Finding Confidence in Christ - Encouraging, empowering and inspiring women to embrace their identity in Christ
Faith in Action

Peace is promised to a life viewed through the lens of faith

Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
Kelly Kirby Worley
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lens of faith

When facing unknown and uncomfortable circumstances, what do you pray for?

I ask myself this question after reading the story of Elisha’s face-off with the Aramean army. In 2 Kings, chapter 6, the prophet Elisha’s servant panics when he sees they are surrounded.

“Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them,” Elisha encourages. Then he prays, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. (2 Kings 6:8-17 NLT)

Staring at the text, I wonder to myself, Why wouldn’t Elisha ask God to destroy the attackers? But then my eyes settle on the words, “he looked up…” and suddenly, I get it.

When we focus on the obstacles in front of us, we become alarmed and immobilized. That’s why Elisha asks God to open his servant’s eyes; so he can see through the lens of faith. Divine revelation of God’s supernatural provision dispels fear and grants a peace that surpasses human understanding.

From this story, we see evidence of God’s compassion and the divine wall of protection available to believers. It inspires me to change the way I pray so that when trouble comes my way, I don’t ask God to take it away. But ask Him instead to open my eyes so I can see God’s unseen world working on my behalf. After all, what could be more exciting in life than experiencing more of Jesus amidst trouble armed with the peace of certain victory!

What about you? How would your life change if you started viewing obstacles through the lens of faith? What kind of impact would it have on our families and our communities if we all started responding to fear with faith that looks beyond what we can see to what God sees?

Sending, love, peace, and prayers to all!

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Faith in Action Family

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!

Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
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Mom mothers day

Note placement of mom’s hands:) She waasn’t letting go of that Cherry Coke!

Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy, but losing your mother is like losing a part of yourself.

I began writing the story below just days after Mom’s passing last summer. Until today, I haven’t dared to finish it. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom; this is for you!

“How long is this process?”

“Oh God,” I silently prayed, “how do I answer that?”

I fought hard to hold back the tears and swallow the lump in my chest before answering. After giving her hand a tight squeeze, I said, “Mom, I think a lot of the timing is up to you and God.”

Yes, that’s right. My mother looked me in the eye and asked me to tell her when she was going to die. Had it not been for the miraculous and conspicuous presence of Jesus, I wouldn’t have survived this painful moment. But God, in His unimaginable grace and creativity, made our last days with mom not just bearable, but beautiful.

It’s easy for our focus to become skewed when facing the trials of this life. Because Jesus laid aside his divinity so that he could become human, like us, He understands. That’s why he gives us the following advice:

Learn this well: Unless you dramatically change your way of thinking and become teachable, and learn about heaven’s kingdom realm with the wide-eyed wonder of a child, you will never be able to enter in.  (Matthew 18:3 TPT)

There are no words to accurately describe the transition my family and I witnessed take place in my mother during the last hours of her life. Having run away from home as a young girl, mom developed a hardened exterior to survive. Although I have no doubt, mom loved us, physical affection and nurturing never came naturally to her. Consequently, her true nature and generous heart didn’t surface until later in life when she laid down her life for Jesus.

On Saturday, the day before Mom passed, we noticed a change in her character. She began to exhibit a sweetness of spirit and the characteristics of a small child. Although she had been too weak to eat or even speak, she suddenly began making juvenile requests for junk food, including cake and a Cherry Coke. At first, I thought she was trying to be funny, but she smiled and nodded her head when I laughingly asked, “Are you serious?”

That evening, we gathered around Mom’s hospital bed and tried to feed her the sweets she had requested. With exuberance, she snatched the mini Cherry Coke from my daughter’s hand, put the straw in her mouth, and slurped what must have been half the can in a single breath. It was surreal. Joy and laughter filled the room as we watched Mom devour her treats with unabashed delight. Right before our eyes, the matriarch of our family was turning in a trusting child of God.

My love, admiration, and respect for Mom grew exponentially as I watched her process what was happening, where she was, and where she was going. Mom’s strength and dignity did not come from her incredible achievements. She knew they were a result of her love for God and her commitment to Him. Mom was at peace with the things that were to come because she knew where she was heading. Her time as a sojourner in this foreign land was over, and she was finally on her way home to see her Papa!

Faith builders Faith in Action

How to wait well and find joy in your journey with Jesus

Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
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How to wait well

I waited and waited and waited some more, patiently, knowing God would come through for me. Then, at last, he bent down and listened to my cry. (Psalm 40:1 TPT)

Do you find it challenging to be patient and wait for the Lord to answer your prayers? I confess, sometimes waiting is hard for me. I’m a “get it done” kind of girl, so the more desperate my need, the less patience I have to wait. But, I’m learning, doing God’s will often requires waiting patiently.

How to wait well
When God’s timing to respond doesn’t match my expectations, Psalm 40 is one of my “go-to” places for strength. Here David relies on historical precedent of God’s faithfulness in his life to endure an extended season of waiting. Like an attorney presenting facts to a judge or jury, David’s prayer for help details God’s mercy in the past:

“He stooped down to lift me out of danger from the desolate pit I was in, out of the muddy mess I had fallen into. Now he’s lifted me up into a firm, secure place and steadied me while I walk along his ascending path.” (Psalm 40:2 TPT)

I love that God didn’t wait for David to get his emotions in check before rescuing him. No, it was David’s quiet confidence that compelled God to meet him where he was. Despite being helpless, David was never hopeless because he knew His heavenly Father would eventually come to his rescue!

As with David, unshakable trust in God is the gateway to answered prayer, and such trust takes time. That’s the reason I recommend keeping a written record of your time with God.

Although I became a Christian in middle school, I didn’t understand the concept of having a personal relationship with Jesus. But, everything changed 8 years ago when I started spending time with God and His Word every morning. As I journaled about my journey with Jesus, a pattern of His loving-kindness and visible presence soon emerge

To date, I have 30+ journals filled with answered prayers and unexpected blessings that would have gone unnoticed had I not been keeping a written record. Trust me nothing, but the Bible can compare to the spiritual awakening that occurs when we have tangible evidence of the Lord’s presence in our lives.

Sending love, peace, and prayers to all!

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Faith in Action

All fear fails in the face of Jesus!

Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
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Psalm 27:1  All fear fails in the face of Jesus!

My life was an open book painted with pretty pictures of a seemingly perfect life.  At least that’s what I’d believed before my worst nightmare came true.

Abused, abandoned and afraid: “How could you?  No one can be that cruel!”

I’d been controlled and deceived by the one I trusted so that he was all I had.  I had no job, no home and no hope – my sole survival plan was to cling tightly to Jesus’s hand.

Friend, are you living in a season of fear?  Like me, have all your props been removed so that you have nothing else to lean upon other than Jesus?  If so, I pray you hear the sincerity of my heart when I say, He is Trustworthy!

Let go, lean in and trust Him.  Freedom is found when we submit all that we are and all that we have to Him.  There is so much more I plan to share with you but for now, I’ll leave you with this:

Fear is a dark shadow that envelopes us and ultimately imprisons us within ourselves. We’ve all been a prisoner of fear at one time or another—fear of rejection, misunderstanding, uncertainty, sickness, or even death.  If we want to dispel the darkness of fear, let us remember with the psalm writer that the Lord is our light and our salvation.  All fear fails in the face of Jesus!

Sending peace, love, and prayers to all!

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Faith in Action Prayer

How to pray for God’s love to direct our words and thoughts.

Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
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How to pray Psalm 19

Psalm 19 teaches us how to pray so that we honor God by the way we love others

Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!

If a non-believer curious about God were to observe you throughout the day, would it change the way you live?

If you’re like me, chances are you’d think twice before spitting out the thoughts that ramble around in your mind. Especially during stressful or difficult seasons like we are living in now. While we may not have non-believers watching us in quarantine, God most certainly is.

As this thought moves from my mind to words on paper, I reflexively sit up a little straighter in my chair. What adjectives, I wonder, would God use in describing a Christian after observing my life for a day or two?

These are the thoughts running through my mind as I read Psalm 19 this morning. Here David gives us a beautiful illustration of how to pray for God’s love to direct our words and thoughts.

“God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries.

There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. Otherwise, how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool?

Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work; Then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.

These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray. Accept them when I place them on the morning altar, O God, my Altar-Rock, God, Priest-of-My-Altar.” (Psalm 19:10-14 MSG)

There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking the Lord to make us pleasing to Him. In fact, God loves to teach us His ways; so that we honor Him in the way we love others.

David’s gift with words combined with his heart for God provides us with over 70 beautiful illustrations of communicating with the Lord. We, too, can pray for help, so the words we speak and the thoughts we think are pleasing to God. As we begin a new day, let’s decide that God’s love will guide what we say and how we think.

Sending peace, love, and prayers to all!

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Download a free Psalm 19 Prayer PDF here.

Prayer from Psalm 19 MSG

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