2026 THEME — “SEEING LIFE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE” January – PRAYER from God’s Perspective
Next Sunday, we begin a new journey together as God calls us to move from understanding truth to living it out daily. After learning to see prayer from God’s perspective, we will now explore how that perspective reshapes our choices, relationships, and responses. This is not about adding another lesson—it’s about letting God transform the way we walk, think, and live. Come ready to go deeper and discover what it truly means to live aligned with God’s heart.
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
We were reminded of a sacred truth that reshapes everything about prayer: the strength of our prayer life is not found in what we say, but in how deeply we know and trust the God to whom we pray. Not facts about Him or religious language, but a settled confidence in His character—His goodness, faithfulness, and unchanging heart. Nothing that enters our lives should shake our trust, because God’s character does not change with our circumstances. What we cannot understand in the moment must be interpreted through what we already know to be true: God is good, God is faithful, and God is always working with purpose. Storms may shake our surroundings, but they do not have to shake our trust. Prayer does not become powerful through effort or emotion; it becomes powerful through relationship. When we have walked with God and watched Him provide, our prayers rise from faith instead of fear. Believers must stop treating prayer as a place to get answers and start treating it as a place to be changed. Prayer is not a magic formula to get God to give us what we want; it is the secret place of communion with our Father. In the secret place, prayer becomes less about speaking and more about surrendering, listening, and obeying. A shallow prayer life produces emotional swings and confusion, but time with God builds stability, confidence, and discernment. Trust begins where understanding ends, and prayer becomes steady when trust rests on who God is. So pause and sense the holy stillness of this moment. We are not rushing into God’s presence; we are responding to His nearness. Prayer is holy ground, and worship is sacred approach. This moment is not about activity, but alignment with God’s will, Word, and ways. God is not looking for perfect people; He is looking for surrendered ones who stay close. Authority in prayer flows from agreement, not effort, volume, or intensity. So today we lay down fear, control, pride, and preference, and we come not to perform, but to agree with God.
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
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Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
Holy Ground in Ordinary Places
“Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” — Exo 3:5
There are moments when God interrupts the ordinary with the weight of His nearness. Moses was not seeking a supernatural encounter—he was tending sheep on an ordinary wilderness day. Yet God met him there, and common ground became holy ground, not because the dirt changed, but because God was present. That same holy God still steps into kitchens, hospital rooms, commutes, offices, and quiet mornings, turning ordinary places into sanctuaries when we become aware of Him. Holiness does not wait for perfect conditions. It reveals God’s perfection right in the middle of imperfect days. When we recognize His nearness, our striving quiets, our fear loosens its grip, and we discover that prayer is not us trying to reach God—it is God inviting us to notice Him.
God Meets Us in the Ordinary
Moses encountered God while doing routine work, not while performing a religious act. This reminds us that God does not reserve His presence for sanctuaries, sermons, or special moments. He meets us while washing dishes, driving to work, sitting in waiting rooms, or lying awake at night. Holiness is not limited by location; it is defined by presence. When God draws near, the ordinary becomes sacred. Many believers miss holy moments because they are waiting for dramatic encounters instead of recognizing quiet ones. God often speaks softly, inviting us to slow down rather than speed up. The question is not whether God is present, but whether we are attentive.
Reverence Changes Our Posture
When God spoke to Moses, He instructed him to remove his shoes. This was not about ritual—it was about posture. God was teaching Moses that awareness of holiness requires reverence. Reverence is not fear; it is recognition. It is the inward acknowledgment that God is near and worthy of our attention. In our hurried lives, we often approach God casually, multitasking our way through prayer. But when reverence returns, distractions fall away. Our hearts slow, our spirits soften, and prayer becomes less about words and more about awareness. Reverence reorders the soul.
Awareness Turns Prayer into Communion
Prayer becomes shallow when it is treated as a task, but it deepens when it becomes communion. When Moses realized he was standing on holy ground, everything changed—not because God changed, but because Moses became aware. Awareness transforms prayer from routine to relationship. God is not distant, waiting for us to climb higher. He is near, inviting us to notice Him. When we acknowledge His presence, fear loses power, control loosens, and trust grows. Holy ground is not rare—it is revealed wherever hearts are attentive and surrendered. Holy ground is not about where you are—it is about who is with you. God is still interrupting ordinary moments with sacred presence, inviting us to slow down, listen, and respond with reverence. When we recognize His nearness, everyday life becomes a place of worship, and prayer becomes a place of rest. Today, do not rush past the moment. God is here.
Warfare Prayer: Father, in the name of Jesus, I renounce distraction, hurry, and spiritual dullness. I resist every spirit that blinds me to Your nearness and trains my heart to live unaware. I surrender control, noise, and constant striving, and I choose reverence instead of routine. Open my eyes to see that You are present in every place I walk today. Let fear fall silent, let peace take root, and let my heart remain yielded and attentive. I declare that my ordinary places will become holy ground because You are with me. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.
Challenge: Today, pause before your first conversation and sit in silence for one full minute. Whisper aloud, “Lord, You are here.” Then intentionally remove one distraction for the day—mute notifications, silence background noise, or step away from unnecessary scrolling—as an act of reverence. Throughout the day, quietly remind yourself: “This is holy ground because God is here.”
MONDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Bentley Smith – Broken Leg
Brian Gray’s Uncle – Surgery Went Well
Aston Savage
Joni Oberhage
Linda Mays
Carol Lawhead – Riverside in Conyers
Mandy Martin
Myles Elliott
Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA
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
Jenkins son-in-law
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