Some call it “liminal space,” the time or space between what has been and what lies ahead. It might be a time of waiting or even transformation. In these uncertain places, how can we learn to be content?
It’s likely that Paul wrote his famous declaration of contentment from inside the walls of a Roman prison, and yet his words brim with gratitude. His friends in Philippi were concerned, doing what they could to help him, and he acknowledged that just knowing they care is enough. He told them, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know both how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot” (Philippians 4:11–12). In other words, “Thanks for your concern, but don’t worry! Because of Jesus, I’m going to be okay.”
In this letter, Paul was warm and optimistic, shifting the focus off of himself to encourage a church. His words radiated joy and humility bound up in a deep truth. Contentment doesn’t lie in comfort, and it doesn’t even lie in freedom. In this liminal space between living free or dying a brutal death, Paul shared this truth from behind bars: “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
In our own liminal spaces, maybe we can find a little bit of that strength too. Not in a naively optimistic way that ignores or denies reality, but in a solid confidence that someday this too—everything, really—will be made right. And in this contentment, we can take the steps we need toward the changes we desire, from making friends in a new city, to scheduling a doctor appointment, to leaning on Him to get up and take each day one step at a time.
Consider the journey of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. This old metaphor of free-flying beauty springing forth from a squirmy, leaf-munching creature can sound a little cliché. But there’s a reason this image resonates and endures. The caterpillar doesn’t just spin a little capsule and pop out fully formed. It liquifies to a death-like state. It waits. It struggles to tear out of its chrysalis, strengthening its wings so it can fly. Stop the process too soon or attempt to help a butterfly escape, and it’s over. Every step of the process is vital.
Perhaps our own waiting spaces are like that. Changing, struggling, and finding contentment in the shelter of God—over and over again, until we are made completely new. But regardless of the space we currently inhabit, whether moving forward in a joyful burst of enthusiasm or in a seemingly endless season of waiting—we are not alone. In any and all circumstances, we already know the secret of being content: Jesus Christ is our peace. And by His Spirit we are strengthened and equipped, enabling us to do all things.
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64 thoughts on "Encouragement and Prayer"
content!!
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Amen!!
Amen
Dear Shes
Feeling emotionally fragile this morning. Losing my way in a “liminal space”. Praying to move bravely through whatever process the Lord intends. Releasing my need for certainty. Yielding to the nearness & protection of God. Sweet Jesus, by Your Spirit, help me regain acceptance, balance, and contentment.
Amen & Amen
Praying for you Gwineth52
Praying this over you Gwineth
Holding you so very close in prayer. You are being lifting up in the hands of your Sisters to our Father. Our prayers are before Him night and day and He has already heard us and answered! You are so dearly loved!
If you are impacted by Hurricane Helene, please be safe sisters. This has been a beautiful reminder that Phil 4:13 isn’t just to say that we can run marathons or ace that hard exam, but we can be content in any and all circumstances because we have the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
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Have a beautifully blessed weekend, She’s ☺️
Wow! I’m going to reread this over and over again. It’s definitely uplifting and a reminder
In all circumstances, we can be content because we have God to strengthen us. Paul said this when has been in prison, persecuted, beaten, lied about, facing death and much more. Because he trusted in God.
They didn’t mention his encouragement to the Philippian
Yep, they praised, him and Silas at one point, and the prison walls came down and shackles loosened!! They still had to go through the trial though and it kept building his faith and trust for what was to come.
God is so good!! He’s been bringing me Philippians 4:19 the past week about my car situation. Today, I’m going to look at used cars to finance… not my original plan, but He promises to supply all my needs!
Also praise report!! We just hired a kid at my job, well he is 22 , and he is ON FIRE for Jesus. He even prayed over me before we left yesterday! God is so good!!!! What a refreshment to have a coworker pray for me! Just wanted to share the good news that God is moving!
God bless each of you Shes today. I lift each one of you up and pray you continue in the sweet love of Jesus. I pray and thank you for your generosity in prayer over myself. May God continue to foster generosity in our hearts – so that His light in us is shining so hard in the faces of our neighbors! God bless you ladies and love you so much ❤️
Wonderful news Michelle! I have been praying for your job and car concerns!
Thank you so much ❤️
God very supernaturally and graciously supplied me with a new car in 2021. I drove two towns over just to look at cars and I made it to the town but not to the dealership where I had an appointment to talk with a salesperson. My car quit running . The transmission went out. The salesman called me and said “,Where are you?” I had to pull into the Krispy Kream lot. He came and got me! I was only going to look but I drove home in a new 2020 car. It was January 2021. I did not go with a down-payment or a great credit score. I had just been released from a bankruptcy! God is able!
Thank you for sharing your story, Tanya!!! That’s amazing!
Jesus Christ is my peace. God strengthened me to endure. He held me as I held my son when he was passing. I could not have made it through without His love and strength. I have watched parents that never come out of the grief of losing their child. They don’t have God. It is heartbreaking.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, dear Tracy… you are so right… only in Jesus can we experience true peace, acceptance, and with the strength of the Holy Spirit, live a life that ministers His Grace to others! ♥️
Yes, as we walked thru that with you, I remember your peace and marveled. Thankful you had Jesus carrying you! Hugs dear sister ❤️
Yes amen. You are such an example and inspiration to us here! Love you and still pray for you, I’m sure the loss stays painful, yet the comfort and peace us there with Jesus!
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Lord, help me to be content in my season of chaos and stress. I know I can do all things with your help. Enable me to radiate Your light when times are hard. Amen.
“I can do ALL things through CHRIST who gives me strength” Is how I learned this verse which in the past 7 years has become my LIFE verse. In 2010/2011 it was my running manta while training for a marathon. BUT GOD…like a marathon training hard, pushing through pain, bad weather, exhaustion, discouragement, feeling like you can’t take another step, but trained any way. Pushing (and sometimes making myself push through) is WHAT helped me when I left a 20 year marriage of verbal and emotional abuse. I was scared out of my wits! “I can do ALL things through CHRIST who gives me strength!” AND here I am ALL because of my Jesus! I cannot and will not due life with HIM!! Happy FRIDAY sweeties!!!!
Hugs
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Thanks for sharing Mari V
GM She’s!
I am praying for those that got hit by Helene. We have had no power since 6 pm last night, so reading these verses reminds me to be content and thankful. We are in high flood area and did not get any, so praise God.
I am definitely going to make this devotional to share with our own butterflies! That is what we call our jail ladies, that they can be in a stage of renewal and restoration in the wait, in the hard, in the struggle. We had 2 new people both dedicate their life to Jesus, and OH how it brings JOY overflowing in my soul!! It is such a wonderful ministry! I have stayed in communication with our ladies that have gone on to prison to continue to be their mentor in their walk, to keep them focused in the Lord and to strengthen and encourage them. It is an honor. But there are people all around us, in the store, in the carpool lines, in our neighborhoods that are in the hard! Lets help and feed them, help cloth them and bring them encouragement,!!
Lord open our eyes to see and be there for who may need it in our path! I have had so many texts this morning from my church friends. But if you don’t have a church?? Help me to be a Paul, that in my own suffering, I still put my focus on others. I can honestly say that has been my joy and honor to serve and encourage!
Love and hugs to each if you today and every day!
Also—for you readers. The book “The Sun Does Shine” is so good of a man on death row for 38 years for a crime he didnt commit, and how he stays strong in choosing to make the best if it with a deep seeded faith in Jesus. Ray Hinton is his name.
I love the work you are doing with the gals in prison. Be SO BLESSED for giving of yourself for them!!
This! This is what you are meant to do! You are such a blessing to so many! And I am thankful to know you! Looking forward to the day we meet! ❤️
❤️❤️❤️ ( finally get to leave emojis too! I always use my laptop, no wifi, no power yet! ) love you and your encouragement!
Yes, it’s crazy because I never dreamed this is how God would use me when I changed our whole lifestyle moving from Chicago to Southwest Florida!! But I did pray for God to use me beforehand!! I love it when you let go and let God!!
We could always use prayer partners if you or anyone wants to be on our prayer partner list. We send out their requests weekly! We have about 30 currently and don’t show your email to anyone else.
I would love to join your list to pray for others and submit prayer requests of my own to be prayed over. Is this different than the prayer group on Facebook?
Contentment in Jesus. If He was all I had, would I be content? If everything I had was taken away (Like Job) would I be content? I’ve heard it said, ‘You don’t know that God is all you need until God is all you have’. I’ve been doing some de-cluttering in my house, getting rid of stuff I haven’t used in the past year, and it actually feels to freeing. Decluttering our hearts is also necessary to be free and light and less burdensome. I am trying to filter thru a lot of the noise that’s out there and simplify my life, even spiritually. We can get so cluttered with all the spiritual information out there that we don’t know if we’re coming or going… and we start feeling like we aren’t doing enough, but even God wants us to simplify and just be with Him, and find our contentment with Him.
I agree…I feel so much more free after riding and organizing. When we downsized it was the best. We actually live in an RV for 2- 6 month periods, and that really teaches you to do with little! But studies show when you do that, it makes you feel more decluttered in your mind. I had like 5 pairs if shoes and wore the same clothes over and over…and it was nice, if that makes sense! Oh how much money we waste on things that clutter our lives!! Good for you Kris!
We need to declutter so badly! I don’t even know where to start! Let this be my incentive to begin!
Checkout the “Minimalist Game”. (At least I think I recall that this is what it is called… it is from “The Minimalists”.)
Echoing Searching’s thanks for all of your prayers. The eastward shift was so beneficial for us as well. We and all our family members down here are good, with short-lived power outages. Prayers for all who were not as fortunate or are still in the storm’s path.
*shifted to the East!, not ear … eye roll emoji.
Sisters, thank you for your prayers! We are ok with minor repair issues. The hurricane shifted a bit to the ear before landfall and that saved us from a lot of damage. Praying for the areas that took the brunt of the storm’s destruction- they are in a huge mess this morning. Also praying for GA, SC, NC and other areas stilll in her path.
Glad you are ok!!
Glad you and Rhonda are ok! ❤️
Searching , so glad you are ok!
Lord, continue to keep all my sweet sisters safe. ❤️
I can find shelter in Him in this hard time. I can be content and trust He will keep us and bring us through. We will be OK.
I echo this prayer and declaration!
I agree with Kelly (NEO), HRT is a must read along with Jen Yokel’s words of insight. Reading through Paul’s letters this summer into fall has really been balm to my soul. I feel like the HS has really connected these well-known books of the Bible to my heart in a new way.
In HRT, the author talks about how it seems like Paul is super-human sometimes, being content in the dire situations that he found himself. Yet the author points out, Paul had the same HS we have today. He wasn’t super-human. But he had found the secret to content living in all circumstances: abiding in Jesus, trusting Him to carry you through, no matter what, and knowing that this world is not our home. These are the keys to contentment.
I just love babysitting my little granddaughter. I believe babies paint the most beautiful picture of contentment for us older folks who sometimes forget. To a baby, contentment is being fed, being rested, being held, being loved. Complete trust. They can do absolutely nothing on their own at this point, yet they are content. They are at peace. THIS is how I want to live my life in Jesus.
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Love your picture of a baby. They “do” nothing, but are so valuable!!! And we love taking care of them. I, too, want to live like this with Jesus!!!
I love picturing your grandchild content! That is such a good picture for us to strive for.
I love this analogy of a baby! It is absolutely perfect! Thank you! ❤️
And at the end of our lives, may we be content by being fed, being rested, being held, and being loved.
A timeless reminder. And also one I need to refresh in my mind continuously. Great read as always.
Recommend reading HRT today if you have time.
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Here is the key thought if you don’t:
“The secret to living with true contentment is that we are given the ability to do so by His Spirit. Verse 13 is not a promise from God that we will somehow be able to conquer any mountain or accomplish any task we want just because we are Christians. When we read within the context of the rest of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we see that verse 13 reveals the secret to living a life of contentment no matter what our circumstances are. God wants us to find our contentment in Him because He knows we cannot find true contentment anywhere else.”
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Greatly appreciated this often quoted verse being put in context.
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TAMI – prayer for BJ today.
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DONNA WOLCOTT – safe travels and have a great time!
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ALEIDA POLANCO – how are things going with Victor? Continuing to pray.
Lord Jesus I need You! Amen
I think I have always underestimated the meaning of being content. I thought it was just being okay: not well, not bad, just fine. I would rather be happy than content, if you know what I mean…
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But reading Paul’s words again, I can see that it isn’t just a state of being neutral or indifferent — it’s a state of trust, joy, and peace that transcends circumstances. And when our contentment is grounded in Jesus, it means our contentment is enduring. And that gives us every reason to rejoice in the Lord (v.4)!
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I’m not quite there yet, but as Paul had to learn it, so do I. I like how the Message states verse 13: “Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”
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May we all be in the One, trusting that He “will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
“it’s a state of trust, joy, and peace that transcends circumstances. And when our contentment is grounded in Jesus, it means our contentment is enduring.” ❤️
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The “trust, joy, and peace that transcends circumstances” is how we are strengthened.
Love this! ❤️