest light has power in the darkest of darkness. And the darkness cannot win.

When I think back to those two scenes, I am reminded of the privilege we have to be bearers of light. We are ambassadors of hope. We are witnesses to God’s redemptive work in the lives of mothers and families. We are frontline workers in a battle where every smile, every prayer, every gentle word of truth makes a difference.

So, when the days feel heavy and the stories weigh on your heart, remember those two ambulances. Let them remind you of the incredible difference we are making—between despair and hope, between death and life. Take courage in knowing that the mission you serve in is one that will endure—it cannot be overcome.

I count it a true joy and privilege to serve in this calling alongside you. Together, we carry the light of Christ into the darkest places, and that light only grows stronger with every step of faith.

The darkness will never prevail—victory belongs to the Lord, and we get to share in it every single day.

by Brooke Myrick BSN, RN, LAS, Healthcare Team Manager

Year after year nursing is named one of our nation's most trusted professions. What qualifies a nurse as trustworthy? A nurse is committed to putting others before themselves to provide the best care for those under their supervision. While nursing is a career developed to provide care to the ill and injured, during pregnancy help, it is vastly more. It is a call to a mission.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” Isaiah 61:1

As a nurse in pregnancy help, you have accepted the call to proclaim the good news to those in need, and to proclaim freedom to those who feel they are in dire situations pleading for a way out. Through the name of Jesus, many women and men are released from a darkness that has held them captive. Many will choose life for their baby after meeting with you, a pregnancy help nurse. Those who undergo the devastation and heartache of a pregnancy loss will return to you for healing resources, comfort and support. At times those who have made an abortion decision will also turn to you when they begin to grieve and start the journey of seeking forgiveness and recovery.

The pregnancy help nurse is trusted by those she cares for as she provides unwavering love, care and support.

This mission is not always easy. It requires daily commitment and renewal.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

This mission requires bravery and courage each and every day because it involves a battle for life today and for eternity. To continue in your role as a pregnancy help nurse, the mission must be fully understood and accepted. The mission is to remain faithful and obedient in sharing medical and spiritual truths in love while simultaneously, fully letting go and trusting God with the results and outcomes. A total dependence on the Author and Giver of life is required.

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” I John 4:4

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, and participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:1-4

With each client encounter, nurses in pregnancy help make an active choice to—in humility—count those they are serving as more significant than themselves. You welcome her without judgment. You listen to her story. You give your time and energy. You earn her trust. You offer medical and spiritual truths in love. You seek to meet her needs through your organization and community resources. You offer prayer. You share the good news of Jesus.

As you accept the pregnancy help nurse mission every day, you make a difference today and for generations to come.

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer o' mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. Am I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-6