If you’re struggling with doubt or fear, here’s what you need to know: God is going to keep you. The psalmist understood that—and celebrated it. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:1–3 NKJV). The Hebrew word translated as keeps means “watches,” “guards,” or “places a hedge around.” The idea is that God places a wall around you that is impenetrable. The devil cannot scale or penetrate that wall unless God allows it for His purposes. The apostle Paul wrote, “But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT). And the apostle Peter wrote that “through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see” (1 Peter 1:5 NLT). Were it not for this protection from God, we would have every reason to doubt and fear. But we are kept by His power—and nothing is greater than that. How have you seen God watch over and protect you in your life?

The apostle Paul wrote, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV). God wants us to come to Him again and again, asking Him to fill and empower us afresh. The fact is, we have a never-ending need, and He has an inexhaustible supply. The Christians featured in the book of Acts certainly understood the importance of being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Peter led thousands of people to Christ at Pentecost after he was filled by the Holy Spirit. Stephen, the first known Christian martyr, preached one of the most powerful sermons ever recorded because he was filled with the Spirit’s power. The apostle Paul vividly describes being disheartened, discouraged, and lonely before God refueled and restored him. Whenever you start to feel spiritually run-down, ask the Lord to refill you with the power of His Spirit. And then watch what He does. How do you know when you need a spiritual refill?

It’s essential that Christians learn how to pray effectively. The reality is that all of us will face difficulties, hardships, problems, and more than a few box canyons. We need to discover what God can do through the power of prayer. Prayer for the Christian should be second nature, like breathing. We should automatically lift our needs and requests before the Lord. Jesus said that we should always pray and not lose heart (see Luke 18:1). Prayer is something we should never avoid and never grow tired of. Prayer should be woven through our day like a bright gold thread woven through a piece of fabric. The more we pray, the more we will see the kingdom of God break through the darkness of seemingly impossible situations. What seemingly impossible situation in your life might be changed by prayer?

The book of Acts introduces us to a Christian worker and traveling companion of the apostle Paul named Barnabas. Acts 11:23–24 recounts Barnabas’ arrival in Antioch. “When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord” (NLT). Barnabas found purpose in life by furthering God’s kingdom and encouraging his fellow believers. With his purpose firmly fixed in his mind, Barnabas seized every opportunity to fulfill it. He led with encouragement—purposefully—in his interactions with others. Paul himself said, “[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly]” (Philippians 3:10 AMPC). In other words, “My purpose in life is to know the Lord. Yes, there are other things that I do, but my primary purpose is to continually deepen my relationship with God.” With his purpose firmly fixed in his mind, Paul could allot his time accordingly to prayer, Bible study, and sharing the gospel—the things that would bring him closer to God. Do you know your purpose in life? How is your purpose in life reflected in the way you live?

Acts 23:11 says, “That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, ‘Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well’” (NLT). Be encouraged. Some people might say that seems like a lot to ask, considering the circumstances. Paul had just endured a hostile hearing and had been taken back into Roman custody for doing God’s work. But the Lord assured him that his ministry was not over. Paul would preach the Good News in Rome as well. Paul trusted God, but he also struggled with some very real human emotions—starting with loneliness. And who can blame him? Sometimes God’s call can seem like a solitary journey. The people we turn to in other areas of our life aren’t always available to us or sympathetic to our needs. That’s when we need to ask God to make His presence known to us as He did for Paul. The Lord’s company is all we need. God blesses us with family, friends, and fellow workers to share fellowship. But occasionally, we need to be reminded that He is all we require. We all face prisons, of sorts. But we never face them alone. When was the last time you got a very real sense that God was with you?

Have you ever been awakened in the middle of the night by a Christian song or worship chorus running through your mind? If so, then that’s a pretty good indication that you’re laying up the things of God in your heart. Instead of waking up with the latest pop music in your head, you’re thinking of a praise chorus or maybe even a Scripture verse. That is a “song in the night” that God has given you. And that places you in some pretty good company. The great British preacher C. H. Spurgeon said, “Any man can sing in the day . . . It is easy to sing when we can read the notes by daylight; but he is the skillful singer who can sing when there is not a ray of light by which to read . . . Songs in the night come only from God; they are not in the power of man.” When you’re in pain, the midnight hour (in the figurative or literal sense) is not the easiest time for a worship service. But God can give you songs in the night. And never doubt it: People will be listening. What might a “song in the night” look like in your life?