Biblical Living – Page 2 – Fortress of Hope Ministries

Shortly after my son’s arrest, I learned that he needed to know that he had family on the outside who loved and supported him while he’s inside. Every person has an innate desire to be loved and accepted—including inmates. Just because they live behind razor wire and concrete walls doesn’t mean that their hearts turned to stone. All people desire to accepted into a community. Everyone wants a family. In prison, inmates may find new families in the form of…

Sufficient Grace

Shonda Savage Whitworth

Biblical Living, hope

Do you realize that God gives us sufficient grace to make it through each day? I remember how this revelation came to me years ago when my husband was away from home for an extended period of time for work. I had to pick up the slack around the home. We had two young boys and I worked full time outside the home. Interestingly enough, problems did not wait until my husband came home. Life continued in his absence. We…

Fellow Sojourners

Shonda Savage Whitworth

Biblical Living, hope

We’re all sojourners, just passing through this phase of life. James described our lives as being like a mist that appears for a moment, but then it’s gone (James 4:14). Life on earth is temporary. One day sometime after my son’s incarceration, it hit me—if my life here is temporary, why do I dwell on myself too much on this life? I’m not talking about neglecting myself, but moving out of self-pity into focusing on God’s promises. I began to…

Truth Revealed Sets Captives Free

Shonda Savage Whitworth

Biblical Living

The Lord desires for us to receive HIS truth so that we can live in freedom. When we need answers to the issues of our lives, the Lord will reveal His truths to us when we call upon Him. “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” (Jeremiah 33:3 ESV). Our role is to call Him and seek Him. When we do, He promises that He will…

Give Thanks Because God is Able

Shonda Savage Whitworth

Biblical Living, hope

Do you believe God is able? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced the option of being thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to the golden statue. While staring death in the face, they declared, “God is able.” “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power,…

Walking through the Fire

Shonda Savage Whitworth

Biblical Living, hope

The day we received the phone call that our son had been arrested, my initial reaction was to write out Romans 8:28– “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (NKJV). Then I turned that Scripture into a prayer. Honestly, when I prayed that Scripture back to God, my desire was for Him to keep my son out of prison. To me, that would be…

Happy New Year 2018!

Shonda Savage Whitworth

Biblical Living, hope

“…I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13 NLT). As we change our calendars, our memories are not erased like we would erase a hard drive. We do not actually forget the things that happened in the past. I think “forgetting the past” means not to dwell on the past so much that it hinders our forward progress. We cannot take a leap of faith with baggage. Repent for the…

Daily Scripture Meditation

Shonda Savage Whitworth

Biblical Living

How do you meditate on the Word? According to Dictionary.com, meditate means “to engage in thought or contemplation; reflect.” Joshua 1:8 reads, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (NLT) The Word instructs us to meditate on the Word of God day and night. There are a myriad of ways to think about, contemplate, and reflect on God’s truth. If…

The Empty Seat

Kristin King

Biblical Living, Freedom, Holidays, hope, Marriage, Praise

With the holiday season quickly approaching, many families with incarcerated loved ones begin to experience the tug of negative emotions. The empty place at the table and in family pictures is a reminder of not only who is missing but why. When we turn to the word of God, we find many comforting passages that remind us that we have hope in Him. “The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him and I am helped:…

The Most Common Hindrance to Answered Prayer

Shonda Savage Whitworth

Biblical Living, Prayer

How long have you prayed for something you know is God’s will, but still have not received the answer yet? First, how do we know if it is God’s will? God’s word is His will. So, when we pray His Word, His word does what He says it will do. (Isaiah 55:11) However, there may be times in our lives that it seems we pray and decree the Word of God. We ask and ask. After all the Bible says, “Ask,…