Passing On A Legacy Of Faith

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She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:26 NIV

“For the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” William Ross Wallace penned this poem over 100 years ago, and the words still hold true. The second Sunday of May marks the one day a year in the United States that recognizes mothers for all their efforts and the impact they have on each one of us. This one day out of the year was officially established by President Woodrow Wilson’s proclamation in 1914 in recognition of mothers.

History is filled with the stories of great men and women who owe their foundation of success to a praying, faithful mother. God uses the imagery of a mother’s love to help Israel understand His judgment and hope. “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 66:13)

John and Charles Wesley became leaders in a powerful spiritual awakening, yet behind them stood a powerful prayer-warrior mother, Suzanna. Her ten children knew that when she pulled her apron over her head, she had entered her prayer closet, creating a sacred place within a chaotic home where she prayed for each of their spiritual walks.

Charles H. Spurgeon became known as “The Prince of Preachers,” yet behind him was his praying mother, Eliza Spurgeon. She prayed fervently for him and all her children that they would walk faithfully before God all the days of their lives. Spurgeon’s brother, James, wrote of his mother: “She was the starting point of all the greatness and goodness any of us, by the grace of God, have ever enjoyed.”

James Hudson Taylor became the missionary to the nations, yet behind him was his praying mother, Amelia Hudson. She was a mother unknown to the world, but not in the kingdom of God. She never stopped praying for her rebellious son that he would come to faith. Hudson Taylor would embark for China in 1853, where he would spend 54 years as a missionary to the people and establish China Inland Missions. He left knowing that his mother was still praying for him.

Timothy became a leader in the early church, yet behind him were his praying mother, Eunice, and his praying grandmother, Lois. Paul, writing to Timothy, acknowledged this great legacy that was being passed down to the next generation. “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. (2 Timothy 1:5)

Samuel became the prophet to the nation and anointed the line of David, yet behind him was a praying mother, Hannah. “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life…” (I Samuel 1:11)

Luther Little became a prominent Baptist pastor in the last century, yet behind him was a praying mother. At 15, Little knew he was called to preach. His family all made fun of him, except his mother. However, she would never live to hear him preach. The day he was to preach his first sermon, his mother wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t go. She told him, “You go on, and when you come back, you can tell me about it.” Three months later, at her deathbed, each of the boys said their goodbyes, but to her youngest, Luther, she told him, “You go on and preach the gospel, and when it is over, come on home, and I will be standing at the gate, and then you can tell me all about it.” Years later, Dr. Little wrote, “I am going on to preach the gospel as she said, and when it is over, I expect to find her at the gate, and through all eternity, I can tell her all about it.” (from an article by Joe McKeever)

“Woman, how divine your mission

Here upon our natal sod!

Keep, oh, keep the young heart open

Always to the breath of God!

All true trophies of the ages

Are from mother-love impearled;

For the hand that rocks the cradle

Is the hand that rules the world.” (Third verse of the poem, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle)

Mother’s Day consumer spending in the U.S. this year is expected to reach a record $38 billion. For this reason, Anna Jarvis, who championed the original idea of Mother’s Day, opposed its commercialization. What she envisioned was a simple day of remembrance. However, most of the $38 billion of flowers, jewelry, candy, and cards are from the heart to tell mothers and wives how important they are in your life.  Economist and researcher Mark Matthews writes, “Consumers are gifting from the heart, seeking unique gifts that create lasting memories for the mothers in their lives.”

Mother’s Day! What a great reminder to honor those who rock the cradle because praying mothers will raise up young men and women who will go on to rule the world. Mothers who may not make Time’s magazine Person of the Year or become social network influencers, but their calling will be greater, becoming eternal influencers through godly children. “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” (Proverbs 31:30-31)

God is Great! Ps 70:4

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Walking In Faith

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Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for…These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Hebrews 11:1-2,39-40

What is your earliest memory that helped shape your childhood? Depending on how many years or decades have passed since that event, it may take a little longer to remember.  I attended Sunday School, but for the most part, my life was centered on the farm where I grew up. There were no preschool or kindergarten options, so that first day, as a first grader, walking into the classroom was a new experience. My mother’s hand was my security until it wasn’t. What gave me hope and confidence was knowing she would be at the driveway at the end of the school day, waiting for me to get off the bus. My certainty rested on knowing, without a doubt, that she was always there for me.

For me, that confidence never wavered, but for many, that mother’s hand of security or a father’s strong arm wasn’t there. Over time, other things began to fill that vacuum and took that person’s hand, leading them down dark roads of doubt, fear, and hopelessness. All of us need a hand to hold onto. For some, that hand is addiction, money, sex, or religion. The good news is that God reaches out his hand for those who will take it and hold on.

We all like a hand we can touch, feel, grip, and see, but God offers a different hand, a hand of faith. “For we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). The grasp we have on addiction, money, sex, or religion seems real until it unwinds like a magician’s empty box. What seemed real turns out to be only an illusion. What God offers may seem invisible, but in reality, it is the only real thing to hold on to.

Faith is often hard to grasp when we need to see something tangible. Yet in those moments, God offers us more than enough to keep moving forward. He offers himself. Thomas had been with Jesus from the beginning and had walked the same roads with him. Yet when he missed the first appearance of the resurrected Jesus, his faith wavered. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25)

I am so glad John included Thomas’ story of doubt. I have known many amazing followers of Jesus, and most of them have shared similar stories of confusion, frustration, and challenges. Faith doesn’t keep us from doubt, but it carries us through the doubt. In his great love for Thomas, Jesus walked through another locked door for him. “A week later, his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (20:26-27)

Thomas came face-to-face with his doubts. However, he also came face-to-face with faith and made a bold statement about it. “My Lord and my God!” Jesus used the moment as a powerful teaching opportunity and gently reprimanded him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Others will always follow in Thomas’s footsteps of doubt, yet we can take our doubts, like Thomas, and use his example as a powerful confession of faith in Jesus. Thomas accepted the reprimand and went on to live out a life of faith. Early church tradition records that Thomas was a missionary to India, where he preached the gospel and established a lasting legacy of Christian communities. Thomas was eventually martyred for his faith. His was a journey from questioning to unwavering belief.

We want everything laid out in plain sight, with no uncertainty in our plans. Yet it is amazing faith that creates an unbelievable landscape of life. Oswald Chambers writes, “Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life: gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways; we do not know what a day may bring forth.” However, instead of being discouraged, it is in those moments of doubt that we feel we hear the words, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Chambers went on to write about uncertainty, “it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God…He packs our life with surprises all the time…We are not uncertain of God, but uncertain of what He is going to do next…When we are rightly related to God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy.”

Faith is a gift that God delights to give. “God knows what we lack and what we need. He made each of us as we are, and in our character is the raw material he will use to make us who we can become.” (Claire Cloninger)

We are invited to ask for faith. When the father was confronted with his doubts and lack of faith, he cried out, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). This is a prayer that God delights to answer.

There are days when we may not be sure of the uncertainty and long for a little more certainty, but what we can do is trust God. We can be certain that he knows the plans he has for us. We take one step amid uncertainty and find ourselves in step with the certainty of God.

Lord, let me live a life of amazing uncertainty because I live a life that is certain of you.

God is great!

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Gift of Worship

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Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16 NIV

Have you ever listened to a song as goosebumps covered your arms? You are not alone. Psychologists call this frisson, a phenomenon linked to heightened emotional sensitivity and a stronger connection between music and the brain’s reward system. Music has been a beautiful part of worship long before the word frisson was coined. God placed a deep desire to worship within our souls, and through the songs and prayers of the Psalms, our souls need the music of worship.

The Psalmist must have felt goosebumps as he wrote Psalm 96, “Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

  Tradition holds that Queen Victoria was so overwhelmed by the powerful “Hallelujah Chorus” from George Frideric Handel’s Messiah that she stood during the performance out of reverence for Christ. Whether she was thinking of verse 9 as she stood, the impact was there. “Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.”

God has opened the gates of worship for us. Augustine understood this beautifully, as he wrote in his book, Confessions, “O my God, let me remember with gratitude and confess to you your mercies toward me. Let my bones be bathed in your love and let them say, ‘Lord, who is like unto thee? You have broken my bonds apart; I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving.’ And how you broke them I will declare, and all who worship you will say when they hear these things: ‘Blessed be the Lord in heaven and earth, great and wonderful is his name.’”

There are seasons in our lives when we will pull aside for solitary times of worship. However, for the most part, worship was never intended to be a solitary act of devotion but rather a powerful, communal experience. We need each other to strengthen our faith, and worship connects us at the deepest levels. Our times of communal worship uplift, inspire, and transform us into what it is to be a follower of Jesus. “Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.” (Psalm 34:3 NIV)

The early church never doubted the need for worship or the oneness of being together in worship. The early church didn’t have the luxury of not being in worship and fellowship together. They were under intense pressure and being persecuted by the religious leaders, government officials, and the traditions of their culture. When Peter and John were released from jail, the church did what came naturally to them: “When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.” Acts 4:24

Somewhere along this journey of faith, many have forgotten the very heart of worship, which is God alone and the gathering of people together as one. The early church expected and longed for this gathering together to “Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.” Psalm 149:1. According to Pew Research, data estimates that only 1 out of 4 Americans will be in worship weekly; numbers may be worse in Europe and better in Africa.

What do the 3 out of 4 miss out on? Everything that gives life. Everything we are called to do is to worship God alone (Exodus 20). Everything that provides us with the strength, hope, and encouragement we need to live. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV

The measure of worship is found in the community of faith gathered together. Douglas Steele writes, “When we come to a service of worship, we should come to participate, to bring our praise, honor, and thanks, as well as our needs, and lay them at God’s feet in the midst of this great mixed community of the present and the past. In this act, we are lifted out of our private world into a public one, out of our personal situations into a social situation…The humbling, enlarging, encompassing fellowship into which the church’s corporate exercise seeps us is a part of the Christian experience that we dare not forgo if we are able to attend.” (Dimensions of Prayer)

God is not surprised that our lives are busy, schedules overflow, and conflicts abound. He anticipated your objections to setting aside time to worship from the very beginning. God gave us the gift of the Sabbath to live life.   “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God…For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11).

“The Sabbath is a weekly reminder that we don’t keep the planets in orbit. We can’t manufacture miracles, and we don’t have to. All we have to do is let God love us, let God grace us, let God heal us, let God empower us, let God repurpose us.” (Mark Batterson)

Together in worship, worshipping God. What you sound like as you sing is not important, but what you sing is incredibly important. “I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30 KJV

God is great!

Together

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Now, in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. Mark 1:35 NKJV

“This world is tricky and getting trickier every day. Man, sometimes it confuses me. Sometimes I lose my way in this world. Can ya’ll relate to that?”  I, for one, can relate to this statement by Grammy Award-winning Christian artist TobyMac (Toby McKeehan). During his concert in Colorado Springs last month, McKeehan shared about the challenges that he faced following the death of his son in 2019, and what he learned about God being there for him.

“What I’ve been hanging on to with everything in me for the last six-and-a-half years is this: God promises that if you have a relationship with him, he will never leave you or forsake you. It gets confusing when your heart gets broken, for all of us…You see, God didn’t promise us that we wouldn’t be hurt on this earth. He didn’t promise us that our hearts would not be broken. He didn’t promise us that we wouldn’t lose the ones that we love. What he promised is that he would never leave. And I can only tell you this from my own personal experience: He was there in the deepest of valleys.”  (Jessical Mouser, ChurchLeaders.com)

McKeehan, in the midst of his pain and sorrow, used his music as an avenue to express his deepest feelings as he journeyed through his loss. In his valley, he wrote the song “Help Is On the Way,” in which he expressed that the only way to survive was through Jesus.

I heard your heart
I see your pain
Out in the dark
Out in the rain
Feel so alone
Feel so afraid
I heard you pray in Jesus’ name

It may be midnight or midday
It’s never early, never late
He gon’ stand by what He claim
I’ve lived enough life to say (words from Help Is On The Way by TobyMac)

God is/will always be faithful in his promises to be with us, through days of bright light and most critical during the nights of deepest darkness. On this side of eternity, we will be faced with chapters of unexplainable events in our lives. We can trust that God will be there, even as we face unbearable pain. We find that there is only one place that will keep us sheltered: in God. We may still hurt, but He is there to prevent us from falling completely apart. James encourages us to “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” (James 4:8a). “One of the best ways to prevent your heart from growing cold is to regularly talk with God.” (Henry Blackaby)

“The reason many of us leave off praying and become hard towards God is because we have only a sentimental interest in prayer…We hurl our own petitions at God’s throne and dictate to Him as to what we wish Him to do. It is when a crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely. If we have been learning to worship God and to place our trust in Him, the crisis will reveal that we can go to the point of breaking, yet without breaking our confidence in Him.” (Oswald Chambers)

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” I Thessalonians 3:12-13)

Hopefully, we realize quickly that we need others to walk with us as an engaged prayer community. Trusting our deepest needs with those who will become “rope holders” to keep us from falling off the edge. A community of prayerful pilgrims who stand with us. I witnessed a powerful prayer community surrounding a little 16-month-old facing a life-threatening incident this past week. A community calling on God for healing and holding the ropes for her parents and grandparents.  “Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. Psalm 55:1 (NIV). What seemed impossible is now a place where a community and a family rejoice, as God has miraculously intervened.

What does a prayer community look like? One example given by John Michael Talbot is a great starting point.  “Prayer is the strength of our individual and community existence. It is through prayer that we find the heart of our love relationship with Jesus as individuals, and it is through the love relationship of Jesus working in individual lives that communities prosper in peace and unity. It is in the solitude of prayer that we find our true companion and thus learn to be better companions of others. It is in the inner silence of prayer that we hear the living word of God, and thus learn to speak words that flow from the love of God to one another.”

We do not always get the answer we expected, but we always have God’s presence to see us through every circumstance. We never give up because God never gives up. Whatever situation you or I may face, we have a Savior who provides a way. Together, may we find encouragement in this prayer of benediction:

The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace – Numbers 6:24-26

 

God is great!

A New Beginning

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Photo by David Ilona

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks. You, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’” Mark 11:1-3 NIV

The moment had finally arrived; all the years of watching, listening, learning, and sacrificing were finally over. The twelve disciples were witnessing the unfolding of the promised kingdom. They must have been smiling and high-fiving each other as they watched the crowd grow larger and larger, thrilled by the moment as they heard the crowd shouting:

Hosanna!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!

Hosanna in the highest heaven! (Mark 11:9b-10 NIV)

Churches around the world celebrated Palm Sunday yesterday as Holy Week started, leading up to Easter. The twelve disciples would go through a life-changing week after this triumphant entry into Jerusalem. What they thought would happen was not how Jesus ever intended it to be. This week would reveal their hearts, and by the end, challenge them until they truly understood the nature of Jesus’ kingdom.

“There are many things that can only be seen through eyes that have cried.” (Oscar Romero). It was through eyes of tears that all twelve finished the week. Each of the twelve would run and hide, overwhelmed by their failures. Although all would fail initially, eleven of the disciples would find redemption and restoration through grace. One would run, but not to Jesus. Judas would seek restoration on his own terms by going to the religious leaders instead of to the source of grace, Jesus. Though embarrassed, discouraged, hopeless, and afraid, the other eleven disciples found redemption and went on to become the world changers Jesus prayed they would become.

Do you ever feel your faith is fragile? Like you’re hanging on by a thread, questioning if you have enough. These twelve disciples, close friends and followers of Jesus, felt the same way. The week brought them panic, but it ended with hope when they realized their strength was not in their own faith, but in their Savior.

The events of the week were slowly unfolding. The act of betrayal was set in motion as “Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money.” (Luke 22:4-5) The act of worship was set in motion as “Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” (Luke 22:8). Same week, different actions, yet all for the purpose of the Kingdom.

Passover, this foundational celebration, has been celebrated through the generations to remind them of God’s deliverance and protection. Freedom came after 430 years through an act of faith. “Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin, and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe….When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.” (Exodus 12:22-23)

The story is told of two men on the night of Passover, one was afraid, the other excited. Each man followed the instructions given without any compromise. The blood had been placed carefully on the doorpost, and although both men did what God told them, one man had doubts. Which one lost his son that night? Neither! Death doesn’t pass over them based on the intensity of their faith but on the ground of the blood of the lamb.

That night marked the beginning of a new life, not because of what anyone did, but what God did. The same became true for us at Easter because of Jesus. Faith isn’t about what we do but about the Who of our faith. Even a weak faith in a perfect Savior saves completely. “Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading…The life of faith is not a life of mounting up with wings, but a life of walking and not fainting.” (Oswald Chambers)

Jesus gathered his disciples together as every faithful Jew had done since that first Passover. He would celebrate the Passover with his followers, but after this night, future Passovers would never be the same again. “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:26-29)

The crowd’s euphoria gave way by the end of the week to the shouts of an angry mob. The disciples who had pledged their unwavering devotion all retreated to their hiding places. The religious and political powers joined forces to destroy what they saw as a threat to their authority. What seemed like a complete failure for Jesus on the surface was anything but. Darkness fell over the land, the temple curtains were torn in two, and Jesus’ cry of victory was heard: “It is finished.” It was a week filled with incredible highs and heartbreaking lows, but it ended with hope that changed lives.

“You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!” Mark 16:6

Rejoicing this Easter for He is risen!

God is great!

Spring Cleaning and Prayer

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How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you. Psalm 139:17-18 NIV

Spring has arrived! Last Friday marked the end of winter, and we welcomed spring with open arms for those in the Northern Hemisphere. My friends in Africa and Asia who are moving into winter, bear with me. We know there is nothing like the feeling when plants start to bloom, grass turns green, days get a little longer, and birds sing sweeter. However, before Utopia settles in, you also see tornado warnings flashing across the screen, things turning yellow (only those on the US East Coast can relate), the sound of lawn mowers, and people coughing and hacking due to increased allergy levels.

Yet spring brings newness, change, and fresh beginnings. Heavy coats are stored away for another year, people sit outside, windows are opened, and the annual tradition of spring cleaning begins. “See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, and the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.” (Song of Songs 2:11-13a NIV)

The concept of spring cleaning is rooted in religious and cultural traditions as well as very practical needs. It is a tradition dating back centuries, with different cultures and peoples using the changing seasons to deep-clean the house, clear out clutter, and open it up after the cold winter months. “The concept of deep cleaning and decluttering during the spring season can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as the Persians, Egyptians, and Romans. In these cultures, the arrival of spring symbolized a fresh start and was seen as an opportunity to cleanse both the physical and spiritual aspects of life.” (Unisan Direct newsletter)

Spring cleaning does come with a cost. Your body gets tired from the up-and-down motion, but it is rewarding in the end. It also makes you realize that your cleaning equipment needs a good spring cleaning. I couldn’t figure out why our vacuum cleaner kept quitting on me. I assumed we needed a new one, but fortunately, I didn’t click the buy now button on Amazon. The canister was empty, no apparent problems on the outside, but when I opened up the machine, the inside was clogged with paper and leaves. It took some time to clean out the inside, but once I did, the machine worked great. Sorry, Amazon, you lost the sale!

We understand that our prayer lives can become clogged at times, and it may not feel as effective as it once did. For some reason, our conversations with God might seem to disappear. Still, keeping our prayer life open to God should be a top priority. George Muller, a man known for his prayer life, once said, “The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord.”

Prayer is often viewed merely as a habit or discipline to develop, and yes, while both can play a part, they are minor aspects. Prayer is more like our heartbeat, giving us life with every beat. “So we pray because we were made for prayer, and God draws us out by breathing Himself in.” (P.T. Forsyth)

Andrew Murray writes that, “In praying, we are often occupied with ourselves, with our own needs, and our own efforts in the presentation of them. In waiting upon God, the first thought is of the God upon whom we wait. God longs to reveal Himself, to fill us with Himself. Waiting on God gives Him time in His own way and divine power to come to us.”

It is easy to become preoccupied with trying to figure out why our prayer life seems empty. We assume this, or that is the reason God doesn’t respond to us. We work to resolve the problem instead of sitting quietly with God to hear from Him. We need to wait with the One who has all the time in the world. Psalm 139 is a beautiful prayer to meditate upon as you wait. “You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” (vs 1-6 NIV)

Spring cleaning is about deep cleaning, which means slowing down enough to really pay attention to what we are doing. The same will be of our prayer life; there will be times of fast praying, but if we want to really sustain our prayer life, it takes time to sit with God and be still. Jesus was never in a hurry, and that was especially true of his prayer life. Portland Pastor Christian Dawson said it well, “The people who followed Jesus first were all taken aback by Jesus’ prayer life. They were fascinated by it. Jesus woke up early to pray. When He was exhausted, He’d get alone to pray. When he was successful, He’d get away to pray. When he was in trial, He stayed up all night to pray. It’s as if the first work and the last work that Jesus was up to was always prayer. Our Rabbi lived something that’s so easy to forget: Prayer, more than anything else, fuels our love for God, His people, and His mission in the world.” (from Lead with Prayer, Ryan Skoog)

Heavenly Father, You made me for prayer, and I am most fully alive when I am in Your presence. Thank you for Your Spirit, which first moves me to pray, and which prays through me. I yield myself fully to you, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.

God is great!

Thank you for taking the time to read Prayer Safari, and I hope it will be a blessing and encouragement to you today.

No Longer I, but Christ

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But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:7-8 ESV

“May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of his hand.” I offer this traditional Irish blessing to you as a greeting on Tuesday (March 17) as you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It is the one day of the year that totally disregards your Ancestry.com results. You may have traced your roots, but on St. Patrick’s Day, all of that goes out the window so that you can claim your Irish heritage.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote, “Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, but if your name is Eisenhower, you’ve got to wear something green to show it.” The city of Chicago must have taken President Eisenhower at his word and decided to dye the Chicago River green. Around the world, shades of green appear everywhere, in hair, clothes, drinks, and food. “I do so like green eggs and ham! Thank you! Thank you, Sam-I-Am.” (Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham)

St. Patrick’s Day is more than dying your eggs green, wearing green clothes, or eating corned beef and cabbage; it is a day set aside to commemorate a once enslaved teenager in Ireland who would later return to the same country as a missionary. Maewyn Succat was born into a wealthy family in what is now Kilpatrick, Scotland. He was captured by Druid raiders and sold into slavery as a shepherd.

Though born into a Christian family, he wrote in his spiritual autobiography, “It was there that the Lord opened up my awareness of my lack of faith. Even though it came about late, I recognized my failings. So I turned with all my heart to the Lord my God (Joel 2:12), and he looked down on my lowliness (Luke 1:48). (From Confessio 2)

Maewyn Succat escaped his captors and made his way to a monastery in Gaul (France). There, he entered the priesthood and took the name Patrick. He would return to the very people who had enslaved him with a singular zeal to share about God who had completely set him free.

Millions will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, having fun, but most will forget the real story behind the name. Patrick was a devoted servant of God, known for his faith and deep prayer. He was totally abandoned to Christ, and his faith and prayer life would transform a nation. It was a life that would serve as an example of surrender and as a testimony to the generations that followed. I think Patrick would have identified with the ideas that Oswald Chambers expressed centuries later: “Salvation is not merely deliverance from sin, nor the experience of personal holiness; the salvation of God is deliverance out of self entirely into union with Himself…In your abandonment we give ourselves over to God just as God gave Himself for us, without any calculation. The consequence of abandonment never enters into our outlook because our life is taken up with Him.”

Patrick escaped from his captors and could have returned to his life as Maewyn Succat. He might have chosen a much easier and more comfortable life than that of a 5th-century pioneer missionary. He could have taken an easier path as a priest rather than going back to those who had enslaved him for years. Yet, what he chose was a life of total abandonment to do the will of God. Through his work, he inspired a generation in Ireland to be faithful, overseeing the launch of 300 churches and helping over 135,000 people come to faith.

“The thing that tells in the long run for God and for men is the steady persevering work in the unseen, and the only way to keep the life uncrushed is to live looking to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the Risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to damp you.” (Oswald Chambers)

Patrick lived out what Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia of the only thing that truly matters, complete surrender to Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 ESV

There are several variations of St. Patrick’s Breastplate (song), but I hope this portion of the longer versions will be both an encouragement and blessing to you as you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

 I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me…

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
~ St. Patrick

May this day, as all days, be filled with Christ. God is great!

Refuge in the Shelter of God’s Wings

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Let me dwell in your tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Psalm 61:4 NASB

The better part of prayer is not the asking but the being with God, resting in His shelter, knowing He knows me and wants to be with me. Why would I not want to be with Him? It is easy to pray in the easy afternoons of spring, but it is in the cold nights of winter that our prayers give life.

Ben Sasse is now living in the cold winter of the night, yet not with fear and defeat. You would know Sasse as a former U.S. Senator from Nebraska, President of the University of Florida, public servant, devoted husband and father, but also a man dying of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

What gives him hope isn’t the chance of a medical cure, although he is exploring all options. What gives him hope isn’t his determination, even though he writes, “he would not be going down without a fight.” What sustains his hope is his unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. Sasse announced his battle with cancer in December 2025, two days before Christmas. In his news release, he said, “As a Christian, the weeks running up to Christmas are a time to orient our hearts toward the hope of what’s to come. Not an abstract hope in fanciful human goodness; not hope in vague hallmark-sappy spirituality; not a bootstrapped hope in our own strength… We hope in a real Deliverer—a rescuing God, born at a real time, in a real place. But the eternal city—with foundations and without cancer—is not yet.”

Life often catches us off guard. What will we do when it does? The Psalmist encourages us to learn to rest in God’s shelter. It will be the only place where we can endure the storms that might otherwise overwhelm us quickly. “The trials of life are sent to make us, not to break us. Financial troubles may destroy a person’s business, but build up his character. And a direct blow to the outer person may be the greatest blessing possible to the inner person. So if God places or allows anything difficult in our lives, we can be sure that the real danger or trouble will be what we will lose if we run or rebel against it.” (Maltbie D. Babcock)

Our prayer life is a pivotal hinge that prevents everything from coming completely unhinged. Yet, walking into those dark winters of our soul, prayer can seem the most unattainable place we can find. One of my favorite writers is Tim Keller, who wrote a great book simply called “Prayer.” Keller wrote, “What is prayer, then, in the fullest sense? Prayer is continuing a conversation that God has started through his Word and his grace, which eventually becomes a full encounter with him.” (Prayer, p 48)

Keller outlined the importance and power of prayer throughout nearly 321 pages of his book. However, it was during his own dark night a decade later, when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, that he would say in an interview on the podcast Premier Unbelievable, “Despite the pain and fear associated with cancer, he and his wife, Kathy, would never want to go back to the kind of prayer life and spiritual life we had before the cancer. Never.”

 Jim Denison, writing in Denison Forum, shared what it means to trust God with our pain. “First, when we trust God with our pain, we can experience his presence and comfort on a level we could not before the suffering came. Second, when we trust God with our pain, he can use us in ways he could not before the suffering came. Third, when we trust God with our pain, he can use our suffering to guide us into his purpose in ways he could not before the suffering came.”

Learning to take refuge in God’s shelter is critical because it is life-giving. The Apostle Paul understood what it meant to face challenges. Paul’s resume of suffering and pain was impressive: “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers…I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked…If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” (2 Corinthians 11:24-27,30)

Paul understood the meaning of pain and didn’t shy away from these challenges for the sake of Jesus. Yet he also wasn’t afraid to ask God to remove the thorn that tormented him. “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.” Still, Paul trusted God for the outcome even as he heard God say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul may have desired a different answer, but he valued God’s purpose more—so much so that he was willing to say, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:8-9,10)

It is in the shelter of God’s wings that we finally become all we are meant to be. Tim Keller has completed his earthly journey; Ben Sasse will finish his, as will we. Yet it is only then that we will truly understand what it means to live. “You must hand yourself and all your inward experiences, your temptations, your temperament, your frames and feelings, all over into the care and keeping of your God, and leave them there. He made you and therefore He understands you, and knows how to manage you, and you must trust Him to do it.” –Hannah Whitall Smith

God is great!

Finding Your Way Out Of The Wilderness

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Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. Isaiah 35:6b-7 NIV

What do you do when you find yourself in the wilderness? Our first home in Africa was in Bophuthatswana. Sitting on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, it was known for its dry and harsh conditions, where brown became the new green. The winds blew dry, dusty air, often forcing us to put wet rags under the doors to try to keep out the dust. During the worst droughts, animals and livestock died from hunger.

Living so far from the familiar surroundings of home, I realized that living in the wilderness was not just a physical place but also an emotional and spiritual experience. It was on one of those mornings, feeling the weight of my wilderness, that I stepped outside our front door. It felt as if God wanted to remind me that even in the deepest wilderness, He would be there. I looked up and saw one of the most spectacular rainbows I have ever seen, as if God was writing His name across the sky. It was His signature, a guarantee of “I will always be here with you.”

Choosing to rejoice in God’s presence during our wilderness seasons may not come easily. However, without Him, survival becomes impossible. Your wilderness could become a place where you are overwhelmed with pain, anger, and loneliness without His presence. “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 NIV

The 2026 Winter Olympics have captured the world’s attention through much of February, with 92 nations sending their top athletes to compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 games. The event has offered breathtaking moments of victory and crushing defeat. Norway has led the medal count but had to make space for the Brazilian alpine skiing gold medalist.  He won the first medal ever from a South American country and from any tropical nation. The medalists will rejoice, but several athletes will find themselves in their own wilderness.

U.S. Olympic skater Amber Glenn was a favorite for gold at this year’s Winter Olympics in the ladies’ singles competition. She lived up to expectations, skating beautifully with a flawlessly executed performance. “After hitting the highest-graded triple Axel of her career and a solid triple-triple jump combination, Glenn just needed one more jump to complete the most difficult elements in her short program.” She completed her third and final jump without a fall and, to the casual observer, delivered a perfect skate.

However, to the judges’ trained eyes, she made an unforgivable mistake that would cost her a medal. Glenn executed a flawless double loop, but the rules required a triple. She just needed one more revolution to qualify, but she failed. So close—why not just give her credit, knowing she could do it? The problem was that ISU Special Regulations and Technical Rules require a skater to perform a triple jump; if not, the element is officially considered “not according to requirements.”

Lindsey Vonn dreamed of making a comeback after five years away from the sport following a partial knee replacement. However, she crashed seconds after the start of her downhill run, suffering a badly broken left leg that required four surgeries. “My Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would. It wasn’t a storybook ending or a fairytale; it was just life. I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it. In downhill ski racing, the difference between a strategic line and a catastrophic injury can be as small as five inches.” (Luke Phillips, AFP)

Ilia Malinin, nicknamed the “Quad God,” known for his quadruple axels, was expected to win medals. Going into the Olympics, he competed in four events with scores ranging from 209 to 238, but his final score was 156.33, which placed him eighth. Why? The normally flawless skater fell multiple times during his final routine. “Of course, it didn’t go the way I wanted it to.”…All I have to do is just learn from my mistakes…

How they emerge from their own wilderness depends greatly on where they focus. Some will wander; others will thrive. Passion to be the best will help some of them walk out of their place of struggle. David Jeremiah writes, “Passionate people hang in there when the going gets tough. They persist, they persevere, they never lose heart, and they never quit.”

What if we find a way to make peace in those wandering times? British Pastor Pete Greig writes, “God’s blessings may come to me not instead of this wilderness, not in spite of this wilderness, but actually within it. The very situation I am currently tempted to resent may become the theatre of God’s greatest grace in my life. And so, I must ask myself a difficult question (and I don’t ask it lightly). Is it possible that God has actually called me into this dry, difficult, or disappointing place?”

“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. “ (Proverbs 24:16 NIV)

I have found that wandering in a wilderness is not a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as you may have also discovered, especially if you live long enough. You walk out of one wilderness experience only to find yourself, at some point in your life journey, wandering in a new one. However, I have learned that the only thing that will provide the courage, hope and faith to walk out of the wilderness is that God will be there to wander with you.

“What god is as great as our God? Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.” Psalm 77:13b,19)

God is great!

Melody of Joy and Hope

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The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of Joy. Psalm 65:8 NIV

When we moved to Georgia, it had many advantages, but one thing it lacked was the steady winds of Oklahoma. You can rely on Oklahoma winds to have enough force to produce a beautiful sound as they blow through the wind chimes, although sometimes the wind is a little too strong, knocking the wind chimes off their hooks. Granted, winter keeps you indoors, but even these cold days can’t stop the winds from creating a melody of joy and hope.

There is a legend about a German baron who wanted to build a gigantic wind harp at his castle to play continuous music. He had wires strung from tower to tower to catch the wind blowing across them. Unfortunately, the gentle breezes that swirled through the castle did not have enough force to make any noise. He was disappointed until one night when a fierce storm arose, sending strong winds against the castle. Awakened by the powerful winds beating against the castle walls, he was surprised to hear the most beautiful melody, even above the roar of the storm. “It had taken a fierce storm to produce the music!” (paraphrase from Streams in the Desert)

Upheaval seems to be the main story on the nightly news. Like the 90s movie, Groundhog Day, where the weather anchor keeps reliving the same day over and over, it feels like we are living the same stories repeatedly. These stories might focus on recent snow and ice storms, violence in Minnesota or Iran, or who knows what.

It is almost impossible to hear anything other than the noise of the day. Too often, we are like The Baron, who wanted to sit in his easy chair and listen to the sounds of his wind harp. But the gentle winds did not produce music until a fierce storm arose that could move the strings. It is in storms that we can truly hear and appreciate what emerges from the chaos.

Jesus knew that the upheaval of this world could feel overwhelming, but he wasn’t surprised. Jesus reminded us to turn to the Father and to remember that God will always be in control, even when it looks darkest. “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. You must be on your guard.” (Mark 13:5-9a)

C.S. Lewis, in his book The Screwtape Letters, writes that Satan’s “cause is never in more danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do God’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”

What should we do during this waiting period? God said to pray, not only for ourselves but also for the nation. “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7) Israel was captive in the hostile land of Babylon, with nowhere to go, their homeland completely destroyed, and hope all but lost—which is where God steps in. God reminds them that even in their darkest days, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” (29:11)

David encouraged the people in Psalm 122 to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” “I rejoiced with those who said to me, Let us go to the house of the LORD. Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem.”

Praying scripture is a powerful way to align our needs, desires, and burdens with God. When we’re overwhelmed by problems, frustrated with our nation’s leadership—whether elected or not—or simply heartbroken over a particular incident, the best and only place to pray is from God’s perspective.

Psalm 122 is one of many scriptural passages that express the words we so desperately need to say. Words that have been prayers for generations, asking God to intervene on behalf of their city, state, province, or nation. This powerful prayer enables us to watch the evening news without feeling anxious or fearful. It provides a way to pray for peace in Washington, Minneapolis, Nairobi, Johannesburg, London, or wherever you lay your head tonight. We can watch the broadcasts, read the stories, scroll through the internet, or listen to friends’ pain, but now with hope and promise.

“Pray for the peace of (you voice the location); May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, Peace be within you. For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity,” (122:6-9)

We can carefully position our wind chimes in just the right spot to catch the wind, but there is silence until the wind blows through them. “Let all your thoughts be with the Most High and direct your humble prayers unceasingly to Christ.” (Thomas a Kempis). Can you only imagine what a beautiful sound in heaven as our prayers echo through the streets of Heaven? Can you only imagine the chorus of millions praying for the peace of their city?

God is great!