Recovery In Christ Devotional Page

09/20/2025

06/14/2025

Take time to listen before waiting to speak…

Have you ever caught yourself on “auto-pilot” in a conversation?

For me, it usually happens during a familiar conversation or recurring situation.

My mind tells me the answer before the other person even asks or finishes!

Now maybe it’s different for you, but I catch myself going into an auto-pilot mode when I start deciding what must be done even before I have really listened and or HEARD what the other person is trying to say.

OK, so this is part of the standard fare for raising kids under 5 when it comes to junk food and unsafe toys, we DO know the answers before they form the question,

but this type of listening hurts us in all other aspects of our lives.

Think about it.

We like to be listened to, heard, and feel that we have been understood.

It’s a spiritual principle that we need to treat others in the same way that we wish to be treated.

So maybe this is the 3rd time Aunt Mabel has told you the story about her trip to the grocery with the wrong coupons.

Perhaps by actively listening to her and building conversation around her story, she may finally feel heard and stop telling you the same story.

How do you listen?

Does the solution noise in your head drown out what the other person is trying to say? …

Check your own experience and…

Take time to listen instead of waiting to speak.

“We never gave the spiritual side of life a fair hearing.” Big Book pg. 50

Lord, let us listen with our hearts and hear with You Holy Spirit that resides in us all, AMEN.

"To answer before listening-- that is folly and shame. Proverbs 18:13

Have a blessed day Y’all!

Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible!

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06/13/2025

What’s your motive?...

This was given to me years ago as I was learning how to pray and I still use it to this very day.

The suggestion is to pray to WANT what I GET and not to GET what I WANT.

I can’t tell you how many times over the years I have become confused and have prayed

TELLING God about a desired specific outcome with great detail, based on my thoughts, emotions, and motives on getting that specific result

instead of becoming open and willing to learn God’s will for me and the lesson I need to learn for the situation causing me to pray.

When I pray for understanding and wisdom, things go well.

When I pray for specific things focusing only on how those things will make me feel, well,…

I am still waiting…

Think about that for a moment and please… check your experience…

“…praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” Big Book pg 59

Lord, let us pray to understand Your will for us in the requests we make instead of demanding our own way, AMEN.

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:3

Have a blessed day Y'all!

Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible!


https://www.amazon.com/author/mfarley



How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought?



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06/12/2025

"For wherever your treasure is, there will be your heart also." Luke 12:34

I enjoy this verse because it brings me instant perspective along with a truthful reminder to watch my motives and efforts.

When I am struggling, frustrated, stressed, and just plain mad, reflecting on this verse gives me the path I need to take to find happiness and let go of whatever it is that is causing these negative emotions and feelings inside of me.

Do I WANT to look at myself at times like this?

Heck no!

I like to sit in anger and resentment and focus on the wrongs that I perceive being done to me!

I have learned that I must look in order to restore order to my mind and peace to my soul.

I look at my motives first. I ask myself what I am trying to gain, get, or avoid through my actions, attitudes, desires, and behaviors.

I next look at my efforts.

Am I sitting in the negativity of the situation?

Am I refusing to see the other side?

Am I willing to accept this person, place, thing, or situation exactly as it is for this moment and refocus my mind toward the positive attitude I need to move on?

This is when I learn first-hand where my “treasure” is.

When I look at my motives and efforts, I can see where my heart is!

“As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter.” Big Book pg 63

Lord let us fill our hearts with the treasures of Your Truth, Grace, and Love, AMEN.

"For wherever your treasure is, there will be your heart also." Luke 12:34

Have a blessed day Y’all!

Join us in prayer and with your financial support as we tackle the challenge of helping folks escape homelessness and helplessness.

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06/11/2025

Whether we realize it or not, we are around people in need every day.

Some are in our daily lives, and others we encounter randomly, or so it seems.

Now the needs can go from a helping hand to a warm meal, to just a kind word and a smile.

What a difference we can make as followers of Christ, who have experienced His love, by doing good and sharing His grace with others that He so freely and unconditionally gives us. …

Check your experience. ..

“Helping others is the foundation stone” Big Book pg. 97

Lord let the eyes of our hearts remain open to see the needs of others as we go about our day, AMEN.

“And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.” Hebrews 13:16

Have a blessed day Y’all!

Join us in prayer and with your financial support as we tackle the challenge of helping folks escape homelessness and helplessness.

Furniture Bank bringing solutions and hope!

https://furniturebank.us/

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/HomesFromHeavenAZ

AZ Charitable TAX CREDIT!

06/10/2025

We are only as sick as our secrets…

Sometimes withholding information is good to do, like when it is not needed for the situation at hand or could overwhelm or overload someone due to their current circumstances.

Most of the time it pays to be transparent and not keep secrets because they have a way of coming to light, especially in this day and age with Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and all the other ways we socialize and communicate.

The spiritual fact is that no matter what is in our hearts or in our minds, the Lord knows through the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.

So maybe this doesn’t apply to you, but why is it that there are times when I think I can “pull one over” on the Lord, or feel that if I don’t look at it or pray about it He won’t know?

I chalk it up to my weak self-will fueled by either pride or fear, depending on the motivator, but the truth is the longer I hold off from bringing it to the Lord, the harder it is for me to gain grace and be free.

How’s this working out for you?..

Check your experience…

“…we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters as we had tried to be on other questions.” Big Book pg. 48

Lord, let us open our hearts and minds to Your grace and guidance, AMEN.

“For there is nothing covered up that will not be seen. There is nothing hidden that will not be known.” Luke 12:2

Have a blessed day Y’all!

Join us in prayer and with your financial support as we tackle the challenge of helping and mentoring young adults aging out of the Foster Care System.

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Email today and let’s chat to see if we can make up a plan for you to get you to where you want to be!

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06/09/2025

Some loaves and a few fish...

Sometimes when worldly needs and demands pile up we can begin to feel overwhelmed with responsibilities and requests that our minds have a hard time wrapping our heads around.

When our heads do the math, it doesn’t always add up causing fear and anxiety.

Just remember, if it is God’s will, it will happen, perhaps not the way we imagine, but it will happen.

Just look at the 4000 Jesus fed with 7 loaves and few fish! …

"Our ideas did not work, but the God idea did." Big Book pg. 52

Lord, let us bring our needs, wants, and desires to You in prayer and pray to WANT what we get and not to GET what we think we want! AMEN.

“Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6

Have a blessed day Y'all!

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Want a one-on-one coach to help motivate and guide you to achieve your goals and dreams??

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06/08/2025

We gotta put it on...

Have you ever noticed that we have to make many choices daily?

We decide what clothes to wear, what foods to eat and even the routes to take to get us from place to place.

Some requires a lot of thought and some very little, but either way we have to give it our thoughts and make our choice.

It's the same in our Spiritual life.

Even though we are saved and promised eternal life when we take Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He still gives us the free will to choose our Spiritual walk daily.

So how is that working out for you?

Are you choosing to put on your Spiritual Armor daily and walk in His path? ..

Check your experience...

"walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress." Big Book pg. 100

Lord, let us put on Your Spiritual Armor daily and walk covered and protected, AMEN.

"..and you must put on the new self, which is created in God's likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.” Ephesians 4:24

Have a blessed day Y'all!

Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible!

https://www.amazon.com/author/mfarley

How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought?

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I never share, sell, or publish your email.

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06/07/2025

Another type of "Book Learnin'"...

We go to school for 12 or more years to get our education.

Most of us get some sort of on-the-job training from our employers.

A lot of us get many educational lessons from the school of hard knocks.

And a few of us get ongoing education from our Big Book and its daily 12 Step practices.

But what about Spiritual learning?

I have yet to see it on any applications in the working world.

The lessons I am finally learning in life come from the Bible and being in God's will and Word daily.

Maybe it's different for you, but my wisdom comes from applying the words in God's Book to my life.
.. Check your experience. ...

"There had been a humble willingness to have Him with me and He came. But soon the sense of His presence had been blotted out by worldly clamors, mostly those within myself. And so it has been ever since. How blind I had been." Big Book pg. 12&13

Lord let us walk daily in Your Will and Word to gain the wisdom we need, AMEN.

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure and full of quiet gentleness. Then it is peace-loving and courteous. It allows discussion and is willing to yield to others; it is full of mercy and good deeds. It is wholehearted and straightforward and sincere." James 3:17

Have a blessed day y’all!

Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible!

https://www.amazon.com/author/mfarley

How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought?

Free daily message in your morning inbox.

I never share, sell, or publish your email.

https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/blog