Lee Merrill is passionate about connecting everyday life to spiritual truths. As a chronic noticer, Lee sees God’s fingerprints everywhere. Her favorite pieces to write are scripture-based prayers that she gives as “prayer gifts” to loved ones. She is the author of Prayer Gifts While You Wait: Grace for as Long as it Takes (https://a.co/d/h92nW3C ). Lee is a contributing author to the devotional, Take Heart: 100 Devotions to Seeing God When Life's Not Okay (https://a.co/d/1smuMH4 ), published by (in)courage , and she has been featured on their blog several times. Lee is a contributing writer for Family Living Magazine ( https://flmagazine.com ) where she gets to interview interesting people in her community and write feature articles. She is a devotion writer for VineWords: Devotions and More. Her favorite humans are her three adult sons Garrett, Logan, and Jacob who delight her momma heart daily. In the middle of a season of “life coaching” her senior but sassy mom and her aunt, Lee has to be intentional about carving out writing time. She works full-time as an educational diagnostician for her local school district where she administers special education evaluations. Lee’s current work-in-progress is a book about the pray-without-ceasing lifestyle. She enjoys sharing devotional thoughts on her personal FaceBook page and always welcomes new friends. Connect with Lee Merrill at: Lee Merrill Facebook Lee Merrill Author Page Facebook Lee Merrill Instagram Lee Merrill Blog BOOKSHELF Prayer Gifts While You Wait: Grace for as Long as it Takes https://a.co/d/h92nW3C Take Heart: 100 Devotions to Seeing God When Life's Not Okay https://a.co/d/1smuMH4
Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. ~Psalm 5:1-2 ESV During an especially hard week, I read in Genesis 32 about Jacob wrestling with God all night long. I, too, have found myself grappling with God. After all that grappling, God blessed Jacob and changed his name to Israel, further bringing His covenant with Abraham to fruition. I … Continue reading →
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. ~Psalm 19:1 ESV Sometimes, I must remind myself: “Don’t forget to look.” My View One morning, I had to run a quick errand before heading to work. The errand took me in the opposite direction of my usual morning route. As I set out, the beauty before me left me speechless. The oranges and yellows of the sunrise danced with the blues and purples of the … Continue reading →
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. ~1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV Of all the gifts God gives, the greatest is love. The Lesser Gifts During a recent “when it rains, it pours” season, I stared at my haggard reflection, thinking no amount of makeup would conceal the spirit of defeat I carried. I missed deadlines at work. My caregiving efforts were not keeping my elderly aunt from declining rapidly. The stacks … Continue reading →
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. ~Philippians 2:14-15 ESV Do you feel the tension? The battle between darkness and light? This dark and divided world is not a friendly place for people of the Light, but we can’t stop shining. We stop shining when we become offended when the … Continue reading →
God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. ~Exodus 2:24-25 NIV Do you ever feel as if God is not listening? That He’s too busy to care about our struggles? The Israelites may have felt that way, too. After more than four hundred years under the oppressive rule of Egypt, they may have felt as if their prayers fell flat. Yet, … Continue reading →
He must become greater; I must become less. ~John 3:30 NIV Many Christians observe Lent at this time of year. Lent is a time to fast, pray, and reflect on Christ in preparation for Resurrection Sunday. Some people fast from certain foods, television, social media, and other things that generally demand their time or attention. But I once observed a different kind of fast. I had passed through an extended season of hardship that left me weighed down by hurt … Continue reading →
Delight yourself in the Lord. ~Psalm 37:4 ESV Sometimes, I find myself treating God like an ATM instead of a faithful Father. It’s easy to fall into a transactional relationship with God rather than an intimate one. But God desires to connect with us on every level. Yes, He’s an eager and faithful provider, but He’s so much more. He’s a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He’s a master artist who paints every sunrise and sunset and soothes … Continue reading →
A New Year Prayer Lord, take this year … this brand-new year that holds new beginnings You hand-picked for me. Help me expect much from You and let people off the hook. Help me take every unruly thought captive and make them line up with Your truth. Help me do less rehashing the past and more rehearsing for heaven. Help me want You more than anything else. Help me love You the way You deserve to be loved. Help me … Continue reading →
Lord, Give us Christmas hearts, not just today, but all year through. Hearts that love with sacrifice just like You always do. Hearts that ache for all the world to know You and be changed. Hearts that choose obedience even when it makes us strange. Keep us hungry for the Bread of Life that feeds our fickle minds with truth that battles every lie the enemy leaves behind. Keep us thirsty for Living Water that floods our dry, parched souls … Continue reading →
