A Prayer Of Declaration

January 27, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

Lord Jesus, we believe You are alive

We believe You are ever-present and working in the world

We believe no matter what circumstances we face, You are good

We believe You weep, mourn, and rejoice with us

We believe You are our God and our Redeemer

We believe You are making all things new

We believe You are making each one of us a new creation

So come what may, Jesus, we place our faith, our hope and our trust in You

In your Name we pray, Amen

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.”^[a]

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

(This photo was taken on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)

Transformation

January 23, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”^[a] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: ⁹If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Romans 10:8-10 NIV

Transformation is real

Confess your sins…Believe in your heart…and Pray

Some examples in the Bible of transformations…the woman at the well in John 4

Saul becomes Paul in Acts 9

God wants a relationship with you

Make time to be with Him

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“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20 NIV

(This photo was taken on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)

Overcoming Fear

January 21, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

“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.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT

Stop believing the lies of the evil one

Trust in God

Stay in the fight and He will guide you to be an Overcomer

God promised He will and God keeps His promises

Overcomer by Mandisa

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“All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:25-27 NIV

(This photo was taken in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

He Is Worthy

January 20, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17 NIV

As we travel on the journey of faith, we will encounter questions and doubts along the way

That is natural and it is ok

We need to remember that the one simple truth of faith is that Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself to save us and reconcile us to God because He loves us

His love for us will conquer every battle in our lives

He is worthy of our thanks and praise

Thank you God, for your Son Jesus Christ!

Is He Worthy? by Chris Tomlin

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“In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”

Revelation 5:12 NIV

(This photo was taken in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Remain In Him

January 16, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

John 15:4 NIV

If we choose to do things our own way and wander off from the Word

Ignoring the things Jesus has taught us

Our faith and our spiritual life will wither and die

Remain In Him and His Words

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“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

John 15:5-8 NIV

(This photo was taken in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Surrender

January 11, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27 NIV

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“He must become greater; I must become less.”

John 3:30 NIV

(This photo was taken at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

All Who Call On Him

January 10, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.”

Psalm 145:17-18 NIV

God is faithful

He is always near

The world is broken and sinful

Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged

Call on God…our Creator

Our Savior and Lord of all

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“The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

⁹The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 145:8-9 NIV

(This photo was taken along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Seek Him And His Kingdom

December 31, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Matthew 6:33 NIV

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4:7-8 NIV

Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to the world

Give us courage and strength to follow Him in the New Year

Regardless of our trials or temptations, help us to seek Him each day

Give us wisdom and endurance to pursue Him above all else

Guide us on sharing Him with others

In Jesus name, Amen

We Believe by Newsboys

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“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Courageous

December 12, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 NIV

God has promised to be with you wherever you go

Every day, all the time

When we look around at the world or at our worries, fears and frustrations…it’s easier to shrink back than to be bold and courageous, to play it safe rather than to go forward trusting in God

This is how living by faith is different than living the way the world tells you to live

Faith is simple yet not easy

We are inundated with messages of self-center living and behaviors

It takes courage to strive to be true to God’s Word

Put your hope and your trust in God and His promises

Follow the example of Jesus Christ

Be courageous

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