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Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

Encouraging Words Wednesday

Photobucket“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

Have you ever wanted to silence the voices of your fears? In my Encouragement for Today devotion at Proverbs 31 Ministries, I shared how I learned to do just that by helping someone else overcome theirs. Before I knew it, I had faced my fear of open heights because I wanted to help a friend’s child conquer his. And that day, I conquered mine, too.

Without even realizing it, I acted on God’s command and believed God’s promise in Joshua 1:9 that tells me I can overcome my fears with God’s strength. I realized in a very tangible way that the same promises I claim so boldly for others are true for me, too.

Like God did with Joshua in today’s verse, each day we have the same opportunity to come alongside each other in some of life’s hardest challenges and highest peaks and say, “Don’t give up, you can do it. I’ll be with you and I will help you.”

Today is Encouraging Words Wednesday. The second Wednesday of each month we gather here for encouragement and commit to share the power of encouragement with someone in our lives. In believing the power of God’s promises for others, our confidence in His promises for us seems to grow as well. I like to call it the “encouraging words” boomerang effect.

Encouraging words have the power and potential to bring courage to the discouraged. Hope to the hopeless. Assurance to the insecure. Clarity to the confused. Strength to the weak. Calm to someone’s chaos. Comfort for someone’s sadness.

Encouraging words say, “I notice and I care enough to take this moment to tell you because you matter to me and you matter to God.”

So, today let’s shift our focus off our fears, doubts, insecurities and personal struggles and help someone overcome theirs. All we have to do is look for someone who could use a kind word, a boost of confidence, a note with a Bible verse or a short prayer in it. Even just a simple facebook post or email saying what we really appreciate about them, or how you see God’s heart in something they do will make such an impact!

Join me and let’s watch to see the difference this will make in our families, neighborhoods, work places and churches.

Lord, thank You for the power of Your words that give me courage to become who You’ve created me to be – to go to places You’re calling me to go and climb spiritual heights that are out of my reach without Your help. Give me Your encouragement and help me encourage someone else today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Encouraging Words Wednesday Gift PackHis Princess: Love Letters from Your King
by Sheri Rose Shepherd (This is one of the most encouraging books ever!)

The Power of a Purpose Driven (and Encouraging) Mom
message on CD by Renee Swope (What a difference you can make!)

20 of God’s Promises to personalize and send to a friend
(Nothing is more powerful than God’s promises!)

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To enter to win
simply share some encouragement and let me know about it.
Click on the word “comments” below this post and type in the white box:

  1. Commit to it- List one person you’re going to encourage today or this week and how you’re going to do it.
  2. Share it – Share a link to this post with friends via Facebook. Just lick on my Facebook badge in my sidebar. Then click on “share” under my EncWds button on my FB page. You can also Tweet and/or email a friend a link and let me know. 
  3. Spread it – Forward today’s devotion to someone who has been an encouragement in your life, and thank them. It will really mean a lot to them!For an extra chance to win, add our Encouraging Words Wednesday button to your blog with a link to today’s post, then come back and let me know in another comment. You can grab the code from my sidebar under the button.
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Comments

  1. My5sons:
    Hi. I loved reading your devotion this morning.My husband,39, died suddenly last year of a heart attack.I have 4 sons plus a boy we took in. My friends are constantly telling me that I am such an encouragement to them. I repost Proverbs31 devotions/scriptures daily on my facebook page & have so many people send me messages that I always post what they need to hear. I know everything that I have gone through can be used for God's glory & as an encouragement to others. My prayer is that I always honor God & am able to encourage others to "hold on" even when they feel like giving up! Thank you to all the Proverbs31 team for helping us daily through your writings.

  2. Renee-each morn @5:45 i rise to pray & read P31 devos. You girls make my day every day! I then text ur(or other scriptures)messages to 30 of my friends. For some, i am their alarm clock. Some forward the mesg to family & friends. Some days I get amazing responses. I am sooo blest to b able to encourage! God is soooooo GOOD!

  3. Renee-each morn @5:45 i rise to pray & read P31 devos. You girls make my day every day! I then text ur(or other scriptures)messages to 30 of my friends. For some, i am their alarm clock. Some forward the mesg to family & friends. Some days I get amazing responses. I am sooo blest to b able to encourage! God is soooooo GOOD!

  4. Thank you so much for writing this! I woke up tired and not knowing how I was going to get through the day without biting someone's head off. I had a bad attitude. However, this verse was perfect for me today. I need to lean on God's strength and not my own. Thanks for speaking the truth!

  5. The previous comment was from Meg, not Eric… lol I didn't realize my husband's google account was logged in.

  6. I have challenged myself to send 30 encouraging cards in 30 days via mail to encourage 30 different women. I know I love receiving an encouraging word in the mail! I am a little over half way through, and God is showing me daily how an extra few minutes of my time each day can greatly brighten someone's day :0)

    Thank you for your devotion on encouragement today!!

    Hebrews 3:13 "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,”…"

  7. I am going to encourage my friend, Michele. She is battling breast cancer at this time. She is a mother to two small girls. I plan on sending her encouraging words and bible verses via text. I also plan on sending her cards of how she is a wonderful woman and God loves her and will be there through this. I am a full time working mom of three and even though I am busy I find that it only takes a moment to send someone a message to lift them up & let them know you love them and you are praying for them!
    We should all take time out to do this.

  8. Hi Renee, I had emailed the scripture verse to my dear and wonderful friend who has deal with so much in her life. She has always been an encouragement to em in spite of her shortcomings and i know through the many difficult times she experienced i was there for her, but I know God was ALWAY there for her. God gave her encouragement through family and friends and God still does.
    I would love to win your pack so as I can share them with her. Fran

  9. I'm sending this devotion out to lots of family and friends today, and I'm going to focus on encouraging my husband and family especially this week.

    What a great idea!

  10. I have a bible study friend that really needs encouragement to come near to God and let him fill her with his presence and acknowledge all of his gifts he offers her!

  11. I plan on encouraging my 14 year old son today. I made him go to school today even though he is not feeling well. My husband has been speaking a lot of negativism to him lately and he is such a sensitive child that I think this is what is making him sick. He thinks his dad hates him. I tried to speak encouraging words to him this morning but I think they fell on deaf ears. I will be praying for him all day today and will continue to encourage him when he comes home. Nanci

  12. Renee: Allow me to encourage you today. Thank you for sharing your devotion today — I really needed it. Thank you for allowing God to use you! Georgia New Bern NC

  13. Renee…I had to come back as I just read your devo. I had heard the story you shared previously, but why I came back was because I so identify with your height horrors! I always joke that I'm so afraid of heights, it's why I don't even wear high-heeled shoes!

    Love ya friend,
    Joy
    PS. Do you think that's why God made us shorter in stature? He knew we'd even scare ourselves! Hee Hee.

  14. I so relate to fear of heights, but mostly with fear of speaking in front of groups. Yesterday was our first mom's Bible Study lead by me. It certainly takes me courage to do that, as I don't like to be center of attention, speak in groups, etc…but I know the importance and need for one. I kept telling myself I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. I am going to thank my friend as she leads by wonderful example when she leads our MOPS group and I am going to share this devotion with my many mama friends.

  15. Whenever I can I encourage friends at church or friends I have known for a long time and family. Lately I have been encouraging my sister whose marriage ended after 26 years.

  17. I am going to encourage my children today and anyone else I come into contact with. I have a friend that lost her mother last Wednesday and I am going to call her today. Thanks, Renee! I will post a link on Facebook also.

  18. I have a friend going through a nasty divorce from a man who was hitting her and they had alot of other problems. She has let alot of men use her. I used to be the same way and it breaks my heart but I am steadily telling her God is there and He loves her. I am praying she can grasp this as I eventually did.

  20. i have a friend who's been going through some difficult times with her son and i haven't seen her lately. i'm going to send her a message to let her know i'm here for her!