We live in an electronic age—smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart watches, fitness trackers, etc. The list goes on and on! These are marvelous devices: huge time savers, portable, and are beyond multi-purpose.

A small wave of recognition of these glorious creations hits me each time I use them. There’s always something in the back of my mind reminding me of the days when some of the devices didn’t exist, or the days when the technology wasn’t quite as helpful as it is today. I realize how much time these devices save me and I’m grateful!

But, while the wave of appreciation washes over me, it’s halted half way as I notice a helpful, but dreaded monitoring feature on every device. Wherever it is on your device, it’s there nonetheless—the battery status.

I get caught up using my devices and don’t see the battery level grow increasingly dim. While I’m the type of person that has 5 chargers with me at all times, inevitably, I get caught somewhere—the one time I don’t have my charger or a power source—and panic sets in. I’m running out of battery. I really hate being caught unaware and unprepared…

Some electronic users live by the strict philosophy that you should charge your devices whenever you have a chance, because who knows when you’ll have the opportunity again (insert scary music here). While I find this to be a little melodramatic, there is good advice in this statement—but maybe not always for our electronic devices.

Scripture teaches us a story about 10 women—5 wise and 5 foolish (Matthew 25:1–13). They all went out to meet the bridegroom, and had lamps to light their way. While the bridegroom tarried, their lamps began to grow dim, and the oil started to run out. Five brought extra oil, and 5 didn’t. While the other 5 who didn’t bring extra oil were out getting more, the bridegroom came and shut the door. The 5 all missed out on the marriage supper.

It’s funny how there’s a story in Scripture that matches our dilemma today. While these lamps weren’t electronic (they were oil-powered) they still had an issue of running out of power. This parable tells us to have “extra” with us; to take time to charge when we can so we aren’t caught unaware and unprepared.

We run on power every day, and that power is of the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:8). Our supply doesn’t last for long—we have to constantly fill up. This is why Scripture teaches us the importance of feeding on God’s Word (Joshua 1:8) and praying daily (I Thessalonians 5:17).

The oil mentioned in our parable was the Holy Ghost. Five were running on power from yesterday’s blessing; they ran out and missed the final call. They didn’t take time to have a prayer life or a daily intimate relationship with God. Their battery life wasn’t so good; they weren’t powered up.

God’s mercies are new and afresh every day (Lamentations 3:22–23). He’s got an anointing, strength, peace, love for us—everything we need day-to-day freshly prepared. We can’t let our infilling of His presence go out. We can’t let our battery die. Let’s make sure that we’re always prepared: prayed up, filled up, and powered up!

In life, have you ever been faced with a situation where you thought to yourself, “I wish I would have asked…” Was it a free upgrade to first class the person behind you got? Was it the free hanger you could have kept when you bought that new suit? Or, when paying cash, was it the “hidden” $200 discount you missed out on?

Whatever the case, in life we all have various regrets—some of which centralize around our failure to ask in numerous situations. We’re left wondering what could have been if we had just opened our mouths.

In Scripture, we read about a leper who came to Jesus and said, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou cast make me clean” (Matthew 8:2, KJV). He believed if He asked to be cleansed, Jesus would do it! We find that Jesus did indeed respond: And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed (Matthew 8:3, KJV).

We can learn a fruitful lesson from this setting of Scripture. If we just open our mouths and ask, we can have it! Additional Scriptures reveal this truth—everyone who asks will receive, seeks will find, and knocks will have a door opened (Matthew 7:7–8). Furthermore, we’re told whatever we ask, believing, we will receive (Matthew 21:22).

However, even when we exercise faith and ask God to meet a need, we sometimes miss out. How or why do we miss out? When we don’t have faith to believe God can do more! Scripture says God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

Now, back to the leper…

Before we completely pat this guy on the back for having enough faith to ask to be cleansed, let’s stop and think for a minute. Why did he just ask to be cleansed?

We find another story in Scripture where 10 lepers were cleansed but one was made whole (Luke 17:12–19). The difference? Nine were just made clean so they could return to their families and not infect anyone with their disease. Only 1 was completely cured from leprosy, and was preserved back to his original state—all evidence of leprosy vanished! The leper in our story in Matthew 8 wasn’t made whole. Why? Because he didn’t ask!

We’ve got to stop cultivating a mindset that God can only do “so much.” A level of faith has to rise up in us when we make a petition to God. God will sometimes go the extra mile to show that He is God. But, most of the time, He will only act according to our faith (Matthew 9:29).

If we have faith God will perform a miracle in our situation, He will do it. But, if we believe He can only patch up a problem, or pick up the pieces, that may be just all He’ll do. We can miss out on a blessing when we don’t ask. But, we also will miss out on so much more when we don’t ask in faith.

Preachers say often, “if your dreams don’t scare you, then they’re not from God.” I’ll venture to say if your prayers don’t scare you, then they’re not from God. God gave every man a measure of faith (Romans 12:3), so let’s use it! Don’t forget to ask, but more importantly, ask according to your faith!

When I was a child I never wanted to get married. Marriage to me only equated with the loss of my last name. I was proud to bear my last name because it was my Dad’s, it was unique, and it was mine.

Growing up, I never understood my classmates who opted to go by their middle names, nicknames, or a variation of their given name. I was so enamored by my name, I wrote it (first, middle, and last) on everything—even on my homework—just ask my parents and grade school teachers.

But, time marched on. I met my husband, fell in love, got married, and took his name. I’m now the proud bearer of a new last name.

Changing your name alters who you are more than you think it would. Sure, I’ve got most of the same characteristics that I developed under my Dad’s last name, but, I assumed a new identity when my name changed—literally and figuratively. If you’ve ever changed your name, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t just look at Scripture!

A notable example of a name change is found in Genesis 35:10. God changed Jacob’s name—meaning supplanter/deceiver—to Israel—meaning prevails with God. Jacob (Israel) wasn’t the same when he left his encounter with God and got a new name; read the story and I think you’ll agree!

But, this example is not my favorite by far. The greatest example is one is mentioned in Scripture, but still occurs today. Between childhood and marriage, I had another name change. That name change happened the day I was baptized. I no longer bear my earthly father’s last name, but I now hold the one of my heavenly Father.

When we are baptized (Acts 2:38), we not only put on Christ (Galatians 3:27), but we take His name. Jesus said He came in His Father’s name (John 5:43), and Scripture reveals the whole family in heaven is called that name (Ephesians 3:15). When we call on the name Jesus in baptism, which is the same word used in Ephesians 3:15 for named, we receive His surname!

Once I received that name, my identity changed. I was adopted into my Father’s family (Ephesians 1:5) and I became a new creature (II Corinthians 5:17). I stopped serving myself, and started to serve God (I Corinthians 7:22–23). When I took on His name, I also received His Spirit (Acts 2:38). The Holy Ghost working in me has changed my identity in more ways than one.

Today, I’m not the same person I was when I had my Dad’s last name. A few years have gone by since then, and I’ve grown up quite a bit. But, I’m different because I’ve changed my name. I’m now a child of God, I’ve made the decision to call Him my Father, and the new name He gave me is now written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Philippians 4:3).

You can experience the power of a name change for yourself! I’m not the only one who bears my Father’s name. I have many spiritual brothers and sisters in this world as well as the next. If you haven’t experienced the power of the most important name change you could make in your life, I encourage you to do so, dear reader. It will be the best decision you could ever make in this life. Let go of your name, follow Acts 2:38, and get a new one! You’ve got a change with His name on it!

Have you shopped for a greeting card lately? I don’t mean just stopping by the “card” section at CVS or Walmart—have you made a pilgrimage to a greeting card store to find “the card?” If you’re like me, finding the right greeting card is quite the expedition. Between finding the right card and the right section of the store, you will need a change of clothes and food rations for several meals at minimum. You can be gone for days!

I adore greeting cards and stationary in ways I can’t even describe. The excitement of receiving a card in the mail for a specific occasion is paramount in my book. And, I cannot relay the emotion I feel when I find a card someone gave me “just because” tucked away in the crevice of my bag to discover at an opportune moment. Those moments are the best—to know someone is thinking of me.

I’ve found the “thinking of you” section at the card store has increasingly downsized. And, on the whole, greeting card stores are near extinction because people have stopped sending them. The cost of cards and postage are definitely factors in their decline, but I also think that we as a human race are fading into a realm of thoughtlessness. We’ve got so much going on in our lives that we forget about what is going on in the lives of others, or just other people in general.

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do (I Thessalonians 5:11, KJV).

Scripture tells us we should encourage and strengthen each other as much as we can. In this crazy world (and lives), we need a word of encouragement every once in a while. We might need something to put a smile on our face, a hearty laugh in our bellies, or to be a diversion from our present situation.

You and I can encourage so easily if we’d just stop to think about. You may not be a greeting card junkie like me, but in the onslaught of our technological era, could prefer sending an email, text, snap chat, Instagram photo, etc. Pick your edification apparatus of choice and make someone’s day!

If you don’t know who to lift up, no problem—God will show you. Spend some time in prayer and ask Him to put someone on your heart. Before you realize it, God will bring someone (or a group of people) to your mind that He wants you to minister by way of encouragement.

Encouragement doesn’t have to be big or costly. More than likely we have unlimited texting built into our data plans. Regardless of the fact, can we sacrifice the “extra” to make someone’s day? Can we go without our daily Starbucks coffee to buy a “Thinking of You” card and send it through the mail? Can we sacrifice time doing something we want to design a goofy message and send via email? Can we endure writer’s cramp by handwriting a little note? Can we swallow our bashfulness and tell someone verbally they’re doing a great job?

I pray we don’t find our “cost” to be so great that we lose sight of the true cost if we don’t encourage one another. We can start encouraging someone today—it only takes a little bit to do so. We have no idea what our “little bit of encouragement” can do for someone else. Your $3.95 card could just save a soul.