Saturday, May 3, 2025

A Prayer When Your Spiritual Health Is Struggling By Vivian Bricker Bible Reading: “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” - Hebrews 10:39

 

A Prayer When Your Spiritual Health Is Struggling - Your Daily Prayer - May 3

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A Prayer When Your Spiritual Health Is Struggling
By Vivian Bricker

Bible Reading:
“But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” - Hebrews 10:39

Read or Listen Below:

Days went by, and nobody replied. Each of them had seen the message since the read receipt was on, but nobody had replied. They each left me reading, not caring enough to answer or offer any support. This caused me to start questioning Christianity because if Christians couldn’t be kind enough to help me in my darkest days, then maybe there was no God. This led me into a downward spiral where I slowly started distancing myself from others and God.

In truth, I wasn’t mad at God; I was angry at my so-called friends. They made me question God’s goodness because they claimed to be followers of Him, yet they couldn’t even reply to a simple message. Over time, I have slowly stopped talking to these individuals, partly because they never reach out. It helped me to see that they never truly wanted to be my friends, and they certainly weren’t going to go out of their way to help me while I was recovering.

As I’m recovering, I have found my most excellent help has been God and my sister. God has helped me to see myself as He sees me. I don’t have to strive for unrealistic standards or listen to the compulsions in my head. Instead, I can sit at the feet of the Lord and rest in His love. Of course, there are days when I struggle, but I can manage things better because of God. My sister has also helped in many ways and has greatly supported my recovery process.

In reflecting, I can see that I don’t need to give control of my spiritual health to others. Rather than associating Jesus with people at church, we need to associate Him with Himself. Christians are followers of Jesus, but they are not Him. We don’t need to discredit Jesus or question Him when Christians hurt us. This is hard, but we don’t need to view the Lord negatively because those who claim to follow Him have been mean to us. Instead, we need to separate Jesus from His followers and focus on Him rather than the people at church, Christian college, or a Christian organization.

Faith in Jesus, Not in People

Hebrews 10:39 says, “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” As the writer of Hebrews tells us, we do not belong to those who fall back and are destroyed. Instead, we belong to those who have faith and are saved. When someone does something that makes us question God, we need to turn to Him in prayer and weigh what they did against Scripture.

Christians can do many terrible things, but we cannot associate their sinful actions with the Lord. We must continue to believe in Him because we have faith in Him, not in people. Salvation comes from placing faith in Jesus, not in Christians. Whenever we start doubting Christ, Christianity, or our salvation, we must go to the Bible, turn to Jesus in prayer, and remember His goodness. By doing this, we can help our spiritual health get back on track and grow stronger.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Jesus, please help my spiritual health grow rather than struggle. I have recently gone through a period where my spiritual health is struggling, but I’m choosing to turn matters over to You. No longer will I allow other Christians’ actions to define You. I am choosing to define You by You. I also ask that You help others seek You out rather than trying to find their faith in others. You are the answer we all need, and I praise You. Please help me never forget this truth and continue growing in You. I know you are capable of all things. Thank You for always being with me. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©Patrick Schneider/Unsplash


Vivian Bricker author bio photoVivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate: https://cultivatechristianity.wordpress.com/

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Originally published Saturday, 03 May 2025.


Kneeling on the Job? FBI Cleans House After 2020 Protest Photo Fallout;Senior FBI Officials Demoted After BLM Gesture The FBI has taken action against multiple high-ranking agents who were photographed kneeling with Black Lives Matter protesters during the 2020 demonstrations following George Floyd’s death.

 Kneeling on the Job? FBI Cleans House After 2020 Protest Photo Fallout

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has reassigned several agents who were photographed kneeling during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. At least four agents have been demoted to lesser roles within the bureau without being provided clear reasons for their reassignment. Why were these agents kneeling instead of trying to stop the riots?

Senior FBI Officials Demoted After BLM Gesture

The FBI has taken action against multiple high-ranking agents who were photographed kneeling with Black Lives Matter protesters during the 2020 demonstrations following George Floyd’s death. These reassignments, widely viewed as demotions within the bureau, have affected at least four senior officials who previously held prominent positions in counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and cybercrime divisions.

The controversial kneeling gesture occurred while the agents were deployed to Washington, D.C., to protect federal buildings and assist with crowd control during the protests. According to a former agent familiar with the situation, “Those agents were not ever trained to be in that situation. Riot control is not our mission. We are trained to de-escalate.”

Gift Cards and Criticism: Divided Response to Agents’ Actions

In a surprising move, the FBI Agents Association reportedly rewarded the kneeling agents with $100 gift cards following the incident. This recognition starkly contrasts with the recent reassignments that have effectively pushed these agents out of their leadership positions.

Former Representative Matt Gaetz was among the vocal critics of the agents’ actions, telling Fox News, “Many FBI personnel we were trusting to be on the front lines were photographed kneeling in surrender to people who at times were violent.” He further characterized their behavior as “demoralizing” and stated, “To climb the ladder in federal employment, you shouldn’t have to shimmy up the woke totem pole.”

Political Implications and Potential Legal Response

The timing of these reassignments aligns with President Donald Trump’s campaign promises to eliminate what he termed “woke” elements within federal law enforcement. Though the FBI declined to comment on these personnel matters, the actions appear to address longstanding frustrations among conservatives who viewed the kneeling as evidence of political bias within the bureau.

Legal experts suggest the affected agents could potentially pursue legal action if they believe the reassignments constitute reprisal or discrimination. While the FBI maintains the authority to transfer employees while preserving their pay and position, reassignments perceived as punitive could face legal challenges.

The incident reflects broader tensions regarding law enforcement’s role during the 2020 protests, which caused significant property damage in many cities. Former FBI leadership reportedly found no policy violations by the agents at the time, but the kneeling gesture was interpreted by many as crossing the line from de-escalation tactics into political expression.

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