The Connection Corner

A Simple Place To Pray

Psalms 145:18 – The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.

That kitchen table had lived a thousand lives. It held cereal bowls on rushed mornings, piles of homework, Sunday dinners that stretched into the evening, and more than a few hard conversations. The wood was scarred, the legs uneven. It was ordinary in every way.

But what happened there in the mornings was not ordinary. Before anyone else stirred, Mom sat at that table. A mug of coffee in her hands. A Bible spread in front of her. Quiet prayers whispered into the stillness. Some days she read. Other days she simply waited. But every day, she met God there.

Her children carried that picture with them, even if they did not know its weight at the time. Years later, one of those kids would find out.

She became a single mother herself, raising three children, juggling bills that outnumbered the dollars in her account. She felt worn down before the day even began.

She did not know what to do, so she did the only thing she remembered: she sat at her own kitchen table.

Coffee steaming. Scripture open. Her prayer was barely more than a sigh. And there, in the middle of her thin strength, she discovered what her mother had found.

“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” — Psalm 145:18

God’s mercy is new each morning. It’s available, and whether or not you feel strong enough or good enough, you can still find it.

So friends, remember the church is not the only place revival happens. Sometimes it happens at the kitchen table where bills are scattered and cereal spills. God wants to meet with us in the ordinary, everyday.

The truth is, every one of us has a table. The only question is, will we sit down and meet Him there?

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Where is your “kitchen table” — the ordinary place where you can pause and meet with God?
What small rhythms could you begin (coffee, prayer, Scripture) to invite Him into your everyday moments?
How does knowing God is near to all who call on Him change the way you see your ordinary life?

October 1, 2025/by Brenda Price

Letting the Peace Drive

Daily Devotional, Lauren Kitchens-Steward

2 Thessalonians 3:16 – Now may the Lord of peace himself give you His peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever looked at a map, pointed to a dot seventeen hours away, and said, “Yes, that’s where I’ll be this weekend.” But that’s exactly what my daughter and I did.

The plan was simple: load up, drive, and make some memories.

Only the plan forgot to account for my hundred-pound dog who got sick the day before we left. She is a sweet creature, bless her heart, but I threw my back out taking her to the vet because my husband was out of town. I’m serious—it was like lifting a sofa by yourself.

And on the way to the vet, I noticed something was off with the car. It sounded like it was stuck in the wrong gear.

Now I had a sore back, a sick dog, and a temperamental vehicle. My brain started running wild with questions. Was God warning me not to go? Or was the enemy trying to sabotage the trip before it even started?

I needed wisdom, and maybe some jumper cables. So, I called my friend and spilled the whole story. She listened and then prayed with me over the phone.

Then she asked something that really stuck with me:

“Lauren, where do you feel peace? If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, do you sense more peace staying or going?”

Well, that is something I can usually answer in about three seconds.

In this case, the peace was in going. So, I ordered a rental car, and peace rode alongside me and my daughter the whole way.

Maybe that’s the thing. We don’t always know if the road will be easy, but we can know who is coming with us on the journey. And if it is the Prince of Peace, don’t stop there.

Give Him the keys.

September 30, 2025/by Lauren Kitchens-Steward

Let The Gardener Work

Brenda Price, Daily Devotional

John 15:1-2 — I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

It’s just after sunrise, and I’m sitting on the balcony of my apartment with a blanket over my knees and a mug of coffee in my hands. The air is crisp enough to make me pull the blanket tighter.

Everything is still except for the gardener below, tending to the landscaping.

It’s the perfect time for honesty. I close my eyes and whisper the same prayer I’ve been bringing to God for what feels like forever.

“God, can you please just put me back together?”

I want to be whole. I wanted to be the way I remember being before life started chipping away at me.

I take a deep breath and open a book I love. On the pages, a quote from Jon Rodel catches my eye:

“What if, instead of breaking down, you are actually breaking through?”

Oh my goodness. That is so good. It makes me want to run around.

But it doesn’t stop there. It goes on to say, “God is peeling back the parts of us that we do not need anymore. The fear. The pride. The toxic relationships. The toxic actions that we have inside of us. The brokenness. The things that once held us together, but now hold us back. And in their place, God is building something new. You’re not changing. God says you’re becoming, becoming who I created you to be full of light, full of love, full of courage and grace.”

As I read, I thought about the gardener below pruning a rosebush.

From the outside, it looks cruel—cutting back healthy branches, stripping leaves away. But the gardener knows the blooms will come back brighter and stronger for it.

That’s how this feels. It’s like He’s peeling away the things that once held me together but now hold me back.

Now, I know that when my life feels like it is falling apart, God is still working on me. Some days, I still reach for the glue to try to put the petals back on the leaves. But more and more, I’m learning to leave my hands open. To let the Gardener work without rushing Him.

The coffee is cold by the time I finish thinking about these things. But you know what? I can’t help but smile.

September 29, 2025/by Brenda Price