“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Matthew 21:22 AMP
“Puffins! Puffins! Look, puffins!” his voice rang out, catching all of our attention. His small frame, not more than ten years old, jumped up and down as he shrieked, “Puffins, Dad! Do you see the puffins?” His dad just smiled, almost apologetically to the rest of us, at his son’s very loud and obvious enthusiasm. I turned to my husband.
“Do you know what a puffin is?” I asked. He shrugged. “Neither do I,” I said. “But I have a feeling they’re amazing!” He laughed.
By the time our boat reached The Region of the Great Puffins, you can bet all of us on board wanted to see these incredibly famous creatures. And they didn’t disappoint. Puffins are precious. Their miniature bodies resemble tiny toucans. Some swam. Others dove down into the water. Some sat majestically perched nearby. There were thousands of them. And, as you might imagine, the young boy’s enthusiasm spread among us with each adorable puffin we saw. We had gone there to see the glaciers, but the puffins stole the show.
I’ll never look at a puffin the same way again. In fact, when my husband, Jack, and I hit a lull during a walk or adventure, one of us often shouts, “Puffins! Puffins!” We immediately laugh. It’s a reminder that joy is a choice. You can be excited about whatever you want. Could be a puffin. Could be a dog. Could be a perfectly made cappuccino. Could be a sunset. Or a shiny geode. There are countless things to delight you if you will just see them through the eyes of a child. Innocent wonder returns you to a place of presence. It frees you from the pains of your past and your fears of what’s to come. Noticing the abundance of the beauty in God’s creation transforms your life into a walking miracle.
I used to live in Africa as a missionary. We didn’t have much money for gifts during that time. So, when it came to my birthday, I decided to ask for a giraffe. Driving home from an errand, I asked God to let me see a giraffe in the wild. When I told my family, they actually laughed. It wasn’t common to see giraffes. But in my heart, I had a feeling I would. In fact, God let me see more than one giraffe that day. He gave me three.
You get what you ask for in this life. So, ask! You get what delights you. Don’t be shy. Take joy in what’s around you. It could be the puffins. It could be a giraffe. Whatever it is, don’t hold back. Ask. Find the courage to ask for the life you want to have.
Jesus, increase my faith for the things that I ask. Amen.
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This is an excerpt from the new book, It’s All Good: 90 Devotions to Embrace Your Now, written by Heather Hair. This book will guide you to a place of restoration and peace, and you’ll learn how to simply be with God through the Scripture selections, devotions, and prayers.
If you feel stuck in life, you’re not alone.
It’s so easy for us to get trapped in the pain of our past, allowing it to hurt us day after day after day. On the opposite end, our “bucket list” can leave us feeling “bucket lost” when we pursue, pursue, pursue until we realize we’ve lost touch with the present.
In It’s All Good: 90 Devotions to Embrace Your Now, Heather Hair helps us discover that no matter where our feet are planted, God is always present, working out His beautiful plan for us today and always. You’ll find that God is an all-powerful healer who longs to release you from your pains and past hurts. He longs to release you from your daily struggle and relentless pursuit of your future. The good news is that God’s love can overcome our fears and flaws, and healing is possible. After all, learning how to simply be with God — to actually be still, stand in awe, and do nothing in particular — can transform our minds, help our bodies rest, and give us the peace we’re desperate for.
We know you’ll simply love this book! Order your copy today . . . and leave a comment below for a chance to WIN one of 5 copies*!
Then join Becky Keife this weekend on the (in)courage podcast for a conversation with Heather. Don’t miss it!
Someone told me once “joy surfaces when you need it.” As with the “lull,” shout “puffins!” Voila…JOY!
Today’s the devotion is very helpful and encouraging.
Thank you!
I loved Heather’s devotional and found it relatable in more ways than one. Having witnessed colonies of Puffins both in Ireland and Alaska, they are for sure creatures that bring excitement to the humans who get that opportunity. More than her story of the Puffins, however, I could relate to the scripture and prayer that Heather shared in this devotion from a very recent (just yesterday morning) when I experienced and shared a story of how God gave me exactly what I asked during my morning quiet time with Him. As I sat facing the eastern skyline I asked God to Grace me with one of His beautiful and amazing sunrises. Dawn was still over an away away. As I sat with mostly eyes closes I would periodically glance out the front door until I began to see some faint color. As the sun rose the skies became brilliant with shades of pinks, oranges, and yellows. I was able to capture my gift from God on camera and share with friends on social media.
I will share your story as well, as the Scripture and prayer go along perfectly with our examples of God’s amazing grace.
I know I’ll enjoy Heather’s book!
I would love to win a copy of this book. Thank you for the opportunity.
I love this! Finding joy in the little things every day helps us be in the present. Now I’m going to go outside and see if the butterflies have found the little garden I planted for them!! Have a lovely day ladies and I hope
You get what you ask
For today!
What a lovely and encouraging devotion! I would love to have a copy of this book to remind me to ask God anything.
Life has been overwhelming the past two months and I’m exhausted. I needed this reminder to see the joy in the little things. 1) Sipping hot coffee and taking a moment to enjoy it. 2) The little bird at the feeder outside the dining room window. 3)The yellow leaf slowly drifting to the ground. That’s just the start…May I keep my eyesore God‘s blessings!
Oops…eyes on God‘s blessings! 4)Smiling at the silly auto-correct!!
Such a timely post for me today! I’ve been asking and praying for a big thing! Thanks for the encouragement to keep asking!
I’d love to win a copy of this book!
Thank you! Terri Shaver
Thank you Heather for this. I always struggle with simply asking God for anything. When I feel unsure of God’s provision, faithfulness and love I think of the scripture about the birds. I love to watch the birds in my back yard. “They neither toil nor gather in barns, yet their heavenly Father provides for them”. He will and always has provided for me. Thank you God for your goodness and unfailing love for me!
Thank you for the devotion today. Today my heart is heavy over some struggles we are dealing with. I am praying for God to show us wisdom on what to do but I feel empty. Thank you for the reminder of finding joy in the small things.
Thank you for a chance to win this devotional— I may order several for Christmas presents! Dayspring shared one of Heather’s devotions yesterday that I was able to share with a group of students preparing for a contest. These devotions are not only very thought provoking, but also so practical in our everyday life.
I look this concept, Heather! I will work on this. Or “play” on it.
I meant I “love” this concept! Forgot to proofread.
This came at a perfect time to give encouragement to my daughter who has had a debilitating illness for a very long time. She is an avid animal lover who will be able to relate to the love of Puffins and hopefully be inspired to answer the call to “have the courage to ask for the life you want”! I’m certain that God directed me to your post today….Thank you for delivering His message!
Thank you for the gift of your words. I know I need to stop and smell the roses and see the sunsets and marvel at the bugs more often. I would love more help with this in the book. Sounds great.thank you. God bless.
The title of today’s devotional grabbed my attention and spoke directly to where I am today. Life has thrown some serious punches at me in the past year, and I shied away from asking God for certain things. This has stirred my soul to begin asking (and dreaming) again.
My husband’s motto and mine is “It’s all good,” and my favorite Bible verse is Romans 8:28 (“All things work together for good …”). I love the idea of shouting out “puffins!” They’re so cute, and the thought of them does bring a smile to my face. : ) I’m sure I would love that book of devotionals.
I love the story of asking for a giraffe for your birthday 🙂
Thank you for the reminder to find the courage. Life has not been easy for us the last few years but I do try to find some joy in the little things
Thank you for the reminder to choose joy and let the lens of wonder open our hearts
In Courage,
Sounds like a great book. Life has been hard over the past few years–we both work in hospitals. It doesn’t seem to get any better for my husband with people leaving all the time. It feels like we’ve lost our joy. This made me think: “Noticing the abundance of the beauty in God’s creation transforms your life into a walking miracle.” We are blessed to live among the Smoky Mountains of upper E. TN. Now God is displaying His fall colors all over creation. Today (11/11) I will be going with a group of women to drive on the parkway in NC & look at the beautiful colors & scenery.
About 2-3 years ago I asked God for a full-time job. No need to be home so much anymore. I felt the urge to help out my hard working hubby. December 2021 God answered that prayer with a job that they wrote just.for.me-ICU clerical. I was excited at first. Then things happened & my duties quickly changed. I didn’t like my job anymore. I have since learned to look at the bright side–I get a 3-day weekend every week, plus all the overtime I need. God knew what He was doing in handing me this job.
Blessings 🙂
It’s so important for us to really look at and appreciate what we have. I’m slowly learning that.
I am looking forward to hearing more from Heather.