2026 THEME — “SEEING LIFE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE”                    January – Prayer from God’s Perspective

You cannot afford to miss the first Sunday of 2026—how you begin this year will shape everything that follows. God is calling us to gather in His house with His people to relearn prayer from His perspective, not as a habit or reaction, but as the place where vision is restored and direction is formed. Be faithful from the very start, because what God desires to do this year will require surrendered hearts, clear spiritual sight, and a commitment to walk with Him all year long.

SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY

As we closed 2025, we thanked God for a year of both victory and growth, recognizing that true success is measured not by achievement but by seeing life through God’s truth. We acknowledged that many were not lost but stuck, learning that perspective—not circumstance—determines whether we react in patterns or move forward in faith. We entered 2026 in prayer, laying down worry and control, anchored in God’s promises, and confident in the new grace of a faithful God who cannot lie.

GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.

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Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

Pray Before Clarity: Trust the God Who Cannot Lie

“God is not a man, that he should lie…” — Numbers 23:19

One of the most difficult disciplines in the Christian life is learning to pray before clarity comes. Our nature wants explanations before obedience, understanding before surrender, and certainty before trust. Yet Scripture consistently reveals a God who asks His people to move while the fog is still thick and the path still unseen. Faith is rarely forged in moments of full visibility; it is formed when we choose to lean on the character of God rather than the comfort of explanations.

God never asked His people to trust a plan—they were always called to trust Him. Plans change. Circumstances shift. Feelings fluctuate. But God remains unchanging, faithful, and true. When clarity is delayed, prayer becomes the anchor that holds us steady in the unseen.

God Writes From the End, Not the Middle

We tend to judge God from the middle of the story—where tension is high, questions are loud, and outcomes are unclear. But God writes from the end backward. He sees the finished work while we are still wrestling with the process. What feels like delay to us may actually be design. What feels like interruption may be divine redirection.

When we insist on understanding before trusting, we reduce God to our limited perspective. But Numbers 23:19 reminds us that God does not lie, forget, miscalculate, or reverse Himself. Every promise He has spoken already carries its fulfillment within it. The waiting is not evidence of His absence; it is often the environment in which His purposes mature.

Prayer in these moments realigns our vision. It lifts our eyes from the confusion of the moment to the certainty of God’s nature. We may not see how, but we can know who.

Prayer Stabilizes the Soul Before Answers Arrive

Prayer is not primarily God’s method of giving explanations—it is His means of giving stability. If God explained everything ahead of time, faith would have little room to grow. Instead, He invites us into prayer so that we can stand firm when the answers are delayed.

In prayer, the Spirit gently reminds us of what God has already said. He brings past faithfulness to present fear. He whispers truth louder than circumstances. Prayer does not remove the unknown, but it strengthens us to live faithfully within it.

When life feels unstable, prayer becomes the place where your soul regains its footing. You may walk out of prayer without new information, but you will walk out with renewed assurance that God is still trustworthy.

Trust Is Chosen When Feelings Are Weak

Trust is not proven when you feel strong—it is revealed when you feel weak and choose to believe anyway. Many believers mistakenly assume that faith should always feel confident. In reality, faith often feels like obedience with trembling hands.

God never promised that trust would feel easy; He promised that He would be faithful. When circumstances contradict what God has spoken, trust clings to His Word rather than the evidence of the moment. Prayer becomes the place where we say, “Lord, I don’t feel certain—but I know You cannot lie.”

Every step of obedience taken without clarity deepens spiritual maturity. Each act of trust strengthens your roots in God’s character rather than your circumstances.

Clarity may come later—but trust is required now. God has never failed a single promise, and He never will. When you pray before clarity, you are declaring that God’s truth is more reliable than your understanding. You are choosing faith over fear, surrender over control, and trust over timelines.

Hold tightly to what God has spoken. Stand firmly on His Word. The same God who promised is the God who will perform it.

Heart Check

• Have I been postponing obedience until I feel more certain?
• Am I trusting God’s character, or demanding clarity before surrender?
• Where do I need to pray before understanding today?

Prayer: Lord, I choose to trust You before I understand You. When clarity is delayed and answers are hidden, anchor my heart in Your unchanging truth. You cannot lie, You do not forget, and You will not fail. Strengthen my faith to stand on Your Word when circumstances contradict it. I surrender my need for control and rest in Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Daily Breakout Challenge — Do One Thing; Write down one promise of God that has carried you through a difficult season—whether a verse, a truth, or a clear word He spoke to your heart. Read it morning and night today. Treat it like your lifeline. Let it remind you that the God who spoke then is still faithful now.

THURSDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS

Myles Elliott

Greg Payne

Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA

Mandy Martin

Carol Lawhead – Riverside in Conyers

Luther Roach

Cheryl Knight’s Brother Passed on Tuesday

Marsha Layfield

Amy Garner’s Dad

Brando Echarte

Debbie Foskey 

Don Franklin’s Daughter, Darlene, Son, David

Ed Adkins – Friend of Brian Edwards

Gloria Young

Jake Jenkins

June Cronan

Jean Partee’s Sister

Kim McClain’s Daughter, Amanda

Deon Lotter

Doris Loyd

Nancy Brown

Annette Ford

Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shelnutt’s

Angela Bryan’s Sisters

Ann Stanley  

Danny Jarrard   

Darlene Wiggins

Doris Loyd

Dr. and Mrs. Davis

Eric Magnusson’s Mother

Eric Ward

Friend of Linda Hodge

Gayle Sparks

Linda Alexander 

James Burnette

Jessica Headrick  

John McClain’s Mother

June Cronan’s Sister

June Davis

Kailey Bateman

Kim McClain’s Mother 

Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda 

Lee Cronan

Lillianna Magnusson’s Mom

Lonzo Christian 

Lori Blount’s Mother

Mary Williams

Mary Williamson – Dana Jackson’s Mom

Mrs. Franklin 

Nora Allison

Ron And Johnnie Barry – Friends Of Ashton & Glenda Bateman

Scott Lanier 

Scotty Nix

Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shelnutt’s

Steve Michaels

Tom Witcher