Category: Prayer

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Can Christians Pray Directly to Jesus or Only God the Father?

Acts 7

51“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? But your ancestors did, and so do you! 52Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. 53You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, though you received it from the hands of angels. ”

54The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists in rage. 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily upward into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 56And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

57Then they put their hands over their ears, and drowning out his voice with their shouts, they rushed at him. 58They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. The official witnesses took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59And as they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60And he fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died. (Acts 7:51-60, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

Last week on X (formerly Twitter), I saw an exchange that made me think. A pastor with a very large following was calling out a well-known politician who claims to be a Christian for the way he prayed.

Attached to the post was a screenshot of the text of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6, along with the following admonition:

Someone should tell (name of politician) that Christians don’t pray to Jesus. We pray to God the Father in the name of Jesus.

My first thought was disappointment at the realization that we now appear to have an online Prayer Police force that is monitoring our actions over the internet.

My second thought was, “Wait, I pray to Jesus all the time. Have I been doing it wrong all these years? Have I been participating in a doctrinally dubious practice?”

It’s a valid question. How exactly are we to pray? Is there a right and wrong format? What are God’s expectations of us as we seek to engage with Him in the practice of prayer?

I’ve been a Christian for a looooong time and I’ve honestly never thought that a person could NOT pray directly to Jesus. After all, when I first heard the gospel as a young boy, I was told that Jesus was standing at the door of my heart and he was knocking (Revelation 3:20). If I was listening to his voice and if I opened the door, he would come into my life! In short, if I responded to Jesus, IN PRAYER, and invited him in, I would become a Christian and receive the gift of eternal life.

I’ve heard many prayers over the years where Jesus was addressed directly and I’ve never, even once, seen or heard someone be corrected for directing their prayers to Jesus, if this is indeed a wrong practice.

I suppose that’s why this post on X, from a pastor with a large following, and a PhD no less, seemed to be coming out of left field.

Disregarding the tone and posture of the tweet, which came off as more sanctimonious rebuke than loving correction, I found myself asking the question, “is he correct?”

The disciples had asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Jesus responded by telling them:

9“Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

10‘Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

11‘Give us this day our daily bread.

12‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’ (Matthew 6:9-13, NASB)

I decided to survey the prayers in the New Testament that I was aware of, mostly from the book of Acts.

What I found is that most of the prayers ARE directed to God the Father and NOT Jesus, EXCEPT this one example that we find from Stephen in our passage today.

We first meet Stephen in Acts 6 when he is selected, along with six other men, for the special task of meeting a critical need in the early church. These seven men were the first deacons of the church. The text says that Stephen was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. He was not a man of marginal commitment or questionable devotion. He walked with God.

By the end of chapter 6, Stephen is no longer serving as an administrator in the church’s food distribution program, but instead, he is having a major impact as an evangelistic preacher. Stephen’s influence had increased significantly and he was now a major leader in the early church movement.

One day, Stephen gets into a debate with some Jews and the text says that:

None of them was able to stand against the wisdom and Spirit by which Stephen spoke. (Acts 6:10, NLT)

They couldn’t defeat his arguments so they found some people to lie about him and he was arrested by the religious rulers and brought before the high council. The Council leaders ask Stephen to respond to the charges that had been brought against him. His response is recorded in Acts 7, which is a lengthy discourse on the history of the Jewish people, including their long-standing pattern of rebelling against God and resisting God’s appointed messengers (His prophets).

For brevity, I haven’t included the full text of that response (Acts 7 in its entirety), but it’s worth the read. For our purposes, I’ve included the relevant part at the end of Acts 7 where Stephen shifts his response from explaining the history of the nation of Israel to his indictment on its leaders for their pride and rebellion.

You can see that the Council leaders and its members don’t take too kindly to Stephen’s accusation and the result is that they dragged Stephen out of the city and stoned him.

What is interesting about this text is that Stephen, as he is being stoned, looks up toward heaven and he prays!

What does he pray?

“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7:59)

Stephen, a man who the text says was filled with the Spirit, prayed to Jesus, not the Father.

To me, this provided indisputable proof that it must be ok to direct our prayers to Jesus and not God the Father only.

So I responded to the pastor’s post on X by saying that praying to Jesus must be ok because we have an example in the New Testament with Stephen praying directly to Jesus.

The pastor replied to my response, doubling down by saying:

That was descriptive, not prescriptive.

What does that mean?

He’s actually correct. What that means is that the book of Acts is historical narrative, not didactic teaching. That means that Luke (the author of Acts) was simply recording things that happened. Just because he recorded an event does not mean that what is recorded is supposed to be the normal pattern for all believers.

But Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 are direct teaching. He is instructing us in what to do and how to do it.

So what this pastor was saying in his reply is that just because Stephen is recorded as praying to Jesus doesn’t mean we are supposed to, especially since Jesus’ prayer instruction shows the prayer addressing “our Father”.

So yes, it’s true. Jesus’ teaching is prescriptive, explaining to his disciples how we should pray. And the example of Stephen is descriptive. It’s part of a larger narrative that just describes an event. It’s not part of a passage that is teaching us how to pray.

Does that mean that the pastor’s assertion that we are only to pray to God the Father is correct? Is that the end of the discussion?

Not exactly.

While Jesus teaches the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6 (and Luke 11), his teaching is not an exhaustive discourse on the subject of prayer. In other words, even though Jesus gives some teaching on prayer in these passages, what he says is not ALL there is to know and learn about prayer.

To make a determination of whether it’s ok to pray to Jesus directly, consider the following:

    • Jesus tells his disciples to pray like this, and then he shares the Lord’s prayer. Does this mean that ALL prayers must repeat these words exactly? If so, why do we never see this exact prayer repeated in the New Testament?
    • Jesus gives his disciples a model, or example of how to pray, which includes addressing “our Father”. Does this mean that a person can never pray to Jesus? What about the Holy Spirit? Can you call on the Holy Spirit?
    • If we are not allowed to pray to Jesus, how are we supposed to respond to Him if he is at the door of our heart knocking? How exactly do we invite Him in?
    • If Jesus promises to come in and dine with us and have fellowship with us, how exactly do we have fellowship with someone we are not supposed to talk (pray) to directly?
    • It’s clear that Jesus is our High priest. The role of a priest is a mediator. Jesus is the mediator between us and holy God. It’s because of Jesus and his atoning sacrifice on the cross that we are able to boldly approach the throne of grace and enter the presence of God the Father. Are we really supposed to believe that Jesus is the mediator between man and God but we are not allowed to talk to him directly?

The whole premise seems a bit absurd. Based on all of the relevant data, it seems clear that while Jesus does instruct his followers to pray to God the Father, there is never a prohibition for believers to address Jesus directly.

It seems clear that because Jesus is our mediator and he is the one knocking at the door of our heart, wanting to come into our lives, that we CAN address him directly.

Furthermore, we have a documented case where a godly, Spirit-filled leader of the early church  (Stephen) addresses Jesus directly. There is no indication, anywhere in scripture, that this is somehow wrong.

One last item is worth mentioning. In the final words of the New Testament, John, in the book of Revelation, pens these words:

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20, NLT)

If the apostle John finds that it’s ok to pray to Jesus, inviting him to “come”, then I’d say that it’s ok for any of us to address our prayers to Jesus as well.

 

Did you enjoy this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to like, leave a comment below, and share it with your friends or on social media if you found it helpful or interesting. Your support keeps the conversation going!

 

Reflection

What would your response have been to this pastor who posted on X? How would you have either affirmed his position or argued against it?

What has been your pattern in prayer? Do you think it’s ok to pray directly to Jesus or should Christians pray ONLY to God the Father? What is the reasoning for your answer?

How have you used the Lord’s Prayer in your walk with Christ? Do you believe that Jesus taught that the Lord’s prayer was THE way to pray – that it is the ONLY pattern for praying? 

What do you think it means that Jesus is our high priest? What is the role of a priest? How do we interact with a priest or mediator?

 

Photo by Brian Lundquist on Unsplash

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How Do We Experience Peace?

Colossians 3

15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15-17, NIV)

The Daily DAVEotional

If you haven’t noticed, we are experiencing an epidemic of anxiety in our country. The American Psychiatric Association’s annual mental health poll indicated a sharp rise in anxiety levels among American adults.

Young adults are even more likely to report high levels of anxiety these days according to a Pew survey cited in this article.

There’s even been a popular book written about “The Anxious Generation.” In this book, author Jonathan Haidt argues that smartphones, social media, and helicopter parenting has contributed to an increased level of anxiety and depression among today’s youth.

Experiencing peace seems as elusive as sighting a unicorn.

So how exactly can we experience peace?

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul gives some insight into experiencing peace.

The first thing he says is that we should let peace “rule” in our hearts. The Greek word for “rule” means “arbitration”. The idea is that peace should govern our hearts.

Ok. But how do we do that? It’s not like most people can turn peace on and off like a light switch.

Fortunately, there are some key words in this passage that help us to understand a potential pathway to peace.

Three times in this passage, Paul uses the similar words “thankful” (verse 15), “gratitude” (verse 16), and “thanks” (verse 17).

Philippians 4:6-7 is perhaps the most oft-quoted passage regarding peace. Paul says,

6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It’s interesting to note that in this passage, Paul also talks about thanksgiving. When we share our anxieties with God, and we do it with an attitude of thanksgiving, Paul says that we will experience the peace of God in a way that transcends our understanding.

I might not be able to manufacture peace on demand. But I can choose my attitude and what I will allow my mind to dwell on.

Paul tells us to be thankful  and to offer up our anxieties to the Lord in prayer with an attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude.

Something happens when we choose to be grateful. You see, we can’t be grateful unless we stop and think about the things we should be grateful for. Doing this refocuses our attention on God’s goodness and it gets our minds off of the negative thoughts that are the root of our anxieties.

My wife and I recently saw the movie “Soul on Fire”, which is the real-life story of John O’Leary, who, as a child, suffered burns over his entire body when he accidentally set his family’s house on fire. It’s a powerful story of identity, redemption and forgiveness.

As an adult, John decides he can use his story to make a difference in the lives of others as a motivational speaker.

In one of his first speaking engagements he finds himself talking to a group of hardened criminals in a state prison. His main message is about the importance of gratitude. He then invites the prisoners to share something they’re grateful for.

At first, nobody speaks. They’re mostly skeptical and wondering what they’re even doing there. Finally, one prisoner stands up and says:

“I’m grateful for prison, because if I wasn’t here, I’d be dead. And here’s what else I’m grateful for:

    • Heat in the winter.
    • Air-conditioning in the summer.
    • Three square meals a day—no cooking, no dishes.
    • A clean bed every night.
    • Laundry service—I never had that on the outside.
    • Medical care, even if it’s basic.
    • A library full of books I never read before.
    • Time to think, really think about my life.
    • Brothers here who get it, who share my struggles.
    • Letters from my kids—I miss ’em, but they keep comin’.
    • The chaplain who prays with us.
    • Fresh coffee in the morning.
    • Outdoor rec time—blue sky, even behind fences.
    • A job, Payin’ a little, but it’s honest work.
    • No bills pilin’ up.
    • Safety from the streets I ran on
    • Programs to learn skills, like anger management.
    • Holidays with visits from family.
    • Music on the radio—reminds me of better days.
    • Clean water, hot showers.
    • Counselors who listen without judgin’.
    • The chance to apologize to folks I hurt.
    • Faith groups—Bible study saved my soul.
    • Exercise yard—keeps me strong.
    • Mail call—somethin’ to look forward to.
    • No more chasin’ highs that wrecked me.
    • Rules that keep me from hurtn’ others.
    • Dreams at night—hope for what’s next.
    • Laughter with the guys—ain’t nothin’ like it.
    • This talk today—remindin’ me gratitude changes everything.
    • And God… for second chances.”

Later in the movie, John is struggling, feeling sorry for himself and the situation he’s in. He can motivate others through his speaking but, like us, he often struggles to apply the principles of his own TED talk.

There’s a scene where he visits his family. His dad is in a wheel chair, suffering from the effects of advanced Parkinson’s disease. And yet, his father is joyful, positive and at peace.

John asks his father, “How can you be so positive?”

His dad responds “John, how can I complain when my life is so good, when I’m just so blessed?”

John is confused. He’s thinking, “how can you see yourself as blessed when you’re in this horrible condition?” It’s really a victim mentality. And we all can tend towards this, can’t we?

His dad then elaborates on his gratitude, listing reasons like the extra time he has for reflection, the deeper family bonds he’s developed, his appreciation for caregivers and the empathy he’s developed for the struggles of others. Gratitude has enabled him to transform his limitations and potential sources of anxiety into sources of joy and peace.

There is no doubt that we live in a complex and chaotic world that’s filled with challenges that can produce anxieties of all kinds – health, job, finances and family issues, just to name a few.

However, even though we can’t produce peace in our hearts on demand, we can choose to be thankful and grateful for the good things that God has provided for us. If we make this our regular pattern, our lives will be less anxious and we’ll begin to experience more peace in our hearts.

 

By the way, you can read my review of the movie Sarah’s Oil here.

 

Did you enjoy this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to like, leave a comment below, and share it with your friends or on social media if you found it helpful or interesting. Your support keeps the conversation going!

 

Reflection

What are the things creating anxiety in your life right now? What keeps you from sharing those things with the Lord?

What have you found helpful in your own life to get your mind off of your problems and anxieties and onto the positive things in your life?

If you were to create a list of things you’re grateful for, like the prisoner did, what would be on your list? What are the things in your life that you can express gratitude for?

 

Photo by Tom Shakir on Unsplash

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Why Don’t Christians Pray?

In the classic Christmas movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, is portrayed as a moral, selfless family man and a pillar of the community, who alone stands against the greedy and ruthless town banker, Henry Potter, a selfish opportunist who seeks to control the town of Bedford Falls through his wealth and financial might.

Through no fault of his own, George finds himself in a desperate financial situation. Though he’s portrayed as an upright man of moral character, he’s not a particularly religious person.

Yet, in a moment of absolute despair, George Bailey turns to God and utters this prayer: “Dear God…dear Father in heaven…I’m not a praying man but if you’re up there and you can hear me, show me the way. I’m at the end of my rope. Show me the way God.”

For many, this is exactly how they tend to think of prayer – as a desperate cry for help when all personal efforts have failed and every other conceivable avenue for addressing an issue has been exhausted. It’s a last-ditch effort to change an undesired situation by appealing to “the man upstairs”.

This view of prayer is rooted in a fundamental misconception and misunderstanding of the nature of God. This view sees God as all-powerful but distant. The God of “hail-Mary” prayers is not intimate and close; He’s impersonal and far away, too busy to be concerned with insignificant people and inconsequential matters.

But Christianity doesn’t view God as distant and impersonal. In fact, one of the major differences between Christianity and all other religions and philosophies is the idea that God is personal and He wants you to KNOW Him.

As John 1:14 states:

“And the Word became flesh and DWELT among us.”

And yet, even though Christianity sees God as intimate and personal, many Christians don’t pray regularly.

Renowned British Preacher Leonard Ravenhill penned it this way:

“The church has many organizers, but few agonizers;
many who pay, but few who pray;
many resters, but few wrestlers;
many who are enterprising, but few who are interceding.
People who are not praying and praying.
The secret of praying is praying in secret.
A worldly Christian will stop praying and a praying Christian will stop worldliness.
Tithes may build a church, but tears will give it life.
That is the difference between the modern church and the early church.
In the matter of effective praying, never have so many left so much to so few.”

As Christians, we recognize that prayer is an essential part of the Christian life; we know it’s “important”, yet we don’t pray. Why is that?

One reason, undoubtedly, is that we’re influenced by our culture to be self-reliant and self-sufficient, which probably explains why people turn to God only when they’re unable to handle their issues and problems on their own.

However, I think another reason why Christians don’t pray is that we don’t understand the many benefits of prayer.

What exactly are the benefits of prayer?

 Prayer is Our Primary Means of Developing Intimacy with God.

First of all, prayer is the primary means by which we maintain our intimacy with God. James 4:8 says,

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

How, exactly, do we draw near to God? Through prayer. Prayer is an extremely personal exercise. When you pray, you’re communicating with the sovereign God of the Universe, who desires to spend time with you.

Prayer enables you to build intimacy with Jesus so that

“Christ may dwell in your heart through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Prayer is also the chief means by which we maintain our fellowship with God. For those times when we’ve done something we know isn’t right, or when we’ve moved away from that intimate relationship with God, prayer is how we get back on track. 1 John 1:9 says,

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Prayer enables us to confess our sin and experience God’s forgiveness, resulting in continued fellowship with God.

Prayer Helps Us Overcome Temptation

A second benefit of prayer is that it helps us overcome temptation. Just before Jesus was arrested, he told his disciples in Mark 14 that they would all fall away because of Him. Peter’s response is probably one that I would be inclined to give. He emphatically says, “I won’t fall away. Even if everyone else abandons you, I won’t.”

Later, Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane praying. His disciples are all with Him, including Peter. They’re supposed to be keeping watch, but instead, they’re sleeping. In vs. 38 Jesus says:

“Keep watching and praying, that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Jesus understood the dichotomy that exists between the sinful nature and the spiritual nature. When we pray, our focus is on God, whose power enables us to overcome sin. The disciples didn’t understand this. So instead of praying that they might not come into temptation and fall away, they slept. As a result of Christ’s arrest. v. 50 says:

“And they all left Him and fled.”

Prayer helps us overcome temptation. Even as you’re facing a temptation, getting your eyes off the temptation long enough to talk to God, can bring His help right when you need it.

Prayer Helps Us Determine God’s Will

A third benefit of prayer is that it helps us determine God’s will. In Luke chapter 6, Jesus spends all night praying to God about who He should choose to be His disciples. The next day, Jesus chose 12 men to be with Him. Jesus understood the benefit of prayer in helping to determine God’s will.

When you pray to God, you’re consulting someone who knows everything there is to know about your situation. Not only that, but He’s in complete control of your situation. Doesn’t it make sense to consult Him when you make decisions in your life?

When I was growing up, my dad was a private pilot, licensed to fly small aircraft, but only in visual flying conditions. On a cross country trip to visit some relatives in another state, we were following a two-lane highway below. From my view high above I could see the many cars and trucks traveling along the road below. In some cases, I noticed cars that were impeded by larger, slower-moving trucks in front of them. It occurred to me that if the drivers of these cars could see things from my perspective, it would be much easier for them to know when and where it would be safe to enter the lane of on-coming traffic to pass the trucks that were blocking their way.

God, of course, has a perspective that is even more expansive than my view was. He sees the complete picture of any situation we may be facing. His perfect knowledge is exactly what we need to guide our life. As we pray to God, and as we learn to listen to Him, we’ll find the direction we seek.

Prayer Allows Us to Intercede for Others

Still another benefit of prayer is that it allows us to intercede for others. Did you know that through prayer, we have the opportunity to impact the lives of others?

Jesus, in John 17, prayed for his disciples. Paul, likewise, in Ephesians 1:15-19 and Colossians 1:9-12 prayed for the young believers in those fledgling churches. We too can pray for others, and our prayers can have a powerful effect.

A story from World Christian Digest illustrates this point. Two missionaries in Malaysia had to go to the nearest town across some pretty rough country to collect some money which had come through for them at the bank there. It was a considerable distance away so they set off on foot early in the morning, hoping to return the same day.

They arrived at the town, collected the money and then set off again on their return trek, only to find that they were too tired and too far away to reach their station that night. So they set up camp on a hillside and, committing themselves to God, they fell asleep.

When morning came, they were surprised that they hadn’t been disturbed by bandits or wild animals. They went on their way without incident and arrived safely at their mission station later that day.

A few weeks later, a man came into the hospital for treatment. He stared at the missionary who attended him and said, “I’ve seen you before.”

“I don’t think we’ve met,” the missionary replied.

“No, I’m sure we have,” said the man. “You were camping on the hillside at such and such a place a few weeks back.”

“That’s right,” said the missionary. “How did you know? We didn’t see anyone.”

“I followed you with some others from the town. We had seen you in the bank and we knew you had money on you. We waited until dark to sneak up on you. We were intending to rob you, but we didn’t attack because of the soldiers.”

“Soldiers?” The missionary laughed. “There were no soldiers with us, my friend.”

The bandit was adamant. “There were – we counted them. There were sixteen of them, and they had swords too.”

The missionary humored the man and passed it off as a hallucination.

Sometime later, when he came home on furlough to England, the missionary was sharing the incident at a gathering in his home town. After the meeting, a man came up to him.

“What was the date that you camped on the hillside?”

Looking at his journal, the missionary said, “It was on such and such a night.”

The questioner also looked at his journal. “That night,” he said, “we had our weekly prayer meeting. Your name was brought forward by someone for prayer and,” he paused, “there were sixteen of us at the meeting.” [1]

Just like the 16 people who prayed for the missionaries, we too, through prayer, can enter into the spiritual battle and intercede on the behalf of others.

So why don’t Christians pray?

One reason is that we don’t see the many benefits of prayer. But there’s another reason why Christians often don’t pray.

The Power of Prayer

For many Christians, prayer is simply a mindless, rote activity. Many Christians don’t really believe that there is power in prayer.

It’s easy for us to be like the man who got lost deep in the woods while hiking alone. Later, in describing the experience, he shared about how frightened he was and how he had prayed to God to rescue him. “Did God answer your prayer?” someone asked. “Oh, no!” he replied. “Before God had a chance, a guide came along and showed me the path.” [2]

There’s an old story about some Christians who were upset that a tavern was being built in their small village. Up until then, the town had been dry. These concerned believers began an all-night prayer meeting, asking God to intervene.

As it happened, not long after, lightning struck the tavern building, and it burned to the ground. The owner brought a lawsuit against the church, claiming they were responsible. The Christians hired a lawyer, claiming that they weren’t responsible. The judge, in reviewing the case said, “No matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not.” [3]

Many of us don’t really believe that prayer makes a difference. Often, when God does meet our needs, we don’t attribute it to prayer, but instead to mere coincidence and circumstance.

The fact is, of course, that God is capable of handling any problem we could bring him. Creating planets isn’t much of a problem for him. Nothing is too difficult for God to handle – but He’s waiting for us to recognize his power and ask for his help. God DOES answer prayer.

Howard Hendricks, the long-time professor of theology at Dallas Theological Seminary, shares an amazing story of how God answered prayer. Shortly after Dallas Seminary was founded in 1924, it came to the point of bankruptcy. All the creditors were going to foreclose at noon on a certain day. That morning, the founders of the school met in the president’s office to pray that God would provide. One of the men in that prayer meeting was Harry Ironside. When it was his turn to pray, Dr. Ironside prayed in his characteristically refreshing manner: “Lord, we know that the cattle on a thousand hills are yours. Please sell some of them and send us the money.”

While they were still praying, a tall Texan came into the business office and said, “I just sold two carloads of cattle in Fort Worth. I’ve been trying to make a business deal go through and it won’t work, and I sense that God is compelling me to give this money to the Seminary. I don’t know if you need it or not, but here’s the check.”

A secretary took the check and, knowing something of the financial seriousness of the hour, went to the door of the prayer meeting and timidly tapped. When she finally got a response, Dr. Lewis Chafer took the check out of her hand; it was for the exact amount of the debt. When he looked at the signature, he recognized the name of the cattle rancher. Turning to Dr. Ironside, he said, “Harry, God sold the cattle!” [4]

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God who parted the Red Sea, the same God who caused the sun to stand still while Joshua and the Israelites routed their enemies, the same God who fed the 5000; this same God is able to handle all of your problems today. He is completely able. We simply need to go to Him in prayer.

Here are a few closing suggestions. Put prayer time into your schedule or you’ll never do it. Start small, but be consistent. Keep a journal of answered prayer. Your faith will increase as you see God answer your prayers, and as a result, you’ll be motivated to pray more.

[1] Naismith, Archibald. 2400 Outlines, Notes, Quotes and Anecdotes for Sermons. vol. 2 – Notes, Quotes and Anecdotes, Baker Book House, 1991. p. 182.

[2] Illustrations for Biblical Preaching. Edited by Michael P. Green, Baker Book House, 1991. p. 282.

[3] Illustrations for Biblical Preaching. Edited by Michael P. Green, Baker Book House, 1991. p. 275.

[4] Hendricks, Howard. “Selling Cattle.” Bible.Org, 20 Jul. 2009, bible.org/illustration/selling-cattle. Accessed 30 Aug. 2025 – (Dr. Howard Hendricks, Stories of the Heart, compiled by Alice Gray, Portland, Multnomah Press, 1996, p. 272)

 

Photo: Screenshot by Dave Lowe from the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”

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What is Prayer?

Not long ago I was at a military commencement event where a chaplain was invited to come to the podium and offer an opening prayer. With a deep and commanding voice, the chaplain spoke a scripted series of poetically eloquent words and phrases directed to God but also aimed at drawing the audience into a reflective moment.

It was a beautiful oratory performance that sounded like it could be a monologue from a Broadway play.

If I wasn’t a Christian, or if I was new to the Christian faith, I might conclude that this is what prayer is.

I would be incorrect.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean to denigrate the chaplain’s prayer. It was a legitimate prayer and it was moving. It’s just that his prayer wasn’t necessarily representative of what prayer is. What I mean is, one doesn’t have to be a thespian in order to pray.

So what then is prayer?

The simplest definition is that prayer is talking to God.

That’s it. Prayer is simply talking to God in a conversational way just as you might talk with your friend.

It’s unlikely that you normally talk to your friends and co-workers like you’re auditioning for a role in a Shakespearean play, which is why the chaplain’s prayer, as beautiful and stirring as it was, is not typical or representative of what prayer is, nor is it the ideal example of how we should pray.

I encounter people all the time who are confused by prayer. To some, prayer seems mystical and mysterious, complicated and confusing, the sort of thing that is left to the professional minister.

But prayer isn’t complicated and it shouldn’t be confusing. There’s no mystery to prayer. You simply talk to God the way you might talk to a trusted friend.

Your prayer doesn’t need to be eloquent. It doesn’t need to be polished. It can be simple. It can be short. It can be long. It can be written out or it can be off the cuff. It can be audible or silent. It can be formal or informal. It can be scheduled or unscheduled, offered up in a group or individual setting. One can pray in public or in private. You can pray while standing, sitting or lying down. You can pray with your eyes closed or your eyes opened, hands clasped or not. There aren’t a lot of rules to prayer.

The only real requirement for prayer is that you are honest. God knows your thoughts and your motivations anyway, so there is no point in faking your way through it.

Many years ago, when I was a new staff member with Cru at San Jose State University, we held a prayer night for our on-campus ministry.

Huddled in the living room of the guys’ house where I lived were 25-30 students, giving up their Friday evening in order to spend some time praying. I happened to be in a small group with a guy I’ll call Nick. Nick was a brand-new believer, an athlete who had just recently come to faith in Christ.

Nick had no prior religious background and no prior influence or bias to inform him of what prayer was supposed to look like.

As we took turns in our small prayer group, lifting up our thoughts and concerns to God, I was surprised to hear Nick jump in with a prayer of his own. In my experience, I often find that people are hesitant to pray in groups, precisely for the reasons we’ve already mentioned – they’re often afraid that their prayers will not sound polished or professional; they don’t want to embarrass themselves in front of others by saying something wrong.

Nick didn’t care about any of that. He simply had no preconception to inform him that there might be a right way to pray and a “wrong” way to pray.

So, in his innocent and refreshing way, he offered up his honest thoughts to God, “God, thank you for saving me, and I want to wish you the best of luck.”

Those of us in the group chuckled internally because God, of course, doesn’t need luck. Theologically, Nick’s prayer was not completely accurate. But it didn’t matter. Nick shared what he was thinking, and from his heart he talked to God. It was perhaps the most honest and genuine prayer I’ve ever heard because unlike I can so often be, Nick was unconcerned with impressing those around him, and he wasn’t worried about embarrassing himself by uttering something theologically “incorrect”.

Prayer isn’t a performance and it’s not about impressing those around us with our theological knowledge and eloquent ways of creating word pictures. It’s not an oratory competition, nor is there a standard template for what constitutes a legitimate prayer.

Prayer is simply a conversation with the God of the universe, who loves you and wants you to come to Him with your concerns, anxieties, confessions, petitions and your praises, talking to Him in your own words and your own style.

Prayer is an activity that anyone can do and everyone should do. If you want to know God, prayer is essential. Prayer is not hard, but we often complicate it and though it’s easy, we often avoid it.

Do you pray? If not, what are you waiting for? Give it a go, and as you get started, I want to wish you the best of luck!

 

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

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What Does it Mean to “Pray Without Ceasing”?

1 Thessalonians 5

16Rejoice always; 17pray without ceasing; 18in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NASB)

The Daily DAVEotional

I don’t know about you but even though I grew up going to church, as a kid, I was intimidated by prayer. To me, praying seemed like an exercise in giving an ornate speech.

I never really witnessed people praying in normal, everyday language. Instead, prayer always seemed to be a well-prepared, dramatic reading from up front.

As an example, I was recently at a breakfast for the National Day of Prayer. A police chaplain was asked to give the opening prayer. It was a wonderful prayer, but the entire prayer sounded like a carefully-crafted poem or work of prose rather than off the cuff  thoughts you might share if you were conversing with your friend.

My point is NOT to critique the professionally sounding prayers. I actually love hearing people who have given great thought to what they want to say and pray to God. I also think there is great value in thinking deeply and writing out exactly what you want to say to God. I heartily encourage this practice.

However, if that is our only example of what prayer is, and it’s what I mostly heard growing up when I went to church, it can make prayer intimidating for those who haven’t spent much personal time in conversing with the Almighty.

My contention is that while prayer CAN BE an ornate, well-crafted poetic expression to God, it doesn’t have to be.

In these few short verses from 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul gives a number of admonitions as he closes out his letter.

Sandwiched in between the exhortations to “rejoice always” and “in everything give thanks”, Paul commends his audience to “pray without ceasing.”

Have you ever thought of what that means?

If praying is the ornate prayer that I usually heard on Sunday mornings or the pre-planned, written out oration from the National Prayer breakfast, then most everyday people might mistakenly think that prayer doesn’t apply to them.

After all, if that is what prayer is, how can one possibly do that “without ceasing.” One would literally be walking around 24/7 trying to create poetic speeches directed toward God. We would all become full-time, amateur psalmists.

Fortunately, I don’t think that is what Paul means when he commands us to “pray without ceasing.”

What does it mean then?

It means that your thinking becomes a praying process and your praying becomes a thinking process. 

Prayer does not have to be a spoken verbal speech that others hear. Prayer can be a thought that is directed toward God, or an acknowledgement that God is present, or an invitation for God to provide wisdom and clarity.

A great example of this is found in Nehemiah 2. Nehemiah is asked a question by the king and Nehemiah, before responding, PRAYS to God. I wrote about this passage in my blog post, “The Shortest (Non) Prayer in the Bible.”

Clearly in that moment, Nehemiah didn’t pause and go through a formal prayer process while the king was waiting for him to respond to his request. Instead, the prayer was internal and instantaneous – an invitation for God to provide wisdom and favor in the stressful situation in which Nehemiah found himself.

Praying without ceasing means that no matter what I’m doing, I’m aware of God’s presence in my life. It means that I’m acknowledging God’s sovereignty in my life. It means that I’m aware that God has endowed me with the mind of Christ, enabling me to think and reason in a way that honors Him. And most of all, it means that I’m inviting Him into my inner thought chamber and decision-making process.

Ultimately, it means that I’m living in my identity – acknowledging that I am His child, that He’s with me, and that He has pre-eminence in my life.

Praying without ceasing does not mean we are permanently relegated to a pew in a church somewhere offering endless petitions towards an altar placed in front of a stain-glassed window. Instead, praying without ceasing means that my whole life, as much as possible, is oriented around the reality that God is with me and I am in a constant state of awareness and acknowledgment of that fact – whether I am in a church or not, whether I’m attending a religious event or just going about my normal, everyday routine.

 

Reflection

What has been your experience with prayer?

Do you find prayer difficult or easy? What are the factors that led you to your response?

What do you think it means to “pray without ceasing”?

What are some things you can do to implement Paul’s command to “pray without ceasing?” What specific action steps can you take?

 

Spiritual Practice

Steve Douglass was the second president of Cru. He shared in a talk one time about an exercise that he did to train his mind to constantly be aware of God’s presence in his life.

He set his watch alarm to beep at regular intervals (every few minutes maybe….I can’t remember the exact frequency). Every time the watch would beep, it would remind him to think about and acknowledge God. That simple activity trained him to always be aware of God no matter what was happening around him.

Think about setting an alarm on your phone or watch to go off at regular intervals. When it goes off, simply acknowledge and think about God. This is one step to begin to train yourself to “pray without ceasing.”

 

Photo by Arina Krasnikova: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-praying-in-church-5417912/

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Does Jesus Really Give us the Strength to do ANYTHING?

Philippians 4

10How grateful I am, and how I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but for a while you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. 12I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. 14But even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. (Phillippians 4:10-14, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

When my sons were in high school, they ran Cross Country and Track. I was at the school for all their meets taking photos for the team and as a result, I made a number of observations about the high schoolers of today compared to when I was in high school.

One thing that hasn’t changed since I was in high school is the letterman’s jacket. Donned with a myriad of patches and inscriptions, many of the athletes I observed proudly wore their jackets, even in scorching temperatures, as a testament to their many accomplishments.

Some jackets had the name of the athlete stitched on the back. Occasionally, I would see a jacket that had a Bible verse reference stitched on the jacket somewhere. One of the most popular verses I saw referenced was Philippians 4:13, in which Paul says:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (World English Bible)

For many athletes, Philippians 4:13 has become somewhat of a personalized mantra, a slogan repeated and memorized to help realize their athletic performance goals.

Is it true? Does Jesus really give us the strength to accomplish ANYTHING we might put our minds to? If I want to run faster, become stronger or perform better, can I invoke this biblical axiom to help me achieve my desired potential?

Unfortunately, this is not what Paul was talking about when he penned these words.

A few months ago, Christian apologist and author Clay Jones tweeted the following screenshot on X, creating some discussion and debate around the meaning and understanding of this very verse:

According to this post on X from Dustin Benge, Paul’s words have nothing to do with sports or fulfilling personal dreams. Instead, Paul was speaking about endurance in the midst of suffering.

This post created quite a bit of discussion amongst people who were confused about how and when we might invoke these words that Paul penned for our own circumstances.

Is it out of bounds to talk about how Christ gives one strength for a sporting event? Or is one only allowed to refer to the strength of Christ if and when we are sitting in a prison, as Paul was? Since most of us probably won’t ever find ourselves in the exact situation Paul was in, it seems a bit narrow to say that one can only refer to or appeal to the strength of Christ for that specific situation.

So what is Paul saying? What is the meaning of this verse and how does it apply to us today?

I think the point of the original tweeter (@DustinBenge) and the re-tweeter (@ClayBJones) is that this verse is often taken out of context and appropriated by people for their own selfish goals and ambitions. To understand and know how I might apply this verse for myself, I must understand the context in which Paul was speaking. Once I know the context and the general spiritual principle, I can then apply that general principle to my own situations where appropriate.

So what is the context and what is the principle?

We’ve already noted that Paul was in prison. The broader context of the letter to the Philippians is that Paul was expressing joy and thankfulness to the Philippian church for a financial gift that they had sent.

In this passage, Paul says that he knows the secret of living in every situation. Paul is talking about his need. He learned to deal with situations where he had nothing to eat as well as situations where he had plenty.

Paul had learned from experience that no matter what situation he faced, particularly regarding his physical circumstances, Christ was the one who was ultimately sustaining him. Essentially, Paul is talking about contentment and experiencing joy despite the circumstances.

The question for us then, is how does this verse apply to us? In what situations might we appropriate these words without taking the verse out of context?

First of all, it should be obvious that this verse is not an axiom that one might invoke to achieve some personal goal or achievement.

Instead, these words are an acknowledgement that ultimately, Jesus is the one who sustains us, physically as well as spiritually. Hence, any situation we might find ourselves in where we are struggling or perhaps doubting, we can acknowledge Jesus as our source of strength and life.

No, Jesus does not strengthen us with super-human abilities or capacities to accomplish any selfish endeavor one might imagine. But Jesus does provide strength to enable us to deal with our struggles, whether they’re physical, emotional or spiritual. Jesus sustains us when we are lonely, anxious, weary, fearful, insecure, hungry, thirsty, angry, etc. Jesus also provides strength to enable us to resist temptation and walk in humility.

And yes, those feelings of inadequacy, helplessness and all the others mentioned can occur while competing in a sporting event, or engaging in some other personal endeavor. Hence, Jesus sustains us and can provide strength in endeavors of all kinds.

Reflection

What has been your understanding of Paul’s words that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”?

In what situations have you found yourself appealing to this verse? What kinds of situations might you feel compelled to acknowledge your need for Christ to strengthen you.

Do you agree with the original tweeter (Dustin Benge in the screenshot) who states that this verse has NOTHING to do with sports, personal dreams, being a champion, overcoming obstacles or building self-esteem? Why or why not?

What do you think it looks like for Christ to give you strength?

 

Photo by Dave Lowe

 

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The Shortest (Non) Prayer in the Bible

Nehemiah 2

1Early the following spring, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never appeared sad in his presence before this time. 2So the king asked me, “Why are you so sad? You aren’t sick, are you? You look like a man with deep troubles.”

Then I was badly frightened, 3but I replied, “Long live the king! Why shouldn’t I be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been burned down.”

4The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?”

With a prayer to the God of heaven, 5I replied, “If it please Your Majesty and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.”

6The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked, “How long will you be gone? When will you return?” So the king agreed, and I set a date for my departure. (Nehemiah 2:1-6, NLT)

The Daily DAVEotional

The book of Nehemiah is a classic study on effective leadership.

Nehemiah is a Jew in exile who happens to be the cupbearer to the King. When Nehemiah gets word that the wall in the city of Jerusalem is in ruins he’s understandably distraught. The king notices Nehemiah’s sullen demeanor, which could have been disastrous for Nehemiah given his position, but fortunately, the king is compassionate and inquires about the nature of Nehemiah’s anguish.

Nehemiah shares about the news he received concerning Jerusalem and to Nehemiah’s surprise, the king asks, “well, how can I help you?”

What comes next in the text is what I find most interesting. It says, “With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied…”

Nehemiah prayed to God before making his request to the king, a request which was certainly bold in nature.

It might be easy to overlook the significance of this verse. After all, it seems quite reasonable that Nehemiah would pray before making such a bold request of the king.

But think about it for just a moment. Did Nehemiah really pray? It’s not likely he had the time to pause, kneel, close his eyes and pray to the Lord, at least not as we tend to think about prayer.

This “prayer” was made in the middle of a back-and-forth conversation with the king. Nehemiah did not have the time to beseech the Lord in the traditional way we think of prayer. It would not have even been appropriate for Nehemiah to make a traditional prayer in the king’s presence while he awaited a response from Nehemiah to his question.

So if Nehemiah didn’t actually pray, how is it that the text can say Nehemiah prayed?

I think the key is the phrase “with a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied…”

Nehemiah didn’t stop to pray as we think about it. Instead, he prayed AS he replied to the king. In other words, at the same time he was engaging the king, he was inviting the God of heaven to give him wisdom, to give him favor in the eyes of the king and to grant the request he was about to make.

This may be a paradigm shift in how you think about prayer. Prayer is not JUST a focused time where we lift our requests up to God. Prayer is not JUST a dedicated time of solitude where we pause, reflect and lift up our praises and requests to God. Instead, prayer is an attitude of dependence and reliance on God that we can practice at all times. Prayer, essentially, is directing our thoughts towards God, whether it is audible or not, visible or invisible.

In Nehemiah’s case, he obviously didn’t stop, pause and lift up an audible prayer to God. Nehemiah’s prayer was in reality more of a heart attitude toward God in which he, in that moment, was acknowledging his dependence on God and exercising faith that God would speak through him and grant him favor in the king’s eyes.

And God honored Nehemiah’s prayer and granted his request before the king.

You may not be able to set aside hours each day for dedicated prayer. You may not be able to set aside even 30 minutes, though this discipline can have many benefits. But no matter how much time you may have to set aside for uninterrupted prayer, Nehemiah’s example demonstrates that we can pray at any moment and dedicated, focused time in prayer is not requisite in order to connect with the God of heaven!

Reflection

What has been your practice and discipline with prayer in the past?

How have you thought of prayer in the past? How have you defined and understood the nature and practice of prayer?

In what ways does Nehemiah’s example challenge your view and understanding of prayer?

In what ways can you implement Nehemiah’s example and make prayer more of an ongoing connection with God in which you are constantly directing your thoughts towards Him?

Photo by Rock Staar on Unsplash

 

 

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Faulty Earbuds?

My typical running gear includes dri-fit shirt, sunglasses, running hat and earbuds to listen to audiobooks or music.
Photo by Dave Lowe

A few weeks ago, I left the house for my daily run. I had my phone to track my route and also provide the tunes to keep me moving during the 6 mile trek.

As I was nearing the end of my run, I noticed I was not getting any sound out of my left earbud.

I tried pushing the earpiece harder into my ear, but that didn’t work. I wondered if maybe the earphone jack was not in all the way. No, that wasn’t the problem.

I jiggled the wire, thinking maybe there was a short. That didn’t work either. I started thinking maybe these earbuds had reached the end of their lifespan and I was bummed at the thought of having to buy new ones. I’ve been told I’m cheap that way!

When I finally got home, I thought I’d try one more thing. Perhaps it was a software issue. I figured a reboot of my phone would solve it if that was the issue. But that didn’t work either.

I had one more idea to determine if it was a problem with my phone or the earbuds. I decided to plug the earbuds into my computer and listen to some music. If the earbuds still only gave sound out of only one ear, then I would know it’s the earbuds and not the phone.

However, as I was getting ready to plug the earbuds into my computer, I looked more closely at the earpiece that wasn’t producing sound and I quickly realized the issue. There, in the small opening where the sound was supposed to come out, was a small glob of ear wax that was fully covering the opening.

The opening on these earbuds is small. It doesn’t take much to clog the opening, making it harder for sound to come through.
Photo by Dave Lowe

Yes, I know it’s kind of gross, but we all produce the stuff, and to be honest, I really can’t tell you the purpose. I just know that when I removed the small piece plugging the hole, I was suddenly able to hear perfectly again out of both earbuds.

I had a problem hearing and all of my initial thoughts were that it was a problem with something else – my phone, the earbuds, the jack, the wire, etc. The reality is that I was having issues hearing clearly because of me – something I produced and wasn’t even aware of.

I think there’s a spiritual illustration here. Often I’m wanting to hear from the Lord and He’s not responding, at least not the way I want. I wonder why He’s not answering my prayers or responding clearly to my requests.

Sometimes, the reason I’m not hearing from God is because of me. Sometimes the Lord IS wanting to speak to me but my attitude, or my heart blocks my spirit from hearing the Lord.

I’ve found that there are often several reasons why I’m not hearing from the Lord.

A primary way the Lord speaks to us is through His Word. Yet, it’s easy to get distracted by other things.
Photo by Nick Bondarev from Pexels

One reason I sometimes don’t hear from God is because of unconfessed sin in my heart. Psalm 66:18 says “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened.”

Sometimes, I’m not even fully aware of my own sin, such as unresolved conflict or anger. This is why it’s so important to invite the Lord to examine our hearts and reveal to us any areas in our lives and hearts that may be keeping us from experiencing His presence (See Psalm 139:23, 24).

A second reason I may not be hearing from the Lord is distractions. Sometimes Jen will be telling me something important but my focus is on something else, like my computer screen or the TV. I find that when I’m not fully engaged in what she’s saying I often have to ask her to repeat what she’s just said.

I often do the same thing with the Lord. I read my Bible but my mind is thinking about something else. I’m spending time in prayer but distracted by notifications that are popping up on my phone.

I cannot always expect to hear directly from the Lord when I want. But as a follower of Christ, I can make sure that the airways are clear and that there are no impediments that would keep me from hearing His voice when He does speak to me.

What keeps you from hearing clearly from the Lord?

What have you found to be helpful in keeping you focused and tuned in to hearing the Lord’s voice?

We appreciate your continued prayers for us as we continue to wait on the Lord during this challenging season!

If you’d like us to pray for you, click on the Prayer tab and send us your request!

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Adapting to New Realities

Jacob (Navy) and Joshua (Army) look on as their former team-mate races to the finish line of the 800m race!

One week ago, with my twins home for spring break, we went to a track meet where I took photos while my boys connected with former coaches and teammates. Everything seemed normal and life was good. We were making the most of our few days together as a family before the twins were scheduled to report back to their respective academies.

Within 24 hours, everything changed.

EVERYTHING!

It was announced that Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson had tested positive for the Coronavirus. At the same time, a member of the Utah Jazz tested positive and the NBA immediately suspended their season. Things escalated exponentially from there.

The next day, Jacob and Joshua were both informed that they were to delay their returns for 2 weeks and that online instruction would ensue shortly. Restaurants began closing and other large events were canceled or postponed. Disneyland closed for only the 4th time in its history. By the end of the week, all major sports leagues had been suspended, most schools had closed, weekend church services were either canceled or moved online and many people were told to begin working from home.

New terms such as “flattening the curve” and “social distancing” have become a normal part of our vernacular while crowded grocery stores and empty shelves have become commonplace. Who would have thought a few weeks ago that toilet paper would be more sought after than gold?

Long lines and empty shelves are the norm now at most grocery stores

What we’re experiencing is unprecedented….at least in my lifetime. How should we respond?

As you know, Jen has been experiencing her own health issues with her vasculitis flaring up recently. She’s been hospitalized, is back on Prednisone and has undergone two different infusions of Rituxan, a drug which is designed to suppress her immune system as a measure of stabilizing the auto-immune flare that is currently afflicting her.

A few weeks ago, Jen spent the day at UCLA, receiving a five hour infusion of Rituxan, a drug that is part of her ongoing treatment in combating her vasculitis flare.

While she’s not bed-ridden and she’s able to carry on most work responsibilities, she’s at increased risk for infections. As a result, we’re trying to be extra cautious and vigilant, but also doing our best not to panic.

From a ministry perspective, we’re still working and actively seeking to minister to Young Professionals. While many of our upcoming work trips have been canceled and events postponed, we’re still able to coach Young Professionals virtually. In fact, we already office out of our home and have been doing more and more of our coaching in a virtual environment anyway, so these latest measures have not been a major disruption to us.

One benefit of having the boys home is the dog gets more attention…but yeah, he’s already a spoiled pup!

Perhaps the biggest change for us is the fact that our boys are home and we are all sharing the same space and needing to get online for virtual classes or online meetings. Our boys are attending class as normal but everything is on East Coast time so they are having to get up at 4:30 a.m. in order to attend their first period classes.

Food consumption has also gone up, which means there are more trips to the grocery store, and more empty shelves and hunting for food and supplies to keep these guys from going hungry!

Though the nation is in crisis, we are trying to rest in the peace that Jesus is in control and we are His.

We would appreciate your prayers, though, mainly to stay healthy and for Jen’s vasculitis flare to become stable so she can begin to taper off of some of the drugs that have such negative effects. Pray too that we would find new and creative ways to minister to people during this time.

We know this crisis is affecting many of you in very real and perhaps devastating ways. We would love to pray for you. Please let us know how we can intercede on your behalf!

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The Power of a New Year’s Resolution

Photo by Crazy nana on Unsplash

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who make New Year’s resolutions and those who don’t.

It’s not hard to figure out why some people hate New Year’s resolutions. Many people hate the idea of New Year’s resolutions because they’ve made them over and over again, only to fail miserably over and over again. Nobody likes the feeling of failure.

We resolve to lose weight and we actually gain weight. We resolve to get a handle on our finances and yet we go deeper into debt. We resolve to read more and watch TV less  and yet we find ourselves binge watching the latest Netflix series during our free time (when we should probably be exercising)!

Photo by Jamie Matociños on Unsplash

Have you ever wondered why so many New Year’s resolutions fail? It’s because for most of us, we try to change our outward behavior without changing the inner person. We fail to address the core issues that cause us to do the things that we say we don’t want to do but we end up doing anyway.

Photo from Pexels.com

In The Godfather III, there is a scene where Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino), feeling remorseful for his sinful life, is at the Vatican City talking to a priest. The priest picks up a stone from the fountain next to him and says, “do you see this stone? It has been surrounded by water from this fountain for many years. But the water has never penetrated the inside.” He then smacks the stone onto the pavement and it breaks in two. “You see? The inside is completely dry. This is like Christianity. People have been surrounded by Christianity for thousands of years and yet it does not penetrate their hearts.”

Forty-five years ago, my parents made a New Year’s resolution that greatly impacted me. Though they had both grown up going to church, we were not a church-going family. My parents, after much reflection, resolved to recommit themselves to the Lord and begin taking their family to church on Sundays.

As an eight-year old boy, I suddenly found myself in church on Sundays instead of sleeping in or messing around the neighborhood. It was not my preference, but as the weeks and months went by, I learned about my sinfulness and my need for forgiveness. I also learned about the payment Jesus made on the cross for my sin. I learned that I could receive forgiveness and enter into a relationship with God simply by putting my faith in Jesus and His death for me. My life was changed because of a New Year’s resolution.

If only I could get someone to take me on a walk!

What are the things you are hoping to change as you enter this New Year? What are your resolutions? They are probably similar to mine. I’d like to exercise more and read more. I should probably walk my dog more. I’d like to be more kind and compassionate and less impatient with others.

More than anything, my hope for this year is that Christ would penetrate my heart more deeply and that I would experience greater internal transformation as a result. I don’t want to just try to act better but my hope is that by Christ’s strength and power, I might be better – that I might become one who more accurately reflects Christ’s character to the world around me.

We are so grateful for you, our friends and ministry partners, whose encouragement motivates us to continue to pursue Jesus and the spiritual transformation that only he can offer.

Let us know what your resolutions are for this year and how we can pray for you to experience transformation in 2019!

Happy New Year!