Morning Praise with Lorenda Rae

28/08/2026

🎵 The Story Behind the Hymn: "Because He Lives"

"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow..."

What do you do when the future feels uncertain?

In the late 1960s, Bill and Gloria Gaither were going through a difficult season. They were expecting a baby, and Gloria was experiencing serious health complications. At the same time, there was tremendous unrest and uncertainty in the world around them.

Fear was very real.

But as they reflected on the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, they were reminded of something far more powerful than the fear surrounding them:

Jesus is alive!!

The resurrection wasn't simply something that happened in the past. It meant that because Christ conquered death, they could face whatever tomorrow might bring.

Bill and Gloria began writing the hymn, and out of that season came the words:

“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.”

What a powerful declaration!

We don't know what tomorrow holds, but we DO know who holds tomorrow and we DO know that JESUS LIVES!

The song has gone on to encourage millions of people around the world with this powerful message!!

Our hope isn't found in knowing what tomorrow will bring. Our hope is knowing Who is already there!

✨ A Rae of Hope Reflection: Whatever uncertainty you're facing today, remember this: the tomb is empty. Jesus is alive. And because He lives, you can face tomorrow.

21/08/2026

🎵 The Story Behind the Hymn: Great Is Thy Faithfulness

"Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father..."

What if we started looking for God's faithfulness in the ordinary moments of our lives?

A sunrise. Strength for another day. A little provision when we weren't sure how things would work out.

That's the beautiful story behind this beloved hymn.

Thomas O. Chisholm was an ordinary man - Born in a Kentucky log cabin, he worked as a teacher and newspaper editor before becoming a Christian in his late twenties. He later became a Methodist minister, but chronic health problems eventually forced him to leave full-time ministry.

Through his health struggles, Thomas came to recognize something profound: God had been faithful all along.

Inspired by Lamentations 3:22–23—"His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness"—Chisholm wrote Great Is Thy Faithfulness as a poem in 1923.

He sent it to his friend William M. Runyan, who prayed for a melody worthy of the words. The result became the hymn we know and love today.

And Thomas Chisholm didn't stop there. During his lifetime, he wrote more than 1,200 sacred poems and hymn texts. More than 800 were published in Christian periodicals, with many eventually set to music and becoming beloved hymns.

What makes Great Is Thy Faithfulness so special is that it wasn't born from one dramatic tragedy. It was born from a lifetime of noticing God's goodness in the everyday.

Morning by morning, new mercies we see.

✨ A Rae of Hope - You may not know what tomorrow holds, but you can know Who holds tomorrow. And when you wake up tomorrow morning, look for it—God's mercy will already be there.

❤️ What is one ordinary blessing you're thankful for today?

20/08/2026

When you go to the doctor, waiting for your name to be called can seem like forever!

You get impatient. You start wondering, "Did they forget about me?" And sometimes, if you've been waiting long enough, you might even drift off to sleep! 😴 (guilty!)

But you know, waiting for our Great Physician, Jesus, can sometimes feel that way too. We don't know exactly when He's coming, and as the days and years pass, it's easy to become comfortable... distracted... or even spiritually sleepy.

But the last thing we want - is to be caught sleeping when Jesus calls our name!

While we're waiting, we have work to do!

Let's be busy doing God's business. Let's love people, serve others, share the hope of Christ, and help wake up those around us who may have become spiritually sleepy.

We've got a lot to do while we're waiting!

So wake up, Church! Stay ready. Stay faithful. Keep shining!! ✨✨

01/08/2026

31/07/2026

🎵 The Story Behind the Hymn: It Is Well with My Soul

"When peace like a river attendeth my way... when sorrows like sea billows roll..."

Can you imagine receiving a message that changed your life forever?

In 1873, Chicago attorney Horatio Spafford waved goodbye as his wife, Anna, and their four young daughters sailed for Europe. A last-minute business matter forced him to stay behind, planning to join them a few days later.

But only days into the voyage, tragedy struck.

Their ship, the SS Ville du Havre, collided with another vessel and sank in just twelve minutes. More than 200 people lost their lives. Anna survived—but all four of their daughters were gone.

When Horatio received Anna's telegram, it contained just two heartbreaking words:
"SAVED ALONE."

No parent should ever have to read a message like that.

As Horatio crossed the Atlantic to be reunited with his grieving wife, the captain pointed to the area where his daughters had perished. Looking out over those endless waters, Horatio quietly surrendered his broken heart to God, reportedly saying, "It is well; the will of God be done."

But the hymn wasn't written that day.
Healing took time.

Over the next several years, God slowly carried Horatio through unimaginable grief.

As his faith deepened, those painful experiences became the foundation of one of the most beloved hymns ever written.

When he finally penned the words,
"Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul,"

they weren't the words of a man who no longer hurt.

They were the testimony of a man who had discovered that even when life doesn't make sense... God is still faithful.

✨ A Rae of Hope: Horatio Spafford didn't write these words because he escaped heartache—he wrote them because he found Christ in the middle of it. Sometimes deep faith comes in time. The same Savior who carried him through his deepest sorrow still walks beside us today. Whatever you're facing, His peace is stronger than your pain.

23/07/2026

Have you ever had one of those days where you're doing everything you're supposed to do?

You're eating healthy. You're exercising. You're getting enough sleep. Maybe you're even taking your vitamins...
But you're still exhausted.

Maybe it's because what really needs rest... isn't your body.
Maybe it's your soul.

Life has a way of wearing us down. The constant demands, the endless to-do lists, the worries we carry, the disappointments we don't always talk about... they can leave our souls feeling weary.

That's why Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.".. He didn't say, "Come to Me when you've got it all together."
He simply said, "Come."

Maybe today what your soul needs isn't another nap or another cup of coffee.
Maybe it needs a few quiet moments with God.

Open your Bible. Sit in His presence. Talk to Him like a friend. Let Him remind you that He's with you, that He loves you, and that you don't have to carry every burden by yourself.

Because while food nourishes the body... and sleep refreshes the mind...
Only God can truly restore a weary soul.

So if you're feeling tired today, maybe the answer isn't to do more...
Maybe it's simply to spend a little more time with the One who said, "Come to Me... and I will give you rest."

🌸 A Rae of Hope

21/07/2026

You know, it seems like everywhere we turn there's another list...

Five things to do to be happier.
Seven ways to improve your life and be more succesful.
10 verses to memorize to change your life.

And while there's certainly a place for good advice, maybe today we don't need another list of things to do.

Maybe today... we simply need to let God LOVE us.

To stop trying to fix everything.

To stop feeling like we have to earn His approval.

Jesus said, "Abide in Me." He didn't say, "Perform for Me."

Maybe today simply receive His grace... and remember that we are loved—not because of what we've accomplished, but because we belong to Him.

Before we can pour His love into others... we first have to let Him pour His love into us. 💛