From Mornings with Tess – August 20, 2025
Beloved, as I sat with the Father this morning, praying over you and over this new day, my heart became tender with His whisper:
“Lay down your crisis… for a friend.”
Jesus said in John 15:12–14 (AMPC), “This is My commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you… No one has greater love than to lay down his own life for his friends. You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you.”
And so I asked Him, What does that look like today? In real life? In this present moment with all the responsibilities and pressures I feel?
His answer surprised me.
It Starts With Laying Down What’s Consuming You
Not laying down your life in a dramatic, heroic way — but laying down what’s taking over your mind and heart. Laying down the worry, the mental clutter, the rumination. Handing Father the crisis you’ve been carrying, and refusing to pick it back up.
When I do this — really do it — I walk away from prayer knowing deep within:
He’s got this. He sees me. He has heard my heart. I can trust Him like a child again.
And when I truly trust Him with my crisis… I’m suddenly free to be present — and ready — for someone else.
There is always a Divine Appointment waiting when we allow Him to clear space in our hearts.
Who Might Need You to Truly See Them Today?
The Holy Spirit has been gently correcting me lately as a grandmother and a busy woman: reminding me that my girls don’t just need me nearby… they need me present. They equate love with time, attention, and eye contact. And honestly, don’t we all?
When I lift my head from my own concerns and focus my heart on LOVE, I begin to notice people.
The clerk. The co-worker. The person God has placed in my path today — not by accident, but on purpose.
Not Noise, But Love
We could operate in all the gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 — wisdom, miracles, faith — but without love, Scripture says it’s just “noise.” (1 Cor 13)
Beloved, love is the assignment today. And sometimes love looks like slowing down long enough to listen — to look into someone’s eyes — to pray silently for the person standing in front of you.
And all of that becomes easier when we have first laid down our crisis and trusted Father to hold it for us.
Journal Prompts:
- Am I truly handing God my crisis, or am I still carrying it?
- Is there someone today who needs my full attention and presence?
- What might shift if I focused less on being “busy” and more on being “loving”?
💬 Join the Conversation
I’d love to hear what Father is whispering to you. Visit our Facebook page at Fortress1230AM WKBO and look for today’s topic, Lay Down Your Crisis for a Friend. Share your heart with me — and feel free to leave your prayer requests.
Beloved, pursue love today… and you’ll never miss the divine appointment waiting right in front of you. You are constantly in my prayers and forever in my heart.
