Breaking the Silence with Exciting News!

 Greetings, Hungry for God readers,

I have exciting news to share!

You may have noticed I’ve been a little quiet on the blog recently. Now it’s time to break the silence.

First, I’ve been designing a new website, one better equipped to handle the growing needs of the Hungry for God family. I’d love for you to click over and take a peek (http://www.lorihatcher.com). It’s so pretty! On it you'll find a whole page dedicated to some of the most popular blog posts from Hungry for God. 

You'll also find an About Lori page where I share quirky things you'd never know otherwise, a Speaking Ministry page (I'd love to come to your women's ministry event and encourage you and your friends) and a book page. Click over and check it out. Remember to leave a comment and tell me what you think.

Second, I’ve implemented a new email provider. As of June 30, Google will no longer email out blog posts, so I’ve switched services. This is the last you’ll receive from Feedburner. The only difference you’ll see is that the posts will come from a different address. I plan to continue emailing weekly (Sunday evening) five-minute devotions to encourage you in your faith and keep us connected. Thank you for being part of the Hungry for God family.

To ensure my emails don't go to your Spam or Junk folder, please add feedblitz@mail.feedblitz.com to your address book or approved sender list.

Lastly, I’ve been hard at work on TWO writing projects. I just completed edits on the follow up book to Refresh Your Faith, Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Restore Power and Praise. This companion volume will release on March 1, 2022.

Here’s a description:

 

Refresh Your Prayers,

 Uncommon Devotions to Restore Power and Praise

Are you struggling in your prayer life? When you talk to God, do you come away with more questions than answers? Do you long for the intimacy you once had or the closeness and power you see in others? 

What if you could sit across the table from a wise friend and sort through the questions you have about prayer?

 

Questions like:

Why does God answer some prayers, but not others?

What’s the secret to effective prayer?

If God is sovereign, why pray at all?

 

Lori Hatcher is that wise friend. In 60 story-driven devotions, she explores the mysterious gift of prayer, wrestles with the questions that plague us, and showcases some of the most beautiful prayers in the Bible. She’ll take you from where you are to where you want to be in your prayer life.

 

The second writing project that has my heart beating hard is a THIRD volume in the Refresh series, Refresh Your Hope, 60 Unshakeable Reasons Not to Lose Heart. Now more than ever we need to be reminded of the solid and unfailing hope only God can give us. Please pray for me as I write. Only God can enable me to write a book that will strengthen your faith and grow your hope.

If you're visiting for the first time, please follow THIS LINK over to the new website and subscribe so I can share weekly five-minute blog posts to refresh your faith and nourish your soul. Www.LoriHatcher.com. See you there!

Does Your Faith Need Refreshing?

That's in the Bible? I've never noticed that before!

It's probably been too long since you've newly discovered a story that speaks to your soul or a verse that pops with truth. But that's about to change!


Refresh Your Faith contains 66 culturally relevant, story-driven devotions, one from each book of the Bible. Each real-life story spotlights an unusual verse or Bible passage that you may have overlooked in your usual Bible reading. Lori Hatcher challenges you with additional features like an uncommon thought to ponder; an unusual faith action step; and an unfamiliar passage suggestion for additional Bible reading.

When the fabulous has become familiar and your quiet times are more like nap times, it's time to step out of spiritual boredom and ignite the spark that will keep you growing. No matter where you are on your faith journey, Lori's conversational and engaging style will challenge you to think about things you've never thought about before.

“Real-life inspiration and candid wit. These 5-minute devotions will change your life.” —Psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Leman, commenting on Lori Hatcher's devotional style

Why You Are Where You Are

Last year I visited Downtown Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. To be honest, what attracted me to the church wasn’t its sanctuary (although it’s lovely) or the upcoming sermon topic (the Apostles’ Creed). It was the sign that stood like a sentinel near the entrance to the church’s parking lot. Church Parking Only, it said. Violators will be baptized. 

When I mentioned the sign to my daughter, who lives nearby, she said, “Oh yeah. We’ve visited there before. It’s a good church.” So that’s where I went for Sunday worship. 

I appreciated the church’s tongue-in-cheek, somewhat snarky humor. The church was laughing at itself, and that’s a good thing. We’d all be happier if we'd laugh more. 

The pastor, Phil Faig, said something more profound than the church's clever parking lot sign. His words continued to resonate with me long after I drove my legally-parked, non-baptized car from their parking lot: 

“Our jobs are our platforms to do missions in the world around us.” 

Consider this for a minute. 

Our jobs (think beyond what we do to earn money, although this is part of it. Think about the circumstances and situations in which we find ourselves in our everyday lives) are our platforms to do missions in the world around us. 

Many of us assume our jobs are our first priority. Then, once our work is done, if we have time (energy, money, desire) left over, we squeeze in a little Jesus. Like the butter beans we forgot in the microwave until dinner was almost over. 

But Pastor Phil’s sermon makes me think perhaps we’ve got it backwards. 

That maybe we need to look at life like this instead: 

I work at __________(fill in the blank) because this is the best platform to help others around me see Jesus. 

I’m in the ____________ (doctor’s office, grocery store, class room, drive through) because this is the best platform to help someone here know God better. 

I am where I am because this is the best platform to fulfill God’s command to share Christ with those I encounter. 

This perspective could revolutionize our daily living. 

What if I live in my neighborhood/apartment/dorm because it best positions me to do missions? 

What if I’m eating in this particular restaurant being served by this particular waitress because it best positions me to do missions? 

What if I’m in this traffic jam because it best positions me to do missions to the drivers around me? 

What if I’m on this plane/bus/train/sidewalk because it best positions me to do missions to the people I encounter? 

When I adopt this perspective, I find myself seeing – really seeing – the people around me. Not as inconveniences, hindrances, distractions, or (worse) invisible, but as people with eternal souls that God wants to minister to – through me. 

That kind woman who noticed my backpack was unzipped in the boarding line at the airport? Maybe God had positioned me in front of her (and across the aisle on the plane) so I could do missions in her life. So instead of plugging in my ear buds and zoning out, I smiled and asked her where she was going. 

“To Hartford. To visit my family and interview for a graduate program,” she said. We didn’t talk long, but as we gathered our luggage and prepared to part, I handed her my ministry card. 

“I’ll say a special prayer for your interview,” I said, and I did. 

The aesthetician who coached me through my first ever head and foot massage (a birthday gift from my daughter and son-in-law)? Perhaps the purpose of this special treat wasn’t just to bless me. Maybe God was positioning me to do missions in this woman’s life. 

“Sometimes when I’m quiet and relaxed,” I told her. “I pray. Is there anything I can pray for you about?” Her answer told me volumes (and gave me lots to pray about while she rubbed my feet with orange-scented oil). 

That challenging child/adult/parent/customer/patient? Maybe God has positioned me in their life to do the mission he’s called me to do as a disciple of Christ. 

How often do we see our work, our circumstances, our responsibilities, and our recreation as separate from our spiritual callings? What if, instead, we realized one enables the other? 

Imagine the possibilities. 

Now it’s your turn. How has your work, circumstances, or responsibilities positioned you to do God’s mission in the lives of those around you? Leave a comment below and share your story. IF you’re reading by email, CLICK HERE to visit Hungry for God online and join the conversation.

Does Your Faith Need Refreshing?

Did you make a commitment to read the Bible this year, but now you're struggling? 

Do you need a resource to take you through each book of the Bible?

That's in the Bible? I've never noticed that before!

It's probably been too long since you've newly discovered a story that speaks to your soul or a verse that pops with truth. But that's about to change!


Refresh Your Faith contains 66 culturally relevant, story-driven devotions, one from each book of the Bible. Each real-life story spotlights an unusual verse or Bible passage that you may have overlooked in your usual Bible reading. Lori Hatcher challenges you with additional features like an uncommon thought to ponder; an unusual faith action step; and an unfamiliar passage suggestion for additional Bible reading.

When the fabulous has become familiar and your quiet times are more like nap times, it's time to step out of spiritual boredom and ignite the spark that will keep you growing. No matter where you are on your faith journey, Lori's conversational and engaging style will challenge you to think about things you've never thought about before.

“Real-life inspiration and candid wit. These 5-minute devotions will change your life.” —Psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Leman, commenting on Lori Hatcher's devotional style

Are you hungry for God, but starving for time? 
I’d love to send you a 5-minute e-mail devotion twice a week to start your day off with the Lord. 

Sign up for a free subscription to Hungry for God by CLICKING HERE.
Then, be sure to VALIDATE the confirmation email you receive. 

Note: I promise never to spam you or share your email address.

Because busy women need to connect with God in the craziness of everyday life.

What Kind of Spy Are You? How Faith Changes Everything

 

How do you react when an opportunity comes your way that you feel is over your head? When a task or assignment arrives that requires skills you haven’t mastered? Perseverance you don’t have? Or courage you don’t possess? 

Many of us say no. 

Teach that Sunday school class? Oh no, I haven’t had formal training. 

Share my testimony with that group? Nope. I’m not a public speaker. 

 Accept that job/position/assignment? Not me. Other people are far more qualified. 

And what about the tasks we can’t refuse but still doubt our ability to accomplish? Caring for a seriously ill family member, raising children (or grandchildren) in this troubled world, persevering despite overwhelming odds. 

Twelve men faced a similar scenario many years ago. 

Twelve men went to spy on Canaan, the children's church song goes. Ten were bad and two were good. What do you think they saw in Canaan? Ten were bad and two were good. 

Appointed to scout out the land God had promised to Israel, the spies came back with a mixed report (Numbers 13). The land was everything God promised—filled with lush gardens and well-established cities. And the food! After forty years of manna-everything, the prospect of milk, honey, grapes, and grain made the spies’ mouths water in anticipation. 

But the Promised Land held more than grapes and gardens. It held giants. 

“The people are powerful, and the cites are very large,” the spies reported, terrifying the Israelites with their exaggerated description. 

“We should go up and take possession of the land,” Caleb declared, “for we can certainly do it.” 

“Are you crazy?” the others said. “Didn’t you hear what we just said? We can't attack those people; they’re stronger than we are” (v. 30-31). 

We face the same choice the spies did when we encounter an “impossible” task. Will we look at the circumstances or look at God’s calling? 

Remember, God had already promised to give the Promised Land to the Israelites. If He called them to it, He’d provide what they needed to conquer it. 

The same is true for us. 

Has He called you to an impossible task? Something too big for you to accomplish in your own strength, ability, or training? 

Then you’re right where He wants you to be—poised to show the world what God can do through someone who fully relies on Him. 

God calls us to impossible tasks so He'll get the glory. 

Remember, God didn’t send the spies into Canaan to assess whether they could conquer the land. God had already declared they would conquer the land. He sent them in to gather information so they could prepare. 

The inhabitants are big? Better sharpen those arrows. 

The walls are high? Time to practice mountain climbing. 

The armies are strong? Back to the gym for a few more pushups. 

Relying on God doesn’t mean we sit back and do nothing. It means that when we have prepared to the best of our ability, we march forward, resting in what He promises to do in us and through us. 

What This Looks Like in My Life

Last summer I received a contract to write a book on prayer. My mind was excited, but my heart quaked in fear. 

Stormie O’Martian, Tim Keller, and Max Lucado write books on prayer, I thought, not Lori Hatcher. 

What do I have to say that hasn’t already been said? And said better? 

How can I write a book in six months? I’ve never done that before. 

And furthermore (don’t you hate it when someone says, “And furthermore”?) I’m not theologically trained. I’ve never been to seminary, and this is an important topic. 

These words were true. So was the report the spies brought back. The giants were big and the cities were strong. 

But God had called the Israelites to conquer the land. 

And God called me to write a book on prayer. 

So I did what Caleb the good spy did. I countered fearful truth with faith-filled truth. 

God didn’t call Stormie O’Martian, Tim Keller, or Max Lucado to write this book on prayer. 

For reasons known only to Him, He has called me. 

If God has given me a contract with a six-month deadline, then He’ll enable me to meet that deadline. 

Education is important, but dedication is equally important. I’ve spent the last twenty years of my life studying and practicing the discipline of prayer. The Holy Spirit has been my teacher, and I can trust Him to direct and inspire my writing.

On August 25, I signed a contract with Our Daily Bread Publishing to write Refresh Your Prayers: Uncommon Devotions to Restore Power and Praise. 

Three months later (not six, or nine, or twelve), I submitted the manuscript. 

Lord willing, Refresh Your Prayers will release in early 2022, and God gets the glory. 

What impossible task has God called you to do? What opportunity, ministry, or life circumstance has God allowed to elbow its way into your life? If He’s called you to it, He will give you what you need to accomplish it. 

A plague destroyed ten bad spies for their unbelief. An entire generation wandered in the wilderness for forty years because they were afraid to trust God to enable them to do what He’d called them to do. 

Two good spies received God’s blessing and entered the Promise Land. 

What kind of spy are you?

 

Does Your Faith Need Refreshing?

Did you make a commitment to read the Bible this year, but now you're struggling? 

Do you need a resource to take you through each book of the Bible?

That's in the Bible? I've never noticed that before!

It's probably been too long since you've newly discovered a story that speaks to your soul or a verse that pops with truth. But that's about to change!


Refresh Your Faith contains 66 culturally relevant, story-driven devotions, one from each book of the Bible. Each real-life story spotlights an unusual verse or Bible passage that you may have overlooked in your usual Bible reading. Lori Hatcher challenges you with additional features like an uncommon thought to ponder; an unusual faith action step; and an unfamiliar passage suggestion for additional Bible reading.

When the fabulous has become familiar and your quiet times are more like nap times, it's time to step out of spiritual boredom and ignite the spark that will keep you growing. No matter where you are on your faith journey, Lori's conversational and engaging style will challenge you to think about things you've never thought about before.

“Real-life inspiration and candid wit. These 5-minute devotions will change your life.” —Psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Leman, commenting on Lori Hatcher's devotional style

Are you hungry for God, but starving for time? 
I’d love to send you a 5-minute e-mail devotion twice a week to start your day off with the Lord. 

Sign up for a free subscription to Hungry for God by CLICKING HERE.
Then, be sure to VALIDATE the confirmation email you receive. 

Note: I promise never to spam you or share your email address.

Because busy women need to connect with God in the craziness of everyday life.

"Still Dead" My Life through a Five-Year-Old's Eyes

 

“It’s dead. Spider mites, the landscaper said. We’ll have to rip it out and start over.” 

As my neighbor described her horticultural woes, five-year-old Caroline listened in. 

“What’s dead, Gigi?” 

“That cute little Christmas-tree-looking bush over there,” I said, pointing to the shrub. 

“Mrs. Esther says it’s dead, and they’re going to have to pull it up.” 

Although still shaped like a holiday tree, the plant’s foliage had turned ash gray and brittle. Caroline eyed the plant thoughtfully, glancing between the obviously dead bush and a nearby flowering camellia. Her face, scrunched in thought, suddenly brightened. She lifted a finger. 

“I have an idea,” she declared. “We can decorate it!” 

She scurried to the camellia bush dripping with ruby red blossoms and filled her arms. Before long, she’d adorned the sad dead bush with spring beauty. 

She stood back to admire her work, tilted her head one way, then the other, and squinted in the sunlight. With the unfiltered honesty that characterizes the very young, she announced, 

“It looks better. . . but it’s still dead.” 

Caroline’s bush reminded me of myself many years ago. 

I was so dead. No spiritual life flowed through my soul.

For years I tried to disguise the obvious by adorning myself with the outward trappings of religion. I attended church. I said the right things. I even prayed—occasionally—when I felt desperate. Like the Pharisees who Jesus called “whitewashed tombs,” I looked okay on the outside (if you didn’t look to closely), but inside my soul was deader than dead. 

Fear haunted my days and tormented my nights. Laziness, selfishness, and independence charted the course of my life. I disrespected my parents and chose friends over family every time. Decisions overwhelmed me because I had no wise foundation on which to base my choices. 

I’ve never met the apostle Paul, but he described my condition perfectly in Ephesians 2:1-3: 

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins. 

“You followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. . . . gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.” 

God would have been perfectly justified, like my neighbor planned to do with her bush, to pluck me up and incinerate me. Instead He looked on me with eyes of love, saw through my pitiful attempts to disguise my spiritual condition, and redeemed me. 

He didn’t just clean me up on the outside. He transformed me on the inside. He breathed life into my deader-than-dead spirit, removed my heart of stone, and gave me a heart that pulsed with spiritual life. 

Ephesians 2:4-5 describes salvation this way: 

“Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” 

And then, if a new birth isn’t enough, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (v. 6-7). 

Great love. Incomparable grace. Kindness. This is what God extends toward us if we’ll do two things: 

1. Acknowledge that we are dead in our sins. 

2. Cry out to Him in confession and repentance. 

Don’t you want to do this? Don’t you want to live a life that is vibrant and full, trusting in what Jesus has already done to secure your place in heaven rather than vainly attempting to earn your way into God’s favor? 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast,” Ephesians 2:8-9 declares. 

If you’re not sure you’ll spend eternity with God in heaven when you die; if you cannot gain victory over the behaviors and mindsets that threaten to destroy you; if you want peace, and joy, and purpose, say yes to Jesus. Allow Him to raise you from the dead. 

My prayer that day long ago went something like this: 

God, I’ve been living my life my way, and I’ve made a mess of it. I confess my sins to you. I believe Jesus died for my sins and took my punishment on the cross. Please forgive me and change me. In Jesus’ name I ask, Amen. 

Will God hear you if you pray a similar prayer? Absolutely. Listen to what He says in the Bible:

“If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 

If you prayed this prayer, or one like it, God says this to you: 

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). 

Theologian and author C. S. Lewis said, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.” 

And so two questions remain: Are you spiritually alive or dead? and What are you going to do about it? 

I pray you choose life. 

Now it’s your turn. Have you trusted in Christ to give you eternal life? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts. 

Do you know someone who needs this message? Why not share it with them or post it on social media? 

That's in the Bible? I've never noticed that before!

It's probably been too long since you've newly discovered a story that speaks to your soul or a verse that pops with truth. But that's about to change!

Refresh Your Faith contains 66 culturally relevant, story-driven devotions, one from each book of the Bible. Each real-life story spotlights an unusual verse or Bible passage that you may have overlooked in your usual Bible reading. Lori Hatcher challenges you with additional features like an uncommon thought to ponder; an unusual faith action step; and an unfamiliar passage suggestion for additional Bible reading.

When the fabulous has become familiar and your quiet times are more like nap times, it's time to step out of spiritual boredom and ignite the spark that will keep you growing. No matter where you are on your faith journey, Lori's conversational and engaging style will challenge you to think about things you've never thought about before.

“Real-life inspiration and candid wit. These 5-minute devotions will change your life.” —Psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Leman, commenting on Lori Hatcher's devotional style.

Are you hungry for God, but starving for time? 
I’d love to send you a 5-minute e-mail devotion twice a week to start your day off with the Lord. 

Sign up for a free subscription to Hungry for God by CLICKING HERE.
Then, be sure to VALIDATE the confirmation email you receive. 

Note: I promise never to spam you or share your email address.

Because busy women need to connect with God in the craziness of everyday life.

Are You Sitting in the Dark?

My friend Jean is visually impaired. Because she can’t see our faces when our church gathers on Zoom, she usually turns off her camera and listens through the app’s audio feature. We hear her voice, but her square on the screen remains dark. 

I assumed she’d turned off her camera the other night when we gathered for a women’s Bible study. (Twelve of us are studying Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth’s book, Adorned, about the Titus 2 woman.) 

As I made introductions, I said, “And that’s Jean in the black square.” 

“Oh,” she said, “can you not see me? I thought I turned my camera on.” 

We heard footsteps, then a rustling, then Jean’s smiling face appeared. 

“My camera was on,” she explained, “but Mike turned off the light.” 

Because Jean is totally blind, she doesn't need light to function. Her husband, Mike, also visually impaired, benefits from having the lights on. Hearing her in the room and knowing she didn’t need the light to participate in the study, he switched it off. 

This happened twice during our meeting. Each time we had to tell Jean she was in the dark, so she knew to turn the light back on. 

Jean’s on-again-off-again darkness reminds me of my life. 

Sometimes I get enveloped in the darkness of anger, bitterness, confusion, or some other sin, and I don’t know it. Like the darkness descending as the sun sets, it creeps up on me. 

Other times a crisis plunges me into the inky blackness of fear, doubt, or unbelief. I usually recognize when this happens, but sometimes, I sit in the darkness until someone else points it out. 

If I’m smart, I’ll flip on the light of God’s Word and study its principles so I can see clearly again. 

Jesus, the embodiment of God’s Word, is the Light that banishes every darkness we face. This is why Matthew included Isaiah’s prophecy in his gospel: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” 

With Christ as my Savior and God’s Word as my lamp, I needn’t remain in the dark. “I am the light of the world,” Jesus said, “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (Matthew 8:12). 

Are you walking in darkness today? Do you know someone who is? Allow the light of Christ—His salvation, His presence, and His Word—to banish every shadow that clouds your world. 

How's your commitment to read your Bible this year going?

Do you need a resource to help you navigate the sometimes-confusing books of the Old and New Testament?  

Does Your Faith Need Refreshing?

Refresh Your Faith, Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible is the resource you need.

That's in the Bible? I've never noticed that before!

It's probably been too long since you've newly discovered a story that speaks to your soul or a verse that pops with truth. But that's about to change!


Refresh Your Faith contains 66 culturally relevant, story-driven devotions, one from each book of the Bible. Each real-life story spotlights an unusual verse or Bible passage that you may have overlooked in your usual Bible reading. Lori Hatcher challenges you with additional features like an uncommon thought to ponder; an unusual faith action step; and an unfamiliar passage suggestion for additional Bible reading.

When the fabulous has become familiar and your quiet times are more like nap times, it's time to step out of spiritual boredom and ignite the spark that will keep you growing. No matter where you are on your faith journey, Lori's conversational and engaging style will challenge you to think about things you've never thought about before.

“Real-life inspiration and candid wit. These 5-minute devotions will change your life.” —Psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Leman, commenting on Lori Hatcher's devotional style

Are you hungry for God, but starving for time? 
I’d love to send you a 5-minute e-mail devotion twice a week to start your day off with the Lord. 

Sign up for a free subscription to Hungry for God by CLICKING HERE.
Then, be sure to VALIDATE the confirmation email you receive. 

Note: I promise never to spam you or share your email address.

Because busy women need to connect with God in the craziness of everyday life.