When You Bend Down and Believe

Our devotion this week comes from my dear friend, writer Lyli Dunbar. I know you will enjoy her contribution to our series on BELIEF. Let’s learn what it means to bend down and believe!

I woke up a few weeks ago with a knot in my stomach. My anxiety was so heavy that I couldn’t hold food down for several hours. To settle my nerves, I nibbled on bite-sized pieces of bread and drank sips of Gatorade. All morning, I sat in my living room with my Bible open on my lap and asked God to help me push past fear.  

“Lord, we need a breakthrough.”  Someone I loved was in a heap of trouble, and there was not a thing I could do to change it. All I could do was pray.  

So with a heavy heart, I cried out to God and asked Him to do what I could not. I asked Him to interrupt my loved one and turn her around.

I needed a miracle.

I asked the Creator who spoke this vast universe into existence to say a word of life and peace over my family.

I looked to my Savior to fight for me and with me. My Jesus who conquered the ravages of sin and death must once again rescue a lost soul from the gates of hell.  

I groaned as the tears fell and asked the Holy Spirit to help.  

Do it again, Jesus.  Do it again.

Lord, I want to believe You can do the impossible.  

This morning as I type these words I am still persevering in prayer. I will go down fighting on my knees. I will bend down and believe God is faithful and true.  

I will never give up. God gets the last word, and He is not finished yet.  

Friend, God is going to do even greater things. He always gets the glory.  If you are reading this and struggling to believe, I want to encourage you to bend down and believe. Lift up your  heart to Him and ask Him to help your unbelief.

He is still Healer.

He is still Lord of all.  

He can speak but a word, and you will witness His wonder.  


On days when I am struggling to believe, I will often open up my Bible to the gospels and read about how Jesus helped the lame to walk and the blind to see.  He called out demons, and He cleansed lepers. This is the same Jesus whose resurrection power lives in me. Death could not hold Him.  Nothing can stop Him.

This morning, I turned to Mark 9 and read about the man who brought his mute son to Jesus. I picture this father carrying his boy with the foaming mouth to the Savior.  I see his tiny frame twitching uncontrollably as his father stands there holding his body up as an offering. His father pleads for Jesus to have a heart and help his precious child who had endured uncontrollable convulsions day after day. This weighed down man holds up his son and says, “ If you can do anything, do it.”

Jesus’ response captured my attention: “If? There are no ‘ifs’ among believers. Anything can happen.” (Mark 9:23, MSG)


When we bend down and believe, our what ifs turn into without a doubt.  (Tweet this.)

Without a doubt, God can do it.  He did it before, and He will do it again.

Until then, I choose to bend down and believe.



Lyli Dunbar’s burning passion as a writer, speaker and Biblical life coach is to fuel a wildfire faith in the weary hearted. She starts every weekday by digging into the Word verse by verse with thousands of women as a writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries’ First 5 App and Love God Greatly. A fireball at heart, Lyli is energized by singing karaoke in the car with her husband, reading 12 books at a time, and cooking Cuban food for a full house. Stop by lylidunbar.com to grab faith fuel for your day or connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.



Join the Wildfire Faith Community to receive Lyli’s weekly encouragement in your inbox. You’ll receive immediate access to her private Faith Fuel Library full of Scriptural resources including her 31-Day Pray Big Calendar.

The Power of This One Word

Last August I spoke to a group of women at a local church for their annual women’s gathering. This verse served as the backdrop for our time together.

“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Luke 1:45 ESV

What a powerful verse. Simple, straightforward, faith-filled.

I knew the verse held special meaning for us as daughters of a loving, merciful God. But I didn’t know it would soon speak to me in a very real and personal way.

The Power of This One Word

Since that night, one word from this verse kept showing up in my daily life. I began seeing it everywhere, and that’s prompted me to dig deeper into its importance. That one word is this...

Believe.

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I didn’t realize soon after that ladies’ event how desperately I would need to hold onto the word believe. Because certain life circumstances can leave us out of options. Realizing our own strength isn’t enough. Knowing we need a better way than to rely on ourselves.

“Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” John 20:29 ESV

We all know how hard it is to believe everything will be alright when we can’t foresee a good outcome. That’s the essence of our faith. We choose to believe, even when we can’t see God at work.

But have you ever noticed how it’s easier to believe in some situations more than others? I can stand firm on God’s promise to heal my illness, but waver in whether or not He will work a miracle in the life of a loved one. I can know without a doubt God will never leave me or forsake me, yet still at times be overwhelmed by fear. So what’s the difference? Why can I be confident in one situation and so uncertain in another?

Because I haven’t yet grasped the power of the word believe.

In the past, I’ve been guilty of assigning levels to life’s hardships. Each level of difficulty would determine whether I believed God could work in my circumstances. Then I sensed a life-changing question in my spirit:

Is God more capable in one situation than another? Or do I believe He is able in ALL things?

Therein lies the answer. We must determine our willingness to believe.

Believing means whatever level of hardship we face, we trust that God is able. (Tweet this.)

What is the Biblical Meaning of Believe?

God can provide peace in our everyday ups and downs, and still calm our deepest fears. God can change the life of someone precious to us, and He can also heal us. There is no limit to His power and no end to His unfailing love.

What do you need to believe God for right now? Maybe it’s the reconciliation of a broken relationship or a financial miracle. Maybe you need a definite yes or no answer, a door to open or close. Whatever the need, let’s stand together in belief.

So whatever level of struggle you are dealing with today, don’t take another step forward in your own strength. Pause, breathe and choose to believe. It’s when we can’t see God working that we learn to trust Him the most.

God will fulfill His promise. Just believe.

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