Hearing Jesus: Daily Bible Study, Christian Affirmations, Hearing God, Prayer, Holy Spirit, Daily Devotional

Sunday: I Trust God With Every Decision:  Daily Affirmations,
Christian Affirmations, Biblical Affirmations

Today is about looking ahead with God. Before the week begins, we
pause and place what’s coming into His hands. These affirmations are meant to help you enter the week grounded, attentive, and trusting God to lead you one day at a time.

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Repeat after me, then listen to the Bible verse.

 

I place this coming week in God’s hands.

Psalm
31:15 – “My times are in Your hands.”

I
trust God to guide my steps.

Psalm
37:23 – “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him.”

I
enter this week with expectancy, not fear.

Romans
15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in
Him.”

I
invite God into every moment ahead.

Proverbs
16:3 – “Commit to the Lord whatever you do.”

I
trust God to order my priorities.

Matthew
6:33 – “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.”

I
receive God’s wisdom for the days ahead.

James
1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.”

I
walk into this week anchored in truth.

Psalm
119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet.”

I
trust God with what I cannot foresee.

Isaiah
46:10 – “I make known the end from the beginning.”

I
choose faith over anticipation of stress.

Psalm
56:3 – “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.”

I
rely on God’s grace for each day.

2
Corinthians 12:9 – “My grace is sufficient for you.”

I
trust God’s timing
this week.

Habakkuk
2:3 – “Though it linger, wait for it.”

I
remain open to God’s leading.

Psalm
25:4 – “Show me Your ways, Lord.”

I
step forward with humility and trust.

Micah
6:8 – “What does the Lord require of you? To walk humbly with your God.”

I
depend on God’s strength, not my own.

Psalm
68:35 – “God gives strength and power to His people.”

I
trust God with every conversation and decision.

Proverbs
20:24 – “A person’s steps are directed by the Lord.”

I
choose obedience over control.

John
14:23 – “Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching.”

I
walk into this week aware of God’s presence.

Exodus
33:14 – “My Presence will go with you.”

I
trust God to work through ordinary moments.

Zechariah
4:10 – “Do not despise these small beginnings.”

I
release anxiety about outcomes.

Psalm
112:7 – “They will have no fear of bad news.”

I
remain attentive to God’s voice.

John
10:27 – “My sheep listen to My voice.”

I
trust God to meet my needs.

Philippians
4:19 – “My God will meet all your needs.”

I
step into this week with courage.

Psalm
31:24 – “Be strong and take heart.”

I
trust God to shape my character.

Romans
8:29 – “To be conformed to the image of His Son.”

I
begin this week grounded in hope.

Hebrews
6:19 – “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul.”

I
rest in God’s faithfulness as I move forward.

Psalm
33:4 – “The word of the Lord is right and true.”

 

Closing Prayer:

God, as I step into this new week, I place everything ahead of me
in Your care. Go before me, guide my steps, and help me stay attentive to You. I trust You with what’s coming, one day at a time. Amen.

 
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Saturday: God Is Patient With Me: Daily Affirmations, Christian
Affirmations, Biblical Affirmations, Affirmations

As we slow down today, this is a chance to look back over the week
with God. Not to replay everything or overthink it, but to notice where He met you, where He carried you, and where His grace showed up. Let these
affirmations help you reflect with honesty and gratitude.

AD-FREE Daily Affirmations can be found on
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Repeat after me, then listen to the Bible verse.

I
thank God for walking with me through this week.

Psalm
143:10 – “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.”

I
recognize God’s faithfulness in both the seen and unseen moments.

Psalm
77:11 – “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your
miracles of long ago.”

I
release regret and receive God’s grace.

Psalm
32:5 – “Then I acknowledged my sin to You… and You forgave the guilt of my
sin.”

I
trust that God was at work even when I didn’t notice.

Ecclesiastes
3:11 – “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

I
give thanks for the strength God provided each day.

Psalm
28:7 – “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He
helps me.”

I
acknowledge where I grew this week.

2
Peter 3:18 – “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.”

I
notice where God invited me to trust Him more deeply.

Psalm
37:5 – “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this.”

I
receive God’s mercy
for where I fell short.

Micah
7:18 – “You delight in mercy.”

I
choose gratitude over self-criticism.

1
Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances.”

I
honor the work God has been doing in my heart.

Philippians
1:6 – “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.”

I
acknowledge God’s presence in ordinary moments.

Psalm
16:11 – “You make known to me the path of life.”

I
release this week into God’s care.

Psalm
55:22 – “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.”

I
trust God with what remains unfinished.

Proverbs
16:9 – “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes
their steps.”

I
thank God for His patience with me.

Psalm
103:8 – “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in
love.”

I
rest in the truth that God sees me fully.

Hebrews
4:13 – “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.”

I
choose to end this week with gratitude.

Psalm
92:1 – “It is good to give thanks to the Lord.”

I
release comparison and embrace contentment.

Hebrews
13:5 – “Be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I
leave you.’”

I
acknowledge God’s protection this week.

Psalm
121:7 – “The Lord will keep you from all harm.”

I
thank God for His provision.

Matthew
6:31–32 – “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

I
recognize God’s quiet guidance.

Isaiah
30:21 – “This is the way; walk in it.”

I
let go of striving and receive rest.

Psalm
23:2 – “He leads me beside quiet waters.”

I
honor the limits God has given me.

Psalm
127:2 – “He grants sleep to those He loves.”

I
trust God with what I do not understand.

Romans
11:33 – “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.”

I
receive peace as I reflect with God.

Psalm
4:7 – “You have filled my heart with greater joy.”

I
end this week grounded in God’s faithfulness.

Lamentations
3:23 – “Great is Your faithfulness.”

 

Closing Prayer:

God, thank You for walking with me through this week. Help me to
see Your faithfulness clearly and to release what I need to let go of. I trust
that You were present in ways I noticed and in ways I didn’t. I place this week
back into Your hands. Amen.

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Bible Study 101: What Bible Translation is Best? Hearing Jesus, Bible Study, Daily Affirmations

Hey friend, welcome to part three of Bible Study 101. Today Rachael tackles Bible translation: why your English Bible is already an interpretation of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, why so many different translations exist, and how a translator's own theology can shape a single word choice, using the real example of Phoebe in Romans 16. She also makes the case, using some sobering global statistics, for why the "one true translation" debate falls apart pretty quickly once you zoom out.

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Is the English Bible I'm reading "the original Bible"?

Not literally. Unless you're reading Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, you're reading a translation, a careful, prayerful rendering of the original text. The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew (with some Aramaic), and the New Testament in Koine Greek, the everyday language of merchants and dock workers, not the polished Greek of philosophers. God chose the language of ordinary people on purpose.

Is translating Scripture even a biblical idea?

Yes, and there's a real example of it happening inside Scripture itself. After the exile, when the Israelites had lost fluency in the Hebrew their grandparents spoke, Ezra stood before the whole assembly at the Water Gate and read the Law aloud from early morning until midday, while the Levites moved through the crowd explaining it as they went (Nehemiah 8:1-8). Scripture describes exactly what they were doing: translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading (Nehemiah 8:8, NASB). Translating Scripture so people can understand it is straight out of the Bible, and the result, in that moment, was worship: the people lifted their hands, bowed low, and wept.

Why is Bible translation genuinely hard?

Because languages don't line up word for word. Rachael shares a story from mission work in the Dominican Republic, where a translator corrected her: "I'm not a translator, I'm an interpreter," because he had to capture what she meant, not just her exact words. Translate "it's raining cats and dogs" literally into another language, and people will picture actual animals falling from the sky. Every translator has to choose, on every line, between preserving exact wording and preserving meaning.

What's the difference between all these translations?

Think of it as a spectrum. Word-for-word translations like the NASB and ESV stay as close as possible to the original structure, even when the English feels stiffer. Thought-for-thought translations like the NLT and NIV work out what a passage means and say it in natural English. Paraphrases, like The Message, retell Scripture in someone's own words, which can be beautifully fresh but isn't built for serious study. Rachael also flags that the Passion Translation, which she used to reference, has since run into enough credibility issues that it's been pulled from many online translation databases.

Why do new Bible translations keep coming out?

Four honest reasons. Older manuscripts keep being discovered (like the Dead Sea Scrolls), giving translators better evidence than what earlier committees had access to. English itself drifts, so a phrase like "suffer the children" meant "let them come" 400 years ago and means something completely different now. Translation is a series of judgment calls, so different committees land in different places. And, less comfortably, Bibles are also a business, and a new edition is a product.

How can a translator's own theology shape a single word?

Rachael points to Romans 16, where Paul introduces a woman named Phoebe using the Greek word diakonos. That same word is translated "deacon" when it describes men elsewhere in the New Testament, but for Phoebe, some translations choose "servant" instead, a decision that reflects what that translation committee believed about women in ministry, not a different underlying Greek word. She also notes that adelphoi, literally "brothers," was commonly used in everyday Greek to address a mixed group, similar to saying "hey guys" to a room with both men and women, which is why some translations render it "brothers and sisters" and others don't.

How do I check a confusing verse against the original language?

You don't need Hebrew or Greek training anymore. Free tools like the Blue Letter Bible app offer an interlinear view that shows you the original word and its root right next to the English. The YouVersion Bible app also lets you compare multiple translations side by side for free, which Rachael recommends whenever two solid translations word something differently enough to change the meaning.

Is the King James Version the one "true" translation?

No, and even its own translators wouldn't have claimed that. The KJV was itself a revision built on earlier English translations, produced by a committee under royal authority, and it included marginal notes acknowledging uncertainty about how certain words could be translated. It was also initially met with suspicion as the new, unfamiliar version. On top of that, North America is home to only around 10 percent of the world's Christians, which means the vast majority of believers globally have never read Scripture in English at all. Rachael also shares that of roughly 7,400 living languages, only 795 currently have a complete Bible, and more than 1,600 have no Scripture translated at all.

So which Bible translation should I actually use?

The one you will actually open and understand. A word-for-word Bible sitting closed on your nightstand does nothing for you. Rachael herself uses different translations for different purposes: NASB for serious study, NLT for teaching kids, and NIV when teaching internationally. Her practical challenge: read a familiar verse like John 3:16 in four or five different translations back to back and notice what changes.

Where can I compare Bible translations side by side for free? The YouVersion Bible app lets you view multiple translations next to each other, and the Blue Letter Bible app shows an interlinear view with the original Hebrew or Greek and its root word.

Where can I learn more about the global Bible translation gap Rachael mentioned? She has a video on this topic on her Instagram page, covering the roughly 1,600 languages with no Scripture translated and the added gap for sign language Bibles.

How do I enter the Bible Study 101 giveaway? Join the email list at rachaelgroll.com/newsletter. Entry is automatic, no extra steps, and there are three separate giveaways over three weeks.

Chapters

0:01 Welcome back: picking up where we left off on Bible translation

0:31 Is the English Bible I'm reading "the real Bible"?

2:36 Nehemiah 8: an ancient example of Scripture being translated live

7:24 Why the goal of translation has always been "make it clear"

9:15 Why translation is genuinely hard, an interpreter's story

11:33 The translation spectrum: word-for-word vs. thought-for-thought vs. paraphrase

14:26 A caution about newer translations like the Passion Translation

15:51 Why new Bible translations keep coming out

19:48 How a translator's theology can shape a single word: Phoebe and "deacon"

21:26 Why "brothers" sometimes means "brothers and sisters"

22:57 Free tools for comparing translations yourself

25:22 Only 10 percent of the world's Christians are American

27:11 How many languages still have no Bible at all

30:33 Setting the record straight on the King James Version

34:46 So which translation should you actually use?

38:33 A simple exercise: compare John 3:16 across versions

39:19 Closing prayer

40:44 The Bible Study 101 giveaway

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Friday: God Fight's My Battles:  Daily Affirmations, Christian
Affirmations, Biblical Affirmations, Affirmations

End your week anchored in peace and presence. This episode invites
listeners to release their burdens and find rest in God’s care. With each
affirmation and verse, you’re reminded that you’re not alone—God’s strength, love, and renewal are available right where you are. It’s time to stop striving and start resting in His goodness.

AD-FREE Daily Affirmations can be found on
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Affirmations for rest, renewal, and surrender:

The week is ending, and as we step into the weekend, let’s take a
moment to breathe. Release our burdens and rest in God’s presence. We’re not
meant to carry everything ourselves. God calls us to lay our worries at His
feet and find renewal in Him.

 

Repeat after me, then listen to the Bible verse.

 

I release my worries and trust God to handle what I cannot.

1 Peter 5:7

 

God’s peace fills my heart and I rest in His presence.

Matthew 11:28

 

I am not defined by my mistakes. God’s grace is greater than my
failures.

Lamentations 3:22–23

 

I let go of the need to control everything and surrender to God’s
perfect plan.

Proverbs 3:5–6

 

I am deeply loved by God and nothing can separate me from His love.

Romans 8:38–39

 

God refreshes my soul and renews my strength.

Isaiah 40:31

 

I will be fully present today, trusting that God holds tomorrow.

Matthew 6:34

 

My body, mind, and spirit find rest in God alone.

Psalm 62:1

 

I let go of striving and choose to rest in God’s love.

Zephaniah 3:17

 

I step into the weekend with joy, knowing that God is in control.

Psalm 118:24

 

God’s presence is my safe place.

Psalm 91:1

 

I am fully
known and fully loved by God.

Psalm 139:1–2

 

I will not let stress steal my peace today.

Philippians 4:6–7

 

God is my refuge and I am safe in His hands.

Psalm 46:1

 

I do not need to have all the answers. I trust God.

Romans 11:33

 

God is fighting my battles and I can rest in His victory.

Exodus 14:14

 

I will not
fear because God is with me.

Isaiah 41:13

 

I am held together by God’s love even when life feels overwhelming.

Colossians 1:17

 

God’s goodness and mercy follow me every day.

Psalm 23:6

 

I will not carry burdens that God has already taken from me.

Matthew 11:29–30

 

I am at peace because God is in control.

Isaiah 26:3

 

I trust in God’s timing even when I don’t understand.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

 

I will lay down my burdens and take on God’s.

Psalm 4:8

 

I am never alone for God is always with me.

Deuteronomy 31:6

 

No matter what happens today, God is still good.

Nahum 1:7

 

Closing Prayer:

Father, as this week comes to an end, I lay my burdens at Your
feet. Help me to release my worries, rest in Your peace, and trust You with
everything I cannot control. Refresh my heart and renew my spirit so I can step into the weekend with joy. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

I hope these affirmations spoke to your heart today. If you want to
go deeper, just keep listening. Your full Bible study episode is coming up
next.

 

#ChristianPodcast #DailyAffirmations
#FaithOverFear #BiblicalTruth #MorningDevotions #RenewYourMind
#HearingJesusPodcast

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Bible Study 101: Why Context Changes Everything: Hearing Jesus, Bible Study, Daily Affirmations

Hey friend, welcome to part two of Bible Study 101. Today Rachael digs into why it matters that real people, in real places, with real problems, actually wrote down the words of Scripture. She walks through the most misquoted verse in America, Philippians 4:13, and shows what it actually meant coming from a man writing in a Roman prison, plus a handful of other common pitfalls that keep us from understanding the Bible the way it was meant to be understood.

Join the email list at ⁠rachaelgroll.com/newsletter⁠ to be entered in the Bible Study 101 giveaway.

☆Sign up for Rachael's newsletter here: ⁠RachaelGroll.com/Newsletter⁠

☆Send Rachael a voicemail with any questions at her SpeakPipe here: ⁠SpeakPipe Voicemail⁠

☆Go on a trip with Rachael: ⁠Bible Study Live⁠

☆Get Ad-Free Episodes, Bonus Content, and more here: ⁠patreon.com/HearingJesus⁠

☆Pick up a copy of my latest book: ⁠Bible Study and Devotional⁠

☆If you would like to give to Hearing Jesus and financially support the podcast, you can do so here! ➤ ⁠Give Here⁠

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☆Website ➤ ⁠Hearing Jesus⁠

Why does it matter that real people wrote the Bible?

Because Scripture didn't drop out of the sky. It's God breathed, but God partnered with real people to write it down, someone sitting somewhere in a particular year, in a particular place, writing to other real people who had names and problems. Rachael compares it to finding a bundle of your grandmother's handwritten letters. You wouldn't pull a random sentence from the middle of one and apply it to your Tuesday without first asking who wrote it, who they wrote to, and what was happening at the time.

Why should I think of the Bible as a library instead of one book?

Because that's literally what it is: 66 separate documents, written by around 40 different people, over roughly fifteen hundred years, in three languages, on three continents. Kings, shepherds, a doctor, a government official, and a man in a Roman prison all contributed, often without knowing their words would ever sit together in one book. Different books are different genres too: letters, poetry, law, history, prophecy. You already know not to read a text message the same way you read a mortgage statement. Scripture deserves that same instinct.

Why is "what does this verse mean to me" the wrong first question?

Because Scripture was written for you, but it wasn't written to you. The better first question is what a passage actually means, since it was written to a specific person or church about specific circumstances. Once you understand what it meant to them, it becomes God's word to you by first being God's word to them.

What does Philippians 4:13 actually mean?

Paul wrote it from prison in Rome, chained, with no guarantee he'd survive. Writing to the church in Philippi, a congregation that had supported him financially for years and had just sent him a gift through a man named Epaphroditus, Paul says:

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Philippians 4:10-20, NASB)

Is "my God will meet all your needs" a blanket promise?

Not the way it's often quoted. Paul says it to a specific church, right after describing their gift to him as a fragrant offering and an acceptable sacrifice. It's what Paul says to people who have given sacrificially, spoken from prison, with a heart of gratitude, not a slogan to recite before an offering plate goes around.

Why does it matter that some books of the Bible are only half a conversation?

Because letters like 1 Corinthians are Paul's replies to questions and reports he received, questions we don't have in front of us. That's why some passages can feel like the subject jumps around. Once you realize you're reading a reply, you start asking a better question: what must have been going on for him to say that?

What do I do if all of this feels like too much?

Start with three simple, mostly free tools. Read your Bible's introduction page for each book before you start it, since a study Bible will usually tell you the author, audience, date, and reason it was written in just a page or two. Pay attention to what the text tells you outright about itself. And read the whole book in one sitting before studying any part of it, so you can feel its shape before you slow down.

Where do I send a question about this series? Leave a voicemail through the SpeakPipe link in the show notes, or send an email. Questions from listeners help shape future episodes in this series.

What's the homework before the next episode? Read the introduction page in your Bible for the book of Philippians (or the first few verses if your Bible doesn't have one), and consider picking up a study Bible if you don't already have one.

How do I enter the Bible Study 101 giveaway? Join the email list at rachaelgroll.com/newsletter. Entry is automatic, no extra steps, and there are three separate giveaways over three weeks.

0:01 Welcome back to part two of Bible Study 101

0:31 The Bible was written by real people, in real places, for real reasons

2:24 Reading Scripture like a bundle of letters instead of random sentences

4:37 Pitfall one: the Bible is a library, not a single book

7:40 Pitfall two: stop asking "what does this mean to me?"

10:35 Pitfall three: the most misquoted verse in America

11:47 Reading the full passage: Philippians 4:10-20 in context

14:09 What "I can do all things through Christ" is actually about

15:27 A second misquoted verse: "my God will supply all your needs"

17:39 Pitfall four: you're only hearing half the conversation

20:37 Pitfall five: giving up before you start

24:30 Closing thoughts and prayer

25:26 Before you go: tonight's homework

26:25 The Bible Study 101 giveaway

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