Sunday Prayer: A Life of Joy, Prayer, and Thanksgiving

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gift of life in Christ Jesus, and for the clear direction You give us in Your Word. Teach us to rejoice always, not because our circumstances are perfect, but because You are faithful, present, and unchanging. Open our eyes to see Your goodness in both the ordinary and the difficult moments.

Help us to pray constantly—to turn every worry into a conversation with You, every decision into a moment of seeking Your wisdom, and every joy into an expression of praise. Draw our hearts into continual communion with You, so that prayer becomes our first response rather than our last resort.

Shape us into people who give thanks in everything, trusting that You are at work even when we cannot see it. Fill us with gratitude that steadies our hearts, softens our attitudes, and aligns us with Your will.

Lord, may this way of living—rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks—become our daily practice, because this is Your will for us in Christ Jesus. By Your Spirit, make it real in us.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Will I Be Punished If I’m Angry at God?

Recently I saw this question asked: Will I be punished if I’m angry at God?

This is a great question, and one that many believers wrestle with quietly. All of us—whether we admit it or not—have felt anger toward God at some point. Maybe He didn’t show up when we expected Him to. Maybe He allowed a painful experience we desperately wanted Him to prevent. God gets blamed for a lot, even by people who claim not to believe in Him. There is far more anger toward God in this world than we realize.

Let me approach the question in two parts.

1. Will God punish me for being angry with Him?

When we reduce following Jesus to sin-management, we become overly focused on what God might do to us if we step out of line. I’ve been there myself. Something goes wrong and my first instinct is, “Is God punishing me for something I did?”

That kind of thinking is exactly what Job’s friends brought into his suffering—“You must have sinned, or this wouldn’t be happening.” But Scripture consistently pushes back against that view of God.

Here’s the problem with that way of thinking: When we fixate on punishment, we stop focusing on trust.

We start living as though God is a strict judge waiting to catch us messing up. And ironically, the more we see God that way, the more angry with Him we become. It creates a cycle of fear, guilt, and resentment.

But the grace of God gives us room to grow. Are we going to sin? Yes. We’ve been trained by years of habits and broken desires. But God has already promised forgiveness in Christ. That means we are free to move forward, to repent, to learn, to trust, and to walk with confidence—not dread.

People who fear punishment often ask, “What must I avoid?”

People who trust God ask, “How can I draw closer to Him?”

Our job, especially as we walk with others, is to help them see God not as Someone out to get them but as Someone who deeply loves them. It’s only when we begin to trust God’s heart that anger toward Him begins to soften—and the fear of punishment fades.

2. Is it okay to be angry with God?

I’m not sure I can say it’s “okay,” but I can say with confidence that God allows it.

Scripture itself gives us the language of lament. Psalms 6, 35, 102, and many others show people crying out to God in frustration, disappointment, confusion, even outrage. Life wasn’t going the way they thought it should, and God seemed disturbingly silent.

God allows our anger because He knows how limited our understanding is. We see only a tiny corner of the full picture—our moment of pain, our unmet desires, our unanswered questions. God sees the whole story: our past, our future, and the ripple effects of every decision through history.

So anger toward God is often the natural response of a limited creature wrestling with unlimited mystery.

But there is a condition: Our anger must be paired with a commitment to trust.


Doubt and anger can lead us either toward God or away from Him.

• A person who is angry at God and refuses to worship or trust Him is moving into dangerous territory. That anger turns into bitterness, isolation, and spiritual darkness.
• But the person who is angry and still chooses to worship—who vents their pain before God but refuses to walk away—will eventually see God’s faithfulness. That person has chosen trust over understanding.

A personal word

This question is personal for me. I’ve been angry with God because I felt alone. At times, I refused to worship. And the longer I stayed in that posture, the darker my heart became. I felt trapped in a hopeless situation with no way out.


But slowly—very slowly—my anger began to melt as I chose to worship, even when nothing made sense. 

Before I met my wife, one of the biggest struggles I had was being single. This was a constant point of anger and disappointment I had with God. It was when I began to intentionally move towards God in worship and prayer that I realized that being single in a world built for couples wasn’t a punishment. And if I trusted God, perhaps one day He might provide companionship in a way that was richer than anything I could imagine.

Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t understand why some prayers go unanswered. I still have moments of anger. But I’ve committed to trusting God, and when I fix my eyes on Him, the anger fades and I begin to see goodness again.

So what about punishment?

Being miserable and alone is not a punishment for being angry at God.

But refusing to trust God can feel like punishment.

When we cling to anger without surrender, we create our own darkness.

But when we bring our anger to God with open hands and a trusting heart, we discover a life worth living—even when we don’t understand everything that happens.

God is not waiting to punish you.

He is waiting for you to trust Him.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Joy That Remains

“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”

— John 15:11 (NLT)

We often confuse joy with happiness. Happiness is fragile because it depends on circumstances. It comes and goes with the rise and fall of our comfort, our success, or our sense of security. When life goes our way, we’re happy. When it doesn’t, happiness quickly fades.

Joy, however, is something entirely different. It runs deeper than emotion. Joy doesn’t come from what’s happening around us, but from who is living within us. It’s a gift from God, rooted in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

When Jesus spoke the words recorded in John 15, He was preparing His disciples for sorrow and confusion. The cross was coming. Their world would soon fall apart. Yet, right there in the middle of that looming darkness, Jesus spoke about joy—His joy. “I have told you these things,” He said, “so that you will be filled with my joy.”

That’s an incredible promise. The joy Jesus gives isn’t something we have to create or maintain by our own effort. It’s something He places within us through His Spirit. It’s His joy shared with us—the same joy that sustained Him through the cross, the same joy that flows from His unbroken relationship with the Father.

In other words, Christian joy doesn’t ignore pain or pretend everything is fine. Instead, it faces hardship honestly but with confidence that God is still good, still faithful, and still at work. Joy remembers that the story isn’t over yet. It trusts that resurrection always follows the cross.

 That’s why Nehemiah could tell God’s people, “Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10, NLT). When we are weary and uncertain, joy gives us strength to keep going. When fear rises, joy reminds us of God’s unchanging presence. When hope feels small, joy rekindles the flame.

The Apostle Paul echoed this same truth in his letter to the Thessalonian church:

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

— 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NLT)

Paul’s words remind us that joy isn’t something we wait to feel—it’s something we practice. He invites us to cultivate three habits that sustain joy: 

• Always be joyful — Choose to rest in God’s goodness even when life is hard. 
• Never stop praying — Keep your heart connected to the Source of joy. 
• Be thankful in all circumstances — Remember that God’s grace is still present, even in the struggle. 

These three practices—joy, prayer, and gratitude—work together to keep our hearts strong in every season. They’re not about ignoring reality; they’re about remembering that God is greater than what we face.

Lately, I’ve been reminded of this truth a lot. I know people who are dealing with health issues and others who are facing end of life realities. I know of people who are facing financial difficulties and others who walking through job losses. There are many people I am connected to whose future feels uncertain. It would be easy to let fear or discouragement take over. But in moments like these, God invites us to return to His joy—the kind that doesn’t depend on the economy, circumstances, or control, but on Christ’s faithful presence.

When we stay close to Jesus, His joy becomes our strength. When we pray together, give thanks together, and care for one another, His joy fills our hearts and reminds us that we are not alone.

True joy remains because Christ remains. And because He remains, we can face tomorrow with confidence and peace.


Prayer:

Father, thank You for the joy that never fades, even when life feels uncertain. Help us to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in every circumstance. Teach us to remain in Jesus, to draw our strength from His presence, and to trust that You are working for our good. Fill us with Your peace and renew our joy today. Amen.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Living in Light, Love, and Truth: Faith in King Jesus

Text: 1 John 5:1–12

We live in a world full of noise—voices telling us what to value, whom to fear, and how to live. And in the middle of all that cultural confusion, John reminds us of something essential: the confidence we need to love each other and to overcome the world comes from knowing Jesus is King.

A Voice You Can Trust

In March of 2022, CBS News told the story of Jacob Smith, a 15-year-old freeride skier who is legally blind. Jacob has extreme tunnel vision, no depth perception, and everything he does see is a blur. His visual acuity is 20/800—meaning he would need the big “E” from the eye chart blown up four times its size to see it from twenty feet away.

So how does a teenager who can barely see ski down steep, dangerous mountain faces?

He listens to a voice he trusts.

On competition days, Jacob’s little brother guides him to peaks so high the lifts won’t take you there. His father waits at the bottom, takes a deep breath, and begins talking Jacob down the mountain. Jacob keeps a radio turned up loud in his pocket, and as he starts downhill he does exactly what his father says. “Turn right. Slow down. Big drop coming. Stay left.”

When asked how much he trusts his dad, Jacob smiled and said, “Enough to turn right when he tells me to.”

Confidence comes from knowing the authority you’re responding to. When you trust the one giving the command, obedience isn’t burdensome—it becomes natural. Fear loses its power.

That’s the tone John sets in 1 John 5. His churches have been overwhelmed by competing voices, false teachings, and spiritual confusion. So he brings them back to the one truth that changes everything:

You know who your King is.

Jesus is not one more voice among many. He is the true King of the cosmos—our source of life, confidence, and victory.

A Church Formed by Love

The  Church John envisioned is: a people who remain in the truth and walk in love. Discipleship isn’t complicated. We receive God’s love, which empowers us to love God and love people, and then others experience God’s love through us. That’s how disciples are made. That’s how we bear witness to the reign of King Jesus.

The apostle John wrote his first letter to faith communities under his care that had been under attack and divided by false teaching. This teaching downplayed Jesus and sin while focusing on spiritual power and enlightenment. John wanted to remind them of Jesus’s true identity as the unique Divine Son of God, the King of the World, and that our job is to love God and to love people.

John has just finished teaching about love—that the true definition of love is not what the false teachers say it is, but God, specifically seen in the sacrifice of Jesus. God’s type of love is sacrificial. It is giving what we have so the other person can be blessed. Along with love we need faith. What does this faith look like?

The Faith We Need

1. Faith in Jesus Produces Obedience and Love (vv. 1–3)

John begins with a simple assumption: faith comes first. Believing that Jesus is the Christ—the King of the cosmos—is more than mental agreement. It requires loyalty. Faith makes us God’s children, giving us a new identity and new expectations.

And what does this new family do?

We love.

For John, love for God and love for God’s children are inseparable. Love is not merely a feeling or warm sentiment—it is action. We love God by keeping His commandments: forgiving, showing mercy, serving, helping, and seeing others with honor. These aren’t burdensome tasks. They are the natural way of life in God’s kingdom, empowered by the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23).

To love well, we must (1) declare our faith in Jesus, (2) choose to love His people, and (3) ask God to empower us.

2. Faith in the King Overcomes the World (vv. 4–5)

John reminds us that every child of God “defeats this evil world.” Our victory does not come from withdrawing or fighting harder—it comes from being made new. New birth gives us a new identity and a new allegiance.

Faith is the means of victory. Left to ourselves, we fall prey to deception, fear, and the false promises of the age. But loyalty to King Jesus anchors us in truth. There is no alternative path to life. The world doesn’t need our cleverness; it needs rescue. And God has provided that rescue in Jesus.

3. God Himself Testifies That Life Is in His Son (vv. 6–12)

John draws our attention to God’s testimony about His Son. The “water and blood” point to Jesus’ baptism and His sacrificial death—bookends to His earthly ministry. The Spirit affirms this testimony: in Scripture, in the apostles’ teaching, and in the inner witness of God’s people.

Rejecting Jesus is not merely a disagreement; it is calling God a liar. But receiving the testimony leads to life—true life, the life of God Himself, present within us now through the Spirit.

John makes the point unmistakable:

If you have the Son, you have life.

If you do not have the Son, you do not have life.

Living in the Confidence of King Jesus

What is the Point?

John gives us clarity about faith:

• Faith leads to love and obedience. We can love in small ways because we’re made in God’s image, but to love consistently, sacrificially, and joyfully requires surrender to Jesus.
• Faith leads to victory over the world. Our allegiance to King Jesus defines our identity. His victory becomes our victory.
• Faith rests on God’s testimony. The Scriptures, the work of the Spirit, the history of the Church, and transformed lives all come together to assure us that Jesus is the true King.

Big Idea: The confidence we need to love each other and to overcome the world comes from knowing Jesus is King.

Living out God’s love is challenging. What if we get hurt? What if people take advantage of us? What if nothing seems to change?

Our courage does not come from outcomes—it comes from the truth that Jesus has already won. His life, death, resurrection, and ascension declare that the world’s power is broken. So we live like people who belong to a victorious King.

A Challenge 

In your prayers this week, ask God to empower you to love. Love is how we are known as God’s people. And we desperately need His help to love well.

Final Thought

Because Jesus is the King who has already overcome the world, we don’t love out of fear—we love out of confidence. Every act of forgiveness, every step of obedience, every moment we choose love over resentment declares to the world:

My King has already won.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Christianity and Culture: Are We Seeing Clearly?

In a podcast many years ago, historian Tom Woods made an interesting observation. He said something like this: “We often talk about how Christianity has shaped America, but we should also consider how America has shaped Christianity.”

That idea has stuck with me. It raises a challenging question: Could it be that we often fail to hear Jesus clearly because we filter His words through the lens of our own culture?

We are all shaped by the time and place we live in. Culture shapes what feels natural, what seems right, and what we consider normal. This is not always bad—culture gives us traditions, community, and stability. But culture can also blind us. It can lead us to accept certain practices and attitudes without ever questioning if they truly align with God’s will.

A Biblical Example of Cultural Compromise

Genesis 16 gives us a powerful example of this reality. In that passage, Sarah convinces Abraham to father a child by using her servant Hagar. In their culture, this was a perfectly acceptable practice to secure an heir. It was a solution that fit the customs of their world.

While it was an acceptable practice, it was not the way of faith. God had promised Abraham and Sarah a child, but instead of waiting for God to fulfill His word, they settled for a culturally approved shortcut.

From our perspective in 21st century United States, it is easy to look back and see their error. But in their moment, Abraham and Sarah were doing something that made sense to them. They weren’t trying to rebel against God; they were trying to solve a problem within the framework their culture gave them.

How often do we do the same?

The Subtle Power of Culture

The danger of cultural compromise is that it rarely feels like compromise. It feels natural. It feels responsible. It feels like common sense. That’s why it is so easy for us to use cultural assumptions in our interpretations of biblical truth.

For Christians living in the United States, this challenge is especially subtle. American values—like individualism, consumerism, and the pursuit of success—are so deeply ingrained in us that we may not realize when they conflict with the way of Jesus.

For example:

• Do we measure a church’s faithfulness by its size and influence (an American metric), or by its obedience to Jesus’ commands (a kingdom metric)?
• Do we prioritize personal freedom over self-giving love, even though Jesus taught that true freedom is found in serving others?
• Do we accept violence, power, and dominance as necessary evils, forgetting that Jesus called us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us?

None of these cultural values are neutral. They shape the way we hear Scripture, the way we structure our churches, and the way we live our faith.

Following Jesus, Not an Americanized Christianity

The task before us, then, is to make sure we are truly following Jesus—not just an Americanized version of Christianity that baptizes our cultural assumptions with our cherry picked Bible passages. That requires humility. It requires discernment. And it requires a willingness to question the things we have been taught as “biblical” but may not actually come from Scripture.

Abraham and Sarah remind us how easy it is to be led by what feels normal instead of what God has promised. The same danger confronts us today. Will we trust Jesus enough to follow His way, even when it goes against the flow of our culture?

A Call to Self-Examination

Perhaps one of the most important spiritual disciplines we can practice is self-examination in light of Scripture. We need to ask:

• Am I believing this because it is biblical, or because it is cultural? 
• Does my discipleship reflect the values of the kingdom of God or the values of America? 
• Where might I be settling for what feels natural rather than waiting on the promises of God?

These are not easy questions. But they are necessary if we want to live faithfully as disciples of King Jesus.

The good news is that God is patient with us, just as He was patient with Abraham and Sarah. He invites us to step out of cultural conformity and into the radical life of faith, trusting that His way is better than anything our world has to offer.

Reflection

Take a moment to sit with this question: How has my faith been shaped more by culture than by Christ?

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal blind spots where cultural assumptions have crowded out biblical truth. Then pray for the courage to follow Jesus even when it feels strange, unpopular, or countercultural.

“Lord Jesus, help me to see where I have settled for a comfortable, cultural version of faith instead of the radical way of Your kingdom. Give me eyes to see clearly, ears to hear Your voice, and a heart willing to obey—even when it goes against what feels normal. Teach me to live as Your disciple first and foremost. Amen.”

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.