Encouraging Words for the day | Christian devotionals - Hopeful Heart

Thank you Father

4/6/2025

Thank you, Father, for the privilege of being able to come freely to You in prayers.; to be able to have a direct communion with you and receive abundant grace and mercy at any given time. The apostle Paul encourages us to be strong in the Lord and in the Lord’s mighty power (Eph 6:10).

Paul knows how blessed it is to be able to draw strength, protection, discernment and wisdom from our Lord who gives never-ending supply; that we could say a prayer and feel the peaceful presence of the Lord enveloping our anxious thoughts.

Being strong in the Lord and in His mighty power grows from a deliberate immersion through prayers of every concern, worry, every thanksgiving, every tear and every joy to a God who dearly loves us. He loves to be part of our every minute and day; draw near to Him and receive His steadfast strength and conviction to fully believe in His good promises. The Lord promises and He delivers. Let us boldly come to His throne and claim His good promises.

1 Chronicles 17: 26 – 27
And now, Lord, You are God and have promised this goodness to Your servant. Now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You have blessed it, O Lord, and it shall be blessed forever.

Hebrews 4: 16
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

- Irene Soon

Easter Sunday

20/4/2025

Jesus came to our world in its brokenness and hopelessness to bring freedom and life. His resurrection is the very evidence that He has accomplished what He has set out to do as the Son of God atoning our sins; bestowing upon us righteousness to approach the Throne of Grace.

Let us celebrate His victory and share the good news - He is RISEN! Praise His name for the new life He has gifted us. We wish everyone a blessed Easter Resurrection Sunday.

- Hopeful Heart Team

Good Friday 2025

18/4/2025

As we remember Christ's suffering and sacrifice on the cross, may we find His unending grace and mercy fill our days with peace, courage and hope.

We have hope because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross; He has given us the authority to trample upon our sins and no longer live under the bondage of sins but under the freedom He has purchased for us by His blood.

Praise His Holy Name and may you always remember that Jesus loves you.

-Hopeful Heart Team

The Lord also promises to never leave and forsake us

30/12/2024

When we look back in our walk with Christ, it is easier to see and understand why He has placed us in the places He did, why He has brought certain people and situations, why he permitted trials and challenges and also why He uprooted us to new places, jobs, friendships and/or relationships.

There is always a lesson in every season and though we may not always get the clarity we want at the time we want; I count it as a blessing and protection from the Lord as His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55: 8).When we encounter challenges and trials, our solutions are always grounded in men’s wisdom which is foolishness to the Lord (1 Corinthians 3: 19 – 20).

As we reflect at this end of year, I could testify and see how God has assisted and directed good outcomes of my trials faithfully and pruning what is not required. If the thought of the upcoming new year still bears uncertainty for you, let Psalm 111 be your faithful reminder of the Lord’s heart for us.
The Lord also promises to never leave and forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8).

With the promise of God’s presence and help, we can move to 2025 with confidence and faith for the Lord goes before us. Let us rejoice for the Lord is faithful and good.

Isaiah 55: 8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, said the Lord”

1 Corinthians 3: 19 - 20
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”[ and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”

Psalm 111: 3 - 5
Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate. He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.

- Irene Soon

Engraved on the palm on the Lord

4/11/2024

Charles Spurgeon wrote beautifully referencing the promise that the Lord has made in Isaiah.

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me." (Isaiah 49: 16)

In Spurgeon's active preaching years , it is said that He loved to preach on Isaiah 49: 16. It is a wonderful - wonderful promise and Spurgeon painted a visual reference for us whereby Jesus' wounds were engraved by nails, fastened to the Cross by thuds of hammers that His people will be truly engraved on the palm of His hands.

If and when we are plagued by doubts and thoughts that Jesus has forgotten us, we can look to our palms and remember Jesus' wounded engraved palm for us. Our names have been engraved on the palm of the Lord. He has put a permanent lasting mark on His palm for us, our walls are ever before Him; it is Jesus' way to say He loves you and me and He will always go before us; making a way and He will not in any way forsake us. Amen.

Deuteronomy 31: 6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

- Irene Soon

Do not look back to your past

28/10/2024

Don't look back to the past, it is a burden you need not carry, the past can be a lesson but don't let it be your hindrances to moving forward; to trying new experience or give today a new chance instead of it being burdened by yesterday's worries.

Paul says, "I focus on one thing; forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead (Phil 3:13). When we have sinned in the past, we need to renounce it, forget and let the Lord begin His healing within us. The Devil however, likes to remind us of our sins, shame and regrets so we will live in continuous guilt or fear. The scriptures says that the Lord looks to establish a new covenant with us and He will remember our sins no more (Hebrew 8: 12) - For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and the lawless deeds I will remember no more.

Paul would have had a list of shame he carried, he prosecuted many Christians before his life in Christ but the Lord graced Him to look ahead and endured suffering for his new faith boldly. Paul chose to forget the past and look ahead & rely on the Lord's promise that his sins are remembered no more.

Do not look back to your past and let it stop your growth in Christ. Jesus has bore all of your sins, shame, fear, regrets and guilts on the cross. He has risen victoriously over all; don't take back the defeat that the Lord has conquered and won for you. The Lord has made us victors through Him. Let us receive His forgiveness, forgive ourselves and look forward to what lies ahead.

Isaiah 43:18-19
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

- John W.

What you can see will change your life

30/9/2024

Vision is a God given gift to enable us to have faith on the invisible. When God promised Abraham that his descendant would be as numerous as the stars, He brought him outside and told him to look up into the sky and count the stars. God knew Abraham needed to have the vision of the promise and picture it in his mind; that he would be constantly reminded as he look to the sky every night through the years of unfulfilled promise that he waits for.

When you could see the Lord’s promise through your eyes of faith, you could have a stronger resolute when doubt visits. Your vision will light up your body with hope and surely you will experience joy as you wait for the fulfillment of the promise. Ask the Lord to strengthen your vision of His promises for your life and picture it through your eyes of faith.

Matthew 6: 22 – 23 writes, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light but if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.” What you can see will change your life and if all you could see is darkness, the Lord could give you a new vision. Trust the Lord to provide you a vision and trust his process.

- John W.

Let the Lord help you

30/8/2024

Recently I had a discussion with a lady. We talked about how we could recognize Jesus if he comes back during our lifetime. Will we confuse Him with others who claim they are the Savior? Can we tell who is Jesus?

I am not sure I can boldly say I could recognise Jesus with all the noise of the modern world but I rest my assurance that He will help me to recognise Him; that He will speak to me and He will not let me lost in the crowd because Jesus loves me. He knows me by name.

There are times I get overwhelmed with the noise from the world and I tell myself I might be chasing after the wind when I’m trying to be kind or wanting to shine His hope in this broken world. Ephesian 6 however, reminds me to pray in perseverance. Our hope is, when we are unable to approach the throne of grace and pray in perseverance, the Lord will help us. Just like how I believe the Lord will cause me to recognise Him if He were to return in my lifetime, I believe He too will enable me to pray in perseverance. I’m unable to do it with my own strength but I cast this need unto the Lord and He will strengthen me.

The Lord, He is our helper. Let Him help you.

Psalm 28: 7 - 8
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

Ephesians 6: 18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

- Jenni Wang

Easter Sunday 2024

31/3/2024

Celebrate the Resurrection of our Saviour,
No grave nor death could hold Him down,
Celebrate His Victory and give praise to the Lord Jesus Christ,
Because of Him, we could hope,
Because of Him, we no longer live under the law but under the grace of our merciful Father.

Thank you Lord Jesus.

Matthew 28: 5 - 8
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

Romans 5: 8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

- Hopeful Heart Team

Good Friday 2024

29/3/2024

On Good Friday, we celebrate and remember the day Jesus has atone for our sins willingly at the cross. His crucifixion is the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

A Prayer of Gratitude

Dear Lord, thank you for Your selfless sacrifice on the cross for me, It is through Your sacrifice, I have been set free and You paid the price to offer me the gift of eternal life.

Help me to not take this gift of salvation for granted and grant me the wisdom to remember the cost of it all. Forgive me for all of my sins, for being too busy with things and please empower me daily to do good works.

Thank you, Lord, that by your wounds I’m healed of all pains and inequities; I’m completely set free. Jesus, I give You the glory and honour. Grant everyone peace and the joy of Easter for Your sacrificial gift has given hope to the hopeless and power to the powerless.

Amen

- Hopeful Heart Team