Walking With Jesus

Born in a Barn

*Today’s article by Janel Breitenstein not only helps us see the Christmas story more clearly but enables us to better understand it in the context of our personal lives, especially if we’re married. Blessings, Ed 😊

I grew up on a small, tidy farm. There was a rustling green for acres, the mottled red of apple trees, the streaked pink of rhubarb. Farms have their own simple beauty.

I doubt my parents saw it as simple. Seven days a week there were animals needing care and feeding. Go on vacation, and you’re hiring someone to do it for you.

And then there were the smells and sounds. As I picture entering our barn, I think of stamping and restlessness, crusted fur, the earthy hay. My mom, aka “My Love Language Is Cleanliness,” had a protocol for my dad and his rank clothing and boots after chores.

So I find a redolent metaphor in Jesus being born in a stable, laid to rest in a feed trough. Our God is not aloof. He doesn’t say, “Sorry, you and your marriage happen to be too disgusting for me.” Or, “I’ll just stay out here.” He didn’t even glide into an idyllic farm with cute chicks and carrots that taste best right out of the ground. He chose the filth.

As God entered the world from a screaming, sweating, grunting woman’s body, He came into our mess.

Manure can be scraped or hosed away; it’s much harder to reconcile the damage we do to each other. Francis Spufford describes in his book Unapologetic our “active inclination to break stuff, ‘stuff’ here including … promises, relationships we care about, and our own well-being and other people’s.”

Like a marriage, God was saying, “Your mess is my mess. You needed me, so I came all the way into this.”

Maybe this Christmas finds you or your marriage feeling distant from God. It could be your deep suffering. Or maybe you think God likes “clean” people. Allow me to introduce you to The God in the Mess. The God Who Relates to Every Rank Bit of It.

Or, as He called Himself, Immanuel, “God With Us.”

This Christmas, lean in. He’s ready for your mess.

*Read “7 Ideas for Making Your Holidays ‘Holy Days.’”

THE GOOD STUFF: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

ACTION POINTS: Take a minute. What are some of your biggest hurdles to feeling close to God? To feeling like He is “with” you? How does the truth of Jesus answer your mind’s questions?

*I want more Family Life Devotionals like this one in my inbox

God’s Presence Carries Purpose

“I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-8 NLT)

Everything we do for the Lord has purpose if it’s done with the right motive and with the right attitude. We can do things for the right reasons, but with a lousy attitude and it negates our efforts for the Lord. He gets no glory and we get no joy.

There’s a sense in which when we opened our heart and life to the Lord, He planted a seed of faith that has, ideally, continued to grow and has blossomed into a strong tree that continues to bear fruit that glorifies and honors our Savior. However, trees don’t grow without sunshine, rain, and the proper nutrients offered as their roots grow deep into the soil in which they are planted.

Unless our faith “roots” are continuing to receive proper nutrition through regular “feedings” from God’s Word and continual “watering” through time alone with the Lord, our roots will wither and our fruit will be useless. The Lord’s presence, as the light of the sun, will warm, heal, nurture, and infuse us with strength to carry on.

His presence gives us strength to carry out our purpose that can never be accomplished in the energy of the flesh. We must be dependent on the Spirit’s anointing presence to fill, empower, and enable us to do what the Lord has called and equipped us to do. The powerful words of Ray Majoran’s prayer inspire and encourage me when He prays:

“Many of us feel stretched, worn, or uncertain of what our work produces, yet You welcome us into the field with the same compassion You revealed to those who arrived late in the day (Matthew 20:9). Teach us to trust that every moment in Your presence carries purpose, and that the labor You give us is never wasted. By the power of Your Spirit, shape our hearts so that what we offer reflects Your goodness, and help us find rest in knowing that You are the One who brings the growth (1 Corinthians 3:7).”

“As we stand in the fields You have prepared, steady our steps and deepen our joy for the work before us. Shape us into people who serve with humble hearts, support those who feel discouraged, and rejoice in the compassion of the Master who calls us His own. May our lives bear witness to Your kindness so that others would see the beauty of Your kingdom.” (See The Vineyard – 11-26-25)

We cannot bear witness to what we haven’t seen and experienced in our own lives. Unless and until we’ve invited the Lord of power to control our lives, we’ll have no witness to others of the potential He can have in their lives. God’s presence only carries purpose in the lives of those whom He has called to be invested and involved in the accomplishment of His eternal Kingdom.

My sense is, if you’re reading these words today, He’s calling YOU to be invested in fulfilling His eternal purposes. If you haven’t begun your journey with Jesus, please go to The Bridge to God by clicking the highlighted link and allow Ron Hutchcraft to guide you in understanding how to get your journey with Jesus started. Only then will you experience for yourself the power of His presence that produces purpose.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Where to Find Peace of Mind This Christmas

*Please be blessed and inspired by this powerful message by Pastor Rick Warren.

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him.” (Romans 15:13 NLT)

Where do you go for peace if you don’t have God in your life? Where do you find rest if you’re not connected to God on a moment-by-moment basis?

Jesus Christ has an incredible offer for you. He says, “If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 CEV).

I like that verse because it says the exact opposite of what most people think God will say to them. People imagine that God might say, “Come to me and I will give you rules. Come to me and I will give you regulations. Come to me and I will give you restrictions. Come to me and I will give you religion. Come to me and I will give you rituals.”

But God doesn’t say any of those things. He says, “Come to me and I will give you rest.”

If you’re feeling tired and stressed all the time, it may be because you’re trying to live your life on your own power. God never meant for you to do that.

The Living Bible paraphrase says, “He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak” (Isaiah 40:29).

And Colossians 1:11 promises, “God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come” (NCV).

If you’ve been feeling a little down, a little anxious, a little fatigued, a little worried this Christmas season, come home to God. He’s the one who made you, who’s watched every moment of your life, who knows everything about you and still loves you, who forgives you.

And he’s inviting you to come home to his peace and strength. When you do that, you’ll have real peace of mind.

Talk It Over

In what ways are you trying to live life in your own power?
What have you feared that God might say when you come to him with your worries, your fatigue, and your sin?
How does it feel to know that God is saying, “Come to me and I will give you rest”?

When We Set Our Face Towards God

“Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commands…Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.” (Psalm 112:1; 6-7 NLT)

What does it mean to set our face towards God? It means to walk with focus on Him in every detail of our life. Why do we get out of bed? Why do we live, love, laugh, work, play, or even care? If not for Jesus, none of it would matter? Why not? Because He IS life and without Him there would be no value or meaning in anything else we did or in which we participated.

It implies intentionality, determination and purpose. To set our face towards God implies focus on the carrying out of His desires and the accomplishment of His holy will, not a side consideration that we’ll get to if we have time. It’s a process that involves careful thought, planning, and will ignite our love for the Lord and our desire to please and honor Him.

A by-product of that commitment is an overwhelming sense of peace and confidence that nothing the devil throws at us can shake or harm us. J. C. Ryle writes: “The world, the flesh and the devil can never overwhelm the weakest person who sets their face towards God.” How can that be? Because the devil can’t tempt us unless and until he gets our attention. So, if we’re so focused on pleasing, honoring, and obeying the Lord, we’ll not be sidetracked by the schemes of the devil.

How do we learn how to live a life like that? Honestly, it takes time fueled by desire. We have to want it more than anything else, literally! If we really want God, but want even a little bit of the world, it can hold us back. Jesus said, “Above all else!” (Matthew 6:33). Does that negate any interest we have in family, friends, church, and many other good things in which we can invest ourselves as a Jesus follower?

No, of course not. But if our focus is on Jesus everything else falls into place behind Him. He’s our priority and everyone and everything we love should give us opportunity to reflect Him and His love. If He’s flowing in and through us, doesn’t it stand to reason that everyone and everything we touch should leave evidence of His life and love?

Why would it? Because that’s our intention! We WANT to leave His fingerprints on everything we touch; otherwise, we’ll simply be leaving our own, which does no eternal good. With every person I meet I want to do one of a couple things. First, I want to point them to Jesus. I want them to see evidence of His life in and through my life. If His Spirit isn’t evident in the way I interact with another person, why not?

And, no, that doesn’t necessarily mean we share the Gospel with them, at least not in words, but it does mean we should allow the Spirit to open their heart to Him, preparing them for the next time we meet, or they meet someone like us who loves Jesus and loves them. But what if I might be the last person they speak with before they meet the Lord?

Unless the Lord alerts us to that, we have no way of knowing, but we should always be open to and alert to opportunities to share the Gospel whenever we can. I’m just saying that casual conversation in a checkout line or doctor’s office waiting room may not give us that opportunity unless we sense a specific leading. That’s part of the process in setting our face towards the Lord, being ever sensitive to His leading.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Do You Want?

“I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT)

If an angel of the Lord appeared to you, just like in the Bible, and he said to you: “The Lord has sent me to give you your heart’s greatest desire. Whatever you want most is yours for the asking!” For what would you ask? Something material? Millions, maybe billions of dollars? A house or maybe more than one house? A fleet of Ferrari’s so you could give them away to all your friends?

How about that special person with whom you could build a happy life? A child or children? A happy family? The perfect job, or maybe your own company? How about perfect health or healing for you, a loved one or friend? The list is very long, perhaps endless of things for which we could ask, but do you not realize that whatever “that” is for which you most long to have will be a guiding force in your life, whether you ever actually have it or not?

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

Since many of you who read this blog regularly are believers in the Lord Jesus, might I expect that some of you most want the intimacy with God that results from a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led life? As I ponder my own heart, I want most to be like Jesus. No, not His acclaim. I don’t want to be worshipped or adored by my loving followers, I want my life to reflect His character, His love, His devotion to the Father, His trust in God’s Word, His selfless giving of Himself in the pursuit of helping others.

When someone sees me I want them to see evidence that I walk with Jesus, that I’m not selfish or self-focused, but so devoted to the Savior that my heart beats with His blood pumping through it. I’m reminded of A. W. Tozer’s words when he wrote: “Most Christians want a thrill or joy, but do not want holiness or the purity of a Spirit-filled life.”

Are you fed up with your unholy attachment to the things of this world? Do you long to put behind you the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life? (1 John 2:16) Have you grown content to sit at the feet of Jesus and let the entanglements of sinful habits be stripped away? There’s nothing this world offers, even the air I breathe, that appeals to me more than knowing, loving, serving, and longing for an eternity with Him.

Ultimately, we’re going to have Jesus or something else. If our life’s ambition is to follow, honor, and learn to walk in submission to Jesus’ Lordship, that’s what we’ll have, but if we want anything else and miss Jesus, it doesn’t matter what it is, it will be like a heap of trash from eternity’s perspective.

Please determine today to not only allow, but long for the Lord’s Spirit to reign and rule in your life. Open your heart to Him and let Him give you what you really want in the core of your being – love, peace, joy, fulfillment, mission, purpose, and a life dedicated to helping others, not to satisfy or honor you, but Him.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

As the Day Begins

“Let me hear of Your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting You. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to You.” (Psalm 143:8 NLT)

How do you begin your day? Startled by the alarm, do you jump out of bed without giving the Lord a thought? I sure hope not. In this season of my life the Lord is waking me early so I can spend time with Him before I get out of bed. Why is that so important?

The Psalmist thought it was important for several reasons. First, a devotion to Scripture. How better to “hear of Your unfailing love each morning” than to let our mind feast on the words of His holy Word? Foundationally, what we think about comes about, so, what better way to fill our mind with positive, God-honoring thoughts than through reading, meditating upon, and memorizing God’s Words.

Why would we do that? Because of our trust in the Bible’s Author. The Psalmist declared “for I am trusting You.” Trust is built on relationship. No trust, no relationship. If we have any kind of meaningful relationship, you’ll trust what I tell you to be true. How much greater confidence can we have in the authenticity and truthfulness of the words of God.

We can build our life on His words knowing He loves us and He doesn’t lie. But thirdly, we need to listen to the Lord’s directions and instructions through prayer. The Psalmist wrote: Show me where to walk.“ Yes, of course, the Lord speaks and shows us where to walk through His Word, but the intimacy that grows out of regular seasons of conversation with Him gives clarity and personal detail that His general instructions in the Bible reveal may not offer.

His personal guidance and instruction will parallel and never contradict His Word, but by His Spirit we’re able to see more clearly how His Word can be applied and lived out in our life. Which relates to the fourth insight the Psalmist gives us when he writes: “for I give myself to You.”

Giving ourselves to the Lord is very personal, but it’s also very important. But how? Until I understand the Lord has specific instructions for me that apply to my life, my circumstances, my schedule, my plans, my outcomes for any given day, I’ll miss His still, small voice that guides, guards, informs, equips, and enables me to hear His voice and walk in His way during any given day.

Maybe that homeless guy outside the gas station is an “ornament” you’ve grown accustomed to seeing every time you pull in for gas, but maybe this time rather than seeing a familiar “object,” you see a human being in need of a kind word, a warm smile, and maybe a sandwich or a bottle of water. When we’re able to see God personally involved in our life, it’s much easier to understand our mission as we navigate our day is to represent Him well in the interactions we have with others.

Ray Majoran’s words inspire and challenge me as he prays: “As we entrust this day to You, help us recognize the strength found in meeting You early, not as a ritual of obligation but as the place where our souls realign with what is good and lasting. Give rest to those who wake feeling worn, peace to those who rise with burdens already forming, and encouragement to those who long for hope to break through. Let the first moments of this day draw us into Your presence so that everything that follows is shaped by the grace You have already given.”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Reason for the Season (of Advent)

By: John Stonestreet and Dr. Timothy D. Padgett

*In this Colson Center Article John Stonestreet and Dr. Timothy D. Padgett give us several meaningful ways to celebrate this Advent Season and why. Enjoy! Blessings, Ed 😊

The season has begun. Specifically, the season of complaining that the world has forgotten “the reason for the season.” It’s true, of course, but the “reason” many want restored often has more in common with Hallmark than with Christ. While celebration, family, and friendship are essential aspects of the holiday season as culturally practiced, the church calendar offers the season of Advent as a way of preparing our hearts and minds for the feast of Christmas.

Essential to the season of Advent is remembering and rehearsing the Story of Scripture, particularly those parts that promise salvation. To that end of remembering, Michael Card’s album The Promise is a staple in the Stonestreet household this time of year. The more musically gifted in our home, of which I am not one, also commit time to listen again to Handel’s brilliant oratorio, Messiah.

The brilliant and witty G.K. Chesterton was a big fan of Christmas. In 2023, Ryan Whitaker Smith wrote Winter Fire: Christmas with G.K. Chesterton, a delightful mix of essays, articles, poems, and meditations. Closer to Christmas Day, don’t forget about Tolkien’s Letters from Father Christmas.

For those interested in going deeper, the 2024 book by Rhyne R. Putman, Conceived by the Holy Spirit: The Virgin Birth in Scripture and Theology, is one of the rare works for both laity and theological professionals. In it, Putman describes Advent and the birth of Christ by reaching across the Scriptures and into various elements of the Christian walk.

Daniel Spanjer’s Advent is the Story: Seeing the Nativity Throughout Scripture combines rich theology with a day-by-day reading list for the entire month. From the first chapters of Genesis to the concluding verses of Revelation, Spanjer describes “Christmas as worldview”:

The history of the universe is a story with a specific plot. It began with a garden of beauty and goodness. … [God] will bring the universe to completion as it was designed—Yahweh’s permanent, eternal home among his people.

Dan Darling’s 2019 book, The Characters of Christmas: The Unlikely People Caught Up in the Story of Jesus, challenges those too familiar with the Nativity story. Darling reminds readers how God used ordinary people to do the extraordinary, including Joseph and Mary, Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Simeon and Anna. As Darling described it:

This is the real story of Christmas, the heart of Christianity: brokenness and new birth. The same God who birthed life into Sarah’s dead womb had breathed life into Elizabeth and Mary. And this baby, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, breathes new birth into His people.

Yes, the season is bigger than commercialism and decorations, but it is even more than time with family and friends. Everything that matters ultimately finds its significance in the Work God is doing in His world.

Advent is to remind us of God’s redemption. As Mary sang in the Magnificat:

[H]e has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with

good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his

servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our

fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.

It Is Well. Even When It Is Not.

*This 15^th of the month rather than a devotional by Sylvia Gunter, I’m offering a timely message from her daughter, Elizabeth Gunter Powell. She writes with similar passion to her mom. Enjoy! Blessings, Ed 😊

As many look forward to this season with great joy, there are just as many who wish the holidays would pass quickly because they are too painful. The same is true of the birth of Jesus. While Mary, Joseph, angels, shepherds, and kings will savor fondly the joy of Jesus’ birth, thousands of families in the surrounding area will mark it as the anniversary of the horrific night their young son was massacred by Herod… great hope and great pain all in one story.

In 2 Kings 4:8-36 there is a beautiful picture of hope in the midst of pain. Elisha longed to bless the Shunammite woman for her kindness, so he promised that in a year she would embrace a son. She protested, begging Elisha not to play games with her heart. A year later, she had a son, and he grew until one day he suddenly died.

Photo by Atlantic Ambience on Pexels.com

What do you do in those moments in your life when it feels like what was promised is taken away? The Shunammite woman asked for a donkey that she might run to the man of God. When her husband asked her why, she simply said, “It is well.” In Hebrew, it is one word, shalom, which means peace, health, welfare, security, safety, wholeness, and completion.

All was not well. Her son, whom she never dreamed she would bear and then miraculously bore, was now dead. As she approached Elisha, his servant met her and asked her what she wanted. Again all she said was, “It is well” (2 Kings 4:26b). This was not a denial of the events or an attempt to give the right religious answer. It was a statement of hope. All was not well, but it is still well.

2 Kings 4:27-28 says, “When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet.” Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”

“Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes?'”

I love her response. She ran to her only hope, the man of God. But when she arrived, she didn’t hold back how she felt about the circumstances. Can’t you hear her tone? “This was your idea in the first place. You invited me to hope, to dream of having a son, and then this happened. I told you before you did it not to play games with me, and now I am bitterly disappointed.”

But even more amazing was her next phrase. In the midst of bitter distress, she said to the man of God, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” As devastated as she felt, she continued to trust and hope because she knew regardless of what would occur “It is well.”

The Shunammite woman’s story has a happy ending. Her son was raised from the dead. But for many that is not the case. Despite praying, hoping, and dreaming, life circumstances have turned out differently than you expected. Regardless of what this season holds for you, may you be like the Shunammite woman, able to be honest about the pain and to bring God all your pain and distress. May you find a resting place in God who is your Hope. You may not like what is happening. You may not understand what God is up to. May you choose to receive the grace of God to be able to say, “It is well.”

Be blessed in the heart of Jehovah-Shalom, the God of “It is well.”

God’s Goal

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9 NLT)

In general terms a goal is an aim or purpose, a desired outcome, but often we enter a relationship with the Lord without any clear or defined goal. It makes sense to have an expectation; otherwise, why begin the journey? And yes, of course, we want to go to heaven, but are we naïve enough to believe that journey will not cost us anything; that it won’t be difficult or challenging?

Shouldn’t we, as Jesus expressed in Luke 14:28, count the cost? In that context He speaks of considering the cost of construction of a building, but the same principle applies to most anything we do, whether a major purchase, marriage, or singleness. Certainly, something as life transforming as becoming a Jesus follower deserves our utmost consideration.

Jesus made it clear that His goal for us wasn’t to make us happy or comfortable, two things most people highly value, but to make us holy. Why? Because without holiness no one will see God (Hebrews 12:14)! What does being holy look like? It essentially looks like being set apart for sacred use, pure, without spot or blemish, unmarred by the soiling effects of life in this world. But how is that even possible? It’s not in our own effort! That’s the point.

God’s goal is to enable us to become someone we couldn’t possibly become without Him. That’s why when we yield our life and allegiance to the Lord Jesus, He imparts to us the privilege of becoming the new residence of His Holy Spirit. We are filled with Jesus in the Person of His Holy Spirit when we’re born again.

Why is that so important? Because holiness demands the cleansing presence of God living in and through us; otherwise, as human beings we’re powerless to make the needed changes to conform to the image of our Savior. That’s why Paul pleaded with the Romans, and with us, in Romans 12:1-2: “And so, dear brothers and sisters. I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him Don’t copy the behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

We want to give the Lord our heart, maybe even our mind, but our body? But we can never transform ourselves, that’s God’s job, His goal if you will. Transformation is the work of God in and through us, but it must include every dimension of our being – body, mind, soul. And here’s the irony, it’s not hard to let God do what He wants to do. Think of Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

My sense is the Lord is not finished with me, but I can tell you based on more than 60 years being yoked with the Lord, He is true to His Word and has never given me a burden I couldn’t handle with His help. Why can it sometimes seem so hard? Perhaps Pastor Corky Calhoun addresses this when he writes: “God’s goal is not to buy us more time on earth, but to make sure we spend eternity with Him in heaven.”

It’s not always an easy road, but it’s well worth the effort.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who Would Be Changed?

“One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. ‘There was a judge in a certain city,’ He said, ‘who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, “Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.” The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, “I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!”’ Then the Lord said, ‘Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on earth who have faith?’” (Luke 18:1-8 NLT)

Is justice what you seek most in prayer? And, if so, for whom? In consideration of justice, as in Jesus’ illustration above, someone wins, someone is granted a just response to their pleas. For what just response are you pleading in your prayers? Are you most concerned about getting what you want or need? What someone else wants or needs? The outcome God desires? How can we know for sure?

One way of knowing is considering who will get the glory, honor, credit, or benefit? If the Lord answers your prayer exactly as requested, who wins? Who is glorified, honored, given credit, or benefits from His favorable response? Much of the time I spend in prayer is for those who are lost, who need to find forgiveness, wholeness, new life, and a new beginning in Jesus.

Where do I fit in that equation? I don’t. Why is that important? Because it gives me certainty that what I’m asking of the Lord is to His honor and glory, and to the benefit of those who respond to His invitation to come to salvation through Christ alone by faith alone. And even in the many cases where I ask for specific things that WOULD benefit me, I always seek to leave the final decision to the Lord. And no, I don’t say – “If it be Your will” because most of the time it’s a copout to get us off the hook if He doesn’t answer like we’ve prayed. We must leave the door open for Him to say “no” or “wait!”

If we don’t believe we’re praying in line with God’s will, why are we praying? We’re always praying in line with God’s will to ask for someone to be saved, healed, restored, delivered, and in most other instances. How do I know that? Because that’s why Jesus came in the first place – to deliverer, give life, health, strength, deliverance from the tentacles of Satan in whatever form they may appear. “Yeh, but what if it’s me I’m praying for?”

Knowing I’m selfish and like to get my own way, in that scenario I genuinely want the Lord’s will, so, I let Him know that I trust His judgment and will leave the ultimate decision up to Him. How is that different from saying, “If it be Your will?” It’s different because I ask with an attitude of expectation. I expect the Lord to answer, but where it’s different, I’m open to accept His response, on His terms, and in His way. I don’t demand my own way.

That relates to an interesting quote I came across a few days ago by Chris Hodges where he asked a very penetrating question: “If God answered all your prayers, would it change the world or just change you?” Another related question could also be asked: “If God answered all our prayers, HOW would it change the world and/or me?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊