An Encouraging Anchor for Your Week

Recognizing God's Moments of Strength

You know those days when your prayers seem to be the same words over and over again — to the point that they suddenly feel dull?

Yeah, well here's mine: I thank God for a new day, reflect at His feet on what I could have done better, soul search, repent, ask for forgiveness… and then move through my standard requests of strength, wisdom, discernment, and Holy Spirit guidance for the day. {Blah, Blah}

Now, don’t get me wrong — within that monotony, my goal is to fully encounter Him and all that He is. My prayer is to feel His presence, to hear His gentle whisper on my heart, and to move further in my journey with Him.

But recently, I realized something:

Those prayers I repeat each day had made me almost immune to recognizing when He actually answered them.

They’d become so routine… so sequenced… that I stopped looking for that one moment where He clearly showered me with His grace.

Friend to friend, let me ask you something:

When you pray for strength for the day — over your to-do list, over a circumstance, over parenting, over obedience — do you look for that divine moment when you just knew there was no way, on this side of heaven, you would have been able to accomplish what you did?

Maybe it was the moment you reacted in a way that was completely opposite of how your flesh wanted to respond.

Or the circumstance that you were certain would leave you on the floor… yet somehow, you were calm, at peace, and couldn’t explain it.

How often are we actually taking a moment to recognize God in the daily as He answers those simple prayers?

It’s wild that I was “today-years-old” when I realized that in all of the seasons I went through — if not for God’s answered prayer for strength — I would not have been able to get through it or accomplish it all.

There were seasons when grief showed up at my doorstep — like when my father passed — and somehow, I still found the strength to show up at work, lead, and perform when everything in me felt heavy.

That wasn’t me. That was God.

There were moments when I felt the Lord nudging me to start this very blog… and I had no idea that, almost simultaneously, my role at work was about to become even more demanding. Yet here I am — still standing, still writing, still trusting.

That’s not because I have it all together. It's because of God.

When COVID hit, and we made the decision to move my mom and bonus dad into our home, there were so many unknowns ahead. Job uncertainty. Financial questions. Fear of what was coming next.

But while the world around us felt like it was unraveling, we didn’t lose our love. We didn’t lose our family. We didn’t lose our peace.

That was God.

There's so much more I can divulge - but y'know you don't have time for that, and you get the point. I can’t take credit for a thing. Every season, every circumstance, every change - all that strength that allowed me...us to prevail was God.

Looking back, I see the moments of pride and entitlement. The quiet “woe is me” thoughts: Why is no one else in this house doing anything? Can’t they see everything I’m doing?

But thankfully, we serve a God who, when we finally wake up, reminds us: He was there then. He’s here now. And He never plans on leaving.

And maybe that’s the reminder we need as we head into this week.

The same God who strengthened you in a season you thought you wouldn’t survive is the same God who will meet you in the ordinary moments ahead — in the meetings, in the parenting decisions, in the hard conversations, in the quiet battles no one else sees. The strength you’ve been praying for may not always show up as something dramatic… but as patience you didn’t have before, peace that doesn’t quite make sense, or the ability to take one more step when you were sure you couldn’t.

So this week, instead of only asking God for strength — ask Him to open your eyes to where He’s already provided it.

Because sometimes, the answered prayer isn’t what changed around you. It’s what He strengthened within you.

In Love & Christ,

Dorene Elizabeth

📖 Scripture of the Week

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
— Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

💡 Tip of the Week: Look Back Before You Look Ahead

At the end of each day this week, take 60 seconds to ask:
​Where did God give me strength today that I didn’t naturally have?

Write down one moment — even if it seems small.
🎯That calm response.
🎯The completed task.
🎯OR the patience you didn’t think you had.

Recognizing His provision daily builds your faith for tomorrow.

📚 Go Deeper on the Blog

If this encouraged you, I dive deeper into how God meets us in overwhelming seasons in this post on Pearls & Pumas:

➡️ Fight One More Round​

It’s all about trusting His strength when yours runs out.

Let's Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for meeting me in the quiet, ordinary moments of my day. Forgive me for the times I've overlooked Your provision because it didn’t come in the way I expected. Open my eyes to see where You’ve strengthened me, calm me, and carry me through today’s challenges. Help me to recognize Your hand in my patience, my peace, and my perseverance. Remind me, Lord, that every ounce of strength I have comes from You.

As I move into this week, give me the awareness to notice Your grace in the daily — and the humility to thank You for it.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

🛍️ Faith-Filled Encouragement for Your Day

If you’re looking for a daily reminder that your strength comes from Him, explore my Christ-centered mugs, journals, and apparel at Pearls of Praise Prints.

Sometimes the encouragement you prayed for looks like truth on your wall… or in your hands.

✨ Shop faith-based encouragement designed for busy Christian moms and women like you.

In Love and Christ,

Dorene Elizabeth

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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