Daily Inspirations by Rev. Dr. Precious prothro

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From Then to Now: A Testimony of Growth

This morning as I prayed, I thanked God for this version of me. The past me wasn’t terrible, but like many of us when we’re young—I was a lot. I made mistakes. I have moments I wish I could rewrite, decisions I wish I could undo.

But now, when I sit across from young adults battling anger, trauma, identity, or pain, I don’t speak from theory—I speak from memory. From experience. From a place God has redeemed.

The beauty is this: God does not erase our past, He transforms it into ministry. He turns what once broke us into what now allows us to help heal others. Our story becomes a lifeline for someone who thinks they’re alone.

So let’s not be afraid to testify. Some parts of our past we’d rather stay buried, and some stories we only hope people forget—but God saw it all, and He still calls us, uses us, and trusts us. Our job is to forgive ourselves and let our story be seed, not shame—growth, not guilt.

II Corinthians 1:3–4 (ESV), “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

I am grateful that when I look back, I can thank forward because God’s grace grew me up! 

Prayer: Lord, thank You for growth. Thank You for healing, for maturity, for redemption, and for the lessons that shaped who we are today. Help us not to hide our testimony, but to use it—wisely, boldly, compassionately—so that someone else may find comfort through what You’ve carried us through. We release shame, we embrace purpose, and we walk forward gratefully changed. Amen.

We Don’t Know Who Needs Us Today

Hearing the many stories about people dying by suicide is absolutely heart-wrenching. For anyone who has ever faced overwhelming circumstances, deep grief, mental health battles, anxiety, or seasons where life feels unbearably heavy…I understand how the whisper that there are no other options can be so loud. I can’t judge anyone—I don’t have a Heaven or Hell to put anyone in.

But here is what we can do:
We can reach out.
We can show up.
We can check in.

When someone suddenly crosses your mind, it is not random. In that moment, that person may desperately need to hear, “You were on my mind,” or “I’m just checking on you,” or “Hey, I’m praying for you”—and then actually cover them in prayer.

Galatians 6:10 (KJV): “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men.”

When Moses and Israel fought Amalek, Moses grew tired, he could no longer hold his arms up on his own. The weight was too much. But Aaron and Hur came alongside him, held up his arms, and helped him stand when he didn’t have the strength to stand alone. (Exodus 17:8-12)

Some people are tired in their minds, tired in their emotions, tired in their spirits—and they cannot “hold their arms up” by themselves right now. They need an Aaron. They need a Hur. They need us.

So let us be intentional.
Let us be sensitive.
Let us be present for each other.

Because you never know whose arms you are holding up—and whose life you might be helping to save.

Prayer: Father, help us to be attentive, compassionate, and obedient when You place someone on our hearts. Teach us to slow down enough to notice the needs around us and to respond with love, encouragement, and prayer. Strengthen us to be like Aaron and Hur—willing to hold up the arms of those who are weary, overwhelmed, or silently battling pain. Give us spiritual sensitivity, emotional courage, and hearts that reflect Your care for every soul. Use us as vessels of comfort, connection, and hope. In Jesus’ name, amen.

More Hands, More Light

Each time we prepare for events at church, we ask for all hands on deck. It’s always easier and faster to get things done when more people show up to help. “Many hands make light work.”

The same is true in life. We all have the ability to make someone’s load a little lighter. We may not always be able to give financially. We may not be able to show up every time. However, we CAN pray. We CAN support. We CAN encourage.

The way online trolls tear people down is disheartening. It takes the same energy to type a positive response as it does to type a negative one—so why not choose the former? Why do we reach for criticism before compassion? Why choose judgment before encouragement? It’s sad, and it is not the way of Christ.

Words are not just sounds we speak or characters we type; they are powerful. They build or they break. They heal or they harm. Consider the very words of God—how He spoke the world into existence and it was so. Hebrews 11:3 reminds us: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God…”

We are not God, but He has entrusted us with the power of language. Our words carry weight. They influence atmospheres and impact hearts. May we use that power for good and for God.

Ephesians 4:29 instructs us: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only that which is good for building up… that it may give grace to those who hear.”

May our words be grace-giving, load-lightening, and life-speaking. May we choose to make the work lighter for those around us—both in the church and in the world—one encouraging word at a time.

Prayer: Father, help us to be mindful of the power You placed in our words. Strengthen us to speak life, encouragement, and truth in every place You allow our voices to be heard. Teach us to use our influence—online and in person—to lighten burdens, uplift spirits, and reflect Your love. Guard our tongues from negativity and criticism, and shape our hearts so that what we speak builds up and gives grace. May our words be tools of healing, unity, and support, bringing light to every space we enter. In Jesus’ name, amen.

We Don’t Know Who Needs Us Today

Hearing the many stories about people dying by suicide is absolutely heart-wrenching. For anyone who has ever faced overwhelming circumstances, deep grief, mental health battles, anxiety, or seasons where life feels unbearably heavy…I understand how the whisper that there are no other options can be so loud. I can’t judge anyone—I don’t have a Heaven or Hell to put anyone in.

But here is what we can do:
We can reach out.
We can show up.
We can check in.

When someone suddenly crosses your mind, it is not random. In that moment, that person may desperately need to hear, “You were on my mind,” or “I’m just checking on you,” or “Hey, I’m praying for you”—and then actually cover them in prayer.

Galatians 6:10 (KJV): “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men.”

When Moses and Israel fought Amalek, Moses grew tired, he could no longer hold his arms up on his own. The weight was too much. But Aaron and Hur came alongside him, held up his arms, and helped him stand when he didn’t have the strength to stand alone. (Exodus 17:8-12)

Some people are tired in their minds, tired in their emotions, tired in their spirits—and they cannot “hold their arms up” by themselves right now. They need an Aaron. They need a Hur. They need us.

So let us be intentional.
Let us be sensitive.
Let us be present for each other.

Because you never know whose arms you are holding up—and whose life you might be helping to save.

Prayer: Father, help us to be attentive, compassionate, and obedient when You place someone on our hearts. Teach us to slow down enough to notice the needs around us and to respond with love, encouragement, and prayer. Strengthen us to be like Aaron and Hur—willing to hold up the arms of those who are weary, overwhelmed, or silently battling pain. Give us spiritual sensitivity, emotional courage, and hearts that reflect Your care for every soul. Use us as vessels of comfort, connection, and hope. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Being Like Christ

I heard someone talk about being like Christ, and it stuck with me.

Being like Christ means loving people who despitefully use us. It means forgiving. It means reaching out to the poor and being a light in a dark world. But that’s not all. Being like Christ also means understanding that we have a cross to bear.

Christ’s life was not a flower bed of ease. The human part of Him wrestled with some of the same struggles we face daily. Yet He endured with purpose, obedience, and love.

Luke 14:27 (KJV), “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

So when we say we want to be like Him, we must understand what we are truly committing to. We are committing to the blessing and the burden, the joy and the journey, the victories and the suffering. Following Christ requires endurance—steady, faithful endurance—as good soldiers in the Kingdom.

II Timothy 2:12–13 (KJV), “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”

May we continue striving to reflect Him—not only in the easy things, but in the hard things that shape us into true disciples.

Prayer: Lord, help us walk in the fullness of what it means to follow Christ. Strengthen us to carry our cross with humility, endurance, and grace. Teach us to love like Him, forgive like Him, serve like Him, and endure like Him. May our daily choices reflect Christ’s character, not just in moments of comfort but in moments of challenge. Shape our hearts so that our lives testify that we truly belong to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

RESET: A Fresh Start in God

This morning, the word reset is in my spirit.

When we’re not well, many of us go to the doctor or seek whatever source God provides for healing—and He often uses His angels on earth to help our bodies reset. Surge protectors have a reset button. Some wall outlets have a reset button. So many things are designed with the ability to reset so they can function properly.

And guess what? We can reset too.

II Corinthians 4:16 reminds us, “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”

Every day God allows us to wake up is another opportunity for a reset. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is not promised. Today is the gift—today is the reset. And we must work to use today wisely: to reconnect with God, to realign our hearts, and to walk righteously before Him.

God’s mercies, His grace, His faithfulness, His compassion, His love, and His forgiveness do not fade with time. In fact, Lamentations 3:22–23 declares, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

So yes—maybe we fell short yesterday. Maybe we didn’t say the right thing, do the right thing, or respond the right way. But we can reflect, repent, apologize if needed… and then reset.

Today is a new day. This is the day the Lord has made. Let’s rejoice in the newness God has graciously given us—and walk boldly in our reset.

Prayer: Father, today we choose to embrace the reset You’ve given us. Help us release yesterday’s mistakes, burdens, and missed moments. Strengthen us to walk in renewed purpose, renewed focus, and renewed obedience. Align our hearts with Your will and remind us that every sunrise is evidence of Your faithfulness. Thank You for fresh mercy, fresh compassion, and fresh grace. Today, we step into the reset You’ve provided—with gratitude, humility, and joy. Amen.