The Connection Corner

Hope in His Name

Daily Devotional, Heart of the Artist, Stories About Songs

Psalm 135:3 — Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; celebrate his lovely name with music.

Our apartment in Houston was barely 800 square feet. Texas heat pressed against the windows, and I was sweeping crumbs across our tiny kitchen floor with worship music playing in the background.

I wasn’t trying to have a moment. Not really. But then “I Speak Jesus” came on—the Here Be Lions and Darlene Zschech version. The melody drew me in, and by the time the chorus rose, the room felt different. Holy in the most ordinary place.

My husband Ryan looked up to me, and we both knew.

At the time, I was finishing my album Endless Praise. I hadn’t written this song. It wasn’t mine to claim. But standing there with a broom in my hand, I felt it—this song carried something people needed.

“This is it,” I said. “This has to be on the album.”

It wasn’t strategy. It wasn’t about building the perfect track list. I just wanted people to know the beautiful name of Jesus.

Because when you realize how good He is, praise isn’t something you plan—it’s something that rises.

I knew that when His name is spoken, things change. Fear loosens. Peace settles. Because there’s a goodness in His name. When you know it, you know. His name is pleasant to the soul in a way nothing else is.

After the album released, the song started traveling. Into churches. Into homes.

Stories came in waves. A mother singing it over her daughter every night before bed. Friends blasting it in hospital parking lots during the pandemic when they couldn’t go inside. People speaking the name of Jesus over addiction, fear, and depression.

Every testimony reminded me: the power isn’t in my voice. It’s in His lovely name that is worthy of praise.

Now when I think about that day, I don’t picture a stage. I picture that tiny kitchen. The broom in my hand. A regular afternoon that turned holy. I know without a shadow of a doubt, His name still does what it has always done. It steadies shaking hearts. It pushes back darkness.

So maybe that’s the most important thing you could focus on today. Speaking His name right where you are—in kitchens, in car rides, in hospital hallways.

Because when you speak the name of Jesus, you are not just singing—you are releasing hope, healing, and freedom into places that desperately need it.

— Charity Gayle

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

When was the last time you experienced God’s presence in an ordinary moment?
Do you tend to treat worship as something reserved for church, or something woven into everyday life?
What does it personally mean to you that the Lord is good?
How have you seen the name of Jesus bring peace, hope, or change in your life?
Is there a space in your daily routine (car, kitchen, work) where you could intentionally turn your attention to praise?
What would it look like for you to “celebrate His name with music” this week—not out of habit, but from the heart?

L Y R I C S

I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
Over every heart and every mind
‘Cause I know there is peace within Your presence
I speak Jesus

I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
‘Til every dark addiction starts to break
Declaring there is hope and there is freedom
I speak Jesus

‘Cause Your name is power
Your name is healing
Your name is life
Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like a fire

I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
Over fear and all anxiety
To every soul held captive by depression
I speak Jesus

‘Cause Your name is power
Your name is healing
Your name is life
Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like a fire

Shout Jesus from the mountains
Jesus in the streets
Jesus in the darkness, over every enemy
Jesus for my family
I speak the holy name
Jesus, oh (oh)

Shout Jesus from the mountains
And Jesus in the streets (oh)
Jesus in the darkness, over every enemy
Jesus for my family
I speak the holy name
Jesus (Jesus)

‘Cause Your name is power
Your name is healing
Your name is life
Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like a fire

Your name is power (Your name is power)
Your name is healing (Your name is healing)
Your name is life (You are my life)
Break every stronghold (break every stronghold)
Shine through the shadows
Burn like a fire

I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
Over every heart and every mind
‘Cause I know there is peace within Your presence
I speak Jesus

Songwriters: Jesse Reeves / Dustin Smith / Abby Benton / Kristen Dutton / Carlene Prince / Raina Pratt

April 12, 2026/by David Hall

Look More Like Love

Brenda Price, Daily Devotional

Hebrews 13:16 — Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

There are so many fascinating Bible stories, but you know, it’s fun when we try and picture some of the stories happening today.

Just think about the story of the Good Samaritan.

A man is stranded on the shoulder with a flat tire. A pastor’s SUV slows… then keeps going. A church leader honks sympathetically then merges left. But then a beat-up minivan pulls over to help.

The driver doesn’t just change the tire. This good Samaritan wipes down the windshield, checks the oil, and leaves a snack in the cup holder. I mean, he might even call AAA road services, pay for the tow, and then Venmo gas money for the entire week.

That’s not just being nice. That costs something.

He shows above and beyond kindness. The Good Samaritan doesn’t just meet the bare minimum, he goes the extra mile for a stranger with a cheerful heart.

That’s what real love is. It isn’t a quick wave or a “Hope you get help.” It is being willing to be inconvenienced and stepping into someone else’s struggle.

Real love moves from obligation to sacrifice and remembers that doing good and sharing with others is the kind of sacrifice that actually pleases God.

Take some time today to look around. Somewhere nearby, someone’s hazard lights are blinking. It might not be a flat tire. No. It might be a single mom barely holding it together or a coworker drowning under pressure.

Don’t talk yourself out of that nudge to help. Pull over and step into the inconvenience. Share what you can. Let your kindness cost you something.

Because that’s how love stops being the story we picture and starts becoming the life we really live.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Where have I been tempted to offer just enough instead of going the extra mile for someone in need?
Who in my life right now might have “hazard lights blinking”—and how could I step in to help in a practical way?
What keeps me from responding when I feel the nudge to help—busyness, inconvenience, discomfort, or something else?
When was the last time my generosity or kindness actually cost me something? What did I learn from that?
How can I shift my mindset from seeing good deeds as interruptions… to seeing them as opportunities to live out real love?

April 11, 2026/by Brenda Price

Push Past the What‑Ifs

Daily Devotional, Tammi Arender

Deuteronomy 31:8 — Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.

I know. I’m a weird duck that actually likes mowing the lawn.

Yep. With a push mower.

There’s just something about manual labor and standing back to see a nicely manicured lawn when you’re done. The straight lines. The smell of fresh cut grass. It’s just honest work.

When I was little, my parents didn’t want me mowing. They said it was too dangerous. And to be fair, they weren’t being dramatic. I had a first cousin who lost an eye while mowing after a piece of metal flew up from under and hit him.

But while that accident was tragic, it didn’t stop him. He continued to mow, but from that point forward what he did do was use more caution. And I think we can learn a lot from that.

Because accidents aren’t the only thing we’re afraid of. Some of us are scared to love. We’re scared to try something new because we might fail or because we won’t have enough money, talent, or whatever that thing requires.

So we sit on the porch of our lives and watch the grass grow.

Fear will always hand you a list of worst-case scenarios. Faith hands you a pair of goggles and tells you to keep going. Because God isn’t sending you out alone—He goes ahead of you. He’s already in the unknown, and He’s not going anywhere. So, I think my cousin had it figured out.

Don’t let fear paralyze you. Live like someone who believes God has personally stepped into the what-ifs ahead of you.

Keep doing honest work because God won’t leave you no matter what might fly your way. There is no need to shrink back in fear or give into discouragement. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

Maybe there’s something you’ve been avoiding. A conversation. A calling. A fresh start. The grass is high, and the what-ifs are loud. But it is worth putting on your faith goggles.

Get back out there because maybe, just maybe, there’s joy to be found when you walk in courage.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

What is something fear has been keeping you from stepping into right now?
What “worst-case scenarios” have been playing on repeat in your mind?
How would your next step look different if you truly believed God has already gone ahead of you?
Where are you tempted to “sit on the porch” instead of stepping into what God is calling you toward?
What does trusting God’s presence—not just His outcome—look like in your current situation?
Is there one small step of courage you can take today?
How does remembering that God will never leave or abandon you change the way you face uncertainty?

April 10, 2026/by Tammi Arender