Truthful Grace
Empower and ignite your prayers through Scripture Prayer. Learn more in these inspiring articles by author and teacher, Melissa McLaughlin~ Truthful Grace. Passionate prayer!
By Melissa McLaughlin Praise God! My book, The Whole Bible Devotional, releases today, January 28, 2025! Thank you to everyone who helped me and prayed for me. Glory to God! A little about the book… Have you ever tried to read through the Bible, but gave up partway through? Or maybe you made it through … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Crunch, crunch, crunch. My boots stomped the icy snow as I trudged to the car. With unplowed roads, a snowy stillness blanketed the earth. The sound of crispy footsteps tingled in my ears. I stopped to listen. The snowstorm painted a white canvas for the eyes and enfolded the world in frosty … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin My foot pressed steady on the brake. While waiting at the light, my eyes scanned the traffic. Lawn signs and billboards crowded the street like fans at a holiday parade. Election ads echoed between songs on the radio. The tension hovered in the air like a dense fog. For those of us … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin He heaved and thrust the shovel into the earth. With a sudden jerk, it lurched from his hands. The landscaper had arrived to plant a new tree in our front yard. Though the lush grass appeared soft on the surface, a few inches below lay the stump of an old oak tree. … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin When It’s Hard to Pray I stumbled out of bed, bumbled to the kitchen, and floundered to make the coffee. My eyes strained to focus. My thoughts lumbered like a turtle wading through thick swamp mud. Every movement felt like a heroic effort. Some mornings are rough. Some days it’s hard to … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin A Memorable Prayer The words stirred my heart. I had finished leading an online women’s prayer group when the email popped up. An attendee from the session thanked me for leading the group and prayed for me. She asked God to refill me for all I had poured out to uplift others. … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin There she sat. The sunlight floated through the window like a golden sheet enfolding our gray-striped cat. I smiled at our cat’s daily routine. Each day she squeezed into cracks and corners brightened by any available ray of sunshine. On floors, chairs, even in the bathroom. As the sun advanced across the … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Start Your Day with God With each new dawn, we are given the gift of a day. How will we face the 24 hours ahead? Some days we wake up feeling refreshed, while other days we struggle to put one foot in front of the other. Regardless of our physical strength or … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Love Through the Pain Searing pain torched my back. Longstanding back issues, combined with the strain of age and use, resulted in physical agony that brought me to a complete halt. Following therapy, medication, treatments, and all manner of medical interventions, I found myself on the surgeon’s schedule for back surgery. And … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin The Hunt I searched high and low to no avail. Where could it be? I had purchased a multipack box of disinfecting wipes earlier in the month for spot cleaning around the house. The first pack of wipes was used up. So during a recent cleaning frenzy, I rushed to grab the … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin A Powerful Prayer in Song I woke that morning to a surprise from God. Just as my eyes opened a praise song popped into my head. Blessed be the name of the Lord ~by Don Moen I hadn’t heard this song in years. The music and lyrics echoed in my heart for … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin An Umbrella of Love As a young married couple, sadness like a crushing wave swept over us when my father-in-law passed away before our first child was born. My husband described the loss of his dad like an umbrella of love and protection that was abruptly ripped away. When trudging through a … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin How do you thank a mother? How do you thank someone who held you, nursed you, and cared for you when you could not care for yourself? How do you thank a mother? No mother is ever perfect, of course. But a godly mother’s love is strong, self-sacrificing, and desires the best … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Large and in Charge We’ve all been there at some point. You are the one left in charge. Maybe your role is: At some point in time, we have all been the person in charge. Being called to a position of leadership is humbling, rewarding and exhausting. Why We Pray for Our … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin We all love a good story! I have an uncle who can tell a story like nobody’s business. Complete with animated facial expressions, exuberant gestures and winsome voice inflection. The listeners are always captivated and waiting for the punchline at the end. Jesus knew the power of a good story and used … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Close Communication Who is your closest friend? Our closest friends are typically those with whom we share our deepest aches, goofiest moments and most candid thoughts. We rest in their love for us knowing they will enjoy the high points, cry with us in the low points and gently but honestly correct … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin How do I pray according to God’s will? How do I pray the heart of God? As I ponder these questions, one of my childhood memories comes to mind. I was in second or third grade. Each month, the teacher passed out a form for students to order paperback children’s books. When … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Have you ever had one of those days when things went from bad to worse? I recall the time we went camping only to discover, hour by hour, the items we forgot to pack. After setting up the tent, which always seemed to bring forth an argument about which pole goes where, … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin I still remember that day. Rain poured down in buckets, drenching our hopes of playing outside. Like all kids on a rainy day, we were feeling antsy. To release some pent-up energy, my older brother and I began tossing a Nerf ball back and forth in the kitchen. It was an innocent … Read more