Scripture: Acts 17:28 (KJV) ~ “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”
Good Morning Sunshine! As we enter the final week of The Gift of Today, I want you to consider how much God has been teaching us about the life we are living right now. We began this journey with a simple but meaningful prayer: “Father, teach me how to live within the confines of my day, that I may flow in Your Presence in my present, and not in tomorrow nor my past, in the Name of Jesus Christ.” What began as a prayer about living within the boundaries of today has become a deeper examination of our surrender, our stewardship, and now our awareness of the God who sustains us through every moment of life.
We have just spent time examining how we live within the time God has given us, but have we considered the One who continues giving us life? We have discussed responsibilities, opportunities, conversations, and the testimony our daily choices are creating, yet how often do we stop long enough to acknowledge the breath within our bodies? We awaken, move through our schedules, fulfill our responsibilities, and prepare for another day, often without considering that our very existence depends upon the sustaining power of God.
Acts 17:28 reminds us that in Him we live, move, and have our being. This truth will guide us into our third week as we explore the sacredness of ordinary moments, the importance of stillness, and the need to recognize God’s Presence in the spaces between our activities. We will consider the breath we did not have to ask for, the moments when God calls us to be still, and the ways His goodness can be recognized in experiences we sometimes dismiss as ordinary.
Our journey is moving from surrender to stewardship and now toward spiritual attentiveness. We have learned to surrender the tomorrow we cannot control and steward the today we have been given. Now we will learn to recognize the God who sustains us through every breath.
During Week One, “If It Is the Lord’s Will ~ Living in His Presence, Within Our Present,” we began with James 4:13–17 and confronted our tendency to make plans as though tomorrow were guaranteed.
During Week Two, “The Unfinished Business of Today ~ What Are You Leaving Undone While Waiting for Tomorrow?” we moved from surrender into stewardship. Ephesians 5:15–16 challenged us to walk wisely and redeem the time.
Now, as we enter Week Three, “The Space Between the Breaths ~ Recognizing God in the Moments We Overlook,” our attention shifts from what we cannot control and what we have been entrusted to do toward the One who makes our very existence possible. We have considered how to surrender our plans and steward our time, but have we stopped long enough to recognize the God who continues sustaining our lives? Have we become so occupied with what we need to accomplish that we have overlooked the breath that allows us to accomplish anything at all? Have we been asking God to direct our steps while forgetting to thank Him for the life that makes those steps possible?
This final week is not about adding more responsibilities to an already demanding life. It is about developing a deeper awareness of God’s Presence within the life we are presently living. We will examine the breath we did not have to ask for, the importance of being still, the ways God can be recognized in ordinary moments, the sacredness of the in-between seasons, and the responsibility of offering praise as long as we have breath. We will discover that spiritual attentiveness does not require us to abandon our responsibilities. Instead, it teaches us to recognize our dependence upon God while fulfilling them.
Our journey has been moving toward this understanding: We surrender the tomorrow we cannot control, steward the today we have been given, and recognize the God who sustains us through every breath. As we begin this final week, may we become less consumed with rushing through our days and more intentional about acknowledging the One in whom we live, move, and have our being.
Let’s Begin Day One: Good Morning Sunshine! Did You Thank God For The Breath You That You Didn’t Have to Ask For?
Scripture: Genesis 2:7 (KJV) ~ “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Genesis 2 provides a more detailed account of the creation of humanity. After describing the formation of the heavens and the earth, the passage directs our attention toward God’s creation of man. Genesis 2:7 declares that the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. This verse emphasizes both the humble origin of humanity and the extraordinary gift of life that comes from God. The dust of the ground, apart from God’s life-giving action, did not become a living person. The passage presents human life as the result of God’s deliberate creative work. The imagery of God forming man from dust reminds us of our human limitations, while the breath of life reveals our complete dependence upon our Creator. We did not bring ourselves into existence, nor can we claim to be the ultimate source of the life we possess. From the beginning, Scripture establishes that human existence is not independent of God. Life itself is a gift that must be received with humility and gratitude.
In Job 33:4, Elihu declares, “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” Elihu speaks these words during his response to Job and Job’s friends, acknowledging God as the source of his own existence. Although Elihu’s broader arguments must be considered carefully within the entire book of Job, this statement expresses the biblical truth that life originates with God. Acts 17:28 carries this understanding into the New Testament. While speaking in Athens, the apostle Paul explains that God is the Creator of the world and everything within it. He declares that God gives life and breath to all and is not dependent upon human beings for anything. In verse 28, Paul states, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” His message challenges the assumption that God is distant from human existence or dependent upon what people can provide. Instead, Paul emphasizes that every human life exists through God’s sustaining power.
These scriptures remind us that the breath within our bodies is not merely an ordinary occurrence to be overlooked. Breathing is a natural bodily function, yet Scripture teaches that the life sustaining that function ultimately depends upon God. We may not consciously ask for every breath, but every breath remains a reminder that our existence is not self-sustaining. Before we begin making plans, fulfilling responsibilities, or asking God for what we need next, we have already received the extraordinary gift of being alive.
It’s Storytime! The Morning She Finally Noticed
Imagine a woman who awakened one morning already thinking about everything she needed to accomplish. Before her feet touched the floor, her mind was moving through appointments, responsibilities, unfinished tasks, and concerns about the days ahead. She reached for her phone, checked the time, and began mentally arranging her schedule. Although the day had barely begun, she already felt behind.
As she prepared to leave her bedroom, she noticed the morning sunlight coming through the window. For reasons she could not explain, she stopped for a moment, sat on the edge of her bed, and became aware of her breathing. She took a slow breath, then another, and realized that while she had been thinking about everything she needed to do, she had not once thanked God for waking her up.
She had awakened with a list of requests but had overlooked the gift that made every request possible. Before she could accomplish anything on her schedule, before she could speak to anyone, and before she could take another step, she had already received the gift of life. Sitting quietly, she whispered, “Father, thank You for the breath I did not have to ask for.”
Nothing about her responsibilities immediately changed. Her appointments were still scheduled, her tasks still needed attention, and the concerns she carried had not disappeared. But something within her perspective began to change. Instead of beginning the day overwhelmed by everything she had to do, she began with gratitude for the God who had allowed her to live another day. And perhaps this is where God is inviting us to begin our final week: not by examining everything we still need to accomplish, but by recognizing the gift we have already received.
I am starting with this question, before you ask God for anything did you thank Him for your breath? Have you ever considered how many things you ask God for throughout the course of a day? You may ask Him for protection, provision, healing, direction, strength, wisdom, and peace. You may pray about your family, your finances, your responsibilities, your health, and the circumstances that remain beyond your control. These requests are not wrong. Philippians 4:6 encourages believers to bring their requests before God through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Yet in the middle of everything we ask Him to do, how often do we stop to acknowledge what He has already done by allowing us to experience another day of life?
Before you opened your eyes this morning, before you reached for your phone, and before you began thinking about your responsibilities, you were already receiving something you did not have to consciously request. Your body continued breathing while you slept, and when you awakened, another day of life was before you. You may have awakened with concerns, discomfort, or responsibilities that feel overwhelming, but the fact that you are alive is still worthy of acknowledgment. Gratitude does not require you to deny your difficulties. It invites you to recognize God’s goodness even while those difficulties remain.
Genesis 2:7 reminds you that life began with God’s creative action. He formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life. The passage reveals that human life is not something you independently produce or sustain. Your existence is rooted in the will and power of your Creator. And while the creation of Adam was a unique event, the broader biblical witness reminds you that God remains the giver and sustainer of life. Isaiah 42:5 describes the Lord as the One who created the heavens, spread out the earth, and gives breath to the people upon it. Psalm 104:27–30 also portrays living creatures as dependent upon God’s provision and sustaining care. These passages are here to remind you that your dependence upon God did not end with the beginning of creation but it began. Life continues because the Creator remains sovereign over what He has made.
As you begin this final week, I want you to consider whether you have become so accustomed to breathing that you rarely think about the One who gives you life. You may recognize God’s hand when a major prayer is answered, when a door opens unexpectedly, or when you experience deliverance from a difficult circumstance. But have you learned to recognize His goodness in the ordinary moments that occur between those experiences? And sometimes familiarity causes you to overlook what should inspire gratitude. You become accustomed to waking up, moving through your routines, preparing meals, attending work, caring for your family, and fulfilling your responsibilities. Because these activities are repeated so often, you may begin to assume that another day will always be available. Yet James 4:14 reminds you that life is like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. James is not encouraging you to live in fear, but he is confronting the human tendency to assume that tomorrow belongs to you.
During Week One, you examined this truth as you learned to surrender your plans to the will of God. Then you recognized that you cannot guarantee what tomorrow will bring and that wisdom requires you to acknowledge your dependence upon Him. Now, in this final week, you are considering that same dependence from another perspective. Instead of focusing only upon the uncertainty of tomorrow, you are learning to recognize the extraordinary gift of being alive today.
Lamentations 3:22–23 declares that it is because of the Lord’s mercies that you are not consumed and that His compassions fail not, for they are new every morning. These words appear within a book marked by sorrow, suffering, and the consequences of Jerusalem’s destruction. The writer does not deny the reality of pain. Instead, he remembers God’s faithfulness in the midst of it. This reminds you that gratitude and grief can exist within the same heart. You can acknowledge that life is difficult while also thanking God for the Mercy that He continues giving you to sustain you. Perhaps you awakened this morning with unanswered questions, physical discomfort, emotional heaviness, or responsibilities that seem greater than your strength. Giving thanks for another day does not mean pretending that everything is well. It means recognizing that your circumstances do not erase the goodness of the God who remains present with you. You may not understand everything happening in your life, but you can still acknowledge the One who has given you your life and invite Him to guide you through the day ahead.
According to the Bible, the book of Matthew 6:25–34 records Jesus teaching His disciples about anxiety concerning the necessities of life. He speaks about food, drink, clothing, and the Father’s care for His creation. Jesus does not suggest that human needs are unimportant or that responsible planning should be abandoned. Instead, He directs His listeners away from consuming anxiety and toward trust in their heavenly Father. In verse 33, He instructs them to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, reminding you that your priorities should be shaped by your relationship with Him. I know that sometimes you can become so occupied with what you need God to provide that you overlook the importance of remaining attentive to Him. You pray for the strength to complete your responsibilities but rarely stop to thank Him for the life that allows you to carry them. You ask Him to order your steps but may begin moving through the day without taking time to acknowledge His Presence. You seek His help with tomorrow while allowing today’s concerns to consume your attention.
In Acts 17:28 brings you back to the foundation of your dependence upon God, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” Paul is reminding his listeners that God is not a distant figure who becomes relevant only when human beings experience difficulty. He is the Creator upon whom all life depends. This means that your awareness of God should not be limited to moments of crisis, worship services, or answered prayers. You can learn to acknowledge Him throughout the ordinary experiences of your day. Proverbs 3:5–6 encourages you to trust in the Lord with all your heart, refuse to lean entirely upon your own understanding, and acknowledge Him in all your ways. This invitation to acknowledge God is not limited to major decisions. It can influence how you begin your mornings, respond to interruptions, fulfill responsibilities, and approach moments of uncertainty. Perhaps before you begin asking God to help you accomplish everything on today’s schedule, you can first thank Him for allowing you to awaken. Before you become consumed with what remains unfinished, you can acknowledge the breath within your body. And before you allow anxiety concerning tomorrow to occupy your thoughts, you can invite His wisdom and peace into the day that is already before you.
Do you know it is a good thing when you realize that every breath is an opportunity for you to respond to God. Psalm 150:6 declares, “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.” This final verse of the Psalms brings the collection to a powerful conclusion by calling all living things to praise God. The psalm emphasizes that praise belongs to the Lord because of His mighty acts and excellent greatness. It reminds you that worship is a fitting response to the God who has given you life. But praise is not limited to singing a song, lifting your hands, or speaking words of thanksgiving during a worship service. Romans 12:1 calls believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God, which is their reasonable service. Within its context, Paul is encouraging a life of worship expressed through devotion and transformed conduct. This means that your gratitude for life should influence not only what you say to God but also how you live before Him.
When you recognize that your life is a gift, you begin to understand that your responses matter. You can use your words to encourage rather than unnecessarily wound. You can approach your responsibilities with integrity rather than indifference. You can demonstrate compassion toward someone who is struggling and practice patience when circumstances become frustrating. You can acknowledge when you have been wrong and remain willing to grow. This connects directly with what you learned during Week Two. You examined the responsibilities, opportunities, and relationships entrusted to you, and you considered how your daily choices become part of your testimony. Now you recognize that the breath within you makes those opportunities possible. You do not steward your time to earn God’s love or prove that you deserve to be alive. You seek to live faithfully because life itself is a gift of His grace. First Thessalonians 5:18 instructs believers, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Paul does not require believers to call every painful experience good. Rather, he encourages an enduring posture of gratitude within the circumstances of life. Even when your day includes disappointment, uncertainty, or responsibilities that test your patience, you can remain aware of God’s sustaining grace.
The breath within your body is not a guarantee that your day will be easy, but it is an invitation to acknowledge the God who will remain worthy of your trust throughout it. One of the greatest challenges of modern life is that you often move from one responsibility to another without allowing yourself time to reflect. You awaken thinking about what needs to be done, spend your days responding to demands, and go to bed considering what remains unfinished. Even during moments of physical rest, your mind may continue rehearsing conversations, planning future responsibilities, or revisiting past experiences. Yet Psalm 46:10 declares, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Within its context, this psalm celebrates God’s power, protection, and sovereignty in the midst of upheaval. The call to be still directs your attention towards the Lord’s authority rather than human striving. It reminds you that your security does not depend upon your ability to control every circumstance.
There comes a moment when you must pause long enough to remind yourself that God is God, and you are not., but that you are responsible for responding faithfully to what has been entrusted to you and you are not responsible for controlling every outcome. You can make plans, fulfill commitments, and care for others without allowing those responsibilities to consume your awareness of God’s Presence. Pausing does not always require an extended period of silence or a complete interruption of your day. It may involve a brief moment of gratitude before beginning your work, a quiet prayer while preparing a meal, or a conscious decision to release anxiety as you move between responsibilities. These moments do not make God more present than He already is. They help you become more attentive to the One upon whom your life depends.
Psalm 139:13–14 reminds you that human life is known to God and that His works are wonderful. As you consider the breath within your body, remember that your life has value beyond your accomplishments, responsibilities, or public recognition. You are not valuable simply because of what you can produce. Your worth is rooted in the fact that you are a human being created by God, and your life deserves to be approached with gratitude and care. This understanding should also shape the way you view others. The people around you are not merely interruptions, responsibilities, or obstacles to your plans. They are human beings whose lives also depend upon God’s sustaining power. As you grow in attentiveness to the gift of your own life, may you also become more compassionate toward the lives of those around you. Psalm 118:24 declares, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Within its original setting, the psalm celebrates the Lord’s saving work and gives thanks for His faithfulness. Its words also invite you to recognize that rejoicing is rooted in God’s goodness rather than the absence of difficulty.
As you move through today, you may encounter responsibilities you would prefer to put off, conversations that require courage and wisdom, or circumstances that remain beyond your ability to change.You may not know what tomorrow will bring, and you may still be carrying concerns from yesterday. But you can begin this day with a different perspective by acknowledging that your life is sustained by God and that His Presence is not confined to moments when everything is going according to plan. This is the deeper invitation of your final week. You have learned to surrender tomorrow, steward today, and now recognize God in the moments you often overlook. The breath you did not have to ask for is a reminder that before you begin working, planning, serving, or worrying, you are already dependent upon the goodness of your Creator.
So, before you become consumed with everything waiting for your attention, consider the simple gift of being alive. Allow gratitude to become part of the way you begin your morning and the way you move through your day. You do not have to ignore your responsibilities or pretend that life is without difficulty. You can simply acknowledge that the God who gives life remains worthy of your praise, your trust, and your attention. And perhaps as you continue through today, you will discover that one of the most meaningful prayers you can offer is also one of the simplest: “Father, thank You for the breath I did not have to ask for.”
Let’s Pray:
Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ, I come before You with a grateful heart, acknowledging You as the Creator and Sustainer of my life. Before I ask You for anything else, I want to thank You for what You have already given me. Thank You for the breath within my body, for the life I have received, and for the mercy that has allowed me to experience another day. I recognize that I did not create myself and that my existence is not independent of Your sustaining power. Everything I am and everything I have ultimately depends upon Your goodness and grace .Father, as I enter this final week of my devotional journey, teach me to become more attentive to Your Presence in the ordinary moments of my life. Forgive me for the times I have awakened with a list of requests but failed to acknowledge the gift of life already before me. Forgive me for becoming so consumed with my schedule, responsibilities, and concerns that I have overlooked the importance of gratitude. Help me recognize that the breath within my body is not something I should ever take for granted. Lord, thank You for everything You have taught me throughout this journey. During the first week, You reminded me to surrender tomorrow, release yesterday, and acknowledge Your will. During the second week, You challenged me to examine the unfinished business of today and become a more faithful steward of the opportunities and responsibilities entrusted to me. Now, as I begin this final week, teach me to recognize that my life is sustained by You and that every moment offers another opportunity to acknowledge Your goodness. Father, teach me how to live within the confines of my day, that I may flow in Your Presence in my present, and not in tomorrow nor my past, in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Help me stop allowing yesterday’s regrets to consume today’s peace and tomorrow’s uncertainties to overshadow the blessings presently before me. Teach me to recognize Your goodness in the ordinary moments, even when my circumstances remain difficult or my questions remain unanswered. Lord, You know the burdens I may be carrying today. You see every concern weighing upon my heart, whether it involves my health, emotional well-being, finances, family, relationships, ministry, or responsibilities that seem greater than my strength. Father, meet me with Your comfort, wisdom, and sustaining grace. Remind me that gratitude does not require me to deny my pain and that trusting You does not mean pretending my struggles are insignificant. Surround me with the support I need, renew my hope, and guide me through the responsibilities of this day. Father, where I have become overwhelmed by everything I believe I must accomplish, remind me that my worth is not determined by my productivity. Teach me to establish healthy priorities, recognize my limitations, and receive the rest my body and mind require. Help me understand that I honor You through faithful work, meaningful relationships, compassionate service, and necessary rest. May I never become so consumed with doing things for You that I forget the importance of spending time with You. Lord, open my eyes to the people and opportunities around me. Help me recognize moments when someone needs encouragement, when a relationship requires my attention, or when a simple act of kindness offers an opportunity to demonstrate Your love. Give me patience when my plans are interrupted, wisdom when decisions must be made, and humility when I need to acknowledge my mistakes. May my gratitude for the gift of life influence the way I treat others and fulfill my responsibilities. Father, teach me to pause throughout my day and remember that in You I live, move, and have my being, according to Acts 17:28. When anxiety begins to rise, remind me to turn my attention toward Your promises. When distractions threaten to consume my focus, help me become more intentional. When I feel pressured to control circumstances beyond my ability, teach me to surrender those concerns into Your hands. May my awareness of Your Presence deepen as I learn to recognize Your goodness in the moments I once overlooked. Lord, thank You for the breath that allows me to speak words of encouragement, offer prayers, express love, and give You praise. Thank You for the opportunity to continue growing in wisdom, faith, and obedience. I do not know everything this day will bring, but I trust that You remain worthy of my dependence and gratitude. Help me approach this day with a willing heart, a teachable spirit, and a renewed appreciation for the life You have given me. Father, as I continue through this final week, prepare my heart to recognize the importance of stillness, the beauty of ordinary moments, and the ways Your mercy sustains me through every season. Teach me to become less consumed with rushing through life and more attentive to the One who gives me life. May my days become testimonies of Your faithfulness, and may my heart remain grateful for the gift of Your sustaining grace. Lord, forgive me for the moments when I have treated another morning as ordinary, another breath as automatic, or another day as something I was guaranteed to receive. Remind me that every sunrise is an opportunity to acknowledge Your mercy, every breath is evidence of my dependence upon You, and every moment is an invitation to live with greater awareness of Your Presence. Father, I do not want to become so focused on what I am waiting for that I overlook what You are doing right now. I do not want to become so consumed with tomorrow’s possibilities that I neglect today’s blessings. Teach me to slow down, recognize Your hand in my circumstances, and appreciate the moments that may never come again. As I continue this journey, help me understand that my life is more than the assignments I complete, the responsibilities I fulfill, or the accomplishments I achieve. My life is a gift from You, and my greatest desire is to honor You with the time, breath, and opportunities You have entrusted to me. May I never become so busy pursuing my purpose that I lose sight of the One who gave me purpose. Father, before I ask You to do anything more, I simply want to say thank You. Thank You for another morning, another opportunity, another moment in Your Presence, and another breath I did not have to ask for. Thank You for sustaining me through the night, awakening me to a new day, and allowing me another opportunity to experience Your goodness. Today, I surrender my past, entrust my future to Your will, and receive my present with gratitude. I surrender my tomorrow, I steward my today, and I recognize Your Presence in every breath. May every breath remind me of my dependence upon You, every moment draw me closer to Your Presence, and every day become another opportunity to honor You with the life You have entrusted to me. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen and Amen!
Nugget ~ Before you become consumed with everything you need God to do today, thank Him for the breath He has already given you. Every breath is a reminder that your life is sustained by His grace, and every moment is another opportunity to recognize His Presence.
Blessings…
Love, Dr. Jean…
Ladies, we are in the last week of 31 Days of Pearls, Praise & Prayer in October! Please Join Us on the Prayer Line and by wearing your Pearls, as a reminder to pause, praise God, and spend intentional time in prayer. Your pearls can be a necklace, bracelet, earrings, or ring. They do not have to be expensive or elaborate. The power is not in the pearls; it is just a sign that we are in unity, as our faith is in the Lord.
| Week | Date | Theme |
| Week 5 | October 25–31 | Women’s Ministry |
Ladies, put on your pearls, lift up your praise, and join us in prayer every evening throughout October at 7:10 PM Central Time!
Dial-in: 1-978-990-5000 ~ Access Code: 570381
For more information: drjean@kplegacyhouse.org
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