I have a confession to make: Sometimes I feel too distracted by all I have on my daily to-do list to pray. I sometimes think that I can't afford to take much time to pray, when ironically, prayer is what would give me the power to to do all my tasks well.

When we're busy, it's easy to think that we don't have time to pray. But really, we don't have time not to pray.

So what will help us correct our thinking when we're distracted? Well, that's where Selaphiel, the angel of prayer, comes in. Every archangel has a special job to do on Earth, and Selaphiel specializes in helping people concentrate on prayer. He can help us clear distractions out of our minds and focus on connecting with God.

The next time we're feeling distracted by our long to-do lists, I hope we all remember to ask Selaphiel to help make prayer the very first task we do. Then God will meet us in prayer and empower us to everything else!

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Photo © Maria Kruger

Here in the United States, excitement is building as people prepare to  celebrate our country's birthday. The time around the Fourth of July holiday is like one big national party, as Americans celebrate the freedom that's a cherished part of living here.

The USA is a place that makes people feel like anything is possible. Throughout our nation's history, people have moved here from other places all over the world because they want the freedom to pursue whatever may be possible in their lives, without the constraints that some oppressive governments have tried to place on them before. So when we celebrate freedom this time of year, we're really celebrating the fact that great things are possible for us when we can move beyond limitations.

Two archangels remind us that, with God, anything is possible. Phanuel, the angel of repentance, helps us move beyond guilt and shame that can hold us back from the freedoms God wants us to enjoy. Phanuel encourages us to come clean before God, confessing and repenting of our sins so we can move toward the better lives God has planned for us. Zadkiel, the angel of mercy, encourages us to approach God with confidence and accept his forgiveness, so we can move out from under the weight of our burdens and into relationships with him that empower us to do more than we ever could apart from him.

Let this time of celebrating national freedom become a time to celebrate the spiritual freedom that God and his angels offer you!

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Photo © Axel Rouvin

When someone else's wrong words or actions harm you, the sting can be intense. A friend who lies, a neighbor who steals, a spouse who moves out, a bully who taunts -- all can hurt terribly. If you don't follow God's call to forgive people who hurt you, bitterness will poison your soul. It's only by choosing to forgive and relying on God's power to do so that you can break free of the pain.

If you've decided to forgive someone who's hurt you, you've taken an important first step. But forgiveness is more than just a one-time event. It's a process that takes a while to go through, since the memory of the wrong you've suffered can creep back into your mind until you've healed.

Even more importantly, you shouldn't limit how much you forgive others because God doesn't limit how much he forgives you. In the Bible, the apostle Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him. Peter suggested seven times, thinking that was quite a generous offer. But Jesus replied, "... not seven times, but 77 times" (Matthew 18:22) -- a way of saying that he shouldn't place limits on forgiveness.

Fortunately, you can ask God to put archangel Zadkiel -- the angel of mercy -- to work delivering more power you can use to forgive others. So don't let injustices and wounds fester without dealing with them. Keep on forgiving others, because God never stops forgiving you. Archangel Zadkiel will help you every step of the way!

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It's easy to make choices that are choreographed to the beat of our materialistic culture declaring "more, more, more!" But some people who have chosen to simplify their lives march to a distinctly different beat, declaring with quiet confidence that "less is more."

Those who choose simple lives, like the family that sold their dream home to help others and grew closer after moving to a smaller one, have discovered that while purposefully living below their financial means may make them seem poor on the outside, it enriches them on the inside. As they free up their resources to focus on what matters most, they can miraculously grow closer to God than they could otherwise.

Angels seem to know that. They're not tied down to managing a bunch of possessions. Instead, they're free to accomplish the missions God gives them, which involve relationships (worshiping God and helping people).

Is it time for you to downsize your possessions so you can upgrade your relationships with God and other people? Two key questions that can help you determine that are:

1. Do you give more of your time and attention to your stuff than you do to your relationship with God? It's often the case that the more possessions you have, the more they possess you. Buying, maintaining, insuring, fixing, cleaning, and storing your stuff can eat up a considerable amount of time. Are you really using all the electronic devices that you own and must maintain? Do you really need clothes that require dry cleaning, or can you simplify your wardrobe to clothes you just toss in the laundry?

More importantly, time you don't spend taking care of your stuff can be spent in spiritual disciplines such as prayer. Take an inventory -- not of your stuff, but of the time you spend dealing with your stuff. How does that compare with the time you spend with God? If the former number is out of balance with the latter, you'll do well to simplify.

2. Does your attitude toward stuff reflect love for other people? Whenever you have stuff you don't truly need -- and that other people could use -- be willing to give it away. If you're holding onto something that God wants to use to meet someone else's needs, you could be actually blocking a miracle that God wants to do through you to help that person. But once you develop a habit of generous giving, God may do miracles through you to help people in need, and you may experience a miraculous change in your own soul: becoming more a more loving person who reflects God's loving nature -- just like angels do.

All of your stuff will someday be gone, but a relationship with God is eternal!

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