The Connection Corner

A daily source of encouragement and inspiration to connect your heart to hope and faith.

Power With a Purpose

Acts 1:8 — You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere — in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

You know the character Popeye, right? You know how he gets his strength from spinach?

He doesn’t just look at the spinach. He actually has to consume it. It had to be inside of him for him to be strong — to fight his battles and win them.

Right?

So where am I going with this? Why bring up Popeye today?

Because Jesus made a promise about strength too.

In Acts 1:8, He told His disciples: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere — in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Notice what that power is for.

It’s not just for surviving.
It’s not just for feeling stronger.
It’s not just for winning personal battles.

It’s power with a purpose.

Just like Popeye found strength from his spinach, we receive strength through the Holy Spirit. But that power isn’t meant to sit still. It’s meant to send you out. It’s meant to make you bold, steady, and faithful wherever your feet are planted.

God is not here for us to admire from a distance. He desires to dwell within us. When you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and surrender your life to Him, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in you. And from that place — not your own effort — comes the strength to live differently.

The Spirit empowers you to love when it’s hard.
To stand firm when culture shifts.
To speak truth with grace.
To reflect Jesus at work, at home, in ordinary conversations.

That strength is given so you can step into the world as His witness — right where you live, right where you work, right where you are.

So when you feel outmatched…
When the pressure feels heavy…
When you’re unsure if you’re strong enough…

Remember this: your victory is not won by how well you fight. It is secured by the One who lives in you.

And His name is Jesus.

The Spirit who empowers you isn’t only fighting for you — He is working through you.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Where in your life do you feel like you’re relying on your own strength instead of the Holy Spirit’s power?
How might God be inviting you to be a witness for Him right where you are right now?
What fears keep you from stepping out boldly in faith?
Do you view the Holy Spirit primarily as comfort for you, or power for God’s mission through you?
What would change this week if you truly believed you have already received His power?

February 25, 2026/by Brenda Price

Full Circle Encouragement

Daily Devotional, Tammi Arender

Proverbs 11:25 — A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Some days, advice comes out of my mouth a whole lot easier than it is to hear it.

Yeah, recently I was encouraging someone. We were having a long conversation over coffee, and I meant every word I said.

“God’s got you. Don’t settle. Don’t rush it. Wait for His best.”

Then I went home, sat down at my computer to get some work done. The internet was slow so I was left staring straight into that spinning blue circle of death.

You know the one. That little wheel that just goes round and round making no progress like it’s got all the time in the world. And wouldn’t you know, that’s exactly what my life felt like in that moment. Waiting on a breakthrough. Waiting on God’s timing. Waiting on something—anything—to move forward.

That’s when the temptation creeps in.

“Maybe I’ll just settle.

“Maybe this is close enough.

“Maybe waiting is overrated.”

Which is funny, considering what I just told my friend.

Then, out of nowhere, my phone buzzed.

A message popped up from another friend, and I had to laugh—out loud—because there it was. Nearly word for word.

“Don’t settle. God’s got you. Hold out for His best.”

And then it hit me: sometimes God brings encouragement full circle. We all get discouraged at times, and the very seeds of encouragement we sow into other’s lives, God uses them to comfort us.

Scripture puts it plain as day. Proverbs 11:25 says, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” And sometimes that generosity isn’t money — it’s encouragement. It’s truth spoken at the right time. It’s hope offered when someone else is tired. And God promises that what we pour out, He pours back in.

The blue circle on my screen was still spinning. The situation hadn’t magically resolved. But something in me had settled—not into compromise, but into trust. I took a deep breath. I remembered what I already knew. God wastes nothing. Not words. Not waiting. Not even the sermons we preach to ourselves and forget five minutes later.

So if today feels like you’re stuck in that waiting place—watching life buffer while everyone else seems to move on—hear this gently. The kindness you’ve shown. The prayers you’ve prayed. The hope you’ve spoken out loud when you didn’t feel it yourself… none of it is lost.

It may come back to you in a text. Or a conversation. Or a quiet reminder right when you need it most.

And when it does, maybe you’ll smile too—realizing you didn’t need a new sermon after all.

You just needed to take your own good advice to heart.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

When was the last time you encouraged someone with words you needed to hear yourself?
Where in your life are you tempted to “settle” instead of trusting God’s timing?
Proverbs 11:25 promises that those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. How have you experienced that truth personally?
What seeds of encouragement have you planted recently — and how might God be using them in ways you cannot yet see?
If you took your own best advice to heart today, what would change?

February 24, 2026/by Tammi Arender

The God Who Never Gets Tired of You

Daily Devotional, David Hall

Ephesians 1:16-17 — I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

Do you remember how afternoons felt when you were a kid? They felt endless.

I’d skid into the driveway, ditch my backpack, and grab my bike. Sneakers half-tied. Sun still high. I’d pedal up and down the street, knocking on doors, gathering friends until the gang was assembled. Once we were together, we knew exactly where we were headed.

Mrs. Glenda’s house.

She lived right next door, which makes it feel more like visiting than trespassing. Her front door was always open. We’d knock on the screen door and wait.

“Mrs. Glenda, do you have any candy?” I’d say.

Of course she did. She always did. She’d smile like she had been hoping someone would ask, then reach for a bucket of candy like it was Halloween on a random Tuesday.

With suckers in hand, we’d ride off into the sunset, disappearing into whatever adventures our imaginations cooked up. And there she’d be, standing in the doorway, smiling and waving like she hadn’t just given away candy for the fifth time that week.

I remember being appreciative for the candy, but never really knowing just how special that was. Because the miracle wasn’t the candy—it was the consistency. We kept showing up, and she kept answering. I think about it now, and think “At what point do you become a nuisance.” Did she ever get tired of us kids stopping by?

I don’t think she did.

You don’t run into many people like that. And replaying those afternoons now, and that’s where those memories connect with me spiritually.

We’re told to pray. To ask. To knock. But if we’re honest, we sometimes hesitate. We wonder if God gets tired of us or if our prayers are too repetitive.

We worry we’re wearing God out, but really, He’s inviting us in.

God isn’t rationing His goodness or guarding the door. But I’m learning that His greatest answers to prayer aren’t always quick fixes. The sweetest gift is Him.

That’s why Paul’s prayer in Ephesians lands differently now. He writes: “I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.”

Paul doesn’t ask for fewer problems or easier circumstances. He asks for deeper knowing. He asks that their hearts would grow in wisdom and insight—not just to receive from God, but to truly know Him.

And notice the rhythm of his prayer. He doesn’t stop thanking. He’s constantly asking. Over and over. He’s not worried about bothering God—confident that God welcomes the asking.

So don’t worry, God isn’t annoyed by repeated prayers. Often, it’s through persistent prayer that He reveals more of Himself to us.

Keep showing up. Keep knocking. Keep riding right up to the door with whatever your carrying that day. Ask boldly for more wisdom and nearness. Ask for more of Him.

The door is already open, and you were never a bother.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Do you ever hesitate to bring the same prayer to God more than once? Why?
Are you praying mainly for circumstances to change, or for deeper wisdom and closeness with Him?
What would it look like to approach God with childlike confidence instead of quiet reluctance?
Where in your life is God inviting you to keep knocking instead of walking away?
How might your faith grow if you believed you were never a burden to your Heavenly Father?

February 23, 2026/by David Hall