Reflecting on Prayer

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

"Have we ever spent one hour in meditating upon this, our Savior's sevenfold invitation to pray? ... He yearns to grant us according to His riches of His glory, that we may be strengthened with the might of His Spirit in the inner man. He tells us that our strength and our fruitfulness depend upon our prayers."

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made unto God (Philippians 4:6).

"And yet we allow the Devil to persuaded us to neglect prayer. He makes us believe that we can do more by our own efforts than by our prayers, by our own conversations with men than by our intercession with God. How dare we work for Christ without being much on our knees. Edward Payson is right when he says, 'If we would do much for God, we must ask much of God. ... Pray, then, my dear brother, pray, pray, pray.'"

.... The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16b).

Too many of us don't recognize the power of prayer. We give lip service to it, but we don't put it into the practice. When we pray, we pray with doubts that God will answer, but the Bible tells us otherwise over and over again, which brings into question how much we believe what the Bible says. Study what it says about prayer for yourself, and then, as Edward Payson said, "Pray and then pray, pray, and pray." It's your strongest Christian weapon. Besides formally praying, whisper little prayers all through the day. Live your life as a prayer to God.

Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

(Quotes from The Kneeling Christian - Albert Richardson)

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My Best-Selling Books in 2025 

I enjoy keeping up with my books and have all kinds of statistics on them. I even enjoy doing some of the marketing, which many authors hate. I looked back at the eleven books I wrote in 2025 and put them in the order of which ones sold the best. Of course, the ones that published first have more sales in general because they've been on the market longer. However, that's not true across the board. There is some variation. Here are the books in order of sales:

Feb 2025 – The Writer’s Rescue (the top seller)
Jan 2025 – Willa’s Woes
Jul 2025 – Daphne’s Determination
Mar 2025 – The Miner

Nov 2025 --  Morrow’s Mishaps
Sep 2025 – Building Something Beautiful
Apr 2025 – Mistaken Bride
Oct 2025 – Heather
Dec 2025 – Annie’s Uncle
Aug 2025 – South to Freedom
May 2025 – Satan’s Wiles 

Of course, this list just helps determine what was popular with readers. It doesn't indicate which books are the best to read. Some of these were in MAPs (multiple-author projects) that had a large following already, so my books in that collection also sold well. There are many variables involved, but I still find it interesting. Hopefully, you have read some of these. If not, please give one a try.

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 New Year's Reflection

Behold, I will do a new thing (Isaiah 43:19a).

As we step into a brand‑new year, there’s something special about the clean slate stretched out before us. The turning of the calendar reminds us that God is always doing a new thing, even when we can’t yet see it taking shape. New Year’s Day invites us to pause, breathe, and remember that every season—joyful or heavy—has been held in His hands. Whatever last year carried, God was present in every moment, and He goes before us into every moment still to come.

This is also a beautiful time to realign our hearts. Instead of chasing resolutions rooted in pressure or perfection, we can ask God to shape our desires and guide our steps. Scripture reminds us that His mercies are new every morning, which means we don’t have to manufacture our own strength. We can walk into this year with open hands, trusting that the One who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it (see Philippians 1:6). Growth in Christ is not about striving harder but surrendering deeper.

So today, let hope rise. Let gratitude soften the edges of the unknown. Let’s commit this year to the Lord—not as a list of goals to achieve, but as a journey to walk with Him. May this New Year be marked by peace that doesn’t make sense, courage that comes from His Spirit, and a renewed awareness of His presence in the ordinary moments. God is already in our tomorrow, and that is the best reason to step forward with confidence and joy.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Have a Happy, Blessed New Year!

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Books in 2025

I published 11 books in 2025. I keep saying I need to cut back, but it hasn't happened yet. I schedule and work so far ahead that it will take a while to reduce my commitments. I have been mainly writing for multiple-author projects. In 2023, all 16 books were MAPs, and all 11 of them were in 2024. This year I published 7 MAP books and 4 of my own (Mistaken Bride, Satan's Wiles, South to Freedom, and Annie's Uncle). Please check them out. As Frank Sinatra sang, "It's been a very good year." I'll tell you about the plans for 2026 in a January blog.

Here are the books I published this year:

2025

Jan 10, 2025 – Willa’s Woes – Westward Home & Hearts

Feb 12, 2025 – The Writer’s Rescue – The Rich Man Takes a Bride

Mar 1, 2025 – The Miner

Apr 4, 2025 – Mistaken Bride

May 2, 2025 – Satan’s Wiles

June 2025 - none

Jul 8, 2025 -  Daphne's Determination - Westward Home & Hearts 

Aug 1, 2025 – South to Freedom (Colonial St. Augustine novel)

Sep 5, 2025 – Building Something Beautiful – Affection and Det.

Oct 3, 2025 – Heather, Hot Springs Bride – National Park Brides

Nov 10. 2025 - Morrow's Mishaps, Westward Home & Hearts

Dec 5, 2025 – Annie’s Uncle 

The sad news is my sales dropped in the last part of the year. December has been the worst month for royalties in years. I've heard other authors having the same problem, many even earlier, but I'm hoping 2026 will be better. With the variety of books I'm publishing now, there should be something for everyone. Look above and see what appeals to you. As always, all my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children, and I would like to give as many as possible because the needs are deep.

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In Bethlehem

Birthday Gift

In celebration of my birthday, which comes today on a Monday this year, I'm giving everyone who messages me on Facebook or emails me (janicecolehopkins(at)gmail.com) and says they read the offer on this blog, a free copy of either one of the following:

A free Kindle copy of Roslyn's Rescue, Glenda's Gold, Patricia's Prison, OR Jack's Jewel (you'll need to include your email address so I can gift you a copy from Amazon). If you own Time Told Tales, volume 1 and 2, you already have these stories.

OR

A free U.K. or U.S. code to get an Audible copy of Inman's Impersonation (you just need to have an Audible library, which is free and different from the paid membership).

*Offer expires after 12-22-2025.

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Trust Beyond Understanding

There are strong lessons we should learn from Mary and Joseph and the Christmas story, such as trust and obedience. As stunned as Mary was when the angel appeared to her, she listened to what he had to say and replied, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38)." Despite her shock, she humbly submitted to the Lord in faith and obedience.

Meanwhile, Joseph, who was espoused to marry Mary, found out that she was pregnant. Knowing the child wasn't his, he planned to put her away privately, instead of having her publicly condemned and likely stoned. However, the angel visited him and explained what had happened, saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:20). He continued with the wedding and "knew her not" until after Jesus was born.

How many of you would have reacted like these two? What faith! They were presented with an incredulous situation and still chose to believe. Their example reminds us that true trust in God often requires courage in the face of uncertainty. Mary and Joseph's obedience opened the way for the greatest gift ever given, the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. May we, too, respond to God's call with faith and obedience, trusting that His plans are always greater than our own. 

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